DieHarder

I'm interested in the $1.99 2 month trial membership, but I can't find where it says anything about saving $35 on the G6 kit. So it would be like $212.99 with that extra $35 off. Are you sure it's available for the 2 month membership? That would be really great if it was! I tell ya, I'm gonna order that thing soon before the price goes back up. All these figures adding up is making me want to hurry up and get one before it's too late! So hurry on your reply!!! jk jk Take all the time you need. lol

Once again, thanks for being so dedicated to helping me with this. Hats off to you, my friend!

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

It's not an "extra" $35 off in the regard that you're thinking. I'm not sure what the 11% discount is you're referring to. That must be something else entirely. Basically the truck is priced at $275. If you're a Tower club member then you will receive a list of various coupon codes that range from $15 to $80, depending on your total purchase amount. The $35 discount applies to purchases over $230. That's why you can't find that discount, it's not publicly displayed anywhere on the site. You should receive it instantly once you purchase the trial membership. I suggest you purchase the membership first, become a member then you can click the "Your Account" link at the top and on your home page you will see the list of codes. Click the one appropriate code for your purchase amount and it will automatically apply it to your shopping cart. Purchase the Jeep on a separate order and you'll be set. Free shipping applies to orders over $149 but, they often times (regularly basically) offer it on purchases of at least $99. Check the "Special Sales" link on the left and check the "Outlet Store" for various clearance and/or scratch N dent items.

DieHarder

On the Tower Hobbies homepage, they are advertising August Savings Hot List. If you spend $245 that's $27 off, which is 11%. Same with all the other offers ($300 = $33, $345 = $38, $400 = $44). Taking $27 off the sale price put's it at $247.99. If I get the membership with the coupon codes, can I apply $35 off to the order of $247.99 which is above the minimum $230 for that coupon? That would put it at $212.99.

I'm trying to figure out if they will let me stack up that many 'extra % offs'. It seems to good to be true to just have to pay $1.99 to get $35 off my order of more than $245.

Also, I'm pretty sure they already offer free shipping for the Kit. It says so on the SCX10 G6 listing on the site. I think I might signup for a regular membership like everyone else. I've read about a lot of people having it and liking the savings.

DieHarder

Thinking about putting this order through tomorrow. Does it look alright? I will order my Motor/ESC/Receiver/Battery/Steel Gears from different sites.

Also, I purchased the 2 month trial membership tonight. When I get a coupon sheet in the mail, I'm hoping there will be a coupon to lower the price on this order a little more.




Phmaximus: Is that Tough Armor Winch Bumper w/ Stinger too heavy? I can switch it to the regular Stinger one if you think that would be better.

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

I see what you're talking about. No, it doesn't work that way. They give codes on the main page to the public but, as you figured, they're not as much of a discount as the membership codes. You can't stack the codes. So, if you didn't have the membership, you would only be able to take advantage of the $27 discount or any of the codes on the main page. With the membership, you get a different set of codes which gives you a few more dollars off. They may be running a free shipping promo right now anyhow but, if you order enough stuff in the long run the membership pays for itself.

As long as you've activated your membership, goto the "Your Account" link at the top of the page then sign in. It will then take you to the "Customer Information Center" and you will see a list of codes at the bottom of your home page. They are clickable links, select the one for your total purchase and it will apply it to the cart. You can do that before you start adding things to the cart.

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

I see your screenshots. That promo gives $49 off $450 but with a membership you can get $45 off $300 and I think at $400 you get $60 off. Then under the current promos, you get $80 off $500, $100 off $625 and $120 off $750. So, if you buy enough stuff through Tower you can get a reasonable discount and not pay for shipping or tax if your in the right state.

phmaximus

Yep I'm running the one with the grill guard,
http://store.rc4wd.com/Tough-Armor-W...10_p_1083.html

those stubby and competition ones look good. There mounting system is just as strong and they look a good 1/3 lighter.

that comp style one would look good....it's going to be a solid foundation for the winch too, my vote is that one.... Especially for a g6 comp style truck

DieHarder

Ok! So I just ordered.



Also, I ordered the hardened steel gear set for the gearbox and a FlySky 3CH receiver for use with my GT3B radio.

All that's left now is the Holmes Hobbies Combo, Battery, Paint (I will probably get at the LHS), and maybe a special connector or two when wiring the BEC and winch. My neighbor has a Castle programming card for his Mamba Monster ESC, so he will let me borrow it for sure, if he hasn't sold it. (Wheeler dealer type of guy) Before I post up the battery I was thinking of using, what exact battery do you guys think will be best? Like which brand? 3S Relatively cheap but quite decent, somewhere around 3000mah. I like 35C or higher.

For the Holmes Hobbies motor/ESC combo, I don't think we've discussed weather to get the Torquemaster Expert or Torquemaster Pro. I don't think I will need the Crawlmaster Pro, as that is a bit much. So should I get Expert or Pro? Also, is it worth the $10 to have Holmes Hobbies waterproof the ESC?

phmaximus

One potential problem....
Running the winch of the controller, in stock form the 3ch on the fs gt3 radios because the 3ch is only a 2 positions. Meaning u won't be able to stop it.
id highly recommend hacking the controller

phmaximus

For the battery u don't need to be fussy, the current draw from a crawler is really nothing compared to other off-roaders. I'm yet to physically measure it but I don't see it going over 50a in a bind and a continuos of under 10a

I dont one know enough about the motors to recommend one, but $10 for waterproofing sounds good.

Me personally. I don't recommend water at all.... Unless u have a second set of wheels and tyres with no breathers, other wise the water ruins the tyre foam and makes it smelly.

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

I agree with the water situation. It's tempting to do but I personally don't like dealing with soggy / rotting tire foam and all the steel parts are nearly impossible to dry thoroughly unless you dismantle the truck. So, things will rust. Plus, even though electronics are labeled waterproof I'm still hesitant, or maybe skeptical. But it's a personal preference and $10 doesn't sound like such a bad deal.

I don't think we mentioned the "Castle Link" USB programmer for your PC. The card is handy when you're out driving and want to make adjustments in the field but the USB programmer is more intuitive and you can update firmware if available as well as some other nifty adjustments. They're about $22 at a hobby shop.

Check www.hobbyking.com for batteries. I like their Turnigy and Zippy packs (Turnigy the most) and the prices are good. Make sure when you're browsing that the USA warehouse is selected. Here's an example similar to what you're looking for: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

DieHarder

Phmaximus: I bought the wireless winch controller from Tower Hobbies. It's listed in the screenshot I posted above. I'm pretty sure that's a separate system, which will run off the BEC. Or am I thinking differently?

I've ran my Duratrax Evader through water and had water come in the breathers. I also had rusting and water/grease mixture in the gearbox. Ruined my servo too. I'm against water. Having it waterproofed it kind of a security, that a little splash won't harm anything.

When I was reading the reviews on the Holmes Hobbies ESCs, the waterproofed one had a 4 star and the non waterproofed 5 star. I read the reviews on each, and a couple guys had some issues with the waterproofed ones. I thought they were the same ESC, just one was sealed. But I think I will have it waterproofed anyway.

BKoz559: My next door neighbor had the Castle Link USB adapter for programming. I'll ask him today if he still has it if he is around. He's getting out of the hobby and trying to sell his all aluminum Savage HP on Craigslist, so he might just give me the adapter vs letting my borrow it. Like I said, I'll check today if I can.

That pack you linked looks decent. I'll take a look at some of their other batteries.

I was thinking about HobbyPartz and their Sky Lipo series. I was wondering how good those were. How do they compare to the Turnigy or Zippys?

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

Really, all those "Chinese" packs are pretty much the same. You'll hear arguments why which one is better but it's like Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge. I got attached to Turnigy and I'm convinced that overall the shipping from HobbyKing is slightly more economical and you don't get taxed. But, when you really look at it and compare similar features you end up about the same anyway. I think the best thing to do is shop both sites simultaneously and build shopping carts for each. Get all the way to the point to where you're about to finalize the order and compare the bottom line.

DieHarder

This was the battery I was looking at getting. http://www.hobbypartz.com/77p-sl3300...-hardcase.html I'm a fan of 40C if it's available. The 40C version of the Turnigy battery that you linked is actually cheaper. After putting a shopping cart together, I can confirm that it would cost $45 for the Sky Lipo from Hobbypartz. The Turnigy from Hobby King is $26.40 without shipping. (I can't access shipping charges) Assuming it would cost $6.95 for flat rate shipping, it comes to $34. So $11 difference. ($34 vs $45)

I did notice though that the Turnigy pack is 40C continuous/50C peak and the Sky Lipo is 40C continuous/80C peak. Also, the Sky Lipo is 3300mah and is a hardcase. Is a higher peak rating, higher mah rating, and hardcase worth the extra $11?

DieHarder

BKoz559: What would be your thought on which Holmes Hobbies motor to get? The Torquemaster Expert or Pro?

phmaximus

Ahh my bad I thougt u got a winch controller that works from the controller. I didn't realise it was one that comes with it's own remote
by the looks it's designed to run of a separate battery, so u can run it of a 2s lipo, but I'm unsure os a 3s lipo. U would have to email them

Its a shame u don't have a hacked gt3 controller. There are too many advantages to list, but if u did u could programme any of the trim/DR/3rd ch buttons to operate the winch with a micro ESC and can handle 3s
u could set it up to use the thumb D/R switch, push the switch for the winch to go out and pull for the winch to go in...

also if u go the that way, later on if u want to run anything els like DIG or a 2 speed gearbox u can. The hacked controllers can operate up to 9 channels so u would just need a new receiver with more channels...

ps, I highly recommend the axial dig unit... For me it's been a life saver. No more 3 point turns

phmaximus

Oops, just realised... Are up running a gt3 c or b controller?

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

I wouldn't get too concerned on the C rating for a trail truck. as PHMaximus stated, the amp draw on these motors is relatively low and either of those batteries would be more than sufficient. The hard case is nice to have to protect the battery from impacts but it's not water tight. Think about it, a 3000mAh 40C 3S LiPo can sustain a continuous 120A load at 11.1v. I don't even think these crawler motors could burst draw 50-60A. You would likely never exceed the continuous amp rating of the battery.

As for the Holmes, I agree they're good products but I don't have enough first hand experience to make a sound recommendation. I can check the specs when I get home and see what's what.

DieHarder

GT3B. The one that has the power button on the back, not in the middle of the steering wheel, and is colored black.


I'll have to think on the battery a little. I can always do a little silicone caulking to make it a bit more splash proof. I've had my Venom 5000mah 7.4v hardcase soaked a couple times. Since the lipo packs are sealed, it shouldn't matter all that much, right? But I don't really want water hanging out in the hardcase for the rest of the battery's life. It's probably the same situation with the Turnigy, just the water gets trapped in the wrapping instead of the hardcase. I watched a video on the Sky Lipo hardcase batteries. They showed in the video that the battery has an aluminum plate on top and on the bottom of the battery to sustain insane impacts. The aluminum plates are not on the sides of the battery, however. Even so, it sounds like a legit deal on that part. I'll just have to think about all this and see if I really want/can pay $11 more.

I personally haven't looked at the motor specs. I'll go check them out...

DieHarder

I just picked up the Castle Link USB Programmer from my neighbor. He said I can have it for as long as I need it. I told him it would probably be like 3 weeks or so, and he was totally good with it.

I've decided to go ahead and get the Sky Lipo I linked. It looks good, it's hardcase, I'm thinking 3300mah is perfect from what you've guys have told me (Not too heavy, more than enough power), and it's reasonably priced already.

DieHarder

The Torquemaster Pro series seems to be the most bought motor he sells. It also is hand-wound vs the Expert being machine wound. The specs say it has some special magnets, special Japanese bearings, and some special onboard capacitors. Everything else is the same as the Expert. Because most people buy the Pro series and because I've blown up an Expert 55T before, I feel a little better with the Pro. What do guys think about those comparisons?

I also found out that I would save quite a bit of money doing the combination bundle of the ESC and Motor from them.

shoplinhchi2014

All I can say... Those tough armor bumpers are very heavy and can hinder the approach angles.

im running front and rear ones on one of my crawlers and it's no where as good at crawling as my other one with stock raised bumpers




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DieHarder

I bought the Competition bumper with the stinger. It seems fairly light. All my stuff I ordered showed up today, so I'm pretty happy! I just need to figure a couple things out concerning the BEC and body. I was not aware that there was a signal wire coming off the BEC. I want to run the BEC from the battery to the winch controller. Can I just eliminate the signal wire? Also the Holmes Hobbies ESC claims to put out 6v at 5A. My thinking says that should be just right for the HiTec 5645MG servo. The specs on the servo say 4.8-6.0 volts so that would seem reasonable, I think. With that said, I should only have to run the BEC to the winch. I want to split the wires coming off the BEC to go to the winch and the other made into a JST outlet for future LEDs. I realize that my winch voltage will be the same as the LED voltage, so I can set my winch voltage at 9v and run my LEDs/resisters from that point. It says anywhere from 6-11.1v on the winch controller specs. Is 9v a good spot for the winch?

When I opened up the SCX10 box, I found that the clear lexan body wasn't cut out. I thought it would be. Remember this is my first kit, so I'm new to this. lol The manual doesn't tell/show anything about cutting out the body. I read on the supplies list on the side of the box that they recommend curved scissors. What does everybody else use? Regular household scissors?

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

Don't use household scissors on the body. Curved Lexan body scissors have a much shorter cutting edge and the curve helps get them into corners easier. Plus, as you're cutting they curve away from the body which minimizes the chance of scratching the body with the tip of the blades. Do all your trimming and cut the mounting holes BEFORE you paint. Then sand the edges smooth. A Dremel with a sanding bit will help smooth corners inside fenders and such. Being careful with a straight edge and an X-Acto knife will help you produce straight cuts along the wheelbase under the doors.

I think you're on the right track with the BEC since you're not planning on running the servo with it. That signal wire is there because you would normally tap into the lead for the servo.

DieHarder

Ok, so I just pull the signal wire out, cap it with some shrink tube, and use only the red and black, correct?

There are multiple choices for curved body scissors. Some say they are for lexan and others just say "curved body scissors". They range in lengths and prices. Which set would work good for cutting out a jeep body? I don't really want to spend more that $10 on a set, as I didn't plan to have to buy a pair. I did a Tower search here:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...urved+scissors