badz

My Feedback: (1)

The Smartech's
DO NOT contain a Zenoah Engine they use a cheaper imitation engine made by CY.
ARE NOT EXACTLY like a Duratrax Firehammer.
The Carson Attack or Duratrax Firehammer are NOT a Re-Branded Smartech. They are not even made in the same place.
DO COME with a stock weed wacker Air Filter which is poorly designed. NOT the Duratrax Canister one pictured with it on some websites, thats a Firehammer NOT a Smartech.


Smartech's are made by [link=http://www.perfect-group.com]Perfect Toys International Co. Ltd. in Hong Kong[/link].


Just some fact's

hellya

Yes and almost 95% of all alloy Fg parts can be used for travelers. firehammers, carsons

100% of all carson, firehamers, traveller, xtms are interchangable they are in essence the same buggies

If you want to pay $250 more for a hammer with a radio system go for it

badz

My Feedback: (1)

Wonder who started it all...it's pretty clear the design's are copied from one to another and improved here and there by some or unimproved by others but who was first with the design that we see today? Anyone know?

MrMikeG

I own a Smartech, it does have a zenoah, it does come with a shiney anodized dual layer filter!
Smartech is the parent company of Carson, XTM and Duratrax!

Editted, I got excited, I don't want to start a fight on the net.
Smartechs have had plenty of revisions since they came out, when there was a shortage of Zenoahs they did have the CY engines, but then again so did FG!

The 95% compatable thing is only important if you break the parts that ARE compatable. If you break gears, diffs, motor mounts, axels or Rims you will have to replace more than just the broken part to fit the FG parts.

radio_controlled_mad

i would say fg were the 1st to start it all since they brought the marder out 13year ago

ditchy

My Feedback: (2)

Badz,
Where did you get your information that they are not all made by the same factory? I have ordered parts from an offshore Smartech distributor and some are labeled Smartech and some are labeled Carson. The distributor assured me that Smartech, Carson and Firehammer are from the same factory. Yes I agree that the air filters are not the same on the Smartech and Carson as the Firehammer. The

I have a Smartech and I can assure you that the engine that came on mine is 100% pure Zenoah from Japan. The later kits could very well be a knock off brand but mine is definately a Zenoah.

superwolf

I have read somewhere that fg's marder was a yankee knock off?

hellya

Check this out

http://cgi.ebay.com/BIG-FOOT-1-5-TH-...QQcmdZViewItem


What am I not reading ???? 70 GBP to your door for a Smartech 1/5 truck??...... Is it the send me money only or the price of the machine thats says scam?

Quick someone in the UK call these guys

quarterscalelegends

Yep, yankee was the first with the "cross control" the FG transmission is a exact replacement for the older yankees.....Hmmmmm

radio_controlled_mad

well some ones been gullable and thought u can get a m/t for £35 and hit the buy now.....

JRexA

Which Facts?

That SmarTech is owned by Perfect Group Internationel? That is well known, you have been able to see that at the Smartech Racing web page for as long as it has been up and running.

Which Engine is the DTX engine in the DuraTrax then?
If it was a Zenoah, then I would bet they would NEVER have decided to Rebrand it to their own name.

And you still Avoid the question: Who DOES make the DuraTrax and the Carson?

JRexA

I just got an E-Mail from DuraTrax, saying that the FireHammer is indeed not assembled by SmarTech.

They did NOT reply to the question about the FireHammer being assembled, using SmarTech parts....

hpiguy

That was me, at least on one of them, and read the other thread about it on this forum to see why I did it. [8D] http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3630483/tm.htm

And maybe hold your tongue on the whole gullable thing. You cannot assume things you know nothing about.

gonsped69

My Feedback: (6)

Jrexa, I think it is safe to conclude all the heated discussion where the Firehammer originate from.

From a business perspective, it is not of common sense to have 2 different companies churning out identical parts for different markets. Even so the possibility of these parts being of different materials is ludicrous. Why create a production in the US with high capital and overheads when its as simple as outsourcing overseas? Rebranding/restamping is used everywhere.

Another point is when the Firehammer and its parts were out of stock in Tower, how long does it take them to get parts? Months. I know it takes 20-30 days for cargo shipment to arrive from China to USA. Add to that custom clearance time, transport to the warehouse, unloading, etc.

I also know that the plant is running overcapacity than what it can handle. It takes time to change line of mould to cater for Duratrax - custom stamping, packaging, etc. Only Smartech distributors worldwide have priority access over spare parts. Luckily down here in Oz we are well stocked, even my suppliers doesn't carry spare parts at the moment.

I noticed after you posted the picture of that aluminum air filter our dear friend has not come back with a reply. I wonder why.....

badz

My Feedback: (1)

I'm still laughing at YOU selling Chinese Junk and using the Registered Firehammer name to do it. Hobbico is THE LARGEST retailer in the world of RC Parts, you can bet you'll be hearing from some lawyers. BTW that air filter proves nothing. It doesn't come with the Smartech YOUR Selling....so IF it does come with Smartech whats the garbage your selling? Apparently it's not even Smartech. And also why can't you post your own photo's? All of them are stolen from other companies, Duratrax which I see you removed, wonder why? Copywrite infringement maybe or was it Trademark violations or just plain old trying to wax the public? You tried decieving the public and got caught. `nuff said

OH BTW do your's come with a 3 year warranty on the engine? And parts replacement for free like the Firehammer? Since as you claim they are Firehammer's. For all these so called car's you sell nobody's posted pic's of anything they got from you why is that also?

gonsped69

My Feedback: (6)

Badz - there are many more people in this forum that have cars and have not posted in this forum. I wasn't aware it was a prerequisite for my buyers to glorify their purchases in this forum with photos of their cars? Maybe you didn't read my feedback comments close enough and miss this link - http://www.defy.net.nz/lofreq/pics/R...%20travellers/

As for deceiving the public, several people are already tired of your crybaby ways of getting your point across. Nobody else has come up to me or mentioned a single thing in the threads to suggest I was deceiving anyone.

The only mention I had originally with a Firehammer was it was the same car - I am not selling any warranty because its not a Firehammer. But you get to your head that I was trying to con people? Why is it only you that seem to have that opinion?

With regards to my car not being Smartech - what exactly do you think it is? Did I draw up and print the box from my garage and machine the kit myself?

All my photos are stolen - hmmm... are the photos of the Traveller on the floor and the Bigfoot MT on the grass stolen? I'm sure they must be someone else's photos stolen too? Keep them accusations coming, you're only making yourself look sillier everytime that mouth opens.

Badz my dear friend, it doesn't take much conversation to figure out you're not exactly the type of person many people get along with and since this is a free country and you are most welcome for your opinions, however twisted they may be.

badz

My Feedback: (1)

If your NOT or where NOT decieving the public why did your ad's change? I'm sure it can't be because they where 100% legal now can it? I'm just laughing at you cause Hobbico (the registered trademark holder of Firehammer) will handle your ad's. Then we'll see just how "legit" you are. Nobody can post a glorified purchase of your item's cause nobody has anything glorified to say about them. But then again to you Joe Public means nothing since you enjoy decieving them.

BTW....At LEAST sell the new version since your selling them. They are no longer called Traveller's. But then again you don't care. You call them Firehammers. OH and Nice link to the real Traveller...I notice the box say's Japanese Engine but your ad claims a Zenoah Engine. Are you tossing in the Zenoah's? Or let me guess, your just "decieving" us all again right?

[link=http://www.smartechracing.com/web_2005/product/cars/05321/main.asp]New Smartech 1/5th[/link]

J_D

EDITTED

forgot forum rules for a second there

badz

My Feedback: (1)

Here's for you JD.....

J_D

ebay?

also I'm sorry for my comment - I don't know you in real life - so I can't comment on ur life or your personality - so i apologise for my monentary lack of judgement.

badz

My Feedback: (1)

Your a troll.....

J_D

ok then?

badz

My Feedback: (1)

Troll's go on ignore....Goodbye

kengentry5000

My Feedback: (2)

Okay I am going to join this fray for one post. I have a Duratrax Firehammer. Duratrax is NOT owned by Smartech. Duratrax is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hobbico. Hobbico also owns Great Planes, Tower Hobbies, Futaba and some other R/C brands.

The Firehammer is assembled from Smartech parts, so is the XTM. How do I know this? I bought an XTM gas tank for my car because Duratrax was on back order. The XTM tank was COMPLETELY IDENTICAL to the Duratrax. The ONLY difference was that XTM name was molded into the tank body where my Duratrax had their name molded into the tank.

I bought a body shell, side guards, wheels, roll cage and several other small parts from ditchy. These came from his SMARTECH buggy. All the parts were COMPLETELY IDENTICAL to the Duratrax counterpart. The side guards were made from an identical mold. The ONLY difference was the Smartech name molded in versus the DTX logo on my Duratrax side guards.

The Duratrax HAS ALWAYS shipped with the CY 23cc engine - it has the CY model and serial number on the engine block. That is why Duratrax slaps on a DTX label on the engine. If they had jumped on a Zenoah engine they would have left the Zen label on it and made it part of their marketing information. Zenoah is a great brand unto itself. My new Zenoah G260 engine has a Zenoah part number and serial number on the block.

I don't know if Smartech or XTM Racing use CY engines. I have never seen a completely assembled Smartech Traveller or XTM buggy firsthand to know. Any Traveller or XTM owners care to comment on which engine their cars shipped with?

If Duratrax assembles the Firehammer themselves it is DEFINITELY from a batch of Smartech parts. Maybe Duratrax thinks they can get a better rate on the Chinese labor, product packaging and shipping to the US doing the work themselves. They have taken the Smartech buggy recipe and ingredients and made it their own. I am skeptical they are doing their own assembly but it is possible.

I like Duratrax as a company. They are not a 'top-of-the-line' brand but they are a decent brand. The parts availability in the US is great (from Tower or local shops). Their cars are inexpensive and so are their parts. I wish their documentation was better but at least their exploded diagrams are good.

Please stop these debates. They are turning this forum into a ugly scene.

Ken

radio_controlled_mad

i didnt know hobbico owned all those companys inc futaba - on what engine comes with what debate....my mate bught a carsons attack a year ago that came with a zen rc230...i thought carsons was a rebadged firehammer for the usa market