RC Boat Recommendation: TR 1200 or Atomik Barbwire 2?

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Mockduck

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I am looking to get into RC boating, and want something that can take a lake, ideally hit 30mph, and be under $200. I see two possibilities on Amazon (although I would order through a local hobby store): The Atomik Barbwire 2, and the Top Race TR-1200.

https://www.toprace.com/product/top...-speed-of-30-mph-professional-series-tr-1200-

https://www.atomikrc.com/pages/atomik-barbwire-2-17-rtr-brushless-racing-boat

I am also considering the Traxxas Blast, but the speed seems slower, maybe too much so. It is a larger boat though at about two feet long.

Does anyone have experience with any/all of these, and have a recommendation?
 
My first boat was a proboat impulse then a month later the blackjack. Now the joker and Harley Quinn :D

55A9258B-7FBD-4320-A1F3-8767E9DB572A.png
 
Dumb question. What do you do when your boat dies in the middle of the lake?It's probably not much of an issue with electric, but I could see a nitro engine stalling. I always wondered how people retrieved them.
 
In the process of designing a retrieval boat setup out of pvc and foam pipe wrap to use with either boat. Some just swim, raft, kayak, etc..

That’s the downfall of having a boat, you have to have more than one :doh:

Example:
boats011.jpg
 
In the process of designing a retrieval boat setup out of pvc and foam pipe wrap to use with either boat. Some just swim, raft, kayak, etc..

That’s the downfall of having a boat, you have to have more than one :doh:

Example:
boats011.jpg

Makes sense. The boats are pretty cool. I'd definitely consider one.
 
I look forward to seeing what you come up with joostin, I've seen your stuff around here and it's top notch what you're doing man!
 
I just returned my proboat recoil 26. Thought I would like boatng more but ehhh not as fun as bashing. Plus I hit a stick and it cracked my hull. Looke the Recoil though. Self righting, FAST!
 
Thanks everyone. I still haven't taken the leap with a purchase yet, but will soon. I am also considering the Recoil 17". Too many options!
 
I did end up getting the Horizon Hobby Proboat Recoil 17" and have so far really liked it. I've taken it out on a lake a couple of times, and am very impressed by the overall speed and power of the thing. I did end up having to replace the servo this weekend after hitting a rock near shore. Everything worked fine except for steering, which just "clicked" instead of turned. A $33 new servo from a nearby hobby store (RC Excitement in Fitchburg, MA, great place) and everything's set!

It was really hard to decide, as there are quite a few boats in the $170 and under price point, many of which have positive reviews. Ultimately it came down to the Recoil or the Atomik Barbwire 2, but RC Excitement had the Recoil and parts, so I'd have local support for it, which is nice.

I think if price were more open, I'd check out the $400 Traxxas Spartan, as it's bigger and faster. However, one of the REALLY nice features of the Recoil is that it has a righting mechanic which allows you to easily flip the boat back over if it ends up top-side down. Additionally, the Recoil has a brushless motor, which is pretty surprising given the price point.

I am guesstimating, but feel the Recoil is topping out at about 25-30 miles per hour on a smooth lake. It can turn VERY sharply, which tends to flip it. I've actually scaled back the turning a bit to make it less prone to flip, but it'll still turn very tightly, which can be nice.

Overall, recommended! I also have a Revolution Roguewave, which is a smaller $70ish boat for pools. I've had less luck with this one, as it seems to require some kind of mechanical replacement every time I run it. That said, for poolside, it's also a pretty darn fun boat. It did drop to the bottom of the pool the first time I used it, but I am guessing that was me not getting the seal right, as that's not happened since. Additionally, I burned out the motor after a few uses, but that was a cheap replacement and relatively easy to do. Did that this weekend as well, and so far it seems to be running well.
 
I started with a Traxxas boat but soon figured they were just like the ground rigs in that I’d have to spend to make it reliable, smh.
Pro Marine to water is what Traxxas is to ground rigs. Check them out. The boats they sell, they race and win with.
 
One of the best ways to find out which boat is great for you is to check in the Boat section. We have some really knowledgeable people there hat have been doing boats for years.
 

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