Absolute beginner/New pictures

[joshw]

 

Hi all, haven’t been on here for a long time, 10 years in fact. I used to have a few nitros in the past but looking for a change.

 

I’m looking at getting a crawler kit but I’m a complete electric and scale crawler beginner. I’m looking at buying a kit and need everything including radio gear and batteries, I’ve got an imax b6 charger already. 

 

I’m looking at using the rig while walking the dog so need 45mins-1.5hours of run time and after a bit of research that looks easily doable.

 

The kits I’ve been looking at are the trx4 sport kit and the axial scx10ii builders kit, the trx 4 looks the more beginner friendly, my budget is £500 for everything is this doable? 

 

I’m a bit unsure on what to order with regards to esc, motors, lipos or Nimh batteries, what oils, grease and glues I’ll need or if there already included. So far I’ve seen these parts recommended, I’m not set on any of these parts btw:

 

Radio gear: fly sky gt3b, gt5, turnigy gt5 £30-50

Servo: savoc sc0251, power HD 1812mg £20-30

Esc: hobbywing 1060,1080 £20-40

Motor: rc4wd 540, Titan 550 £15-30

Lipos: 2s-3s mah  size?

Misc: tyre glue, I’ve got hex drivers, paint for the body, grease/oils

 

Sorry for the long post and appreciate any help

 

Thanks Josh

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by joshw

[Lone-wolf]

You cant really go wrong with either the TRX4 sport kit or the scx10 , i would say it would all pretty much come in under the £500, NI-MH packs can do pretty long run times a 4500mah should get the time you want

[stimpy]

All looks doable, but I'd step to lipo straight away - the difference is significant in both run times and power. 

 

As for your list:

 

RX - Seems popular the Fly Sky.

Servo - Power HD - or there is a copy of that which is around £15 on eBay. Personally I wouldn't buy a cheap Savox.

ESC - Get the 1080 - many more features for future use also.

Motor: Speed and size will depend a bit upon rig and battery voltage, lots of folk use the Holmes Hobby Sport offerings or get their rebuildable machine wound option - either way, if you are doing water and mud quite a bit then don't spend a fortune and wash them out when done..

Batt: Lipo - I'd recommend 3s personally as once you've tasted it you won't look back - that said 2S with the right motor and gearing can be more than adequate.

 

Then yeah all the usual stuff!

[Oh How Original]

Stimpy has given you solid advice there in my opinion.

Don't go cheap on a budget Savox, if you can't spend big, go PowerHD or even JX Servos (which are actually very good)

If I may offer some advice, look at the Element Enduro kit... The only thing I would consider an advantage on the TRX4 is portals, but that's only if you like portals, for trailing and dog walking, they aren't a necessity...  The body is included yes, but it's just a strange generic looking pick up and some plastic wheels with tyres (Traxxas Canyon Trail tyres are actually excellent by the way) IMO, not worth the extra money unless you specifically want portals or you like the truck body itself.

I think overall, right now, you can't beat the Enduro kit if you aren't specifically interested in portal axles.

The Enduro offers two battery trays, which can come in handy, two overdrive options as standard and several different extra links for wheelbase adjustment, it also has behind axle steering for realism which is a nice touch.

The saving of that over the TRX4 alone will pay for your ESC (£40) motor (£25) servo (£25) and a little bit of a lipo as well.

3s is nice, but again for trailing, get a good strong motor and 2s is fine, they are also cheaper and lighter and unless you're doing more serious stuff, you won't see a massive advantage, just to get you moving, then perhaps if you do want some more oomph later on, 3s is always an option... You can pick up something like a Zippy or Nano-Tech 5000+mah 2s for sub £25 which is good for 3+ hours of trailing.

So, apologies for this post being huge, but I think that would be your best route personally, you also then get to choose what body, wheels and tyres you like.

I mean just for trailing you could buy used gear too, some used decent 1.9 wheels and tyres aren't very expensive, same with used bodies if you aren't too confident about cutting, masking and spraying, it also removes the cost of paint too.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Oh How Original

[PraetoR]

I would echo Stimpy and OHO, but also throw the HPI Venture Scale Builder Kit into the ring. It's a very solid, very well-priced kit. At a push, I'd say that the Enduro kit that OHO suggested could be considered slightly better than the Venture, but the Venture is made of lovely materials, has some very clever touches and is about as cheap as a good-quality scale crawler gets.

 

I'm a fan of Gmade products, but they're more premium priced and could threaten your £500 budget. But have a look, you may find a good deal.

 

I would also suggest looking at the Holmes Hobbies motors. The sport models are easily worth the ~£10 extra, over the likes of the RC4WD & Titan motors.

 

Finally, OHO suggested JX servos. I've only ever had one (21kg, metal gears, waterproof), but it failed on my third ever run. May have been a one-off, but thought it worth mentioning.

[m4inbrain]

I have a JX servo in my Trail King (46kg), runs like a champ. I guess with "cheaper" servos (while JX aren't literally cheap, they're comparatively cheap) there comes a higher chance for duds. That's not to say that i have always been lucky with Savox either, burned two 1256s. 

 

HPI stuff is.. meh. The kit itself might be decent, but the aftermarket isn't. Everything is aimed at TRX4/Sports and SCX10.2s (which mostly fits the Enduro too). Just for that reason alone i'd go with either of the former kits. 

 

In regards to the kits itself? I like both, for different reasons. The body on the Sport is very generic, not necessarily a looker (unless you have an airbrush system and talent). But it comes with a body, unlike the Enduro.  For trailing, either is perfectly fine - for rough stuff, the Sport has the advantage with its (reliable) portal axles. The Enduro has its own tricks (overgearing the front), which gives it an advantage over crawlers like the SCX10.2, but the advantage is less than portals are. 

 

The Enduro is also slightly more expensive, since it doesn't come with a body shell nor wheels or tyres. The Sport kit tyres are right up there, great tyres - the wheels are a bit naff (and they're not bead locks), but that doesn't really matter for trailing. You won't wear them down for a year at least. The Enduro kit is £90 cheaper, but you've got to factor in A: tyres/wheels (Hyrax' on plastic bead locks are around £75 for a set of 4), and B the body shell, which can go anywhere from £35 to three digits for hard bodies. 

 

I'd kinda stay away from SCX10.2 now, they're a little.. long in the tooth. By no means a bad crawler, but there's just so much better stuff out there (like the Sport or Enduro). That's the reason why i didn't even mention it here, the choice should be between Enduro and Sport, not the SCX10.2. 

 

ESC: definitely the 1080, the 1060 is good but missing a crucial feature (which isn't that important for you, but you might want to do crawling later on too) - the adjustable drag brake. Important for rock crawling. 

Battery: definitely a 2s pack. Even a 2200mah 2s pack will get you 90 minutes and more of runtime, like a zippy compact from hobbyking. Should be plenty. 

Motor: https://www.red-winches.com/product/trailmaster-sport-550-21t/ for the Sport. £25 and unlike me and many others, no import fees because it's a UK shop (wish i knew back in the days). Not sure if the Enduro takes 550 cans as well, @Oh How Original would need to chime in there. 

Radio is good. 

Servo: don't waste money on a cheap "brand" servo, they're usually poop.  https://www.banggood.com/JX-CLS-12V7346-46KG-12V-180-Degrees-HV-High-Precision-Steel-Gear-Digital-Coreless-Servo-For-RC-Robot-p-1180608.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN That's what i run, didn't miss a beat yet. 

 

Of course, if you assume used stuff, then prices etc shift slightly towards the Enduro. I'm just going by my personal preference, if i buy a new RC, i buy new option parts for it too. 

[joshw]

Thanks for the replies guys, a lot to think about.

 

Never really looked at the enduro but reading up on it now looks like a good kit with a lot of features.

 

I think the trx4 is the top runner so far seems like it’s got the best support in hop ups and spares and I might be in the minority but I quite like the body on it. Also seems the axial and enduro would work out more expensive like @m4inbrain said.

 

I’m going to read up on the enduro a bit more and then see if the local hobby shop is doing click and collect 

 

thanks Josh

[Oh How Original]

If you like the body and the look, then buy the TRX4, it's a good solid truck, I was just trying to offer another option which for my personal preference is better value.

One thing I would say is if you do get the TRX4, read up on the bumper mod to gain approach angle, you flip the mount around to raise the bumper slightly.

But yeah if you actually like the body and don't want something more realistic, the TRX4 seems like the truck for you as I said, the tyres are actually very good as well.

Perhaps look at some cheap metal beadlocks right away though, the portals do raise the CoG quite a bit by all accounts, so that might just help offset the portals a bit, plus shiny stuff is nice  

[joshw]

1 hour ago, Oh How Original said:

If you like the body and the look, then buy the TRX4, it's a good solid truck, I was just trying to offer another option which for my personal preference is better value.

One thing I would say is if you do get the TRX4, read up on the bumper mod to gain approach angle, you flip the mount around to raise the bumper slightly.

But yeah if you actually like the body and don't want something more realistic, the TRX4 seems like the truck for you as I said, the tyres are actually very good as well.

Perhaps look at some cheap metal beadlocks right away though, the portals do raise the CoG quite a bit by all accounts, so that might just help offset the portals a bit, plus shiny stuff is nice  

Thanks for the advice it was all taken on board, you all have a lot more knowledge then me about crawlers👍. I’ll look into the bumper mod and beadlocks. Just got myself a deal on a trx4 kit with appliance electronics in Walsall I’ll post some photos up soon. 
 

thanks for all the help guys much appreciated 

[stimpy]

6 hours ago, joshw said:

Thanks for the advice it was all taken on board, you all have a lot more knowledge then me about crawlers👍. I’ll look into the bumper mod and beadlocks. Just got myself a deal on a trx4 kit with appliance electronics in Walsall I’ll post some photos up soon. 
 

thanks for all the help guys much appreciated 

Zeeshan is a dude!! Enjoy it and keep us posted 👍

[joshw]

Yeah Zeeshan is great and sorted me out a good deal, would definitely recommend him. I’ll take some photos and get them posted up, enjoying the build so far👍

[joshw]

Quick update, so far built the transmission, axles and chassis up added the electronics. Just waiting for some servo lead extensions and some bullet connectors to solder onto the esc and motor. Really enjoying the kit should have some Tamiya paint turning up today aswell. 
 

I also bought the traxxas stainless screw kit  and didn’t realise it’s for the whole model, only started using it on the chassis onwards🤦🏻‍♂️

 

A quick question should you key the inside of the body before painting or just clean and spray, seems a mixed response online with some saying to key it and others saying you’ll see the scratches?

[mark-essex]

I've painted dozens of lexan bodies and always key.  The rough side of a kitchen scourer is perfect.  Cut body (if required), key body (careful around window areas), wash thoroughly  with water (I always add a little washing up liquid) and let dry (radiator is ideal), apply window masks.  Spray in a fairly warm environment if you can.  Assuming your using cans, stand in a cup of warm water for 20 mins to let the paint warm up, shake for 5 to 10 mins.  Make sure no dust on body and then apply the lightest of mist coats.  Let it dry, using a hair dryer is ideal.  Continue applying light coats until your happy.  Don't forget a backing coat of your choice.  Then the best bit ever, remove the protective film from the outside and admire how beautiful it looks - it;s the only time it will look as good as this 🤣

[joshw]

35 minutes ago, mark-essex said:

I've painted dozens of lexan bodies and always key.  The rough side of a kitchen scourer is perfect.  Cut body (if required), key body (careful around window areas), wash thoroughly  with water (I always add a little washing up liquid) and let dry (radiator is ideal), apply window masks.  Spray in a fairly warm environment if you can.  Assuming your using cans, stand in a cup of warm water for 20 mins to let the paint warm up, shake for 5 to 10 mins.  Make sure no dust on body and then apply the lightest of mist coats.  Let it dry, using a hair dryer is ideal.  Continue applying light coats until your happy.  Don't forget a backing coat of your choice.  Then the best bit ever, remove the protective film from the outside and admire how beautiful it looks - it;s the only time it will look as good as this 🤣

Thanks the tips mark gonna give it a go today👍 Completed the rest of the kit aswell now.

[mark-essex]

4 hours ago, joshw said:

Thanks the tips mark gonna give it a go today👍 Completed the rest of the kit aswell now.

 

Enjoy the peeling off the film process!  Looking forward to seeing the result.

[DartmoorTrails]

36 minutes ago, mark-essex said:

 

Enjoy the peeling off the film process!  Looking forward to seeing the result.

 

I've seen a few people use the outer film to help with painting on windows seals; you need a steady hand to cut though! Hemi chap on the tube is damn handy with a can of paint and knife!

[joshw]

Had this finished for a few days now just been busy with my Land Rover so haven’t had chance to take it out for a run. Hoping to take it to the lickeys or client hills this week to give it a run. 
 

Not happy with how the bonnet area turned out but oh well don’t think I did too bad considering it’s my first time spraying.

 

Thanks for all the help aswell guys👍

 

 

[joshw]

First upgrade done and still haven’t took it out😒

 

Purchased the inner fenders and extensions should hopefully keep it a bit cleaner when I get a chance to take it out. Also I’ve flipped the rear bumper mount and trimmed the shell on the front and rear to give better approach and departure angles👍

[mark-essex]

Once you have used it a few times you wont notice any imperfections.  Looks good.

[froggy8]

im in the same boat too, i am finding myself looking at crawlers too. 

 

there is 3 i wouldnt mind but like you, i am a noob   trx sport, dc-1 or axial scx10.

[joshw]

A couple of new photos from crawling at Habberley Valley

 

[joshw]

And one of it with its larger brother/ my full scale crawler😂

[Logie]

Looks great, got my TRX4 today cant wait to use it.

 

 Love the shell and colour, accessories look good on it too!

[joshw]

18 minutes ago, Logie said:

Looks great, got my TRX4 today cant wait to use it.

 

 Love the shell and colour, accessories look good on it too!

Thanks mate it’s a great truck, you’ll love yours, I’ve put the 2 speed transmission in it, it’s great for trails and crawling now.