RCCrawler Forums

rngrchad · 02-27-2010, 05:15 PM

Hello all. I've read conflicting thoughts on the ARTR versus the RTC version of Axials AX 10. I am starting with a blank slate and have nothing rc related at the moment having sold it all years ago. My question lies with the differences between the ARTR and the RTC kit. Some say "go RTC" as it has a lower center of gravity and better shocks...whereas others say go ARTR as it has overall better components. I don't know who to believe! This RTC vs ARTR confuses the noob in me.

So...RTC or ARTR? I'm willing to spend about 500 dollars...and am willing to pick and choose the best parts for a hardcore crawler on either of these stock chassis.
-Chad

Roketcooper · 02-27-2010, 05:52 PM

I bought a used ARTR and have gotten good use out of it. Having the choice of electronics and aluminum parts is definitely a plus. I'm getting kind of tired of the orange, however.

BLKXJ 96 · 02-27-2010, 06:01 PM

Both use the same drive train and chassis, the only reason the ARTC has a higher CG is because the shocks are longer. Upgrading the plastic shocks to something like Losi "4 crawler shocks will lower the vehicle slightly and help CG.

There are a ton of free upgrades that can be done to both crawlers to make a night and day differance as to how they crawl.

I had an RTC and in the first week I upgraded all the electronics, and ended up spending the same amount of money if not a little more. Get the ARTC and get all the stuff you want.

Raguvian · 02-27-2010, 06:01 PM

The RTC's electronics are crap and you'll end up wanting to get the metal links the ARTR comes with... go ARTR. It's also cheaper than the RTC so you can put more money towards better electronics.

Sharkey · 02-27-2010, 06:19 PM

if your looking for a hardcore crawler and have a $500 budget, id recommend starting from scratch. pick up a chassis kit (axial bender swx), pick up a pair of axial axles, an axial trans, and a set of losi crawler shocks. a 35 turn motor and a castle sidewinder or tekin fxr to drive it, and a cheap radio will work just fine. if you have an e-bay account you can score some good deals on things like the axles, the trans, ect. if you are proficient with this hobby (sounds like you are) its the cheaper way to go in the long run as you will end up changing much of the stock truck anyways.

arcticjeff · 02-27-2010, 06:31 PM

Go with what Sharkey said. I bought the kit and have spent a lot of money trying to make it better. Should have gone used from the start. Only benigit fromt the kit was knowing how everything goes together.

rngrchad · 02-27-2010, 09:40 PM

First question: I asked about the ARTR versus the RTC. BLKXJ96 mentioned getting the ARTC. Is this ARTC synonomous with ARTR? So now I have three options to confuse me: RTC, ARTC, ARTR. Oh well...I think I'm gonna go the route SHARKEY mentioned.....and get a chassis and go from there. It sounds like ARTR (is this the same thing as ARTC?) is the better route for me as far as the mainstream AXIAL kits go. Am I reading this right?

Anyways, I'm going right now to check out the Bender Chassis and price out some things to go with it. For some reason I wasn't thinking 500 bux could do a full-blown comp crawler...but guess I didn't price it out correct....like I said I'm new to the crawling and know I'm gonna love it. I just want to be ahead of the game with my money first and foremost...I'm all about slow speed-performance.

SHARKEY; Where do you reccomend I locate these itmes? It seems like the few online shops have very little available inventory; "NOT CURRENTLY IN STOCK" is the usual moniker : ( I don't do EBAY nor have paypal.

-Thanks again. The users on this site are AMAZING.
-Chad

Sharkey · 02-27-2010, 11:18 PM

tcs crawler, they will have almost everything you need to build a crawler from scratch

http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...8-p-16410.html rear axle
http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...7-p-16412.html

if you have a hobby shop close by, check out what they have and can get.

rngrchad · 02-27-2010, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkey

tcs crawler, they will have almost everything you need to build a crawler from scratch

http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...8-p-16410.html rear axle
http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...7-p-16412.html

if you have a hobby shop close by, check out what they have and can get.

Ok. Thanks again Sharkey.

minisaba · 02-27-2010, 11:35 PM

I got a good axial for you for 500 big ones. RTR just add your lipo charger.

JK, get yourself a star and their are a couple in the for sale section. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!!

rngrchad · 02-27-2010, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minisaba

I got a good axial for you for 500 big ones. RTR just add your lipo charger.

get yourself a star and their are a couple in the for sale section. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!!

Hahah. I just discovered the rc4wd TRAIL FINDER scale chassis that has LEAF SPRINGS. I can't get over how freak'n cool that chassis is and secondly how freak'n expensive it is. 500 dollars just for the chassis. Do you ever find these TRAIL FINDERS in the for sale section? Price is extremely steep compared to AXIAL.
Thanks minisaba, and I do chuckle at your sarcasm.

Sharkey · 02-28-2010, 12:08 AM

scalers are a different breed than the ax10. scalers wont perform the same as a crawler, however they are exactly what the name means, a scale version of a real truck. for $500, the trail finder isnt too bad. its all aluminum, including the axles. just add a motor, esc, motor, radio, batteries and body and its ready to go.

Voteban · 02-28-2010, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkey

scalers are a different breed than the ax10. scalers wont perform the same as a crawler, however they are exactly what the name means, a scale version of a real truck. for $500, the trail finder isnt too bad. its all aluminum, including the axles. just add a motor, esc, motor, radio, batteries and body and its ready to go.

2 motors, eh?

rngrchad · 02-28-2010, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkey

tcs crawler, they will have almost everything you need to build a crawler from scratch

http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...8-p-16410.html rear axle
http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...7-p-16412.html

if you have a hobby shop close by, check out what they have and can get.

Sharkey, for the life of me, I can NOT find an Axial front axle on tcscrawlers.com. Any ideas or am I going to have to go order elsewhere?

racerjim · 02-28-2010, 07:57 AM

the axle housings are the same front to rear it just depends on what outers you use, for the rear you will want lockouts with straight axles and for the front you want c-hubs, knuckles and 2 peice axle shafts. also be sure to get the overdrive front gears it makes a world of difference when climbing and turning.

good luck with it and have fun.

Jim

BLKXJ 96 · 02-28-2010, 08:15 AM

When I got into crawling, I really had no idea on how all this stuff worked and went togather. So I picked up a RTC so I could see how it all worked and just improved it from there, and most of the parts are not that expensive $20 bucks here $40 bucks there. I Hand made all the link arms for mine, uppers, bent lowers, and rear 4-link.... total cost was about $17 dollars. I made all these parts at my kitchen table, you don't need a machine shop.
This can go a bunch of different directions, depending on what rout you choose and what you want to put into it.

romulus22 · 02-28-2010, 08:33 AM

definitely build your own. biggest downfall with your budget is you still need to get batteries and charger. make sure you price that into your budget too so you don't end up with some junk NiMH stuff.

a good small lipo battery IMO is just as important as having a good chassis or good tires

jcboof · 02-28-2010, 08:53 AM

Get a RCC supporter star, start browsing the F/S section. You can likely find a pretty darn good axial based comp crawler there for less than 350 bucks, and with the rest of the money saved, you can get a radio, batteries, and a charger.

Buying used is a great way to buy one, you can see how the custom side of building is done and you normally save quite a bit over new.

I wouldn't recommend the RTC axial, its cheap! You'd have to spend a bunch of money to upgrade the otherwise lacking components, and they just don't crawl that well.

A Losi Nightcrawler is a MUCH better crawler than the Axial RTC out of the box.

rngrchad · 02-28-2010, 04:21 PM

WOW. Thanks a TON gang. roborg5000 sold me a great Trail Finder Chassis, tranny etc etc. I'm currently in the process of getting it put together. So I've gone the opposite direction of a crawler and went for 1/10 scale rig. Just wanted to let ya all know. The deal was too good to pass up. So now, I'm gonna start asking all kinds of build up questions and start another newbie thread of my TRail Finder build. Later gang, thanks again.

GumbyIL · 02-28-2010, 06:46 PM

I gotta agree with some of the above posts. Don't buy new. You can get lots of upgrades for nothing buying used.

02-27-2010, 05:15 PM	#1
rngrchad Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Central/SE Ohio Posts: 522	Axial RTC or ARTR. Driver's impression.... Hello all. I've read conflicting thoughts on the ARTR versus the RTC version of Axials AX 10. I am starting with a blank slate and have nothing rc related at the moment having sold it all years ago. My question lies with the differences between the ARTR and the RTC kit. Some say "go RTC" as it has a lower center of gravity and better shocks...whereas others say go ARTR as it has overall better components. I don't know who to believe! This RTC vs ARTR confuses the noob in me. So...RTC or ARTR? I'm willing to spend about 500 dollars...and am willing to pick and choose the best parts for a hardcore crawler on either of these stock chassis. -Chad

02-27-2010, 06:31 PM	#6
arcticjeff Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bay City Posts: 365	Sharkey Go with what Sharkey said. I bought the kit and have spent a lot of money trying to make it better. Should have gone used from the start. Only benigit fromt the kit was knowing how everything goes together.

02-27-2010, 09:40 PM	#7
rngrchad Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Central/SE Ohio Posts: 522	First question: I asked about the ARTR versus the RTC. BLKXJ96 mentioned getting the ARTC. Is this ARTC synonomous with ARTR? So now I have three options to confuse me: RTC, ARTC, ARTR. Oh well...I think I'm gonna go the route SHARKEY mentioned.....and get a chassis and go from there. It sounds like ARTR (is this the same thing as ARTC?) is the better route for me as far as the mainstream AXIAL kits go. Am I reading this right? Anyways, I'm going right now to check out the Bender Chassis and price out some things to go with it. For some reason I wasn't thinking 500 bux could do a full-blown comp crawler...but guess I didn't price it out correct....like I said I'm new to the crawling and know I'm gonna love it. I just want to be ahead of the game with my money first and foremost...I'm all about slow speed-performance. SHARKEY; Where do you reccomend I locate these itmes? It seems like the few online shops have very little available inventory; "NOT CURRENTLY IN STOCK" is the usual moniker : ( I don't do EBAY nor have paypal. -Thanks again. The users on this site are AMAZING. -Chad Last edited by rngrchad; 02-27-2010 at 09:52 PM.

02-27-2010, 05:52 PM	#2
Roketcooper Pebble Pounder Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Dupage County Posts: 99	I bought a used ARTR and have gotten good use out of it. Having the choice of electronics and aluminum parts is definitely a plus. I'm getting kind of tired of the orange, however.

02-27-2010, 06:01 PM	#3
BLKXJ 96 Rock Crawler Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 895	Both use the same drive train and chassis, the only reason the ARTC has a higher CG is because the shocks are longer. Upgrading the plastic shocks to something like Losi "4 crawler shocks will lower the vehicle slightly and help CG. There are a ton of free upgrades that can be done to both crawlers to make a night and day differance as to how they crawl. I had an RTC and in the first week I upgraded all the electronics, and ended up spending the same amount of money if not a little more. Get the ARTC and get all the stuff you want.

02-27-2010, 06:01 PM	#4
Raguvian Quarry Creeper Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bay Area Posts: 291	The RTC's electronics are crap and you'll end up wanting to get the metal links the ARTR comes with... go ARTR. It's also cheaper than the RTC so you can put more money towards better electronics.

02-27-2010, 06:19 PM	#5
Sharkey Rock Crawler Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Abbotsford BC Posts: 563	if your looking for a hardcore crawler and have a $500 budget, id recommend starting from scratch. pick up a chassis kit (axial bender swx), pick up a pair of axial axles, an axial trans, and a set of losi crawler shocks. a 35 turn motor and a castle sidewinder or tekin fxr to drive it, and a cheap radio will work just fine. if you have an e-bay account you can score some good deals on things like the axles, the trans, ect. if you are proficient with this hobby (sounds like you are) its the cheaper way to go in the long run as you will end up changing much of the stock truck anyways.

02-27-2010, 11:18 PM	#8
Sharkey Rock Crawler Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Abbotsford BC Posts: 563	tcs crawler, they will have almost everything you need to build a crawler from scratch http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...8-p-16410.html rear axle http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Axial-AX1...7-p-16412.html if you have a hobby shop close by, check out what they have and can get.

02-27-2010, 11:35 PM	#10
minisaba Quarry Creeper Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Hawthorne, CA Posts: 279	I got a good axial for you for 500 big ones. RTR just add your lipo charger. JK, get yourself a star and their are a couple in the for sale section. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!!

02-28-2010, 12:08 AM	#12
Sharkey Rock Crawler Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Abbotsford BC Posts: 563	scalers are a different breed than the ax10. scalers wont perform the same as a crawler, however they are exactly what the name means, a scale version of a real truck. for $500, the trail finder isnt too bad. its all aluminum, including the axles. just add a motor, esc, motor, radio, batteries and body and its ready to go.

02-28-2010, 07:57 AM	#15
racerjim Rock Stacker Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Drumheller Posts: 79	the axle housings are the same front to rear it just depends on what outers you use, for the rear you will want lockouts with straight axles and for the front you want c-hubs, knuckles and 2 peice axle shafts. also be sure to get the overdrive front gears it makes a world of difference when climbing and turning. good luck with it and have fun. Jim

02-28-2010, 08:15 AM	#16
BLKXJ 96 Rock Crawler Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 895	When I got into crawling, I really had no idea on how all this stuff worked and went togather. So I picked up a RTC so I could see how it all worked and just improved it from there, and most of the parts are not that expensive $20 bucks here $40 bucks there. I Hand made all the link arms for mine, uppers, bent lowers, and rear 4-link.... total cost was about $17 dollars. I made all these parts at my kitchen table, you don't need a machine shop. This can go a bunch of different directions, depending on what rout you choose and what you want to put into it.

02-28-2010, 08:33 AM	#17
romulus22 0 0 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: FT. Thomas Posts: 1,830	definitely build your own. biggest downfall with your budget is you still need to get batteries and charger. make sure you price that into your budget too so you don't end up with some junk NiMH stuff. a good small lipo battery IMO is just as important as having a good chassis or good tires

Sponsored Links

02-28-2010, 08:53 AM	#18
jcboof I wanna be Dave Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: I miss Rowdy Posts: 2,238	Get a RCC supporter star, start browsing the F/S section. You can likely find a pretty darn good axial based comp crawler there for less than 350 bucks, and with the rest of the money saved, you can get a radio, batteries, and a charger. Buying used is a great way to buy one, you can see how the custom side of building is done and you normally save quite a bit over new. I wouldn't recommend the RTC axial, its cheap! You'd have to spend a bunch of money to upgrade the otherwise lacking components, and they just don't crawl that well. A Losi Nightcrawler is a MUCH better crawler than the Axial RTC out of the box.

02-28-2010, 04:21 PM	#19
rngrchad Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Central/SE Ohio Posts: 522	WOW. Thanks a TON gang. roborg5000 sold me a great Trail Finder Chassis, tranny etc etc. I'm currently in the process of getting it put together. So I've gone the opposite direction of a crawler and went for 1/10 scale rig. Just wanted to let ya all know. The deal was too good to pass up. So now, I'm gonna start asking all kinds of build up questions and start another newbie thread of my TRail Finder build. Later gang, thanks again.

02-28-2010, 06:46 PM	#20
GumbyIL Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Naperville Posts: 17	I gotta agree with some of the above posts. Don't buy new. You can get lots of upgrades for nothing buying used.

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