Recommend Me An Entry Level Crawler

[Greengaunja]

I wouldn't go to Redcat for a basher, but I'd give them a shot for an entry level crawler. As you stated, this is more of a "cheap just to try for now" type of deal. Redcat has a Gen 7 Everest on sale for $199.99. What are your thoughts on that rig? I'm sure it's more than capable for anything I plan on doing at this point.

Personal feelings aside, Traxxas absolutely knocks it out the park with their scale bodies, I think the scaleness of crawlers is definitely cool. I have a couple TRX4 chasis on my watchlist in case I decide to go that route lol. Btw, the articulation and movements of the Blazer in your video are 1:1 life-like

The Gen 7 is very capable as a crawler, especially for a "first timer". I find most people over think crawling and go over board with upgrades that really do nothing. I know i did. Take my scx10.iii. Upgrades doubled its weight. Then i had to find ways to keep the weight low. My first power train upgrade was to get the HW1080 and pair it with a Holmes Hobby 27t Trailmaster. I wanted speed so I got a HWAxe/210Okv. Three motors later I gave up on the Axe and got the MambaX/2850kv. As much as I loved the Mamba X setup, EVERY SINGLE member of our local crawling group will tell you I did my best crawling with the 1080/HH27t. Could have have saved myself $800 right there alone not bothering with the last two setups.
However if you think you MIGHT go crawling on a regular basis, the Gen 8 has alot of improvements and might be better for you. One thing I did like about crawling is that unlike bashing, speedrunning, or racing, it's a great exercise. Each crawl session is a 3 hour hike through the woods.

I have an Element Knightrunner, a TRX-4 Defender, a Redcat Gen8 Scout, an SCX10.2 1955 Ford F100, and a Rochobby 1/6 scale 1941 Willys Jeep. They have all been upgraded with brushless motors and ESCs, with Fusion 1800 and Fusion Pro 2200 motors being the most prevalent upgrade. Of all of them, I like the SCX10.2 the most: it seems nimbler, and it has great aftermarket support. My TRX-4 falls right behind it as my second favorite.

View attachment 296466

I love the fusion 1800. It's what was in my TF2 when I bought it.
TF2, Yota Xtra cab:

Scx10.iii-RC4WD Mojave 2 body:

 

[Freedomfarmer420]

I'm possibly looking into getting into rock crawling. Can anyone with experience tell me if its a big a money pit as speed running. Not that I have aby regrets mind u just wanna know what I'm getting myself into

 

[SrC]

The Gen 7 is very capable as a crawler, especially for a "first timer". I find most people over think crawling and go over board with upgrades that really do nothing. I know i did. Take my scx10.iii. Upgrades doubled its weight. Then i had to find ways to keep the weight low. My first power train upgrade was to get the HW1080 and pair it with a Holmes Hobby 27t Trailmaster. I wanted speed so I got a HWAxe/210Okv. Three motors later I gave up on the Axe and got the MambaX/2850kv. As much as I loved the Mamba X setup, EVERY SINGLE member of our local crawling group will tell you I did my best crawling with the 1080/HH27t. Could have have saved myself $800 right there alone not bothering with the last two setups.
However if you think you MIGHT go crawling on a regular basis, the Gen 8 has alot of improvements and might be better for you. One thing I did like about crawling is that unlike bashing, speedrunning, or racing, it's a great exercise. Each crawl session is a 3 hour hike through the woods.

I love the fusion 1800. It's what was in my TF2 when I bought it.
TF2, Yota Xtra cab:View attachment 296487Scx10.iii-RC4WD Mojave 2 body:View attachment 296486View attachment 296485

+1
An Axial. Considered more the mainstream brand . Best supported.
And Axial lead the way, way way before any of the other brands even offered Crawlers. Everyone else was playing Catch up, to claim their share of the Crawler Market segment, with growing pains along the way. Axial had a well proven start ahead of them all.
>>>>If price is no object, also worth considering is a Vanquish Products Kit or RTR Crawler. Hands down the best stuff out there. Out the box, setup really well for the rocks. Just drive it. Engineering is second to none.

https://www.vanquishproducts.com/vehicle-kits/

 

[Doom!]

I'm possibly looking into getting into rock crawling. Can anyone with experience tell me if its a big a money pit as speed running. Not that I have aby regrets mind u just wanna know what I'm getting myself into

Crawlers are relatively inexpensive to run once you get past the intial setup of getting everything where you want it. Crawlers don't usually get much damage compared to bashers or speed cars. Now you can go down the rabbit hole with scale detailing but even then you don't have the expense of constant repairs.

 

[Freedomfarmer420]

Crawlers are relatively inexpensive to run once you get past the intial setup of getting everything where you want it. Crawlers don't usually get much damage compared to bashers or speed cars. Now you can go down the rabbit hole with scale detailing but even then you don't have the expense of constant repairs.

Sweet thnx, that's what I like to hear!! I wanna kinda build my own. This is what I'm looking at getting.

I also wanna get the new style 4runner with the trailer have all the lil scale details. It looks sooo freaking cool

 

[SrC]

+1

Crawlers are relatively inexpensive to run once you get past the intial setup of getting everything where you want it. Crawlers don't usually get much damage compared to bashers or speed cars. Now you can go down the rabbit hole with scale detailing but even then you don't have the expense of constant repairs.

I find that at the very least, you will want Nice alloy Beadlock wheels, and maybe better tires and foams. That is all you really need.
Then just drive the crap out of it. Learn the slow thing. And driving over technical features. Even in your home or backyard.
I only run my Crawlers in the wet stuff, mud, snow blizzards and streams. But I chose to stay with all Upgraded Brushed gear. All 3 of mine. I didn't like BLX in my Crawlers. Brushed motors best for me. HW or ISDT ESC's and Holmes Hobbies rebuildable motors.

 

[Freedomfarmer420]

+1


I find that at the very least, you will want Nice alloy Beadlock wheels, and maybe better tires and foams. That is all you really need.
Then just drive the crap out of it. Learn the slow thing. And driving over technical features. Even in your home or backyard.
I only run my Crawlers in the wet stuff, mud, snow blizzards and streams. But I chose to stay with all Upgraded Brushed gear. All 3 of mine. I didn't like BLX in my Crawlers. Brushed motors best for me. HW or ISDT ESC's and Holmes Hobbies rebuildable motors.

Thnx for the advice. Gonna look into all this stuff. And I like the idea of rebuildable motors. I like in the country so lots of stuff around to practice on. Maybe make sum stuff to climb. Really excited to give it a try. I really enjoy the building part of this hobby, luv working on stuff.

 

[blaster27]

TRX Sport. Nice and simple.

 

[SrC]

+1
I have that exactly, A TRX-4 Sport. In addition to my 2 Axial's. My Axial's edge it out however, having a shorter wheelbase.
IMHO, Sport is better than the heavier TRX-4 Defender hands down.

 

[Greengaunja]

Crawlers don't usually get much damage compared to bashers or speed cars

I'm not too sure about this. Or maybe it's just me and my tendency to say, "Hey, check this out". But honest to God, I've done more damage and more expensive damage tumbling down hills with the scx10 iii than going full throttle straight into a curb with my Senton speeder......my first time out with my new (fully built/upgraded by my lhs techie) was legendary. And over 300 bucks to restore..

In about 3 hours.....passenger door/ tailgate/hood/interior/rollbar lights/both mirrors/driver steering knuckle/both rear leafs bent/lost rear lug nut........what a day and it's a testament to the sturdiness of RC4WD that I actually still finished the crawl from Monkey Mountain, Port Hope.....yeah I suck at crawling

 

[Doom!]

I'm not too sure about this. Or maybe it's just me and my tendency to say, "Hey, check this out". But honest to God, I've done more damage and more expensive damage tumbling down hills with the scx10 iii than going full throttle straight into a curb with my Senton speeder......my first time out with my new (fully built/upgraded by my lhs techie) was legendary. And over 300 bucks to restore.. View attachment 344031
In about 3 hours.....passenger door/ tailgate/hood/interior/rollbar lights/both mirrors/driver steering knuckle/both rear leafs bent/lost rear lug nut........what a day and it's a testament to the sturdiness of RC4WD that I actually still finished the crawl from Monkey Mountain, Port Hope.....yeah I suck at crawling

Good gobbledy gook man, how far did you tumble?

 

[Av642]

Your first crawler should always be a trx4, bulletproof trucks!

 

[Doom!]

I still love my Element rigs.

 

[Freedomfarmer420]

Your first crawler should always be a trx4, bulletproof trucks!

I'm more of a custom build kinda guy. It gives me the knowledge of how it all goes together for when something breaks. Plus I love building and figuring out how it all works and goes together. But I do luv the bronco and f150

 

[SrC]

Your first crawler should always be a trx4, bulletproof trucks!

I admit they are tough. TRX always had decent plastics.

 

[Greengaunja]

Good gobbledy gook man, how far did you tumble?

Ever watch the Simpsons? Know all those times Homer "tumbles"? It's like that but instead of "d'oh d'oh d'oh" every time he hits ground it was, "there goes the tailgate, a mirror, Logan, passenger door.......". All told, maybe 60-80 feet. Even then it only stopped when it hit a tree... ..

 

[Doom!]

Ever watch the Simpsons? Know all those times Homer "tumbles"? It's like that but instead of "d'oh d'oh d'oh" every time he hits ground it was, "there goes the tailgate, a mirror, Logan, passenger door.......". All told, maybe 60-80 feet. Even then it only stopped when it hit a tree... ..

I've had some pretty good tumbles, but nothing that far. Sounds painful. but now I've got that image of Homer in my head.

 

[Greengaunja]

I'm more of a custom build kinda guy. It gives me the knowledge of how it all goes together for when something breaks. Plus I love building and figuring out how it all works and goes together. But I do luv the bronco and f150

That's exactly why I got into slowies. My SCX.iii needed untold customizations just to ditch the jeep body for a pick up. Cantilever shocks on rear, CF "job box" battery tray etc.....you can see those in the pic above.

 

[Freedomfarmer420]

I really like the reefs build on youtube but he uses the reefs smart servos. But those things are like 200 a piece and u need 2. Hard to fork over that kinda money, real hard, like catholic priest on a playground hard

That's exactly why I got into slowies. My SCX.iii needed untold customizations just to ditch the jeep body for a pick up. Cantilever shocks on rear, CF "job box" battery tray etc.....you can see those in the pic above.

Exactly.... plus u get Exactly what u want and need and its tailored towards your environment

 

[dure16]

I still love my Element rigs.

You and me both. Great quality.