RE: Official HPI MT2 Thread
Sigh.
I thought that my reference to the OS LA aircraft engines would make the point that I'm speaking of the hobby industry IN GENERAL. Apparently not.
I will not question your points about the r/c car side of the house being much better these days. I am relatively new to that aspect of the hobby. However, my point regarding the turnbuckles is valid. The Rush, a basic entry-level truck from HPI, had adjustable ones. The MT2, a supposed higher level of quality, does not.
I will be very interested to see what the Rush Evo comes with. If it has a solid molding like the MT2, then my point is further validated. There can only be one reason for eliminating the adjustable feature; a reduction in parts count, i.e., costs.
I stand behind my contention that the industry, AS A WHOLE, is cutting corners and lowering quality at the bottom-level price points. Sure, one can buy any manner of high-priced upgrade part, and some even are of excellent quality. And the car/truck business may be different from aircraft. There, you can be sure that the high-end upgrade parts market is NOT where the firms are making their money.
I would imagine that the car/truck market in general is much larger than the other disciplines combined, and therefore trends are a bit different. But during my 18 years in this hobby, I have watched quality go down in some areas, and up dramatically in others. The latter has been accompanied by a commensurate increase in price. The former has NOT been accompanied by a lower price.
And that's all I'm trying to say.
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