2LikesMy Review of the ECX Kick Flip
03-27-2016, 11:40 AM
#1
My Review of the ECX Kick Flip
I got this car as a gift from a friend. Initially, I thought it was a peice of junk and completely useless once something happened to it. So I unboxed it, charged it up, and examined. No front suspension, but fixed axle rear suspension. Reminds me of the HPI Baja q32. Just in case you are wondering, these two cars are very similar but are not clones. Definitely go HPI. Anyway, the car has an internal battery that is soldered straight to the board and the ESC and RX units are combined.
Up to this point, I have been pointing out similarities between the Ecx and the HPI. Now, differences: first, no proportional steering. The Ecx controller (I can't even call it a transmitter or radio) literally 'clicks' into place. The un proportional steering I could deal with. But the controller just stinks. It is very tiny and most of the dials are adjusting the trigger mechanically, and it is very interesting.
My radio broke recently, and it only allowed the car to turn left. I was thinking of making it a LTO oval racer, but if you can find oval racing in this scale, major kudos to you. So I popped the transmitter open, and took a look. The steering wheel is connected to the fulcrum of a lever, and depending on which way you turn the wheel, the lever will hit a button, turning the car. What happens was the lever snapped and it bends when it hits the button, and doesn't have enough force to push it. This was easily repaired with duct tape, superglue, and about a half inch of strong wire.
On the car, I also encountered a few issues. First. The motor plate cracked (common) and so I repaired it with glue. After the first run, the pinion gear slipped off the shaft, and I had to dig into the teeny tiny transmission and put it back on. Also, my antenna broke off, and I don't know where to solder it back onto the board. The motor wires come off the board quite often, and it is a pain in the rear to resolder them every single time.
The lipo battery propels the car well, for about 5 minutes tops before it dies. The 4 AAAs are included, but due to the transmitter charging system, the batteries only last about 4 runs/recharges. That is a disappointment.
The single rear spring in the back (I can't even call it a shock) is horrible and makes the whole rear end of the car bouncy. IMO, it handles better without it.
The tires are made of foam and cause the car to spin out and make it almost undrivable.
This car is pretty speedy. If you line it up just right, it can hit jumps really well. Big Squid RC estimates the top speed at around 15 mph. That is pretty fast for a 1/36 scale.
The underglow lights that illuminate the car give it a cool vibe and makes it look like it will be fun in the dark. Trust me, it isn't. When you can't see where the obstacles are, things get hairy, fast.
MODS:
When it comes to mods, this thing is the best! It has a ton of options considering its scale.
1. Chassis extension.
I just took a shim, and duct taped it to the front and rear parts of the car. After I extended the wires, this thing grew 12 inches in length! It looks pretty sick.
2. Rubber band body retainers.
The teeny tiny clips that hold the body on are accurately scaled down, inpossible to get off and easily will fall off. I just rubber banded the body around the chassis when I lost one.
3. Lipo battery mod.
This is a popular one for the q32 folks. Not suprisingly, it also works on the kick flip. I have yet to perform the operation, but I hope to do it soon. I have all the parts.
4. Motor wire extension.
This one is pretty easy and a required for a chassis extension. Just solder up a similar guage wire.
Conclusion:
This car is a huge value for 30 bucks. Although it is toy grade, there are a ton of mods to do. Nothing will really break that can't be fixed with duct tape and glue. This car can be taken apart with a small Phillips head screwdriver. I would totally reccomend this car to anyone who has a spare bill or two in their back pocket. It is pretty much a tank. I have enjoyed mine, and I hope you enjoy yours.
Questions? Just ask.
RC13
Up to this point, I have been pointing out similarities between the Ecx and the HPI. Now, differences: first, no proportional steering. The Ecx controller (I can't even call it a transmitter or radio) literally 'clicks' into place. The un proportional steering I could deal with. But the controller just stinks. It is very tiny and most of the dials are adjusting the trigger mechanically, and it is very interesting.
My radio broke recently, and it only allowed the car to turn left. I was thinking of making it a LTO oval racer, but if you can find oval racing in this scale, major kudos to you. So I popped the transmitter open, and took a look. The steering wheel is connected to the fulcrum of a lever, and depending on which way you turn the wheel, the lever will hit a button, turning the car. What happens was the lever snapped and it bends when it hits the button, and doesn't have enough force to push it. This was easily repaired with duct tape, superglue, and about a half inch of strong wire.
On the car, I also encountered a few issues. First. The motor plate cracked (common) and so I repaired it with glue. After the first run, the pinion gear slipped off the shaft, and I had to dig into the teeny tiny transmission and put it back on. Also, my antenna broke off, and I don't know where to solder it back onto the board. The motor wires come off the board quite often, and it is a pain in the rear to resolder them every single time.
The lipo battery propels the car well, for about 5 minutes tops before it dies. The 4 AAAs are included, but due to the transmitter charging system, the batteries only last about 4 runs/recharges. That is a disappointment.
The single rear spring in the back (I can't even call it a shock) is horrible and makes the whole rear end of the car bouncy. IMO, it handles better without it.
The tires are made of foam and cause the car to spin out and make it almost undrivable.
This car is pretty speedy. If you line it up just right, it can hit jumps really well. Big Squid RC estimates the top speed at around 15 mph. That is pretty fast for a 1/36 scale.
The underglow lights that illuminate the car give it a cool vibe and makes it look like it will be fun in the dark. Trust me, it isn't. When you can't see where the obstacles are, things get hairy, fast.
MODS:
When it comes to mods, this thing is the best! It has a ton of options considering its scale.
1. Chassis extension.
I just took a shim, and duct taped it to the front and rear parts of the car. After I extended the wires, this thing grew 12 inches in length! It looks pretty sick.
2. Rubber band body retainers.
The teeny tiny clips that hold the body on are accurately scaled down, inpossible to get off and easily will fall off. I just rubber banded the body around the chassis when I lost one.
3. Lipo battery mod.
This is a popular one for the q32 folks. Not suprisingly, it also works on the kick flip. I have yet to perform the operation, but I hope to do it soon. I have all the parts.
4. Motor wire extension.
This one is pretty easy and a required for a chassis extension. Just solder up a similar guage wire.
Conclusion:
This car is a huge value for 30 bucks. Although it is toy grade, there are a ton of mods to do. Nothing will really break that can't be fixed with duct tape and glue. This car can be taken apart with a small Phillips head screwdriver. I would totally reccomend this car to anyone who has a spare bill or two in their back pocket. It is pretty much a tank. I have enjoyed mine, and I hope you enjoy yours.
Questions? Just ask.
RC13
03-31-2016, 11:10 AM
#2
Update: my kick flips circuit board went bad on a landing. It bent. I went into the chassis to figure it out with my soldering iron. I tried to do some repairs, but in the end, my FC board was fried. I hope to get another one, these things are so fun for the money
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