[...]
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BROKEN PARTS SINCE THE FIRST DAY:
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- Body cover
- body mount
- Battery cover (crack) *solution- velcro straps
- Part C Hubs Unit L - BS213-011 (back left wheel)
- Few clips are bent but still useable.
- Stock steering servo died/locked up. <- Replaced with Savox SC-1256TG.
- Differential Gearbox bulkhead Upper - BS213-010A
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UPGRADES:
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Feb 2016- Ordered a new LiPo Battery. Zippy 2s 7.4 5400mAh 35c HARDCASE.
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March 2015- Ordered another complete wheels/tires/rims - 135mm / 5.3 inches.
Not all wheels/tires/rims that I have bought are the same. Some are for winter (ie: snow/ice) only and others for year-round.
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Feb 14th 2015- New servo arrived. Savox SC-1256TG.
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Feb 9th 2015- Wheels/tires arrived from China. Shipping time close to 2 weeks. Fits right on the truck.
If you are interested, search for '0703-3002' on Google. $32 for 4. Diameter:128mm=5.04in. Width:57mm=2.25in.
I have also bought few (regular and waterproof) servos just in-case one stop working.
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Feb 7th 2015- I have bought some items to put together a 360* spinning video camera on top
of the truck.
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UPDATES:
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Feb 2016- Upgraded lipo battery to Zippy 2s 7.4 5400mAh 35c HARDCASE. Faster and more punch than the original battery that came with the truck.
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March 2015- Labor issue on the West Coast is over. Most parts are available now. I usually buy parts from redcat racing directly. However I sometime buy from dealers (East Coast- quicker shipping time) on eBay. I also bought several complete tires/wheels/rims (5in, 5.3in, 5.5in) on eBay. Honestly, 5.5in is too big- when turning completely left or right, the front wheels touches on the body causing the truck to slow or flip.
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Feb 18th, 2015- While snow bashing, the truck jumped off the snow far and fell onto the street. The body cover and one of the body mounts broke. I have ordered a new body cover but the body mount is not in stock.
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Feb 14th, 2015- New servo arrived. Savox SC-1256TG.
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Feb 5th, 2015- Stock servo locked up. Tried many possible solutions. I finally gave up
and ordered another same servo. I am also looking for a different *waterproof* servo if
I can find one that fit in the tight space.
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Feb 3rd, 2015- My new part 'C Hubs Unit L - BS213-011' arrived. The truck is now running.
I have also bought mini cameras / video camcorders and few things. I have uploaded few videos
on YouTube. 3M Dual Lock Re-closable Fastener SJ3551 Velcro is VERY STRONG.
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Jan 25th, 2015- I rammed the truck into my car and broke/snapped the part that hold the wheel.
Videos- 1) [...]
[..]
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Jan 24th, 2015- Recently, I noticed a wheel was wobbling. I thought
something had broken but I was relieved to find the steering link arm
on one of the wheels popped off. I just had to pop it back on the wheel ball-shaped thing.
The truck is doing really great. Lots of rolling, flipping, and bumping.
Some parts pop off (from hard flipping and jumping) but I'm able to put them back in place.
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Jan 17th, 2015- I checked all the screws I bought and was able
to find one that fits in the servo arm screw hole.
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Jan 10th, 2015-
I have ordered 5 different screw parts listed in the manual.
So I guess when I get them, I will find the correct screw.
Still no respond from Redcat Racing. So if you buy from Redcat racing,
then except no help (you are on your own).
Rating go back up to 4 for screw parts availability.
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Jan 8th, 2015-
A small screw connecting the arm thing from servo to wheels is missing.
I didn't know until I noticed I could not steer (left/right) the truck.
It must have fell out somewhere outside since it might not have been properly screwed in.
I checked the drawing in the manual for parts and sadly, no ones not even
redcat racing have it- part# BS213-044. OUT OF STOCK.
I emailed (on 7th) to Redcat Racing and have not heard since then.
At this point, I found a small screw after looking through stuffs that
I collected over the years. It is small enough to fit in the hole but the
length is a bit short. It is a temporally fix until I get the new part I need.
I can run the truck but slow or I will lose this screw again.
So no respond and no part (BS213-044) available force me to drop the rating to 3.
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Dec 20th, 2014-
No problem running the truck in the cold. The coldest I have run the truck is 18F.
The only problem I have is leaves get sucked in by wheels
so sometimes I have to stop and clear them out.
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I have owned radio control toys: on-road cars (back in 90s), hovercraft (2000s and now not working), and a motorcycle (running since late 90s).
Now fast forward (10-15 years?) to now, starting few years ago I wanted another r/c car that can run on the grass. At first, I was looking at those big sized rc truck toys. They are big BUT run SLOW or nothing. Then I came across 'hobby grade r/c'. I was kind of scared because of price, lipo battery worries, and those requirements to keep the car in shape (ie: maintenance, replace or upgrade parts). It took me time to get over those worries.
Then the hunting start. I looked at traxxas, redcat racing, losi, associated, exceed rc, himoto, team associated, hpi racing, and so on. I narrowed the list by choosing the following options: rtr, truck, battery (NiMH or Lipo), waterproof, and brushless motor. I then looked at what available and narrowed down further with price, when it was released, and reviews by who have owned them.
I must admit I like those trucks (rustler vxl, stampedes) from Traxxas. However their prices were way too high- nearly $200 more. I finally decided that the Redcat Racing Blackout XTE PRO is right for me. Its a good start.
I got the truck out of the box and followed the instruction manual. Charging took little over 1 hour. Put the battery in the truck, connected the plug, and outside it go. I tested the controller and the truck making sure everything working great. Then I started speeding it up when I got comfortable enough. I tried not to over do it. Flipped it few times. Some time later it got to cold for me outside and went back in. After checking the truck, I noticed the front-end part of the body cover broke. Not a big problem as I knew from others who have this truck or similar from redcat racing. You can see the image I uploaded: [...]
All in all, I REALLY LOVE IT. I have a big yard. So much fun. As it is already fast, I'm thinking about getting a ni-mh battery.
Pros:
- RTR. Ready to go. The only one thing you need to do is to bind a rc transmitter to a receiver. Look up on YouTube. I watched the video and did the same with my truck. Very easy. 2-3 minutes and you're done.
- The truck came out of the box new. Nothing broken. No oil spill like some have said.
- BIG 1/10 scale. About 17 inches long and 11 inches wide.
- Awesome lipo battery (7.4v 3200mAh).
- FAST. I mean really crazy FAST. You need a big yard or field to run this truck. It possible to go slow when you learn how to use the controller.
- I did not have to change or adjust any parts of the truck.
Cons:
- NOT FOR BABIES OR LITTLE KIDS. They will break the truck easily on the first try.
- You or someone can get hurt if standing in the way.
- While learning with the truck, I flipped it and broke/chipped the front-end part of the body cover. Not a big deal since I knew from feeling the body cover and reviews from people who have bought from redcat racing as well. You can see the image I uploaded: [...]
- Would be nice to have option to buy a harder body cover to allow flipping or bumping into something (not on purpose though).
- You have to take the body cover off to turn on/off the truck. Annoying. Toys usually have a switch on the side or bottom.
- No safety bag? Reading about dangers of lipo batteries, I think safety bag should be included.