kaylon 235 Posted August 15, 2015 Incredible... I've seen copies but never clones as close as this... That above is not a Dark Impact or other such DF-03 ... it's an FS Racing Travel King ... they do a 2wd too called the Bolt (just no center drive shaft).. the Buggy is identical. And a Farm king clone too... WLToys ... how much ya bet it's the same company ... Crazy ... I wish China had better copyright laws. K Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XV Pilot 1936 Posted August 15, 2015 The Chinese Tamiya clones are sadly nothing new. A while ago I bought a "TL-01B" from a fellow forum member, and I couldn't tell it was fake from the photos, or even on initial inspection. It was only when comparing it side-by-side with a real one that I could tell it was a fake. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kontemax 1723 Posted August 15, 2015 It would be nice to know if the DF-03 clone has the steel gear instead of the Tamiya alloy one. Max 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pizzachaude 130 Posted August 16, 2015 OMG just compared that pic with my Dark impact, its the same car! I wonder if parts are interchangeable. The Dark Impact is so cheap NIB now that I dont think it would make any sense to get a clone Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StrokerBoy 772 Posted August 17, 2015 That's a very poor Farm King rip-off, looks more like a Tumbling Bull... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GregM 1109 Posted August 17, 2015 A poor DF-03 ripoff was once sold by Conrad Electronic under the name "REELY Blue Tanga" and "Red Tanga". At the moment, they sell a 4WD buggy with a fake Durga bodyshell (although the chassis is different). They also had the fake TL-01B in the past. I wonder why Tamiya is still doing business with them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisRx718 4464 Posted September 10, 2015 Those fake TL01Bs were amazing, we sold many of them at time Tunnel models back in the day, never had an issue with them (aside from one batch which was missing the 2-hour charger). In my opinion, these were not damaging to Tamiya's reputation. They were significantly cheaper, always RTR and quite well built. I remember the truck version they called the Bonzer, had a printed lexan Stadium Raider body, 550 motor, decent electronics and motor heatsink as standard. The trade off was more brittle moulded parts, but these were obviously easily interchangeable with genuine Tamiya parts... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillyChang 1812 Posted January 26, 2017 Interesting... was unaware post-HBX efforts. oh wow:- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillyChang 1812 Posted January 26, 2017 Double wow... comes with full BBs!! and their video is nearly as good as Matteo's!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillyChang 1812 Posted May 8, 2018 Anyone see any of these around on the market anymore? WLtoys P949 one batch wonder? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nowinaminute 2813 Posted May 8, 2018 8 hours ago, WillyChang said: Anyone see any of these around on the market anymore? WLtoys P949 one batch wonder? I just mentioned this in the thread about the fake Hilux, it was almost like they pulled it because of a legal threat. Usually nothing seems to deter and nobody can touch them but that thing just disappeared over night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillyChang 1812 Posted May 9, 2018 yeah strange huh? They shipped one batch ~8/2016 (of which reviews are good) then stock runs out ~3/2017 and every usual seller is backordered till today, although some are now saying Discontinued. I want some parts from it dammit, especially the chassis frame - it'll take a square pack dunno what killed it... though I doubt it's lawyers How about Traxxas, worlds most litigious RC company few mths ago about xmas time appeared a Slash 4X4 knockoff heck that'll be a great buy at ~$200. I didn't bother buying then & haven't had time to look at since... wonder how's it going. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillyChang 1812 Posted May 9, 2018 sold under "HuanQi 727" and it's alive & kicking in the market thus far!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yalson 514 Posted May 28, 2018 On 9/10/2015 at 8:15 PM, ChrisRx718 said: Those fake TL01Bs were amazing, we sold many of them at time Tunnel models back in the day, never had an issue with them (aside from one batch which was missing the 2-hour charger). In my opinion, these were not damaging to Tamiya's reputation. They were significantly cheaper, always RTR and quite well built. I remember the truck version they called the Bonzer, had a printed lexan Stadium Raider body, 550 motor, decent electronics and motor heatsink as standard. The trade off was more brittle moulded parts, but these were obviously easily interchangeable with genuine Tamiya parts... The problem is not that they harm Tamiya's reputation, but that they harm Tamiya's revenues. Every fake Tamiya chassis that gets sold is potential money out of Tamiya's pocket, or given that they are being sold so cheaply, money out the collective pocket of every OEM in the RC field, as if the sale had not otherwise gone to Tamiya it would have gone to someone else. The Chinese manufacturers are cheating this market, however. One of the ways that they are able to sell so cheaply is that by simply copying the products of another manufacturer they are getting their product without having to spend on R&D, marketing, regulatory compliance testing and a whole raft of other added-on costs which get included in the ticket price without the purchaser ever being aware of them. This is the payoff for all cheap Chinese knock-offs. They get the product to the purchaser at a reduced cost, which is great for the individual. But they basically suck that money out of the ecosystem as none of it gets recycled into new products or innovation. They are cannibalising the market, meaning that established manufacturers may eventually be pushed out of the business and we are left with nothing but cheap copies of obsolete products at over-inflated prices. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juhunio 6828 Posted October 23, 2019 On 8/15/2015 at 10:36 PM, kontemax said: It would be nice to know if the DF-03 clone has the steel gear instead of the Tamiya alloy one. Max Just came across this thread while researching upgrades to factor into a new DF-03 build, and failing to track down the Five Stars FS7039! So I bought one of these FS Racing main gears, and the pinion is magnetic! So not aluminium, but no guarantees about how much steel is in the alloy, and how hard it is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juhunio 6828 Posted November 6, 2019 Still applying CPR to this old cold thread, just in case anyone else comes across it and thinks (like me) that this could be an option to strengthen the DF03 main gear in lieu of the unicorn-poo Five Stars FS7039. I contacted FS Racing who make the magnetic clone part, who told me it is made using powder metallurgy (rather than liquid casting). They wouldn't / couldn't tell me the alloy, only to say that it is 'majority steel'. I don't know if this would be as durable as hardened, liquid cast steel, probably not.... Anyway, I pushed the pinion off its shaft and onto a DF03 slipper shaft using @Wooders28 vice method, and the pinion cracked longitudinally. Visible on the slipper shaft, but not when put back on the FS Racing shaft, even though the shafts are identical diameter. So I did it again with a second FS Racing gear, with the same result. £25 down the drain. Something in their make up isn't up to the task, so probably best avoided. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillyChang 1812 Posted November 6, 2019 Smells like sintered metal 3D printed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juhunio 6828 Posted November 7, 2019 21 hours ago, WillyChang said: Smells like sintered metal 3D printed? Not sure, it's a fairly 'old' part for them so not sure 3D printing would have been up to the job? I've done a bit of reading on powder metallurgy and it sounds like powder plus heat plus pressure in a pre-formed mold...benefits listed as cheaper and quicker than liquid casting. My gut says liquid casting will always be harder and stronger, but that is based purely on hunch and not on any kind of metallurgy experience whatsoever! Find it hard to believe liquid cast hardened steel would have cracked like this... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites