Used Wraith...bad idea?

[Drm31078]

First RC and would like to get a wraith. Been doing a lot of research and asking questions...I am not sure if this is allowed on the forums, but this wraith on eBay had a lot of the components I would be looking for (MMP, Roc 412, and much more). Wondering if anyone could tell me a fair price for this rig?

Axial Wraith | eBay

Thanks!

BTW, if this is not allowed I will edit and remove the link. Just let me know.

[MonkeyFist]

I wouldn't say its a bad idea, but half the fun is picking the mods you want and doing the installation. It looks like its loaded up with goodies and spare parts. That's a hard call. I'm usually pretty cautious with buying a used RC with upgraded electronics. You don't know if it's one battery pack away from letting out the magic smoke. The previous owner may have beat the crap out of the electronics and you're left with no warranty. Personally I think I would just get a cheaper roller and by the new electronics myself.

[Drm31078]

I hear ya...thanks for the advice. I am a little weary myself...but with my novice eye, pricing out what I could, this rig seems to have at least $1500 into it? Also it seems to have enough extra parts to build a cheaper rig for my 5 year old. I may watch the price and see what happens.

With that said, I have a few questions:

Do you know what is in the middle of the rear tray above the hot racing logo (4th photo)? The red aluminum 6 bolted piece and the gray nut w/ thin wire?

Do those look like vanquish titanium linkages from the photos?

The seller describes "6 inch swappers". What are those?

The seller describes upgraded axles / diff. Can you tell what they are from the photos?

Thanks!

[WHITE-TRASH]

That's not a bad deal but personally I'd exercise some patience and watch the classifieds here. I trust the members here far more than an unknown on eBay.

[Drm31078]

Originally Posted by WHITE-TRASH

That's not a bad deal but personally I'd exercise some patience and watch the classifieds here. I trust the members here far more than an unknown on eBay.

Thanks...I still don't have access...need to get my 30 days in. But I agree with you on buying from here vs eBay.

[WHITE-TRASH]

Buy a star. You'll save that $20 expense on your first purchase.

[byrnieman]

Originally Posted by Drm31078

I hear ya...thanks for the advice. I am a little weary myself...but with my novice eye, pricing out what I could, this rig seems to have at least $1500 into it? Also it seems to have enough extra parts to build a cheaper rig for my 5 year old. I may watch the price and see what happens.



With that said, I have a few questions:



Do you know what is in the middle of the rear tray above the hot racing logo (4th photo)? The red aluminum 6 bolted piece and the gray nut w/ thin wire?



Do those look like vanquish titanium linkages from the photos?



The seller describes "6 inch swappers". What are those?



The seller describes upgraded axles / diff. Can you tell what they are from the photos?



Thanks!

I think you'll find that the Swappers is meant to read Swampers - the tires.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[firstpasstommy]

It's probably a mistake, no such tire size on a 2.2 wheel, only 6 inch tire I know of is for the super class rigs. It looks like an hot racing dig unit but looks a little different than most digs! That does seem to be a good deal but I have to agree with white trash, be patient and watch the classifieds on here!

[mrhobby100]

I saw stock axles on that thing and for $800 there better be some aluminum down there.

[Drm31078]

Forgive my noobness, but I am kinda surprised by the responses here. I did some pretty detailed research on this rig and it literally added up to $1800 of pretty quality stuff. I even think that was on the low end considering all the spares and hardware he was including. The rig sold for $800 seems like a steal to me. But based on these responses, it seems like you guys disagree? Is the used market really that bad (or good for buyers)?

I have been doing a lot of pricing for a new rig and it doesn't take much to get to $800 new. For example:

Wraith Spawn RTR = $369
Battery = $30
Charger = $50
MMP ESC = $120
ROC 412 = $150
Hitec 7950 = $150
Total = $869 which doesn't include all the suspension upgrades needed

This rig had all of that and completely upgraded suspension, transmission, tires, wheels, radio, body, plus all the RTR parts/electronics....

What am I missing here?

I hope I don't come off like a d-bag, I am just trying to get a feel for what to expect when buying used. Do RC parts really not hold there value? Is it a durability thing?

Thanks again!

[WHITE-TRASH]

Here's a start.

Most off the shelf link kits are either overpriced or junk. Axial high clearance links are ok for uppers and they're cheap. Use them up top and suspension pushrods for a revo as lowers. The pushrods are straight but they're tough with 4mm ends so they'll take a beating.

Toys don't hold their value unless you have a one off custom mattzilla chassis or something of the sort that is highly sought after. Electronic parts are worth 75% of retail the moment t you open the package. 50% after its been used.

[Drm31078]

Originally Posted by WHITE-TRASH

Here's a start.

Most off the shelf link kits are either overpriced or junk. Axial high clearance links are ok for uppers and they're cheap. Use them up top and suspension pushrods for a revo as lowers. The pushrods are straight but they're tough with 4mm ends so they'll take a beating.

Toys don't hold their value unless you have a one off custom mattzilla chassis or something of the sort that is highly sought after. Electronic parts are worth 75% of retail the moment t you open the package. 50% after its been used.

Thanks, that's good info to know...also thanks a lot for the link! Good info in there for budget builds. With that said, here is one of the parts lists from that link:

$280 Wraith spawn kit.
$23. Solar d772 servo.
$82 trackstar 150A esc.
$36 trackstar 3250kv 4 pole sensored motor.
$40 flysky gt3 radio
$58 25c gens ace 3s 5000 mah.
$50 MIP drivelines.
$34 hr steel trans gears.
$11 racers edge aluminum servo arm.

Relative to the Motor, ESC, and servo...what makes the Roc412, MMP, and Hitec servos worth 5x the price of what is quoted above?

Along those lines, isn't a used wraith at $800 with "high end" electronics and all the chassis upgrades better than the one above for $650? Or is new electronics that much more important regardless off the quality components?

Thanks

[Thechewmaster]

5x on quality and customer service from companies like Hitec, Tekin, Holmes Hobbies. You get what you pay for IMO

[WHITE-TRASH]

Originally Posted by Drm31078

Thanks, that's good info to know...also thanks a lot for the link! Good info in there for budget builds. With that said, here is one of the parts lists from that link:

$280 Wraith spawn kit.
$23. Solar d772 servo.
$82 trackstar 150A esc.
$36 trackstar 3250kv 4 pole sensored motor.
$40 flysky gt3 radio
$58 25c gens ace 3s 5000 mah.
$50 MIP drivelines.
$34 hr steel trans gears.
$11 racers edge aluminum servo arm.

Relative to the Motor, ESC, and servo...what makes the Roc412, MMP, and Hitec servos worth 5x the price of what is quoted above?

Along those lines, isn't a used wraith at $800 with "high end" electronics and all the chassis upgrades better than the one above for $650? Or is new electronics that much more important regardless off the quality components?

Thanks

The servo is decent. Not great by any means but it gets the job done with torque to spare. I've had Hitec servos burn up too many times and while yes they have great customer service I'd much rather not have to keep using it to replace my expensive servo that died again.

The esc and motor are absolutely awesome. I'll put a trackstar 150A esc against a castle or tekin any day. Easy to program an it puts down the juice very smoothly. The motor is great too. At that price you can have several different kv ratings to suit different terrains or uses as needed.

One thing I left off that list is a castle bec. Yes a bec is needed at all times unless you're running 2s with a high voltage servo. In that case just wire it directly to the battery.

Originally Posted by Thechewmaster

5x on quality and customer service from companies like Hitec, Tekin, Holmes Hobbies. You get what you pay for IMO

If it makes you feel better to spend too much for parts then by all means go ahead. But at least have some facts to back up your position.

[Drm31078]

Originally Posted by Thechewmaster

5x on quality and customer service from companies like Hitec, Tekin, Holmes Hobbies. You get what you pay for IMO

I agree with this. That's why I thought $800 for a fully upgraded rig with quality stuff (albeit used) would be better than a $650 rig with mediocre stuff. That's why I was surprised at some of these responses.

[Drm31078]

Originally Posted by WHITE-TRASH

The servo is decent. Not great by any means but it gets the job done with torque to spare. I've had Hitec servos burn up too many times and while yes they have great customer service I'd much rather not have to keep using it to replace my expensive servo that died again.

The esc and motor are absolutely awesome. I'll put a trackstar 150A esc against a castle or tekin any day. Easy to program an it puts down the juice very smoothly. The motor is great too. At that price you can have several different kv ratings to suit different terrains or uses as needed.

One thing I left off that list is a castle bec. Yes a bec is needed at all times unless you're running 2s with a high voltage servo. In that case just wire it directly to the battery.




If it makes you feel better to spend too much for parts then by all means go ahead. But at least have some facts to back up your position.

Interesting. So you are saying the cheaper stuff performs just as good as the expensive stuff? I guess I didn't realize that was true for this stuff. Usually more expensive means better and I guess I just assumed that. Bad assumption perhaps?

[TheAxialNut]

I buy most my stuff used (90%), and I have only gotten screwed once and it was my fault for not looking at the chassis more carefully. I agree with a lot of what has been said above, my experience with selling/buying used is that after you just open any electronics it is worth much less than new. If used, imo, it is less than half, especially esc's...BL motors are pretty tough, but servos, I rarely buy used servos, unless it looks (smells new/lol). A lot of times I treat it as a gravy item on a roller (meaning I don't allow much for it when considering the overall transaction price). Even a HiTec which has stellar CS, I wouldn't pay more than 40 for a used (good condition servo,i.e. 7955). Also while this forum RULES anyway, (lil 80's lingo) you should get a star, the information (insight gained) in here is worth the 20$, easily...

Good Luck!


*Wraith is fun, but don't you really want a new bomber??? TAI

[Drm31078]

Originally Posted by TheAxialNut

*Wraith is fun, but don't you really want a new bomber??? TAI

Ugh. This has run through my mind a couple times. Seems more built for speed than crawling though? Also not a fan of the spare tire look plus it seems to hit the ground on steep stuff. But this is probably another thread on its own.

[WHITE-TRASH]

Originally Posted by Drm31078

Interesting. So you are saying the cheaper stuff performs just as good as the expensive stuff? I guess I didn't realize that was true for this stuff. Usually more expensive means better and I guess I just assumed that. Bad assumption perhaps?

The biggest thing I've found with the lesser priced stuff is it can be hit and miss with each model. With a "name brand" you'll have a solid lineup end to end... We'll unless you're looking at Novak esc's in that case they have been hot garbage since the late 90's.

Servos are a different breed all together when it comes to price vs quality. I've had $23 servos take a beating for years while $75 servos that are supposed to be the next big thing are junk from the start.

My best advice is to not do what I or anyone else does simply because we tell you too. Learn to search here and you'll find all the answers you could ever hope to find.

[Corrupt]

The reason RC loses value so much is because there are some people who beat up on their rigs without limits.

There are also people who treat them like their 1:1 car, cleaning them, performing maintenance, caring for them.

But is it worth dishing out good $ for a rig that may or may not be a pile of crap.

For $800.. that's a pricey risk. Keep in mind, this rig probably didn't start off as a Spawn (judging by the body included). Also, do you see the extra cage in the box? Looks beat up. To me, that doesn't indicate the "not been used more than 5 times for 10 minute intervals" claim. You're telling me that he went through all of these upgrades, with 2 2s lipos, and he still didn't even get an hour of runtime? I call bull.

Also,

"Wraith Spawn RTR = $369
Battery = $30
Charger = $50
MMP ESC = $120
ROC 412 = $150
Hitec 7950 = $150
Total = $869"

Slash those prices in half. This rig isn't an all new thing going up for sale. It's used, (maybe abused) and needs to be treated this way to protect you as a buyer. Some of the things, like the battery, take an even bigger dip in price since they are so wildly ranging in how they are maintained. I can't tell you how many used lipos I've bought that are crap. The motor? Never know if it was overheated. Same with the ESC. Same with the battery. Never know if the rig was run through water. Or mud. Or sand.

See, it's all of these unknowns you as a buyer need to be wary of. It's not like buying other things out there used; a bike? People ride them, and they are for the most part easy to see if they are a good buy or not. A 1:1 car? More complicated, but a good deal is usually easy to spot using tell-tale signs. But RC's.. some are babied, some are jumped over roofs. It's just how it is.

"$280 Wraith spawn kit.
$23. Solar d772 servo.
$82 trackstar 150A esc.
$36 trackstar 3250kv 4 pole sensored motor.
$40 flysky gt3 radio
$58 25c gens ace 3s 5000 mah.
$50 MIP drivelines.
$34 hr steel trans gears.
$11 racers edge aluminum servo arm."

Now this.. a typical budget build. The difference here is this is all BRAND NEW. Meaning you control its destiny.

My advice: score an upgraded roller for cheap. Lots of times, structural upgrades like knuckles, drivelines etc. are stout. It's the electronics you should worry about. Those three pieces (servo, ESC, motor) can bloat a price up like crazy. Funny thing is, they might not even work well! Better to get something you know works for those pieces (new). I have been burned too many times on used ESC's and motors.

-Corrupt