axial ? vs redcat gen 8

[Rcrichbomber]

i'm new to the crawler scene *RC wise at least....
I got a Axial Bomber for Xmas, pretty happy with it, but

I seem to really like the look of the Axial Deadbolt 2
But question it compared to the new redcat gen 8 scout

still like the look of the deadbolt 2, but im also sold on my
bomber, but stuck between making it a geared down 24/7 crawler

i think i just need to get another rig
and im stuck between - what?
Axial vs Redcat

who all has one or both to chime in and help me decide.
a RTR version of either one
upgrades
need it like my zuk... 6.5:1

something i hear is - the bomber is not as good for what im attempting,
building a backyard course... i should get..... or gear my bomber... etc.
im thinking, why not just buy or trade for a Axial Deadbolt already built
or get the upgrades... or redcat gen 8

[allanon1965]

I have had numerous axials, scx10, scx10II, wraith, Bomber, and I have a new Gen 8 scout due here this friday. I will post up my thoughts on the scout after that. I would keep the Bomber as more of a rock racer style rig. You can set them up as dedicated crawlers but the scx10II is better suited as a scale crawler. What exactly are you looking for out of the bomber?

[ThatJeeper2017]

I’d go for the 10.2 over the gen8. I have great personal experience with the 10.2 and I know that there is much better parts support for it too.


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[Rcrichbomber]

Originally Posted by allanon1965

I have had numerous axials, scx10, scx10II, wraith, Bomber, and I have a new Gen 8 scout due here this friday. I will post up my thoughts on the scout after that. I would keep the Bomber as more of a rock racer style rig. You can set them up as dedicated crawlers but the scx10II is better suited as a scale crawler. What exactly are you looking for out of the bomber?

Appearence wise / crawling... i like the bomber looks, gearing wise... as a rtr rig, its not there. The features im hearing about on the gen 8 scout sound great. Although axial has things in the bag as far as aftermarket / upgrades, support...

just seems like, recat gen 8 is ready to go... right out the box.

idk... think i got the rc bug now

[Bob_in az]

Let me start off by saying that I'm one of those people who feel the value isn't there with the Axial 10.2. I bought the rtr cherokee & was underwhelmed by the quality. It's not a bad truck, but the plastics aren't great & the trucks can quickly become a money pit. I was never excited to drive it, so it sat there on a shelf. Luckily, they have pretty good resale value! Sold it months ago & now I have a Gen 8. I love Scouts & really liked what I was seeing on it, so it was easy for me. I've had it since January 3rd (I'm in AZ & our LHS got 4 of the first shipment). I've been taking it out every spare minute I get & I love it. It's a great truck. The plastics are some of the best I've seen, if not THE best & that's been the general consensus. Frame rails are the stoutest out there too. The electronics are adequate & reliable. The steering servo is strong enough, but a little slow. The shocks are some of the best I've seen on an rtr. COG is good too. The tires are great, but the foams turn to rocks in the cold, so keep that in mind. People always bring up the hump on the skid, but it hasn't been an issue for me or most others. The steering geometry isn't perfect, but it still works well with plenty of steering. As much or a little more than the SCX10.2 & Ascender. The flaws are easily corrected on it, though I haven't felt the need yet. Overall, the truck just works. A lot of truck for $300. I'm still running it bone stock, even the foams, which actually work well in our desert climate. Aftermarket support is rapidly growing & Redcat has all factory parts in stock with some upgrades already available. Seems like different companies are announcing new products daily. I can confidently put the Gen 8 in the #2 spot, right behind the TRX-4. Yes, they're that good.

[ColeTrain264Mag]

IMO the Gen 8 is leaps and bounds above the Axial 10.2. I think the Gen 8 is the best truck for the money right now. As stated above, the trx4 is also a great truck, but i dont think its worth the extra money.

[pyroM!KE]

To each there own...I just got a Scx 10 2 raw builder kit. I dont care what rtr you get, your gonna pour money into it changing basically half of the rig. If your really into scale rigs and performance, might as well get a base kit frame without anything. Especially if you have all electronics already.......

P.S.
Axial scx 10 2 aftermarket parts market is huge!!!

Do I think Redcat gen 8 is great? YES.. Will I buy one? NO..

Will I buy a Scx10 2 raw builder kit because of the huge aftermarket parts available right now at this second? Hell yes

[Jim85IROC]

I have a Bomber and a Gen7 with the Gen8 portals, but I don't have an SCX10 II, so I don't have experience with everything that you're familiar with, but here's my take:

Overall, stock for stock, I much prefer the appearance of the Gen8 over the Deadbolt, and I would strongly suspect based on my experience with the portals and the stock Redcat tires that the Gen8 will be more capable right out of the box. Where the SCX10 II will really shine is in it's massive aftermarket support. So, if you want to modify the crap out of the vehicle to the point where you won't have any original parts left on it (let's be honest, at one time or another, most of us realize that our spare parts bin is only a couple screws away from being able to put the stock truck back together), then the SCX10 II is the way to go, but if you don't think you'll go that extreme with your modifications and you're more of a "just go use it" type of guy, then I think the Gen8 would be the way to go.

But, if you prefer the look of the Deadbolt, honestly, it's not like the Deadbolt is a "bad" decision under any circumstances. Because it's got that huge aftermarket, it's going to be very easy to address any shortcomings that you may find. You're going to have to look at the truck every time you use it, so having one that looks how you want it to is still a valid consideration.

Oh, and my Bomber is still my favorite rig. It's my default grab & go rig unless I have a specific reason for grabbing another one. None of my others will replace my Bomber... they're just there for variety.

[JatoTheRipper]

I wouldn't suggest the Deadbolt. It has lots of plastic and needs a bunch of upgrades. Checkout the TRX-4 Sport. You won't be disappointed.

[Browneye]

Keep the Bomber - it's a different kind of rig verses a straight crawler - Ascender, SCX10ii, TRX4, or Redcat.
The new G8 is the new kid on the block. Looks great. The TRX is quite popular - seems sturdy. Ascender and SCX10 have been around awhile and a proven commodity. All of them are good.

I have 3 ascenders, a SCX10ii, and a Bomber. So you're in good company. Out of all of them I like the Ascenders the best - they're simple and sturdy, easy to work on and easy to modify, improve performance, and keep running. That said, my new Axial Blazer crawls almost as good stock as my built ascenders. With some wheel weight, better tires, change out the springs and links, it just flat crawls rocks. I'm starting to lean that way for the absolutely huge upgrade parts availability and selection.

I would choose a G8 before a TRX. But that's just my prejudice. [shrug] Neither would be my primary crawler rig - I would fall back on my Ascenders and SCX's.

My recommendation is to choose what is most eye-appealing to you, creates the most enthusiasm. Cuz they're all good, and all can be improved and built on. And the whole idea is to get out and have some fun, so you really can't make a bad choice.

On the deadbolt specifically - it is a budget rig with a lot of Axial plastic. I would budget for some very early upgrades, specifically wheels, links, a servo, and possibly the transmission gears. All are cheap upgrades except wheels and tires depending on your tastes. The stock stuff is toy-grade.

For another axial rig for me, it would be a builders kit. That way I could make it what I wanted. I would love to get a VX10 Origin from Vanquish, but that's another grand-plus for a crawler and just not in my realm or reality. Great rig for sure. I ended up with about a grand in my Bomber by the time I got done with what I wanted to do to it. Brushless and tons of upgrades, starting from a kit, but man performance is stunning. It's a really fun rig for bashing and puts my 1.9 crawlers to shame in the rocks.

[FunkMasterFlex]

It’s all about them cats

[allanon1965]

I have a few packs thru my Gen 8 now and I have had and still have scx10, scx10.2 rigs. I would pick the Gen 8 over the scx10.2 RTR and about equal on the scx10.2 kit. Reason being the gearing on the scx10.2 kit trans is much better than the RTR scx10.2. The Gen 8 RTR in my opinion is better than the scx10.2 RTR just because the plastic is better and you get aluminum shocks, metal diff covers and metal servo horn, and bead locks..

[SteveRC]

I have 2 redcat products. Their cust. service and parts support is very limited in alot of areas. They pick and choose what they want to support. You are SOL if you own the wrong Redcat product. Very limited upgrade support. Mostly Alu. Bling parts for the portals for example on the Gen 8. Nothing affording adjustable performance with their offerings. Which brings me to the Gen 8 that I worked on for a friend who received this as a desired gift from his wife. I benched the Gen 8 prior to driving on any trail. The drivetrain was very rough and noisey. I had to lube all the rubber sealed bearings as most were dry. Two front hub bearings were gritty out of the box. The transmission, axels and portals were dry as well. After lubing all, I noticed the noise reduced somewhat. I understand a break in is always needed and then a redress of the drivetrain. The body Velcro came apart. They are not well adhered to the mounts. The body will come off in use as theh Velcro gets dirty and quicky worn. The 20mm magnet alternative described on page 17 of the Gen 8 manual is a better alternative, but Redcat doesnt offer this magnet part upgrade. Bummer. You must outsource 16 very strong 20mm magnets.
I would rather use the included body mount posts. The Gen 8's body just comes off when driven in Crawling terrain. NG
I would never buy another Redcat product. I was thankful to test this Gen 8 because of the hype it is getting. Sure I was curious. Portals and nice body don't grab me when it comes to crawling. It appears that most reviews simply brag about the portal axels and the rather large and long Scout Body. And the Gen 8 is far from G6 ready. With no upgrade support to do this. Sure it is fun to drive. So are my 3 SCX10 and 2's.
Redcat wants a piece of the very lucrative RC crawling market. Just like Traxas and their own portal setup. But portals alone don't make for the best setup. That is marketing at its best. If I wanted portals and the supposed clearance that it affords me I have that upgrade support available to me in an SCX10. Portals raise the center of gravity. Is that good or bad? I would say if it works for you , great! I researched Redcats site and see that there is not much in the way of parts even available at this time except maybe Alu. Bling for the portals.... Much like I encountered with my 2 other Redcat vehicles. forget about other vendors supporting this, aside from the basic stuff like tires and bodies.
The Gen 8 steering "with" CVD axels is flawed and does not give you the advertised 40+ degrees of steering angle. Its not even close to 45 degrees. My Stock Axial Deadbolt with the OE dogbone front axels turns sharper. Gen 8 Bump steer is horrible. Shock compression causes chassis to go offcenter in relation to the axels. And due to this design flaw no adjustments are easily accomplished. At $300.00 or even any dollar amount, Its about choosing the Redcat brand as your RC vehicle in the end. I made my decision. Other reviews of the Gen 8 observed exactly what I see. Feel free to chime in. I truly invite any comments regarding personal observations on this Gen 8.

[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.

[SteveRC]

I posted here some comments . They were civil and unbiased, I have violated no rules,yet I have not seen anything of mine posted yet? Can an adm. get back to me please.

[SteveRC]

hmmm?

[SteveRC]

I own 2 Redcat products. Cust. serv., from experience, support is very weak. Cant get parts at times. Backordered etc. My Redcats are shelf queens, if even worthy of taking up that space. Unboxed a Blue Gen 8 my friend got as a gift. Set it up and inspected everything. What did I observe you may ask???

[SteveRC]

Looking at the Gen 8 shocks... one is leaking after a moderate run doing figure eights for a nice motor break-in. Turns out all 4 shocks have different amounts of oil as well. No idea of what Weight oil it even has in them. I checked for a rebuild kit . There are none. These much clamored Aluminum shocks are throw aways. Best part is that they are $18.00 for a pair. So I guess I can read between the lines here. Not rebuildable or even tunable. Not much of a Hobby Grade part. They resemble the same construction as shocks from Redcats other offerings. MY scx 10.2's, although ugly plastic by comparison, are rebuildable and tunable and individual parts can be replaced.
Redcats warranty is 90 days which excludes any Drive train or suspension or gears. Axial's 365 day warranty. Yes, one full year with no limitations on type of component.
if you compare value between these two brands, The warranty must be considered. I know Redcat failed me on a servo once before. said it was on back order. and forgot about me. Axial/Horizon Hobby sent me 8 Shock O-rings set and a new axel bevel gear set with the two related bearings for my Deadbolt with absolutely no questions asked. Received it 3 days later Fedex. They didn't even want pictures or the parts back when I offered. I am 8 months into my Axial warranty. They just wanted proof of purchase that's all.

[SteveRC]

FYI, I compiled pricing of all the Redcat GEN 8 "Hop Up parts.(Aluminum)
Get ready to spend $$678.00 retail for all of them. And a good percentage of them are on backorder anyway! I don't see any of it sold in any RC stores out there. Direct from Redcat only.Why am I not surprised...
$678.00 to add to a $300 Gen 8.OMG. That's ludicrous. But in the end there is nowhere else to buy upgrades for the Gen 8. If one did have a wallet that size, they would end up with a wannabe looking VS10. LOL
This Gen 8 feels like a fun crawler, but I am glad I don't own it. Just had the privilege to try it out. My friend is still on the fence. He has driven many Scx10's. But I guess everyone likes a new shiny rig. Be it a Redcat or not.
I actually have to bite my tongue and say even the TRX Sport blows the Gen 8 away.
BTW, The Redcat Gen 8 Manual is just horrible. Like they always are. Poor sketches and blow ups are not intuitive for any newbie. I saw my friend struggle with it. All Redcat manuals are designed like they are for Toys. There is little to no technical information whatsoever. Not a mention on shock oil type or anything like that. natha.

[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.