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The_RC_Dude

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  1. Bashing
Isn't new RC day so exciting? First though, before I get into the details, pics, and other stuff, I do need to clarify something. It WAS new RC day on Sunday, TBH I just didn't have time until now to sit down and make this post!

Ok, so any guesses on what I got (actually one of my relatives bought and sent it to me, I got to choose the RC)? I'll give you guys some hints, it's 1/16 scale, it's an MT (the category this post is under probably gave that away), and it's brushed (more on that later). No, it's not a Mini E-Revo, it's not made by any of the "big brands", it's the SG 1601 brushed (aka the popular HBX 16889 brushed re-branded)!


*Skip the part if you don't want to know the whole history of these models*

So a little history of the model here, the original model is the HBX (aka Haiboxing) 16889. So there's the HBX 16889 (brushed, MT), 168890 (brushed, it's the truggy version of the normal 16889, just different shell and tires), 16889 brushless (MT), 168890 brushless, and the 16889A Pro (it's a fully upgraded version of the brushless 16889, it has a full metal drivetrain, oil filled shocks, and a slightly bigger BL motor).

Then there's another brand, SG (owned and made by Pinecone Models). The SG 1601 (brushed MT, what I have), 1601 brushless (MT), 1602 (brushed, truggy), 1602 Brushless (truggy) are all re-branded HBX models (respectively, for example the SG 1601 brushed is a rebranded HBX 16889 brushed). Exact same models, just a different brand, and sometimes different body shell color sceme. Oh, and there's also the Flyhal FC600, which is a rebranded, truggy version of the HBX 16889A Pro.

Edit: Oh, and the Redcat Volcano 16 is, you guessed it, an HBX 16889! It has a different body shell paint scheme, the body shell, as far as I can tell, is the same as the 16889 and all its MT variants. The wheels (tires + rims) are different, the tires have a different tread, and apparently are a little harder. The rims have a different design. Everything else is the same!

*End of history*

I thought I was getting the brushless SG 1602, but when I opened the box, I found a brushed SG 1601 (MT)! Both are good rigs though, and I can always upgrade the 1601 to brushless (like what I did to my Wltoys 144001)! Now, the pics! (sorry to bore you all out of you brains with the above stuff!)

And yes, I still need to rip off the clear film on the body. You'll also see that I have Gorilla taped the chassis to protect against scrapes from bottoming out from drops, jumps, ect. I've also done a screw check (at least all the screws I can access easily, so I didn't take the car apart to check the diff screws and stuff). I've installed the included front LED lights, and am working on backing the body shell with Gorilla tape to reinforce it (even though I'm a more cautious driver, just want the body to last a long time), same as my 144001 buggy shell (yes, that was overkill!). I also just finished a second, extended battery try mod thingy last night, basically, it comes with an 800mah Li-ion pack, and the battery tray/chassis is just not big enough to fit my Awanfi 1500mah packs I use in my 144001. So I cut down a spare piece of paint stirrer I had (I have a big ol' pack of them), Gorilla taped over it (to make it black), drilled six holes, zip tied it onto the top deck, made my own little Velcro strap thing to secure the battery (the spare battery straps I had were way too long), add Velcro to one of my Awanfi LiPo and the battery tray thing, and boom; I now can use my bigger 2s batteries! I got this idea (of making and securing a battery tray onto the top deck for these cars) from this guy on YT. I'm also going to add some more simple mods to the car/body shell, I'll post more pics of those later. Hope you guys enjoyed seeing my new rig!

Also, here's a size comparison to my 1/14 scale Wltoys 144001!
 

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Like all the aluminum bits. Nice mix of show n go. 🖒🖒
 
Very cool.
Thanks! I know it isn't an X Maxx or anything like that, but it's still lots of fun!
Like all the aluminum bits. Nice mix of show n go. 🖒🖒
Thanks man! I assume you mean my 144001 (SG only has a few metal parts, it takes the Xmaxx approach, strength through flexible plastic)?

The alu parts you see are actually stock, full metal shocks, metal chassis, center driveshaft, pinion (stock is metal, and the smaller one I have for the brushless motor is metal also), dogbones and CVDs, outdrive cups, steering bar, shock towers, LC Racing 1.2mm rear springs (stiffer than stock), steering colonms/posts, hinger pin braces, and mostly metal diffs (only the diff body/case is plastic). I'm gonna get metal front knuckles, front C hubs, rear hubs, and maybe a metal servo arm and steering cranks (extra bling, but not sure if I want them enough to buy the last two for <$15) eventually. I do like the stock bling and extra strength!

SG actually doesn't make metal kuckles, hubs, ect. for the 1601/2, because the quality, flexible plastic is so strong stock (just read/watch some reviews, the thing is as tough as an Xmaxx!).
Love the look! :)
Thanks Doom! Which one, the new SG, or my 144001? I think both look great (but I'm biased, as I own them and take good care of my RCs!)!
 
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Thanks! I know it isn't an X Maxx or anything like that, but it's still lots of fun!

Thanks man! I assume you mean my 144001 (SG only has a few metal parts, it takes the Xmaxx approach, strength through flexible plastic)? The alu parts you see are actually stock, full metal shocks, metal chassis, center driveshaft, pinion (stock is metal, and the smaller one I have for the brushless motor is metal also), dogbones and CVDs, outdrive cups, steering bar, shock towers, and partialy metal diffs. I'm gonna get metal front kuckles, front C hubs, rear hubs, and maybe a metal servo arm and steering cranks (extra bling, but not sure if I want them enough to buy the last two for <$15) eventually. I do like the stock bling and extra strength!

SG actually doesn't make metal kuckles, hubs, ect. for the 1601/2, because the quality, flexible plastic is so strong stock (just read/watch some reviews, the thing is as tough as an Xmaxx!).

Thanks Doom! Which one, the new SG, or my 144001? I think both look great (but I'm biased, as I own them and take good care of my RCs!)!
I like it. Its built like a nitro with an electric conversion. The servo arm will be iffy. On my crawler I run aluminum as I stripped 3 or 4 plastic. On my faster trucks, I usually stick with a servo saver due to speed and hard stationary objects dont fair good for them.

If its a mini, I probably would.
 
Here is the second battery tray mod, as well as the radio for the SG compared to the DumboRC for my 144001. So as you'll see in the last pic, there is a little button above the grip, behind the throttle. If you look closely, you can see it says "AUX" next to the button, indicating that it controls the auxiliary port on the combined ESC/receiver. The front LED mentioned above plug into the AUX port, so I got excited, thinking that I could remotely turn on/off the lights. No other reviews and reviewers I've seen mentioned this little black button at all, so I though maybe they missed it, didn't mention it, or I had a new version of the radio with it? So I tried it out...and nothing, the button doesn't control anything, sadly ☹️. Later, when I was flipping through the manual, looking for anything interesting, the manual talked about the little button in the radio section. It said (infuriatingly), and I quote, "This button is disabled".
I like it. Its built like a nitro with an electric conversion. The servo arm will be iffy. On my crawler I run aluminum as I stripped 3 or 4 plastic. On my faster trucks, I usually stick with a servo saver due to speed and hard stationary objects dont fair good for them.

If its a mini, I probably would.
Very interesting, can you elaborate on the "Its built like a nitro with an electric conversion" part?

The 144001 take a heavy insparation from the excellent, underated LC Racing EMB-1 (1/14 scale brushless buggy, high quality, won't absolutely break the bank at ~$220, it's built a lot like a racer). The reason why I bring this up (the WLtoys 12401_ are based on specific LC Racing rigs too) is because the 144001, which is like a budget brushed basher version of the EMB-1, and the EMB-1 are both built ground up as electrics, they could be called "purebred" electrics, in fact, LC Racing and Wltoys haven't made a single Nitro.

If you look closely, you can see there is an adjustable servo saver on the right steering post, so a metal arm is no problem. I'm a more cautious driver, and the funny thing is, the only part I've "broke" on my 144001 was the stock 5 wire servo (when the whole car was bone stock), I stripped that in an unfortunate accident while driving indoors that included an unforgiving dining table leg (lol, I've learned my lesson!). The only reasons why I would upgrade to a metal arm is to reduce the flex in the steering system a little (though there isn't a ton of flex to begin with), and to add a little more bling. The servo I'm using is a drop in fit, the JX 1181PDI-MG (metal geared), it's a 17g servo (weight, not power!), so it ain't some beefy 50kg 1/10 scale servo, and I said there's a servo saver too so I don't see stripping any servo horns in the future. I also don't crash that much at all. Metal servo horn is $7, it's just not the most important upgrade I can do now to my 144001 (metal knuckles or better tires would take that spot)/
 

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Thanks! I know it isn't an X Maxx or anything like that, but it's still lots of fun!

Thanks man! I assume you mean my 144001 (SG only has a few metal parts, it takes the Xmaxx approach, strength through flexible plastic)?

The alu parts you see are actually stock, full metal shocks, metal chassis, center driveshaft, pinion (stock is metal, and the smaller one I have for the brushless motor is metal also), dogbones and CVDs, outdrive cups, steering bar, shock towers, LC Racing 1.2mm rear springs (stiffer than stock), steering colonms/posts, hinger pin braces, and mostly metal diffs (only the diff body/case is plastic). I'm gonna get metal front knuckles, front C hubs, rear hubs, and maybe a metal servo arm and steering cranks (extra bling, but not sure if I want them enough to buy the last two for <$15) eventually. I do like the stock bling and extra strength!

SG actually doesn't make metal kuckles, hubs, ect. for the 1601/2, because the quality, flexible plastic is so strong stock (just read/watch some reviews, the thing is as tough as an Xmaxx!).

Thanks Doom! Which one, the new SG, or my 144001? I think both look great (but I'm biased, as I own them and take good care of my RCs!)!
It doesn't have to be a Xmaxx to have fun brother.
 
It doesn't have to be a Xmaxx to have fun brother.
Agreed! I'm one of those people who believes that you don't have to spend a ton of $$ for a lot of fun! And now that I've found and experienced brushless power (with my brushless converted 144001), *cough* you know what may be coming for the SG 1601 down the pipe line, so to speak...
 
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Kicking the idea to get a 144001. Anything "better" in the price range the 144001 doesn't offer?
 
Kicking the idea to get a 144001. Anything "better" in the price range the 144001 doesn't offer?
Well, no! I love my 144001, I've spent many hours tuning it, adjusting it, cleaning it, upgrading it, and it runs pretty dang well IMO! The 144001 offers outstanding value, pretty much nothing comes close to it.

Check out the 144002, it's just a 144001, but with MT style wheels and body shell, some lights, and metal front knuckles, caster blocks, and rear hubs. If that is worth the extra ~$40 for you at ~$125, (it's on sale right now) then go for it! The 144001 is lighter and faster by about 5mph though.

There's also the 124019, which is a lengthened, 1/12 scale version of the 144001, with some other minor improvements, for ~$30 more. The 124018 is a 124019, but with a new desert truck style body, and the rear shocks are mounted differently. The 124017 and 124016 (single battery version is not in stock) are brushless versions of the 124109 and 124018, respectively. They cost about $12-25 more than their brushed counterparts.

The Eachine EAT14 is a brushless 144001 made by Wltoys, just rebranded under Banggood's in house brand, Eachine. All the stock brushless cars suffer from some cogging. If you're gonna upgrade to brushless down the road, perhaps just buy the brushed versions, as you'll just chuck out the electronics anyway, so you save money with the brushed versions.

I highly recommend to check out quadifyrc.com, he knows a lot about the Wltoys stuff, and has done reviews on them, upgrade and tuning guides, as well as numerous brushless conversions. I followed his "budget brushless conversion" guide for my 144001, and have been happy with it, and it's the smallest motor that he's done a guide on! He also has some info on the stock brushless stuff vs. the stock brushed cars.

Oh, and last note, if you're looking for an outright durable MT basher, consider the HBX 16889. It's primarily plastic, but it's a high quality, flexible plastic. The brushed version is usually $80-$85, and there's the brushless version, (on sale right now) for about $100. Lastly, you have the HBX 16889A Pro, which is the fully upgraded BL version, oil filled shocks, full metal drivetrain, bigger motor, ect. for $130.

The 16889 platform isn't that adjustable, it's built as a no-fuss 1/16 scale basher. If racing, tinkering, and upgrades are your thing, go for the 144001/124019 platform. If you're a no fuss, minimal tinkering, just-go-bash guy, and you beat on your cars hard, the 16889 will serve you well! There are also a TON of different versions of the 16889, from brushless versions, to Pro versions, to truggy versions, rebranded 16889s from other brands, everything! I covered this in my original post.

I have the SG 1601, which is a rebranded 16889 brushed. Hope this all helps, sorry to dump all this on you!
 
Well, no! I love my 144001, I've spent many hours tuning it, adjusting it, cleaning it, upgrading it, and it runs pretty dang well IMO! The 144001 offers outstanding value, pretty much nothing comes close to it.

Check out the 144002, it's just a 144001, but with MT style wheels and body shell, some lights, and metal front knuckles, caster blocks, and rear hubs. If that is worth the extra ~$40 for you at ~$125, (it's on sale right now) then go for it! The 144001 is lighter and faster by about 5mph though.

There's also the 124019, which is a lengthened, 1/12 scale version of the 144001, with some other minor improvements, for ~$30 more. The 124018 is a 124019, but with a new desert truck style body, and the rear shocks are mounted differently. The 124017 and 124016 (single battery version is not in stock) are brushless versions of the 124109 and 124018, respectively. They cost about $12-25 more than their brushed counterparts.

The Eachine EAT14 is a brushless 144001 made by Wltoys, just rebranded under Banggood's in house brand, Eachine. All the stock brushless cars suffer from some cogging. If you're gonna upgrade to brushless down the road, perhaps just buy the brushed versions, as you'll just chuck out the electronics anyway, so you save money with the brushed versions.

I highly recommend to check out quadifyrc.com, he knows a lot about the Wltoys stuff, and has done reviews on them, upgrade and tuning guides, as well as numerous brushless conversions. I followed his "budget brushless conversion" guide for my 144001, and have been happy with it, and it's the smallest motor that he's done a guide on! He also has some info on the stock brushless stuff vs. the stock brushed cars.

Oh, and last note, if you're looking for an outright durable MT basher, consider the HBX 16889. It's primarily plastic, but it's a high quality, flexible plastic. The brushed version is usually $80-$85, and there's the brushless version, (on sale right now) for about $100. Lastly, you have the HBX 16889A Pro, which is the fully upgraded BL version, oil filled shocks, full metal drivetrain, bigger motor, ect. for $130.

The 16889 platform isn't that adjustable, it's built as a no-fuss 1/16 scale basher. If racing, tinkering, and upgrades are your thing, go for the 144001/124019 platform. If you're a no fuss, minimal tinkering, just-go-bash guy, and you beat on your cars hard, the 16889 will serve you well! There are also a TON of different versions of the 16889, from brushless versions, to Pro versions, to truggy versions, rebranded 16889s from other brands, everything! I covered this in my original post.

I have the SG 1601, which is a rebranded 16889 brushed. Hope this all helps, sorry to dump all this on you!
Thanks man, lots of info, now my head is spinning lol. I'll read on this more and check out some more reviews and video on all you mentioned. Definitely interested in upgrades down the road to keep thing fresh and interesting. Thanks
 
Thanks man, lots of info, now my head is spinning lol. I'll read on this more and check out some more reviews and video on all you mentioned. Definitely interested in upgrades down the road to keep thing fresh and interesting. Thanks
Whoopsie! 😵‍💫😵‍💫 Better than it empty, am I right? *Knock Knock*

No problem, and remember to check out quadifyrc.com, there's a reason why I recommend his blog all over the forum! Don't get me wrong, if you get the stock brushed HBX 16889, you can upgrade to brushless, get oil filled shocks, metal CVDs and dogbones, metal diffs and spur, and other tires. That't just about it though, but with the 144001/124019 platform you can go to the MOON! You could end up with only a handful of stock parts. If you didn't know, the 144001/124019 platform draws a lot of insparation from the LC Racing EMB 1/14 and 1/12 lineup. The LC Racing cars are much more expensive, starting at ~$220 to ~265, but they are really good quality, the handling is even better than the 144001/124019, they are brushless stock, and the BL system in them is like the best basher BL system for these cars, no compromises!

The Wltoys stuff still gets you 80%-85% of that stuff, for much less, but you lose the BL system (in some Wltoys cars), and the quality is slightly less. They are still good, but you can't expect LC Racing stuff from that price that Wltoys is asking. So to sum it up, the 144001/124019 platform is the much cheaper, very similar, "basher" version (the tolerances aren't quite as good, ect., the finish is just slightly below) of the LC Racing 1/12 and 1/14 scale cars. If you have the extra $$ and like having the best in class, and want your cars to come with most of the "upgrade parts" installed, then go for the LC Racing stuff. If you don't have the upfront $$, like to upgrade, tinker and modify your rig's parts, and don't need the "Rolls Royce" in class, and aren't a racer, then the Wltoys stuff will suit you well! As I said, I love my 144001, and it has a few LC-R (my own acronym!) parts on it.

BTW yes, you can put LC-R parts on Wltoys stuff, to some extent. About 2/3rds of the driveline is NOT compatible with the LC-R stuff though, like the diffs, spur/pinion, drive shaft, and slipper clutch on some LC-R models (WLtoys don't have slippers) are not compatible. Just do some research before buying parts!

Oops, info overload!
 
Isn't new RC day so exciting? First though, before I get into the details, pics, and other stuff, I do need to clarify something. It WAS new RC day on Sunday, TBH I just didn't have time until now to sit down and make this post!

Ok, so any guesses on what I got (actually one of my relatives bought and sent it to me, I got to choose the RC)? I'll give you guys some hints, it's 1/16 scale, it's an MT (the category this post is under probably gave that away), and it's brushed (more on that later). No, it's not a Mini E-Revo, it's not made by any of the "big brands", it's the SG 1601 brushed (aka the popular HBX 16889 brushed re-branded)!


*Skip the part if you don't want to know the whole history of these models*

So a little history of the model here, the original model is the HBX (aka Haiboxing) 16889. So there's the HBX 16889 (brushed, MT), 168890 (brushed, it's the truggy version of the normal 16889, just different shell and tires), 16889 brushless (MT), 168890 brushless, and the 16889A Pro (it's a fully upgraded version of the brushless 16889, it has a full metal drivetrain, oil filled shocks, and a slightly bigger BL motor).

Then there's another brand, SG (owned and made by Pinecone Models). The SG 1601 (brushed MT, what I have), 1601 brushless (MT), 1602 (brushed, truggy), 1602 Brushless (truggy) are all re-branded HBX models (respectively, for example the SG 1601 brushed is a rebranded HBX 16889 brushed). Exact same models, just a different brand, and sometimes different body shell color sceme. Oh, and there's also the Flyhal FC600, which is a rebranded, truggy version of the HBX 16889A Pro.

Edit: Oh, and the Redcat Volcano 16 is, you guessed it, an HBX 16889! It has a different body shell paint scheme, the body shell, as far as I can tell, is the same as the 16889 and all its MT variants. The wheels (tires + rims) are different, the tires have a different tread, and apparently are a little harder. The rims have a different design. Everything else is the same!

*End of history*

I thought I was getting the brushless SG 1602, but when I opened the box, I found a brushed SG 1601 (MT)! Both are good rigs though, and I can always upgrade the 1601 to brushless (like what I did to my Wltoys 144001)! Now, the pics! (sorry to bore you all out of you brains with the above stuff!)

And yes, I still need to rip off the clear film on the body. You'll also see that I have Gorilla taped the chassis to protect against scrapes from bottoming out from drops, jumps, ect. I've also done a screw check (at least all the screws I can access easily, so I didn't take the car apart to check the diff screws and stuff). I've installed the included front LED lights, and am working on backing the body shell with Gorilla tape to reinforce it (even though I'm a more cautious driver, just want the body to last a long time), same as my 144001 buggy shell (yes, that was overkill!). I also just finished a second, extended battery try mod thingy last night, basically, it comes with an 800mah Li-ion pack, and the battery tray/chassis is just not big enough to fit my Awanfi 1500mah packs I use in my 144001. So I cut down a spare piece of paint stirrer I had (I have a big ol' pack of them), Gorilla taped over it (to make it black), drilled six holes, zip tied it onto the top deck, made my own little Velcro strap thing to secure the battery (the spare battery straps I had were way too long), add Velcro to one of my Awanfi LiPo and the battery tray thing, and boom; I now can use my bigger 2s batteries! I got this idea (of making and securing a battery tray onto the top deck for these cars) from this guy on YT. I'm also going to add some more simple mods to the car/body shell, I'll post more pics of those later. Hope you guys enjoyed seeing my new rig!

Also, here's a size comparison to my 1/14 scale Wltoys 144001!
I just purchased the Haiboxing 16889 brushless last week. It is definitely a super fun and fast little truck! I was impressed about how “flip resistant” it is around corners. I do wish it was a little bit bigger, but it’s all good.
 
I just purchased the Haiboxing 16889 brushless last week. It is definitely a super fun and fast little truck! I was impressed about how “flip resistant” it is around corners. I do wish it was a little bit bigger, but it’s all good.
Nice! That reminds me, I still need to work on my medium-term review of this thing! I've added a few homemade upgrades to it, as usual!

You said you got the 16889 brushless, not the 16889A Pro? That would mean yours comes with friction shocks, and not oil-filled ones. If you find it doesn't "traction roll" very bad in corners, then you'll love the oil filled shocks (you can get them as an upgrade, less than $10 for two shocks)!

My "16889" (actually an SG 1601, but I've covered this before numerous times) can traction roll in corners on asphalt if you give it maximum berries and max steering lock, so it will flip over in corners if you really want to, but under lower power and less aggressive cornering, it rarely flips! I'm used to my 144001 though, that's a buggy, so it had great handling, and lower ground clearance, those two coupled with the oil filled shocks (which I have upped the shock oil to 50wt, and stiffer springs in the rear) means it's very hard to flip in corners! In fact, under my more conservative driving style, (<50% thtottle nominal) I've only flipped it in corners a couple of time, and that was when I was really trying to, and maybe there was a root or something to help! It may also be partially due to the fact that the stock tires are looking a bit worn after 1.5+ years of use, so they don't hook up that well when cornering on asphalt.

I'm not saying the 16889 is bad in corners or anything, don't get me wrong, just that MTs (Monster Trucks) and buggies have distinct handling traits! I love both of my cars, and TBH, I'm driving my 1601 a little more, because it's just a little easier to clean (maybe slightly less nooks and crannies than the 144001?), and I feel a little better just thrashing it and hooning it around, because it's so tough, you know? The 144001 is pretty tough too, just maybe because I like it a lot I don't want to "kill it"!

Anyway, I'm rambling again! The 16889 is a 1/16 scale, and it does tell you the dimensions, so the compact size shouldn't be a huge surprise. You can see in my original post that it's a hair smaller than the 1/14 scale 144001
Isn't new RC day so exciting? First though, before I get into the details, pics, and other stuff, I do need to clarify something. It WAS new RC day on Sunday, TBH I just didn't have time until now to sit down and make this post!

Ok, so any guesses on what I got (actually one of my relatives bought and sent it to me, I got to choose the RC)? I'll give you guys some hints, it's 1/16 scale, it's an MT (the category this post is under probably gave that away), and it's brushed (more on that later). No, it's not a Mini E-Revo, it's not made by any of the "big brands", it's the SG 1601 brushed (aka the popular HBX 16889 brushed re-branded)!


*Skip the part if you don't want to know the whole history of these models*

So a little history of the model here, the original model is the HBX (aka Haiboxing) 16889. So there's the HBX 16889 (brushed, MT), 168890 (brushed, it's the truggy version of the normal 16889, just different shell and tires), 16889 brushless (MT), 168890 brushless, and the 16889A Pro (it's a fully upgraded version of the brushless 16889, it has a full metal drivetrain, oil filled shocks, and a slightly bigger BL motor).

Then there's another brand, SG (owned and made by Pinecone Models). The SG 1601 (brushed MT, what I have), 1601 brushless (MT), 1602 (brushed, truggy), 1602 Brushless (truggy) are all re-branded HBX models (respectively, for example the SG 1601 brushed is a rebranded HBX 16889 brushed). Exact same models, just a different brand, and sometimes different body shell color sceme. Oh, and there's also the Flyhal FC600, which is a rebranded, truggy version of the HBX 16889A Pro.

Edit: Oh, and the Redcat Volcano 16 is, you guessed it, an HBX 16889! It has a different body shell paint scheme, the body shell, as far as I can tell, is the same as the 16889 and all its MT variants. The wheels (tires + rims) are different, the tires have a different tread, and apparently are a little harder. The rims have a different design. Everything else is the same!

*End of history*

I thought I was getting the brushless SG 1602, but when I opened the box, I found a brushed SG 1601 (MT)! Both are good rigs though, and I can always upgrade the 1601 to brushless (like what I did to my Wltoys 144001)! Now, the pics! (sorry to bore you all out of you brains with the above stuff!)

And yes, I still need to rip off the clear film on the body. You'll also see that I have Gorilla taped the chassis to protect against scrapes from bottoming out from drops, jumps, ect. I've also done a screw check (at least all the screws I can access easily, so I didn't take the car apart to check the diff screws and stuff). I've installed the included front LED lights, and am working on backing the body shell with Gorilla tape to reinforce it (even though I'm a more cautious driver, just want the body to last a long time), same as my 144001 buggy shell (yes, that was overkill!). I also just finished a second, extended battery try mod thingy last night, basically, it comes with an 800mah Li-ion pack, and the battery tray/chassis is just not big enough to fit my Awanfi 1500mah packs I use in my 144001. So I cut down a spare piece of paint stirrer I had (I have a big ol' pack of them), Gorilla taped over it (to make it black), drilled six holes, zip tied it onto the top deck, made my own little Velcro strap thing to secure the battery (the spare battery straps I had were way too long), add Velcro to one of my Awanfi LiPo and the battery tray thing, and boom; I now can use my bigger 2s batteries! I got this idea (of making and securing a battery tray onto the top deck for these cars) from this guy on YT. I'm also going to add some more simple mods to the car/body shell, I'll post more pics of those later. Hope you guys enjoyed seeing my new rig!

Also, here's a size comparison to my 1/14 scale Wltoys 144001!
Oh and also, the FTX Tracer MT version is also the same as the brushed 16889, and the Tracer Truggy is the same as the brushed 168890 truggy. I can seem to edit my original post...I guess the forum "holds" that right for older posts/replies. Also, stay tuned for my review on this truck, I'm thinking of doing a 4 month review (or maybe I'll wait till July so I can do a 6 month review)!
 
Nice! That reminds me, I still need to work on my medium-term review of this thing! I've added a few homemade upgrades to it, as usual!

You said you got the 16889 brushless, not the 16889A Pro? That would mean yours comes with friction shocks, and not oil-filled ones. If you find it doesn't "traction roll" very bad in corners, then you'll love the oil filled shocks (you can get them as an upgrade, less than $10 for two shocks)!

My "16889" (actually an SG 1601, but I've covered this before numerous times) can traction roll in corners on asphalt if you give it maximum berries and max steering lock, so it will flip over in corners if you really want to, but under lower power and less aggressive cornering, it rarely flips! I'm used to my 144001 though, that's a buggy, so it had great handling, and lower ground clearance, those two coupled with the oil filled shocks (which I have upped the shock oil to 50wt, and stiffer springs in the rear) means it's very hard to flip in corners! In fact, under my more conservative driving style, (<50% thtottle nominal) I've only flipped it in corners a couple of time, and that was when I was really trying to, and maybe there was a root or something to help! It may also be partially due to the fact that the stock tires are looking a bit worn after 1.5+ years of use, so they don't hook up that well when cornering on asphalt.

I'm not saying the 16889 is bad in corners or anything, don't get me wrong, just that MTs (Monster Trucks) and buggies have distinct handling traits! I love both of my cars, and TBH, I'm driving my 1601 a little more, because it's just a little easier to clean (maybe slightly less nooks and crannies than the 144001?), and I feel a little better just thrashing it and hooning it around, because it's so tough, you know? The 144001 is pretty tough too, just maybe because I like it a lot I don't want to "kill it"!

Anyway, I'm rambling again! The 16889 is a 1/16 scale, and it does tell you the dimensions, so the compact size shouldn't be a huge surprise. You can see in my original post that it's a hair smaller than the 1/14 scale 144001

Oh and also, the FTX Tracer MT version is also the same as the brushed 16889, and the Tracer Truggy is the same as the brushed 168890 truggy. I can seem to edit my original post...I guess the forum "holds" that right for older posts/replies. Also, stay tuned for my review on this truck, I'm thinking of doing a 4 month review (or maybe I'll wait till July so I can do a 6 month review)!
Nice! That reminds me, I still need to work on my medium-term review of this thing! I've added a few homemade upgrades to it, as usual!

You said you got the 16889 brushless, not the 16889A Pro? That would mean yours comes with friction shocks, and not oil-filled ones. If you find it doesn't "traction roll" very bad in corners, then you'll love the oil filled shocks (you can get them as an upgrade, less than $10 for two shocks)!

My "16889" (actually an SG 1601, but I've covered this before numerous times) can traction roll in corners on asphalt if you give it maximum berries and max steering lock, so it will flip over in corners if you really want to, but under lower power and less aggressive cornering, it rarely flips! I'm used to my 144001 though, that's a buggy, so it had great handling, and lower ground clearance, those two coupled with the oil filled shocks (which I have upped the shock oil to 50wt, and stiffer springs in the rear) means it's very hard to flip in corners! In fact, under my more conservative driving style, (<50% thtottle nominal) I've only flipped it in corners a couple of time, and that was when I was really trying to, and maybe there was a root or something to help! It may also be partially due to the fact that the stock tires are looking a bit worn after 1.5+ years of use, so they don't hook up that well when cornering on asphalt.

I'm not saying the 16889 is bad in corners or anything, don't get me wrong, just that MTs (Monster Trucks) and buggies have distinct handling traits! I love both of my cars, and TBH, I'm driving my 1601 a little more, because it's just a little easier to clean (maybe slightly less nooks and crannies than the 144001?), and I feel a little better just thrashing it and hooning it around, because it's so tough, you know? The 144001 is pretty tough too, just maybe because I like it a lot I don't want to "kill it"!

Anyway, I'm rambling again! The 16889 is a 1/16 scale, and it does tell you the dimensions, so the compact size shouldn't be a huge surprise. You can see in my original post that it's a hair smaller than the 1/14 scale 144001

Oh and also, the FTX Tracer MT version is also the same as the brushed 16889, and the Tracer Truggy is the same as the brushed 168890 truggy. I can seem to edit my original post...I guess the forum "holds" that right for older posts/replies. Also, stay tuned for my review on this truck, I'm thinking of doing a 4 month review (or maybe I'll wait till July so I can do a 6 month review)!
I have 2 of the 144001’s, and they are a blast. Very quick and agile, on the pavement! I was hoping the Haiboxing would be suitable for short grass, but due to its small size, it (motor) seems to get pretty warm. I did order a pair of oil filled shocks, but you know how long it takes “That” company to get stuff to you! I do have the Arrma 3s Typhon, but it’s almost too much for smaller areas. It’s nice that there is so much variety of vehicles to experiment with.
 
I have 2 of the 144001’s, and they are a blast. Very quick and agile, on the pavement! I was hoping the Haiboxing would be suitable for short grass, but due to its small size, it (motor) seems to get pretty warm. I did order a pair of oil filled shocks, but you know how long it takes “That” company to get stuff to you! I do have the Arrma 3s Typhon, but it’s almost too much for smaller areas. It’s nice that there is so much variety of vehicles to experiment with.
Oh wow, we're just talking each other's language, 144001's and 16889's! 🤣🤣 Are any of your 144001s brushless converted? Mine is, even with the smaller 2440 4600kV motor, the thing rips! It does a hair under 40mph, so slightly faster than stock (<5mph), even with that smaller motor can size, and a much smaller 15t pinion! The power of brushless motors man..#BrushedMotorsMatter (10th Scale Garage reference...anyone get that one?) and everything, but #BLMotorsAreAwesome!

Your 16889's motor gets warm? These trucks are geared somewhat conservatively, and they run on 2s, plus they're lightweight (mine weighs 1.8lbs without the battery, and that's with my homemade mods, so it probably weighs around 2lbs with my bigger 1500mAh battery in all said and done. My brushless 144001 weighs about 2.2lbs with the same 1500mAh LiPo, with all my hopups/upgrades IIRC). On my 1601, the ESC barely gets warm, heck, it doesn't even have a heatsink, that tells you just how efficient and adequate it is! The motor comes with a fin-style heatsink, and it gets a little warm when driving it for 10 min at <70% throttle, but not very warm at all. All in all, both the ESC and motor mostly stay lukewarm, sometimes warm if you push it a little harder, when driving at <70%.

BTW that's on asphalt, grass causes a lot of drag on the car, and a lot of rolling resistance, so practically any car will overheat or get a bit toasty when running on grass for a while, especially smaller scale cars due to less power, smaller wheels, and lower ground clearance. The 16889/1601 had a good bit of ground clearance especially for it's size, it's a true "MT", as the diff boxes are lower than the chassis, giving it extra ground clearance, and true MT handling! It does sag a bit on the friction shocks under it's own weight, to the point that the A-arms front and rear are nearly level/parallel with the ground, but I'd expect oil filled shocks to migate this a little, as there's way better dampening.

The "worst" point of this car is definitely the friction shocks, but you can't have everything, and the truck is already affordable, what're you gonna do? Plus, shocks aren't hard or too expensive to replace (never mind the larger scale stuff, even for 1/10 scale, those shocks get expensive real quick!)! Shocks are gonna be my first upgrade for sure!

The 3s Typhon is BL, right? Is it 1/10th or 1/8th scale? IIRC it was a 1/8 scale BL buggy...

For anyone reading who doesn't know what "MT" and "BL" means (as I say it multiple times), they mean "Monster Truck" and "Brushless", respectively.
 
Oh wow, we're just talking each other's language, 144001's and 16889's! 🤣🤣 Are any of your 144001s brushless converted? Mine is, even with the smaller 2440 4600kV motor, the thing rips! It does a hair under 40mph, so slightly faster than stock (<5mph), even with that smaller motor can size, and a much smaller 15t pinion! The power of brushless motors man..#BrushedMotorsMatter (10th Scale Garage reference...anyone get that one?) and everything, but #BLMotorsAreAwesome!

Your 16889's motor gets warm? These trucks are geared somewhat conservatively, and they run on 2s, plus they're lightweight (mine weighs 1.8lbs without the battery, and that's with my homemade mods, so it probably weighs around 2lbs with my bigger 1500mAh battery in all said and done. My brushless 144001 weighs about 2.2lbs with the same 1500mAh LiPo, with all my hopups/upgrades IIRC). On my 1601, the ESC barely gets warm, heck, it doesn't even have a heatsink, that tells you just how efficient and adequate it is! The motor comes with a fin-style heatsink, and it gets a little warm when driving it for 10 min at <70% throttle, but not very warm at all. All in all, both the ESC and motor mostly stay lukewarm, sometimes warm if you push it a little harder, when driving at <70%.

BTW that's on asphalt, grass causes a lot of drag on the car, and a lot of rolling resistance, so practically any car will overheat or get a bit toasty when running on grass for a while, especially smaller scale cars due to less power, smaller wheels, and lower ground clearance. The 16889/1601 had a good bit of ground clearance especially for it's size, it's a true "MT", as the diff boxes are lower than the chassis, giving it extra ground clearance, and true MT handling! It does sag a bit on the friction shocks under it's own weight, to the point that the A-arms front and rear are nearly level/parallel with the ground, but I'd expect oil filled shocks to migate this a little, as there's way better dampening.

The "worst" point of this car is definitely the friction shocks, but you can't have everything, and the truck is already affordable, what're you gonna do? Plus, shocks aren't hard or too expensive to replace (never mind the larger scale stuff, even for 1/10 scale, those shocks get expensive real quick!)! Shocks are gonna be my first upgrade for sure!

The 3s Typhon is BL, right? Is it 1/10th or 1/8th scale? IIRC it was a 1/8 scale BL buggy...

For anyone reading who doesn't know what "MT" and "BL" means (as I say it multiple times), they mean "Monster Truck" and "Brushless", respectively.
I did not convert the 144001’s to brushless. When I bought them, I also bought 2 extra motors and ESC’s for them, which in hindsight wasn’t necessary. I just figured they would fail, and I’d have extras on hand. Anyway, these things go plenty fast for me! I know some would disagree, but there is a point of Too Fast! I ended up switching out some of my land vehicles (and boat) with the NB4 Noble FlySky receivers when I got that transmitter( I love that transmitter). I’m a lefty, so the NB4 feels so much more natural being able to flip the wheel to the left side. Now a have this dilemma of having to switch back and forth between left and right hand steering when I use the non converted cars (transmitters) . Eventually I’ll get all my stuff (all 7, Wow!) fitted with the NB4 compatible Rx’s. But at $30-40 per receiver, it gets somewhat expensive. Being left handed is a pain sometimes!
The Typhon is brushless, and has little to no trouble in short grass. I believe its 1/8 scale.
 
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