which speed controllers are better

Thanks guys. We're looking into the issues and thinking of potential replacement ESCs.

One thing, though, when you say screw-type terminals, do you mean contact block? Surely not? We wind the wires together and merely use the block to hold them twisted with each other, not in the conventional wire-in-one-side-wire-in-the-other-tighten-screws-for-contact.

Edit: by contact block I mean these things:
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...lu8I6uVvYDKtl5

Twisting the wires together tightly or preferably soldering together and then using a screw terminal to hold in position is OK. Leaf type clamp screw terminals are better than straight screw terminal blocks but not IMO safe from loosening through vibration.

Hoppy

i found these quite usefull u can get 2,3 and 5 pin connectors

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Wire-Sprin ... 078wt_1142

Avoid using terminal blocks, maybe for testing and getting all the wiring sorted buty after that just make a longer wire or use soldered connections

We use Terminal blocks in our robots no problemo - although the wire gauge we use in BitzaMk2 limits us to only a couple in each side and we did find some blocks the screws can works loose.

But as a convenient way to, isolate, distribute and mount I can't think of A better alternative.

Often considered a nut and bolt, but hard to isolate.
Connectors come apart too easily and have limited distribution.

What do most people use?

In our robots we use solder, or EC5 connectors.

Connectors also get a piece of gaffatape to secure those.

I use the nut and bolt method, first bolt the 2 bolts a distance apart in a block of plastic, then add the connectors with wires , and finally a nut to tighten and secure