A couple missing balls and some ill sized e-rings still haven't convinced me of a misguided purchase. There was nothing missing or so wrong with the FF17 that I did not have spares or could shim.
For comparison.....(in CAD$)
Tamiya FF04 EVO Black - $529
Serpent – S411 FF (discontinued), good luck finding local or online Canadian parts support.
XRAY- No FF... (2017 T4 $699)
VBC - $359 and enough Canadian support, coast to coast.
This was pretty much a no brainer for me...