Losi Mini B 1/16th scale

[Mtbmatty]

We took my sons new rustler to a dedicated rc shop near us to ask a few questions and pick up a few small bits.
They have an indoor carpet track and after asking about it they told us to try it out. It was a lot of fun and obviously not the right car for the track.

I would like to get a good buggy to use on the carpet track and the Losi mini B is an attractive price point. Knowing full well I would need at least one additional battery and a better charger, is this a worthwhile investment?? Or does this fall into the “you get what you pay for” category?

Keep in mind this will be driven mostly by my 8 year old and sometimes by me and we are new to the hobby.

 

[wannarunem]

I think that would be a good choice. Man, I wish I had an RC when I was eight.
Y'all have fun

 

[WickedFog]

We took my sons new rustler to a dedicated rc shop near us to ask a few questions and pick up a few small bits.
They have an indoor carpet track and after asking about it they told us to try it out. It was a lot of fun and obviously not the right car for the track.

I would like to get a good buggy to use on the carpet track and the Losi mini B is an attractive price point. Knowing full well I would need at least one additional battery and a better charger, is this a worthwhile investment?? Or does this fall into the “you get what you pay for” category?

Keep in mind this will be driven mostly by my 8 year old and sometimes by me and we are new to the hobby.

Depending on the track, the classes they race, etc, it may or may not be a good choice. I would ask the shop owner. But Losi's are good cars all around. Just know, the smaller the scale, the harder they are to control.

 

[Mtbmatty]

Not interested in racing just yet. I did see a YouTube clip of the stock mini races they do and it was on more of a rubber mat. Looked like beginners which was cool. Not sure what other races/classes they have. For starters we want to have fun and also be able to rip it around in the driveway at home.

Starting to lean towards the mini B pro roller. Dynamite has a cool motor/esc combo that is made for the car. Thinking I would rather do that than upgrade the stock buggy.

I appreciate the tip on the handling aspects of smaller scale. I’ve been preaching throttle control as opposed to constant full send.

 

[WickedFog]

Not interested in racing just yet. I did see a YouTube clip of the stock mini races they do and it was on more of a rubber mat. Looked like beginners which was cool. Not sure what other races/classes they have. For starters we want to have fun and also be able to rip it around in the driveway at home.

Starting to lean towards the mini B pro roller. Dynamite has a cool motor/esc combo that is made for the car. Thinking I would rather do that than upgrade the stock buggy.

I appreciate the tip on the handling aspects of smaller scale. I’ve been preaching throttle control as opposed to constant full send.

The roller is what I would go with as well. Do you have a radio/receiver you can use for it? The Flysky GT3B is a good choice if not.

 

[Mtbmatty]

Funny you should ask; simple answer is no. Was wondering if I can just buy a receiver and use the Traxxas radio we have??
Was also planning on getting an ARRMA 3S leaning towards the Vorteks at this point. Although I was going to wait till the weather improves so we can actually drive it, I suppose I could pick it up and use the radio from that as well…

 

[WickedFog]

Funny you should ask; simple answer is no. Was wondering if I can just buy a receiver and use the Traxxas radio we have??
Was also planning on getting an ARRMA 3S leaning towards the Vorteks at this point. Although I was going to wait till the weather improves so we can actually drive it, I suppose I could pick it up and use the radio from that as well…

Yes, if you buy another receiver to go with your radio, that will work. The only thing with that is unless you have a radio with multiple model memory built in, you will have to calibrate it to the esc each time you swap cars. You will also have to reset endpoint adjustments for the servo, or you will burn up your servos if the radio tries to turn them too far. Most servos have travel limits, and the steering linkage will also limit the servo's travel. Setting the endpoints for the steering channel is done to prevent this, on every RC car.

The Flysky GT3B is around $40, and has a 10 model memory. So you can set it up once for each car you want to control. And extra receivers are only about $10 each, or 5 for $33 on Amazon. It is a far better radio than any of the RTR offerings.

 

[Mtbmatty]

That looks like a good option, and makes sense to Only set it up once…
Are the receivers fairly universal in terms of size, connections, and how they mount in the vehicle??

 

[WickedFog]

That looks like a good option, and makes sense to Only set it up once…
Are the receivers fairly universal in terms of size, connections, and how they mount in the vehicle??

Yeah, for the most part, they are about the same size. They just come with different channels. The GT3B receivers are pretty small.

 

[The_RC_Dude]

We took my sons new rustler to a dedicated rc shop near us to ask a few questions and pick up a few small bits.
They have an indoor carpet track and after asking about it they told us to try it out. It was a lot of fun and obviously not the right car for the track.

I would like to get a good buggy to use on the carpet track and the Losi mini B is an attractive price point. Knowing full well I would need at least one additional battery and a better charger, is this a worthwhile investment?? Or does this fall into the “you get what you pay for” category?

Keep in mind this will be driven mostly by my 8 year old and sometimes by me and we are new to the hobby.

I've heard good things about those smaller Losi rigs, and they seem good. They're supposedly built like scaled down race buggies/truggies, also after you get it, you may find it slow like many people, but that's actually because there is a hidden speed dial thing. Check out this video from Richie at Driftomaniacs for more info on increasing the speed from the radio, as well as a review:

What scale is the carpet track designed for? Do you plan to actually race, or just do laps on the track? And also, do you plan to use the Mini_B just for the carpet track, or also some bashing?

BTW welcome to the hobby and forum!

 

[Mtbmatty]

I have seen that video before, definite speed difference once the dual,rate was adjusted.

I watched another one where the guy doubled the speed after dropping in the dynamite dual motor/esc.
i’m probably overdoing it but I think the roller kit is the way I wanna go. Many upgraded bits on the roller and I can just start out with the better motor. Faster is more fun right!?!! A lot more car for a little more money (that’s what I’m telling the wife anyway)

As far as what scale the track was designed for, honestly I’m not qualified to answer. Initially we just wanna turn laps and have fun. Will also be fun to setup a road course in the driveway. Don’t think it will be a basher, my son has a rustler, and I’m eyeballing something in the arrma 3s range….

 

[The_RC_Dude]

I have seen that video before, definite speed difference once the dual,rate was adjusted.

I watched another one where the guy doubled the speed after dropping in the dynamite dual motor/esc.
i’m probably overdoing it but I think the roller kit is the way I wanna go. Many upgraded bits on the roller and I can just start out with the better motor. Faster is more fun right!?!! A lot more car for a little more money (that’s what I’m telling the wife anyway)

As far as what scale the track was designed for, honestly I’m not qualified to answer. Initially we just wanna turn laps and have fun. Will also be fun to setup a road course in the driveway. Don’t think it will be a basher, my son has a rustler, and I’m eyeballing something in the arrma 3s range….

A double motor setup in a 1/18 scale race buggy? How'd he even fit two motors in there? I think that's an example of really pushing the platofrm to the limits, I'd say stick with one motor. Going for the roller straight on is smart, like you said, many upgrade parts and you save some money by not buying electrics that you'll ultimately just replace, and rollers are popular, take all the Arrma large scale rollers and EXB ("Extreme Bash") rollers for example. Choosing your own electronic spec would be good for your application. Make sure not to go down the "all out speed" rabbit hole, all of us can get sucked into trying to get higher and higher speeds, at the end of the day, just have fun! It's just a little buggy after all!

Sounds good! Just make sure the track isn't very big, if it's made for 1/10 scale vehicles, the 1/18 buggy will make the whole track seem bigger. I recommend tuning the suspension too, it will make the Mini_B handle a lot better, as with all cars after suspension tuning. You may need different shock oil to suit your purposes, but I'm not familiar with the Mini-B handling. Rule of thumb, all Arrma cars are solid rigs, and the 3s line won't abliterate your wallet but still give you good speed and fun! Have a chat with your LHS (Local Hobby Shop), they'll be able to give you pointers, tips, and recommendations!

 

[Mtbmatty]

Sorry I may have misspoke, he was able to double the speed by swapping the stock motor for This Brushless set up from dynamite. Single motor and esc combination made to drop into the mini b.
A double motor is way above my pay grade, and sounds like it would be a battery killer.

 

[The_RC_Dude]

Sorry I may have misspoke, he was able to double the speed by swapping the stock motor for This Brushless set up from dynamite. Single motor and esc combination made to drop into the mini b.
A double motor is way above my pay grade, and sounds like it would be a battery killer.

That was actually the exact motor I looked at on Google after searching a motor and ESC combo for the Mini-B! The motor itself can't be that big. given an entire ESC has to be shoved in there too, albeit without the ESC case. I wonder if heat buildup would be an issue, and the motor would probably wear a little quicker given the extra heat in there. You really don't see dual motor rigs that much, all of them are custom, almost all of them involving lots of custom work, and really only used to get crazy power/speed on like 8s+. The combo is a little pricey IMO but not too much, my Surpass Hobby 2440 4600kV motor + 35amp brushless ESC combo cost me just under $40, it's in my Wltoys 144001 (pofile pic), and it's got plenty of power. It's probably slightly lower quality than that motor/ESC intergration you linked, but it's much cheaper, it's a seperate motor and ESC as usual.

 

[Mtbmatty]

That was actually the exact motor I looked at on Google after searching a motor and ESC combo for the Mini-B! The motor itself can't be that big. given an entire ESC has to be shoved in there too, albeit without the ESC case. I wonder if heat buildup would be an issue, and the motor would probably wear a little quicker given the extra heat in there. You really don't see dual motor rigs that much, all of them are custom, almost all of them involving lots of custom work, and really only used to get crazy power/speed on like 8s+. The combo is a little pricey IMO but not too much, my Surpass Hobby 2440 4600kV motor + 35amp brushless ESC combo cost me just under $40, it's in my Wltoys 144001 (pofile pic), and it's got plenty of power. It's probably slightly lower quality than that motor/ESC intergration you linked, but it's much cheaper, it's a seperate motor and ESC as usual.

Plan on heading to my LHS to start buying the goods, hopefully today if not tomorrow. Going to ask for their recommendations as well

 

[Mtbmatty]

My son and I went late yesterday (after one of his friends roller skating birthday party) and picked up almost everything we needed. We went with the dynamite motor discussed above, and an eco-power servo. Also got another set of wheels/tires that will be more appropriate for the track And a pair of dynamite batteries.
I ordered the Flysky GT3B rx/tx and had to order a 23t servo horn (kit comes with a 25). My son picked out the colors and did most of the painting. We got a little overspray on the corners of the body, and the paint was pooling up on the fin; which I tried to fix, but made worse… We are thrilled with the outcome either way!!
The motor went in without issue and the servo was a bit of a pain. The mounts are plastic and it was a chore to get the screw started. I would recommend getting the servo mount set that losi sells as an option part. They look to be aluminum, and I would assume they are threaded.
Once the rx and the servo horn shows up, we secure the switch and clean up the wires. I would like to shorten the lead from the servo (if possible) as it is really long.

I’m open to constructive criticism and advice if anything looks to need attention under the hood…
thanks for all the help so far!!

 

[WickedFog]

Looks great. The only thing I see is the toe and camber needs adjusted on the front wheels. But I am sure you are waiting on the horn to do that.

As for the servo lead being long, I personally would leave it long. You may in the future decide to swap it out and use in something else.

 

[Mtbmatty]

Good tip, that was not on my radar, was thinking it was ready ro “roll”. Is there a general guideline for those adjustments?

I will leave the cable long and look for a neat way to clean up the wiring once done.

Thanks

 

[WickedFog]

Good tip, that was not on my radar, was thinking it was ready ro “roll”. Is there a general guideline for those adjustments?

I will leave the cable long and look for a neat way to clean up the wiring once done.

Thanks

There are camber gauges you can buy, but I just use a precision protractor that I have from my machinist days. Just get something square and stand up next to the wheels and adjust a couple degrees on each wheel. You want em leaning inboard at the top a little bit. For the toe, just try to get them both straight when the steering is centered.

Driving it will give you a better idea where to set everything. Having a little toe will help keep it stable. The camber will help it in the corners.

 

[The_RC_Dude]

Plan on heading to my LHS to start buying the goods, hopefully today if not tomorrow. Going to ask for their recommendations as well

Cool man!

My son and I went late yesterday (after one of his friends roller skating birthday party) and picked up almost everything we needed. We went with the dynamite motor discussed above, and an eco-power servo. Also got another set of wheels/tires that will be more appropriate for the track And a pair of dynamite batteries.
I ordered the Flysky GT3B rx/tx and had to order a 23t servo horn (kit comes with a 25). My son picked out the colors and did most of the painting. We got a little overspray on the corners of the body, and the paint was pooling up on the fin; which I tried to fix, but made worse… We are thrilled with the outcome either way!!
The motor went in without issue and the servo was a bit of a pain. The mounts are plastic and it was a chore to get the screw started. I would recommend getting the servo mount set that losi sells as an option part. They look to be aluminum, and I would assume they are threaded.
Once the rx and the servo horn shows up, we secure the switch and clean up the wires. I would like to shorten the lead from the servo (if possible) as it is really long.

I’m open to constructive criticism and advice if anything looks to need attention under the hood…
thanks for all the help so far!!
View attachment 140911

Nice! All that lot couldn't have been too cheap, the buggy looks even better than I expected! Be sure to fully clean and degrease the body shell before painting next time, you may also want to slightly ruff/scratch up the inside of the shell so the paint can stick better. Good job anyway, I think you can use a paintbrush and touch up some spots, but I'm no paint expert! So you see, virtually all RC parts come with unthreaded screw holes, plastic of aluminum, so you have to start the thread yourself. Sometimes the thread can be a butt to start, but you'll do it evetually, make sure the screw thrwads are good. I found once that sometimes starting the thread on the opposite side of the part helps, strangely!

Make sure to back the screw out then screw it into the part from the right side, the side that the screw is supposed to go in. Also try varying forces on the screw as you turn it with a screwdriver, always start and drive in screws with a screwdriver, only use an electric screwdriver or even a drill to carefully back the screws out. An electric screw driver, or especially an drill will strip threads and bolt heads with not used carefully, if you're doing a big project, you can use an electric tool to back and drive the screws out and in, but ALWAYS do the last bit up by hand, again, avoid driving screws in with an electric tool when possible.

If you can solder and have a soldering iron and all the other stuff, you can shorten the servo lead, if not, maybe your LHS can help you, for a small fee perhaps? If not, and you're like me (aka no soldering iron or know-how, and haven't been to a LHS before lol), you can just neatly fold/stack the wires and zip tie 'em to somewhere ideal. I can show you a pictures of my buggy and how I tidied up all the electric wires with just a few zip ties.

Oh, never mind, here's the picture anyway! It's not the best angle for showing how I tidied the wires, but we have to make do for now.