Anyone else notice......

[Justagamer76]

Hey has anyone else noticed the flood of Redcat and XRC nitro in ebay? I hate t osay it but they look pretty good for the price considering. Does anyone else have any and if so how well they hold up or run? I mean I almost bought a Sportwerx a while back then found out they got discontinued so now I'm pursuing a Jammin x1 truggy. Are they going to be one of those come and go companys or are they puttin a name out? Might be a fine thing for maybe running around the yard but I'm not sure if you could actually race it compared to some of the nicer pro stuff. Maybe I'm just having withdrawls from not being able to run anything but that Monsoon is starting to look pretty good. And input would be great.

 

[Lessen]

Although I cannot say I've noticed specifically the Ebay thing, I have noticed an extreme rise in the amount of questions concering off-branded r/c's here on this forum over the past 2-3 years. The entry level market is expanding pretty well. It's a testiment to the few positives that a weak economy brings. It's a good time to go into business if you have a singificantly less expensive product.

 

[bishiman]

I have 3 Redcats and I love them. I have had them for 6 months and I have only broken things that were my fault. The only bad thing is that they come with an am radio but I have seen on Redcat's website that the new cars/trucks come with a 2.4ghz system. Other then that, they are great for the money and plenty of parts available on their website and many others. Also, a local hobby shop has starting selling them.

 

[Justagamer76]

They seem like great rides but my concern would be I guess them holding up to the "big boys" of RC like OFNA Associated and Losi? I mean I really don't care what brand of ride or what name it has on it as much as I do if it runs good and can hold up (with proper tweaking) to the compitition. And don't forget parts sells and service. I would like to get my hands on one to see if it "feels" good.

 

[bishiman]

I am not a racer and these are the first nitros I have ever owned so I have nothing to compare them with, but I can't complain. I agree about the Monsoon. I would love to get my hands on that.

 

[Justagamer76]

She looks good man. But as stated before I'm doing my best to get ahold of the Jammin a fellow RCN member has offered me. But I will still be able to get either som ething new or take a good chunk to upgrade it. I was thinking about the Monsoon it looks tough parts look pretty cheap to buy and it seems to hold up I just can't find anyone who owns one. I trust most everyone here becasue they shoot it str8 and not try to BS anyone even the noobs but to me 300 bucks is 300 bucks and if my wife lets me buy a toy I better get some good use out of it...or its her i gotta here.

 

[igloo the eskimo]

I have a Redcat Vortex SS. Paid 165.00 for it on ebay. It's a 1/10 with a .18 engine. It's my first nitro rc car so I really don't know what to compare it to. It's my fault, but I wish I would have opted for something a little more monster truck style, it has small tires and low ground clearance, but it is fast.

As someone else mentioned, the only things that broke were my fault, such as the front bumper from hitting a large boulder at high speed, and the rear a-arm from stepping on the tire while starting it. (had to hold the throttle on the transmitter because I didn't have the idle adjusted right during break in.)

The parts are cheap (to me, again I don't know what to compare to), but if you order directly from Redcat, the shipping is expensive. The Redcat failsafe costs over 8.00 for shipping. I lucked out though, because they had free ups next day air (I know it was a mistake, usually $50 plus.)

The thing is, they didn't ship it next day air, or even ups for that matter. It came usps with $2.20 postage. But the item is so small they could've sent it in a regular envelope with .44 cent postage. I still got free shipping, that's all I cared about.

There is a guy on ebay that parts out brand new redcat vehicles for a good price with very reasonable shipping. Also bargain bloodhound has awesome prices for parts. I got new wheels 1.99 a pair.

I am very happy with my purchase. I'll stop rambling now.

 

[Justagamer76]

No way bro ramble on....I want to know the more i know the better...But ima ship freak..I hate ppl who jack up the price on shipping to make a quick buck then I get a package with 1.00 shipping lable pisses me off. But i want to know how they run. I dont wanna see no more cheesy videos on your tube where ppl have jacked upi the editing I want to know first hand like ppl talk about there Jatos or Savages. Maybe thats alot to ask for a truck/car thats not rubn alot but I feel I should investigate before i spend my cash. Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[igloo the eskimo]

Well IMHO for the price of these off-brand vehicles, and part availability, you can't really go wrong.

 

[Scrogg]

Only problem with these off brands, no local hobby shop support. No major online retailers will touch them. You are at that company's mercy for parts.

 

[Justagamer76]

Iwas thinking the same thing. its everyone has jumped on the band wagon to sell them but won't step up on support. No one in my area or close even sells them. Maybe thats why no one around has one. hmmmmm

 

[nitrosteve]

i have a himoto and have nerver broken anything

 

[Justagamer76]

I'm not to familiar with Himoto either. but I guess with anything you own its all about how you take care of it. Me I'm careful about everything that way i have a less chance to break something because this just being a hobby and not a nessecity sometimes it may take me longer to get parts to fix it. But with so many choices out there new and old Its just freakn killing me as to which NEW truck to buy.

 

[bishiman]

I can tell you that I have found a website that sells Redcat vehicles and parts for less then Redcat directly and I get my parts quick. If I order on a monday, I usually have them by friday if not sooner. The shipping cost is very reasonable. My last order only cost $5.95 to ship.

 

[Justagamer76]

Please d otell

 

[bishiman]

Try www.rufaster.com, hey have worked out very well. No complaints.

 

[Justagamer76]

Thansk manill check em out and see whats up.

 

[Goatcrapp]

I have an aftershock 3.5... almost a gallon through the engine at this point. i like it well enough, but a few main concerns about durability... please keep in mind, these are replace-often parts on many rc's, but my complaint is more with the ease with which they break.

There are common-break parts that broke in situations where i feel they shouldn't have.

1: the plastic spur gear stripped very easily... especially as it started getting colder, the plastic became brittler, and the teeth just snap off. The parts are cheap though, and i'm still searching for a metal spur gear replacement... redcat told me they would have a steel spur gear upgrade early next year. for a RTR basher, i shouldn't have had to dbl check the gear mesh, but it was too tight IMO. subsequent replacements have lasted longer, but its still a weak point if you're heavy on the throttle.

2: the steering knuckle/hub - this truck is sold as a short course basher.. i've broken the steering knuckle or hub several times too many IMO - which i normally wouldn't be bothered by, except they broke under circumstances that made me say "well - that really shouldn't have broken from such a small hit." replacement parts are very cheap, or they have aluminum upgrades for them.

3: In one case early on - the servo saver separated - a complete factory defect or assembly defect.. i'm not talking about something threadlocker would have saved.. i mean the assembly itself separated. this caused the wheels to turn to full lock very quickly, and the vehicle flipped. I'll be the first one to admit driver error - and in this case it simply wasn't.. i was going straight and hadn't touched the steering at that point. I saw the parts fly off (still going straight) and by the time i let off the throttle, it was too late. i was more than a little ticked, because the flip took a few parts with it, and the body is all scuffed.

4: the engine was harder than normal to tune and break in. I've broken in several other engines and they were predictable, and pain free.. this engine was a major pain in the butt for whatever reason. Even now - it doesn't hold a tune very well, and i have to play around with it a bit when i first start out. Some of that is the cold weather, but not all.

With all of those concerns listed - once this thing runs well, i love it. it sails through the air, lands well from jumps, has some good quality suspension parts, and the brake is one of the best i've seen (until it overheats lol)

it'll leave peel out marks on the pavement, and throw up dust and grass blades like it was it's job. cornering is so-so... some upgraded shocks could help here.. but overall - a very very good truck... just my concerns above which can be addressed with upgraded parts, or mindful use. (or since they are cheap just keep extras around)

BTW - i've been doing business with rufaster, and have gotten nothing but great service from them, and fast shipping.

 

[Mickstix]

Here's a cool vid for anyone curious if the Redcats can take a beating.. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YXEcz74yiw&feature=player_embedded]Lets Break Redcats by Ali Shanmao[/ame] This guy Ali jumps these things off a 50' cliff, and they survive and drive off for the most part!! I just got the Monsoon, and it looks awesome! So far I've' just done the first 3 stages of breakin on the .28 SH Motor, but if looks count for anything, it looks and sounds great! Lots of aluminum in the right places.. I know of alot of locals run these at the local track, but I'd like to see Redcat hire some "pro" drivers and show up at a larger event and see how they do? I dunno, they might be alot heavier than the other racing platforms or something? But they offer all the hop ups and other goodies that other brands do. There just all made by Redcat and need to be bought online. (but what doesn't get bought online these days?) I can run to the local hs for tires, glow plugs, batteries, servos, turnbuckles, etc., that'll fit it, I just have to wait a couple days if I need an upper or lower arm or dogbone.. I can live with that. And as others have mentioned, RU-Faster and URCHobbies.com are "active" dealers who post on the RCUniverse "Redcat" forum all the time, and really take care of their customers! I can personally vouch for Kurt of URCHobby, and I've read the same about RU-Faster (as well as a couple other dealers on that forum).. These guys are around and dont appear to be going anywhere.. I can search back on the Redcat and Himoto forums back to 2004, so they've been making cars and trucks for a few years now!! I have the Monsoon I'm lookin forward to, and I've got a 1/10 Tornado s30 I've been havin fun with now for a few months.. Havent broken anything on it, but I did "loose" a dogbone due to not having an "o" ring in the drive cup.. (For anyone who's got a new one, add an o ring to each front wheels "drive cup" if they dont have one already.. With the geometry of the front end, it's possible for the stock 84mm bone to get out, if the wheel is turned to full lock and the car flips or hits something.. Other than that, it's been pretty solid.. No broken parts, and I asked Kurt if I should order any spare parts for the Monsoon, when I got it, and he said "truthfully, these things just dont break" so I didnt order any spare parts.. (Which means I'll break something immediatley, I'm sure)