Indecision

[Mongol Pete]

Happy Thanksgiving crawler fans,

If you had to choose between the 1/24 Barrage from ECX or the 1/24 Basher Rocksta for mostly indoor crawling, which would you get, and why?

Thanks,
MP

[ElChupacabra]

I'd get the Proline Ambush. Leaf springs for life....

[spoo76]

2 different classes of crawler and depends on your wants and goals IMO. If you want scale looks then the FTX/ECX may be the way to go, but we won't know the pros and cons until it's officially released. However it seems to be the least expensive micro scale option.

The Basher isn't scale at all, but with it being motor over axle it should be able to crawl much better than a scale truck. Especially with some mods.

As far as the Proline, It doesn't have a great reputation in some places, but I like mine. The axle housings look better than the other worm gears micro axles and the frame is easily lengthened. However there seems to be almost no support from Proline, no replacement parts easily available and it's not uncommon to have something broken or missing ( mine was missing a shock tower screw)
Also though it's a bit stiff at first some people are tempted to remove a leaf to soften the springs up. I prefer to leave the leaf springs alone to prevent axle wrap which easily happens. Break them in and if it's still too stiff remove the shock spring

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[Phmaximus]

id go the 1/24 Barrage because IMO it looks more like a real car and the mechanical driveline... MOA is cool, but if u cant mix it the front and rear, its not that great

[Mongol Pete]

Thanks guys. I think I'm after a more scale look, so I'll probably wait for the 1/24 Barrage. It will be a little buddy for the 1/12 Barrage kit I'll build after Christmas.

[Mongol Pete]

The Redcat Sumo has caught my eye as well for our first micro crawler. Is it exactly the same as that HSP 'Spirit' ?

The little Sumo looks like a capable little crawler.

[sethstiles]

As said before, it depends on what you want to use it for. The ECX definitely has nice scale looks and probably performs to scale. But, I would also consider a true rock crawler too like the Basher rocksta. I had one and it was great. Make sure you get the metal gear replacements!!! I have a Redcat sumo crawler I've enjoyed modifying with RC4WD super swamper tires and steel beadlocks along with fitting it to run on 2s lipos and trimmed the body up to look even cooler. It is great. I put a Proline Ambush body on it and it looks cool and performs well but a little too top heavy. The best part of a 1/24th - what ever you get - is making some fun scale outdoor and back porch courses with natural and man made materials like Great Stuff spray foam. Enjoy!

[jlwatchman]

Barrage, I wish it was released already so that I could get one too

[cleanandserenesteve]

The basher is actually quite large. It’s definitely wider than a Trekker. I’d wait for the Barrage as it’s more scale and probably easier to mod. Plus it has more than one link in the rear like the Basher.

[Phmaximus]

I just want to add... crawling does not scale down to well.... Sure there are some awesome pro comp 1/10 MOA crawlers out there, but I hate to say it, these micro MOA crawlers are not even close to been on the same preformance level, and these cheap border line toy ones are a far cry from been a any closer. I dont have anything against them, but U have to realise they are cheap entry level cars and will require additional money to make great.

if it was me... rather than rolling a turd in glitter, id check out the new Geko24, sure the outlay is more, but I think in the end it will work out cheaper

[sethstiles]

Phmaximus - I hear your argument and you are right.....But we all have to remember that no matter what brand or scale or pricepoint, R/C is a toy hobby in the big picture of life. Also, in a 1/24 scale, everyone needs to wrestle with the legit question of "how much do I really want to spend?" It's just a 1/24th. No matter what price point, they are very small and limited in performance, etc. BTW- I have 2 1/24's (Redcat crawler and Carisma truggy) and do love them.

[spoo76]

Personally the reason I like using 1/25-1/25 losi micro sized crawlers in 1/20 bodies is because of the limited performance. My 1/10 MOA and even my scx10 can crawl over so much it's not always easy to find interesting terrain. With a micro crawler nearly anything becomes an interesting challenge.

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[sethstiles]

Totally agreed! Especially for those of us who are unlucky to not have natural terrain, particularly rocks!

[spoo76]

Originally Posted by sethstiles

Totally agreed! Especially for those of us who are unlucky to not have natural terrain, particularly rocks!

That's the case for me here in Florida. We have some spots, not nearly as much as other states

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[Mongol Pete]

Great feedback guys. Thanks for your thoughts! That Geko24 looks great, but I will save big-buck builds for bigger RCs. The little scalers I want will be for dicking around the house when it's too cold to run larger trucks outside. I ordered a clone of the 1/24 Barrage today (HSP/RGT Adventurer), and I'll likely get the Barrage itself once it comes out, so both the boy and I can micro crawl indoors. Now I just have to find some materials to make some obstacles. I'm thinking I'll use cardboard, polystyrene, egg cartons and expanding foam spray.

[sethstiles]

Materials suggestions: Great Stuff foam spray (looks like rocks) and spray it with rubber coating, cement chunks glued to plywood, 1" furring strips to make bridges or tree limbs strung with thin rope, YouTube has other really nice micro crawler courses. Enjoy the building as much as the crawling!

[R.Billy Rob]

Here’s an old video of an indoor course I built. It’s just cardboard, and newspaper covered in spray foam insulation, then spray painted. It did ok, and was a ton of fun, but I do wish I had covered it with something to give it more texture. It’s a little slippery. I plan to redo it someday...

https://youtu.be/Sixf-pukvIM

[Marco-1976]

I’m currently in the process of transforming a Rocksta into a scaler. Ordered a RC4WD 1/18 Gelande body. Wheelbase and width are already really close. Used styrene to DIY chassis rails to get the exact wheelbase.
Now the only thing left is mounting the body to the chassis.

IMO a really cheap way to get a mini/micro scaler.

[Phmaximus]

hey... another little gem worth looking at for messing around indoors, the Orlandoo Hunters....