Which One Is "Better"?
 

Hi! I'm new to RC! Which one is the "better" RC to get,*Traxxas TRX-4 Land Rover Defender*or HPI*Venture FJ Cruiser?? Traxxas does not come with battery/battery charger and is $50 more. Thanks!

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

I'd have to say that the better one is the one that's actually available.

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

Don't think the HPI is available yet.Cant compare it to that one.I think Harley is the only one to have had it in his hands.
Have you considered the Axial SCX10.2?

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

These are two very different trucks, I'd recommend reading the stickies in TRX-4 section and some threads, look at youtube videos (Hemistorm and now others in Australia and EU have HPI Ventures) and see what you like. Depends on your budget and intended use too, I've seen the Venture crawl in person and looked the truck over closely. They are both good, but different. "thumbsup"

Pictures of HPI Venture in the wild and doing work in Aussieland. :)
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/gener...venture-5.html

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

Agreed. Rather than asking an open ended question that will be nothing more than a long series of personal opinions, you need to spend some time reading various threads here and also watch RC crawler videos on youtube. Eventually you will begin to settle in on a choice that suits you.

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

Pick one and give it a whirl. You’ll have fun either way.

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

BigSquidRC just released an article of the TRX4, Gen7, Ascender, SXCX10.2, RC4WD and Venture RTR stock shootout in multiple categories. Its a good read. I have both the TRX4 & my Gen7 just arrived today. I rigged my TRX4 with a clear Defender body painted black but sorta missed the red body so I test fitted it on the Gen7. Few tweak adjustments and now I have two Defenders, TRX4 Defender his and Gen7 Defender hers.

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

I love the Scx10 ii RTR with its great stock turning radius, proven transmission, front battery tray, CMS and panhard, and massive aftermarket support. Sure it needs a $7 lipo battery, $27 balance charger, $11 servo upgrade to be fully RTR. I'd also recommend a set of $15 ebay beadlocks to let you adjust/replace your foams, and $5 in x-rings plus Associated Green Slime to seal the shocks.

But if you have the money and want more features like 2-speed, unlocking diffs, and portal axles (all of which add complexity and could malfunction/break) get the Traxxas. It will need new shifting and steering servos, a battery, and charger. I also recommend beadlock wheels and a spare front bumper mount to raise the rear bumper; here's some more info:

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/traxx...trx4-mods.html

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

I do not have TRX-4, however my first big foot rc truck was Traxxas T-Max powered by nitro fuel. I would say, Traxxas makes high quality and reliable rc 🚗 you won’t regret if you buy the TRX-4. The weak points maybe just TRX-4 micro servos. ;-)

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

The Traxxas since you can't get the HPI and at this point nobody knows it if will ever be available to the public.

Oh and then there's this: 1.9 Scale Crawler Shootout is Here! « Big Squid RC – News, Reviews, Videos, and More!

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

The aftermarket parts list for Traxxas TRX-4 is exploding rapidly, as it is selling very well and so many hobby shops carry it and factory replacement parts. This is always a good thing, you don't want to have a vehicle that you can't find parts or upgrades for...

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

Not a fan of the Squid, but that looks like a pretty good test.

Between the two, it is like Jato said, the TRX4 is out now, who knows when (or if) the HPI rig will be released.

I can't think of any RC that I have owned that hasn't had room for improvement, or had little quirks that needed to be dealt with, the TRX4 is no exception. For the money, it has the most features, and is an all around solid rig. The two things that hold it back are its steering servo and the body.

Servo: Traxxas improved its 2075 servo by putting in metal gears, but it still only has 120oz of torque. For a rig this heavy 200oz is really the minimum, and 250-300oz to move the wheels on the rocks with any authority.
The Body: The TRX4 has a great looking shell, but it is very heavy and makes aggressive crawling a challenge. You likely won't notice it for trail running, but you will for crawling. Putting the body on a diet, or changing it out for a lighter body makes a world of difference.

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

Can you show us? I don't like the stock Gen7 body either

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

Thanks for everyone's replies! I just stopped by our HobbyTown USA and they didn't have the red one in stock so I'll be ordering the red one online soon!! I'll also pick up the Traxxas 5000 mAh 3-Cell and Traxxas EZ-Peak Plus!

Re: Which One Is "Better"?
 

"The Traxxas 2970 EZ-Peak charger instantly recognizes Traxxas iD batteries and automatically configures the charger settings." Nice feature! Of course it also all but guarantees you'll keep buying overpriced Traxxas batteries, but that's really up to you. ;)