axial ? vs redcat gen 8

[ferp420]

If you cant figure out a shock you probably need a toy rc if your relieing on the manual you probably need a toy rc you want a warrenty talk to tyco $1000 for a fully built rig is great price up there with the vs4 some of us spend twice that building our rigs so im down for the redcat still a budget crawler the ones i already own have been great almost no breakadge one broke one part the other broke 1 part so in 4 years ive replaced 2 parts on 2 redcats and i beat the piss out of them ive worn parts out but thats gona happen axial the parts just fail snap break bend and need to be replaced with aftermarket parts i own several redcats exceeds axials traxxasses losi tamiyas and i have some radio shack rigs some wltoys rigs and a bunch of custom builds made with a mix of brands i love all my rigs with any rig it is what you make it
For me personaly i have so many custom built rigs i just want to take one out of the box and run it the gen8 is definitly my next store bought rig

[Jim85IROC]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

How can anyone easily compare Axial anything to Redcat anything?
They are both in completely different leagues.
Don't buy any RC impulsively, or because the BODY is so sweeeet looking. Do your research so you are comfortable with your purchase.
Compare warranties and popularity of the brands out there. Don't let marketing influence you. Many RC rigs come and go like a fad.
Check on the price and availability of common replacement parts as well as upgrade support from well known companies. Look at the manuals BEFORE you buy first. This will give you an idea of what is a practical choice.

Because Axial hasn't improved anything in 10 years. The competition has caught up. Now crawler buyers have a number of legitimate options, including the Gen8.

[pyroM!KE]

In rc scale building, the point is to make it your own unique rig. If your budget is around 800-1000 start with a bare kit and build from bare bones the way you want it.

If your budget is around 450 study all the rtr rigs and get what your gut tells you..All the rtr rigs have pros and cons. Believe me if you study all of your options,and seriously spend time on this part, your gut feeling will lean you a certain way. Figuring out exactly how I’m gonna build one is half the fun to me.

[allanon1965]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

What do you find different between the RTR scx10 2 and the kit transmission? Ratios are the same... I have both and see no appreciable difference in performance or durability.

the ratios on the two transmissions are not the same. the rtr is listed as a final drive ratio of 42.00 and the kit is listed as a final drive ratio of 40.44, stock out of the box. The differentials are the same so the difference is in the transmissions/transfer case... I can see a difference in the low end smoothness and startup under a load with the kit trans vs rtr... the kit trans is smoother in all areas on my rigs.



I am not talking about the FDR with different pinion/spur combos, just the factory setups

[allanon1965]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

How can anyone easily compare Axial anything to Redcat anything?
They are both in completely different leagues.
Don't buy any RC impulsively, or because the BODY is so sweeeet looking. Do your research so you are comfortable with your purchase.
Compare warranties and popularity of the brands out there. Don't let marketing influence you. Many RC rigs come and go like a fad.
Check on the price and availability of common replacement parts as well as upgrade support from well known companies. Look at the manuals BEFORE you buy first. This will give you an idea of what is a practical choice.

You seem to have a huge ax to grind with redcat, you positively come off as extremely biased and to the point of bashing redcat. I have owned many, many axial and traxxas products as well. I love my axials and what they can do. I have spent far more than the price of the redcat hopups on each of my axials to get them to the point they are today.



For me to say that the gen 8 is on par with the kit scx10.2 is not a whimsical statement. I ran them all on the same terrain and same lines here and the performance is very good with the redcat gen 8. replacement parts will come in time from the aftermarket. the fact redcat has some already is nice. Axial had a huge shortage of parts when the scx10.2 came out, even aftermarket parts were not available so that argument doesnt hold water.



I can easily swap out shocks on the gen 8 for any aftermarket shock I choose. axial stock shocks are crap at best and require rebuilding almost out of the box, hell 3 of the 4 on my last rtr axial were leaking in the box!



The plastics axial uses are like limp spaghetti, at least the gen 8 plastics are nice and firm. There is more I could go on about, but you get the idea. I am by no means a redcat fanboy, but I give credit where it is due and I think redcat is on the right track here. Is there room for improvement? Yes, of course there is but that can be said about ALL the manufacturers out there today making crawlers.

[SteveRC]

I don't need a manual. Been a kit builder for 30 years. I actually like the Gen 8 Scout 2 body and will pick it up for my long wheelbase scx10 2 Builder kit. Beyond the body I can see the problems. But I can see how newbies in the Hobby are drawn to The Gen 8. On paper it has great potentional. Yet that is not Redcats priority. In execution it is just Redcat standard fare. To each his own. I would never comment on a Rig I never experienced. I like experimenting with different Brands so that's why I ended up with 2 older Redcats that I dislike, not because of the Models I got but because Redcat falls short on many fronts. I like to improve upon defects or shortcomings I find in any OE rig, of any brand. That's why this is a hobby. But I rather pass on the Gen 8. It will go like the Gen 7 and prior. I started out in RC racing with Associated and Losi in their heyday. I don't see the precision in the crawler segment of surface RC. Like the Redcat shocks for instance. And Redcat just sells disposable shocks at $18/pair. That spells toy grade to me. That's by their business design. All their stuff. No rebuilding shocks unless you want to source o-rings and the like. I spoke with Redcat on this. They haven't a clue as to what oil they have in them Tech support is nonexistent. I don't need tech support. Perhaps most others would. Perhaps Redcat makes it easier for beginners to get into this hobby. I'm all for that. RC has taken a great hit in the past decade and Crawlers have carried this industry for that past decade. A good thing. I admit its fun to take out a different brand rig every so often. Driving the same gets boring. So I paly with 12 different RC models frequently. But do choose to stay away from some brands as of late. Redcat is one of them. The Gen 8 comes with too many design flaws and their warranty falls short from experience. That tells the picture as compared to other warranties. To each his own. Axial is far from perfect, but their chassis design is flawless. The Gen 8 was fun to drive. I just wont buy another Redcat. Redcat is marketing heavily to Youtubers for reviews. They are smart and provide free Gen 8's for heavy exposure. Smart business model. I am not excusively pro Axial, just anti Redcat from a poor experience with parts support. I like many other brands including 2 RC4WD rigs. This thread is about Axial vs The Redcat Gen 8. I welcome and respect any and all opinions.

[SteveRC]

Originally Posted by pyroM!KE

In rc scale building, the point is to make it your own unique rig. If your budget is around 800-1000 start with a bare kit and build from bare bones the way you want it.

If your budget is around 450 study all the rtr rigs and get what your gut tells you..All the rtr rigs have pros and cons. Believe me if you study all of your options,and seriously spend time on this part, your gut feeling will lean you a certain way. Figuring out exactly how I’m gonna build one is half the fun to me.

I agree completely. And that's where I fall in this Hobby. Its all about the build. I just feel its about the platform you choose to start with. Traxxas, Axial RC4WD, Vaterra Ascender all great donor platforms that I have. Axial is far from perfect out of the box (No brand is)but their company and aftermarket support is King.

[allanon1965]

Axial chassis design is far from flawless....several have had issues with the axle mounted servo hitting chassis braces, the plastics they use are atrocious, and their shocks leak no matter how many times you rebuild them with whatever seals you choose, so what if redcat uses cheaper shocks? Most all people, even newbies will swap them out for better ones anyway so that's another moot point. Axial chassis design is old and outdated, why do you think the aftermarket chassis builders are making so many different designs?

Axial could have went with a forward mounted motor a longtime ago, people were asking for it, begging for it and they didn't listen. RC4WD is pure unadulterated junk, I have owned enough of them to know. Kits sent out with missing and broken parts, waiting weeks or longer for a reply from support...not my idea of a quality, customer oriented company.

I had to email redcat about a missing decal on my hood and they responded in less than 24 hrs and have the missing decal being shipped to me as I type, RC4WD, Axial, or Traxxas NEVER got back to me so quick. My experience with customer support is this, Redcat less than 24 hours, Axial less than 48 hours, Traxxas about 5 days, and RC4wd? over 2 weeks! I guess maybe I am not on a priority list since I only have been doing this for 7 years, buying some RTR's, making my own crawlers out of parts and building out custom chassis from vendors on here..

I see it as Redcat is trying to improve their product with features people actually want! Not just tossing a new licensed body on the same years old designed chassis. Axial better step up their game if they expect to attract new customers, history has shown what happens when companies get complacent in their respective markets.

[SteveRC]

Originally Posted by Jim85IROC

Because Axial hasn't improved anything in 10 years. The competition has caught up. Now crawler buyers have a number of legitimate options, including the Gen8.

Axial has changed/improved 'things'. I will concede that the plastic shocks leak out of the box. It is because the plastic shock bodies are poorly formed and molded untrue.. Axial acknowledges this. They even sent me Aluminum bodies to replace the plastic ones upon request(4) and a new set of o-rings( for my Honcho 2. Free of charge. The Axial shocks are actually very tuned and specific to the 10.2 chassis. I have many aftermarket shocks. I have bin of Prolines scalers ,Kings, Vanquish, China bootlegs etc. Traxxas TRX shocks.
The Axial shocks are best especially if used with Buna black X-rings and the Aluminum bodies, solves the leaking. And Axial went above and beyond their warranty and upgraded me without even a peep.
The Gen 8 may be a potential winner. But not without support.

And Redcat couldn't even tell me the Oil Weight of my freinds 3 day old Gen 8 Scout or even supply me with whatever oil they have for their shocks. Because they don't have any oil for it. Great Redcat support. Lol.
Axial never would have succeeded if they did stuff like that. No competitor could. Calling Redcat for support is like calling a Childs Toy Mfr. Has anyone here honestly dealt with Redcat over the phone?????? Please chime in...

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

Axial has changed/improved 'things'. I will concede that the plastic shocks leak out of the box. It is because the plastic shock bodies are poorly formed and molded untrue.. Axial acknowledges this. They even sent me Aluminum bodies to replace the plastic ones upon request(4) and a new set of o-rings( for my Honcho 2. Free of charge. The Axial shocks are actually very tuned and specific to the 10.2 chassis. I have many aftermarket shocks. I have bin of Prolines scalers ,Kings, Vanquish, China bootlegs etc. Traxxas TRX shocks.
The Axial shocks are best especially if used with Buna black X-rings and the Aluminum bodies, solves the leaking. And Axial went above and beyond their warranty and upgraded me without even a peep.
The Gen 8 may be a potential winner. But not without support.

And Redcat couldn't even tell me the Oil Weight of my freinds 3 day old Gen 8 Scout or even supply me with whatever oil they have for their shocks. Because they don't have any oil for it. Great Redcat support. Lol.
Axial never would have succeeded if they did stuff like that. No competitor could. Calling Redcat for support is like calling a Childs Toy Mfr. Has anyone here honestly dealt with Redcat over the phone?????? Please chime in...

I know your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid!

I can't do anything except laugh when newbies come in and praise Axial to no end. Axials are far from perfect.

How do you have the audacity to bash Redcat shocks when Axial shocks are among the all time worst shocks. Even Axial's aluminum bodies are still garbage. You can polish a turd, but it's still a turd.

I'm not sure why you feel the need to post two or three times in a row. Figure out how to edit your posts if you want to be taken seriously. Oh and put down the Axial crack. Crack makes you stupid.

[pyroM!KE]

OMG this happens on every forum Ive ever been on..SMH... If you are new and reading this, read my comment a few comments back... That is really good advise...

There is always gonna be Ford is better than Chevy or Bud light is better than Coors light "people"..Just study what you want and do not buy something quickly off of impulse..

[nightcrawler48]

My stable is mostly Axial: SCX10, SCX10 ii, Wraith, Yeti, and some custom builds based on the SCX10 chassis. Bought a Redcat Gen 7 Pro just after they came out, just curious about it more than anything. Overall I'm happy with it and feel at the price it is a good starter RC for someone curious about the hobby. Not going to break the bank and if the interest is not there, not a huge investment to find that out. By the way, if I knew then what I know now, I'd have waited for the Gen8, very cool IMHO.

As for Redcat support, I had a few issues right out of the box. Not a big problem as I was able to resolve the issues myself quickly and inexpensively. Contacted Redcat by e-mail and let them know and, as I felt at the time this could be a good entry level RC, suggested a little better quality control was in order. I got an e-mail back within 24 hours thanking me and offering help with any issues I had. I was happy with that response but didn't see the need to ask for anything from them as a couple of $2 parts had everything sorted out.

Also, since the Gen7 release the Redcat section of this forum has gone crazy in my opinion. Huge following, innovative stuff being done, and generally positive responses from everyone. It seems you can enjoy the Gen7 in stock form or go completely over the top and have fun no matter what. And that's what it's all about IMHO.

I understand the need to help newbies when they ask what is a good rig but I'd like to see more pros and cons info than just trashin' everything YOU don't like. As stated, just about ever RC discussed on this forum has a good number of followers so there must be something that attracts people to that brand/model.

And, that's my $0.02 worth.

[Jim85IROC]

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we're arguing over whose plastic toy is better.

Buy it, bash it, break it, fix it.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by Jim85IROC

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we're arguing over whose plastic toy is better.

Buy it, bash it, break it, fix it.

I agree to a certain extent. But it's also important to tell a newb that they are wrong so that when other newbs find this thread they don't automatically think Axial is the "OMG bestest ever".

[SteveRC]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I know your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid!

I can't do anything except laugh when newbies come in and praise Axial to no end. Axials are far from perfect.

How do you have the audacity to bash Redcat shocks when Axial shocks are among the all time worst shocks. Even Axial's aluminum bodies are still garbage. You can polish a turd, but it's still a turd.

I'm not sure why you feel the need to post two or three times in a row. Figure out how to edit your posts if you want to be taken seriously. Oh and put down the Axial crack. Crack makes you stupid.

With all due respect to the original question of this thread, I did post my personal and recent experience with a Company and its new product offering.
I cited the pros and cons between the two Brands in question. I cited the shortcomings and advantages of both based on my observations. Many other "independent" reviews back my own observations as well as the opposing views. This is a very controversial topic... yes.

The author of this thread is doing his research. We can all help here and support his interests whatever they may be.
I am not brand bashing or a brand fanboy. 30+ years in this wonderful hobby
and I see many flavors for many tastes. I like grape coolaid and you like orange.
My flavor doesn't imply I am a newbie. Your 9,200 posts on this forum doesnt override my opinion or observations.
I am not an Axial Fanboy, far from it. I have many other Brands on my shelf. I did not bring them up. The topic here doesnt include them.
We can split hairs. But by the end of the day, we can agree to disagree.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

With all due respect to the original question of this thread, I did post my personal and recent experience with a Company and its new product offering.
I cited the pros and cons between the two Brands in question. I cited the shortcomings and advantages of both based on my observations. Many other "independent" reviews back my own observations as well as the opposing views. This a very controversial topic... yes.

The author of this thread is doing his research. We can all help here and support his interests whatever they may be.
I am not brand bashing or a brand fanboy. 30+ years in this wonderful hobby
and I see many flavors for many tastes. I like grape coolaid and you like orange.
My flavor doesn't imply I am a newbie. Your 9,200 posts on this forum doesnt override my opinion or observations.
I am not an Axial Fanboy, far from it. I have many other Brands on my shelf. I did not bring them up. The topic here doesnt include them.
We can split hairs. But by the end of the day, we can agree to disagree.

Fair enough. But I will say your posts came off very fanboy-ish to me.

[DukeMinnix]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

With all due respect to the original question of this thread, I did post my personal and recent experience with a Company and its new product offering.
I cited the pros and cons between the two Brands in question. I cited the shortcomings and advantages of both based on my observations. Many other "independent" reviews back my own observations as well as the opposing views. This a very controversial topic... yes.

The author of this post is doing his research. We can all help here and support his interests whatever they may be.
I am not brand bashing or a brand fanboy. 30+ years in this wonderful hobby
and I see many flavors for many tastes. I like grape coolaid and you like orange.
My flavor doesn't imply I am a newbie. Your 9,200 posts on this forum doesnt override my opinion or observations.
I am not an Axial Fanboy, far from it. I have many other Brands on my shelf. I did not bring them up. The topic here doesnt include them.
We can split hairs. But by the end of the day, we can agree to disagree.

I agree with this post. We can have different opinions without either one being the correct or incorrect version. That's why they are called personal opinions and not personal facts.

As far as the Redcat Gen 8 goes. I was and always have been a redcat nay sayer. I have tried several, and driving an E10 of a friends is what actually got me into crawling RCs, but not because of its performance, because I could see it being a good experience and fun. My first purchase was far from a redcat. That being said, having now owned many many RCs over the last several years, other than the junk foams in the tires of the Gen 8, I would put it up against any of the other scalers box stock. It has a weak servo, like they all do. Its steering geometry is somewhat lacking, but completely fixable by only changing the wheelbase and swapping the horn around and running a new draglink to the axle and dropping the tie rod below the knuckle. The body is solid. The mounting system is good idea. The velcro is subpar but thats an easy fix. The plastics are far superior in my opinion to axial, and on par with traxxas. The support has lacked in the past for redcat brand, I get that, but this is their first in house designed and executed vehicle and its under new leadership, so lets give them benefit of the doubt their. As far as them not knowing what weight oil is in their shocks, I'd say youre going to have some of that type of stuff when dealing with call centers. Not all their employees are hobbyist or knowledgeable. I was just pleased to see aluminum shocks that didn't leak out in the box if I'm being honest. I would put the shocks just below the TRX4 shocks, I think with the proper oil and spring, they can be great, they are smooth, just not tuned perfectly... and thats ok. That is what this hobby is about. They can't tune every vehicle to perfectly adapt to my terrain and the guy who lives in Mesa, AZ terrain. Its an impossibility.

[SteveRC]

The competition has had time to "Copy Axial" and it took other brands 10 years to figure out that the RC Crawler segment was huge, here to stay, and where the $money$ is. Axial created and lead the class and specs for this RC genre. Many lose site of this fact.
Does that make me an Axial fan boy?
Not.

[SteveRC]

Perhaps you know me on another forum. And if you do recall me, you know I am not a fanboy of any brand.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by SteveRC

The competition has had time to "Copy Axial" and it took other brands 10 years to figure out that the RC Crawler segment was huge, here to stay, and where the $money$ is. Axial created and lead the class and specs for this RC genre. Many lose site of this fact.
Does that make me an Axial fan boy?
Not.

Remember, Axial copied the design from full-size rigs and even then they had geometry issues and shortcomings.

And good rigs came out well before 10 years after the OG SCX10 II.

Competition is good. Hopefully it kicks Axial/Horizon in the ass and forces them to make an SCX10 III. The TRX-4 had to have a huge impact on the sales of the SCX10 II.