Why do people hate on Maxamps?
 

Perhaps this is a tired discussion but am new to the forums. It seems like people have 2 opinions about Maxamps--love 'em or hate 'em. Why is that?

My understanding is that once they become known their prices increased and might have upset loyal customers. I also understand that Maxamps used to ask customers to "plug" for them in the forums and that would upset people as well.

Do their cells have issues? That is what I want to know.

I bought a balancer adapter from them for $10 and they sent my a hand written thank you. Who does that? They seem very customer oriented and get my vote. It makes little to no sense to try establish great relationships with customers so you could continue to sell them more low quality merchandise :confused:.

This is a performance hobby so at the end of the day the LiPo's will have to perform and I would like to know if people have issues with the product and not the so-called "business practices." Thanks for any input you may have. Cheers!

in a nut shell,1/8 guys love them because they can get the 4 cell li-pos they need for 1/8 electric.1/10 guys are so-so with their stuff due to items not being as competitively priced compared to some of the larger name manufacturers, and some things are not quite as labeled as far as mah and c rating. I personally dont dig their gear because its way over priced compared to what I can get elsewhere for what I need.

Interesting point. I guess since I am transitioning into 1/8th Maxamps does make sense to me. I love the options they have for connectors for battery and balancer. I use Team Orion Platinum (Kokam cells) on my 1/10th and do not have a reason to change.

I agree--they are not the cheapest but LiPo's are not a cheap investment. I hear a number of the 1/8th guys using the Zippy packs which, btw, are less than half of Maxamps for a 4S pack. People seem to be plenty happy with them. I might pick up a couple of those if they continue to show promise.

i bought a maxamps 2S lipo for my Tek18X ( Exotek super modded RC18T ) which needed a saddle pack to go over the center shaft. there is absolutly nothing i could say bad about the lipo saddle and a went a bough the same model in NIMH cuz it was such a good battery.

i charge them both with my ICE charger and they are just wonderful. thats my opinion on them for 1/18 scale, ive never had a bigger electric than 1/18 so thats all i can give for that but i dont see why it wouldnt be the same quality for 1/10 scale or 1/8 scale electrics as well

i also did get a letter thanking me for my purchase and they discounted me 10% for my first purchase through there online site. great CS and support if you ask me.

+1 for Maxamps!

I run the 2s 6000 packs on my xray 007 and they are awesome. I think the price is comparable with other brands.

Here's my two cents...

I just used my Maxamps Lipos for the first time tonight.

I switched from Trinity Reference 4500Mah Lipos because of the fact that they had a cutoff in them that would not allow them to power anything hotter than a 10.5 Brushless system. They would just go into cutoff mode and the trucks would die in the middle of the track.

I purchased 4 of the MaxAmps 6500Mah 30C 2C Lipo packs...

THESE THINGS ARE INSANE! I had to dial a bunch of EPA out of my radio to run both my T4 w/ Novak 13.5 and my Slash with Vilenion 3S. These packs were just FAR too punchy!

Now don't get me wrong.. I'm thrilled about this!!! These packs are absolute power houses. Great run time as well.. I ran 3- 5 minute qualifiers as well as an 8 minute main in my FT T4. Never really even lost any punch.

Now.. I obviously can't give MY own perspective on longevity or reliability... but I do know a bunch of the guys who race at the same track I do are running Maxamps and wouldn't have any other brand.

As for price... Yeah.. They are a little steep. I got mine for 130 each. Which I guess for a 6500 pack isn't too horrible... and I would definately do it again! It just seems some other companies are offering similar batteries at a little lower price.

Hope my statements have helped you make some kind of decision.

PM if you have any other questions that I might be able to help with.

-David

That does help. I was hoping to hear people's experience with the actual product. I seems somewhat difficult to actually locate LiPo packs. Tower carries a few but are mostly e-Flight and not designed for our cars.

Maxamps appears to be one of the only full retailer of R/C battery and LiPo packs. I believe they have a competitive advantage which enables them to charge slightly more. Their website is very well designed and gives me the options that I need. Really take the guess work out of selecting the right LiPo and I do not have to scour the web for 2 days straight.

To hear that the product rocks is, at the end of the day, the most important thing about a LiPo--the performance. My goal is to run 20-minute mains in a 1/8th scale conversion on a HUGE motocross style track. I have no problem buying the cheaper LiPo's for practice and qualifiers but want something that will hold up during a race. Anyway, I have until Spring to figure it out and dial it in . . .

Glad to be able to help!!

I too am considering switching my 8T to Brushless w/ Lipo power.

I'm just having a hard time figuring out what systems are worth their salt.

Only thing I've been able to figure out right now is that the NEU motors are probably the way to go... Well, that and the Maxamps batteries.

As for speed controls and the conversion kit itself... No clue yet what to use. What are you thinking your gonna use??

Well I have the 8ight buggy so I bought a Neu 1512 2D. Most guys run a 1512 2.5D which is slightly less powerful. I like to go fast at times and can dial it down using the ESC software realizing I might be giving up some efficiency.

Now, do not quote me on this, but I believe the Truggy guys step up to a larger Neu 1515 but am not sure if that motor is designed to handle a 5S LiPo or larger. The ESC of choice is the Castle Creations Mamba Max Monster (MMM) with the latest firmware and modifications--v.3.

The conversion kit I used was made by Losi and should work just fine for the 8ight-T as well. There is the RCPD and Tekno RC kits that are well loved but do not have the factory finish I was looking for but I am a sucker for things that look really clean.

I hope this helps ya' a little bit . . .

Yep! It sure does!

See I had heard good things about the Mamba System and was looking at it harder than the others.

And the Losi conversion as well! I too am a stickler for fit and finish.

I didn't think the Mamba Monster was out yet though!?!? Thats kewl to hear that it is!

Off to Mambas website to do some more research....

Thanx!

Great!

Yeah, the MMM ESC has been out for some time. The combo with the "Neu inspired" motor is releasing as we speak. There are 2 flavors but am not sure which would work best in a Truggy--I would email Castle to get their input. I was waiting for the release of the combo but became impatient and found a deal on a Neu.

Waiting on a Neu can take a while. BTW, Castle Creations is the American distributor of what I understand Neu to be hand-built, made to order, motors. The website says 6 - 8 weeks but can be found on ePay and these forums once in a while.

I would think you would "want" a 5S LiPo in the 8ight-T but should research that idea in the "Electric 1/8 scale conversion kits." forum. Feel free to PM me if I can be of any further assistance . . .

- Bill

The MMM has been out long enough that CC has gone thru 3 versions - the v3 MMM is what is currently shipping. From the reports on RC Monster where there's a CC product thread, looks like CC has solved the probs or at least the vast majority of probs that were causing v1 and v2 MMM failures.

I'm guessing that since the Traxxas Brushless E-Revo, with the CC combo (MMM and the CC licensed Neu Chinese built 2200kv motor) has been postphoned from late Nov to mid Dec to now Jan, there are either probs with the motor side or there's some kind of supply problem. Tower is still showing mid-Dec, but the ad on TRX site says avainalbe Jan '09.

Tower is showing early Dec for the combos.

I have never used a maxamps product myself but IMO they are overpriced comparing their products to other companies.

Yes sir. I have seen the CC 2200Kv Monster combo for sale on eBay. Tower does say it will be awhile for the 2650Kv combo and tend to believe them since they are such a huge supplier of product.

I am curious to see if the "Chinese Neu" will hold up. I am sure there will be a bit of quality issues here and there but nothing major. I have their 7700Kv MM in a T4 and it has taken some abuse. I over heat it all the time for I am learning how to gear for different surfaces :blush:. The ESC has came apart, re-flowed solder on connectors, and even a component on the PCB is half way off but still runs a champ--a little super glue and good to go! Granted I can not connect using the Castle Link but oh well!-)

I don't know for sure, but the way I see it is that as the rc environment has switched from the old days when we were all more dependant on oursleves to the current RTR market where you pretty much get everything done for you, and then when you mix in today's retail marketplace where the customer not only knows they're always right but downright demand it (even when they're wrong), that it's all but gotten to the point that you not only can't please all of the people all of the time that I often wonder why companies continue to bother trying.

People gripe about higher prices, yet somehow demand the same quality out of cheaper priced products - somehow oblivious that the math doesn't work. People complain about cheaply made products, but somehow demand higher quality for their dollars. People demand premium customer service, yet are oblivious that that service has to be paid for somehow. People demand to go to the front of the line, because they're more important in their own eyes, yet totally ignore the fact that some else was already waiting in that same line.

If you do some basic comparison shopping today and compare it to 20 years ago if you can come to the conclusion that now is not best and cheapest time EVER to be involved in the RC hobby you're smoking something; but I guess it's just that the most basic form of human nature is that people want to complain and get more than their share or more than what they deserve.

But maybe I'm wrong.
Either way I don't know and I don't get it.