Newbie question, terms, etc.

[bigcanoe]

I am writing up a spreadsheet to compare my picks for my first RC crawler. But a few I am missing a few things and I may be ignoring some important things.

For remotes, more channels means more "things" you can control, like lockers, LEDs, etc?

What does the number of turns for a motor mean? 16 vs 35?

Brushed vs brushless. I know in cordless power tools folks prefer brushless as they tend to last longer. Same here?

There is alot to take in, so many new terms but I am trying not to buy on appearance alone. My cheapest option is $339 and my priciest is $499. For more money you seem to get more channels and brushless and portal axles among other things.

[RCBrutus]

Welcome to RCC and the world of crawling! I got into crawling about a year ago, leaving behind casual 2WD buggy racing.

I found there was a lot to learn in this area and I am still learning everyday. I would recommend a simple truck that has the ability to upgrade (adding a dig for example) so as your skills progress your truck can as well.

Like you said, the more channels your radio has, the more you can control with it. I use a 4 channel radio and don't see a need to go beyond that.

Generally speaking, the lower the number of turns the faster the car will go. You will also see a lot of kV ratings on motors in crawling too. If you are doing more technical crawling, you will probably want a higher turn motor for more torque. If you are mostly running on trails, maybe a lower turn motor to get a little more speed. I recently picked up a 27t HH torquemaster and I am pretty happy with it when I crawl.

You have come to the right place though.....lots of good info to be found in this forum, and lots of helpful people too!

[bigcanoe]

Thank you! So turns is sort of like gear ratio it sounds like. I tend to over analyze and make sure I get the “right” one even though there probably isn’t one perfect choice but rather a platform to build on.

[RCBrutus]

Originally Posted by bigcanoe

Thank you! So turns is sort of like gear ratio it sounds like. I tend to over analyze and make sure I get the “right” one even though there probably isn’t one perfect choice but rather a platform to build on.

You are exactly right.....there is no "right" one. All depends on your driving style, application and setup.

Trying to keep up with all of the technology in this hobby is a hobby within itself sometimes, and can also drain your wallet quicker than you ever thought possible!

[Inspector86]

Don't over think this, you can't go wrong with any of the main brand trucks. I recommend the TRX4 as a great first rig.

[bigcanoe]

Originally Posted by Inspector86

Don't over think this, you can't go wrong with any of the main brand trucks. I recommend the TRX4 as a great first rig.

I do like the Bronco version

[Timmahh]

As noted, more channels is more you can control
4 may seem plenty, but..>
1 steering
2 Throttle
3 2 speed
4 Dig
5 Lights
6. Winch
7. Rock Lights
8. smoke perhaps
9. Other electrical assessories possible.

if you have an open channel, you're not done upgrading. lmao

That said, 2 is all you NEED. Steer and Go/Stop. So determining what you want beyond that can help.
Trx4 (Non Sport) is
1 Steering
2 Throttle
3 Lockers
4 2 speed.... So you can can easily eat four chnls on things.

Where Brushed motors (counted in Turns) are concerned as noted

the more turns (Windings in the motor, not revolutions of the armature) the Less RPM the motor will spin, and like in real life, the more torque it will make.
So a 10.5 turn is faster than a 21 turn or a 35 or 55 Turn, the last 3 being common crawler/trailer ratings, while the 17.5 turns down to 3.5 turns would be very fast, for onroad, fast buggy offroads (1/8th and 1/10th scales) and under 13 turns are more for really fast cars, aka Drag Cars or dirt oval etc.

Where Brushless motors (counted in KVs but paired sometimes a a "Turns" aka 5.5 turn etc) KV is the rating, and its the opposite than Brushed.

So the higher the KV the More RPM the motor will spin, and the less torque it will make. Lower KV makes more torque, but spin slower rpms.

Many crawlers are in the 3300kv range and lower. Most Semi Fast stuff goes up from 3300 to 6000kv. and above 6000kv would be more suited to light fast smaller onroads.... Dirt rigs need some torque along with Good RPMs.

No for Drags, Torque cn be king as you can gear up and get out of the hole a bit more controlled and turn more wheel speed with taller gearings.

So finding the right torque for your need (Rig, use, track, surface type etc) with the right RPMs with the suitable gearing (gearing, aka Pinion/Spur gear tooth counts) plays a huge role in this mix.
There is a calculation that you can do with Battery Votage, gearing, and motor gearing ratios to get some details about how suited that setup would be for your type of use. If your anal like many of us are, you'll find use of it.

Traxxas (Meh Electronics) are a very good and durable platform with great aftermarket support by traxxas and many 3rd party manufacturers.
But when it comes to Trail/Rock rigs, Axlal is still King of the Hill.

Though there are many other options now that offtern good solid platforms, many options, most with fair to decent aftermarket and OEM Support.
Element (Team Associated)
SSD (3rd Party)
RedCat 8 rigs
Losi are the 4 other more popular rigs/kits/manufacturers that have good Manufacturer and 3rd Party support for needed and wanted upgrades.

I just got back into RC and Crawling specifically in March after the Corona Beer Virus put me home.
I started with a RedCat AXE Scout II
Then I bought 2 SSD kits with RC4WD Blazer Rigs both are in the middle of the builds with one being nearly done, and the other still needing a fair bit of body/scale work.
then I also bought an Xray F1 for some onroad fun>
Then I grabbed a ROC Hobby 1943 Jeep Wyllys. Fun and killer scale Military Wyllys.
Now I also have an SCX10 III kit to build with Reefs Servos and HW AXE/3300kv Combo>

And I am also getting parts for my new "What-N-TarNation" Build I am doing.

And last but not least. I picked up a newer Castle 5700kv to pair with this 100amp Helicopter ESC I have, and install them into my old Duratrax DTX450 1/5th Dirt Bike I kept from my old rcs when I sold them off and got out 2011/2012.

Just go right to LIPO Batteries. There is a learning curve, and yes like newer tools, Lithium Polimer will run like an Old Tool Battery fully charged from first screw to the last. When its out of juice it stops working (but you need the proper setting in the ESC etc to monitor Lipo Packs so you don't over drain them which is not good. not good at all)

As you said, much to learn. Some things are must learn before going too far (dealing with Lipos, charger, battery sizes/voltages etc), and other things can do as you go, upgrades, what is weak, what you want to add to personalize it, what issues need to be addressed...

One last thing I'll add. Do you like Building/Fixing/Wrenching? If you do, and you're anal like many of us again, lol, you may want to get a Kit, build it, upgrade it as you build or afterwards. But you may want to get an RTR you can run right away (what I did with the AXE rig), while you build one like you want it. Both options have things you will learn that will apply across the hobby.

[bigcanoe]

That post was SUPER helpful, thank you! I do enjoy building/fixing/wrenching. I would love to get a kit that contains all the parts I need, or at least the chassis and the painted body. I can't paint. I would be fine purchasing the extra bits if I knew what I needed to get. Do any of these come that way?

TRX4 (Bronco preferred)
SCX10 ii or iii (Cherokee or Wrangler preferred)
Enduro (Trailrunner preferred)

I think it would be cool because I could choose my own controller (4+ channel), motor, servos, etc. I think I would learn alot!

[twade984]

I don’t believe any of the kits come with painted bodies. You can search eBay and find factory painted RTR bodies though.

I have only been in the hobby just under two years, but I’ve owned or had close experience with multiple vehicles.

Trx-4 is currently my favorite go-to. It’s very well designed, plastics are tough, shocks are good, tires are good and Traxxas offers quite a few ‘upgrades’. I feel the trx4 is a great base to start with, and really does not need much for upgrades to be able to just use the hell out of it. Beyond the rtr servo, plastic wheels and plastic servo horn.

Scx10.2 I have had two, a deadbolt rtr and a Cherokee rtr. I dumped about $600 total into my dead bolt just to get it almost on the level of a stock trx4. Shocks, links, shock hoops, servo, bec, tires and wheels, etc. and I still preferred my stock trx4. The Cherokee kit was slightly better but not much. Scx10.2 plastics are incredibly soft, and after one season on both axials were showing signs of wear. Mainly in the suspension area.

The new scx10.3 looks good though, and from what I have seen appears to be on the level quality and feature wise of a trx4. Plus the wrangler body is super nice.

One thing I ultimately learned is that you can easily spend a ton of money upgrading a lesser kit. For that reason my next kit is going to be a vanquish vs410 pro. The upfront cost seems almost ridiculous at first, but the more I spend on cheaper kits, the more it makes sense.

also one minor note on turn counts, pay attention to slot count as well. Holmes hobbies for example offers crawlmaster motors that are 5 slot, and trail master motors that are 3 slot. A lower turn count 5 slot will be equivalent to a higher turn count 3 slot. HH does have a comparison chart on their website so you can try to make sense of it. I have a crawlmaster (5 slot) 8t that I really like in my single speed trx4. It is faster than the stock 21t Traxxas 3 slot, but crawls better imo.

[bigcanoe]

Excellent info! I am getting more excited about doing a kit! I have found a TRX-4 Sport (sport unpainted body), SCX10 iii (jlu unpainted body), Element Enduro (no body), that all look like they would be a blast! I like the idea of getting the controller I want, and stronger parts, specific tires, etc.

[svt923]

Originally Posted by Timmahh

Where Brushless motors (counted in KVs but paired sometimes a a "Turns" aka 5.5 turn etc) KV is the rating, and its the opposite than Brushed.

So the higher the KV the More RPM the motor will spin, and the less torque it will make. Lower KV makes more torque, but spin slower rpms.

One bit of clarification here:

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

Lower KV brushless motors DO NOT produce more torque. DO NOT!!! A motor is limited by the size and materials, there is no magic method to extract more torque. So if you want more torque, don't get a lower KV and expect a wild change.

[Timmahh]

Originally Posted by svt923

One bit of clarification here:

Aye, that is true. not all lower kv brushless motors are torque makers.
There is a fair bit more to it than just the KV Rating. I should have clarified that. Thanks for adding it in.

[HugoBiermann]

I prefer building my rigs from ‘scratch’, but if I have to go and buy a kit now it will be a TRX4 Sport. TRX’s are tough! And capable.
Get a basic Flysky radio, 1080 ESC, 25kg odd servo, 5-slot 12turn odd 550 motor and some more decent steel beadlock wheels and you’re set to build a serious basic trail rig.
This can be upgraded both ways down the line to either a scale rig with different body or a more capable rock crawler.

[bigcanoe]

Ya I am really excited about building one from a kit. The TRX4 Sport seems to have great instructions and goes together well according to YouTube. Its all a little mind boggling, so many choices:

Kit - $280
Flysky FS-GT5 6CH AFHDS RC Transmitter w/ FS-BS6 Receiver for RC Car Boat - $80
ESC (what can you recommend, I want to be able to run lights too)
Motor (what can you recommend)
Wheels and tires (will use those that come with the kit to start) - $0
Parts and materials, glue, etc (unpainted to start) - $25

[HugoBiermann]

Originally Posted by bigcanoe

Ya I am really excited about building one from a kit. The TRX4 Sport seems to have great instructions and goes together well according to YouTube. Its all a little mind boggling, so many choices:

Kit - $280
Flysky FS-GT5 6CH AFHDS RC Transmitter w/ FS-BS6 Receiver for RC Car Boat - $80
ESC (what can you recommend, I want to be able to run lights too)
Motor (what can you recommend)
Wheels and tires (will use those that come with the kit to start) - $0
Parts and materials, glue, etc (unpainted to start) - $25

Brilliant!

ESC: Hobbywing 1080.
Motor: Holmes Hobbies Crawlmaster Sport 550 12/13t.
Servo. Depends on your budget. DS Servo 25kg if on a budget.
Paint: Tamiya PS color of your choice.
The stock tires are good. You can just swop out wheels in time.


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[bigcanoe]

Kit - $280
Flysky FS-GT5 6CH AFHDS RC Transmitter w/ FS-BS6 Receiver for RC Car Boat - $80
Parts and materials, glue, etc (unpainted to start) - $25ESC : Hobbywing 1080 : $42
Motor: Holmes Hobbies Crawlmaster Sport 550 12T : $20
Servo : ANNIMOS 25kg RC Digital Servo Large Torque High Speed Full Metal Gear Waterproof 180 Degree Control Angle Red : $25
Paint : $20

Not bad! Under $500....or close to it.