billdelong

iTrader: (33)

Crawlers were fun (and definitely worth getting into) but my son and I lost interest after about a year... I would go with a low budget crawler to start, and if the interest continues for longer than a year, then consider upgrading to a better quality kit the following Christmas.

My son is 17 now and I lost him on RC once he got interested in girls... he'd rather spend his money on upgrades for his Toyota pickup to impress girls, etc...

petmotel

Went crawling with a friend whom is WAY into it. I don't get it at all, like one of the posts above, not enough time in the day when it comes to track racing, but the crawling is boring to me after a short time.

Out of four friends that run RC cars, one likes crawling best, two like both racing and crawling, I don't care too much for crawling. Different strokes for different folks, only way to be sure is to try it. I'm glad I was able to try it without wasting any money.

Jay

sacmiata

iTrader: (27)

Never tried any larger scale crawling but I have one of the Basher Rocksta mini crawlers and for around the house every now and then its fun - more so in the winter months cooped up on a weekend. Crawl around on all the kids toys, setup stuff in the living room for a quick course. Also slow enough for the toddlers to drive alone.

Backyard RC

To me the appeal of crawlers is the similarity to real off roading. Taking your 4x4 on the Rubicon trail is a real challenge to your vehicle and driving skill and you go slow. Boulders, tree roots and washouts are all waiting around the corner. Can you get over them? Will your truck hold up? The challenge and the incredible views make it a really fun time.

RC crawling is a lot cheaper and less dangerous and you can still get some of the same enjoyment as you do from the real thing.

To the O.P., Since you're about to be tearing up the place in your MT410 maybe your son would do better with a monster truck so he can run with you.

Proline is about to announce a new monster truck kit on Tuesday. It will probably be something from the Monster Jam series. I doubt the price will compare with the ECX kits you mentioned though.

dhc8guru

iTrader: (2)

Well the key to rock crawlers is what kinda terrain you have available to you. I tried getting into crawlers without really realizing that there were no rocky areas to crawl.
Now I live in south Texas and rocky trails and terrain are abundant.
I recently bought a Traxxas TRX-4 and it is a blast even on flat terrain. So, my advice is don't get a dedicated rock crawler and get a Trail truck. Something that is more of a jack of all trades. I got the TRX-4 because my 2.5 year old son is learning to drive RC and on the ESC, I can limit the throttle. Its a cool feature.

Colbynobo

iTrader: (21)

For me to enjoy a crawl/trail session the terrain has to be somewhat scale, but very technical. There has to be the risk of the truck falling over or getting stuck in something. I like watching the suspension slowly move and the truck's weight shifting around. I mostly use 1.9" wheeled vehicles, but also have 1.55 and 2.2 wheeled trucks.

Also key to my enjoyment is not mixing go-fast and crawling in the same session - or at least NOT running the speed trucks first. Otherwise, I'm still so amped up that the crawler gets boring fast. Well, that or I wind up driving the crawler/rock-racer faster than it's intended and I snap parts or roll it over a dozen times in 10 minutes.

Speed Freak RC

iTrader: (13)

I too currenty have the TRX-4 and it's a lot of fun having the 2 speed trans and being able to unlock the diffs when you want to go fast, but it has its issues.

I have done crawlers since before the original AX10 came out. They are the most fun when you're running with other people that have them. Forget running them with people who are running go fast trucks. You will feel like you have something from Toys R Us lol.

As for the ECX Barrage, not sure about the 390 size can motor. Seems too small and to make it work I am sure it's geared down slow as a snail.

MOmo

iTrader: (2)

Places to crawl is key-

Crawlers IN GENERAL, require a different mindset. As others have stated, its a slow methodical process. It can also depend on the type of running you do. Some people plan gates and place markers (think obstacle course) based on time and efficiency. Others just free crawl (this is what I tend to do with my friends).

Similar principles to racing, understanding the "line" , best approach and not crashing (rollovers/Marshaling). Since I don't have any local tracks (soon to change this winter) I have been playing with my crawler a LOT more.

Again, a different mindset, Slower, more calculated and involves planing.


MOmo

windycityblues

iTrader: (5)

They can be fun, but they also start to add up price wise really really fast. Having good places to crawl is the most important part.

Notbrick

iTrader: (1)

These do look really fun. I have found a good spot. I just don't have the time to spend on the weekend to go racing anymore. These seem perfect to tinker on in the evenings and enjoy from time to time when I could.

RedRenegade

Yes they are, i have FTX Outback and it is cheap but fun!