It dependents on what you want and what you are working on / comfortable with...
DC motors so far I notice there are three type (not talking about different frames or some weird shafts configurations or with build in speed rings)
Brushed DC permanent magnetic motor... the one with two leads +/- and you reverse the polarities, it spins the other way...
or the brushed motor with non-permanent magnetic (magnetic coils instead of permanent magnets F1 F2 F3 F4 etc extra wires, yea they do exist , I got one 1HP one too bought it wrong)
and that 3phase motor aka brush-less dc motor ( these needs a controller to drive them like you alternator I think)...
as far as driving them... newer controllers don't care as long as your speed controller is capable of at or higher amp, newer ones are PWM ... older ones actually change different DC levels to change different speeds and you'll have to match the resistor to the load of the motor... like the KB electronic ones... sorry no experience with the Bodine controllers maybe call them up... one of the version you posted is a PWM controller so you probably don't needed any load reisistors like the Old KB electronic speed controller that I have.
Ebay have some cheap ones but no experience with them, I have my eyes on them for a while... then lost interest.
Ebay says I bought this item, but have no idea where it is hiding from me lol... was intended to drive my 1/25 HP Bison gear motor or the 1/4 HP one..
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also with DC permanent motors, you can run them at lower voltage
but the speed of the motor also slows down as well...