Help me pick a crawler

[RCPropaganda]

I have a TRX-4 Sport( it was a give me from someone who didn't have a clue and got frustrated with RC) probably Traxass's best offerings. I am not a fan in general though Expensive to upgrade compared to an Axial. Axial set the industry standard for Crawlers.
I have an Axial Honcho .2 and Deadbolt .2.
The Axials are balanced well and the upgrade market is designed around them. Axial has a great warranty like Arrma. They are sister companies going back to Hobbico days when Dragonstar, China was the MFR. The TA Sendero is not well reviewed because the plastics are not high grade. You have to buy all of the better grade plastics separately. And I have not seen much upgrade stuff since its release. You are stuck with buying from Associated. I was BIG Associated guy years past and don't like them since Thunder Tiger bought Team associated. Discontinued parts etc. Buy TA if you want to race. That's it! I stopped buying TA. The best thing about the Sendero is the Transmission. And the tranx. makes it popular. Overdrive out the box. Many guys remove it and put in custom frame builds. TA sells many of the transmissions alone vs the whole RTR.
Redcat is not an option for me. I had bad experiences with the company. But some like them as a small company. Parts can be a problem as I learned with two of their rigs years past. The AXE Gen8 is over priced if you ask me. The Axe 2300kv system is a closed system and requires you to stay with that ESC/motor combo. It has a nice radio and servo. But you are paying up front for that. Their warranty is horrible. Real Crawler guys generally stay away from Redcat and the HW Axe system. It is a costly RTR. The body is beautiful but its just a shell in the end.
That Axe system is not well received by hardcore Crawlers. The ESC has poor hill climb and drag brakes. Its not that refined. Replacing the 2300kv motor is costly and usually on back order. Even the Axe 2700kv motor is hard to find. I like HW stuff, but the HW Axe system is not all that. Control feedback is poor in the Axe system even with the latest FW installed. Many others have stated same. But ExocageRC loves it though for some reason. Maybe he is sponsored by HW? His video of it did not impress me though.
Whatever you choose will be fun I am sure. Crawlers are great. Its all about that slow driving scale appearance. You can drive em anywhere, including your living room.

I agree with very little here. The axe is not that hard to find. Castle has had availability issues as well, not that mattters but.... Tekin is way over priced imo. Unless you stay brushed then they are still costly but all are good. Its preference. Most people who talk smack about the axe just cant afford it.

 

[SrC]

I agree with very little here. The axe is not that hard to find. Castle has had availability issues as well, not that mattters but.... Tekin is way over priced imo. Unless you stay brushed then they are still costly but all are good. Its preference. Most people who talk smack about the axe just cant afford it.

I respect your honesty. I agree that people who talk sh*t don't even have one to critique. That includes me I guess, only because I know better than to buy crap at any price. And I am seriously into my crawlers. So I know how they should drive. The Axe system is mediocre at best and overpriced. HW has had a hard time selling them. So Redcat and HW worked out a deal that benefits both. Redcat NEEDS help selling their Gen8, and HW needs to sell the AXE. Win win for both. Just don't include me in that equation. To each his own. I only provide my opinion. What's your?

 

[RCPropaganda]

I respect your honesty. I agree that people who talk sh*t don't even have one to critique. That includes me I guess, only because I know better than to buy crap at any price. And I am seriously into my crawlers. So I know how they should drive. The Axe system is mediocre at best and overpriced. HW has had a hard time selling them. So Redcat and HW worked out a deal that benefits both. Redcat NEEDS help selling their Gen8, and HW needs to sell the AXE. Win win for both. Just don't include me in that equation. To each his own. I only provide my opinion. What's your?

I agree they did not sell well thats why I think this redcat deal came about for sure. I do not think its a bad system though. They came out with the 550 motor and that is much better. I have not tried that one yet though. I will upgrade the one I have to the 550. I also love my crawlers. Bashing is second for me. As long as we enjoy what we have is all that matters. We are lucky they all are pretty good these days.

 

[Glock21user]

I wish to not fight or argue that is for sure.
The wife and I both have Gen8s and we both have the Deadbolt 24th scale and the Deadbolt IIs.
When I was typing I screwed up and did not say the Deadbolt 24th scale was the one I was referencing as a result I did sound like an ass in part.
The little ones are better suited to indoors or very small stuff outdoors, the Deadbolt IIs are very capable for certain.
Our son whom is big into crawling is the one that initially started this whole RC escapade with us.
He is an Axial guy along with most if his friends and we started with Yetis and Traxxas TRX4s and at the end of the day I just like the Gen8s better.
We have 1 Axe but 3 non AXE if you will Gen8s.
They all to some degree one way or the other have faults and shortcomings we just for feel and fun prefer the Redcats.
I have 9 dedicated crawlers and at the end of the day dollar for dollar prefer the Redcats.
Some do some don't, I hold no one out to like what I do or drive like I do it is merely a preference.
The Deadbolt II is easier to put in some places because of the design and less overhang but as far as reliability I say my Redcats have broken less.
Sorry for the long diatribe and I hope it clears up what I should have said correctly at first.

 

[SrC]

When it comes to Crawlers, I am a Holmes Hobbies fan. The proprietary "FOC" circuit used in the Axe system needs a better FW revision. HW is slow to update it. The FOC design is a very high tech design never used in surface RC before. Sadly its execution was less than stellar. I understand why it is expensive. I like most HW products too. I have tried other Brushless esc's (Tekin, HW and even a Castle in my Crawlers, and took them out. I put them in my SC's. Maybe I am old school and like the feedback of a brushed motor for crawling. If you want a super fast crawler like many do, a brushless system is best. The new AXE edition Gen 8 was revamped to correct all the shortcomings of the first Gen 8. And it included a lot more. But you pay for it. It is a very expensive Crawler at $500., unlike the first Gen8 which was great for the entry level hobbyist. IMO. And I have had bad experiences with RCat in the past with simple things like parts and availability, and support. Many have had better luck than I.

 

[Glock21user]

When it comes to Crawlers, I am a Holmes Hobbies fan. The proprietary "FOC" circuit used in the Axe system needs a better FW revision. HW is slow to update it. The FOC design is a very high tech design never used in surface RC before. Sadly its execution was less than stellar. I understand why it is expensive. I like most HW products too. I have tried other Brushless esc's (Tekin, HW and even a Castle in my Crawlers, and took them out. I put them in my SC's. Maybe I am old school and like the feedback of a brushed motor for crawling. If you want a super fast crawler like many do, a brushless system is best.

I admit to being an old bastage and to my way of thinking a good brushed motor can't be beat in a crawler.
The idea at least to me is slow and control, brushless wins the speed wars for sure but not slow and control.

 

[SrC]

There is nothing worse than putting in that new BLess esc and motor in your crawler and you go for a line and she coggs. Its just horrible.Gearing plays a role in that. With a brushed setup there is absolutely no cog. No matter how you gear or volt your rig.

 

[Glock21user]

I will always run deep gears as I hate not having to ability to crawl slow and lift the nose up a little to start a crawl.

 

[SrC]

Absolutely.

 

[Glock21user]

Right now I am working toward turning a Granite 3s into a crawler.
Trying to get the gearing as deep as possible and run a brushed setup, also working on softening up the suspension to twist a bit more.

 

[SrC]

You'll have to deaden the shocks substantially with an IS. SBG did that PL Fusion 4x4 project with Harley Des. And they ran a trail with it. They drop the gearing all the way down. It was funny. But it worked. I did a Notorious Clear body and trimmed it to fit a TRX4 Sport. Running Rockbeast 1.9 XL's mounted on 2.2's. It's a mut. But it rules. I don't even know what class I would be able to run in. Class 3 would eat me alive. Class 2 would not allow me there.

 

[Glock21user]

I see that, love to experiment and build but sometimes we screw ourselves out of a class and no where to go.
Thanks for the ideas, if you have any others please let me know.
To be totally honest, I am not sure I expect it to be great or even really good at it, it will just be different I suppose.

 

[SrC]

I see that, love to experiment and build but sometimes we screw ourselves out of a class and no where to go.
Thanks for the ideas, if you have any others please let me know.
To be totally honest, I am not sure I expect it to be great or even really good at it, it will just be different I suppose.

Our "One-Off" rigs are the best ones.

 

[Armarookie43]

Two choices vaterra k10 or axial honcho

Have you thought about the axial scx10 II blazer? It's got better hardware than the honcho. I got one. Ran it once and it's pretty good. Same price as the honcho. No rear LED lights though, but better bodie and HW. Unfortunately the sell for the axial blazer is over, so it's back to $349. It was $299 when I picked it up. Bummer. The side view mirrors on the body of my axial blazer did break off on the first run and one of my shocks is leaking. The trx4 that I also just bought hasn't given me any trouble yet after one run.