Axial Bomber

[Weezul]

I’m considering buying an Axial Bomber. I haven’t played with RC cars since I was a kid so I don’t know anything except for the little I’ve read online. That being said, I’m guessing it would be better to buy the RTR version vs buying the kit and then needing to buy everything else to get it to run.

Opinions?

[LSXGMC]

The Bomber kit is one of the best kits available in terms of included upgrades. You're much better off buying it than the RTR which needs a lot.

[MasteroFlego]

Get the kit, and get good electronics, if you get the rtr you're gonna buy electronics twice

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[lasllcap@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by MasteroFlego

Get the kit, and get good electronics, if you get the rtr you're gonna buy electronics twice

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ALSO, if you go the kit route you wil learn a lot about stuff you dont know anything about now and q=won have to learn it buy figuring out ho w to fix it.

Another way to g is to buy a reasonable RTR and learn what you would really like to have then massage your budget and get a kit addingupgrades as you build.

just what i think.
R

[Weezul]

What all do I need if I buy the kit? Don’t want to spend a lot but want it to work well.

[MasteroFlego]

Servo, esc, battery, motor, radio.

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[Greatscott]

Originally Posted by Weezul

What all do I need if I buy the kit? Don’t want to spend a lot but want it to work well.

What you need:
Motor
ESC
Steering servo
Transmitter/Receiver

What is your after-kit budget?

Here is what I run in mine:
- Castle Mamba X with a 1900kv sensored motor ($170)
- Savox 1230 servo ($70)
- DX5C ($130 with RX)

[Up'n'Over]

Originally Posted by Greatscott

Here is what I run in mine:
- Castle Mamba X with a 1900kv sensored motor ($170)
- Savox 1230 servo ($70)
- DX5C ($130 with RX)

This list costs more than the kit itself. The RTR is only $40 more than the kit and includes everything you need, except for a battery and a charger.



If you're just getting back in to it, then a RTR is fine. Buy the good stuff on this list as things break or upgrades once you get a better idea of what you want from your bomber.

[scithera]

Originally Posted by Up'n'Over

This list costs more than the kit itself. The RTR is only $40 more than the kit and includes everything you need, except for a battery and a charger.



If you're just getting back in to it, then a RTR is fine. Buy the good stuff on this list as things break or upgrades once you get a better idea of what you want from your bomber.

Some of that is offset by the upgrades that the kit has over the RTR. You also end up with better electronics and a radio that you can use with future vehicles.


But if you're just getting back into it and not sure you'll stay, then an RTR is fine. But just know that if you get hooked, you will end up spending the money on the items mentioned above anyways plus upgrades.


RC can be a very expensive hobby.

[JatoTheRipper]

The RTR is garbage. You'll be burning out or throwing out the ESC, servo, and motor. And then you'll have to upgrade to metal links and more.

Pay now for a good Bomber (kit) or be cheap now and regret it later and you'll end up spending much more in the end anyway.

[LSXGMC]

You don't need to do brushless right away either. Buy the kit, a Hobbywing 1080 ESC ($42), a Holmes 550 21T motor ($20), a PowerHD servo ($20) and find a radio from an RTR takeoff (no more than $35-40) and have a truck thats miles ahead of the RTR that will be able to handle a brushless system in the future if you so choose.

Remember, the kit includes HD diff gears, metal links, metal trailing arm stiffeners, better shocks, beadlock wheels, better compound tires, and universal front axle shafts. That's some major improvement over the RTR!

[Jim85IROC]

There's no cheap way to own a Bomber. If you're looking for a cheap entry point into scaling/crawling, a Redcat Gen7 gets my vote.

With the Bomber, the RTR works right out of the box, until you touch the ground and the servo fails. So then you replace the servo, and immediately realize that the plastic steering links are trash, so you replace those. Then you start twisting suspension links, so you replace those. Now that those things work OK, you realize how bad the tires suck, so you replace those. Then you have so much fun with it that you end up wearing out the sintered axle gears, so you replace those. Somewhere along the line you decide you want more power so you put in a brushless setup, which subsequently twists the driveshafts up. Next thing you know, you pissed $1200 into your nifty little toy.

The kit costs more up front, (Figure $750-$850 by the time you get electronics & better tires), but in the long run you save a bunch of cash.

[JatoTheRipper]

If you want to try something different the Losi Rock Rey kit is only $250. I've seen one in person and they look awesome! I want one despite already owning a Bomber.

https://www.horizonhobby.com/rock-re...racer-los03016

[elRayRay]

My take as a recently rekindled RC hobbyist who purchased a Bomber RTR last June.

The RTR is not garbage...it's considerably less durable than I would presume the kit upgrades solve (with the exception of the trailing arms, you'll still be upgrading those I'm sure), but still fine for a while if you aren't taking it to the skatepark or the U4RC track. I'm still running the stock ESC and motor and likely still would be using the stock radio if I hadn't driven off without the Tx after a session. Didn't even notice until the next day's outing. I bought a DX5C with the 4-channel Rx from the LHS for $110.

On the other side of the coin...I've now got it upgraded to a pretty decent level, with good parts. I'll ballpark my total receipts, including the RTR, upgrades, radio, batteries, and charger in the $1,500 range. It adds up quickly.

If I had to do it again, I'd buy the kit, save up for the electronics while building it, and work on upgrades as desired. You don't need to go brushless but don't bother with anything less than 3s LiPo. Learn about what you're doing and have fun!

[elRayRay]

Originally Posted by Jim85IROC

There's no cheap way to own a Bomber. If you're looking for a cheap entry point into scaling/crawling, a Redcat Gen7 gets my vote.

With the Bomber, the RTR works right out of the box, until you touch the ground and the servo fails. So then you replace the servo, and immediately realize that the plastic steering links are trash, so you replace those. Then you start twisting suspension links, so you replace those. Now that those things work OK, you realize how bad the tires suck, so you replace those. Then you have so much fun with it that you end up wearing out the sintered axle gears, so you replace those. Somewhere along the line you decide you want more power so you put in a brushless setup, which subsequently twists the driveshafts up. Next thing you know, you pissed $1200 into your nifty little toy.

The kit costs more up front, (Figure $750-$850 by the time you get electronics & better tires), but in the long run you save a bunch of cash.

You overlooked the pleasures of rebuilding the plastic-capped shocks after every other session, until they fail completely because you've had to rebuild them so much.

[nightcrawler48]

I don't own a Bomber but I have put together a number of Axial kits and IMHO their kit manuals are some of the best in the crawler sector of the RC world. If it seems like a kit might be a little bit overwhelming I think anyone with a little bit of mechanical and electrical ability should have no problem assembling one of Axial's kits.
Something that might give you a better idea about choosing a RTR or a kit is to go to the Axial website (AxialRacing.com), click on "Support", then "Instructions" from the drop down menu, and then select "AX90053-i001 - RR10 Bomber 1-10th Scale Electric 4WD - Kit". Go thru the kit manual page by page and see if this looks like something you would be capable of doing.
One thing about putting a kit together is, at the end of the assembly, you will have a better idea of what things are and how they go together.
LSXGMC has the right idea IMO, good basic electronics that won't break the bank. These suggestions are a good starting place for someone just getting in to the hobby.
Things like shocks (Axial has the worst on the planet IMHO), tires, aluminum beadlock wheels, metal steering and suspension links, etc., etc., etc. can be done later if the RC bug bites you really hard, or if it doesn't you won't have spent a fortune to find that out.
The good thing for you is there are so many people on the forum willing to help when you need it, all you have to do is post the question(s). As someone once said to me, not about RCs, but about all things in life in general, "There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers". I've probably opened a big can of worms with that statement but I'll take the flack graciously.
Bottom line, whichever you decide on, get out there, have fun, I hope you get the bug seriously like most on this forum.

[Weezul]

Great info! What’s the difference between brushless and brush motors?

[Greatscott]

Originally Posted by Up'n'Over

This list costs more than the kit itself. The RTR is only $40 more than the kit and includes everything you need, except for a battery and a charger.

If you're just getting back in to it, then a RTR is fine. Buy the good stuff on this list as things break or upgrades once you get a better idea of what you want from your bomber.

If he is wanting to jump into a kit, that means he is wanting a better machine straight out of the gate.

ESC/Motor...
- There are cheaper options than the Mamba X system, so he can save some money there.

Servo
- Like in most crawler/scaler/rock bouncers, there RTR servo is junk, and needs to be replaced right away. He might as well get something that will give him something other than frustration.

Radio
- There are cheaper aftermarket radio systems out there. The DX5C is a great value and is well built. I actually run my Bomber with a DX5R, but have a 5C to run a couple of my other RCs, it is full featured, easy to program, and reliable. Plus, if he gets the itch to get another RC he'll have a good radio that will support multiple RCs.

Originally Posted by Weezul

Great info! What’s the difference between brushless and brush motors?

Power and speed.

Brushed motors are less expensive, and in most rigs, powerful enough. In a rig a the Bomber brushed motors have to be geared just right so they don't overheat.

Brushless is generally more expensive, but are a lot more efficient, run cooler, and provide more power. There are two kinds of brushless system, sensored and sensorless. Sensorless work well in fast RCs where you speed up quickly, but in crawlers and such, they cog (stutter) really badly at low RPM. A sensored system provides very smooth low speed control, but cost more than sensorless systems.

[Ragenwraith]

I think Nightcrawler48 sumed it up pretty good...with that said you didn't mention how into the RC,s you were back in the day. I bought a Wraith kit and a cheap electronics package , ie. Flysky radio, hobbywing just stock brushless sensored motor and electric speed control and cheap but torqy steering servo, Lipo batteries (2) and an AC/DC multicharger. I raced RC10's back when they came out in the 1980's and wrenched on them to go fast...So I thought a kit would be great to get back into it after 30 years...These Axial kits are put together so everything fits like it's supposed to and there is a lot of information on this site to answer any and all questions you might have. If you go with the kit take your time building it, it will teach you things you never knew. Now to add to the story, I convinced my son in law to get something so we could hang out and do some crawling together. He bought a RTR Bomber and I must say it is very capable right out of the box. Charge the battery plug it in and go have fun. The Bomber crawls really good and is easy to control. Looks cool too... We have a back yard that is a natural desert crawling heaven so we don't do the go fast bashing but more technical driving depending on the course we set up. How crazy of a driver are you? I mean if you are going to jump this thing like the videos on the tube and bash it like a mad man, which is cool too... it's gonna break. Hopefully your local hobby shop is into scale trucks and crawlers and stock good parts for your particular rig. Why did you pick the Bomber? Just curious. There is getting to be soooo many good vehicles out there in different configurations and price points. The tube has some good videos of the "unboxing" and reviews check those out too. Check out any local clubs in your area and try to go to one of their Get Togethers (GTG) or a competition. Either way you go you are going to spend some money. Albeit this is for the cost of the vehicle you choose to go with and the necessary stuff to make it go...after that it's all for fun.

[Weezul]

What’s a good battery and charger for this? No real reason on the bomber other than I’ve just heard good things about them.