Traxxas Discontinuing their XL5 Brushed ESCs and Titan 12T motors.

[DavidB1126]

Found on FB.
This won't be good for the 12T mudboss oval racers.
Traxxas has been using these XL5 brushed ESC and Titan motors for more than 10 years I think, so it's time for a change.
Wonder if they are coming out with a new brushed system to replace this, or if it will be all brushless (or a new brushless system from Traxxas)

 

[F.R.S. Ninja_007]

WHAT?! NOW THE MOTORS ARE GOOD FOR THE 1/16 MODELS? WILL THEY MAKE THEM VXL AGAIN?

Found on FB.
This won't be good for the 12T mudboss oval racers.
Traxxas has been using these XL5 brushed ESC and Titan motors for more than 10 years I think, so it's time for a change.
Wonder if they are coming out with a new brushed system to replace this, or if it will be all brushless (or a new brushless system from Traxxas)

View attachment 168305

View attachment 168306

Your signature is your models lol

 

[bill_delong]

I see this as a tell tale sign of the domino effect they have already created for themselves by isolating themselves from the rest of the industry by creating proprietary designs around their electronics that are not compatible with anyone else and the slough of frivolous lawsuits:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3067295-Boycott-Traxxas

Traxxas is now being forced to cut costs and scale back their production lines, this will become more clear as other less popular product lines are discontinued and eventually the brand may get sold where Horizon has been acquiring many brands lately, wouldn't surprise me to see them go after Traxxas at some point in the future...

Side note, I've heard rumors that Traxxas is attempting to get into the 1/8 buggy market which might be their saving grace, if (and that's a BIG IF) they can produce a product that is equal in durability to the race grades, but durability isn't something Traxxas is known for (on a race track), so not getting my hopes up with this venture, hopefully I am wrong.

 

[DavidB1126]

Your signature is your models lol

Yep, my models that I got.

Side note, I've heard rumors that Traxxas is attempting to get into the 1/8 buggy market which might be their saving grace, if (and that's a BIG IF) they can produce a product that is equal in durability to the race grades, but durability isn't something Traxxas is known for (on a race track), so not getting my hopes up with this venture, hopefully I am wrong.

LOL. Yeah we will see if that happens. I don't see it in Traxxas future. If they do make a 1/8 buggy like Tekno, AE, Losi and the others, Ill be surprised.
I seen people online that race the Sledge which is a 1/8 Truggy style basher. Ill be surprised if it doesn't break or get into the A Main, if so, will it win the A Main?
UPDATE / EDIT:


They aren't discontinuing the actual esc and motors, to clear things up, they are discontinuing the base XL5 slash models and replacing them with cheaper brushless systems in October. So apperently, the XL5 in the Bandit, Rustler, and Stampede (and maybe the 4x4s too!?!), and the slash 2wd kit will still come with that Xl5 brushed system. They will also still offer it for older versions/models.

This is messed up. Why just discontinue the actual product and move on to cheaper brushless combos in all of the cars? Its traxxas, we never know whats going on in their small brains.

 

[bill_delong]

This is messed up.

nothing more there is to say about Traxxas, ha!

 

[Chubaka]

Yep, my models that I got.

LOL. Yeah we will see if that happens. I don't see it in Traxxas future. If they do make a 1/8 buggy like Tekno, AE, Losi and the others, Ill be surprised.
I seen people online that race the Sledge which is a 1/8 Truggy style basher. Ill be surprised if it doesn't break or get into the A Main, if so, will it win the A Main?
UPDATE / EDIT:


They aren't discontinuing the actual esc and motors, to clear things up, they are discontinuing the base XL5 slash models and replacing them with cheaper brushless systems in October. So apperently, the XL5 in the Bandit, Rustler, and Stampede (and maybe the 4x4s too!?!), and the slash 2wd kit will still come with that Xl5 brushed system. They will also still offer it for older versions/models.

This is messed up. Why just discontinue the actual product and move on to cheaper brushless combos in all of the cars? Its traxxas, we never know whats going on in their small brains.

They may have upped reliability that way. I has more bad luck with titans then good.

I miss the og yellow xl5.

 

[DavidB1126]

I miss the og yellow xl5.

Any difference between the yellow and the blue? Or are they the same and the yellow was just the older version.

 

[Chubaka]

Any difference between the yellow and the blue? Or are they the same and the yellow was just the older version.

Blue is water proof. Yellow came out around 2006 give or take. Blue was 2010 or later I believe and was the same just blue and waterproof. Then the current Blue one without a heat sink.

 

[DavidB1126]

Ok I see.

I wonder what they are doing with the XL5 HV (3s, heatsink) that they use in the TRX4's..

 

[EJMOPAR70]

I see this as a tell tale sign of the domino effect they have already created for themselves by isolating themselves from the rest of the industry by creating proprietary designs around their electronics that are not compatible with anyone else and the slough of frivolous lawsuits:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3067295-Boycott-Traxxas

Traxxas is now being forced to cut costs and scale back their production lines, this will become more clear as other less popular product lines are discontinued and eventually the brand may get sold where Horizon has been acquiring many brands lately, wouldn't surprise me to see them go after Traxxas at some point in the future...

View attachment 168309


Side note, I've heard rumors that Traxxas is attempting to get into the 1/8 buggy market which might be their saving grace, if (and that's a BIG IF) they can produce a product that is equal in durability to the race grades, but durability isn't something Traxxas is known for (on a race track), so not getting my hopes up with this venture, hopefully I am wrong.

A 1/8 buggy would be cool.

 

[Slick2500]

nothing more there is to say about Traxxas, ha!

A lot of these companies make stupid decisions like this though. Look at what Horizon did to Ecx. It was a thriving and popular budget brand, then they decided it would be a good idea to make the entire brand hobby store only, now look at Ecx most of the models that were still available are discontinued............. The models listed as backordered have an eta of May 2020...........

Blue is water proof. Yellow came out around 2006 give or take. Blue was 2010 or later I believe and was the same just blue and waterproof. Then the current Blue one without a heat sink.

They don't have a heatsink on the new XL5s?

 

[bill_delong]

I believe Horizon struck a deal with the hobby shops to enable the ECX line to be sold exclusively by them and not be undercut by the web channel.

This was probably an experiment to see what would happen with the gamble that ECX could take away market share from Traxxas.

The unfortunate fact is that ECX would prove to be too durable so hobby shops would not promote them making ECX a Catch-22

https://www.rogershobbycenter.com/f.../two-problems-ecx-has-to-fix-now-opinion.html

I believe ECX was a pawn used to pave the way for ARRMA being such a huge success today.

 

[Slick2500]

I believe Horizon struck a deal with the hobby shops to enable the ECX line to be sold exclusively by them and not be undercut by the web channel.

This was probably an experiment to see what would happen with the gamble that ECX could take away market share from Traxxas.

The unfortunate fact is that ECX would prove to be too durable so hobby shops would not promote them making ECX a Catch-22

https://www.rogershobbycenter.com/f.../two-problems-ecx-has-to-fix-now-opinion.html

View attachment 168651


I believe ECX was a pawn used to pave the way for ARRMA being such a huge success today.

@MaX-D had this to say in the thread over on the Ecx Forum when the whole Ecx going hobby store only thing came to light

"I just got off the phone with Bill with product support at Horizon. He said they are not discontinuing the ECX brand. ECX is a very good seller for Horizon. He said they want to help local hobby shops to stay in business by having a brand that can't compete with online stores.

I then asked him what about the people that don't have an LHS near them. EBay or Amazon, but ECX is not going away at all."

The funny part about the Ecx going hobby store only thing is that before that my lhs had all of the brushed cars and crawlers in stock and they also stocked a lot of their parts after HH changed Ecx to hobby store only my lhs basically stopped selling Ecx.

 

[luke66]

never had an ecx....

more new traxxas news: (look in the comments)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Traxxas/comments/15wcffs

i also have heard that traxxas is planning a motorcycle to go against the losi promoto. dont hold me to it though, it might just be a rumor.
here is the proof. it might be a dealer heads up kinda thing. not really sure though.....

https://www.rctalk.com/forum/media/358087338-270681665552694-7022605030967373270-n-jpg.3643/