OG looking to re-enter the hobby

[megaherz]

Whattup!

I first got into R/C Crawlers back in 2011 ( shockingly I was able to recover my account! ) At the time things were a bit different. I was running a Losi Mini crawler which was so modified there was nothing stock left on it so it was a 1.9 comp crawler.

I was in a local club out here in so-cal and then when I had my first kid I didn't have the time anymore, anyway 4 kids and a divorce later I am looking to Re-enter the hobby. I have tried poking around a bit online but between all of the new brands and company buy-outs I am left somewhat confused on what is available, ( that's good anway ) and what kind of rigs are commonly run these days. When I left the hobby the scaler scene was starting to take off and I see it is still alive, but I don't see much in the comp department anymore.

I would like to get my 8 year old son into the hobby so we can do something together, I have a Losi Night Crawler I can give him to get started, but what should I run? I don't want to get too deep into it right off the bat as I need to see how he takes to it. I'd like to be at or under the $500 mark for a kit and I am wanting something that has either a fair amount of upgrades that are available, or wishful thinking... ( maybe ) something that is decent out of the box considering how much time these companies have had to fix common issues.

Suggestions are appreciate TIA

[Goro Majima]

Welcome aboard OG.

Budget in mind, HIGHLY recommend Element Enduro Gatekeeper kit by Team Associated. $220 without coupon ($300 RTR). It's a caged body but people like myself don't run the body and choose whatever body to fit on it. You will need electronics though if you get the kit and a solid crawler option is the Hobbywing Quicrun 1080 ESC ($45) mated with a Holmes Hobbies brushed Trailmaster or Crawlmaster 540/550 size (15-30 bucks). It's a 12.8 wheelbase but you can switch out the rear trialing arm setup for the 4 link setup from the Element Enduro Sendero (first element crawler rig) to get the regular 12.3 wheelbase for most of the bodies available.

Other than that, I'd recommend the new Axial Base Camp. It just released not long ago, but it is based on the SCX10.3 platform which upgrades are readily available. It has portal axles, but whether you're a fan of them or not, you can do the straight axle conversion to make things more conventional.

Interested in seeing what you end up with anyway. Good luck.

[megaherz]

Originally Posted by Goro Majima

Welcome aboard OG.

Budget in mind, HIGHLY recommend Element Enduro Gatekeeper kit by Team Associated. $220 without coupon ($300 RTR). It's a caged body but people like myself don't run the body and choose whatever body to fit on it. You will need electronics though if you get the kit and a solid crawler option is the Hobbywing Quicrun 1080 ESC ($45) mated with a Holmes Hobbies brushed Trailmaster or Crawlmaster 540/550 size (15-30 bucks). It's a 12.8 wheelbase but you can switch out the rear trialing arm setup for the 4 link setup from the Element Enduro Sendero (first element crawler rig) to get the regular 12.3 wheelbase for most of the bodies available.

Other than that, I'd recommend the new Axial Base Camp. It just released not long ago, but it is based on the SCX10.3 platform which upgrades are readily available. It has portal axles, but whether you're a fan of them or not, you can do the straight axle conversion to make things more conventional.

Interested in seeing what you end up with anyway. Good luck.

The detailed reply is much appreciated! I really like the Element Eduro you suggested, I have always had a no more team associated policy due to a defective nitro back in the day, but since it's been like 15 years I should stop being petty .

The axial isn't off the table but to be honest the SCX-10 chassis is a little stiff and clunky from what I recall ( I had the first gen Honcho when it was released ). Is that still the case with that platform?


Definitely a great starting point on both of these platforms!

[twade984]

I would second the recommendation for an element. I would choose the gatekeeper kit with a different body, or an ecto rtr to keep things simple at first.

Either of those will outperform the LNC imo.

Basecamp is a viable option as well. Can’t even really compare it to an og scx10. Far and away a higher quality chassis.

The Capra is also a nice choice, although it does have its drawbacks.

I would suggest watching a few different YouTube channels to help get an idea of what might best suit your needs.


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[megaherz]

Definitely doing my research on all of the suggested rigs, so far for the money the Enduro Gatekeeper seems to be at the top!. It seems like most manufacturers are using "licensing" which is nothing more than a sticker for a lot of the newer rigs.

Even the kits seem to have less upgrades and are mainly targeted towards selecting your own electronics and that's it ( aside from aluminum body shocks and steering racks ) I guess you still get the fun of sitting there for 6 hours wishing you were plunging a public toilet barehanded instead, while putting it together.

Thanks for the input!

Originally Posted by twade984

I would second the recommendation for an element. I would choose the gatekeeper kit with a different body, or an ecto rtr to keep things simple at first.

Either of those will outperform the LNC imo.

Basecamp is a viable option as well. Can’t even really compare it to an og scx10. Far and away a higher quality chassis.

The Capra is also a nice choice, although it does have its drawbacks.

I would suggest watching a few different YouTube channels to help get an idea of what might best suit your needs.


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[twade984]

Originally Posted by megaherz

Definitely doing my research on all of the suggested rigs, so far for the money the Enduro Gatekeeper seems to be at the top!. It seems like most manufacturers are using "licensing" which is nothing more than a sticker for a lot of the newer rigs.

Even the kits seem to have less upgrades and are mainly targeted towards selecting your own electronics and that's it ( aside from aluminum body shocks and steering racks ) I guess you still get the fun of sitting there for 6 hours wishing you were plunging a public toilet barehanded instead, while putting it together.

Thanks for the input!

Yes, most kits are optioned similarly to the rtr’s.

The good thing about current platforms, most of them come with universals, metal gears, and metal links. Which helps save some money you can spend on more fun upgrades like wheels, tires, etc.


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[ferp420]

if you want a scaler you almost cant go wrong these days
a heads up the element and the scx10ii are almost the same truck if you dont like the honcho you probably wont like the gatekeeper to much just my opinion but thats why i havent gotten a enduro that and i would need to use axial parts to get what i want out of it so at that point its just a fancy scx10

axial has come along way since moving to horizon hobbies good plastic and you can actualy get parts now and there trying new stuff and improving in leaps and bounds and still has the best aftermarket suport
the vanquish rigs are pretty much holding the bar these day when it comes to inovation and performance out of the box
traxxassss has all the bells and whistles too durable and has good suspention geomitry and a great aftermarket
ae are great quality but its basicly a scx10 clone
ssd also makes a great scx10ish clone
even the chinese junk is working good these days
the redcat gen8 is a great machine but there engineeres are lazy so basicly you need to "finish it" lol they take it about 90% of the way there then gave up lol not a big deal they still kick but out of the box and the aftermarket is coming around and suporting the cats
losi is pretty much out of the rock crawler game the night crawler is still available but hasent been updated in 20 years lol the minis and micros are gone but they still sell cloned minis and other companys have snatched up the micro market
losi is still a player just not in the crawler/scaler market
with so many high quality scale rigs out there you almost cant go wrong

if you want a shafty style comp crawler your gona have to build it the closest thing to a real comp crawler is the redcat everest 10 but by the time you upgrade it to make it work how you want it theres no redcat left so kinda a waist of money if you want a real comp truck better off just bu8lding one the good news is theres alot to work with these days

if you want motor on axle rigs theres the bully and the berg but there outside of my scope of play so i know nothing about them

theres alway tamiya there rigs havent changed since the 80s so nothing new there other than the price lol there still fun though

[megaherz]

The Gatekeeper seemed to be a mix of both a comp crawler and the SCX10 chassis ( at least reviewing pics/videos as I have not seen one in person ). It isn't that I didn't like the Honcho it was just clearly less capable side by side with my comp, the trade off was all of the scale realism. It does seem almost no one runs comps anymore which would make building one pointless, what about something like the Axial Wraith? I assume there's a reason that has not been suggested?

Thank you for the great info! there is a lot of good things to consider and you really hit the nail on the head with what I have been seeing with Parts/Popularity .

Originally Posted by ferp420

if you want a scaler you almost cant go wrong these days
a heads up the element and the scx10ii are almost the same truck if you dont like the honcho you probably wont like the gatekeeper to much just my opinion but thats why i havent gotten a enduro that and i would need to use axial parts to get what i want out of it so at that point its just a fancy scx10

axial has come along way since moving to horizon hobbies good plastic and you can actualy get parts now and there trying new stuff and improving in leaps and bounds and still has the best aftermarket suport
the vanquish rigs are pretty much holding the bar these day when it comes to inovation and performance out of the box
traxxassss has all the bells and whistles too durable and has good suspention geomitry and a great aftermarket
ae are great quality but its basicly a scx10 clone
ssd also makes a great scx10ish clone
even the chinese junk is working good these days
the redcat gen8 is a great machine but there engineeres are lazy so basicly you need to "finish it" lol they take it about 90% of the way there then gave up lol not a big deal they still kick but out of the box and the aftermarket is coming around and suporting the cats
losi is pretty much out of the rock crawler game the night crawler is still available but hasent been updated in 20 years lol the minis and micros are gone but they still sell cloned minis and other companys have snatched up the micro market
losi is still a player just not in the crawler/scaler market
with so many high quality scale rigs out there you almost cant go wrong

if you want a shafty style comp crawler your gona have to build it the closest thing to a real comp crawler is the redcat everest 10 but by the time you upgrade it to make it work how you want it theres no redcat left so kinda a waist of money if you want a real comp truck better off just bu8lding one the good news is theres alot to work with these days

if you want motor on axle rigs theres the bully and the berg but there outside of my scope of play so i know nothing about them

theres alway tamiya there rigs havent changed since the 80s so nothing new there other than the price lol there still fun though

[Speedy-Triple]

if you are not really interested in scale realism there is always the Axial capra... i think is a good compromise between scale and comp... being a buggy style crawler, the new version even has 4 wheel steering.

[nightcrawler48]

Originally Posted by megaherz

The Gatekeeper seemed to be a mix of both a comp crawler and the SCX10 chassis ( at least reviewing pics/videos as I have not seen one in person ). It isn't that I didn't like the Honcho it was just clearly less capable side by side with my comp, the trade off was all of the scale realism. It does seem almost no one runs comps anymore which would make building one pointless, what about something like the Axial Wraith? I assume there's a reason that has not been suggested?

Thank you for the great info! there is a lot of good things to consider and you really hit the nail on the head with what I have been seeing with Parts/Popularity .

Interesting you bring up the Wraith. Only available as the Spawn (2.2) or the newer 1.9 now. My first hobby grade was a Wraith Spawn and I still have it. Highly modified as most will tell you it needs just about everything you can think of for up-grades. Not "scale" but a lot of fun. It's my go to for new places I go to just because it can handle many types terrain reasonably well, at least for me.

You'll probably get more negative response than positive but to each his own.

Up-grades
Steering servo - definitely 1st (I'm using a Hitec HS-7954, old but still going strong) and a metal servo horn. Originally I found the Axial 6061 aluminum horn worked well for me and have used them exclusively on everything.
Metal gears for the 3 gear transmission - Robinson Racing
Electronics - most people trash the AE5 ESC but it will last for a little while. Highly recommended is the Hobbywing WP1080 (best value on the market for a brush system)
Don't have any experience with the stock TX/RX - I switched to Spektrum a long time ago and reasonably happy. Many new TX/RX available with good reviews and reasonable prices.
Traxxas Big Bore shocks - I found the stock Traxxas springs too stiff and used Losi gold for a while, then Losi black, and played around with stock Axial Wraith springs with different spring rates. Trial and error, lots of time tuning.
Metal steering and suspension links - because the original plastic is like spaghetti and add plastic rod ends with metal balls. Traxxas are the favourite of members of this forum.
Tires and foams - Many, many options now. Finding something that performs the best on your specific terrain is the challenge. Crawler Innovations foams are highly rated and very popular with forum members.
Motors - Holmes Hobbies are top rated and others are good as well.
And other things I've done but forgotten about.

Have a look through the Axial Wraith section of the forum, you'll get info on the good, bad, and ugly.

In my humble opinion, as this is a test to see if the RC scene is for you and your son, the Wraith Spawn does reasonably well out of the box and still a ton of support if it works out and some up-grades are in the future.

So much out there now I think it's tough to choose when looking for your "first". Whatever you decide, have fun and make the most of the good times with your son.

[DrIsotope]

Echoing much of the above, a Gatekeeper kit, some alloy beadlocks and cheap-ish tires (JConcepts or Duratrax,) a Hobbywing 1080, your choice of motor, a $30 Amazon servo, and a nice cheap radio like a Radiolink RC4GS. All in you're probably looking at $450 or so?

[Ots]

Lots of good suggestions. I strongly suggest you stay within what has been suggested. No wrong choices in that group!

A number of months ago I was asking similar questions. I made a decision and that got me into crawling (the actual selection isn't really all that important).

Now I have four completely different from each another and I choose between them based on what I feel like doing at that moment. Now that my curiosity has been satisfied I realize that any one of the four would be sufficient. I don't need four (nor the fifth one waiting to be built! Why did they have to offer free wheels, darn it!).

[ferp420]

Originally Posted by Speedy-Triple

if you are not really interested in scale realism there is always the Axial capra... i think is a good compromise between scale and comp... being a buggy style crawler, the new version even has 4 wheel steering.

you do realize the capra is a scaled down we rock buggie right it is actualy 1/10 scale copy of the real buggie as is the bomber and the wraith both copyed after real buggies infact some of there most scale rigs

[ferp420]

Originally Posted by megaherz

The Gatekeeper seemed to be a mix of both a comp crawler and the SCX10 chassis.

yes thats kinda whats going on there most of whats available these days are scale comp rigs so out of the box almost anything you choose will crawl circles around your old comp crawler



imagine what the new comp crawlers can do lol

[ferp420]

Originally Posted by Ots

Now I have four completely different from each another and I choose between them based on what I feel like doing at that moment. .

ha ha

[Njeffs8]

I have liked my scx10ii raw builders kit. Pretty cheap to build and get back into it