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Man, I had a Rustler, nitro rally car, and a couple airplanes (that never got off the ground) back when I was a kid and it seems like stuff is soo much better now. I don't think I ever put more than 2 batteries through the rustler before breaking something and never got the nitro car running quite right. Since I was a kid with no car I'd drive the thing for an 30 minutes, break it, wait three months till we went to town for parts, etc. Eventually got frustrated and gave up on it. Now that I'm a grown up with more money, and because stuff seems way awesome with lipo/ brushless, I want to get back into the hobby. I'm looking at either a small 4wd truck (Savage Flux XS, 1/16 Revo VXL) or a 1/10 2wd truck (E-Firestorm Flux, Rustler VXL). I want brushless (not sure how much it actually matters, but seems really cool), durable, Lipo capability, waterproof, won't be racing, and hopefully around $300 or under for the lot. I'm curious on pros/cons between the big 2wd vs little 4wd, Traxxas and HPI in both the 2wd and 4wd chassis, and what parts would be worth picking up ahead of time for inevitable breakage. Since I already had a Rustler that seems a little boring, but I had so much fun with it for the half hour bursts where it was working that it might be worth it with lipos and brushless.
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Aug 15, 2011 21:02
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Yeah, backyard/empty lot stuff. I can definitely wait if the XS is the way to go. Seems like the price is really right for what you're getting.
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Aug 15, 2011 22:31
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I know it'd be a guess since the XS isn't out yet, but any reason the Stampede 4x4 might be a better choice? It looks sweet, it's just that it's a bit over my mental price limit. One thing I was wondering: moster truck-y things like the XS seem to roll over in turns on cement all the time. If I feel like setting it up for some parking lot fun, what would I have to do to make it more stable? I was thinking lowered ride height, swaybars, and maybe some tires more stable / less bulging out sidewalls.
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Aug 16, 2011 03:13
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I guess in should have clarified--I was thinking of the changes for asphalt as something I would do and undo as the mood struck me. No sway bars and high ground clearance would definitely be my choice for rougher bashing.
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Aug 16, 2011 05:08
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Now that's just crazy. Found some other videos. I wonder how big you could get before that'd stop working. Like, could you have something that people could ride in? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AmM_kzaJJw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81SDPqXjbec powderific fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Aug 29, 2011 |
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Aug 29, 2011 17:10
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Picked up a 1/16 slash 4x4 VXL over christmas and have had a blast with it. Already broken a few parts and switched out the springs/shock oil to something stiffer, which helped handling immensely, but the drat thing traction rolls like crazy. I realize that there's only so much you can do with such a narrow track and high speeds, but I could use any suggestions on setup. I was thinking swaybars, slipperier tires, lower ride height, more negative camber....? I also can't loving believe how long batteries last now. Last time I was really into the hobby NiMH had just come out and I never had the money to upgrade. I'd charge my two NiCD's an hours to get 10 minutes of actual run time out of my rustler.
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Feb 22, 2012 19:39
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Anyone interested in buying my 1/16 Slash VXL? My old apartment had an alley out back that would have been the perfect bashing area, but I wound up moving before I really had a chance to use it. The thing's fun as hell, waaaay faster than I expected, but I don't have a great place to run it at my new apartment. A crawler would be much better here so I'm hoping to sell it and move that direction. I've only put 4 batteries or so through and everything seems to be in good shape, except the body which is scratched up a bit. It also has as set of stiffer springs and thicker shock fluid which helped immensely with traction rolling. edit: I also have a sway bar kit for the full sized slash if anyone's interested. Apparently I don't read descriptions very carefully when shopping online.
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Apr 3, 2012 02:51
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I just sold my 1/16 Slash VXL to another goon and picked up a Losi Mini Crawler since I don't have room for the speedy Slash but DO have tons of rocks. I've only put on battery through it so far but it's crazy fun. It's the perfect size for where I'm at. I do have a couple of questions though: it uses a Losi MSX12 servo with a servo saver. I'd really like to take the servo saver off as it makes it really hard to steer the crawler in certain situations. Since I assume this puts it in danger of breaking, how do I know what size replacement to look for if I don't get the stock losi part? Now I'd like to find a more scale looking body for it. Unfortunately, it seems like most people who do scale stuff go pretty nuts and do lots of things to the chassis. I'd just like something that sort of looks like a normal truck instead of the the weird tuber body.
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Apr 8, 2012 01:43
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I can't believe how much I enjoy this little Losi crawler. I've always liked RC stuff but have never spent hours on end doing it. I've got the perfect little rock garden behind my deck:  Spent most of the weekend crawling back and forth over the rocks. Even the NiMH's I picked up at the LHS last long enough that I can run continuously and always have a fresh battery on the charger when one dies. Only stopped when I finally stripped out a diff locker. Something about all the precision and slow but steady progress is really relaxing. I'm already itching for something more scale looking. I was debating whether to do the Dingo kit or Honcho RTR from Axial. Looks like the dingo has some nicer hardware in places, but it'd wind up being significantly more expensive with electronics. ColonelJohnMatrix, or anyone else who has an SCX10, any thoughts on how helpful the aluminum links and steering thingy are than the plastic stuff that comes with the honcho? I'm also wondering what I'd want to do for LiPos (the 5000mah 2s pack linked a page or so back seemed like a good deal.) And with that charger linked a few pages back, I notice it doesn't come with an power supply. Are there any that have a regular cord built in, or is that just the way it works for lipo chargers? powderific fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Apr 11, 2012 |
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Apr 11, 2012 00:26
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That'd be fantastic. I wanted to do the Dingo anyway as I do enjoy building kits and it seems to make fixing things later so much easier when you know how everything fits together. I'll totally take you up on that offer--let me know what shipping will be and where to send the money. Any suggestions on the servo? Seems like people like the Hitec 5645MG.
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Apr 11, 2012 16:39
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What the hell, ordered the Dingo and some ancillary accessories. Went with the traxxas servo and ordered a smaller spur gear for the 27t motor as well. Exciting.
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Apr 11, 2012 23:08
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While I wait for my dingo kit to come in I've been tooling around with the Losi mini crawler. It's pretty amazing what you can get around on with the little guy. Even with the battery in it's stock location it'll go pretty steep before straight up flipping over. (I did stick a bunch of lead weights in the front wheels though)
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Apr 14, 2012 00:04
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Glad you're enjoying the slash! Did you get the battery charger worked out? For WD 40, it's recommended with the slash for time when you've run through mud and water because it's Water Displacing rather than because of its lubricating properties. I think the manual just says water displacing oil. You don't want to use it on motorcycle chains since it's not a great lubricant--it's a water displacer. It evaporates too quick, some people claim it dissolves o rings, etc. powderific fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Apr 17, 2012 |
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Apr 17, 2012 18:03
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I'm in the midst of building my SCX10 and it's really fun but there are some annoying inconsistencies. It seems that it didn't come with enough of the little things that go on the ends of the control arms, and has a couple extra weird ones that don't appear anywhere else in the kit instructions. So now I need to order another parts tree to get enough parts to finish the kit. There are also a few steps that need updating as the kit has apparently changed. It's pretty cool otherwise though.
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Apr 23, 2012 02:56
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Stregone posted:Are you talking about the short ball ends? The instructions start off telling you to get them from the shock parts tree, but there are more on some other tree. I forget which one, but they are in there. Yeah, I have both parts trees and after watching videos of other people putting it together, I definitely have the wrong second tree. The old SCX10 kit that came with beadlocks used the bent ends for upper aluminum links, which the dingo kit doesn't come with. In other people's build videos the two bent links I have are straight instead. So a wrong parts tree must have slipped in. I sent them an email so hopefully they'll just send me another tree. edit: all's well, they're going to send me another tree for free. I spent a little more time looking at the manuals and it looks like I did get parts tree from the old version. powderific fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 16:18
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Keep in mind that that charger doesn't come with a power supply so you'll need one. I wound up getting this guy cause I wanted an integrated unit: http://www.amainhobbies.com/product...ger-w-LCD-4S-8A
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Apr 24, 2012 15:28
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Woop, finished up the last couple details on my SCX10 tonight. Thanks to ColonelJohnMatrix for donating his RTR electronics to get it going. I'm SO glad I got this as a kit instead of the RTR. Putting it together was enjoyable in and of itself--I can see why people wish more stuff was available in kit form.  
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Apr 28, 2012 06:31
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Everything went together pretty well, the only real issue I had was that a couple steps in the instruction are out of date. As I mentioned, I really enjoyed putting it together and will definitely be doing kits from here on. I already picked up a Novak 55 turn motor since it was only $12 and it helped things out. I took the Losi Mini rock crawler out for a bit while the dingo's battery charged and it's crazy how big of difference the drag brake makes. Some more pictures from today:    
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Apr 30, 2012 03:32
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Any interest in parting out your RC4WD wheels?
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May 10, 2012 23:02
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Did someone secretly replace your ESC with an old mechanical speed control? If it's sitting at neutral throttle and you turn it off it throttles all the way up? That's pretty crazy.
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May 14, 2012 15:43
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Finally upgraded my Dingo's ESC to something with a drag brake. I wanted to get a Holmes hobby package as they're waterproof and highly recommended for crawlers, but they were out of stock. Wound up with the Duratrax DE10 and its little programmer thing. For about $100 all in I'm pretty impressed. The drag brake works great and I adjusted the throttle curve to the softest starts possible so it'll crawl reeeeeally slow. Being able to use the little programmer instead of hooking up to a computer is great as well--the changes I'm making with the crawler aren't all that complicated so breaking out a whole computer seems like a little much.
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May 23, 2012 18:46
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You have any need for swaybars? I accidentally bought some full size ones that I thought when I had the mini that I'd send you for cheap.
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Jun 20, 2012 18:53
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Is it as much of a pain to get at the insides of it as people say? I thought it looked really cool but it sounds like a pain to even get the battery out.
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Jul 6, 2012 21:42
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Ah, cool. I don't care all that much about the interior myself. Ever since I finished the Dingo I've been looking for another kit to build and that one looked pretty fun.
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Jul 6, 2012 23:15
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I think the HPI Crawler King's super high body with relatively low chassis looks really weird, and I'd think it wouldn't be too kind on CG either. If you go venom you might need to do some extra water sealing before mudding—it seems like I've seen a lot of videos where they glitch out because they aren't as watertight as the descriptions claim. Why would the SCX10 be more of a money pit than a Wraith or Ridgecrest? Doesn't seem like the cost is that much different. Unless you're referring to all those bodies, ha.
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Jul 10, 2012 16:51
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Fair enough there. I thought the UltimateRC review of the Wraith gave some good thoughts on how it handles as a basher on jumps and at speed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjQTIgThVFY It's not going to crawl, but for jumping and boggin the Savage XS looks like a blast. Even the "rock racing" wraith doesn't look like it'd be that fun on jumps. I love crawling though, and non scalers handle way different--even my 1/18th Losi MRC can take on certain things that the SCX10 doesn't do great on.
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Jul 10, 2012 21:40
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What is the difference between the two anyway?
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Jul 10, 2012 22:27
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How long are you planning to resist new bodies? I keep thinking about getting another kit since I enjoyed putting the SXC10 together so much, but I've come to a similar realization. A scale crawler is the ideal RC for me. Fast stuff can be really fun, but I don't have a lot of space and racing is an extra commitment I can't take on right now. Crawling over stuff with the SCX10 can happen in my backyard whenever I feel like it. And somehow the crawling feels like exactly what I always wanted my crappy toy R/C stuff to do when I was a kid. It's great because it can be challenging and relaxing at once.
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Jul 31, 2012 23:05
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It's the most fun I've ever had in rc, and it's a different kind of fun than something like a stampede. Very relaxing, and the challenge is much more thoughtful.
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Aug 4, 2012 05:34
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I'm surprised the scx could handle more than the ax10. Is it something with the CG being lower on the honcho?
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Aug 5, 2012 22:17
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Any of the RTR Axial stuff is going to be pretty good out of the box. On this page you're mostly seeing Honchos. I don't think you have to do anything aftermarket other than some weights in the wheels, and even that is probably optional.
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Aug 6, 2012 00:40
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Hopefully it's a new vehicle and not just some minor upgrades. My guess is they'll be using the Wraith/Ridgecrest axles on whatever it is. Has anyone had any experience with the Trail Finder 2? I love the way it looks, but in youtubes of it the suspension seems really stiff.
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Aug 6, 2012 01:33
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Having a fast option in addition to the SCX10 would be nice for the trails out here. The SCX10 is so good at going over stuff that it can get boring if it's not fairly difficult terrain. There are some dirt paths out here that look like they'd be amazing with something faster. I've been most intrigued by the Losi Mini 8ight. Anyone played around with one?   
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Aug 10, 2012 15:26
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Honcho looks great in that stream. There's a park near me with a pretty neat little stream area, but I have no waterproofing just yet so I keep to the edges (it also smells really bad so I probably won't spend much time down there till winter.)
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Aug 16, 2012 16:01
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Do you live in Omaha, needknees, or did you just come for the race? I've been to that hobbytown many times but never actually checked out the track. This is probably a dumb question, but how do those tracks work anyway? As in, do you join a club for access, or can you pay a fee to get on it and screw around for practice, or what? They don't have any info on their website and the staff in the shop always seem super busy so I've never bothered asking.
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Aug 20, 2012 18:44
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It looks great with the smaller tires on it. More to scale. Speaking of scale... I've been wanted to get something fast to go with the crawler and I'm really liking the looks of the HPI mini trophy flux. For bashing I suppose something with longer suspension travel like a Stampede or Slash would make the most sense, but I just really enjoy the scale looks of the mini trophy. For some reason it just feels more fun to me when the RC looks like a full size vehicle. Edit: now that I say that I find a dude on my local Craigslist selling a stampede vxl 4x4. Decisions! Would anyone be interested in buying my losi 1/18 rock crawler? It's a really fun little truck, but I never drive it now that I have the dingo. powderific fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Sep 27, 2012 |
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Sep 26, 2012 23:37
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Ha, somehow I hadn't thought of that at all. Good point.
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Sep 27, 2012 03:25
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That's a really cool idea. I wonder if you could make some kind of sliding/rotating/something mount that'd let you put the rig parallel to the bike for a closer view without the pole in frame.
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Sep 28, 2012 15:47
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Man, that scale get together looks really fun. The local (not scale) comping group will occasionally do a scale run, but the place they go for scale runs doesn't have very good terrain for crawling. They're also pretty dormant—seems like the last run was almost a year ago. After thinking about the Mini Trophy and Stampede, I've decided my next kit is probably going to be an Exo. Building the kit is a huge part of the fun for me and there doesn't seem to be much/anything else out there for 4wd kits at the Exo's pricepoint. I could use some advice on electronics though. For the ESC and motor I was thinking the Castle SCT sv2 3800 combo, and for the servo I was just going to get the same traxxas blue servo I used in the Dingo, all controlled with the cheapo Spektrum TX that came with my Losi MRC. Seems like that setup offers a good combination of performance with a budget. How essential is the programming link thing for the ESC? I really like the portable programmer I got with my Duratrax DE10 as I don't really want to drag a laptop around for programming if I can help it. Also have zero experience with brushless setups so I have no idea if there are better alternatives out there. I just saw a few people using the Castle combo in their Exos and it's pretty darn cheap.
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Oct 1, 2012 18:46
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I'm not an expert by any means, but I can answer some of your questions: 1. Lipos are great. I'd suggest getting Roar approved hardcases from hobbyking or hobbypartz, but others could correct me on that. 2S vs. 3S. is how much voltage they put out. It affects how much power you'll have on tap with the motor. Lipos work fine on brushed. Whether you can handle 3S or not depends mostly on the ESC. One great thing about Lipos is they'll run foreeeever compared to NiMH. Depending on your setup 30, 40 minutes isn't unreasonable. You will need to have Traxxas style connectors on the battery, and unless you buy from traxxas you'll probably need to solder them onto the battery leads. I think these are good batteries: http://www.amainhobbies.com/product...ger-w-LCD-4S-8A but there are loads of good options out there. Since you're subscribed to URC on the tubes you can check out some of his battery reviews; I'm sure you'll find a good recommendation in there somewhere. 2. Chargers that do NiMH will generally do lipo as well. You can probably look up balancing if you feel like it, but you don't really need to understand anything other than that you'll want a balancing charger. I like this charger since it's easy and you don't need a separate power supply: http://www.amainhobbies.com/product...ger-w-LCD-4S-8A I think mine even came with a traxxas charge lead.
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Oct 2, 2012 20:05
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