Northern Mike

With available play funds being limited, I have been hitting the used market hard looking for a 1/10 offroad roller (have batteries, ESC and 4000kv brushless, 1 2200mah 3s and 1 5500mah 2s).

I am looking for something to run in snow (deep snow sometimes), mud, water walking, etc.

I have found the following 3 rollers and am looking for help picking one. I will be picking up some Proline Sand Paws for which evey one I get.

Used Traxxas Rustler VXL ( no electronics, some upgrades) $130 delivered (tons of after market parts)

Brand new HPI Cyber (no electronics, 18t pinion included) $156 delivered (hardly no aftermarket parts avalible and my 3s might not fit in battery tray)

Lightly used Axial EXO ( no electronics and missing front hood and interior pannel) $220 delivered (parts are more money then others).

What do you guys think?

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

4wd is hard to beat, off-road. But Traxxas is everywhere and parts are easy to get. Rustler is easier to work on than the Exo.
Be aware that "waterproof" in general, ain't. Submersion is not recommended. Be careful of rust.

Northern Mike

I kind hate to be like everyone else and run a traxxas, but the price and aftermarket parts are hard to beat.

SyCo_VeNoM

The EXO to my understanding has a crap motor mount seen quite a few complaints on it breaking on these forums(hell one was in the past week), and in reviews.

The Cyber... looked promising, but HPI like shipped almost none. Woulda bought it in a heartbeat if I coulda got one back then, and found parts. As they are rare issue is if something breaks you are kinda screwed

If the motor mount puts you off the EXO the rustler would be the next best buy(as much as it hurts me to say that)

Northern Mike

I'm a huge buggy fan. The Cyber was a step up from their Brama. The Brama was dog slow, had dirt issues with the diffs and wouldn't accept ball bearings in the hubs (used bushing bearings from my understanding).

What I may end up doing is get the Rustler and make a new body for it. I do have a vacuum table so I might see about making some A-arm skid plates and bumper/skid plate for snow, water, mud.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

The Rusty can be found cheaper elsewhere, like here, with upgrades; http://www.ebay.com/itm/Traxxas-Rust...p2054897.l4276

Northern Mike

That is just a but cheaper until you tack on $50-60 for shipping to Canada. Sorry, forgot to mention, I'm in Canada, so pay more for everything.
The rustler I am looking at is complete except not radio or motor/ESC. Body is included along with tires.
Not sure if it makes any difference, but it is a vxl and not the brushed version.

SyCo_VeNoM

LOL a newbright is step up from the Brama
The brama had way more detrimental issues then you listed. Issues I PERSONALLY hit. Diff gear breaking, and chassis cracking in half from the torque of the stock motor. I remember another big issue was the diff out drives would twist apart. I actually threw mine in the trash can after the 2nd chassis snapped(both were driven on cement, with no jumps or anything) as I was fed up with it. Side note there was a ball bearing kit for it as I put all ball bearings on mine with the alum prop shaft, and spent almost $120 trying to make it not suck.
Gave up and bought a DF-02 which is 1000X the buggy(and actually one of my favorite vehicles). Will say one thing about the Brama though it did have nice rims on it, I bought a few sets for my DF-02 so I could mount standard 1/10th scale buggy tires on it. Also jury rigged the brama's wing mount to the DF-02's as the DF-02's stock wing, and mount kinda suck.

Actually you might want to look at the DF-02 Plasma Edge (last I looked) was $125 on tower(or tower sells the Aero Avante DF-02 for $165 which has a better ESC) needs servo, and radio (well ESC does need a BEC but those are cheap)
outside one mod (longer fork took like 10 mins, and $3 to do 2 DF-02's) its a pretty sturdy buggy. I got my original one to drive in the snow like 4 years ago, and afterwards I dropped a BL setup into it with a few upgrades (steel CVD's, and diff outdrives) and it still goes flying like a bat out of hell till today. Onlything I ever broke on it was a chassis, but that was prior to the mod one of the board members came up with since it broke nada.

Northern Mike

Well... I pulled the trigger and jumped on the traxxas band wagon.
Its a Rustler VXL with OEM servo and they kicked in the OEM radio for a could bucks (saves waiting on a new radio to come in).
The mods included is RPM rear A arms and bumper and a bunch of spare parts.
I'll be running a RCsky Leopard 60A ESC with a Leopard sensorless 10t (3930kv) motor.

So I am going to replace the front a arms to match the rears, and pick up some tires.
Because of the deal I got with the sale of my other cars, I have a bit of RC money left over. What OEM parts should I replace and/or what items to add or carry as spares?

Tires for snow and beach/water will be Proline Sand paws (2.2) on the rear and Panther V-Ribs or similar.
General bashing tires?
Skate park/on road tires?

phmaximus

With that combo... It would be worth getting a RPM rear bumper mount and a wheelie bar... Oh and don't forget the RPM front bumper.... It really works a treat...

next thing to check what axles does it have... If it's the older style black small ones it will need the alloy yokes..

only problem u will have... The rustler is very low, esspically with 2.2 wheels for mud and snow I would reccomend some monster truck wheel...

Northern Mike

I will check the pictures and of see what I can see.
For tires, are you thinking 2.8"?

phmaximus

I'd go with 2.8's with stampede style tyres for the increased tyre side wall height... Like the proline mashers
they will be awesome in mud and snow, good on grass, but no so good on dirt and onroad

marutizhiyi

I kind hate to be like everyone else and run a traxxas

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Know why Traxxas is so easy to get and parts are in every hobby store? It's because Traxxas does not charge the stores for inventory up-front, like apparently every other manufacturer does. They make it EASY for the store to carry Traxxas inventory. Say what you will about Traxxas, I think it's brilliant marketing. Speaking of marketing, how come other RC manufacturers don't sponsor race cars? You never see "LOSI" or "Team Associated" plastered on the side of Short Course trucks! (PLENTY of poisonous Energy Drink sponsors, tho! )