Opinions wanted

[celticsun33]

Looking for another crawler and want opinions.
I have a heavily modified Everest 10 and want to get a trail truck. I want decent flex.
I'm looking at
1. Redcat GEN 7 sport
2. Redcat GEN 8
3. Axial SCXII 10 honcho
4. Traxxas TRX4 bronco
Lemme know what you all think. PROS n Cons

[$uicide $hift]

From your list - Traxxas TRX-4

For your purpose of trail truck the unlocked diffs really make the Bronco drive nice at faster speeds than specific dedicated crawler rigs.

On your list the TRX-4 is the most durable and has the most aftermarket support as well as parts support.

I have not used it but I have heard nothing but positive about Traxxas customer support.

[rkj__]

If your budget allows for the TRX4 Bronco, I'm not sure why you would buy any of the other trucks on the list. TRX4 seems like the clear winner here.

[JatoTheRipper]

Wipe Redcat off of your list. I know you have a Redcat and I'm sure that means you have some attachment to the brand, but broaden your horizons and look elsewhere.

Move the TRX-4 to the top of the list. The Bronco body is incredibly scale. Some people are fooled into thinking it's a hard body. It is heavy and it does hinder performance, but as a trail truck it's great. Other features that make the TRX-4 Bronco a great trail truck are the 2-speed transmission and remote locking diffs. The remote locking diffs are so fun. I drive the trails with the diffs unlocked and try to climb obstacles. You'll climb more than you ever thought possible with open diffs. It's unbelievable at times.

[B-MOW71]

Another vote for the TRX-4. It is the best choice on your list. Features, durability and aftermarket support can't be beat.

I have the TRX-4 Chassis Kit topped with the Sport body and it has been tough as nails out on the trail. I really like the 2-speed trans for trailing. High speed for crusing the trails and then shift to low speed for crawling over obstacles.

This is a great truck and I don't think you will be disappointed!

[Inspector86]

After the Everest 10 you need to experience a real truck! TRX4 without hesitation!

[Timmahh]

Any of the rigs you listed would be, could be turned into a great trail rig.
I don't get all that Traxxass support. Yes the TRX is a decent truck, but the ONLY REASON Traxxas got into them, was because they seen massive sales they were missing out on.

Kind of like GM getting in on Electric Cars. Sure they will probably be a little better than the lesser known brands, but you will have to pay for that at the dealer and shop.

There is always a trade off. Proprietary gear that doesn't play well with other companies is another cost in this game.

I was Never a Red Cat Fan. Still not a "FAN" persay. However at least Red Cat tried to do their own versions of rigs, and was there at the start.
Back then, the gear was weak. soft plastics, or too hard and they broke or bent. Metal was weak and the minimal in terms of engineering needs.
10 years later they have stepped up their game considerably. No they are still not quite to the Traxxas level, but they are Not that far behind anymore.
The Gen 8 Axe unit is my very first Red Cat purchase or use for that matter. I expected it to be a bit worse that it is.
Its not perfect, but nothing a lil tweaking and minor modding doesn't fix.

We are mostly Trail running as we have minimal good rock areas around here. Other than the 2 speed of the TRX, my Axe can do things on our trail course the TRXs my buddies have can't. Then they can do things my Axe Cant. Both work great for our Trail Running adventures so far.


I just got back in after 10 yrish being out of RC. Traxxass has not changed one thing, other than new models, and making their gear more proprietary.
jm2c

That said. I have the Axe and am building 2 SSD kits. My next Crawler purchase will probably be a Rock Rey, or maybe a Capra.
If I were going to get another crawler/trail runner, I would probably grab another Axe unit, or the SCX 10 III.

I would buy a TRX. I am looking at getting a 4x4 slash just to play with my friends that have SCTs. However, as decent as Traxxas units are,.. They are not all that. I spent many years fixing and repairing Traxxas rigs, and already had to get into my buddies MAXX after the 2nd run. Servos crapped out.

[Mr_Wolf_Is_Innocent]

Add the element enduro build kit to your list. Trx4 has portals, which kills it as a scaler, redact 8 too, so drop them, cant remember if redcat 7 is portals, but pretty sure it’s not, the bodies always look nice, but never owned one...


Element Sendero 1/10. Crawler/Trailer.
Scx24 crc. Crawler 1/24.
Wltoys a212. Shortcourse 1/24.
Wltoys k969. Drifty 1/28

[celticsun33]

What do you guys think of the Gmade Komodo? or Gmade BOM? I'm really liking the looks but haven't heard a lot about them.

[dungeonracer]

Having both a Redcat Gen8 (2 actually, both are PACK version built up the way I like, don't care for the Scout body) and a Traxxas Bronco, I will say the Traxxas does appear to the tougher of the 2. That said, I've yet to break anything major on any of the rigs, mainly the body posts on the Gen8's.
You can get the Gen8 PACK kit for around $150, and build up the way you want. The Bronco will run you around $450, but you do get 2 speed and diff locks. People will say replace the stock servo and ESC right off, but I ran mine for over a year before upgrading them. The servo was acting up, and the ESC went into a friend's rig where he fried his by hooking up wrong. It's still working to this day.
I will say the 2 speed comes in handy at times, the diff locks, not so much. I have unplugged the servos for the diffs locks and leave them locked. I used the now available channels for lights and winch control.
The Element Enduro is also a good choice. It doesn't have portal axles, but it's still a great trail/crawler rig. The bumpers are the biggest issue with this rig, they just stick out too far on both ends.
Got to see a couple GMades this past weekend. They were cool, but couldn't stay with TRX4's, Gen8's or Enduros on a fun crawl.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by Timmahh

Any of the rigs you listed would be, could be turned into a great trail rig.
I don't get all that Traxxass support. Yes the TRX is a decent truck, but the ONLY REASON Traxxas got into them, was because they seen massive sales they were missing out on.

Kind of like GM getting in on Electric Cars. Sure they will probably be a little better than the lesser known brands, but you will have to pay for that at the dealer and shop.

There is always a trade off. Proprietary gear that doesn't play well with other companies is another cost in this game.

I was Never a Red Cat Fan. Still not a "FAN" persay. However at least Red Cat tried to do their own versions of rigs, and was there at the start.
Back then, the gear was weak. soft plastics, or too hard and they broke or bent. Metal was weak and the minimal in terms of engineering needs.
10 years later they have stepped up their game considerably. No they are still not quite to the Traxxas level, but they are Not that far behind anymore.
The Gen 8 Axe unit is my very first Red Cat purchase or use for that matter. I expected it to be a bit worse that it is.
Its not perfect, but nothing a lil tweaking and minor modding doesn't fix.

We are mostly Trail running as we have minimal good rock areas around here. Other than the 2 speed of the TRX, my Axe can do things on our trail course the TRXs my buddies have can't. Then they can do things my Axe Cant. Both work great for our Trail Running adventures so far.


I just got back in after 10 yrish being out of RC. Traxxass has not changed one thing, other than new models, and making their gear more proprietary.
jm2c

That said. I have the Axe and am building 2 SSD kits. My next Crawler purchase will probably be a Rock Rey, or maybe a Capra.
If I were going to get another crawler/trail runner, I would probably grab another Axe unit, or the SCX 10 III.

I would buy a TRX. I am looking at getting a 4x4 slash just to play with my friends that have SCTs. However, as decent as Traxxas units are,.. They are not all that. I spent many years fixing and repairing Traxxas rigs, and already had to get into my buddies MAXX after the 2nd run. Servos crapped out.

Traxxas, being the biggest name in RC, waited until the scaler market proved to be viable. It could be argued that they waited too long, but when they entered this market they did it right.

The TRX-4 is as tough if not tougher than any other Traxxas model. Hell, the TRX-4 is tougher than some bashers from other brands. It's certainly the toughest and most durable scaler out of the box. I don't think that's even an argument at this point.

The TRX-4 gets a lot of hype because the hype is real. Notice the hype hasn't died down all this time after the release. That's because it's a great truck. Sure you can find trucks with better outright performance out of the box, but the remote locking diffs and the rare, useful 2-speed make the truck fun in a different way than anything else out there. And I'll again mention the durability of this truck.

If you would buy a TRX-4 you'd see that it can't be compared to a T-Maxx or any of the other vehicles engineered decades ago. You won't find a scaler with better build quality Heck, look at the newer bashers from Traxxas. They're as good as anything on the market. The current Traxxas isn't the same as the old Traxxas.

Besides the battery connectors, what exactly is proprietary on Traxxas models? The battery plug is easily changed.

[B-MOW71]

^^^ Yeah, what Jato said! Agreed!


To be clear, I voted for the TRX-4 because it was the best "out-of-the-box" of the four in the list. It is very durable, capable, dependable and comes stock with the best features.

[Levi]

The trx4 is a great truck. Great aftermarket parts out there and it's very durable truck. You won't be disappointed in a trx4. We have 3 trx4 in the family lol. I do also like the scx10ii honco. It's a good light weight truck with really good approach angles. The quality is not good like the trx4, but upgrades can fix that.

[CarlC]

I have 2 x TRX-4, and Enduro and an Axial UMG10 - the TRX-4's are my favourites. They are superb.

[Inspector86]

What Jato said!

I also find it interesting that, in general, the people who knock the TRX4 are the people who do not own one.

[Bob_in az]

Originally Posted by Inspector86

I also find it interesting that, in general, the people who knock the TRX4 are the people who do not own one.

Same with the Gen8!

[Timmahh]

My neighbor owns 3 of them (TRX's that is, along with the XMaxx, and 2 slashes and a late modified slash for carpet racing. And he will likely get the 6x6). He also has the DBXL 2.0.
Here is the deal with me not owning one (TRX)

I don't have to. I do nearly all the work on his RCs. Including every Traxxas he, and I, have owned over the last 20 years. LOL
I don't need to OWN one. I have owned many already, and spent months working on them. Had a full Aluminum Tmaxx in 2006. And Emaxx, and 2 slashes in 08. Along with my 2 Baja 5Bs and 3 Bergonzoni 1/5th Sedans.

I find it Interesting that because someone does not OWN a particular THING, their opinion on Said Thing is alleged to be of no value.

Happy Days Are Here Again. lol

Pro Tip. While the rest of the pack is Zigging, That's a good time to look at Zagging.

[MOguy]

My kid's friend has a Redcat GEN 8 and kind of really sucks at rock crawling. Body is worse that the TRX bodies. It catches on everything and is heavy. The suspension doesn't seem to work well. I have a TRX 4 (was the Mercedes) and I like it.

Another one to consider is the Enduro. I just built it and haven't gotten enough time to know if I like it or not. Mine was a kit so I choose my own body, tires, wheels and electronics.

[xtreme4x2]

Just don't get the defender TRX-4. Its too long for crawling and gets hung up easily. I ended up selling mine since I had no interest in getting a new body and shorter links. Otherwise an awesome smooth running platform.

[Greatscott]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Traxxas, being the biggest name in RC, waited until the scaler market proved to be viable. It could be argued that they waited too long, but when they entered this market they did it right.

.

I wouldn't say Traxxas waited too long, its just that their first attempt was bad, and pancaked like their dragster line did The Telluride was their first attempt into the scale market, and tried to leverage off of their Slash 4x4 platform. I think they saw Jang's Chimera builds and got inspired. After that platform failed, they hired on a couple of people that actually knew what they were doing, and the TRX4 was born.

With that, aside from the TRX4, I can only speak for the Element. Both are great trucks. Between the two, I'd give the nod to the TRX4, the portals are not "scale", but they are effective. The Branco is a very scale-looking platform that is very capable.

Originally Posted by xtreme4x2

Just don't get the defender TRX-4. Its too long for crawling and gets hung up easily. I ended up selling mine since I had no interest in getting a new body and shorter links. Otherwise an awesome smooth running platform.

For scale looks, its awesome, but that body is top-heavy and really limits its crawling capability.