heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Hi everybody, let me start off by saying I've heard plenty bad about Redcat Racing products from "the enthusiasts" and I say enthusiasts in very large quotes but I must say I think a lot of people have missed the boat with Redcat.

It's been along time since I've had RC equipment around the house "think back to the Frog" but have jumped back in this past summer. Some friends sparked my interest with their cars running around the neighborhood. They have some high dollar equipment but one of them also has a Volcano that was a few years old. You wouldn't believe the abuse this Volcano takes. I never heard of Redcat before I was introduced to his Volcano. Asking more people about them I typically got the same response..They're junk!. My local hobby shop doesn't cary them either so when I asked about them the owner gave me the same story...I beleive he used the words " Pure Crap". Well I knew of HPI from some other friends and was interested in their equipment. I wound up buying a basket case HPI Nitro MT2 on ebay which I put back together. So far I got what I paid for it, it wound up costing me $220 to buy the car, a new G3.0 engine and new fuel tank. Aside from normal crash and burns, I was up and running for this price and was happy with it.

Now my introduction to Redcat. I picked up a used brushless Caldera 1/10th scale truck for $100. I bought this for my 8 year old. I have to say I've had it about 4 months now and the only thing I had to do to it was replace the plastic steering knuckles with aluminum ones. The plastic ones stripped 3 times in a month. This same problem happened with my HPI and I see it as a common weak point with any front end that does not utilize pivot ball suspension. This truck is just starting to chew the spur gear which I try to keep an eye on the lash but I think 4 months isn't that bad. It also had a bearing in the front diff noise up which I replaced. Thats it for a used truck. I was starting to get impressed.

This led me to my recent purchase of a Tornado S30. This bugy is no Losi 810 but for $150 I don't think you can get more for the money. This model comes with the steel clutch bell "which I read has been a problem in the past when it was aluminum" and the two speed tranny. After trying different tire combos I've decided to put the Volcano single speed tranny and bell on it and run 2.2 dirt tires. I haven't done the tranny swap yet but tried the tires out just to see the difference. This buggy is way more fun in the yard with these tires and ground clearance. I turned my two speed clutch in so it wouldn't shift just to try it out. Of course with the larger tires on, it was very weak off the line but once it got going it was a blast to bash around the yard. Again, $150 car here. So far the only thing I would advise is to throw the stock rims in the trash. Less than 30 minutes at the track took care of two of them, completely split it half. Other than that I've had no issues with it. I will say like many others on this forum have, the two speed is all for show...or sound anyway. You need way too much running area to utilze it. My friend has a Traxxas with a two speed big block, his shifts quick, it has the power to back it up. With this motor I think the two speed just isn't needed.

Looking foward to modding this little buggy. Great forum, thanks for all the info I've read so far.

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RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

i feel as you do,

sure, you can spend more money and get nicer models, but for what you spend on a redcat you get alot of fun....or "bang for your buck"

i had the tornado epx pro, and the lightening epx pro and i loved them both! very little down time, and lots of abuse.

and i enjoy modding....so if a model needs some improvement(but i saved on the original purchase) then it is fun to figure out ways to solve any weak points.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

exactly Nitrosports.  My buddies with their $400-$500 dollar cars still have to make them right.  I'd rather have a Tornado and a Monsoon any day instead of a $500 car!

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

see, i like to bash my rc's more than anything. if you pay $500 for a truck then it sucks bad when you break something or smash the body.

when your $200 brushless 35-40mph truck flys of a ramp and the body falls apart, i dont care as much, cause i didnt pay as much.

plus, ill take owning 2 $200 cars over 1 $400 car anyday. having 2 means twice the fun.

i meant to say before, you did pretty good getting a used caldera 10e for $100. even @ $200 its a good truck for the money, but for only $100 you cant buy a better used rc.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Ihave to say my experience mirrors yours. Idont think for the price you can buy a better truck. You can spend more and get more but the Redcat makes the price point .
Itried the 2 speed in my Volcano S30 and the gearing was way too high. It works but it would have to be going downhill to work properly.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

2many peopl r quik 2 discredit redcat witout evr evn owing 1 or using 1. my 1st redcat was a ground pounder & ya it did break alot. i went thru about 4 front axle housings. came 2 da realization dat its not a true jumping bashing vehicle. jus a all terrain driving truck dat looks lyk nuthn else u evr saw.

skip ahed 2 months. redcat lightning epx drift car. castle sidewinder v2 4600 motor.

iv ramped it, driftd in2 curbs, drifted off of ramps landing sideways, clippd curbs tryn 2 drift around planters & sent it in2 a tumbling frenzy a multitude of times & all iv got 2 add 2 my list of broke parts is
1 bent dogbone wich i bent bak,
2 body posts,
1 spur gear
all da original wheel bearings r riding on the bearing races,
& 1 beat up body.

it doesnt make any sence. i shood have broke wheels & conrol arms & bulkheads but no. & im probably about 60 packs worth of runs on it. evn a breif stint as a rally car.

few weeks later i got a brand new aftershock 8e sittn @ my door. i shure as hell wasnt gunna pay 500-700 fer a slash 4x4 or ten sct rtr. 285 shippd for a redcat aftershok 8e. o yea. no contest.

my name is xerxes, im a redcat fanboy, & proud 2 say it!!!

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

The important thing to remember about Redcat: recreative product.<div>
</div><div>As long as you're aware of that, you're ready to buy a Redcat.</div><div>
</div><div>Typicals redcat's bashers are those racers who compares their 900$ Losi roller with a 250$ RTR Redcat.</div><div>
</div><div>:)</div>

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

i had as much fun with my $160 redcat rs10 as my buddy did with his $400 axial wriath. NOW, the wraith is a FAR better truck. but that doesnt make it any more fun really. both trucks work well, climb well and are a blast to drive. nothing wrong with either then.
i will personally never understand the redcat bashers out there.
i think a few of them are those who got their first nitro from redcat and didnt know enough of what they were doing and blamed it on the product.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

are you even trying to spell properly?

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

We do have certain expectations pertaining to the level of literacy competency on the forum, but we are not the spelling and grammar police and neither are the members. Xerxes posts are readable, he maintains this is the best he can do. So fair enough. Unreadable posts will be removed as always, but if we start removing poorly phrased or spelt posts, that would be a slippery slippery slope. Let's not discuss this any further, if it bothers you very much, feel free to add him to your block list. Back to topic please.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Yeah I think I did real good. My first brushless and for what it is, this thing is fast considering I'm not even running Lipo's in it. After seeing what it can do it's my number one recommendation to people who want to get into the game. Even at retail you can't come close to what you get in this truck with any of the competitors.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Good morning. I got the Avalanch xp in April of this year and this truck is a beast! This is my first rc. The only thing i have had to upgrade is the steering servo. For my first nitro i gotta say it was pretty easy to tune. I was pretty impressed. Almost have 2 gallons through it and still going very strong.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Yeah...... He does that alot....http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...ular_smile.gif

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

I hadn't had a hobby grade R/C car in years. Then in 2000, I came across a complete Tamiya Black Foot set up at a yard sale - for $1.00. Bashed the daylights out of that truck for a few years and took another break from the hobby. <div>
</div><div>Fast forward to six weeks ago, I found out about Redcat. I had just bought a DuraTrax Evader for my daughter for Christmas - she had only shown a passing interest in the hobby, but, if I was going to get her one I'd rather get one that could be repaired and modded easily. Was a little aggravated since it came in the box with the added feature of a broken shock cap. </div><div>
</div><div>While searching for other types of R/C vehicles, I found out about Redcat. I was so impressed with what I saw of the Redcat stuff - bang for the buck, I bought a Caldera 10e, a Turnigy balance charger and a Turnigy 5000Mah LiPo. Man that thing is quick - and tough. I let my daughter drive it for a while, to see if she really would enjoy it. When she was done, she asked if she could get one for Christmas - mission accomplished. And everyone who's seen that truck has been very impressed by it.</div><div>
</div><div>Neither one of us are driving it right now. The bottom screw of the right steering arm keeps falling out. Replaced it with another screw, and it came out after about ten minutes of bashing. So, I ordered a new plastic set and a new set of aluminum steering arms...</div>

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Where do you all buy your Redcat products and replacement parts? I'm looking at getting the best bang for buck brushless monster truck and this looks like a good possibility. Sound like the stearing servo and aluminum control arms are the most common upgrades? How much is that going to cost and where can I order them?

Thanks in advance.

btw... I like the "Dads like rc too" name

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Rodder, this was the same problem I was having. I replaced three steering knuckles before I finally gave in and bought the aluminum set. I tried the plastic replacements because the aluminum set was so expensive, more than twice what you pay for competitor replacements but in the end it's what has to be done. Here's the link to Redcats parts pagehttp://www.redcatracing.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2299/.f I've found them at RC Planet as well, and with them you can get $2.99 shipping. Redcat charges a minimum of somewhere near $11.00 because I believe they only ship UPS.

Once I did this this truck was rock solid. Good luck!<br type="_moz" />

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

I find most of my replacement parts on ebay. I haven't had any issues with my steering servo yet but replacing it with a stronger one is common for most cars in this price range. About $25-$33 will find you a much stronger servo. The aluminum control arms I'm not sure of. I mean I don't know what part your talking about. Are you saying to replace the factory plastic control arms with aluminum? This can be done but some parts are better left as plastic for flexibilty. The lower arms will brake but are really cheap, usually about $3.99 with free shipping on ebay. After boiling them they should last for quite a few bash sessions.

I think once you get involved in this you'll soon learn to scour ebay on a nightly basis. I often find parts people are unloading. It's common to find front or rear diffs for $9.99 with free shipping compared to $19.99 from Redcat. Usually anything I find for $3 or $4 with free shipping I'll usually pick up to throw in the parts inventory, you'll eventually use it.

I think you'll be very happy with a Caldera10E. I was very impressed with it for what it is. By the way, ditching the Huge monster truck tires and puting 2.2 rims with dirt tires on it will actually let this truck handle a bit and keep it from rolling over. Also your low end will be monsterous while of course sacrificing some top end. If you still feel the need for speed you could always decrease your spur gear a bit.

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RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Redcat has really stepped up their game since around 2008. Especially in the 1/5th scale where they are regarded  as top quality product rtr in the $550 range where their competition can coast 2k+. Parts support is there now and several after market hopup companies are popping up. A great place to buy redcat is rampagehopups.com he has crazy deals also checkout redcatrampageforums.com.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

Redcat 1/5th are not 'quality'. They are good for the price, but they are still cheap. There is absolutely NO comparison between redcat (sic: Himoto) 1/5th cars and the much more expensive cars. None whatsoever.

This undeserved reputation they have is a phenomenon caused by a small group of people who control and manipulate discussion around these vehicles, quickly stamping out anything negative anyone has to say. You get precisely what you pay for nothing more, don't be fooled by the fanboy rhetoric (it's amazing what people will accept as the truth from parties with a clear vested interest in promoting something). It's a marketing game that they have played very well. Kudos to them.

Don't think I'm bashing, I'm not. I never said you don't get your money's worth with a Redcat, on the contrary, you do, but this crazy situation of them being compared to much more expensive cars which are much better has got to be brought under control, it's ridiculous. Let me put it in perspective for you... If I said to you, which is better, a Redcat or an HPI Baja...you'd rightly say the HPI Baja, and then cite the fact that it costs nearly twice as much, and you'd be right. Consider then that the HPI Baja is at the bottom of the pile of 'quality' large scale radio control cars, and you begin to see what I'm saying. When you've seen what else is out there, you realise that redcat is what it is, a well priced entry level car.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

A lot of good info here. Thanks for all the reply's.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

wow...you say your not bashing Redcat but it sure sounds like you are. First off in all fairness to you, you spoke of 1/5 scale but it sounded to me like you meant the complete line up as a whole.

To call forum members "fanboys" is kind of funny. I mean aren't most of us on this blog fans of Redcat? Sure some people come on here and post about how bad they think the company is, but in general most of the posts I've read have been positive about the product.

You said they are not quality, good for the price but still cheap. Well what determines quality? My $150 Redcat Tornado is of much better quality than my HPI Nitro MT2 which retails for $340. I have repaired my front and rear diffs on the HPI with the Redcat diff gears-same parts...$20 dollar difference. The Redcat came with aluminum threaded shocks that don't leak like the plastic HPI shocks. The Redcat came with pivot ball suspension, the HPI came with the standard plastic steering knuckles that strip at the control arm screws after a few jumps. The Redcat came with a polished aluminum pipe that looks and sounds good, the HPI came with a quiet plastic pipe. I realize the MT2 is at the lower end of the HPI pole, but either way according to your definition of quality, it should be a better quality car because it costs more and came from a better recognized company.

As far as comparing them to more expensive cars, why not? Are you saying that an 1/8 scale Redcat "pick your model" won't compare at all to a lower end 1/8 scale Losi 810 or Traxxas slayer? After your done modding or repairing either of the two you'll still be $100 ahead with the Redcat even after your done tweaking it.

By the way, I'm not a party that has a clear and vested interest in Redcat. I'm just a dad that likes RC too! I am not a dealer and I don't sell parts on ebay, but I am very happy with what Redcat has to offer. I honestly think a lot of their bad reputation is because their products are so inexpensive, that young kids get these cars as gifts and don't have a clue about break in or adjusting things mechanicaly. The end result is after learning a few things, they toss the Redcat and buy another companies car which seems to work better after their school of hard knocks with their first car, the Redcat.
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RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: Dads like rc too


wow...you say your not bashing Redcat but it sure sounds like you are. First off in all fairness to you, you spoke of 1/5 scale but it sounded to me like you meant the complete line up as a whole.

To call forum members "fanboys" is kind of funny. I mean aren't most of us on this blog fans of Redcat? Sure some people come on here and post about how bad they think the company is, but in general most of the posts I've read have been positive about the product.

You said they are not quality, good for the price but still cheap. Well what determines quality? My $150 Redcat Tornado is of much better quality than my HPI Nitro MT2 which retails for $340. I have repaired my front and rear diffs on the HPI with the Redcat diff gears-same parts...$20 dollar difference. The Redcat came with aluminum threaded shocks that don't leak like the plastic HPI shocks. The Redcat came with pivot ball suspension, the HPI came with the standard plastic steering knuckles that strip at the control arm screws after a few jumps. The Redcat came with a polished aluminum pipe that looks and sounds good, the HPI came with a quiet plastic pipe. I realize the MT2 is at the lower end of the HPI pole, but either way according to your definition of quality, it should be a better quality car because it costs more and came from a better recognized company.

As far as comparing them to more expensive cars, why not? Are you saying that an 1/8 scale Redcat "pick your model" won't compare at all to a lower end 1/8 scale Losi 810 or Traxxas slayer? After your done modding or repairing either of the two you'll still be $100 ahead with the Redcat even after your done tweaking it.

By the way, I'm not a party that has a clear and vested interest in Redcat. I'm just a dad that likes RC too! I am not a dealer and I don't sell parts on ebay, but I am very happy with what Redcat has to offer. I honestly think a lot of their bad reputation is because their products are so inexpensive, that young kids get these cars as gifts and don't have a clue about break in or adjusting things mechanicaly. The end result is after learning a few things, they toss the Redcat and buy another companies car which seems to work better after their school of hard knocks with their first car, the Redcat.
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Well said dad he did bash redcat very well but said he is not bashing redcat WOW go figure There 1/5 scales are great cars and will stand stand up to any other 1/5 scale on the market I dont care if you have $5,000.00 in it or $500.00 in it they all break and will all have hop ups and repaires so get what your pocket book can handle and have a great time in between and enjoy what you do have the redcat 5 scale is great quality!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

ok lets all tak a deep breff & calm down b4 sumbody (probably me) gets band agen.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

OK, one point at a time.

How did it sound like I spoke about the lineup as a whole, when I specifically spoke about 1/5th and nothing else, responding to a post talking about 1/5th and nothing else... I have EXTENSIVE experience in the gas world, I have currently 4 1/5th scale models, ranging from the sordidly expensive to the cheap and nasty. I do know what I'm talking about. At one time I had 8 with $15,000 between them! I don't own any redcats, nor ever would (they are not in the market segment that interests me), but I have seen plenty of the himotos up close and personal.

Regarding 'fanboys', perhaps you haven't heard this term before. A fanboy is someone who thinks that their brand is the be all and end all, and will not accept any other opinions. I did not refer to anyone in particular so don't make assumptions. Those of us who know this market for years know exactly who these people are and where to find them, however, they can and do pop up anywhere. The fanboys I refer to are well known in the 1/5th segment, you would not believe the shenannigans that go on in the 1/5th market, it's positively Machiavellian (and this is NOT exclusive to Redcat, nor did I suggest it was). With all due respect you don't know what you're talking about in regards to this. I most certainly am not referring to you, or anyone else who doesn't have a vested interest in the success of these particular models. I believe you are a novice RCer who has found happiness in the Redcat lineup getting decent models for cheap prices and I praise you for having done so and standing up for what you believe.

As for comparing them to expensive cars... Take my HPI Baja example in the post above, read it again, t makes sense. The 1/8th models you refer to are irrelevant to this discussion, but since you brought it up, yes, the racing models are generally are worth their extra money, but of course this is to varying degrees. Do they represent the same VALUE for money as the Redcats? In most cases, probably not. Some do though... Do yourself a favor one day, spend $500 on an Xray XB808, you will very soon understand the difference and why Xray has a reputation for the highest quality cars in the hobby. I wouldn't touch the other cheap cars either, it's not a Redcat exclusive thing, but that's fine, because they are not aimed at people like me either.

You need to step back and take a more objective look at the REST of the market to understand what I'm saying. I am sure you are very happy with your redcats, and you should be, most of them are good cars, but please understand there is MUCH better stuff out there, and Himoto is NOT trying to compete with them, to suggest they are is just wrong, the manufacturer themselves will say "We are aimed at the low cost segment". The better stuff is much more expensive as it should be, and as such is not comparable. Value for money does not directly correlate to quality. Having said that, of course there are exceptions (such as your HPI, and one or two Associated models I could name). The major manufacturers make horrendous design errors sometimes.

You have judged me unfairly. Read my post above again with a more objective eye, think about what I'm saying, because I am not saying anything bad about Redcat. In their market segment they are fine vehicles. What gets my goat is when people compare them to my FG, or my MCDs, because there is literally no comparison, which is why those models are twice or three times the price. It's frankly insulting having spent $3000 on a top of the line gasser to have some redcat fanboy say that their $600 car is 'comparable', when it simply isn't. That is all I was trying to say.

For what it's worth Dad, I completely agree with your opening sentiment that there are too many RC snobs who just don't 'get' what Redcat is all about. You really are trying to preach to the converted here. I completely 'get' what Redcat cars are for, and think they are great for what they offer for the money, I can't overstate the value for money that Redcat offers.

RE: heard lots of bad stuff about Redcat....BUT
 

No I didn't. :eek:

You insult me sir, by suggesting that I have wasted my money hopping up top of the line vehicle when I could have spent $600 and been done with it. A statement which is frankly, ridiculous.

See, this is exactly what I'm complaining about. Thanks for making my point for me.

And by the way, my cars don't break...I can't connect to youtube at work, but if you go to www.youtube.com/foxy4242 and look at my uploads, you'll see one from a couple of years ago called 'Large scale jump compilation', please check it out.