Go Back  R/C Tech Forums > General Forums > Electric Off-Road
Help me pick a 1/8 scale electric vehicle >

Help me pick a 1/8 scale electric vehicle

Like Tree9Likes
  • 2 Post By B3nno810
  • 1 Post By suzukipro
  • 1 Post By brokenmoto
  • 1 Post By Waflet
  • 1 Post By DJ1978
  • 1 Post By 4wdfull
  • 1 Post By fredygump
  • 1 Post By AJH387

Help me pick a 1/8 scale electric vehicle

Old 03-14-2018, 05:07 PM
  #1  
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 58
Default Help me pick a 1/8 scale electric vehicle

Hi guys,
I'm a new member here because you have an awesome community and are a great resource.

I'm interested in a new 1/8th scale offroad kit to build and enjoy. I think I want 1/8th because they are burlier and can handle rougher terrain. I really like the idea of a kit because a lot of the fun comes from building it.

I'm mostly just driving it about, 'bashing' (but I don't abuse my RC stuff), doing high speed runs, going on some grass, parking lot, dirt field, gravel, etc. Not really groomed race courses or anything like that. I've always liked buggies, but it seems to me they are designed more for prepared surfaces, and a truggy or monster truck will be more capable.

I'm looking for suggestions from the community regarding which you would go with for this type of use. Some models I've considered are:
-Tekno ET48.3
-Tekno MT410
-AE RC8T3.1e
-Traxxas E-Revo (not a kit, but worthwhile mention)
-Arrma Talion (also not a kit, but worth a mention)

I'm interested in your recommendations for someone starting basically from scratch. I don't have any parts other than a charger that will really work in the 1/8th scale so I'll be buying all new.

Basically just looking for basic direction and pointers in case I miss anything during my research.

And 1 quick specific question:
I have a spare 3 channel radio with 75MHz FM micro receiver. Any reason I can't use this in the bigger kits?

Thank you!!!
c0brakai is offline  
Old 03-16-2018, 03:38 AM
  #2  
Tech Addict
iTrader: (3)
 
B3nno810's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Posts: 579
Trader Rating: 3 (100%+)
Default

Originally Posted by c0brakai
Hi guys,
I'm a new member here because you have an awesome community and are a great resource.

I'm interested in a new 1/8th scale offroad kit to build and enjoy. I think I want 1/8th because they are burlier and can handle rougher terrain. I really like the idea of a kit because a lot of the fun comes from building it.

I'm mostly just driving it about, 'bashing' (but I don't abuse my RC stuff), doing high speed runs, going on some grass, parking lot, dirt field, gravel, etc. Not really groomed race courses or anything like that. I've always liked buggies, but it seems to me they are designed more for prepared surfaces, and a truggy or monster truck will be more capable.

I'm looking for suggestions from the community regarding which you would go with for this type of use. Some models I've considered are:
-Tekno ET48.3
-Tekno MT410
-AE RC8T3.1e
-Traxxas E-Revo (not a kit, but worthwhile mention)
-Arrma Talion (also not a kit, but worth a mention)

I'm interested in your recommendations for someone starting basically from scratch. I don't have any parts other than a charger that will really work in the 1/8th scale so I'll be buying all new.

Basically just looking for basic direction and pointers in case I miss anything during my research.

And 1 quick specific question:
I have a spare 3 channel radio with 75MHz FM micro receiver. Any reason I can't use this in the bigger kits?

Thank you!!!
Simple and quick answer. The Tekno ET48.3.

Also those radios are very dated and get alot of interference and i wouldnt recommened it. Its useable, but you can honestly buy cheap 2.4ghz systems now that are alot more reliable.
brokenmoto and c0brakai like this.
B3nno810 is offline  
Old 03-16-2018, 08:12 PM
  #3  
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 58
Default

That's the one I was really leaning toward. I'm at about $1000 when it's all said and done though.

Any other input guys?
c0brakai is offline  
Old 03-16-2018, 09:13 PM
  #4  
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (33)
 
suzukipro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: WI
Posts: 918
Trader Rating: 33 (100%+)
Default

TEKNO ET48.3
c0brakai likes this.
suzukipro is offline  
Old 03-17-2018, 10:55 AM
  #5  
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 58
Default

I'm seeing a common theme!

Still open to other ideas.
c0brakai is offline  
Old 03-17-2018, 12:48 PM
  #6  
Tech Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 287
Trader Rating: 1 (100%+)
Default

Tekno, ET48.3 50% off parts make it the winner for those mentioned. If you decide to use that 75mhz make sure to put one of those noise reducers on it. I tried 75 with brushless and it's not good. I didn't try the noise reducer though. There like 5 bucks, might be worth a try?
c0brakai likes this.
brokenmoto is offline  
Old 03-18-2018, 11:06 AM
  #7  
Tech Master
iTrader: (35)
 
Waflet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: helena, alabama
Posts: 1,930
Trader Rating: 35 (100%+)
Default

Hideeho
If you not looking to race, I would HIGHLY recommend the Agama. It's not very common & I could not get it to turn the way I like on a track (that's why I run Mugen now...). The Agama has something over every other 1/8 I've ever seen. It is absolutely bullet proof. After 2 years of running it, the only parts I ever broke were the screws for the shock tops (3-4 of them, but literally every thing out there has the same design), & bent 1 shock tower & 1 hinge pin in the same crash. My son tried to flip it off a jump & backed out causing it to land on the front tower & arm. The tower bent (hammered it back flat on the garage floor & kept it as a spare) & the hinge pin bent, but the arm was perfect (I replaced it any way as a precaution...). There used to be 4 of us that ran Agamas & the other 3 had very similar results with durability. Even the out drives & CVD's were just starting to show some wear after 2 years.
c0brakai likes this.
Waflet is offline  
Old 03-18-2018, 03:10 PM
  #8  
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Jonesville, MI
Posts: 912
Trader Rating: 3 (100%+)
Default

Are you going to race? If you are then the Tekno is a great vehicle.
If you really want a vehicle for bashing...and having fun then you list gets expanded to Emaxx, The E Revo is a great choice...
There are a lot of entry level Truggies to help your budget. When you get into a race quality vehicle like the Tekno, Losi, Mugen, etc... the price goes way up.
If you go with a more economical vehicle, you can still race it, but you have to do some work to get it ready like shock and diff fluids.
That radio will work.. but most RTR have a radio that is 2.4 G and do not need crystals.
c0brakai likes this.
DJ1978 is offline  
Old 03-19-2018, 05:06 AM
  #9  
Tech Adept
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 131
Default

Hobao Hyper VSe. It's $400.00 and change with a hobbywing ESC and I believe a Savox servo. Good for bashing or racing and Hobao as well as nitrohouse have parts. Just get the one that has the 2000KV motor.
Car is bulletproof except for he front body mount. You have to remove it and super-glue it back in. Otherwise its bulletproof.
c0brakai likes this.
4wdfull is offline  
Old 03-19-2018, 12:29 PM
  #10  
Tech Addict
iTrader: (1)
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Zumbrota, MN
Posts: 585
Trader Rating: 1 (100%+)
Default

Originally Posted by c0brakai
I'm seeing a common theme!

Still open to other ideas.

Tekno is the kit that is always recommended when someone wants a 1/8 buggy/ truggy for bashing. If you want a "race" kit that bashes extremely hard, just buy it. Buying something else will be a mistake.

This question comes up a lot, and the answer is always the same. Buy the Tekno!

(I own two Mugens, so I'm not a Tekno fanboy...but it's the right tool for the job.)

Last time, some poor sap was asking the question, and at the last minute he found a deal on a used MBX7TR. It's a good truggy, I have one, but it's not built for extreme bashing. When he said he bought it, comments about breaking A-arms started to roll in. He said, "I don't like the sound of that!"

So yeah, don't be that guy. Just buy the tekno. A budget of $1000 is about right.
c0brakai likes this.
fredygump is offline  
Old 03-19-2018, 01:02 PM
  #11  
Tech Apprentice
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Wheelersburg, OH
Posts: 64
Default

Is there a big difference in max ride height between the ET48.3 an the MT410?
joeyb_1369 is offline  
Old 03-19-2018, 01:24 PM
  #12  
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (5)
 
AJH387's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 992
Trader Rating: 5 (100%+)
Default

I would go with either Tekno ET or MT that you listed. Can't go wrong there. I would honestly invest in a current radio while you are at it. Something like the Futaba 3PV with receiver is only another $110-130 more. You probably going to be floating in the $1000 range with either truck, if you go that route. So it would truly be a thing where you 'buy once, cry once' then be done. Do once and do it right and you will be good to go.

If you are on a budget, the Arrma Talion RTR set-up is quite good. You get a great truck for the money and it comes with a decent radio to get you started. I really think most people that have owned the Arrma vehicles will tell you that they get the job done quite well, especially when price is factored in.
c0brakai likes this.
AJH387 is offline  
Old 03-19-2018, 07:19 PM
  #13  
Tech Apprentice
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 58
Default

Thank you all for everything. Much appreciated.

While on the subject of radio, my old Hitec RTR radio has this neat little switch right on the thumb that you can set up to press and it will slow down the steering rate to a preset limit. This is great for high speed driving and maintaining stability. Do any of the current radios have this?

Otherwise, I do like the features of my Airtronics MX-3. It has a full array of settings, limits, expo. I wish it had something that could tell me my receiver battery voltage. Other than that, an equivalent 2.4 radio would be perfect.
c0brakai is offline  
Old 03-20-2018, 03:47 AM
  #14  
Tech Addict
iTrader: (1)
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Zumbrota, MN
Posts: 585
Trader Rating: 1 (100%+)
Default

Originally Posted by c0brakai
Thank you all for everything. Much appreciated.

While on the subject of radio, my old Hitec RTR radio has this neat little switch right on the thumb that you can set up to press and it will slow down the steering rate to a preset limit. This is great for high speed driving and maintaining stability. Do any of the current radios have this?

Otherwise, I do like the features of my Airtronics MX-3. It has a full array of settings, limits, expo. I wish it had something that could tell me my receiver battery voltage. Other than that, an equivalent 2.4 radio would be perfect.
I wouldn't worry about the radio. Run what you got, especially if you are familiar with all of it's features. You can upgrade at any time.
fredygump is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.