Panda Hobby Tera X1

[Vitamin_J]

Originally Posted by Shape_Shifter

Not a dead-end for me, but mine is not stock.

What hobby shop sold it to you? Colpars?

I got it from The Crawl Space which I figured would sell me good stuff. I asked a ton of questions but this is what they gave me with. I guess I should have just got the SCX24 but the way he talked this up as a budget option. I would have spent the money if he told me this was not a good thing to grow with. I told him I wanted to try competitions too. Oh well.

Anyone have links to some metal gears or anything that may help me out?

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by Vitamin_J

I got it from The Crawl Space which I figured would sell me good stuff. I asked a ton of questions but this is what they gave me with. I guess I should have just got the SCX24 but the way he talked this up as a budget option. I would have spent the money if he told me this was not a good thing to grow with. I told him I wanted to try competitions too. Oh well.

Anyone have links to some metal gears or anything that may help me out?

I cant understand how you stripped the pinion. I ran several differnt kinds of tires with stock tranny and had no problems, but I dont really abuse my trucks.

In terms of overall strength and durability, the Panda is far stronger than the SCX24. The Panda is just a better out-of-the-box truck in every way. However, as Spoo said, most of the "upgrades" can only be ordered from CHYNA.

[Vitamin_J]

I was crawling on some natural rocks near my house when it was stock and it was ok then I put on the RC4WD tires and use a Lipo instead of the Lion battery and the first time I tried to climb up a ledge (tire climbing up 90 degrees) I heard a clicking noise for a second and then it went away. I kept crawling and within the next 2 minutes or so it was completely stripped out. Not abusive, using it on the medium speed setting literally trying to crawl as slow as possible.

[Vitamin_J]

Looks like Panda Hobby will be hooking me up with some free gears, just have to wait on the slow boat.

After looking through this whole thread and the internet I guess there are only a couple aluminum and brass parts? No real upgrades to the power train or anything. I guess he just straight up lied to me when he said there were tons of upgrades for the Tetra. Doesn't even look like anyone has installed a different motor from stock.

Shape_Shifter, is your gearbox off the shelf or fully custom?

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by Vitamin_J

Looks like Panda Hobby will be hooking me up with some free gears, just have to wait on the slow boat.

After looking through this whole thread and the internet I guess there are only a couple aluminum and brass parts? No real upgrades to the power train or anything. I guess he just straight up lied to me when he said there were tons of upgrades for the Tetra. Doesn't even look like anyone has installed a different motor from stock.

Shape_Shifter, is your gearbox off the shelf or fully custom?

Fully custom. That's how I roll

[da_jokker]

Hi all...

Looking for a reliable mini crawler and also ran across this Panda (prefer the looks of the K1 over the X2)

I like that the Panda is a tad bigger than the scx24 but even more like that it uses a larger motor which I would hope would last longer than the smaller 030/050 motors.

This thread hasn't had any updates in a awhile... Just so wondering how your Pandas have been holding up?

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by da_jokker

Hi all...

Looking for a reliable mini crawler and also ran across this Panda (prefer the looks of the K1 over the X2)

I like that the Panda is a tad bigger than the scx24 but even more like that it uses a larger motor which I would hope would last longer than the smaller 030/050 motors.

This thread hasn't had any updates in a awhile... Just so wondering how your Pandas have been holding up?

I recommend the Panda for a 1/18th truck. My experience is that they are very durable, but as I mentioned above, I'm not using a stock tranny.

There are several really good, solid 1/18 crawlers out there but, IMO, none of them have adequate gearing. I have been building and running micro crawlers for over two decades and I have NEVER smoked a micro motor of any kind. But I only do actual rock crawling and don't race/chase/jump my micro crawlers. You can convert a crawler in to a basher if you want (might be a fun build), but there are lots of micro basher trucks made for that kind of running out there already.

In terms of more power in a crawler, there is good and bad to that. I've seen 4 cylinder Wranglers with proper gearing climb up obstacles that a Wrangler converted to an LS engine couldn't climb. Its the same with any scale crawler - setup is key to how the rig performs.

[spoo76]

Oops pocket post

[da_jokker]

Originally Posted by Shape_Shifter

I recommend the Panda for a 1/18th truck. My experience is that they are very durable, but as I mentioned above, I'm not using a stock tranny.

There are several really good, solid 1/18 crawlers out there but, IMO, none of them have adequate gearing. I have been building and running micro crawlers for over two decades and I have NEVER smoked a micro motor of any kind. But I only do actual rock crawling and don't race/chase/jump my micro crawlers. You can convert a crawler in to a basher if you want (might be a fun build), but there are lots of micro basher trucks made for that kind of running out there already.

In terms of more power in a crawler, there is good and bad to that. I've seen 4 cylinder Wranglers with proper gearing climb up obstacles that a Wrangler converted to an LS engine couldn't climb. Its the same with any scale crawler - setup is key to how the rig performs.

Thanks for the info. My SCX24 has been going through a motor about every 4-6 weeks and we basically do the same... Just some light crawling.

I posted my long saga but it hasn't been cleared yet I guess (noobie) but just did the barrage motor upgrade hoping that will last.... But that saga is what lead me to the panda and its larger motor, but still smaller scale.

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by da_jokker

Thanks for the info. My SCX24 has been going through a motor about every 4-6 weeks and we basically do the same... Just some light crawling.

I posted my long saga but it hasn't been cleared yet I guess (noobie) but just did the barrage motor upgrade hoping that will last.... But that saga is what lead me to the panda and its larger motor, but still smaller scale.

Maybe a dumb question but have you gone through your SCX24 an checked for binding or drag anywhere? I'm not really an Axial guy but I would think even their stuff would last longer.

[da_jokker]

Originally Posted by Shape_Shifter

Maybe a dumb question but have you gone through your SCX24 an checked for binding or drag anywhere? I'm not really an Axial guy but I would think even their stuff would last longer.

I'm new to the RC world so not sure what to check but when I've had the transmission out to replace the motor, I have spun by hand each of the drive lines, as well as spun the transmission once the motor is removed and things seem to spin easily.
Seems like we can use it in the house forever, but once we take it outside and use it on the trails, it's a death sentence.

Have yet to take it back outside since the 050 install so I guess we'll see!

Actually just ordered the Panda K1 last night .... Fingers crossed. Not looking for anything fancy, just don't want something that will break down constantly. (Also ordered a spare motor for the Panda just in case)

[Captain Ben]

The Panda is a great vehicle, it needs to slow down a little. It crawls pretty good, but it lacks low end torque with its stock set up. I read a thread about a Furitek ESC which looks to be a game changer, but you have to be a fabricator to make all the components work and it will be $150+ of an upgrade.

The replacing the stock 88T motor on an axial every 6 weeks? I have the Barrage upgrade and it shows no signs of quitting, 3 months and running. I agree with the person who asked if you'd gone thru it. Or have you added so much weight it just cant? Is the pinion to spur, at correct gap? Are the diffs gapped correctly? What about crawling style? Something is binding to go thru motors like that.

I'm "new" to rock crawling but not RC, and smoking a motor every 6 weeks is unheard of, unless your a professional racer.

[Shape_Shifter]

I have discovered a major design flaw in the Panda Hobby trucks - the center drive shafts.

Rubber o-rings always get old and eventually break. Some last longer than others but they all break (ask Norton Thiokol what happened when theirs broke on the Challenger Space Shuttle booster rockets....).

The o-ring retainers that hold the pins inside the CV joints broke while my rig was sitting on a shelf in my climate controlled workshop. I picked it up to play with it and the front drive shaft disintegrated and the pins bounced somewhere I cant find. It could have happened while wheeling on the trail too.

I recommend you replace replace these o-ring retainers with wire or something suitable before you have the same problem because you WILL have the same problem eventually, I promise.

Here is a picture of the rear dive shaft o-rings. It was about to fall apart too..

[ka9rqw]

I think I've got heat shrink tubing on my Vaterra Ascender, and that would also work in a location like this as well. I'll have to check my X1 and see how those o-rings are looking. I'm sure it's time to replace mine too...

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by ka9rqw

I think I've got heat shrink tubing on my Vaterra Ascender, and that would also work in a location like this as well. I'll have to check my X1 and see how those o-rings are looking. I'm sure it's time to replace mine too...

Heat shrink is a good idea.