fms fxc24 v scx24 deadbolt first impressions

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cimh

RCTalk Basher
Messages
56
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63
Location
UK
RC Driving Style
  1. Crawling
Hope its ok to start a new thread about this?

The FMS24 will be a popular wagon and mine finally arrived this morning. I thought it would be good to give a quick comparison to my deadbolt even though its clearly early days.

The good bits.
1. The 2 gears are great for a lot more speed.
2. The controller - has a more options regarding how to control the wagon
3. The stock version would be a better crawler than the stock deadbolt. The most obvious difference is that the wider wheelbase makes it less likely to tip to the side (stock deadbolt tipped at 37degrees the wagon at 41) however the stock deadbolt was slightly less likely to tip forward than the wagon probably because it has a lower C of G.

The not so good bits
1. I really struggle to get the top off. There are 4 plastic clips and it takes me a good 5 minutes to do and I worry about breaking it. Very annoying (If someone has found an easy way please tell me) by comparison the deadbolts hinged top is a joy.
2. There is a tiny space for the battery and a flimsy elastic band to hold it in place - so it might be hard to find different batteries. The deadbolt has a much larger space and much easier fixing
3. The battery has a micro mx2.0 2 pin plug. OK for the supplied charger but I will have to put together a new lead to use with my e680 sky charger and the plugs do not look easy to source in the UK - If anyone finds a UK source please let me know.
4. It is very tight under the hood so I fear there is a risk of wires getting caught / broekn when trying to replace the top.
5. The tiny screws are much harder to manage than the axial hex ones.

Crawling comparison
While the wagon would comfortably beat a stock deadbolt it is not as good as my slightly modified deadbolt. The deadbolt has mudslinger tyres, weighted plastic wheels, brass hexes to widen the wheelbase and a better servo. I guess the overall cost of the deabolt + hop ups would be around 170 UK pounds whereas the wagon costs 133 pounds. The wagon's tyres do not grip so well on my outside wood / stone track so it struggles on steep slopes. The mudslingers enable the axial to climb over bigger ridges ( I think the wagon's large front bumper could also be an issue here). Finally as mentioned earlier the Wagon is more likely to topple forward and back than the deadbolt.

Clearly we are not testing like for like. Overall I am pleased. The wagon should make a great base to build on if its components stand up. Tyres feel like the first thing to change
 
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Perfectly ok to post up your own review of an RC, and thanks for doing do.

My 24 stuff is on the back burner again while I try to get the drag car finished up. But I really want to grab one of these FCX trucks to play with.
 
Perfectly welcome but pics speak louder than words.... :p
 
I think the FCX24 has a lot of potential. It seems to be pretty good for FMS's first real mini crawler. New tires definitely help. I still haven't added my Treal brass portal covers (hopefully this weekend) but I imaging they will also help getting the cg lower. I am liking the competition FMS brings to the mini arena, it will keep Axial on their toes, which is good for all of us.
 
I think the FCX24 has a lot of potential. It seems to be pretty good for FMS's first real mini crawler. New tires definitely help. I still haven't added my Treal brass portal covers (hopefully this weekend) but I imaging they will also help getting the cg lower. I am liking the competition FMS brings to the mini arena, it will keep Axial on their toes, which is good for all of us.
Have you ordered the portal gear upgrade yet? That seems to be the first thing to go.
 
Looks like there are two hex sizes for the small bolts, both larger than those on the scx. Can anyone tell me what size drivers I need to get?
Perfectly welcome but pics speak louder than words.... :p
Good point

battery placement.jpg


tabs.jpg


on off switch.jpg


battery.jpg
 
@cimh You are right about the body tabs, they are kind of awkward, good idea in theory, not so good in real life.
Yes having slept on this I do think the wagon although good is quite messy in the way it's been put together. The on off switch stuck on with what looks like hot glue and falls away on day one, the fragile looking wires from the ESC to the front lights, the jumble of wires generally, the messy battery fix. It just looks much less organised than the deadbolt and therefore may have more room for failure. Still only time will tell.

I only have the 2 vehicles so take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
 
It looks like there are 2 sizes of Allen drivers needed for the screws. My scx driver doesn't seem to fit them. Can anyone tell me what sizes I need to get?
 
@Doom thanks for the info - I realised I must have a 1.5 allen key somewhere in my garage - sure did - so I took a look at one of my portals and the gears are all metal. These have only just arrived the the UK this week so must be a relatively recent batch. I have heard a lot of talk about plastic gears so its good news that they are now metal. Does that mean they should provide metal gears for free to those that dont have them . . . ? I have also put a slighly softer spring in the suspension from some sxc24 shocks I havent used. All I need now are some wheels and tyres to match the mudslingers and my Deadbolt will have a fight on its hands.
 
@cimh I tried putting a set of SCX24 hex extenders on mine, but the axle size is to big, and I don't have the skill to drill them out. If I could use the hex extenders I could use my wheel weights. Hopefully some one will make some for the FCX24 soon.
 
so I took a look at one of my portals and the gears are all metal. These have only just arrived the the UK this week so must be a relatively recent batch.
You got my hopes up, but when I opened up my portals today, they had plastic gears. Good thing I bought a set metal gears already. Only installed them in the front for now. But now I have an extra set of plastic for the back if I need them.
 
In spite of my earlier and minor criticisms. The fms fcx24 wagon. It is becoming my first choice crawler over the scx24. Why? the key reason is the gear shift. Having the go faster gear makes it more fun and faster moving between tricky bits where low gear isn't needed. Getting the body off is quite easy once you get the hang of it. Techincally is is not as good a climber as my modified deadbolt but that in no way affects its enjoyment as its a totally different vehicle and you have to have the vehicles side by side to really notice. Now they ship with metal portal gears that removes one area of weakness. I'm also surprised at how long the small battery lasts.

The only changes I have made are removing the bumper which is quite low, unplugging the lights (makes getting the top off easier) and I am in the process of adding 6g of weight to each wheel with plumbers solder as it made a difference to the deadbolt.
fms wheel.JPG
 
If you guys haven’t done it already, I highly recommend replacing the portal covers and steering links with metal upgrades. I just did both, using Treal steering links and brass portal covers front and rear. The weighted portal covers made a huge difference in stability. I also drilled out some Treal SCX24 spacers and I have some wider deep dish mofo low offset wheels to widen the track a bit. I had some drilled out mofo brass “disc brake” spacers which worked great with stock portal covers but did not fit with the Treal portal covers.

Some positives I’ve noticed with the FCX compared with the Deadbolt are both in terms of speed in high gear (lots of it, good for covering open space and also for moments where you need a burst of wheel speed to get out of a situation or to give some sudden weight transfer to prevent a tumble) as well as much better low speed control in low gear compared with my Deadbolt on stock electronics. The ability to crawl at a glacial pace right “off idle” more than makes up for some of its mediocre suspension and high cg deficiencies in terms of keeping shiny side up crawling on big rocks.

My modified Deadbolt is better in some limited contexts like sidehilling and climbing steep angles without tumbling backwards, but the throttle control of the FCX is a huge equalizer for overall competence. And the top speed is still better than that of my Deadbolt even with the Injora purple 050 motor upgrade which is super jumpy and torquey but far slower and touchier than the 130 in the FCX.

Oh, and I also much prefer working with the larger M2 hardware and thicker, coarser threaded axle ends on the FCX24. The M1.4 fasteners and tiny SCX24 axles are a nightmare to work on. It’s much easier to hold the M2 screws and find them when you drop them, and the bigger axle ends keep wheels in place much more reliably. I was constantly losing wheels, hex hubs, wheel nuts and axle pins running my SCX24 outside.
 
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I agree about the deadbolt nuts falling off - v frustrating - I solved that with loctite but regret doing so as they are now on too tight for comfort.
It would be good to see some pics? - I'd be interested in some low offset wheels so as not to get too close to the portals and to enable a wider choice of tyre but not sure which to get any thoughts appreciated - is the servo and motor good enough on the FCX to handle more weight and wider wheelbase?
 
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