Granite new to RC, need help to decide what to get

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xdeserted

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Im torn between the Stampede 4x4 VXL, and now that i've been researching, an Arrma truck that is cheaper that's the same if not better. After doing a little bit of research, the Kraton looks like a really cool truck, or even the Granite, which is most similar to the stampede. I know the chasis on the stampede is plastic, and probably will break, but the positive is my LHS has many traxxas replacement parts, so in theory I can easily fix the truck when it breaks. Any thoughts on which direction I should go? I don't care if the RC is super fast, and will be using it for backyard driving in grass/dirt with some street driving also. thanks in advance for your help!
 
Well your on a Arrma forum ... So Go with any of the Arrma of your choice. There easy to work on... Parts are good. And upgrades make them better. Way better than the Stampede for sure. You have to get into the Xmaxx to even compare with the Arrma platforms. You mentioned the Kraton? Which one the 4S or 6S ? The granite beats the Stampede all day long.
 
At one point I owned 16 Traxxas vehicles simultaneously. I’ve had probably 6-7 Stampedes by now, electric, nitro, 2wd, 4wd, xl-5, vxl etc you name it. And if I could do it all over again I would never touch a Traxxas product. I used to think Arrma was a knockoff brand until I got my hands on a Kraton, then an Infraction, and compared it to my XO-1 and I realized how much better quality Arrma’s are and how much better they handle/perform. I’m down to just 1 Traxxas product right now and it is an X-Maxx that I’ve sunk over $2k into, and yet if Arrma released a 1/6 monster truck I would sell the Traxxas in a heartbeat. No competition.
 
Well your on a Arrma forum ... So Go with any of the Arrma of your choice. There easy to work on... Parts are good. And upgrades make them better. Way better than the Stampede for sure. You have to get into the Xmaxx to even compare with the Arrma platforms. You mentioned the Kraton? Which one the 4S or 6S ? The granite beats the Stampede all day long.


Yeah I was looking at the 4s, its roughly the same price but I don't know much about it other than some videos I've watched. which do you prefere, the granite or kraton 4s?
 
Get a Kraton or Granite and never look back. Granite is 3S and the Kraton is 4S. Depends on what your going to do. Kraton is long base and will handle better... The Granite is short wheel based and be a better stunt truck... Easier for backflips. I’m currently building a Kraton 4S from parts and better parts from the get go. Both will be very fun durable ... Not bulletproof . You’ll want to upgrade the radio asap on either if it come with the STX2 or known around here as the SUX2.
 
Get a Kraton or Granite and never look back. Granite is 3S and the Kraton is 4S. Depends on what your going to do. Kraton is long base and will handle better... The Granite is short wheel based and be a better stunt truck... Easier for backflips. I’m currently building a Kraton 4S from parts and better parts from the get go. Both will be very fun durable ... Not bulletproof . You’ll want to upgrade the radio asap on either if it come with the STX2 or known around here as the SUX2.

if I were to upgrade the radio, plus battery how much do you think I'll need to spend for the granite/kraton? My top end is around 500
 
Your good at that price point. You can get a Dumbo radio and receiver for about $30.00 bucks the next best is the Flysky GT-5 for around $75.00 (that what i use) They used to come with the Tatic radio’s and their good to. The best would be the Flysky Nobel... That’s about $180.00 Sky the limit. Do you have a Charger and batteries already ?
 
Your good at that price point. You can get a Dumbo radio and receiver for about $30.00 bucks the next best is the Flysky GT-5 for around $75.00 (that what i use) They used to come with the Tatic radio’s and their good to. The best would be the Flysky Nobel... That’s about $180.00 Sky the limit. Do you have a Charger and batteries already ?

I don't have anything man, Im brand new to the hobby. The kraton looks cool but it may be a bit out of my price range, especially if I have to replace the radio plus doesn't it take two lipos?
At one point I owned 16 Traxxas vehicles simultaneously. I’ve had probably 6-7 Stampedes by now, electric, nitro, 2wd, 4wd, xl-5, vxl etc you name it. And if I could do it all over again I would never touch a Traxxas product. I used to think Arrma was a knockoff brand until I got my hands on a Kraton, then an Infraction, and compared it to my XO-1 and I realized how much better quality Arrma’s are and how much better they handle/perform. I’m down to just 1 Traxxas product right now and it is an X-Maxx that I’ve sunk over $2k into, and yet if Arrma released a 1/6 monster truck I would sell the Traxxas in a heartbeat. No competition.
is there a difference in the battery life between the two? I wanted to run for at least 30 minutes hopefully.
 
Battery life depends on gearing, environment, throttle control, driving style and of course the size and condition of the batteries you have. But no I wouldn’t say there’s a difference between the two brands in that department. There are too many variables.
 
The Granite plus batteries, charger and radio is in your budget. One 3s battery is all that;s needed even if you go with the Kraton.
 
is there a difference in the battery life between the two? I wanted to run for at least 30 minutes hopefully.
If you check YouTube there are reviews comparing the Granite to the Stampede, Granite wins every time. Battery life will be the same, it depends more on the battery, not the car. I have a Granite, I get close to 30 minutes run time with the PowerHobby 7600 mAh 75C battery. You will want a motor fan if you run this battery. Since it runs so long, the motor will get too hot without a fan. I got the YeahRacing Tornado Aluminum fan and I'm very happy with it. Do NOT get the Arrma fan, it is not durable.

Finally, all RC's break and need maintenance. The Granite has a reputation for one of the most durable. You will have to buy tools and you'll need replacement parts. Be prepared for this. As much as I enjoy my Granite, I did not realize the level of maintenance it required.
 
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If you check YouTube there are reviews comparing the Granite to the Stampede, Granite wins every time. Battery life will be the same, it depends more on the battery, not the car. I have a Granite, I get close to 30 minutes run time with the PowerHobby 7600 mAh 75C battery. You will want to purchase a motor fan if you run this battery. Since it runs so long, the motor IS going to get hot. I got the YeahRacing Tornado Aluminum fan and I'm very happy with it. Do NOT get the Arrma fan, it is not durable. The Dumbo RC is a widely recommended, inexpensive transmitter upgrade.
How long does it take to get replacement parts for these? Does the granite have any weak points taht tend to break easily?
 
Im torn between the Stampede 4x4 VXL, and now that i've been researching, an Arrma truck that is cheaper that's the same if not better. After doing a little bit of research, the Kraton looks like a really cool truck, or even the Granite, which is most similar to the stampede. I know the chasis on the stampede is plastic, and probably will break, but the positive is my LHS has many traxxas replacement parts, so in theory I can easily fix the truck when it breaks. Any thoughts on which direction I should go? I don't care if the RC is super fast, and will be using it for backyard driving in grass/dirt with some street driving also. thanks in advance for your help!
Let me ask you a question take the tiny stepede 4x4 and put next to it an outcast 4s there is no comparaison outcast 4s all day has his issues but way less than a stempede.
The stampede is the size of a granite pretty much pay the extra 20$ and get the outcast 4s
How long does it take to get replacement parts for these? Does the granite have any weak points taht tend to break easily?
Weak spot you might find the arms and the shocks who might leak on the granite
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Stempede has driveshafts issues hubs issues specially the rear the the brushless combo does 45ish moh out of the box and tends to heat and go into thermal shutdown because the esc doesn't have a fan. Shocks are an issues too with the shock caps. The driveshafts itself you are at the 100$ upgrade mark from day 1 and the tire are okayish and the body just look so silly and ugly thats just my opinion lel.

For the outcast the issues are the slipper clutch who needs to be locktited in place and find the right tuning. Shocks migth leak rear diff can wear down but its more common on kraton 4s's or you can buy the metal diff yokes and problem solved. You will need maybe a front tbone bumper for the outcast 4s motor mount might bend if you nose land on concrete you should not be bashing on concrete anywayno rc loves that. And after that i think the car is pretty bullet proof but granite would be cheaper and has less issues than the outcast and is cheaper to fix and maintain and its 80$ less than the stempede and you get a 2 year warranty on electronics on any arrma rc something traxxas limits to 30d then after you pay half ofretail price if you want a remplacement
 
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How long does it take to get replacement parts for these? Does the granite have any weak points taht tend to break easily?
It depends on how you drive. Weak points, recommended upgrades is too large a subject to cover in a single post. Every post on this forum is about that. You can search this forum, search on YouTube for the various weak points, upgrades, etc. of different cars. Just be ready to do maintenance, it's an unavoidable part of the hobby.

I'm able to get parts, but I have to order and wait for them. I don't have a store where I can just pick them up. For me, that would not change if I got a Traxxas. Traxxas has a reputation for good support. And if you have a LHS that has Traxxas parts available, well that's a consideration.

I bought my Granite because so many reviewers agreed it was the best basher for the money. Also I watched videos and loved the way it DROVE. Watch the cars you're interested in DRIVE, you'll start to see the difference. Everyone has an opinion, but only you know which car appeals to you. I also love the way the Proline Pro-MT drives. But after some research, it seems it may be an expensive car to maintain.
 
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It depends on how you drive. Weak points, recommended upgrades is too large a subject to cover in a single post. Every post on this forum is about that. You can search this forum, search on YouTube for recommendations for the Granite. Once you get an RC you'll start seeing the things that YOU need to maintain/fix. Just be ready to have to do maintenance, it's an unavoidable part of the hobby.

I'm able to get parts, but I have to order and wait for them. I don't have a store where I can just pick them up. If replacement parts is your main concern and your LHS provides good Traxxas support, get a Traxxas. Many YouTube videos consistently say they have the best parts availability and support.
Availibility my a s s lol i had a traxxas dealer and he never has ANYTHING for the rustler 4x4 while a small hobbyshop has all my arrma parts?? if i can get parts in canada montreal im sure you can get more parts in the usa maybe because of covid maybe not.
But there is a lot more hobbyshop that carry traxxas parts than arrma or any other brand
 
There is the extra’s needed to get started right. RPM A-Arms have a set when you break one or both. Sealed bearings are an upgrade you will need soon. Dumbo radio from the get go. Charger, batteries, Tools... Ect. These are all thing you going to need regardless what you buy. This hobby is not cheap. Once you have most of those things mentioned adding another rig just got cheaper. Buy an Arrma for sure... The Typhon is another option to look at... Same price point as the granite, but will drive more like the Kraton since its a long wheel based rig. Good for the track dirt or short grass, jumping, speed runs. Just another item to check out.
 
Im actually not sure how much arrma product they carry, and it is soemthing I need to look into. I think im leaning towards an Arrma vehicle if they have the parts in stock. my LHS is literally 5 miles down the road, haha. I don't know, something about the traxxas draws me in, I guess its the look of the vehicle (personal preference) and I know that I always will have replacement parts. The outcast looks pretty cool, and i haven't looked into that much, is the only difference between that and the granite the 4s and 3s?
 
Don’t sweat parts, They might not be local but there out there... This Covid thing has all the parts backed up for everybody, but are getting better. Ebay, Jennys RC,Horizon and Amain. All ship fast and usually has anything i need.
 
Owning one of each, the Armma appears to be much better built. Anything can break when you crash at ~50mph and while traxxas parts are cheap and generally available locally, my Arrma has surprised me when it crashes horribly and nothing's broken.
 
I had a half dozen Stampedes over the years and will never buy another one. The two Arrmas you mentioned are so much better than the Pede, no comparison in toughness OTB IMO. I have owned all three of these trucks and know from experience, nothing to do with TRX bashing as I still own 6 Traxxas. Every VXL vechicle I've owned overheat like hell, can't get through a 5000mAh pack without overheating, I'm talking about 200 degrees motor temps easy. Have to take temps during an run and stop to cool down or cook a motor or esc.
 
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