Granite Arrma Granite 4x4 Mega or BLX 3S?

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NCbasher33

NCbasher33

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Arrma RC's
  1. Granite
Have old 20+ year old trucks I was going to fix up to get back in the hobby but a lot has changed in that time period. So I figured would save some hassle and just buy a new truck. I believe I have narrowed it down to either Arrma Granite 4x4 Mega or BLX 3S seems like a good value for some one who isn't sure if they will have time or be able to drive much. Budget is around $250.

I will mainly just be bashing in my yard with some grass driveway/street/some woods near my property. Maybe the occasional construction site. If there is another truck I should be looking at let me know.

My question: Is the price difference worth it to go up to the BLX 3S. I like that the mega comes with a battery to get started. If I do stick around with the hobby can I upgrade it easily to run brushless?

Can currently buy the mega $220 or the blx 3s $255

Thank for any advice.
 
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BLX without question or you will get bored with the performance. The Mega would be a great gift for a child new to RCs )

Times have indeed changed. I too was away from the hobby for a lot of years then curiosity kicked in and was blown away by these brushless systems on lithium polymer batteries.
 
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BLX 3S would be awesome. However... many, like myself, have found the upgrade hole a bottomless pit. It's a great truck... but the pivot balls loosen up quickly, the suspension leaks out of the box, gearing is subjective, the bearings aren't rubber sealed, and... in general... things just wear out quicker than expected.

Maybe save up, or try to find a deal on a 6S truck, or a 3S platform used with upgrades. A Granite quickly turns into a $500-600 truck once you do some add-ons and buy a few batteries.
 
Hears something to think about the mega comes with a charger and battery. The blx how ever doesn’t come with a battery and charger. The blx has a lot of updates on it but if your on a budget with in time you can upgrade the mega to brushless with it. The shocks do leak plenty of options for the shocks to update or fix them
 
NCbasher33 said:
Have old 20+ year old trucks I was going to fix up to get back in the hobby but a lot has changed in that time period. So I figured would save some hassle and just buy a new truck. I believe I have narrowed it down to either Arrma Granite 4x4 Mega or BLX 3S seems like a good value for some one who isn't sure if they will have time or be able to drive much. Budget is around $250.

I will mainly just be bashing in my yard with some grass driveway/street/some woods near my property. Maybe the occasional construction site. If there is another truck I should be looking at let me know.

My question: Is the price difference worth it to go up to the BLX 3S. I like that the mega comes with a battery to get started. If I do stick around with the hobby can I upgrade it easily to run brushless?

Can currently buy the mega $220 or the blx 3s $255

Thank for any advice.
Click to expand...


BLX for $255 all the way!

The brushed system in the Mega may or may not give you problems depending on hard you run and how long you want to run. It can overheat the stock esc and burn up the brushed motor.

The battery in the Mega isn't the best and won't give you a very long runtime (low mah) and the charger it comes with will take a long time to charge a battery so there's not much benefit that they are included. Batteries are not like they used to be back 20 years ago like with 1500mah and so on capacities. What some may say about inexpensive lipo's they are still better than using nimh and a 2s 5000mah battery can be had for around $20. Multi chemistry chargers can be had very inexpensive also. These extra battery and charger costs should be figured into any RC purchase if you don't already have them. Because as mentioned the stuff that comes with a lot of RTR's are not very good anyways.

There is also that the BLX has bigger teeth on the drivetrain parts (spur, diff inputs, diff ring gears) and the diff inputs have metal shaft instead of plastic. The slipper assy is also better on the BLX.

As mentioned above you will get bored of the brushed motor speed and want more. There are ways to slow a fast RC down it get's more expensive to speed one up. There are plenty of threads on the forum about people having problems with the stock brushed system or generally just wanting to go faster than what the Mega does with the brushed system. It ends up costing more in the long run with the cost of a brushless combo (esc/motor) and changing parts in the Mega drivetrain than what it costs for what the BLX comes with stock.

If you want a project that you don't mind costing more over time you can try a Mega. But at a only $35 difference now while on sale now I would just get a BLX. You will have to factor in the cost of a charger and battery but as said earlier that should be figured in anyways. You can get started with a lipo and charger for around $50 whether you have to spend more than that to me is debatable.
 
Are you someone who commits to hobbies for a long time or do you just like to dabble?

I ask because when I was looking for advice before buying my Big Rock 3S BLX, a couple of people recommended I just go straight for 6S - I wished I listened to them because once I jump into a hobby I commit and immerse myself in it. Since purchasing my 3S + two batteries and a charger I’ve had to also spend at least $100 on parts that I might not have had to if I went straight to 6S.

The 3S is fantastic - I’m not bagging it but it’s an investment and so I wish I ‘invested’ in 6S.

So to you - I say if you’re just messing around for a small period of time - go the Mega. If not, go all in for 6S.
 
NCbasher33 said:
If I go with blx 3s should I start with 2s batteries?
Click to expand...
Ultimately you're gonna want the 3s, so I would say start out with it. You can always tune it back a little if need be either with the dual rate or end point adjustments. Or just good ole fashioned throttle control.
 
NCbasher33 said:
If I go with blx 3s should I start with 2s batteries?
Click to expand...

I run 3s now but 2s is fine for starting out and is still faster than what the brushed Mega would be on a 2s lipo. I use Zeee 2s lipos now that can be had cheaper than when I bought them under $20 https://www.amazon.com/Zeee-5200mAh-Battery-Truggy-Airplane/dp/B06ZYRCPS3/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2MZJULXEXA9YR&keywords=zeee+2s+lipo+battery&qid=1564973572&s=gateway&sprefix=zeee+,aps,158&sr=8-4 small price to pay for a lipo and IMO not bad for starting out. If you were used to brushed motors a brushless motor on 2s can still be fun.
 
NCbasher33 said:
Well I have made the purchase Granite 4x4 blx 3s. Hopefully be delivered sooner then later. Now need to find a charger and battery. I have already been checking out construction sites on my drive home from work :cool:
Click to expand...
There are tons of options. Are you looking for cheap or good?
 
For cheap lipos, I would go with Ovonics. I would just buy a 3S and limit my throttle until you get good at running all out.

https://www.ampow.com/ovonic-50c-5200mah-3s1p-hardcase-13-ec5-lipo-battery.html

That charger is kind of junky tbh. I would get something a little better quality and more than 50W of power. I bought the SkyRC B6 Duo Nano and love it. It’s more expensive but worth it to me. Make sure to balance charge every time. Make sure to put lipos on storage charge after every use.
 
NCbasher33 said:
@jondilly1974 looking for cheap just to get me running. Should I start with 2s or go right for 3s? I see 2s ranging anywhere from $18 and way up.

Got a recommendation on a charger? I was going to go with something like this HOBBYMATE Imax B6 Clone Lipo Battery Balance Charger, Rc Hobby Battery Balance Charger LED W/ AC Power Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NB9A36R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TYysDbKV4DXK5
Click to expand...

Check out this link about lipo chargers https://www.rctalk.com/how-to-choose-an-rc-lipo-charger/

IF your not familiar with lipos check out this link https://rogershobbycenter.com/lipoguide

It comes down to budget how much are you willing to spend for batteries and a charger.

I say at $18 dollars a 2s lipo is inexpensive to try at the very least could be used with brushed motors also with a esc with low voltage cutoff. Like your old Stampede with a new Hobbywing WP1060 esc (around $20).

The Imax b6 is a ok charger for a inexpensive price is it a high end charger no can you get better yes but as long as you use 2s and 3s packs around 5000mah you should be fine.
 
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