Why does everyone not like traxxas

[Slick2500]

iv been around, in mostly the same old places, under different names lol

marketing is one of the few things traxxas is good at. the other being support.

Yup it's nice to know that in 20 years I'll likely still be able to get parts for my Rustler.

 

[Finesavageboy2]

I mostly have Traxxas rc's, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. Some people hate on the VXL system because it over heats, and I've had no problem with that. And if it does, I'll probably get some cooling fans for it. If you've seen some of my cars, I bash on them pretty hard and they seem to handle it well.

 

[Greywolf74]

I mostly have Traxxas rc's, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. Some people hate on the VXL system because it over heats, and I've had no problem with that. And if it does, I'll probably get some cooling fans for it. If you've seen some of my cars, I bash on them pretty hard and they seem to handle it well.

I dont think anyone is saying they dont like Traxxas rigs, its the company's business practices that people have issues with.

 

[9x19]

I really need to get out more...

I mostly have Traxxas rc's, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. Some people hate on the VXL system because it over heats, and I've had no problem with that. And if it does, I'll probably get some cooling fans for it. If you've seen some of my cars, I bash on them pretty hard and they seem to handle it well.

I'm with you there... I have 10 Traxxas RCs, and unless I do something really bad, like hit a tree at speed, they have proven durable for me. It doesn't hurt that the Traxxas HQ Store is only 20 miles away.

 

[Lostinthewoods86]

@9x19 Is that place pretty cool? Do they have things to do or is it just mainly a store? My son has been wanting to go.

 

[9x19]

Mainly a store, but they have every model in production, as well as every part... they guys I've dealt with were super friendly and helpful... even going into the warehouse to get a part that wasn't in the store.

 

[Lostinthewoods86]

Mainly a store, but they have every model in production, as well as every part... they guys I've dealt with were super friendly and helpful... even going into the warehouse to get a part that wasn't in the store.

Thanks!

my daughter has a cheer competition in FW in January I think it is. We will have to go check it out!

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I dont think anyone is saying they dont like Traxxas rigs, its the company's business practices that people have issues with.

iv got some complaints about there overall fit and finish as well as build quality. to date the worst RTR build quality iv ever seen was a nitro 4tec back in 2000. it was ether a hungover Monday morning job or a rush it out the door to leave on time Friday job. no loctite on anything, belts sloppy as could be. all 4 shocks leaked. one of the suspension arms was so tight if you took the shock off the arm would stay where you put it.
there are also parts iv had running headaches with over the last 25 years. iv already mentioned iv never had good luck with the ez start system. but i could add there driveshafts to the list as well. i hate those driveshafts with a passion, they have been problematic to say the least.
iv also got an axe to grind with there radios. while functional iv always hated the ergonomics and balance. they've also always had a chintzy feeling. but again, they are functional.

but overall, meh, they're products are functional. don't always handle the greatest, but functional. like if the color beige was an RC car it would be a traxxas.

 

[Slick2500]

iv got some complaints about there overall fit and finish as well as build quality. to date the worst RTR build quality iv ever seen was a nitro 4tec back in 2000. it was ether a hungover Monday morning job or a rush it out the door to leave on time Friday job. no loctite on anything, belts sloppy as could be. all 4 shocks leaked. one of the suspension arms was so tight if you took the shock off the arm would stay where you put it.
there are also parts iv had running headaches with over the last 25 years. iv already mentioned iv never had good luck with the ez start system. but i could add there driveshafts to the list as well. i hate those driveshafts with a passion, they have been problematic to say the least.
iv also got an axe to grind with there radios. while functional iv always hated the ergonomics and balance. they've also always had a chintzy feeling. but again, they are functional.

but overall, meh, they're products are functional. don't always handle the greatest, but functional. like if the color beige was an RC car it would be a traxxas.

Arrma is far worse than Traxxas when it comes to QC issues. I am a mod over on the Arrma forums so I get to see a lot of the stupid poop that gets overlooked. Like getting 3 front shocks and 1 rear, getting all 4 front shocks, random screws just laying in the box, screws missing, screws stripped, screw holes stripped out, loose screws, diffs low/empty, shocks low, tires not glued completely, basically anything metal on metal is caked in red thread lock.


These are the issues I have encountered with my rtr Arrma rigs.


Outcast 6s

• Stripped out screws and screw holes through out the entire truck.
• Red thread lock on the shock caps.
• One camber link was installed backwards.
• Steering turnbuckles installed backwards.
• One pillow ball retainer cross threaded.
• Stevie wonder did the front end alignment.

Kraton 6s EXB V1 roller.

• Diffs were all low.
• Shocks were all low.
• SafeD cup diff outputs were out of round.(They are all out of round do to the piss poor machining.)
• Center diff mount screw holes were stripped out.
• One pillow ball retainer cross threaded.
• Red thread lock on the shock caps.

My Fireteam was a complete poop show.

• All the pivot balls were loose.
• All 4 hubs needed shims.
• Shocks were underfilled and all the shock pistons were loose.
• Front/rear diffs were underfilled but not empty.
• One front gearbox screw hole stripped out.
• Gear mesh was too tight and of course Arrma loves them some red thread lock and even after hitting the motor slider screws with a torch they stripped out when trying to loosen them. They set the gear mesh by basically just pushing the slider over as far as they could.
• Center diff was basically empty and the fluid looked like it had been used.
• Front center driveshaft was bent.
• Chassis bent.
• Motor bearings bad out of the box.
• SafeD cup outputs were out of round.
• Stevie wonder did the front end alignment on this one as well.

 

[9x19]

Arrma is far worse than Traxxas when it comes to QC issues. I am a mod over on the Arrma forums so I get to see a lot of the stupid poop that gets overlooked. Like getting 3 front shocks and 1 rear, getting all 4 front shocks, random screws just laying in the box, screws missing, screws stripped, screw holes stripped out, loose screws, diffs low/empty, shocks low, tires not glued completely, basically anything metal on metal is caked in red thread lock.


These are the issues I have encountered with my rtr Arrma rigs.


Outcast 6s

• Stripped out screws and screw holes through out the entire truck.
• Red thread lock on the shock caps.
• One camber link was installed backwards.
• Steering turnbuckles installed backwards.
• One pillow ball retainer cross threaded.
• Stevie wonder did the front end alignment.

Kraton 6s EXB V1 roller.

• Diffs were all low.
• Shocks were all low.
• SafeD cup diff outputs were out of round.(They are all out of round do to the piss poor machining.)
• Center diff mount screw holes were stripped out.
• One pillow ball retainer cross threaded.
• Red thread lock on the shock caps.

My Fireteam was a complete poop show.

• All the pivot balls were loose.
• All 4 hubs needed shims.
• Shocks were underfilled and all the shock pistons were loose.
• Front/rear diffs were underfilled but not empty.
• One front gearbox screw hole stripped out.
• Gear mesh was too tight and of course Arrma loves them some red thread lock and even after hitting the motor slider screws with a torch they stripped out when trying to loosen them. They set the gear mesh by basically just pushing the slider over as far as they could.
• Center diff was basically empty and the fluid looked like it had been used.
• Front center driveshaft was bent.
• Chassis bent.
• Motor bearings bad out of the box.
• SafeD cup outputs were out of round.
• Stevie wonder did the front end alignment on this one as well.

That's quite a list!!!

 

[Slick2500]

That's quite a list!!!

That's basically the issues across the board with Arrma and it happens quite frequently.

Team Associated does a terrible job on their cars too. At least Arrma can make their body holes centered.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

iv never gotten my hands on an Arrma so...
AE's RTR's used to be good. one of the best built RTR's iv ever gotten my hands on was an RC10GT RTR back in maybe 2000. my TC4 came as a "slider" and it was good. my SC10 was good. my Apex Mini (a very short lived rerelease of the RC18r) was good enough. so have they gone down the crapper in about the last 6 years?

 

[Greywolf74]

iv never gotten my hands on an Arrma so...
AE's RTR's used to be good. one of the best built RTR's iv ever gotten my hands on was an RC10GT RTR back in maybe 2000. my TC4 came as a "slider" and it was good. my SC10 was good. my Apex Mini (a very short lived rerelease of the RC18r) was good enough. so have they gone down the crapper in about the last 6 years?

Get a Kraton 6S and never look back

 

[Slick2500]

iv never gotten my hands on an Arrma so...
AE's RTR's used to be good. one of the best built RTR's iv ever gotten my hands on was an RC10GT RTR back in maybe 2000. my TC4 came as a "slider" and it was good. my SC10 was good. my Apex Mini (a very short lived rerelease of the RC18r) was good enough. so have they gone down the crapper in about the last 6 years?

The car I bought was the Team Associated Apex Scion tC, terrible car based off the Thunder Tiger Phoenix platform. Body was off center, gear mesh was loose, the pinion was only contacting 1/4th of the spur gear and it was missing a bearing and a spacer on the slipper (which showed as being discontinued along with a plethora of other miscellaneous parts). How the hell can you sell a car that half of the parts are discontinued?

I learned a while ago that RTR does not mean ready to run it means ready to rebuild.

 

[Lumikko]

If I vetted every company that makes products that I buy, I'd be living naked in a field eating grubs.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ”Unless something can be done with perfect success and zero exceptions, it’s not worth doing at all”.

I haven’t exactly hired a PI or spent hours digging around to find out about the things that steer me away from Traxxas. When I hear about things like this, I check to see if the claims are true and make a decision. Going out of my way to be an absolute saint is a ridiculous proposition but I do something within reason.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Get a Kraton 6S and never look back

been eyeing a 4s Outcast for several years. problem is, with where and how i bash it wouldn't be beneficial over trucks i already own. plus I'm out of storage space at the moment.

The car I bought was the Team Associated Apex Scion tC, terrible car based off the Thunder Tiger Phoenix platform. Body was off center, gear mesh was loose, the pinion was only contacting 1/4th of the spur gear and it was missing a bearing and a spacer on the slipper (which showed as being discontinued along with a plethora of other miscellaneous parts). How the hell can you sell a car that half of the parts are discontinued?

I learned a while ago that RTR does not mean ready to run it means ready to rebuild.

outside of maybe there race kits iv noticed AE's parts support isn't what it was 10+ years ago. and nothing like what it was 20 years ago.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ”Unless something can be done with perfect success and zero exceptions, it’s not worth doing at all”.

to a point id agree with it. but accidents are going to happen, that's just the law of the universe. there is a minimum acceptable build quality that unfortunately it sounds like several manufactures aren't quite meeting. if a problem is so common it becomes a "known issue" you need to step up your game. if they were a Ford/Chevy/etc there would be lawsuits and recalls. the issue would be addressed.

 

[Doom!]

With the lions share of our rc products being produced in China, I think the ethics argument go's right out the window.

 

[Slick2500]

been eyeing a 4s Outcast for several years. problem is, with where and how i bash it wouldn't be beneficial over trucks i already own. plus I'm out of storage space at the moment.

outside of maybe there race kits iv noticed AE's parts support isn't what it was 10+ years ago. and nothing like what it was 20 years ago.

to a point id agree with it. but accidents are going to happen, that's just the law of the universe. there is a minimum acceptable build quality that unfortunately it sounds like several manufactures aren't quite meeting. if a problem is so common it becomes a "known issue" you need to step up your game. if they were a Ford/Chevy/etc there would be lawsuits and recalls. the issue would be addressed.

Their manuals are still pretty top notch though.

 

[Panko75]

Team Associated does a terrible job on their cars too. At least Arrma can make their body holes centered.

I'n pretty sure that anything "RTR" from Associated is just rebranded Thunder Tiger stuff.

The original RC10 stuck around for a time and a giant aftermarket opened up. Once TT took over they basically handed all of that over to Traxxas.

if they were a Ford/Chevy/etc there would be lawsuits and recalls.

Thats the big difference between RC and consumer goods, you have to meet higher standards with even a cheap hair dryer vs a $500 Arrma.

With the lions share of our rc products being produced in China, I think the ethics argument go's right out the window.

I'm just glad that RPM, MIP, and Robinson Racing parts are still made here in the US of A.

When scrutinizing any of the RC companies, look at what they do for the hobbyist, LHS's, and look at their overall quality.

 

[Lumikko]

With the lions share of our rc products being produced in China, I think the ethics argument go's right out the window.

Sadly, that goes for many, many products.

I still don’t see how it’s an argument against buying something made in Taiwan instead, if a choice can be made. I keep an eye on the labels of RC parts and tools I buy and it’s always pleasant to notice when something is made elsewhere than in PRC. When I decide between something from brand A or brand B, the country of manufacture is definitely a factor.

I just think it’s a good idea to avoid buying stuff made in communist poopholes even if you can’t realistically adhere to this goal 100% of the time.