Typhon ARRMA Parts in South Africa

[matflat]

Hello Felllow ARRMA Bashers,

Reaching out to any South Africans on this forum to get their input on where they get their parts from. I have found 2 providers where I have been able to get the majority of the parts I need for both the Typhon and the Big Rock. But they inevitably run out of stock, and this can take weeks or even months to get replenished. So the result is that you end up reducing your driving time a bit so that you don't break a steering block or other part that you would think there would be stock of.

Both of the providers I found have been super helpful and will give a shout-out if anyone else names them first. And also a shout out if they can guess which hobby store you shouldn't use if you are in the East Rand of Gauteng

I have set up a shopping cart on amazon and am using this as the wishlist, and then trying to source anything locally (found that it is easier to get info and part numbers on Amazon). If anyone has any info, advice, what to look out for on Amazon e.g. try to use one vendor to reduce shipping costs etc I would greatly appreciate it.

Many thanks for any help.

 

[Dan B.]

Good luck in your quest. Until your local availability improves I would recommend having spares on “consumable” items like a-arms, steering blocks, turnbuckles, and maybe a servo or two. Order before you break them and a couple weeks of lead time won’t be as frustrating.

 

[matflat]

Good luck in your quest. Until your local availability improves I would recommend having spares on “consumable” items like a-arms, steering blocks, turnbuckles, and maybe a servo or two. Order before you break them and a couple weeks of lead time won’t be as frustrating.

@Dan B. - yep thats about right. I planned ahead for the xmas break and ordered any available parts I might break. But there is no stock of certain things. Makes me actually want to pony up and become a reseller

 

[Dan B.]

Makes me actually want to pony up and become a reseller

It sounds as though your area could benefit from that. Conversely, this comes at a time when many U.S. brick and mortar hobby shops are closing their doors due to most people exploiting our online ordering options instead of supporting their LHS. I try to support mine (20 miles away) but they don’t stock hardly anything for the Arrma lines, so I am guilty of that as well. I do still continue to support with consumable purchases like diff shims, paint, tools, etc., but if I don’t need specific parts for Traxxas vehicles then I’m typically out of luck there.

 

[matflat]

It sounds as though your area could benefit from that. Conversely, this comes at a time when many U.S. brick and mortar hobby shops are closing their doors due to most people exploiting our online ordering options instead of supporting their LHS. I try to support mine (20 miles away) but they don’t stock hardly anything for the Arrma lines, so I am guilty of that as well. I do still continue to support with consumable purchases like diff shims, paint, tools, etc., but if I don’t need specific parts for Traxxas vehicles then I’m typically out of luck there.

Hi @Dan B. - There are a few hobby stores around my area, or within say an hours drive, but the biggest issue is that none of the stock ARRMA parts. Not even the place I bought the cars from. From what may be my limited experience, once you buy here, you are on your own. The shop I bought it from actually sent a lot of smaller guys out of business as they started to become the main importer HSP and other models. But their after-sales care is woeful at best. Years ago I bought a remote control boat from them. I followed the instructions and within 15 minutes the boat stopped working (I even additionally sealed other areas as YouTube instructed). When I took it to them they actually said, and I kid you not, that the boat isn't designed to get wet. Then when I complained that within 2 runs on the Typhon my spur gear was stripped they just said it was wear and tear. I had had it less than a week. Only after coming to this forum did I learn what should have been done when they set the car up before it left the shop.

My main gripe is people willing to actually get parts into the country. There doesn't seem (at least to me, and am happy to be proven wrong here) a proactive importer that actually has stock consistently. Depending on the car brand you get, you are at the mercy, or at least at the financial mercy of the importer who may not have enough cash flow for a bulk order.

Coming back to the shop I bought the car from, they have parts for every other brand but this one. Despite their being a huge freaking row of ARRMA cars for sale. That to me is just stupid.

Without forums like this I would have been lost and probably not have kept on going with both of the cars we bought. Now that I have managed to find a couple of places that can get some parts in within a degree of regularity (and even this is tricky, as you want to go play but are aware that if you do break something you may have to wait up to 6 weeks or more), I guess I need to look outside of the limited stock in the country. So I am definitely trying to support the local shops, but honestly, I asked ARRMA what I would have to do to be the sole importer, and the outlay is a little steep, but when I look at the cars I have and the amount of money I have spent sourcing parts and the time, I am seriously considering it, especially as I feel that the ARMMA brand is a quality alternative to the rest that is out there, and that includes these hobby shops selling the rubbish stuff for near enough the same price as ARRMA cars, and is consistently getting fantastic reviews all over the world, it seems like these cars, at the price point they are at, and the parts being cheap enough (if available), are ripe for a big push here in South Africa.

I could be totally wrong, and I would welcome anyone's comments - like I said my experience is limited. But if any ARRMA owners here in South Africa have had issues, or have ways and suppliers I don't know about, could let me know, that would be awesome. And if any South African ARRMA owners think it is a good idea to look into bringing more parts onto the country on a regular basis that would also be cool.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Dan B.]

It sounds like an exciting prospect. If you decide to pursue it it sounds like you’d pretty much have an exclusive advantage for Arrma. Once word got out you may find yourself quite busy!
I have three hobby shops within an hour of me. Two sell Arrma vehicles but stock almost no parts to support them. The third is exclusive to Traxxas. They have all said, ”well, I can order it for you and have it here in two weeks.” It’s a real challenge for me to not provide a sarcastic, snarky reply to that. I can order it myself, have it delivered in two or three days, and pay less. So yeah, I totally get your frustration with your LHS. Especially considering you increased lead time for getting orders. Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[matflat]

It sounds like an exciting prospect. If you decide to pursue it it sounds like you’d pretty much have an exclusive advantage for Arrma. Once word got out you may find yourself quite busy!
I have three hobby shops within an hour of me. Two sell Arrma vehicles but stock almost no parts to support them. The third is exclusive to Traxxas. They have all said, ”well, I can order it for you and have it here in two weeks.” It’s a real challenge for me to not provide a sarcastic, snarky reply to that. I can order it myself, have it delivered in two or three days, and pay less. So yeah, I totally get your frustration with your LHS. Especially considering you increased lead time for getting orders. Whatever you decide, good luck!

Thanks @Dan B. Really appreciate your replies. On a slightly related note to this, parts and availability of things in general in South Africa are a pain in the a$$. There are the LHS's I know of that won't order say one or two parts you need until they have literally no stock left, which I get completely, but it is still frustrating. Last year I bought my son some cool starter guitar effects pedals. They were freaking brilliant. A quarter of the cost of the big boys, and just as much fun. Then within 3 months the supplier decided they were no longer bringing in any more stock, sold up what they had, and stopped importing.

I get the reasons why, the economic climate here is not exactly great, but there is this fertile ground to flood the market, and with a little bit of investment, and a little bit more business savvy, I haven't seen any reason why the online parts market in South Africa won't work. Sure, there'll be down times, but the actual costs are not too prohibitive to become the sole importer. When I checked the start-up costs are around $7500 - $15000 to purchase the required amount of ARRMA parts, or these pedals I mentioned.

That much stock would sell for at least twice what it cost you to import and pay duty on. I'm making a plan to set aside some savings and properly look at giving this a go. At the very least I'll have parts for our rigs. And from what I have seen when we go out a play with the cars, everyone now wants one, and several of my friends are getting their kids one too. Might have to forgo the family holiday this year and build a small warehouse in the garage
Still surprised no one from South Africa has replied yet. It would be great to get other's ideas and perspectives on this.

 

[Dan B.]

Good luck sir, and I hope a few of your compatriots chime in!

 

[Blomting]

@matflat boet, I would legit support you locally. I've been looking for spare parts for my brand new Kraton 4s V2, but can't find any places that sell locally. Can you please refer me to the shops you have found that sell parts locally? If you became sole importer you'd be taking business from Jk-Products, so be ready for a fight there.

 

[matflat]

@matflat boet, I would legit support you locally. I've been looking for spare parts for my brand new Kraton 4s V2, but can't find any places that sell locally. Can you please refer me to the shops you have found that sell parts locally? If you became sole importer you'd be taking business from Jk-Products, so be ready for a fight there.

@Blomting Howzit I use JK Products a lot, but recently I have found myself waiting and waiting for stock. I buy up the spare parts and then wait some more. It is super frustrating. I know they do the best that they can, but I've been waiting nearly 3 months for stock on one part that should be in stock all of the time. I get that businesses here have difficulties, and the amazing delays that customs put on orders for no apparent reason, but I find that a lot of the smaller shops wait until they run out of nearly all stock before ordering more.

I also detest having to go to the big model shop in Boksburg where I bought the cars from. I had to go back twice as they sold me batteries and a charger, and the charge cables they made up didn't fit the batteries they sold me. Then I went back with a trashed Spur gear after like 3 runs and they said it's wear and tear. Hence me then learning everything I could from these forums. I once bought ac RC boat from them and followed all instructions, sealing, etc. Only for it to go out 10 metres into the water and sink. Rescued it, took it back, and the comment was that the boat wasn't meant to get wet.

There is another shop called RC Edge. They have some stock. But like I said, and as you have seen, it's like finding hens teeth locally. I probably should be a bit more gracious and thankful that at least we have some parts, and there are other things in the world to moan about, but when you buy a car to play with and want to have some fun with your kid, but have that worrying doubt that if you have a bad landing you need to wait 4-12 weeks to get back out again, it just tastes a bit too sour. Especially when we have the lovely thing that is load shedding. We use that time to go out and mess about with the cars.

Even if there is a fight it would be one I am willing to have to keep the fun going

Nice to meet another South African on the forum and hope you are enjoying your Arrma.

All the best,
Mat.

 

[Blomting]

@matflat Lekker man, I know Jaco from RC Edge, didn't know they stocked Arrma stuff. But it does seem like the large majority of spares one might need is not available locally. Have you bought from Amazing and shipped directly to SA yet? If so, how is customs and the courier service?

Let me know if you're gonna place another online order and we can maybe place one together.