sr88

I have been approached to setup a small "race track" at a park where they want to offer RC cars to play around a circuit. I am thinking to go with Traxxas Slash and the electric way as it will definitely be more reliable and work when it is exactly needed without too much of tuning and fuel issues.

I want to get the feedback from Slash users of how they feel this will work and how much beating this truck will take in the hands of inexperienced users.
What is recommended battery setup for quick and easy charge. I want the users to be able to use the truck for about 10 minutes without killing the battery as i am considering 2 cell 2100/3300mah lipos.

What kind of spares will be the most essential ones that we should stock up on. Anything thoughts on this will be most helpful.

What about the jumping capabilty and speed ability of this truck.
Thanks again
SR

samguan

I think Slash is the right choice for you!

I've been running Slash for couple months both on 3S and 2S. 2S is plenty enough for small tracks and the temperature stays cool too. (Mamba 4600 I have).

Things that I have broken so far: Front steering blocks, rear Stub Axle Carriers and the input shaft for the spur gear connecting to the transmission.

I use batteries from HobbyCity 2S 5000mAh for $27 each. They are great! You will definitely get more than 10 minutes out of that. ALso, you need a LiPo charger which is pretty cheap too at HobbyCity.

This truck will take a lot of beatings and I have never had big problems with the truck. Slash saves me a lot $$ in this hobby.

If you are running LiPo with the stock XL5 electronics, make sure you get a lipo cut-off.

Jeremy Z

The Slash would be a good choice, but in my opinion, the Bandit would be even better.

The bodies on Bandits would probably hold up longer, since they don't protrude as much. (i.e. smaller bodies)

The Bandits also cost about $50 less and are just as fast.

For durability, plan on adding ball bearings and RPM bumpers (front and rear)

Oh, and skip LiPos. LiPos are just not as durable, and when damaged, they can cause fires. They're also much more picky about how they are charged. Again, improper charging can cause a fire.

Go with simple and inexpensive 6 cell NiMH battery packs. A 3000 mAh pack will last more than 10 min, are not picky for charging or rough handling, and can be found for $25 ea. or less.

To help minimize damage to the cars, keep the jumps on the course a lower height; enough to get some air and be fun, but not so high that there will be a lot of massive tumbling crashes.

This sounds like a really fun idea. I wish you the best of luck.

BuzzBomber

My Feedback: (4)

Just a point of thought: If these will be cars used as "rentals" by inexperienced users, I would avoid using lipos. Unless something has recently come out, there is no actual low voltage cutoff available which is compatible with the stock ESC in the Slash, only alarms. Inexperienced users will drive the car until it stops - you cant get away with this on nimh/nicad batteries, but lipos will die quickly, catch afire, or puff up if used that way. However, I think the Slash is an excellent starting point for your project; it is very suitable for new and inexperienced drivers bashing about together.

atvracer87

i have a slash and its my favorite truck ever.its very tough and can handle uite a beating.speed it decent and it jsut looks great when driving(like a real CORR truck) so i recommend it to any1 wnating a electric

Access

GP3300s used to be $25. now that LiPos are $27. maybe this price has gone down farther. I have four GP3300's I got 2+ years ago and have run them in the slash, summit, E-maxx, E-maxx brushless, and they are still usable after all that time. Ideally to stay competitive the GP3300 should be $15-$20 or less, shop around and see what you can find.

sr88

Thanks Guys for the actual user feedback. Good ideas about using NiMh batteries because users will not care about the batteries and will drive them till them are dead and gone.

Also the bandit idea is worthwhile as it will be cheaper and at the same time offer variety to the users

Keep the flow. This thread is getting interesting

Jeremy Z

sr88 - You could actually consider offering the Stampede too. The Bandit, Slash, and Stampede share a LOT of common parts. The differences are mainly in how they're set up.

I didn't think quality LiPos were available for ~$30.

FairTax4me

I was gonna say the exact same thing. Lipo + public = fire hazard.

The Slash in stock form is very tough, but the motors will probably not last long. There are alternatives that will give much better longevity and reliability, but the cost of upgrading should be considered. I think I would try to find out what kind of budget they want to give you for this project before moving to the next step.

sr88

budget defintely is in the lower than slash category ....

What are options for slash upgrade ? Are there low cost chinese options available for upgrades ?

Also what can be considered the lifespan of the slash truck in terms of cycles of 10 minute drives ? I am thinking 200 meaning about 2000 minutes of driving with maintainence. Is that too much ?

Access

The truck itself will last forever. Not sure about the motors though, they seem very much hit and miss. Some of them might last 3 months of use and the others might die after several runs.

When the motors do go, I wouldn't bother getting replacements from Traxxas for $20. a pop. I know a lot of people have had luck using drill motors that are very cheap, $2. or $3. on the open market, and essentially the same as the Titans.

atvracer87

my titan motor lasted 86 runs. i never used motor sprey i jsut blew it out after everyy run. i jsut bought a orion sv2 pro and i lvoe it it will last longer.

sr88

are there any chinese brushless upgrades ? Brushless is cheap in airplanes nowadays why is it so expensive in cars? i read sensor and sensorless....now thats a new one for me.

I dont mind going briushless for under $60 or is that too much to expect

fusebmx13

My titan lasted 3 runs then I got bored and threw the vxl on 3s in it. Way more fun if you ask me. brushless for under 60, haha sorry to tell you man, but that is asking a lot.

kahnen

You can get an ezrun system from ebay for about $75-$85. Perhaps if you wanted to buy in bulk you could get a lower amount. Look for a motor kv in the range of 3000kv-4000kv. The torque of a low kv motor will help with a heavy slash, plus it could be geared to not be so fast to help not break stuff. Course, like with anything bought overseas, if it broke you might as well count it as a loss. Not sure a repair claim would be worth it.

Edit: I just noticed it says your in India. If that really true, it might be easier for you than here in the States.

sr88

Thanks for the ezrun tip... looks like $80 for the same on ebay.

BTW being in India doesn't help as we live with break it ...forget it policy. You guys living in USA are the luckiest as you dont have any or v low (1%) customs import duty on RC toys. So a product that is ex factory at say $100 is probably landed cost about $105/110 is sold in USA for $200 with very high margins in USA ie also the reason the distributors are able to give you solid support.

In India the product the landed price is $180-200 as we have 33% customs duty and other taxes making it cost v high. So it retails for about $220 with very low margins and hence minimal support....Anyway this is another topic

Any reason why airplanes brushless esc cannot be used on these motors other than cooling purposes ?

Access

The endpoints on an airplane ESC are troublesome, as is the braking method. The airplane ESCs are 0-stop and 100-full. Some brake when you let up on the throttle, others don't brake at all. The car ESCs are typically 0-reverse, 50-stop, 100-full and car transmitters reflect this. They're not really that compatible, it's rare to even have a car transmitter that you make get within the endpoint range to be able to talk to a airplane ESC, and then you often have no real brakes, just a little bit of stopping action when you let up on the throttle and that is kinda scary when driving at high speeds. I know some people use HV aircraft ESCs (Nic used a castle HV-85 in some of his early speed runs, and maybe still is) but for off-road I don't know anyone who does.