hey everyone, it's my first post here but i'm not new to rc.

i was looking at buying an electric truck and i cant decide between going for the e-revo vxl or the brushed e-maxx.  on one hand, the mini revo has all the stunting capabilities and you can use lipos to make it reach almost a hundred kmph. but the e-maxx is bigger (more badass) and generally a lot of fun to bash. it's also almost 7000 rs costlier than the vxl. (is it worth paying that much for a brushed motor?)

the other problem is that the authorized traxxas dealers said they dont have the MERV in stock, and suggested a summit vxl instead.
if anyone knows and reputed traxxas dealers in bangalore, please reply. also, any tips from anyone who has owned either the brushed e-maxx or the mini revo will be helpful

thanks

Jayanth from Throttle RC is the Traxxas dealer for Bangalore.

The title says something but the data says something else. I'd suggest the brushed E maxx over the bl MERV because the MERV is too powerful for its own good. It's a pocket rocket....

hey thanks for replying.

i've heard that its too light for its own good and that makes controlling it a bit of a nightmare. my only concern was spending so much extra on a truck with a brushed motor because i've heard the titan motors are not as durable as the velinion ones. thanks for your advice anyway, do you have a brushed e-maxx by any chance? and have you ever thought of upgrading to a brushless system?

No MT's with me. You can always upgrade to a brushless system when you feel like it. If you take care of a brushed motor, it'll last you a long time. You need to break it in and perform maintenance on it after every run.

Now, are you you planning to race or bash? That will make a few things clear.

no racing at all. not competitively atleast. maybe just have fun around the place with some friends,
so yes, it will be used predominantly for bashing. but i want to keep maintenance costs down to a minimum.
i'd prefer not to spend my entire salary on replacing servos, suspension and other stuff 

this is going to be something i use for at least a couple of years before i upgrade. my initial plan was the revo brushless but it's just too expensive in India. well beyond my budget.

Well, then the MERV seems like it'll fit your budget BUT it is prone to breakage.

How about the slash 4x4? My stock version was good. My modded one is a beast!!

was just looking at the videos you posted

i don't know about the slash, i have nothing against it but you know how when you get something in your head, it's very difficult to settle for something else. plus it's a big investment, so i don't want to go for something and then have any regrets about it.

i'm guessing you use yours for racing. what sort of mods do you have? if you dont mind me asking

Well, I want to race mine. I just don't get the right opportunity to make it to the track. But yeah, I'm a racer type

Well for one, the biggest and best mod I've ever done to it is the LCG chassis.

So mods...
1) LCG chassis
2) New ESC
3) Lipo
4) TiN coated shock shafts
5) Aluminium shock caps
6) Sway bars

And I've changed my pistons, shock oils and diff oils....

new esc??

did it make a huge difference to the performance? that sounds quite extreme. why didn't you opt for an e-revo right from the beginning. anyway, i'll probably go to jayanths store and have a look at what he has to offer.
thanks for the help, bro. look forward to racing against your truck some time

I had no idea I'd spend that much money on my slash

The ERBE will take more money to set up for racing....

The thought of how much my dad spent on this slash makes my head hurt....

The new ESC certainly made me feel like it was helping the motor produce more power . Track time will tell. I'll have a drag race against Divyam to confirm this...

I'd love to race you

i fully agree,
U really cant have the 1/8th scale fun,even with a 10th scale. Trust me, driving a bigger vehicle is a different fun, much above running small cars no matter how fast.
Go for the maxx

basically i would suggest a EMaxx brushed if you just wanna have fun bashing. i currently own a Brushless Emaxx and they are virtually the same except for the motor and ESC.

the Revo Vxl is too fast for its own good. running my BL Maxx on 6S takes it to 50 MPH+ and let me tell you it is pretty tough to control and it gets away from you so fast that even if you have control on it radio wise, it becomes too hard to see it. this is with a 1:8ish MT. imagine the same with a 1:16 truck. by the time it hits top speed it would not even be visible

on a more serious note bashing at really high speeds is not exactly doable. you would end up breaking parts if not done right. and a 1:16 i feel would be a bit more fragile than a 1:8ish MT. the only breakages i have had on mine are from running into something head on at almost full speed. my fault. otherwise it held up pretty well. i dunno how to classify my bashing sessions. they are not light, but not exactly hardcore. somewhere in the middle.

if u want a truck to play in your house then get the Revo VXL. u want something to use outdoors and dont care too much for speeds above 30MPH, and want it to last well, go for the E-Maxx

and going BL with the Maxx is easy. its pretty much BL ready.

oh btw, i have a summit with a brushed titan motor and its held up to everything i put it through. crawling. fast running, bashing, submerging it in water fully (though i would not recommend it), and much much more. and it still works like a charm. and i know i shld not be saying this. but not done any maintanence on it till date. some 3 odd months on and its still going strong.

E-Revo BL :
                   Pro : Fast, Fun, Standing backflips (with 3S Lipos)
                   Con : Most of the fun stuff requires flat ground, difficult to use on grass
To truely enjoy the 1/16 you need to be on the track..

Bring it on! The only advantage I'll have is a couple of extra volts of power

As for your MT, going a little over budget, you could even go for an MT4 G3. Brushless already, and from what I've read, REALLY durable..
The only concern is cost. 32k without batteries. And for it to be any fun at all, it has to be LiPos. That could set you back about 3-5k depending on which batteries you decide on.

Your next best bet will be the E-Maxx.

My vote goes to the MT4G3 as well...


@Divyam: We'll race on NiMH's so that most of the factors can be kept constant

so everyone here seems to recommend 1/10 over the baby revo. as for the mt4g3, thats out of budget, if i was gonna spend that much i would have asked someone to get the e-revo and carry it from the states.

i'm partial to traxxas vehicles as well as i've tested the jato and the t-maxx before. the only non traxxas vehicle i ever considered buying was the thunder tiger ek4. (that was a mad truck)

ajit4647, how much did you pay for your brushless e-maxx? i saw some of your videos, the ones where you drive it through fire, etc (i think that would classify as hardcore lol ) do you buy your stuff from India or get it from the US?

i'm just completely confused now.

No need to be confused

We're here to help... I'd suggest you take a look at the slash 4x4. Jayanth has one and I'm pretty sure he'll let you take it out for a test drive. That is one slash with a history

You can consider a used E-Revo too.. Just to keep your options open

http://www.rcindia.org/for-sale/pimped-e-revo-brushless-for-sale/

already pm'ed him. waiting for the reply. i wanted to know if he's included the esc and servos with the car because he isn't selling it with the radio

Hey another car guy in blore! WELCOME!!!!
The 1/16th scale is something you would buy if you want to chuck it into a backpack and carry around (to office if possible) . It's for someone who wants a second car just for those days when going to a bash/race location is not possible.
For your first car go for the emaxx. If you are not keen on the slash forget it. Go with your heart
Either way give all of them a test run at jayanths place and decide
Emax is super cool
I was in search for a 1/16 scale rc and did my research. I feel the summit has too high a cg to enjoy fast runs- keeps toppling over. The erevo mini is too low to be used anywhere except roads or flat grounds.
With the emax you will get everything to keep you running for a while. Later get some lipos. Next get a new electric brushless system.
Also please consider that you NEED a car or ACTIVA like vehicle to carry the max around. It's a big machine.

hey thanks for the advice. so i think the minis are both out. i'll either go for the brushed e-maxx or wait for the guy who's selling the pimped e-revo and see what sort of deal there is in that.

<hint> Slash 4x4</hint>

You're on the right path. I hope the ERBE works out for you...

i think the ERBE is already sold. he didn't reply to my pm. i've decided i'm gonna wait for the towerhobbies discount codes and see what happens. i've waited so long, might as well wait another 2 months (also, appraisal time at work )

There is one thing. The prices for having it shipped over here and the prices for buying it here are close. If you buy it from the LHS, you establish a special bond with the guy. And you can get support and warranty if needed. I'm glad I got my slash 4x4 from Jayanth even though it cost more than it would have abroad because I've made a great friend in him...

hey i've been emailing them as well. i am going to meet someone named suhas this weekend most probably in the throttlerc shop. it seems like i change my mind every 5 minutes. was just watching this video



the brushed e-maxx seems good enough for me for now. and the price told by throttlerc was not too far away from the cost of getting it shipped from usa (especially with current exchange rates)

Yup, Suhas is from Throttle RC. He's a great guy as well. I can assure you that Throttle RC will take care of you

Your answer is in the video itself. You need to choose according to your use. It's common knowledge that MT are more suited for bashing. But Revo is not a conventional MT. But I suggest you get the BL Version if you have the budget.

Both cars are great. I had great fun my Revo 3.3. Buy locally. Tower shipping and customs will kill. Else buy and carry down.

hey dude. sry for the late reply. was away on some work. had no access to internet.

i got my E-Maxx here in India from Jayanth of Throttle RC.

i would suggest you go to his shop or give him a call. he will guide you in the right direction.

and u dont have to worry too much about speed. the Brushed E-Maxx i believe can touch close to 26-28 MPH. which should keep you entertained for quite some time. My Summit goes only 21 MPH and i still dont find that slow unless i compare it to the Maxx. and you could always upgrade to a Brushless System later on.

and yes Rajath is right. the Maxx is a big machine and you would need a vehicle to carry it around. Lol i get wierd stares from people mainly hotel security guards when they open my trunk for an inspection and they see two huge trucks in there.

oh and if you are looking at a Revo i would suggest you get it if possible. its supposed to be much much better than the Maxx.

If its bashing you want to do, then it makes sense to pick up a 1/8th or 1/10th scale car. My vote goes for the E-maxx brushed, as you're particular on a Traxxas truck. For bashing i don't really see if the additional amount for the brushless setup worth it.

The e-revo won't be great as a basher, if you look at it in action you'll realise its got too much power for its good, if backflips is what you love there can't be a better choice than the e-revo vxl 1/16th scale.

E-revo on 1/10th scale makes sense only if your keen on racing, for bashing in traxxas get the e-maxx, you'll be happy with it.

All the best with your decision 

One more suggestion if u dont mind a 1:10 scale truck maybe you could look at the Traxxas Stampede VXL 4x4 as well.

Its brushless, only a bit smaller than an E-Maxx and it takes one battery at a time. Its capable of handling 3S and speeds of upto 60mph if u are in the mood for it. And its fully waterproof.

And its the same price as a brushed maxx and since its officially available in india spares should not be a problem.

hey all. after a lot of thinking, and since it's going to be a one time investment. i've decided to go with the brushless e-revo. i've got some discount codes on towerhobbies and i can get 175$ off on the revo. so i'm planning on having it shipped to vancouver, so i can have someone bring it over from there.
i can get lipo batteries and a proper charger from here

Great choice!! I'd love to meet you on track

yup, me too man

Vancover, canada? Wouldn't you have to pay customs and hefty shipping? Double check on India price and availability before you buy.

45000 approx in india, including the standard batteries and a 240v charger, the traxxas in website has it listed for 44000*, excluding taxes i'm guessing.

630$ on stormerhobbies deliver to san diego (where my sister lives)
and 635$ towerhobbies including shipping to canada
it's almost rs.13000 cheaper. even if it was ten grand, that's still a lot of money.


it's going to be between towerhobbies and stormerhobbies depending on which has the best price when i order (within a month)
and then probably wait a bit longer for someone to get it here.

edit: i used to live in vancouver and i ordered stuff from US there, if you order through UPS, you might get charged a brokerage fee of 30% but if you order through usps international priority then you dont have to pay that. not really useful info but yeah. no duties