What did you do to your model today?

[wolfie1]

33 minutes ago, Cactus said:

 

Nitro is the way forward man! I'm mainly Nitro too! Wish I never sold my Hyper ST though!

I have run petrol and nitro cars for years now and this year i have gotten into electric with lipo batteries and i am quite impressed with mine, that being said there isint the noise and smell which i really liked, but having electric it has opened up places to go as i wont annoy anyone with noise anymore, so in my eyes they both have their place

Edited December 16, 2023 by wolfie1

[MrCake]

Tried fitting the FTX aluminium braces on the DR8.  A simple job but the screws used for the plastic braces are too long and need to order up some shorter ones. 

 

Bit disappointing FTX didn't include shorter ones with the braces 

[Kpowell911]

Rare day out with the trucks. Girlfriend is 8 months pregnant so been very busy preparing for the new arrival. With mixed results. 
 

First up. My Traxxas Maxx and my girlfriends Traxxas Rustler 4x4. Both have obscene (I mean obscene) amounts invested in upgrades, but theyre genuinely both amazing. Theyre my most used, borderline abused RCs.  Theyre capable of mega speeds and have every durability option. Of course not indestructable, but nothing is. 
 

The Rustler 4x4 also means a lot to me. Ive been into RC since a 5 year old boy, and Traxxas were the models I gravitated to after starting with Tamiyas. Particularly the Rustler/Stampede 2wd. Many years later, I had to sell up when going through a divorce. Once the dust had settled, I saw that Traxxas now made a 4x4 Version, which was all my dreams come true. I found an upgraded but never used one (thanks so much @mydoddy69) and pulled  the trigger. Ive then added more and more upgrades and it is what it is now. That re kick started this hobby for me. And the most important thing, my girlfriend loves the hobby and bought the Rustler off me so I could get an X Maxx (again). 50 or so RCs later my re entry into this hobby is going strong. 
 

 

 

Its bascially a 4S Capable X-01 drivelined Rustler

 

 

I did blow a tyre on the Maxx though….. without starting a war, Ive only ever blown Arrma tyres. Never a Proline/Louise/Traxxas……. 
 

 

Other than that. They performed faultlessly!

 

Now onto the Tamiya’s. The brand new Astute 2022 and the BBX. 

 

 

 

 

Now the Astute? Well to run an RC, you need a receiver installed dont you? I had forgot that part 😂 So that was a no go. 
 

But the BBX….. after a lacluster first run, where the driveshaft popped out after 5 minutes, today I managed less than 30 seconds. Now Im not expecting this to be as tough as the Traxxas’ but i did a very small cartwheel, which Im guessing moved the motor and stripped “something”. Its not the easiest truck to diagnose faults on but hey its done. Its certainly confirming my Tamiya’s for the shelf only mentality which is a shame because I bought the BBX to run. Hmmm

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by Kpowell911

[MrCake]

Started work on the RC bits we clubbed together to buy for the old man's FTX Kanyon for Christmas. 

 

Some new 2.2 wheels & tyres which he would have a heart attack if he knew how much the Treals cost, plus a Fusion 1800KV motor.

 

 

 

 

[Shergar]

Made some templates of the world’s most expensive chassis rail! Made copies of the existing rails and the new expensive Volvo FH16 rails. Basically bolted the alloy strip to the rail and drilled straight through. 

 

 

 

 

[Kpowell911]

The weather is awful, and I had a 2S lipo that was still way above storage charge so went for a wonder. 

I know people dont like Traxxas, and I understand why, but the TRX4 is just incredible! Ours has a brushless system, lots of brass etc but out of the box theyre incredibly capable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even met some horses!

 

 

[Stormbringer]

looks like you had fun wander 

Agree the TRX4 and TRX6 are very capable out the box but even better brassed up and with the hobby wing fusion they are great 

[Lone-wolf]

@Kpowell911 good pics looks like you had a nice little run out with the TRX4, addressing your comment on people not liking Traxxas, most of the models tend to be good, for me its how they conduct themselves as a company, but one other issue i have is top end crawlers with black stickers for windows, i may well of put my feelings to one side for a hi trail Ford F-150 but black window stickers.....no and its a shame as the F-150 is a lovely shell

[Kpowell911]

7 minutes ago, Lone-wolf said:

@Kpowell911 good pics looks like you had a nice little run out with the TRX4, addressing your comment on people not liking Traxxas, most of the models tend to be good, for me its how they conduct themselves as a company, but one other issue i have is top end crawlers with black stickers for windows, i may well of put my feelings to one side for a hi trail Ford F-150 but black window stickers.....no and its a shame as the F-150 is a lovely shell

See, Im anti driver figure, it makes me cringe seeing an action man inside, so black windows works great for me. Horses for courses eh?

Edited December 30, 2023 by Kpowell911

[Gaz!]

@Kpowell911, i can only echo your words here mate.

 

Sometimes i wonder that if your a Traxxas fan your immediately in the same camp as devil worshippers…. The hatred is just amazing, why???

 

the only valid reason is the “morals” the company utilises to stay ahead, but i ask ANY forum member, if you were Mr. Traxxas, sat in your multi million dollar house watching your wife/mistress naked swimming in the fully heated pool whilst looking the other direction you see parked up your Ferrari/Lambo/Bugatti/yank tank etc. and your only real competitor size wise is Tamiya (I wouldn’t put them into the same class bracket for multiple reasons). Would it not be in your interest to beat the competition so YOUR brand remains successful??

 

as for windows/interiors, i have and had many with blacked out windows and full on interiors, both deserve special merit but the Trx4 is aimed at performance clearly and just about obliterates its rivals, yes they need money spending but you would be hard pushed to find one that doesnt. Whereas your full on interior trucks tend to be more “scale” and less performance driven, again with money spent, they can be very capable trucks, ive spent well over 100 hours on my Range Rover scx10.2 other than a run around the living room, this will never dip a tyre outdoors, its just too fragile…

 

onto the Trx4m, again, not the first to delve into the micro market but managed to produce another rival killer, this time going for a more scale appearance with hard bodies and clear windows and ALL fully licensed designs as appose to mostly generic looking shells from its competitors.

 

finally the Traxxas parts and third party parts back up is again only rivalled by Tamiya, its all well and good having a new fancy truck you cant get parts for (the worst for me, was the Hpi Venture, lovely truck but nothing was available in the time we had one).

 

as i say, for me personally, im a 100% Traxxas fan, they offer everything me and the family require of a rc, i agree they are overpriced (UK especially) so are Heinz beans but they still sell in vast quantities.

 

im ready for the hate…..lmao 

[Alex97]

22 minutes ago, Gaz! said:

@Kpowell911

im ready for the hate…..lmao 

 

[mad pasty]

Added these to the Grom, not tested out the wheelie bar yet, but the fan works fantasticly well !

[Lone-wolf]

38 minutes ago, Gaz! said:

@Kpowell911, i can only echo your words here mate.

 

Sometimes i wonder that if your a Traxxas fan your immediately in the same camp as devil worshippers…. The hatred is just amazing, why???

 

 

Gaz, come on its not hatred, its freedom of choice......

 

Take a TRX4 performance based crawler, stick a super detailed Ford F-150 body on but then paint out the windows and put black stickers over the paint, it would of been just as easy to put same black stickers on inside of the windows as a mask, giving the punter the choice of clear or black out of the box....but maybe the marketing team think, go with paint then if the punter wants clear they will "Shell" out another $150.

 

Now to legal shenanigans

Legal action against Hobbyking all but finished the company, they ended up shutting down UK and EU warehouses after paying out a huge amount over some silly little item, they are only just getting back on their feet this last few months.

 

People say that HPI is not the best when it comes to parts and such maybe this is aftermath from paying out a very large amount .

 

There has been a fair amount of small rc companies forced out of business due to to paying amounts awarded .

 

Its not only RC as legal action has been taken against VW, Pepsi and many other firms!

 

To me this "file for legal action" feels like financial school yard bullying and its enough to put me of the brand full stop.

 

I honestly dont hate the brand, the products or there ever loyal fans, its just a company i will not give my money to, i have Never purchased any product with their name on and have no plans to do so, but if other people want to buy/use/support that is their individual choice  

[Kpowell911]

5 hours ago, Gaz! said:

@Kpowell911, i can only echo your words here mate.

 

Sometimes i wonder that if your a Traxxas fan your immediately in the same camp as devil worshippers…. The hatred is just amazing, why???

 

the only valid reason is the “morals” the company utilises to stay ahead, but i ask ANY forum member, if you were Mr. Traxxas, sat in your multi million dollar house watching your wife/mistress naked swimming in the fully heated pool whilst looking the other direction you see parked up your Ferrari/Lambo/Bugatti/yank tank etc. and your only real competitor size wise is Tamiya (I wouldn’t put them into the same class bracket for multiple reasons). Would it not be in your interest to beat the competition so YOUR brand remains successful??

 

I understand why Traxxas get hate. I do agree with the paragraph above entirely. They’re located in an area where Patent Laws are easy to obtain, and theyve took full advantage of that, which has upset people, and theyve sometimes gone after small minor companies who pose no real threat. They’ve also took credit for some things they maybe didnt deserve credit for, but rightly or wrongly, they’ve used the law to make these things stick. Its like we moan about Jeff Bezo’s not paying tax because he takes a loan out against his shares as opposed to selling bis shares to pay tax. Maybe the issue isn’t the guy not paying the tax, but the law that allows this? Traxxas are a business at the end of the day, and everything they do is to make their business successful. Theyre here to make profit, not to keep us happy, or allow others to make after market parts etc. They exist to make money, and they appear to be very good at it. They ruthlessly protect themselves. Years ago, not Traxxas, Not Tamiya, but HPI were my favourite brand. Financially, they didnt work out, and theyre a shell of their former selves. I wonder if ‘allowing’ the Baja to be ripped off for years did anything to affect their financials?

 

Id argue Traxxas have done a lot of good for the hobby too. How many people are in the hobby now because of how accessible theyve made this hobby? RTR’s, plug and play battery chargers, upgrade packages etc? Look at how innovative they used to be? Electric start nitro? Nitro with reverse etc? The E Maxx, Brushless RTRs. Parts support is incredible too, mainly because they dont change much, but I can get parts for a 1994 Bandit in 2023, and people say that’s a negative? As opposed to a model being discontinued afted a few months and being fit for the bin once it breaks?

 

They’re pretty despicable morally I agree, and are going too far with proprietary stuff, which is bumping up the prices, but I cant argue that looking after their business, even if it steps on others toes. I own a company, Id do the same 

[Gaz!]

On 31/12/2023 at 10:29, Lone-wolf said:

Gaz, come on its not hatred, its freedom of choice......

 

Take a TRX4 performance based crawler, stick a super detailed Ford F-150 body on but then paint out the windows and put black stickers over the paint, it would of been just as easy to put same black stickers on inside of the windows as a mask, giving the punter the choice of clear or black out of the box....but maybe the marketing team think, go with paint then if the punter wants clear they will "Shell" out another $150.

 

Now to legal shenanigans

Legal action against Hobbyking all but finished the company, they ended up shutting down UK and EU warehouses after paying out a huge amount over some silly little item, they are only just getting back on their feet this last few months.

 

People say that HPI is not the best when it comes to parts and such maybe this is aftermath from paying out a very large amount .

 

There has been a fair amount of small rc companies forced out of business due to to paying amounts awarded .

 

Its not only RC as legal action has been taken against VW, Pepsi and many other firms!

 

To me this "file for legal action" feels like financial school yard bullying and its enough to put me of the brand full stop.

 

I honestly dont hate the brand, the products or there ever loyal fans, its just a company i will not give my money to, i have Never purchased any product with their name on and have no plans to do so, but if other people want to buy/use/support that is their individual choice  

 

Mate, of course its freedom of choice, but over the many years of being on here, look through all the Traxxas releases in the news, you will see the hate that people have for Traxxas…

if maybe more people actually owned one, the chants would be different???

 

would it be easier to mask the windows rather than paint?? The paints used are very durable and have a good finish overall.

you wouldn’t need (like the pun) shell out $150, just buy some of that Tamiya polycarbonate cleaner that @Kpowell911 uses.

 

i honestly cant fathom why you wouldn’t buy a brand because of the way its run, for example, i (proudly) drive a VW,  now im fully against everything Hitler did and his ties with VW and also the whole emissions saga is the same, i dont agree with it but i love “ma Dub” and wouldn’t compromise myself and buy something different because of a less than 100% squeaky  company.

 

my dear old mum calls it, “cutting off your nose to spite your face”

 

but alas, we all have the right to all our opinions and choices, its what keeps this big ball turning…

 

in no way, shape or form im trying to offend or be a small donkey, it just all the negativity surrounding Traxxas really grates, and as. I say, been like this for 15 odd years since coming back to rc. 

19 hours ago, Kpowell911 said:

I understand why Traxxas get hate. I do agree with the paragraph above entirely. They’re located in an area where Patent Laws are easy to obtain, and theyve took full advantage of that, which has upset people, and theyve sometimes gone after small minor companies who pose no real threat. They’ve also took credit for some things they maybe didnt deserve credit for, but rightly or wrongly, they’ve used the law to make these things stick. Its like we moan about Jeff Bezo’s not paying tax because he takes a loan out against his shares as opposed to selling bis shares to pay tax. Maybe the issue isn’t the guy not paying the tax, but the law that allows this? Traxxas are a business at the end of the day, and everything they do is to make their business successful. Theyre here to make profit, not to keep us happy, or allow others to make after market parts etc. They exist to make money, and they appear to be very good at it. They ruthlessly protect themselves. Years ago, not Traxxas, Not Tamiya, but HPI were my favourite brand. Financially, they didnt work out, and theyre a shell of their former selves. I wonder if ‘allowing’ the Baja to be ripped off for years did anything to affect their financials?

 

Id argue Traxxas have done a lot of good for the hobby too. How many people are in the hobby now because of how accessible theyve made this hobby? RTR’s, plug and play battery chargers, upgrade packages etc? Look at how innovative they used to be? Electric start nitro? Nitro with reverse etc? The E Maxx, Brushless RTRs. Parts support is incredible too, mainly because they dont change much, but I can get parts for a 1994 Bandit in 2023, and people say that’s a negative? As opposed to a model being discontinued afted a few months and being fit for the bin once it breaks?

 

They’re pretty despicable morally I agree, and are going too far with proprietary stuff, which is bumping up the prices, but I cant argue that looking after their business, even if it steps on others toes. I own a company, Id do the same 

 

Couldn’t word it any better mate 

 

and as a business owner, thank you very much for your honesty.

 

 

and finally back onto topic, for the past couple of weeks, when ive grabbed a few minutes here and there, ive been making obstacles with the offcut bits of wood and lollipop sticks.

 

i will get some pics up once im done with them 

[Tadas]

Im not long in this hobby, but it looks like the majority of Traxxas haters keep on hating just because they can't afford it.... Plain and simple.  

[Kpowell911]

1 hour ago, Gaz! said:

 

Mate, of course its freedom of choice, but over the many years of being on here, look through all the Traxxas releases in the news, you will see the hate that people have for Traxxas…

if maybe more people actually owned one, the chants would be different???

My biggest annoyance across ALL forums/reddit/facebook/youtube. Traxxas will release something. Lets say they release a new off road basher. You’ll get people who are into Crawlers or On Road cars moaning about ‘well Im never going to buy that’ or “Traxxas are horrible company etc". Dude. No one cares, you were never going to buy it anyway, its from a brand you dont like, and a genre of RC you dont have anything to do with it. Why are you even commenting? Whats do you want a medal? Its like they all get together on some moral high ground that they are somehow superior because theyve decided to buy something else. Hilariously, its probably a Horizon product (rumoured to be cutting Hobby Stores products to fulfil Amazon in the US), or a BangGood Special probably made in a Sweatshop somewhere. If you researched everything you bought, youd find an issue somewhere. Your mobile phone, your computer, food you eat etc. The world isnt a very nice place, and corners are cut and theres horrific business practices EVERYWHERE.
 

Anyway, back on topic, a day with the family, maybe be home later to finish my Loctite R34

 

Happy New Year All 🙂

 

Edited January 1, 2024 by Kpowell911

[Stormbringer]

Happy New Year mate enjoy being with the family mate 

[Lone-wolf]

Onto more pleasant things, i decided to finally fit some more brass to my little FCX24 K5, i did buy these ages ago and sort of forgot to fit them so now have the full set of brass links as before i only fitted the lower brass links, by eck they are fiddly to do and i fitted the brass steering link set.

I do need to revisit the shocks as not overly happy with the stock ones 

[Stormbringer]

That should add some nice lowdown weight 

[Lone-wolf]

11 hours ago, Stormbringer said:

That should add some nice lowdown weight 

It has, i feel its sagging on the shocks now under the weight, so really need to look at sorting them out, i should of weighed it stock then weighed it after all the mods

[Kpowell911]

Finished decalling the TA04. Its not very good. Say no more. 
 

 

Added new wheels & tyres to my 934 45th Anniversary

 

 

Added a Black ESC to the box for the Egress Black, for the day it gets built. Maybe. I also have a Savox Black Edition Servo for it

 

 

Sorted the shelving out for the Tamiya’s plus the imposter RC10CC

 

 

Added some Sledgehammers to my Maxx

 

 

Edited January 2, 2024 by Kpowell911

[Lone-wolf]

Fitted the heavy beadlocks to the Cross NT4 Mog these added 94g to each tyre, also they are vented so now the tyres squish under load a bit better

[Stormbringer]

nice wheels mate 

[53HRA]

From this: 

To this:

 

Think I’m more excited about the hoodie than the bike