Whats the best handling 1/8 E-Buggy on the market?
07-08-2012, 09:54 PM
#31
Team Durango DEX408.
Best balanced car on the market. It takes a while to get it dialed but once dialed, is very fast and nimble and extremely durable.
I have the converted DNX408 and it is very durable and easier to get dialed than the E version. However, the E version once dialed is a much faster nimble car that has an extremely low CG (I believe it's still the lowest on the market, as it was when it was released) and the front to rear, left to right balance is almost perfect. This is a full blown electric design car that is only less than a year old to the market. Not your typical Electric mock-up Nitro car. It is also very affordable. I can speak for the quality, as its the best quality car I have seen. Especially for that kind of money anyway. Speak to Sirio76 as he has raced the Mugen, DNX408 converted, DEX408 etc and he can give you a more acurate comparo.
The only deciding factor is spares for your area. But this thing is that durable, you wont really need many spares apart from normal wearing parts like bearings and possibly a set of arms and spindles in case you have a real hard hit.
as everyome else is saying, they are all quite good but there are a few that are very outdated and not very strong. Hyper 9E is definateley one of these.
Let the trolls begin...
Best balanced car on the market. It takes a while to get it dialed but once dialed, is very fast and nimble and extremely durable.
I have the converted DNX408 and it is very durable and easier to get dialed than the E version. However, the E version once dialed is a much faster nimble car that has an extremely low CG (I believe it's still the lowest on the market, as it was when it was released) and the front to rear, left to right balance is almost perfect. This is a full blown electric design car that is only less than a year old to the market. Not your typical Electric mock-up Nitro car. It is also very affordable. I can speak for the quality, as its the best quality car I have seen. Especially for that kind of money anyway. Speak to Sirio76 as he has raced the Mugen, DNX408 converted, DEX408 etc and he can give you a more acurate comparo.
The only deciding factor is spares for your area. But this thing is that durable, you wont really need many spares apart from normal wearing parts like bearings and possibly a set of arms and spindles in case you have a real hard hit.
as everyome else is saying, they are all quite good but there are a few that are very outdated and not very strong. Hyper 9E is definateley one of these.
Let the trolls begin...
07-09-2012, 12:50 AM
#32
Team Durango DEX408.
Best balanced car on the market. It takes a while to get it dialed but once dialed, is very fast and nimble and extremely durable.
I have the converted DNX408 and it is very durable and easier to get dialed than the E version. However, the E version once dialed is a much faster nimble car that has an extremely low CG (I believe it's still the lowest on the market, as it was when it was released) and the front to rear, left to right balance is almost perfect. This is a full blown electric design car that is only less than a year old to the market. Not your typical Electric mock-up Nitro car. It is also very affordable. I can speak for the quality, as its the best quality car I have seen. Especially for that kind of money anyway. Speak to Sirio76 as he has raced the Mugen, DNX408 converted, DEX408 etc and he can give you a more acurate comparo.
The only deciding factor is spares for your area. But this thing is that durable, you wont really need many spares apart from normal wearing parts like bearings and possibly a set of arms and spindles in case you have a real hard hit.
as everyome else is saying, they are all quite good but there are a few that are very outdated and not very strong. Hyper 9E is definateley one of these.
Let the trolls begin...
Best balanced car on the market. It takes a while to get it dialed but once dialed, is very fast and nimble and extremely durable.
I have the converted DNX408 and it is very durable and easier to get dialed than the E version. However, the E version once dialed is a much faster nimble car that has an extremely low CG (I believe it's still the lowest on the market, as it was when it was released) and the front to rear, left to right balance is almost perfect. This is a full blown electric design car that is only less than a year old to the market. Not your typical Electric mock-up Nitro car. It is also very affordable. I can speak for the quality, as its the best quality car I have seen. Especially for that kind of money anyway. Speak to Sirio76 as he has raced the Mugen, DNX408 converted, DEX408 etc and he can give you a more acurate comparo.
The only deciding factor is spares for your area. But this thing is that durable, you wont really need many spares apart from normal wearing parts like bearings and possibly a set of arms and spindles in case you have a real hard hit.
as everyome else is saying, they are all quite good but there are a few that are very outdated and not very strong. Hyper 9E is definateley one of these.
Let the trolls begin...
The DEX408 might be the best choice if you go for 2x2S but two lipos setups will always be more complicated and heavier. The good thing about a one lipo configuration is that you will be able to use 5S and 6S lipos too, lipo changes will be faster and easier, not so many wires, etc.. One single lipo is just more convenient. It provides a more balanced buggy too.
I needed an easy car for my gf and she went for a converted DNX408. It is much more planted than the nitro version and I've to say it's the fastest e-buggy I drove. It's just so precise and stable. It jumps easy too, very good stearing, easy to change a part etc.. It's especially good on high grip tracks with its thick chassis. At first I told her not to go for a DNX from what I read on the forums but I was wrong, once converted it's just a great car.
I converted a MBX5R before and it was too heavy and a poor steering, but strong car. Then I converted two 808 and they were great, just had problems with the diffs bearings. Xray is the best quality on the market IMO. Now a JQ and a Durango and the first is great on rough, technical or slippery tracks and the Durango is the best on smooth high grip tracks. It's very easy to drive fast compared to the JQ.
This is my summary but now the EB48 is just a synthesis of the best ideas you can find on 1/8 brushless buggies.
07-09-2012, 05:42 AM
#33
I bought a used rc8be. It rocks. The first time I ran it, I got 4th in the A without even setting it up. That's the top speed trick, buy used cars that aren't maintained and race them.
07-09-2012, 06:03 AM
#34
It's a very simple answer. There are all good (some better than others) but you have to practice with what ever one you chose and set it up to your driving style. You will be faster with one brand over another just because it may be easier to set up to fit your driving style better. I had a buddy switch from the MBX6 to the 8 2.0 and he instantly gained a second on his best lap times.
No need to argue or belittle someone or write a book on the subject because there is no 1 right answer. See if you can test drive the one's you may be interested in and chosse from there. I have owned 90% of the buggy's on the market and they can all be made to work.
No need to argue or belittle someone or write a book on the subject because there is no 1 right answer. See if you can test drive the one's you may be interested in and chosse from there. I have owned 90% of the buggy's on the market and they can all be made to work.
07-09-2012, 06:14 AM
#35
The problem is the buggies he will be testing might not be setup for his driving style.. You have to keep in mind a same model can behave totally differently if you change the setup, it can be a night and day difference. So the only efficient testings would need him to find a good setup for him, and it takes time. I doubt it can be made with various buggies, there are 20 different e-buggies on the market in 1/8..
An other thing is the reliability and wear. Losi and AE isn't as good as Mugen or Xray when it comes down to the quality of the plastic and parts. At the beginning you might not notice it but in the end the wear will make the car less reactive to setup changes and feel loose. All the buggies can be driven fast, but for how long? That's why I recommended an Eco before. It's not the best layout IMO (ve8 with HHH chassis is better as well as an Hyper 9E, EB48 etc..) BUT it's strong and keeps beeing strong. Everybody is always telling "choose what you want' ok but there are true differences between brands when it comes down to the built quality. I would advice to choose the most reliable car available and not even look at other aspects. Most 1/8 e-buggies aren't optimised yet whatever the brands say about it. Drivers will understand it when Mugen, AE, Losi etc.. and all the top brands will begin to make true 1/8 electric buggies, most of them are just nitro conversions. I can do the same with an used nitro basis for two times cheaper than the brands selling their "brushless" buggies. IMO most of actual brushless buggies don't worth the money they ask for, just because of this aspect. The EB48 is the perfect car on the paper but we know nothing about its reliability
An other thing is the reliability and wear. Losi and AE isn't as good as Mugen or Xray when it comes down to the quality of the plastic and parts. At the beginning you might not notice it but in the end the wear will make the car less reactive to setup changes and feel loose. All the buggies can be driven fast, but for how long? That's why I recommended an Eco before. It's not the best layout IMO (ve8 with HHH chassis is better as well as an Hyper 9E, EB48 etc..) BUT it's strong and keeps beeing strong. Everybody is always telling "choose what you want' ok but there are true differences between brands when it comes down to the built quality. I would advice to choose the most reliable car available and not even look at other aspects. Most 1/8 e-buggies aren't optimised yet whatever the brands say about it. Drivers will understand it when Mugen, AE, Losi etc.. and all the top brands will begin to make true 1/8 electric buggies, most of them are just nitro conversions. I can do the same with an used nitro basis for two times cheaper than the brands selling their "brushless" buggies. IMO most of actual brushless buggies don't worth the money they ask for, just because of this aspect. The EB48 is the perfect car on the paper but we know nothing about its reliability
Last edited by Pulse_; 07-09-2012 at 06:25 AM.
07-09-2012, 07:01 AM
#37
This was done with Photoshop 
, j/k
Did you try the same thing for the front & rear balance?
I'm curious about the reliability of the Serpent, do you have any feedback on this point? The Serpent has the same transmission design than the 808 and I had two of them and got problems with the bearings wearing too fast
, j/kDid you try the same thing for the front & rear balance?
I'm curious about the reliability of the Serpent, do you have any feedback on this point? The Serpent has the same transmission design than the 808 and I had two of them and got problems with the bearings wearing too fast
07-09-2012, 07:12 AM
#38
It balances out perfect left to right and from front to rear, the balance point is slightly closer to the front making the front a tad bit heavier than the rear. As far as durability, this thing is a tank. The only thing that needs to be changed on occasion is bearings(as will all cars). It handles like a dream. It jumps great steers like an animal, and just doesnt slow down through the corners. I havent driven mine yet but i drove a bunch of cars that people i know have and this was by far the best. That is what made my mind up. Hands down, this car was the best of all i have tried. Granted, some of the cars may not have been kept up on or set up 100% to what i would like. Im not sure without tearing the cars down to inspect but all i know is that i am still yet to see a serpent car break and they handle extremely well.
07-09-2012, 07:21 AM
#39
It balances out perfect left to right and from front to rear, the balance point is slightly closer to the front making the front a tad bit heavier than the rear. As far as durability, this thing is a tank. The only thing that needs to be changed on occasion is bearings(as will all cars). It handles like a dream. It jumps great steers like an animal, and just doesnt slow down through the corners. I havent driven mine yet but i drove a bunch of cars that people i know have and this was by far the best. That is what made my mind up. Hands down, this car was the best of all i have tried. Granted, some of the cars may not have been kept up on or set up 100% to what i would like. Im not sure without tearing the cars down to inspect but all i know is that i am still yet to see a serpent car break and they handle extremely well.
There is another thing I think about: how do you change your lipos fast when needed? Look you have to remove the two body clips then the clips from one lipo case and then the other, change your lipos, do the two connections, reput the 4 clips on the cases, the 2 on the body and then you can only go. What a nightmare
. To give you an example I use a single velcro strap on my buggy, no way I could use a Serpent for an endurance for example (I know people doing endurances are rare but changing the lipos on a Serpent must be a pain in the *** 
)
07-09-2012, 07:39 AM
#40
Great news, but how do you manage to have a perfect left to right balance considering the motor is heavier than the servo + the controller? I don't get it
There is another thing I think about: how do you change your lipos fast when needed? Look you have to remove the two body clips then the clips from one lipo case and then the other, change your lipos, do the two connections, reput the 4 clips on the cases, the 2 on the body and then you can only go. What a nightmare. To give you an example I use a single velcro strap on my buggy, no way I could use a Serpent for an endurance for example (I know people doing endurances are rare but changing the lipos on a Serpent must be a pain in the *** )
There is another thing I think about: how do you change your lipos fast when needed? Look you have to remove the two body clips then the clips from one lipo case and then the other, change your lipos, do the two connections, reput the 4 clips on the cases, the 2 on the body and then you can only go. What a nightmare
. To give you an example I use a single velcro strap on my buggy, no way I could use a Serpent for an endurance for example (I know people doing endurances are rare but changing the lipos on a Serpent must be a pain in the *** ) Battery changes arent going to be quite as fast as a single pack, that is certain. For endurance races, it will slow you down a little. But from a handling standpoint, The lower CG of the serpent and the ideal weight distribution far outweighs the quick battery change advantage for me. Personally, I want the best handling car. Im not overly concerned about the extra 30 seconds to change the batts. Overall, it comes down to what you like. I dont run for any company so this is my non biased opionion. I hope this helps.
07-09-2012, 07:49 AM
#41
The motor is placed extremely close to center and the speedo and servo are much further off center to counterbalance the motor. Its a leverage thing. The closer a mass is to center, the less leverage it has to compress the suspension on that side. The speedo is 3/4 of an inch further away from center than the motor is. Even though the speedo is indeed lighter, it has the leverage to counterbalance being that it is so much further from center.
Battery changes arent going to be quite as fast as a single pack, that is certain. For endurance races, it will slow you down a little. But from a handling standpoint, The lower CG of the serpent and the ideal weight distribution far outweighs the quick battery change advantage for me. Personally, I want the best handling car. Im not overly concerned about the extra 30 seconds to change the batts. Overall, it comes down to what you like. I dont run for any company so this is my non biased opionion. I hope this helps.
Battery changes arent going to be quite as fast as a single pack, that is certain. For endurance races, it will slow you down a little. But from a handling standpoint, The lower CG of the serpent and the ideal weight distribution far outweighs the quick battery change advantage for me. Personally, I want the best handling car. Im not overly concerned about the extra 30 seconds to change the batts. Overall, it comes down to what you like. I dont run for any company so this is my non biased opionion. I hope this helps.
. Good point about the leverage effect I didn't know the servo was further away compared to the motor it's hard to see on a pic. Do you ave any opinion on the SWORKS BE1?
Last edited by Pulse_; 07-09-2012 at 08:02 AM.
07-09-2012, 08:11 AM
#42
Looks to me like the balance is off and the CG looks very high. It looks like the speedo is in the center? All in all, im sure it will work fine. I am just very particular with balance on my cars. Understand that i normally run pan cars as i design and have my own pan car line. Balance is extremely important in those cars as well as a low CG. And note, it isnt my place to be pushing a Serpent car as in the pan car market, they are my competitor. I just have to give credit where credit is due.
07-10-2012, 02:47 AM
#43
Looks to me like the balance is off and the CG looks very high. It looks like the speedo is in the center? All in all, im sure it will work fine. I am just very particular with balance on my cars. Understand that i normally run pan cars as i design and have my own pan car line. Balance is extremely important in those cars as well as a low CG. And note, it isnt my place to be pushing a Serpent car as in the pan car market, they are my competitor. I just have to give credit where credit is due.
. I love pan cars, I'll take a look at you cars 
. I'm very concerned with weight repartition too.And the EB48?
07-10-2012, 03:17 AM
#45
. 1 lipo layout, the weight to the front, straight transmission, very narrow chassis, lots of tuning options, simple design. It's just logical