Debating a Sawback

[LamChop]

I am debating getting a sawback just due to the price point, what is the honest feedback on durability of everything? how often do you snap a leaf, do the axles hold up, what kind of other hardware will swap over? the motor I have is a brushless reedy so id want to put a 2 spd in it to gear it down? let me know if this is worth my time or if I should go a different route.

[Scotski]

I have been looking and thinking of getting one as well. Every vehicle has it's pros and cons, plus those differ depending on who is talking. From what I have seen, the Sawback is a decent truck in it's stock form. I'm not so sure how well your Reedy brushless setup would work on any crawler. That's a lot of rpms for a trail roller. You can get an Axial stock 27-55t motor and esc for about $60. If cost is a factor, just dial your throttle gain all the way down and see how it goes. The Sawback seemed as durable as an SCX10 from the videos I have watched. If you do get one, let us know your opinion. If I get one, I will for sure post pics etc. of my horrible building and painting skills lol! I drive them hard and if it holds up, that is what I go by. A shelf queen isn't a crawler. It's a model. =D

[LamChop]

Originally Posted by Scotski

I have been looking and thinking of getting one as well. Every vehicle has it's pros and cons, plus those differ depending on who is talking. From what I have seen, the Sawback is a decent truck in it's stock form. I'm not so sure how well your Reedy brushless setup would work on any crawler. That's a lot of rpms for a trail roller. You can get an Axial stock 27-55t motor and esc for about $60. If cost is a factor, just dial your throttle gain all the way down and see how it goes. The Sawback seemed as durable as an SCX10 from the videos I have watched. If you do get one, let us know your opinion. If I get one, I will for sure post pics etc. of my horrible building and painting skills lol! I drive them hard and if it holds up, that is what I go by. A shelf queen isn't a crawler. It's a model. =D

well said! Ya my reedy motor is a debatable option thus why id gear it way down. I bought an evererest 10 and modded it to a full frame and am upgrading what breaks. I don't want to spend a lot of money on something so many other people have, thus I converted the Everest 10, and my plans remain the same for the next one. I just hate being strapped for parts all the time. I use axial driveline stuff in my e10 which most hobby shops carry

[Jeepiac]

I'm a self proclaimed expert in this matter, so set back and be educated
If you end up buying a Sawback, replace the drive shafts when you build it. Stock ones are junk! The skid plate tends to hang to low and gets hung up easily, and the steering isn't horrible, but it aint great either. All is fixable with a little work. The Sawback can be made into one hell of a competitive scaler while retaining the leaf springs. It's very durable once the drive shafts are replaced. I installed Junfac drive shafts and front axle shafts when I built mine and with 20+ hours of run time Nothing has broken. I did replace the springs once. This was after 4 hours of full throttle running through a very bad course at a timed event. I think the biggest drawback is the aftermarket parts. You have to do/make your own modifications. You can't just buy stuff and bolt it on like you would with a SCX10. RPP, Junfac.com and ebay are full of replacement and some upgrade parts. This thing is a scaler not a basher. With gobs of power the front cv's will give up. I run a 35T can motor on 2s. The power is good for very technical crawling and for comps. The steering can be greatly improved with a little grinding of the knuckles and there is a aftermarket skid that will smooth out the bottom of the chassis or you can very easily make your own. Durability of the springs all depends on how you build them. You can pick up used low hour Sawback cheap cause people buy them, run them once and hate them because they don't understand how to set up a leafer and they go back to what they know. With a well setup leafer you will learn that flex is over rated and that lack of flex will actually get you through places that a 4 link suspension might not. The local club (all scx10's) are in amazement at what this little leafer can do. Specially when it walks right through places that their beloved Axial rig can't.

[LamChop]

Originally Posted by Jeepiac

I'm a self proclaimed expert in this matter, so set back and be educated
If you end up buying a Sawback, replace the drive shafts when you build it. Stock ones are junk! The skid plate tends to hang to low and gets hung up easily, and the steering isn't horrible, but it aint great either. All is fixable with a little work. The Sawback can be made into one hell of a competitive scaler while retaining the leaf springs. It's very durable once the drive shafts are replaced. I installed Junfac drive shafts and front axle shafts when I built mine and with 20+ hours of run time Nothing has broken. I did replace the springs once. This was after 4 hours of full throttle running through a very bad course at a timed event. I think the biggest drawback is the aftermarket parts. You have to do/make your own modifications. You can't just buy stuff and bolt it on like you would with a SCX10. RPP, Junfac.com and ebay are full of replacement and some upgrade parts. This thing is a scaler not a basher. With gobs of power the front cv's will give up. I run a 35T can motor on 2s. The power is good for very technical crawling and for comps. The steering can be greatly improved with a little grinding of the knuckles and there is a aftermarket skid that will smooth out the bottom of the chassis or you can very easily make your own. Durability of the springs all depends on how you build them. You can pick up used low hour Sawback cheap cause people buy them, run them once and hate them because they don't understand how to set up a leafer and they go back to what they know. With a well setup leafer you will learn that flex is over rated and that lack of flex will actually get you through places that a 4 link suspension might not. The local club (all scx10's) are in amazement at what this little leafer can do. Specially when it walks right through places that their beloved Axial rig can't.

Im sold! any advice on where to look for these used ones? im ok buying new just for the fun of building. I would image a set of rc4wd leafs would work and you say just drive shafts huh? axle shafts have been good?

[Jeepiac]

Facebook crawler pages is where I see them for sale in my area. RC4WD leafs will work and will break. Gmade's are actually better and are 20 bucks for a full set. My axles, tranny gears and diffs are all original except for the R1 gears I put in the front, and they are seem to be holding up just fine. The transmission has sounded like its full of gravel since day one, and I've pulled it apart 3 times and everything looks great. Noisy tranny is the trademark of the Sawback I guess. Here's a video of the local clubs main crawl spot. Not much footage of my Sawback, but at the end there is a spot that only one other made it through and it's a Wraith. Once again I run a Holmes BRXL, 35T rc4wd throw away motor on 2s. I don't believe in crazy power in a crawler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qZyXE0LWV4

[ccdbcvtrider1]

Originally Posted by LamChop

Im sold! any advice on where to look for these used ones? im ok buying new just for the fun of building. I would image a set of rc4wd leafs would work and you say just drive shafts huh? axle shafts have been good?

I have one that i bought for my son, we need to work on it to make it a WWII jeep. the intention for it is to be a trail truck but I am aware it can crawl well too. looking the rig over, i think it has some good quality. RC adventures on you tube has some videos with his and he seems to really like it a lot.

There are some on eBay right now. one, the guy has a home made body that I really want.

Kevin

[Habanero]

I saw a video of one running and when trying to climb one hill it did this pogo stick bouncy bounce thing on the back wheels and although maybe technically a scale traight it looks silly and I couldn't get around that lol. Now I've built the others it is next on my list.

[Shape_Shifter]

I love mine!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeKpaHw34h0

[Tinrabbit]

Absolutely love my Sawback, I do prefer it over my Honcho.