Build or Buy
 

What's up everybody,

I've got a few questions that I'm sure ya'll can help me with. I'm in the market for some RC Crawlers. I have a few specific needs and desires and have been wondering whether there is a general consensus here on buying a complete kit vs building piecemeal?

1) What company(s) makes the best all around pre-built crawler with a two speed transmission, brushless motors, water resistant, and a relatively bare tube chassis?
2) How much extra weight can these things carry around, could you throw 10lbs on a 1/10th and expect it to perform relatively well?
3) If money was no option and you could build a crawler from the ground up what components would you use?

I'm relatively new to the world of RC and am hoping you guys can educate me a bit. I have a good amount of experience building and modifying similar things so difficulty level is not an issue so long as the benefit of building outweighs the ease of buying completes. I've been looking at both Tekin and Castle for motors and ESC's, are there any other brands to be keeping an eye on? Sorry for the scattered post, hoping you guys can help point me in a good starting direction, thanks.

Re: Build or Buy
 

1) A RTR like a scratch built, don't think so. 2) Weight to scale is cubed, so 10,000 lbs on your 1/10 rig won't be desireable performance wise. A tow/haul specific rig would be just that. As for money being no object, you got me there, thats a pipe dream wiating to happen. I'd have a bunch of cool, one-off machined trinkets to say the least. To get what you want, looks to me like you need to go piece meal.

Re: Build or Buy
 

Thanks for the help! Yea I'm thinking piecemeal is most likely going to be the route I take.

Re: Build or Buy
 

Mattzilla and Curries...... go from there. Weight will always be solved by volting up. Motors/ESC and servos are personal choice and price.

Re: Build or Buy
 

UCfab does cool tube chassis work also. PimpinCrawlers also, but he does mostly body integrated work from what I've seen.

Re: Build or Buy
 

money is NEVER an option for me lol

but keep in mind building piece by piece, it might take so long you get discouraged.
I've been "building" my 79 ford ascender so long, its been 2 years (almost 3 now?) since i started and its still not quite done, ended up buying myself a new RTR enduro just so i could actually drive something with my son who's blazer has been up and running for months now.

but if i were to contribute in the direction you're headed... is brazinRC still doing chassis? and for electronics you cant go wrong with HOLMES HOBBY.
i really cant think of anything 2 speed brushless... kit or RTR.

Re: Build or Buy
 

i completely agree with this

i dont like rtrs there kinda a waist of money but its realy nice to take something out of the box and run it and mod as you go

building from scratch is alot of fun and you get exsacly what you want but it takes me years 2 build a one off custom toy truck

Re: Build or Buy
 

I was in the same situation as you and decided to first build a kit and then build from scratch. For the kit I chose a Vanquish VS4-10 and have been so impressed, my scratch build will be a Wraith clone based on Vanquish Curry axels and a Matzilla tube chassis.

Lots of choices when it comes to motor/esc. I ended up choosing Tekin for the Vanquish VS4-10.

By the way, I also looked long and hard at a pick-up kit from RC4WD before settling on the Vanquish. That might be my third truck. Lots of upgrades available.


Dan