Badger's Vaterra Twin Hammers 1.9 Rock Racer

[Tuffguy]

Took long enough for someone to make a good looking rear axle. Will have to add one of these to the stable for sure.

[yoda@4x4]

I like it and and hate it just means I will have to get one or wait till axial brings out there version soon...LOL

love the KOH IFS look on rigs hope it's performance is as good as it's looks

[yoda@4x4]

Badger take some pic's of it next to your JK and a Wraith.... Please

[Zod Rhombus]

RPP has this thing listed at 400 bucks!

I like the looks and features but... C'mon, 400 bucks for a closed can brushed motor?? That's HPI Flux rally car territory. $300 sounds like a better price point.

[badger]

Here are a few more photos before I took it out to run today.


Comes with CV shafts so you don't have to worry about a dog bone falling out during crashes

Hi-Res version


Hi-Res version




And the mandatory flex shots

Hi-Res version


Hi-Res version


Hi-Res version

[badger]

Originally Posted by Zod Rhombus

RPP has this thing listed at 400 bucks!

I like the looks and features but... C'mon, 400 bucks for a closed can brushed motor?? That's HPI Flux rally car territory. $300 sounds like a better price point.

I'm guessing they put a brushed motor in it because they handle water much better then brushless. Besides, you get a decent Lipo charger (for those who don't have a Lipo charger already) and a nice radio that allows you to shift your two speed tranny ALL in an RTR.

Try and find another RTR with those options.

[AKbash57]

Sweet! Im thinking about getting these might pre order one up soon!

[daign]

pricey for what it is. Love the fact that its IFS and solid rear axle. Trophy trucks are comin boys!


Shame its RTR. Hope Kit versions start coming out or I'm going to have to leave the hobby :(

[Qcustomz]

I saw the video for a brushless. Version. But still. 300$. Pricey for a new company

[badger]

Brian, Casey and I took it out for it's first run, thanks Brian for shooting the pics again!

Rig worked great, crawling was a little challenging with the open front diff and the steering servo not having that much torque (for a crawler), but I was able to kind of bump it up some of the places I'd get stuck at. Shifting was very cool and worked flawlessly, except for the location of the shifter switch on the DX3e radio was a little odd to use with my thumb, maybe I have large hands. I know Norcal 2500HD had no issue with it because he has such dainty hands. The speed in second gear was nice but I'm a speed junky so I really wanted to try it on 3S but the stock ESC is 2S only, it's probably for the better anyway because I already drove it straight into several rocks at speed and nothing broke, with 3S it might have been a different story.

Out of the box this rig was very fun and so cool looking. The size of the cage tubes and the rest of the scale details make for a very scale 1.9 rock racer.

Onto the pics. Professional driver on a closed course!


The first time I tried to make it across this water section I found out it was a little deeper then I had thought, it slowed down in the middle and then stopped going forward. Couldn't get it to go forward again so I tried reverse and it worked. Drove out in reverse and didn't have any more issues with it cutting out for the rest of the session.


EDIT 02/04/13 11:53 PM:

So I had to edit the first below photo to add the "do not enter" signs because it turns out that the Twin Hammers is not part boat. After that outing I sprayed simple green on the rig and hosed it off to clean it up. After I dried it off I sprayed silicone lube on the metal parts so they don't rust (or rust as bad). I went to run it again this weekend to get some video of it and it did not turn on. The ESC, receiver and shifting servo are no longer working, no lights come on, no noise, the other thing working in the stock electronics is the steering servo.

Even though I read the manual where it said "while the entire vehicle is highly water-resistant, it is not completely waterproof and your vehicle should NOT be treated like a submarine", I knew I was risking damaging something when I submerged my rig as much as I did. So take this as your lesson learned if you don't want to rush out and upgrade your electronics, be reasonable with how deep of water you run in.

















I hit that big rock at full speed which made for some nice stunt driving in the next pic.







This was taken right as the battery was dying which is why the splash factor is not as big.

[badger]

Originally Posted by Qcustomz

I saw the video for a brushless. Version. But still. 300$. Pricey for a new company

New Company? Maybe a new name but this isn't Horizon's first rodeo.

[Highlucks]

Great photos John, and thanks for your initial thoughts.

[drewmaloy]

Very cool! This may get me back into rc. Thanks for the awsome pics!

[rock_starr]

thank you for the pics and review. i think this will help me convice the wife to preorder mine.

[Qcustomz]

Originally Posted by badger

New Company? Maybe a new name but this isn't Horizon's first rodeo.

I know horizon has been around. I also have 2 Ecx torments i got my sons. And those work great. I ment. Vetara. Or however u spell it. But car does look awesome. And you guys took great pictures. Im tempted to buy. If price goes down for initial sale. Ill get one.
Thanks for al the info and pics on car


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




1.9 scx10 dingo
Traxxas summit
Traxxas slash
Ecx torment

[metalry101]

Originally Posted by Zod Rhombus

RPP has this thing listed at 400 bucks!

I like the looks and features but... C'mon, 400 bucks for a closed can brushed motor?? That's HPI Flux rally car territory. $300 sounds like a better price point.

I agree w/ badger here. $400 with a Spektrum radio, 2 speed, beadlocks, and a LiPo and charger. Compare that to a $400 RTR Wraith, which has exactly none of those features for the same price. Ditto w/ an SCX-10 RTR. I don't mean any of this to knock Axial, just to offer a comparison. I love Axial, and I've got a Dingo SCX-10 and a Wraith that I plan to keep for a long long time, but this Twin Hammers car is incredibly cool, and a good value too.

I expect quality to be up there too. Horizon can really make some killer stuff when they want to. My Losi 5ive is incredibly well built and well thought out. I'd easily put it up against my Bajas in terms of design, materials, and build quality. I'm really hoping this new brand is aiming for the same results.

On a different note, I hope Horizon sees the demand for a kit version is still there in the crawler market and comes out with one eventually. They listened to racers when they asked for a kit on the Ten SCTe 2.0. The original was a race roller or RTR. The new one is astronomically expensive, but it is a box of parts that you get the privilege and joy of building instead of the silly race roller you had to tear apart to set-up anyways. That gives me hope that Horizon really is listening to us and will bring out a kit eventually.

Thanks a ton for all the awesome pics and information! I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. I've already claimed the first one that comes through the doors of my LHS. I'm seriously contemplating getting two of the things (maybe the GF will like it as a Valentine's gift???).

[northkona]

A Wraith and an Exo Terra fused together, perfect combo.
It reminds me of how excited everyone was about the release of the Exo Terra , then sadly let down .( I own a Wraith & Exo, luv em both)
I hope someone elses attempt at a rock racer comes off better cos this thing looks so good I will be the first in the line to get one.
I'm hoping for one thing they have an easy access to motor /esc without pulling 15 screws out and plenty of ventilation that doesnt turn into a tray to collect rocks and crap.
Any clues as to who designed this ? Is it a Losi under a different name?
It doesnt look like a first attempt from a new crew so some insight into previous vehicle R&D would give this buggy some cred.

[Qcustomz]

If vanquish. Make parts for this. Im in. Specially Locked front diffs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




1.9 scx10 dingo
Traxxas summit
Traxxas slash
Ecx torment

[Rckcrwlr]

Originally Posted by badger

Crawler/Rock Racer/Boat

[binaryterror]

Originally Posted by Qcustomz

If vanquish. Make parts for this.

Only if Horizon shares with them the CAD files.