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02-07-2009, 04:02 PM
| #1 |
| Newbie Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Austria
Posts: 10
|  Buy or not to buy. A decision guidance...
Hi Rock Crawlers!!! For all who are undecided, if they should buy a Venom Creeper or not, here a little help... I am from Austria/Europe, so please excuse my English, I will give my best. I have got my Creeper a week ago and had enough time to build it proper and drive it on some rocks around... Here my remarks: (+++) The kit is performed in very high quality. First I had some worry, because I have never heared of Venom before... But I was really impressed when I was building the Creeper. Everthing fits very well, the clearance is very low. (+/-) The screws of the Creeper have been criticized in this forum a few times, specialy the M2 screws. In my oppinion they are not so bad. I think, it is not the size of the screws, otherwise 1:18 RC Cars would not exist, it is the head of the screws, which seems to me a little bit more weak, than I am used to it. For sure, you have to use proper screw drivers in many different size. I had the best experience on using inch screw drivers for the M2 and metric for all the others. But anyway, it is not a big deal, if a screw got a stripped head, every RC Store has these screws... (+++) I liked the buildup of the Creeper very much, the building instruction is very good, no problems with it. Everything is very good described, the parts are packed in separate bags, it is a right pleasure to build it up. (+++) The transmission has been discussed in this forum a few times. Yes, the transmission is bigger than the Axial one, but it is also much more solid! Very robust housing with lots of gears inside... In my oppinon the size of it is no problem. The housing of the transmission is also seald against dirt and dust, so no more small stones will demage the transmission gears... My hint is to seal the front of the motor with some tape, otherwise the motor could blow dust right into the transmission.  (+++) Missing parts or wrong parts. Not in mine, I think this was just a problem with the very first kits. (+++) Axel breakage. Not in my case, has been driving about 3 hours on the Austrian granite rocks by now and no breakage. I hope I didnīt praise too soon... (+++) I am really impressed by the color of my Creeper. First I ordered in green, but than changed to red. It was the best thing I could do, because the red color is really nice. The only thing is, that the pics of the Creeper on the website of Venom show some faded red color which does not make any passion to buy one in that color... I have tried to catch that deep red color here:  (+/-) The Diff-Locker - I do not know what to think about them... On the one hand the Diff-Lockers had been the real reason to buy the Creeper. The lockable Diffs work smooth and good after a few runs, no problem with them. The Diff Lock Pins have to prove themselfs in future, but I think they will do good... My worry is the Remote Diff Locker. All the parts of it, looks a little bit undersized. Donīt get me wrong, they work very well till now, but compared with the rest of the Creeper, they could be more massive. Specially the arm of the Diff Locker, which moves the red ring with the pins, looks a bit weak, but again, no problems with it yet. An other thing is, that you need a RC, on which the movement of the Diff Lock Servo can be adjusted. The right movement for lock/unlock the Diff is very short, so no chance to solve it mechanicly. The way of the servo-movement has to be adjusted by the RC. Once driving with the remote lock/unlockable Diffs, you wont want to drive any Rock Crawler without it. They are great, in tight corners you will love them! Also the Crawling gets an extra dimension with lock/unlock the front and rear Diff separately by remote. If somebody wants to lockout the diff, there is already a great solution for it: locker issues solved Thanks 1/4 epileptic toy Anyway, in my oppinion every car shoud have a diff, even if it is a rock crawler. I am really curious, when the other manufacturers will go this way too, because it is the right way! The travel of the remote Diff Locker:   (---) The edges of the transmission housing are the one and only real disadvantage of the creeper. You hang on nearly every rock with it! But there is already a solution to solve the problem and I am sure the aftermarket will also have some nice parts for it too... Skid plate Thanks Olli23 (+++) Driving the Creeper is phantastic, it is much more fun than I can describe with my poor English... My personal result: The Venom Creeper is in my oppinion one of the best Rock Crawlers you can get. It has been lauched a few weeks ago, so some childhood diseases are present, but it seems that the Venom Team solve every problem immediately. The lockable diffs are novelty and they are worth to deal with, it gives the Rock Crawling a new level... The quality of the Creeper is very high, it works great. So if my best friend would ask me if to buy or not to buy, I would say: Yes, it is worth.  Last edited by alex3773; 03-16-2009 at 06:05 PM. |
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02-07-2009, 04:24 PM
| #2 |
| R.I.P. Chip   Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The Crawler State
Posts: 13,938
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Very nice review!
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02-07-2009, 04:52 PM
| #3 |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sunset, Utah
Posts: 69
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second that!
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02-07-2009, 10:24 PM
| #4 |
| Newbie Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Boston
Posts: 41
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wow...That was great...Thank you. I just bought the kit and started building it tonight. Cant wait for it to be done. oh and the red is great. |
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02-08-2009, 11:28 AM
| #5 |
| Rock Crawler Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Utah
Posts: 691
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Nice review!
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02-08-2009, 11:36 PM
| #6 |
| 06 Super National Champ  Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Stark Industries Bar and Grill
Posts: 11,361
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Nice! Have any pics of your crawling area? |
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02-09-2009, 10:08 AM
| #7 |
| I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: appleton
Posts: 2,067
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Very good review i really like mine it crawls great right out of the box
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02-10-2009, 08:26 AM
| #8 |
| RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Monroe, NC
Posts: 1,547
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Very nice review.  I have been on the fence about wether to get a Venom or Axial. Now you've made it even harder.:-P Justin |
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02-12-2009, 08:06 PM
| #9 |
| Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: dublin
Posts: 29
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Yes I agree even harder to make up my mind too. I am tore between the creeper, Losi 1/10, and another ax10. I want another crawler because my AX10 is currently a scaler and I just miss the rocks (its still a capable rig but not as good as stock). I agree that the diffs are a bit of a novalty but to me I like the idea better than a dig unit.
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02-12-2009, 09:13 PM
| #10 |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
Posts: 61
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I don't see the advantage of unlocking the rear as opposed to unlocking the front. Unlocking the front will greatly minimize your turning radius, but leaving the front locked and unlocking the rear just doesn't seem to be an advantage. Please correct me if I'm wrong. |
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02-12-2009, 09:33 PM
| #11 | |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: La Vergne
Posts: 66
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02-12-2009, 10:19 PM
| #12 |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sunset, Utah
Posts: 69
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would'nt it be best to leave the rear locked and put the remote lock on the front and then buy the dig when it comes out. Or should I just lock them both and put the dig on?
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02-13-2009, 04:58 PM
| #13 | |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
Posts: 61
| Quote:
I have seen a dig in action and know the benefits, but using a dig does not operate the locking diff switch. | |
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02-14-2009, 03:26 AM
| #14 |
| Newbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Germany
Posts: 16
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Hi Alex, Great review What Tx are you use? Oliver |
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02-15-2009, 03:10 PM
| #15 |
| Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northbay
Posts: 34
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great review I just seen one of these out at a local spot but was not impressed.
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02-15-2009, 03:24 PM
| #16 | |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sunset, Utah
Posts: 69
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02-15-2009, 04:55 PM
| #17 |
| Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northbay
Posts: 34
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Maybe it was not done up right but it could not climb very well and it kept rolling over compared to the stock axial that was there it could not do half the things the axial was doing. I would agree that once these are out for a while and more people are making after market parts it will improve I also see no reason for the lockers that un-lock and lock other then cool factor.
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02-16-2009, 12:51 PM
| #18 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ironton
Posts: 393
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good review!!! nice work man!! yes the case is huge, but it hold the chassis together... which is good but if it cracks or breaks you have to take the whole chassis apart....
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03-13-2009, 01:15 PM
| #19 | |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In My Car- hehe
Posts: 61
| Quote:
It could have been the guy behind the sticks couldnt it?? you see someone do a nice axial roll or a perfect round loop with a airplane and another guy goes up after and is all over the place... is it the plane... NO | |
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03-15-2009, 01:28 PM
| #20 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: kansas city
Posts: 369
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"I am from Austria/Europe, so please excuse my English, I will give my best." Maybe you could teach some or the teenagers here is the U.S. English!!!! You seem to have a better grasp of it! Randy |
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