Best crawler option for under $250?

[Cbd23]

I know this question has been asked over and over but every time I research this topic the responses were made way back in 2012 or so and the suggested trucks aren't even offered anymore. What I really want is an MOA as I don't care about scale at all, in fact I don't want scale, it just costs more from what I've seen. This is solely for fun rock crawling, no bashing or competitions. I doubt I would look to upgrade it in any way either and just want an RTR setup. I nearly purchased a used xr10 but was wary of the issues it had. I've considered the following: redcat rs10, LNC SE (I know it's over $250 but its close) Exceed mad torque. My son has an everest 10 and we have a lot of fun with it but its top heavy and cant make it up some of the stuff we take it on. I would like something a little more advanced.

[Smokin' Joe]

Of the MOA crawlers you listed, I would get the exceed mad torque. The Losi night crawler SE is a shafty.

[Cbd23]

Yeah I am aware the Losi is a shafty. I'm not dead set on a MOA but would like one. Thanks for your input.

[mewalsh100]

I'd go with the Losi if you're not set on MOA - it's a bit dated for Comp crawling, but you're not doing that. It's plenty capable and you'll have good fun with it. The quality will be superior to others in that price range as well.

[BIGW0RM]

This thing is a lot of fun for kids. Buy an extra servo and the axle servo mount, and bam, 4WS crawler.

https://www.horizonhobby.com/storefr...--rtr-ecx01003

My kids choose this thing over the vaterra ascender and TF2 I also have. Its fun little truck. I think redcat makes the 1/10th size.

[Cbd23]

We already have an Everest 10 which looks similar to the truck in that link. I'm hoping to get something a little more capable.

[ferp420]

Also theres the redcat rock slide and at that price your almost to a clod buster both moa

[Cbd23]

Yes the rock slide is one of the trucks i'm considering and listed in my original post. Someone else mentioned the mad torque would be a better option than the rock slide though. Anyone ever done a comparison of the mad torque vs the night crawler SE? I know one is MOA and the other isn't, but being a low end MOA, is the mad torque at least as capable or more capable than the night crawler?

[sawback]

I had both a mad torque and rock slide and losi nc.

The mad torque is a really good crawler, in the super class meaning it is large than 1/10 with a much longer wheel base, and odd ball 2.8 size tires

It will climb better and is easier to add 4 wheel steer and is dig capable setup with esc, it like all moa crawlers so it has clod-stall, witch means it starts to transfer more power to the front wheels when the back starts to bind, This is a good thing for more extreme crawling

The rock slide is kinda a short and narrow mad torque it actully uses a few similar parts, It look a bit more scale with a regular body, but is kinda tall and unstable.

The Losi is a comp crawler, with a decent looking body, and comes with similar benefits with a worm gear axle, some people love the axles some dont. (gotta add a grease fitting for the worm and all is good)

In short Resale value is best for the losi, and it looks the best out the box. The mad torque performs better and is cheaper, but the links are kinda long so they can bend if you drop off a really big rock, the rockslide is good for its axles, but is not setup right out the box it needs the most work making it a money pit.

[Cbd23]

Thanks for the great feedback. So in your mind if my budget is around $250, what would be your choice? I can spend some money to modify an rs10xt to fix some of its weaknesses or just get a used LNC or a mad torque? The mad torque looks like a good option but does seem to be a little low on parts support. Or maybe it's an entire different choice altogether?

[sawback]

Ok this is my last word on the three.

The mad torque needs the longest explanation because it is the best out the box, metal axle gears so not much to break really and easiest to add 4 wheel steer if you want that too (it dose need metal scx10 knuckles straight away fir it to handle the big tires, and this also prevents outer axle 'C's from getting damaged)
Exceed has decent parts support just dont expect to ever talk to them via e-mail on there service center

The losi as far as quality is the best, and resale, also looks the best imo, losi is doing better now that they finally started getting solid vendors selling their products again, The new SE that is my choice but i would only buy a new one.

The rock side chassis needed to much work for me so i just re sold mine, but the axles would be cool under a scale chassis as a cheater trail truck/jeep

There are other better comp crawlers out there but not for a good deal

[JatoTheRipper]

Bump your budget up and get the Vaterra Ascender Suburban or Axial SCX10 II Deadbolt. They are $250 and $300, respectively, but they will probably be on sale as the holidays approach. With those you buy into big ecospheres with plenty of parts.

Or you can buy an HPI Venture builder's kit for $250 and have a great platform to start with. It is not ready to run, but it's a great, stout truck.

EDIT: In fact, it looks like you can get $30 off of the Deadbolt right now with these coupons at RPP Hobby: https://www.rpphobby.com/Articles.asp?ID=247

[Smokin' Joe]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Bump your budget up and get the Vaterra Ascender Suburban or Axial SCX10 II Deadbolt. They are $250 and $300, respectively, but they will probably be on sale as the holidays approach. With those you buy into big ecospheres with plenty of parts.

Or you can buy an HPI Venture builder's kit for $250 and have a great platform to start with. It is not ready to run, but it's a great, stout truck.

EDIT: In fact, it looks like you can get $30 off of the Deadbolt right now with these coupons at RPP Hobby: https://www.rpphobby.com/Articles.asp?ID=247

He said he doesn't care about scale, only performance...do you think those would outperform a mad torque? I don't have any of the rigs in question so just curious.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by Smokin' Joe

He said he doesn't care about scale, only performance...do you think those would outperform a mad torque? I don't have any of the rigs in question so just curious.

Ah I missed the "don't want scale" part of his post.

I do think any of the ones I listed will out perform the Mad Torque after it breaks.

[Cbd23]

Great feedback everyone, thank you so much. I feel confident I can scratch the rs10 off the list for now.

[dacaur]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Bump your budget up and get the Vaterra Ascender Suburban or Axial SCX10 II Deadbolt. They are $250 and $300, respectively, but they will probably be on sale as the holidays approach. With those you buy into big ecospheres with plenty of parts.

Or you can buy an HPI Venture builder's kit for $250 and have a great platform to start with. It is not ready to run, but it's a great, stout truck.

EDIT: In fact, it looks like you can get $30 off of the Deadbolt right now with these coupons at RPP Hobby: https://www.rpphobby.com/Articles.asp?ID=247

None of those would even outperform a properly set up everest 10... Scale crawlers tend to forget how crappy their rigs are in the scheme of things. Dont get me wrong, I am totally into scale, with one of the main reasons being its actually a challenge. Same reason the super class never really went anywhere. On the average terrain, they are just too easy. On anything you can walk over, 2.2 borders on 2 easy as well IMO...

I run a barrage gen 2 when I drive with my 10 year old daughter. She drives a maxtone 10 (same truck as everest 10) and she can easily keep up with and sometimes even exceed me, despite having very little skill, simply due to my 1.9 vs her 2.2 tires (same tire on both rigs)

If pure crawling performance is your goal, nothing trumps tire size. The mad tourque FTW....

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by dacaur

None of those would even outperform a properly set up everest 10... Scale crawlers tend to forget how crappy their rigs are in the scheme of things. Dont get me wrong, I am totally into scale, with one of the main reasons being its actually a challenge. Same reason the super class never really went anywhere. On the average terrain, they are just too easy. On anything you can walk over, 2.2 borders on 2 easy as well IMO...

I run a barrage gen 2 when I drive with my 10 year old daughter. She drives a maxtone 10 (same truck as everest 10) and she can easily keep up with and sometimes even exceed me, despite having very little skill, simply due to my 1.9 vs her 2.2 tires (same tire on both rigs)

If pure crawling performance is your goal, nothing trumps tire size. The mad tourque FTW....

Yeah we already went over that...

The brands I listed will surely outlast the Mad Torque. So will the Mad Torque really out perform the others if it’s broken down?

[Cbd23]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Yeah we already went over that...

The brands I listed will surely outlast the Mad Torque. So will the Mad Torque really out perform the others if it’s broken down?

I understand where you're coming from on the durability but are the exceed crawlers really that bad? My sons everest has held up reasonably well. We had to replace the steering servo. I can literally buy 2 mad torque crawlers and a bunch of spare parts cheaper than an axial or other scale crawler. They're listed at $169 and theres a 15% off coupon right now as well, so about $145 per truck. Throw in about $40 for metal steering knuckles all around, another $70 for a nice savox servo, $20 for a BEC, and $7 for a couple spare aluminum linkages and i should be good to go for a while I would think.

[Voodoobrew]

If your not happy with the capabilities of the everest 10 you have you can certiantly improve its performance.
Realize any truck you buy will come with a terrible steering servo.
If your just crawling adding weight to the wheels (meh to the video but you get the idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhA1Bc7CZno ) this weight goes a long way to making a rig capable, and if you ask nicely at a tire shop for some stick on weight often they will just give you some.
or consider boom racing's high density wheels, I even add weight to those.
Softer tires, or removing the foams if yours have stiff enough rubber. my ecx temper has hard enough tires.
Reducing the shock travel by getting stiffer springs from a hardware store.
lowering the weight as much as you can. especially the battery pack, there isn't a worse location to mount it at then at the top.

Get creative and make it your own. this is just a fraction of the things you can do to make it capable. Many of us strip our rigs down and change out half the parts before the sun sets on its first day.
Most if this stuff can be done for practically nothing if your creative and then the limitations of its capability are directly proportional to your imagination.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by Cbd23

I understand where you're coming from on the durability but are the exceed crawlers really that bad? My sons everest has held up reasonably well. We had to replace the steering servo. I can literally buy 2 mad torque crawlers and a bunch of spare parts cheaper than an axial or other scale crawler. They're listed at $169 and theres a 15% off coupon right now as well, so about $145 per truck. Throw in about $40 for metal steering knuckles all around, another $70 for a nice savox servo, $20 for a BEC, and $7 for a couple spare aluminum linkages and i should be good to go for a while I would think.

Well I saw a kid buy one at a LHS, take it outside to their outdoor crawling course, and within 30 minutes or less it was broken and inoperable.