FMS 1/10 High Roller

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I mean URC has videos from 10 years ago of him driving that platform full speed into walls at an angle with little to no breakages. Granted they were brushed XL-5 models, but 20+mph into a wall and only breaking a caster block is hard to ignore as "not durable."

the front was never an issue. it was the rear that always seemed to break.

 

[jojobeans]

the front was never an issue. it was the rear that always seemed to break.

I mean he also crashed them in other ways too... full speed into walls was because he couldn't break it in a normal way. I've broken every RC I've ever owned eventually, sometimes the crash doesn't even look that bad. They all break and Traxxas 1/10 2wd rigs are pretty dang durable. They break too, but that doesn't mean they didn't take a massive licking for god knows how long before that. They've since updated the 2wd line up and they include HD parts which beef up all the "problem" areas the older ones had as well. The stampede is durable... even compared to modern 2wd platforms. It's overpriced and outdated, that's undeniable. But, that doesn't mean the platform is made of glass or it isn't durable.

I know you hate Traxxas and many others do. But, being unable to admit they can do anything right is just as bad of a look as a fanboy who won't admit they can do anything wrong. But in the end, it doesn't really matter... This thread is for the discussion of the FMS 1/10 F100 high roller, first blood, etc. not a 30 year old truck that traxxas should've retired when 27mhz radio's got fazed out.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I mean he also crashed them in other ways too... full speed into walls was because he couldn't break it in a normal way. I've broken every RC I've ever owned eventually, sometimes the crash doesn't even look that bad. They all break and Traxxas 1/10 2wd rigs are pretty dang durable. They break too, but that doesn't mean they didn't take a massive licking for god knows how long before that. They've since updated the 2wd line up and they include HD parts which beef up all the "problem" areas the older ones had as well. The stampede is durable... even compared to modern 2wd platforms. It's overpriced and outdated, that's undeniable. But, that doesn't mean the platform is made of glass or it isn't durable.

I know you hate Traxxas and many others do. But, being unable to admit they can do anything right is just as bad of a look as a fanboy who won't admit they can do anything wrong. But in the end, it doesn't really matter... This thread is for the discussion of the FMS 1/10 F100 high roller, first blood, etc. not a 30 year old truck that traxxas should've retired when 27mhz radio's got fazed out.

there 1/10 2wd platforms being durable has not been my experience. they always broke more than the AE, Losi, and HPI trucks we were all running 25+ years ago, but not at a rate that was alarming it was just enough to notice and be annoying/frustrating. the thing is though, they were dirt cheap back then. i remember the bandit/rustler/stampede RTR's being like $40 cheaper than the RC10T3 kit at the time. the parts were a little cheaper to. if that were still the case i wouldn't be half as vocal as i am about it.
if they made a brushless stampede with rear toe, beefier skid plates, and it only cost $199.99. id have zero argument about that truck.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

back on topic.
this video is cool cause he actually takes some of it apart to get a better look at it. its long, but worth it.

 

[jojobeans]

Little update... USPS has "lost" the package. It's been almost 3 weeks since it shipped and "departed" Seattle 2 weeks ago. Amazon has sent another one out and I was instructed to keep the other one in the event it shows up. So good on Amazon at least! Not sure what I'm gonna do with the other one if it decides to show up. May give it to a friend... But, if he doesn't want it, then I'm thinking I'll just "donate" it to my local hobby shop so they can give it away to a kid or something who may not be as fortunate to buy a bigger car.

My guess is a USPS employee stole it in Seattle... which is annoying and I wish Amazon would partner with literally any other delivery service for their prime delivers when they themselves are unable to deliver something through their own means. That or it got put on a barge and the thing sunk somewhere in the ocean.

I was hoping to get my first impressions on this in before all the YouTubers got ahold of it, but I've broke down and watched a few videos on it. I'll definitely update this thread once the replacement finally arrives and I actually get my hands on it.

 

[Doom!]

Glad you've got a replacement under way, sucks that it was necessary. I am looking forward to seeing what you think about it.

Something you may want to consider, if the first order does show up, is to hang on to it for spare parts down the road. Never know when supplies for certain models will dry up.

 

[jojobeans]

Something you may want to consider, if the first order does show up, is to hang on to it for spare parts down the road. Never know when supplies for certain models will dry up.

That is a possibility, but FMS has a pretty good track record for support so far and long term support is the least of my concerns at this time. I'd rather see someone else smile and having a good time than benefit myself from something I didn't even have to pay for. That's what this hobby is about any ways right?

I'm just glad I ordered it on Amazon... I can't see any other retailer doing what they did since it's technically not their fault and I gotta give them a big thumbs up for it.

 

[Doom!]

That is a possibility, but FMS has a pretty good track record for support so far and long term support is the least of my concerns at this time. I'd rather see someone else smile and having a good time than benefit myself from something I didn't even have to pay for. That's what this hobby is about any ways right?

I'm just glad I ordered it on Amazon... I can't see any other retailer doing what they did since it's technically not their fault and I gotta give them a big thumbs up for it.

I understand, I flow a lot of stuff to buddies, or folks I know would enjoy it.

 

[jojobeans]

Would you believe me if I said it was finally here? Got it ripped out of the box and got a good in depth look at it on the "bench." Battery is on the charger and once I get off work tomorrow, I'm gonna take it on its maiden voyage and see if it's all that. Out of the box impressions? I'll start with the good before I go to the bad. Keep in mind too that this was $169 shipped to my door WITH a battery/charger.

Things I like in no particular order:

• It feels /looks like it's high quality. Plastics feel/look solid and the design of the car offers a lot of rigidity in important places. Very little play/slop in the joints which is uncommon in budget RC's in my experience. Nothing feels particularly brittle from just pushing and pulling on things. Oh yeah... ball bearing throughout. No bushings.
• Battery tray is awesome... it is pretty big for a 1/10 2wd RC in pretty much all directions and the strap holds the battery in pretty well.
• Programming for the ESC is all done from the radio through dip switches. It also has some telemetry functionality which shows you the charge state of the battery. Pretty nifty for a sub $200 RTR beginner focused car.
• The use of body clips over a "clipless" system. I am so tired of clipless bodies and the lack of variety they offer and how expensive the bodies are. Sure it's a little easier to throw a clipless body on.... but how long does it really take to push in a few boy clips? Once this body gets trashed, my options are limitless for replacement bodies and I won't have to do modifications to get something else to fit.
• 14mm wheel hexes.
• Hex hardware throughout the whole car.
• Looks like it uses 32 pitch gears.
• XT60 connector.

Things I don't like in no particular order:

• Tires are kind of hard and there's no foams in there. Kind of weak and I would've liked to at least see foams in the wheels. Even on budget RC's it's something I expect... I mean how much does foam really cost?
• Suspension setup could use a lot of work. Rear is over-sprung and under dampened. It's pretty bouncy... I suspect they did this so it would wheelie easier despite having a brushed motor. The front's spring rate feels okay although the oil is a bit thin. Not as bad as the rear and the front is definitely usable. The rear is going to slap the chassis and bounce all over the place though once you start jumping this. A decent all around suspension setup costs manufacturers $0. I'd recommend throwing thicker weight oil in the rear shocks minimum. Once I get to running it, I'll play around with some shock oils and find out what works best. I haven't done any research yet to see what FMS is using in them from the factory.
• Motor mount is maxed out for pinion gear size. You can't put a larger pinion on without putting a smaller spur gear on... which is something that FMS doesn't sell to my knowledge unless another spur gear is compatible from another car. This is really going to suck when I put the brushless setup in it that I ordered with it since I won't be able to gear up any.
• From the looks of it, you can't remove the plastic driveshafts without pulling the transmission, splitting the case and taking apart the differential. Whose idea was that?!? NOT beginner friendly at all... hopefully these hold up to the equally budget brushless system I have for it. If broken driveshafts are a problem, this alone may ruin the whole package for me.
• Combo ESC/Reciever. I can give it a partial pass since you are able to link a nicer flysky radio up to it, but 2in1 systems are a plague on this hobby and the practice needs to go away IMO. But, it is a cheapie brushed setup that most people will likely be swapping out shortly after buying this... just sucks that a beginner will be forced to buy a new receiver minimum on top of new electronics if they want to go brushless.

Honorable mentions:

• Battery and charger is nothing to write home about. 3300mah 2s LiPo and a charger rated at .8 amps. Not spectacular, but for the price it is sufficient enough and will get you going if you're new to the hobby. It's not USB either and uses a standard wall plug which is a plus in my eyes.
• Radio has a plastic wheel which isn't as nice as a foam wheel... but, t's pretty par for the course in the price segment and I can't really complain. It has all the basic features you'd want though. This being a flysky ESC/Reciever combo that's compatible with ANT protocol means I will be binding my FS-G7P to this car pretty much right out of the gate though until I swap out the motor and ESC in favor of something with a little more power.
• Plastic gears in the transmission. I won't write them off yet as I've had plenty of rigs in the past that used plastic gears with zero issue and much spicier brushless setups than what is going in this.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Would you believe me if I said it was finally here? Got it ripped out of the box and got a good in depth look at it on the "bench." Battery is on the charger and once I get off work tomorrow, I'm gonna take it on its maiden voyage and see if it's all that. Out of the box impressions? I'll start with the good before I go to the bad. Keep in mind too that this was $169 shipped to my door WITH a battery/charger.

Things I like in no particular order:

• It feels /looks like it's high quality. Plastics feel/look solid and the design of the car offers a lot of rigidity in important places. Very little play/slop in the joints which is uncommon in budget RC's in my experience. Nothing feels particularly brittle from just pushing and pulling on things. Oh yeah... ball bearing throughout. No bushings.
• Battery tray is awesome... it is pretty big for a 1/10 2wd RC in pretty much all directions and the strap holds the battery in pretty well.
• Programming for the ESC is all done from the radio through dip switches. It also has some telemetry functionality which shows you the charge state of the battery. Pretty nifty for a sub $200 RTR beginner focused car.
• The use of body clips over a "clipless" system. I am so tired of clipless bodies and the lack of variety they offer and how expensive the bodies are. Sure it's a little easier to throw a clipless body on.... but how long does it really take to push in a few boy clips? Once this body gets trashed, my options are limitless for replacement bodies and I won't have to do modifications to get something else to fit.
• 14mm wheel hexes.
• Hex hardware throughout the whole car.
• Looks like it uses 32 pitch gears.
• XT60 connector.

Things I don't like in no particular order:

• Tires are kind of hard and there's no foams in there. Kind of weak and I would've liked to at least see foams in the wheels. Even on budget RC's it's something I expect... I mean how much does foam really cost?
• Suspension setup could use a lot of work. Rear is over-sprung and under dampened. It's pretty bouncy... I suspect they did this so it would wheelie easier despite having a brushed motor. The front's spring rate feels okay although the oil is a bit thin. Not as bad as the rear and the front is definitely usable. The rear is going to slap the chassis and bounce all over the place though once you start jumping this. A decent all around suspension setup costs manufacturers $0. I'd recommend throwing thicker weight oil in the rear shocks minimum. Once I get to running it, I'll play around with some shock oils and find out what works best. I haven't done any research yet to see what FMS is using in them from the factory.
• Motor mount is maxed out for pinion gear size. You can't put a larger pinion on without putting a smaller spur gear on... which is something that FMS doesn't sell to my knowledge unless another spur gear is compatible from another car. This is really going to suck when I put the brushless setup in it that I ordered with it since I won't be able to gear up any.
• From the looks of it, you can't remove the plastic driveshafts without pulling the transmission, splitting the case and taking apart the differential. Whose idea was that?!? NOT beginner friendly at all... hopefully these hold up to the equally budget brushless system I have for it. If broken driveshafts are a problem, this alone may ruin the whole package for me.
• Combo ESC/Reciever. I can give it a partial pass since you are able to link a nicer flysky radio up to it, but 2in1 systems are a plague on this hobby and the practice needs to go away IMO. But, it is a cheapie brushed setup that most people will likely be swapping out shortly after buying this... just sucks that a beginner will be forced to buy a new receiver minimum on top of new electronics if they want to go brushless.

Honorable mentions:

• Battery and charger is nothing to write home about. 3300mah 2s LiPo and a charger rated at .8 amps. Not spectacular, but for the price it is sufficient enough and will get you going if you're new to the hobby. It's not USB either and uses a standard wall plug which is a plus in my eyes.
• Radio has a plastic wheel which isn't as nice as a foam wheel... but, t's pretty par for the course in the price segment and I can't really complain. It has all the basic features you'd want though. This being a flysky ESC/Reciever combo that's compatible with ANT protocol means I will be binding my FS-G7P to this car pretty much right out of the gate though until I swap out the motor and ESC in favor of something with a little more power.

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Looks like it was worth the wait!
I'm curious to see how it runs now.
It reminds me a bit of a Gorgon. I really like those trucks too!
Its nice to see pretty much ANYTHING other than the Spektrum rtr junk installed.
Good luck with the brushless upgrade!

 

[Doom!]

I was just going to ask if this was FMS's answer to the Gorgon. Curious how it handles.

 

[jojobeans]

Well, it’s pretty slow… even for a brushed setup it is definitely on the low end for performance… But not terrible. Torquey enough to pull wheelies, which is fun. Enough power for a beginner to have fun, especially if they’re limited on the size of their running area. For the price and its intended audience, it’s sufficient enough in my eyes.

Front springs are so soft compared to the rear that any time you turn, the rear wheel will pick up and it just diffs out which stops your momentum mid turn. Kind of disappointing… it would cost FMS ZERO dollars to tune the suspension better. This is by far the worst suspension setup I’ve ever had on an RC car. Needs new springs and thicker oil all the way around to even be bashable IMO. Maybe this is just how 1/10 2wd monster trucks are?? This is the first time I’ve had this style of RC, so maybe I’m being too critical… but it’s bad. Like really bad… I get this is for beginners and most new folks to the hobby won’t typically notice “bad setups.” But, it’s annoying to drive even with that anemic brushed setup.

I’m gonna pull the diff and throw some thicker fluid in there assuming it’s sealed, play around with some different shock oils and put that aforementioned brushless setup in tonight. Hopefully when I go back out tomorrow it drives a bit better.

 

[CertifiedMike]

The Gorgon is brushed. I put a lipo in it to make it lighter, give more juice. Otherwise, just topped off shock oil and done.
It runs a bit slow too but also pulls wheelies. Its a bit bumbly as it runs but it runs very much like a true monster truck in a stadium would run.
I enjoy the realism.
These truck sound very similar to me.

 

[jojobeans]

The Gorgon is brushed. I put a lipo in it to make it lighter, give more juice. Otherwise, just topped off shock oil and done.
It runs a bit slow too but also pulls wheelies. Its a bit bumbly as it runs but it runs very much like a true monster truck in a stadium would run.
I enjoy the realism.
These truck sound very similar to me.

FMS was definitely targeting the Gorgon for competition. I think they did a pretty decent job despite the few complaints I’ve had so far. Especially for the price. I’ve never had a Gorgon, but have seen them in person at the LHS last year. I can’t imagine the experience between the two is much different.

I settled on 60wt shock oil. Should’ve dropped it to 50wt, but after the 3rd time filling the shocks I didn’t want to do it again. Motor/ESC is in and 10k wt in the diff. This thing is incredibly easy to work on and all of that went a lot faster than I thought it would. The difference is night and day… the 3900kv/60amp Amazon special combo is the perfect amount of power on 2s. Not going to turn heads, but the power level fits the car well. I did have to shim the spur gear out a little bit since the shaft on the new motor wouldn’t allow me to get the pinion to mesh up correctly. I actually had a blast out there and may even go back out for another night time drive.

I tried to get a video, but you’re better off watching me drive it from google earth. You’ll probably see more of the car

 

[Doom!]

Glad it got a little more pep in it's step!

 

[brushless12v]

I don't know if I would compare it to the Stampede. The Stampede is a rather interesting RC to drive, and a blast for some strange reason, unlike any other that I have driven. But I of course haven't driven this FMS. But I just can't image this drives much like a Stampede, based on how much of a unicorn the Stampede is.

Man, I love the details on the '73-79 F150 body, definitely impressed, I can't get another, the 6 i already have are slowly bleeding me dry of extra cash

 

[jojobeans]

Took it out for a run last night and put it through its paces good and proper with the brushless setup installed… this thing is strong. Countless crashes and tumbles and it just keeps on kicking. No issues with the drivetrain, nothings bent or broken, etc. I may even try 3s as the motor temps on 2s was just warm even after multiple batteries back to back in a grass field.

If anyone is on the fence, definitely pick one of these up and toss a mild brushless setup in it. This thing is tons of fun and I actually enjoyed taking a break from the 1/8 scales and 1/5 scales.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Took it out for a run last night and put it through its paces good and proper with the brushless setup installed… this thing is strong. Countless crashes and tumbles and it just keeps on kicking. No issues with the drivetrain, nothings bent or broken, etc. I may even try 3s as the motor temps on 2s was just warm even after multiple batteries back to back in a grass field.

If anyone is on the fence, definitely pick one of these up and toss a mild brushless setup in it. This thing is tons of fun and I actually enjoyed taking a break from the 1/8 scales and 1/5 scales.

how about some running videos to go along with the story

 

[jojobeans]

how about some running videos to go along with the story

I’ll get some skate park jumps tonight, by the time we had the foresight to pull a phone out last night we had gotten pushed out of the skatepark by the nightly hooligans and the jumps and crashes were unimpressive at best

This is all we got before we decided it wasn’t even worth recording. Like I said, a very unspectacular 10 seconds.

 

[jojobeans]

@Suburban_Hooligan as promised. I’m not a videographer or a YouTuber. So you get what ya get

Still haven’t broken anything. I’m impressed For under $200 it has far exceeded my expectations.