JBerk

As a former ROAR racer getting back into the sport at 40, the information is so vague on comparisons! Sure I have a few brands that I like, but nobody unbias tests them unlike MX bikes. I used to stick with what my local track had parts for, but the sniffles ruined them having a shop, lucky to have a track. I am leaning toward a Xray which I have never owned. I got out using a mp9tki which was a dump truck point and shoot, still did well with it. Gave it up for a Tekno and Mugen, and the mugen won me over. Keep in mind this was 2016. So now that my track has no shop, is there any unbiased sources of reviews on cars? Racers only please.

Licklobster

iTrader: (1)

All the top level kits are close enough that it's a matter of preference/parts availability tbh.

RazorRC

iTrader: (5)

Shortcourseworld is working on one, but IMO, performance is 95% setup and driver and like 5% car. You could test based on kit setup, but that would be basically meaningless as no one runs that. You could also spend 50 hrs setting up each car, but that would take too long and still wouldn’t mean anything except who was best at setup.

I’m assuming MX and other reviews do little to no setup changes in their tests. But I don’t ride dirt bikes, so I have no idea.

dylan199410

There are a couple of RC shops on YouTube that are pretty unbiased. RC kit reviews or something along those lines will find them. Beachrc, Stoney RC, I’m sure there’s more.

JBerk

Yeah you are right. I'm just going to run my old mbx7 this weekend and get back into the groove of things. It is still more than capable, I'll save up and hit the track with all new stuff next year(maybe Motorama)

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

I've ran the gambit of most brands, and not going to bash any particular brand because everyone has their own flaws, you just need to figure out which flaws you want to overcome and will fit your needs the best.

I currently run HB and have been extremely pleased with it, here's my review thread:

• BUILD/REVIEW HB Racing E819RS

I have another review thread on TEKNO which was what I ran before switching to HB:

• BUILD/REVIEW TEKNO EB48 2.0

I have also ran AE, TLR and XRAY in the past, any of these brands are going to be safe bets, but no single brand stands out as a "unicorn" above all others. I do feel HB does a great job of delivering an extremely competitive platform right out of the box, perfect springs and blank pistons, both standard and tall wing mounts... not a single upgrade is necessary other than aluminum servo horn.

Many other brands will nickle and dime you on necessary upgrades for either performance or durability, and that alone is why HB has won my heart by saving me money both up front and over the long haul, it's been the most durable brand I've owned yet, my only non electrical break over 18 months of racing was tangling mid air on a large triple with another aggressive driver which forced my car into a cartwheel into a steel pole which bent a rear shock shaft... I was still able to finish the race, but it was ugly with 1 arm locked in the up position....shrug. HB uses captured pill inserts on the blocks so you never risk a DNF from a bent suspension arm pin which pretty much every other brand is plagued with. HB also secures their battery with a carbon strap which provides proper support, most other brands use velcro straps which tend to cause damage to internal wiring of battery packs. I've saved more money switching to HB just on not having to replace batteries from internal wiring issues alone!

So what's the bad with HB? They don't use universals on the center drive shafts so you have to replace a total of two M3x11.5 pins on the center dog bones every 3 race days as they tend to develop flat spots fairly quick, fortunately pins are dirt cheap and only add a few minutes to a rebuild. The front/rear diff cases require 2 extra nuts to remove because the pill inserts are captured, this adds a couple extra minutes to service the front/rear diffs but totally worth it to me for peace of mind not having a DNF in the rare event I bend an arm pin.

Good luck with your choice!

RCracerBEN

sounds like you just found a winner

RCracerBEN

I've seen those HB cars race and they are bulletproof.

JBerk

Thanks, that is one I have overlooked. I know I saw a few people running them last weekend. HB was my very first truggy back in the early 2000's(lightning) that got me into racing. I have run about all brands at one point or another as well. I was really looking into the XRAY as it is about the only brand I have never run and was impressed with the one I was looking at(plus Hudy steel!). I like the saddle pack design of them and the Kyosho, but the previous gen Mugen was my favorite over the mp9tki and eb48 back around 2014. I know a lot has changed since then. I guess I will just put my old Mugen back on the track and see if any of these new cars really stand out in certain areas while racing. Will check out that HB though and talk to the guys I saw running them!! Thanks!

HOTROD716

Not to hijack, but Bill I have read you successes for awhile now. Getting back into 1/8 next year, hopefully. I will be checking out HB based on your opinion and observations.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

biggest thing regardless of brand is that they all have their own quirks. If you can identify that and go from there, you will be good to go.

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

Saddle packs is a deal breaker for me. Many years ago I ran into premature battery failure and starting experiencing low voltage cutoffs from one pack draining faster than the other. Long story short, all my battery woes went away after ditching saddle packs and I vowed never to go back to them. If you choose to run saddle packs, it's very important to rotate them (left.right) between every use, more info here:


https://www.smc-racing.com/index.php...egory&path=166



XRAY makes a quality car, however the main reason I stopped running my 2015'XB8E was because I kept snapping the pivot ball off the steering plate and could not remove the threaded end left in the plate making for a very expensive repair so I ditched the kit after it happened a 3rd time in 3 months. Perhaps they've improved this design with the 2022 release. I also went through a fair share of front upper arms and swore off pivot ball steering systems which tend to raise durability issues for me, experienced the same with the AE I ran prior to XRAY. Not saying I won't go back to pivot balls, but I've been having really good luck with c-hubs lately and will probably stick with them for a while.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

Good info there bill, though in general, I feel we shouldn't be wanting to run these packs to the end of cutoff anyway. Always noticed weird things in 1/8 if I ran cutoffs below 3.5V per cell. With the mains these days, not seeing a need if you size your battery properly to your car.

XRAY does make some good stuff, having had one I enjoyed its quality but cringed when it came time to replace a part and the sticker shock. Also, at least on the 1/10 side, nothing like getting 1-arm in a bag that costs more than 2 from someone else LOL. Packaging was nice though!

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

Not gonna lie, I cringe when they do 10 min mains at larger races, I don't care for the larger 8Ah LiPo's which tend to make my car feel like a tug boat in the sweepers, though for 8 min mains (and 5 min quals) I prefer to run LCG 5Ah packs which help improve rotation (less likely to traction roll). I don't go back to race at clubs running 10 min mains, fortunately the club in my area will run double A mains for a total of 16 min race time which works out better IMO.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

Its crazy guys are dumping packs that hard on a 10 min main. With a 5000mah or greater pack didn't have issues doing 10 min mains with practice laps. I wonder sometimes you get a tradeoff on weight versus mah to be pushing the buggy around.