ok so ive been flying whoops and micro quads for about a year now and i think im ready to step up to a proper 5 inch freestyle build. ive done a ton of reading but honestly the more i read the more confused i get about motor sizing. everyone seems to have a different opinion on whether to go 2306 vs 2207 and the KV thing is messing with my head a bit.

my plan right now is to run 4S because i dont really want to deal with 6S just yet, and i want to keep it manageable weight wise since ill mostly be doing park freestyle and the occasional backyard session. frame is probably going to be a TBS Source One because i already have one sitting in a box from a while back. FC i was thinking the Betaflight F7 based one from Fl1ghtOne but im open to suggestions there too.

main question is really about motors and what props to pair with them. ive seen people say 2306 2450kv on 4S with 5x4.3x3 props but then someone else will say 2207 1750kv is smoother. is there actually a meaningful difference for just messing around at the park or am i overthinking this

honestly you are a little bit overthinking it but thats fine, everyone does on their first 5 inch. for 4S freestyle at the park either motor size will work fine, the difference you'll notice more in how the tune feels than anything else. that said i personally prefer 2306 in the 2400-2450kv range for 4S, it spools up a bit quicker and feels more responsive for tricks. pair it with something like HQProp 5x4.3x3 or the ethix S3s and you'll be happy.

one thing id say though ? dont cheap out on the ESC. if youre going F7 FC just make sure your ESC stack is matched decently, a lot of people slap a quality FC on a garbage 4in1 and then wonder why their tune is fighting them. speedybee and aikon both make solid affordable 4in1s that wont fight your PIDs all day.

source one is a great choice for starting out, pretty much indestructible compared to some of the stiffer carbon frames. just know it flexes a tiny bit which can affect tune if youre really chasing perfect freestyle feel but for park stuff youll never notice.

im running 2207 1800kv on 4S with DAL 5045 tri blades and its super smooth, good for flowing lines but maybe not as punchy for like hard snap rolls. depends what kind of flying you wanna do i guess