Getting my first rock crawler
 

Hi, I'm looking to get an RC crawler or something similar for playing around in the yard or crawling in ditches and such. When I first started looking I was considering the SCX24 but I know that I will spend 90% of my time outside and I'm worried that outside the 1/24 scale would be a little overwhelmed so I was also looking at maybe getting the rochobbys Katana I really like this one as it's very detailed and bigger but also within my price range which I want to stay under 200$ as this will probably just be a toy for playing around with as my primary hobby is dirt bikes although that could change who knows. I'm going to a local RC shop that is highly rated and some friends recommended it as i was hoping if I could actually see the models in person I could get a better idea of if they would work. What do you think? most of the reading I have done has led me to think a 1/24 scale would just be too small for outside use in the dirt and such but I think a 1/16 scale would work pretty good for me. I also really like the fact that the Katana looks really good and it appears to be of good quality and if you own a katana I would love it if you told me any basic mods you did and also how to tell if a tire/rim would fit the katana. Bring fourth the wisdom I have very little experience with RC cars/trucks I like FPV drones and dirtbikes so this is completely new to me so any wisdom or recommendations are welcome.

If you want to see the Katana in more detail then you could take a look at my unboxing video which looks at all areas in close-up detail. Like you, I was attracted by the scale realism of this model which is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser. The Katana is 1:18 scale by the way and the Axial SCX24 uses quite large tyres so the sizes are not so considerably different. It is generally accepted that the SCX24 is larger than its quoted 1:24 scale.

As for quality, the Katana looks reasonable (the body is very nice) but I must say that some of the injection-moulded plastic parts on the chassis could be better. Other than the chassis rails, the majority of the parts are plastic but this is okay at this price level. The main issue for me at the moment is the noise from the ESC, motor and drivetrain which is quite loud, and the body roll. I think the vehicle will be rolling over quite often so unlike the SCX24 which has a polycarbonate body, there is potential to damge that nice paintwork! But of course that is one of the hazards of RC crawling...

I'm currently testing my Katana in various types of terrain and a follow-up video will be coming soon. The link for the first video is below:

Thanks for the reply I ordered the katana last night and am super excited for my first crawler I watched some other YouTubers reviews and videos on the katana and that bcochener (youtube channel I cant post links yet) found some weighted wheels (SSD ones for the SCX 24) that will fit the katana so I will definitely be putting those on along with some RC4WD tires to help with traction and the rolling over of the crawler. I saw videos on the noise and I'm sure it might be a little annoying but I can always switch out the ESC and receiver if I really hate it. Have you done any modifications to the crawler?

I think you will like it. I have been a 1:10 scale fan for years but recently bought several mini-crawlers and they are great fun. They are also much easier to take anywhere you want to go. You can even have fun with them indoors. I haven't done any modifications to mine yet but I do like to customise my RC vehicles so it will only be a matter of time. I found the stock tyres to grip fairly well but I think wheel weights will help with the crawling performance.

Yeah, I'm super excited this is my first RC car or crawler ever I have an FPV racer but I don't fly it much and I live out in the mountains of north Idaho so I like the idea of just taking the crawler with me and just crawling in some ditches and such I cant wait :). Let me know if you do any modifications to it and how you like them it's a little tricky to find aftermarket parts for this so I need to be a little creative.

It sounds as if you have perfect terrain for crawling (just as long as the snow isn't too deep!). I am also spoilt as there are some amazing places for driving RC vehicles here on the Black Sea. The Katana is still new so not many specific upgrades at the moment but I expect that will change soon as this truck is proving very popular. I'll update you if I do any modifications. Here are some photos of mine:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...3c9cd3aacf.jpg
BlackSeaRC: ROC Hobby Katana

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...842b438e80.jpg
BlackSeaRC: ROC Hobby Katana

I love how that thing looks easily one of the biggest reasons I bought it are just for the looks I really wanted to get something that looked really scale and when I saw it I knew it was perfect I just love the look of the old Toyota's I will need to get some scale gas tanks and shovels to put on the roof rack that would be sweet. I also like the idea of cutting off the little lights on the roof and put a little mini light bar on there I think that would be awesome. You know its a good looking model when you hesitate for a second trying to figure out if it is a model or not xD

ROC Hobby Katana - Functional and Performance Testing
 

For anyone looking at buying the ROC Hobby Katana, I have put together a video showing how the truck performs. I have also listed the good/bad points and then given my overall verdict.

I like Danchee Ridgerock for its 4 wheel steer and low CG

Also it is inexpensive

However, dont discount the 24th scale. It really depends on your outside terrain. If the rocks ar 2-4 inches tall, this little jem can drive up the face then bump up

I personally would go with the Axial Capra for when you want to get into the 1/10 scale range! You wont be disappointed!

The Axial Bomber isn't a bad choice as well.

Go Big!
 

Just go all the way to the SCX6. :)

I agree, 1/24 outside is simply too small. 1/10 or bigger is best outdoors. I would go to your local hobby store and find out what manufacturer they support and the availability of parts and upgrades. Honestly my favorite is Traxxas TRX4, especially the TQi Telemetry.