bigbadbasher

iTrader: (6)

I made a new thread because i want unbiased opinions, i know if i asked this question in the AE or Mugen thread fanbois would come out of the woodwork and tell me how much better the Mugen is over every other company or vice versa.

My buddy is wanting to try the ECO US edition out, he is running AE right now with pretty good lap times. He has ran AE for like 15 years!! He got out of the hobby for about 5 or 6 years and just came back this year to race. We started out racing truggy in the beginning of the year which is what he was mainly racing right before he took his long break. Well i wanted to try racing buggy so i bought a couple of them and so he bought the RC8.2E. He feels he is pushing this buggy as far as he can with his driving style and wants to try out a Mugen mbx6 eco.

What things should he be aware of with the Mugen buggy? How are they VS an AE? What are things he should know before buying one? Please list any and all things that he should know before buying this buggy, like maybe spare parts, how they drive VS an AE ect..

tc5 man

Honestly its what the driver likes in terms of handling on both thats about the most least bias response . If you like steering than the AE RC8.2. Is for you if your on a somewhat of a budget it comes with all the hop ups out of box.

If you want a buggy or truggy that is better on a rough track if your track is like that than the Mugen is for you and better quality also than its for you.


Not to sound bias but i like AE for the steering in the strong diffs and parts at some LHS.


The thing to watch out for on the AE maintly is the Front axles bending if you are running to much droop so just limit it and you will be fine.

The only thing i heard about the Mugen is the weak bottom Front arms snapping if you dont boil them .

stigno

I would suggest that he tries setup adjustments on this RC8.2E and waits for the MBX7 Eco.
And are there no Mugen guys on the tracks, so he could try one?
(I drive Mugen and had RC8e before, never looked back).

Bob Barry

iTrader: (22)

I own an MBX6 ECO. First 8th scale. Easy to drive and I love it. I drove an x7 bump conversion and didn't like it much. I also drove an 8.2e and it felt very sluggish in the turns, but very safe to drive. Lap times were about the same for all of them. Just they do it differently.

The only other car I would consider leaving the ECO for is the MP9e TKI, mainly because I run Kyosho 10th scales and love them.

bigbadbasher

iTrader: (6)

He's not having any problems with anything on the AE, he knows the AE inside and out. I am just curious what the bigger differences are between the two as far as driving and things the Mugen may need. The AE he has setup has TONS of steering.

Hes been playing with setup for a couple weeks, not much left to do now, he feels the buggy just isn't suiting his driving style and wants to try something new..

Pulse_

mugen > AE:

quality
easy when pushed to the limits
durability
suitable for almost any driver

AE > Mugen:

steering
motor mount
parts price
availability in the US?

The eco is the reference in 1/8. I couldn't drive one because of its lack of steering (I'm used to JQ v1 that is probably the most nervous 1/8 buggy available), but most drivers won't notice

bigbadbasher

iTrader: (6)

Oh boy, i sure hope he can set it up to get more steering, he worked for two weeks to get the steering he has now out of the AE, he loves having his steering, thats like one of his biggest peeves, he must have TONS of steering and he does right now on the AE he has setup.

It's funny you mention pushing them to their limits, he specifically mentioned that on the way home from the track the other night, he feels he is there with his driving style and the AE buggy just aint giving him what he needs. He is going to pick something up within the next couple of weeks..

How true is the myth about the Mugen arms? Do they really break that easy? Also, do you guys think certain buggies are better indoor VS outdoor or vice versa?

Wildcat1971

iTrader: (84)

the eb48 has great steering.

Pulse_

Before answering I'll start by saying that I'm always super subjective.

So, from my experience I like narrow cars (tekno eb48, s811be, nexx8.. for example) better on technical and flat tracks with almost no bumps but grip. For the rutted tracks that can get dusty I prefer more conventional buggies that are larger and easier to drive (conversions, basically). I prefer to have a light car on clean tracks that provide traction and a slightly heavier one on dust/ rough tracks. Idealy I'd buy a tekno for indoors and keep my XB9E everywhere else considering our belgian tracks are quite rough

Concerning the arms it's always the only part I broke on my mugen (in the front) so I would say yes. On c-hub cars the problem doesn't exist.

Concerning the steering it's much better on the mbx7, why not considering to convert one? It's not as easy on the limit as the mbx6 but you'll never have everything

Bob Barry

iTrader: (22)

I've broken one lower arm, but to be perfectly honest, I would have broken any car on the market with the hit. Full rip through a double double and got it wrong. Hit a 4x4 that was there off to the side of the track for the marshalling 'seat'. It was totally my fault though for driving that angrily.

As far as the steering goes, I haven't been in a situation yet where I felt I needed more. That's the thing with the active caster setup in the ECO... you gain high speed or low speed steering when you need it by transferring the weight. It takes some time to understand how it works (I only pretend to )

Pulse_

you feel you need more steering when you try a JQ or an EB48 and come back to a Mbx5 or 6

it's better on the x7

bigbadbasher

iTrader: (6)

Not sure about what he is planning to do yet, i know he's trying to keep cost to a minimal. I kept telling him the ECO is out stock everywhere i looked.

He doesn't like Tekno so that is out of the question.. He is pretty much stuck on the Mugen, every time he calls me, he brings it up so i will let him know about the lower arms and steering.

Also, what about the Pillow Balls up front on the mugen? He didn't much care for that design?

Bob Barry

iTrader: (22)

I drove the x7 and I didn't like it. The rear end steps out way too easy for my liking. And I can dial more steering in on the ECO.... I just have never been in a position where I felt I didn't have enough.

99% of the time I am detuning these cars both with sensitivity and power.

Your buddy could try the Kyosho too.. that's the only car I would pick if I switch from Mugen.

Pulse_

I do the contrary to learn to drive better but with a reasonnable motor. All features set to maximum sensitivity: no expo, minimal neutral width, super fast servo and receiver, good tightened servo saver etc.. You're right if your driving style is set in stone but when you're learning it's good to have this sensitivity. That's why buggy 2wd is a good class to learn, it has steering + a loose rear end. This way you learn throttle control.

It all depends on the driver finally

The kyosho is great but $$$

MajorKong

The MBX6 doesn't have the off-power steering of some other buggies. I really don't find that to be much of limitation. It is definitely noticeable when compared to an MP9 but unless you are on real small tracks I don't think it will be an issue.

The only reliability issue with the MBX6 is the front upper and lower control arms. They will snap clean off if you hit wrong. Doesn't matter how hot/cold the weather. Keep spares.

Pillow ball steering is better on rough tracks.