Tekin RX8: Has yours been reliable?
08-26-2012, 10:20 PM
#62
I run Rx8 in all 3 of my cars, I think they work awesome, very neat solder joints and a fairly small foot print, I love the way you can tune them, best thing though is customer service if you have an issue and setup advice from Randy and crew on here, you can't put a price on their advice IMO.
Last edited by Jpm1; 08-26-2012 at 10:41 PM.
08-26-2012, 10:34 PM
#63
08-26-2012, 11:37 PM
#64
I run Rx8 in all 3 of my cars, I think they work awesome, very neat solder joints and a fairly small foot print, I love the way you can tune them, best thing though is customer service if you have an issue and setup advice from Randy and crew on here, you can't put a price on their advice IMO.
+1
i run tekin in all my stuff 2 rx8 and 1 rs same with motors
once you go tekin you never go back
08-27-2012, 12:31 AM
#65
Tech Regular
Solved all the problem with the old 4 holes case version, my opinion is that now over 50% of failure(I suspect many more) are due to user inexperience with hardware or software. My next esc will be an rx8(or a newer version perhaps
)
08-27-2012, 07:44 AM
#67
i guess mine is the lastest version has i not long got it
stopped working after the 2nd race ,
now in the hands of tekin, it was slighty over there 3 month warranty limit ,
but sure has hell not paying any money to get it fixed,
tekin 2050 motor in serpent 811be , 4s
stopped working after the 2nd race ,
now in the hands of tekin, it was slighty over there 3 month warranty limit ,
but sure has hell not paying any money to get it fixed,
tekin 2050 motor in serpent 811be , 4s
08-27-2012, 08:15 AM
#68
The warranty is 120 days, which is 4 months. If it's 3 months and you didn't cause the failure you're good.
08-27-2012, 11:08 AM
#69
preformance wise i think the rx8 is the best thing out there but to me the words reliable and rx8 should never ever be used together lol
when the rx8 first came out i went through 6 rx8's in 7 months and that's impressive because i did not have a a back up to use when they were out for repair so do the math step 1: receive rx8 and install step 2: go race that weekend and fry rx8 step 3: ship it out the next week wait two-two and a half weeks to get it back and repeat steps 1-3 for 7 months lol they lasted 1-2 weeks at best. the newer 3 hole has been FAR more reliable i have only had 2 break in a little over a year but i only race in the winter but both of them did go up in flames and take out two very expensive lipos witch still burns my *** but the last two did last a full season of winter indoors before giving up the ghost and i guess i can live with that i did use them a lot so i have to send them in after a full winter race season to get fixed to get the best preformance so be it.
but all that said i still love they way it drives
and tekin is awesome to deal with
when the rx8 first came out i went through 6 rx8's in 7 months and that's impressive because i did not have a a back up to use when they were out for repair so do the math step 1: receive rx8 and install step 2: go race that weekend and fry rx8 step 3: ship it out the next week wait two-two and a half weeks to get it back and repeat steps 1-3 for 7 months lol they lasted 1-2 weeks at best. the newer 3 hole has been FAR more reliable i have only had 2 break in a little over a year but i only race in the winter but both of them did go up in flames and take out two very expensive lipos witch still burns my *** but the last two did last a full season of winter indoors before giving up the ghost and i guess i can live with that i did use them a lot so i have to send them in after a full winter race season to get fixed to get the best preformance so be it.
but all that said i still love they way it drives
and tekin is awesome to deal with
Last edited by john stu; 08-27-2012 at 11:20 AM.
08-27-2012, 01:24 PM
#70
Which version it is, including which motor
-When you got it/how long you've been using it
I had 1 RX8 in the V1 version and 3 in the V2. The very first one did great, no problem at all. I used kyosho zero vibration pad to protect it because it was known for having a failure of a component on the jumps.
-The setup in which you used it (include car, voltage, gearing, and intensity of running; IE, bashing or hard racing)
V1: xray 808/ T8 2050kv/ 4S Hyperion G3/ training and week-end racing, I kept the car 7 months but everything was bought used already
first V2: JQ/ T8 1400kv/ 6S nanotech/ training and racing, it fried after two weeks probably because I stayed for too long on the posts when I did the solder but who knows..
second V2 (return of the previous one in guarantee): JQ/ T8 1400kv/ 6S gens ace/ training and racing, a post popped up a bit and was bent after 8 months of racing, couldn't find a solution with Randy who was very helpful by mail so I bought my last one
third V2: JQ/ 1400kv/ 5S and 6S, I changed the orientation of the ESC on the car, not using a fan anymore, no issue for the moment even if the temps are a bit high in 5S, will use it until it dies and try something else
To be honest I think the RX8 is great but I don't like the posts design at all. They're axposed, need a perfect soldering, absolute no stress on the cables.
Hotwire is great since there is a user manual on the website.. But the power delivery isn't as smooth as a MMP, a Hobbywing 120A or a LRP for example.
I'm switching from a RX8 to a MMP for racing and get better results. Temps are lower, power delivery is smoother, cable design is very simple... I can't say anything wrong about the MMP in 1/8 6S and 1400kv, it's lighter and cheaper too. This said Tekin support is top notch, I had multiple occasions to call them or mail Randy and they have always been fast and helpful. Probably one of the best servive I've experienced so far. But the warranty is too short IMO
-When you got it/how long you've been using it
I had 1 RX8 in the V1 version and 3 in the V2. The very first one did great, no problem at all. I used kyosho zero vibration pad to protect it because it was known for having a failure of a component on the jumps.
-The setup in which you used it (include car, voltage, gearing, and intensity of running; IE, bashing or hard racing)
V1: xray 808/ T8 2050kv/ 4S Hyperion G3/ training and week-end racing, I kept the car 7 months but everything was bought used already
first V2: JQ/ T8 1400kv/ 6S nanotech/ training and racing, it fried after two weeks probably because I stayed for too long on the posts when I did the solder but who knows..
second V2 (return of the previous one in guarantee): JQ/ T8 1400kv/ 6S gens ace/ training and racing, a post popped up a bit and was bent after 8 months of racing, couldn't find a solution with Randy who was very helpful by mail so I bought my last one
third V2: JQ/ 1400kv/ 5S and 6S, I changed the orientation of the ESC on the car, not using a fan anymore, no issue for the moment even if the temps are a bit high in 5S, will use it until it dies and try something else
To be honest I think the RX8 is great but I don't like the posts design at all. They're axposed, need a perfect soldering, absolute no stress on the cables.
Hotwire is great since there is a user manual on the website.. But the power delivery isn't as smooth as a MMP, a Hobbywing 120A or a LRP for example.
I'm switching from a RX8 to a MMP for racing and get better results. Temps are lower, power delivery is smoother, cable design is very simple... I can't say anything wrong about the MMP in 1/8 6S and 1400kv, it's lighter and cheaper too. This said Tekin support is top notch, I had multiple occasions to call them or mail Randy and they have always been fast and helpful. Probably one of the best servive I've experienced so far. But the warranty is too short IMO
Last edited by Pulse_; 08-27-2012 at 01:38 PM.
08-27-2012, 01:31 PM
#71
I have one RX8 in my Losi 8ight-E 2.0
Never had any problems with it. I run it with a 16t pinion and I think a 48T middle diff gear, and have never had any heat problems when running it as long as 20 min. The fan does kick in, but with Texas weather at 100°+ every day, that should be expected.
The only thing that I don't particularly like is the soldering joints. They are a little hard to solder the wires that come with it straight up. I would really like to see some joints with O's instead of something like this: (l l) But even that isn't a big deal. I just may be a terrible solderer.
Overall, great ESC, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Never had any problems with it. I run it with a 16t pinion and I think a 48T middle diff gear, and have never had any heat problems when running it as long as 20 min. The fan does kick in, but with Texas weather at 100°+ every day, that should be expected.
The only thing that I don't particularly like is the soldering joints. They are a little hard to solder the wires that come with it straight up. I would really like to see some joints with O's instead of something like this: (l l) But even that isn't a big deal. I just may be a terrible solderer.
Overall, great ESC, and I would recommend it to anyone.
08-27-2012, 01:45 PM
#72
I wouldn't say they are reliable. They drive great and I have been using them loyally since they came out, but I still think the reliability is suspect. Not knocking Tekin, just keeping it real. I must have owned 7 or 8 of them over the years. I still have three now and they all are starting to get the random shut off issues. I'm not paying $90 bucks to get them fixed anymore though. Granted all of mine are at least 2 years old now and some older, so the latest three hole version has met expectations I guess.
There is something about the board design imho that makes them not withstand chassis slaps as well as some of the other brands. Never had issues with my MMPro in 1/8 buggy and running LRP ix8 now and it has been flawless (other than internal BEC not strong enough for HV servos, but works great with external BEC). I also never really had any issues in my truggy with the rx8 which seem to cushion the blows better.
My Tekin RS Pro has been flawless though in 10th scale. I still think the rx8 has the potential to be the best ESC for serious racers, but the reliability to cost ratio is just out of whack imho.
I still think mfg's should come out with an ultra highend ESC for serious racers. I'd gladly pay upward of $400 for an over-engineered ESC that I knew would not fail unless you ran it over with car. I'll pay the manufacturing premium to get it made right and reliable. Save the cheapo ESCs for the bashers. I want reliability. I like not having to worry about if the one time I over shoot a big double and land on flat bottom is going to cause the nuclear mushroom.
In my mind I want:
1) ESC that can with stand chassis slaps from like 8 or 9 feet in the air
2) A real internal BEC that can handle HV servos
3) Easy Programming - still waiting on some iphone app
8th scale is not budget racing, so stop trying to cater to broke racers. I rather pay a premium to get it made right the first time so I don't always have to buy three ESCs. 1 in car. 1 as spare. 1 in the shop.
There is something about the board design imho that makes them not withstand chassis slaps as well as some of the other brands. Never had issues with my MMPro in 1/8 buggy and running LRP ix8 now and it has been flawless (other than internal BEC not strong enough for HV servos, but works great with external BEC). I also never really had any issues in my truggy with the rx8 which seem to cushion the blows better.
My Tekin RS Pro has been flawless though in 10th scale. I still think the rx8 has the potential to be the best ESC for serious racers, but the reliability to cost ratio is just out of whack imho.
I still think mfg's should come out with an ultra highend ESC for serious racers. I'd gladly pay upward of $400 for an over-engineered ESC that I knew would not fail unless you ran it over with car. I'll pay the manufacturing premium to get it made right and reliable. Save the cheapo ESCs for the bashers. I want reliability. I like not having to worry about if the one time I over shoot a big double and land on flat bottom is going to cause the nuclear mushroom.
In my mind I want:
1) ESC that can with stand chassis slaps from like 8 or 9 feet in the air
2) A real internal BEC that can handle HV servos
3) Easy Programming - still waiting on some iphone app
8th scale is not budget racing, so stop trying to cater to broke racers. I rather pay a premium to get it made right the first time so I don't always have to buy three ESCs. 1 in car. 1 as spare. 1 in the shop.
08-27-2012, 02:21 PM
#73
been running 2 rx8's for a year+ now. 1 in a 1/8e buggy and 1 in 4x4sc.
Recently had the e buggy rx8 fail on me. Came unplugged during a race and refused to turn back on. The other has been replaced, once, but I can't remember what for. I think it was a case issue.
All in all, with the other options out there, I think the rx8 is a winner......
Recently had the e buggy rx8 fail on me. Came unplugged during a race and refused to turn back on. The other has been replaced, once, but I can't remember what for. I think it was a case issue.
All in all, with the other options out there, I think the rx8 is a winner......
08-27-2012, 02:23 PM
#74
Couldn't agree more with Edumakated, and brands PLEASE make it waterproof. It's for off-road racing!
It can be made easily and it is needed now, really. Waterproof ESC,3 to 6S compatible, simple design, strong BEC for high voltage servos and smooth power delivery, longer warranty (6 months would be more decent regarding the warranty of other brands).
When the RX8 works it goes but it's too fragile, it's not a legend.
It can be made easily and it is needed now, really. Waterproof ESC,3 to 6S compatible, simple design, strong BEC for high voltage servos and smooth power delivery, longer warranty (6 months would be more decent regarding the warranty of other brands).
When the RX8 works it goes but it's too fragile, it's not a legend.
08-27-2012, 02:23 PM
#75
Tech Regular
This is one of the best esc for serious racers, probably the best, just look at how many pro driver choose rx8 to race, Lutz, Tessmann, Roberts, Kortz, Drake, and many more 1:8 buggy world finalist, you really think they have choose Tekin if their esc where not reliable enought? IMO the rx8 is not bullet proof, but it's at least as reliable as many other esc if used properly, there's nothing wrong with the new 3 holes design. Probably is not the easiest esc to work on, but is intended for pro users who should know how to solder and setup an esc, and it is not an esc intended for bashing. I've always spend some time to understand how to work on my esc with the help of Randy and the other tekin guys, and my esc are still running strong after years of racing. I've see as many rx8 went in smoke as castle, Hobbywing ecc, most of the times the problem was improper use, wrong solder, wrong settings, wrong pinion, wrong driving style(like nitro on/off), ecc, only a very few times I'm sure the problem was a defect from the manufacturer. The internal bec can be improved for sure(like on every other esc on the market), maybe in some future version we'll see something stronger.
