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SCX10 III* - wait for Axial to release a raw builder’s kit or just buy the Jeep kit & sell the body & wheels? 
 

*currently top of my list but not defo yet

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If you want it just get it now, no guarantee there will be a builder's kit.  Would make sense seeing the SCX10 II and SMT10 Builder's Kits seemingly doing well, but I wanted a UMG 6x6 and waited forever for a Builder's Kit and it never came...I love the kits but if it's something you want now just go for it.  Can always sell what you don't use as you said.  You could try sending them a message through their site, they're usually helpful.

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From what little I've read, it seems like some people still recommend the 10.2 kit over the 10.3.  The issues seem to be the 2-speed not having a wide enough gap between ratios making it little more than extra weight and the dig not releasing properly.  Mostly only stuff that causes issues if you take crawling somewhat seriously.

Personally I really like the look of the 10.3 Wrangler kit but I had to talk myself out of buying it recently.  A raw builder's kit or maybe a kit that ditches the excess features and has a lighter body, much like the Traxxas TRX4 Sport does, would be nice but you never know what Axial's plans are.  If the 10.3 is top of your list I'd say just go for it.

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Get a Vanquish Phoenix kit ($499 - if you can find one in stock) - much nicer than the Axial offering - better quality plastics, Currie portal axles (plastic), and the new VFD twin transmission which is very versatile... lots of body mounting options too, plus a killer rear cage assembly if that is a route you want to go.

Ask me how I know ;o)

Jenny x

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2 hours ago, JennyMo said:

Get a Vanquish Phoenix kit ($499 - if you can find one in stock) - much nicer than the Axial offering - better quality plastics, Currie portal axles (plastic), and the new VFD twin transmission which is very versatile... lots of body mounting options too, plus a killer rear cage assembly if that is a route you want to go.

Ask me how I know ;o)

Jenny x

Ah, see that’s a new one on me so we’ll have to have an intermission while I check that out. Last week’s number one was the RC4WD Trailfinder 2 (to give you an idea of direction) but ultimate scale is not quite as important to me as crawling performance.  

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The RC4WD is not a performance crawler. Very much a scale option (and one that has been on the market a long time)

If you're looking for performance I'd recommend an Element Enduro, most people who have one acknowledge it's the best performing crawler out of the box, and they are pretty good value and easy to get in the UK. Certainly a lot cheaper than the SCX10 III.

I think you might be waiting a long time for a "raw" SCX10 III kit. As others have said, you never know what Horizon Hobby/Axial have planned, you can only buy what's on the shelf in front of you. Unless you are very anti-Jeep, it's actually nice to have a body in the kit, you know it is going to fit really well.

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2 hours ago, sosidge said:

. Unless you are very anti-Jeep, it's actually nice to have a body in the kit, you know it is going to fit really well.

I was very impressed with the JLU body that came in my kit. I haven't assembled it yet, only painted the shell. 

I'd not had an Axial before (other than a pair of second-hand axles) and was impressed with what came in the box. There's a really good thread in another forum on what to watch out for in the manual (there are a couple of errors / tricky bits). I bought it for build complexity and experience rather than ability.

I'm in no way qualified to debate the performance merits of any of the above :D

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4 hours ago, sosidge said:

The RC4WD is not a performance crawler. Very much a scale option (and one that has been on the market a long time)

If you're looking for performance I'd recommend an Element Enduro, most people who have one acknowledge it's the best performing crawler out of the box, and they are pretty good value and easy to get in the UK. Certainly a lot cheaper than the SCX10 III.

I think you might be waiting a long time for a "raw" SCX10 III kit. As others have said, you never know what Horizon Hobby/Axial have planned, you can only buy what's on the shelf in front of you. Unless you are very anti-Jeep, it's actually nice to have a body in the kit, you know it is going to fit really well.

Yes I meant performance within the confines of scale, I have a Wraith for the full-on crawly stuff. The Jeep body is excellent for Lexan with many nice touches but I want a single cab pickup body, Japanese or American I don’t mind but not a SUV. The Trailfinder is lovely (and still in the running) but the SCX’s are more durable like for like.. plus I like the way Axial do things, I’m a bit of an Axial fan tbf. I will look at everything though. 

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2 hours ago, Badcrumble said:

I was very impressed with the JLU body that came in my kit. I haven't assembled it yet, only painted the shell. 

I'd not had an Axial before (other than a pair of second-hand axles) and was impressed with what came in the box. There's a really good thread in another forum on what to watch out for in the manual (there are a couple of errors / tricky bits). I bought it for build complexity and experience rather than ability.

I'm in no way qualified to debate the performance merits of any of the above :D

15yrs or so ago we used to have to build crawlers from scratch but I had a nifty technique which kept me at the cutting edge..

I copied @TWINSET :ph34r:

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According to Rich from Axial, there won't be a builders kit based off the III. Kits just don't sell as well as RTR's. The JLU kit is it. 

Owning several V1's, II's, and a III I (all kits BTW)  can say I'm not overly impressed with the III. It seems they tried to copy what Traxxas was doing instead of just building a better platform than the II. The transmission in particular on mine, no matter how I shim it, grease it, or file on it is quite noisy. Several of the gears have pins insets on both sides, though they only go in one way. It's very easy to put the gears in the wrong way (especially with my older eyes) and that leads to more clicking. I'm still chasing clicking in the driveline months after I built it. Ridiculous.  Frankly, I think the entire truck is a bit over-engineered, and quite pricey. Maybe the RTR is better, I don't know.  

The II RBK is simple, sturdy and performs well. Doesn't have the 2 speed, portals, or dig obviously, but does well for what it is. I turned mine into a UMG and it crawls and trails as well as anything I own, and better in some respects. 

I can also recommend the Enduro builders kit - probably the best out of the lot., especially now that they've upgraded it. Smooth, silent driveline, OD and WB options, and top notch shocks out of the box. Not to mention IFS and trailing arm options if you want to go that route. Quite a flexible platform. I've built three so far, and they have all been top notch builds.  

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21 hours ago, OldSchoolRC1 said:

According to Rich from Axial, there won't be a builders kit based off the III. Kits just don't sell as well as RTR's. The JLU kit is it. 

Owning several V1's, II's, and a III I (all kits BTW)  can say I'm not overly impressed with the III. It seems they tried to copy what Traxxas was doing instead of just building a better platform than the II. The transmission in particular on mine, no matter how I shim it, grease it, or file on it is quite noisy. Several of the gears have pins insets on both sides, though they only go in one way. It's very easy to put the gears in the wrong way (especially with my older eyes) and that leads to more clicking. I'm still chasing clicking in the driveline months after I built it. Ridiculous.  Frankly, I think the entire truck is a bit over-engineered, and quite pricey. Maybe the RTR is better, I don't know.  

The II RBK is simple, sturdy and performs well. Doesn't have the 2 speed, portals, or dig obviously, but does well for what it is. I turned mine into a UMG and it crawls and trails as well as anything I own, and better in some respects. 

I can also recommend the Enduro builders kit - probably the best out of the lot., especially now that they've upgraded it. Smooth, silent driveline, OD and WB options, and top notch shocks out of the box. Not to mention IFS and trailing arm options if you want to go that route. Quite a flexible platform. I've built three so far, and they have all been top notch builds.  

Thanks mate I’m engrossed in the VS410 Pro atm (thank’s to JennyMo) which is very tasty but I will look at the Enduros. 

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10 hours ago, Mad Zero said:

@JennyMo Can I not get the Phoenix & get the VS4-10 instead plz? :)

Ha ha - of course, although the Pro and Ultra kits are very expensive, primarily because they include their CNC aluminium axles which are around $500 a pair on their own!

In comparison, the Phoenix kit has moulded nylon/plastic axles (still very high quality, the same material they use for the chassis cross braces etc.) which has significantly reduced the overall kit cost... while the VS4-10 chassis set is exactly the same as their higher end kits, and the new VFD 'Twin' transmission* is actually an evolution of the previous version, which includes the DIG and selectable front overdrive ratios as standard - essentially you can run it in 4WD, or RWD or even FWD if you wish.

*note. The Phoenix (and Ultra) vehicle kits uses the regular VFD transmission set you can buy seperately (to upgrade the older Vanquish chassis and 3-gear trasmission kits), while their 'Pro' model kit includes some metal upgrade parts in the original VFD transmission - although all those optional parts are available separately, and fundamentally of course, currently only the Phoenix kit has the new 'Twin' version of the transmission which has the selectable overdrive and DIG built-in.

I'd echo what other people have suggested above, the Element Enduro is a good builder's platform - increasingly flexible (with a IFS option, albeit for another $100) and with plenty of aftermarket support these days... however, the Vanquish stuff really is another level - I've built two vehicles based on the VS4-10 platform now - my original Ghetto Vanquish (4Runner) which I featured in the builds section here, and my latest project which is based on the Phoenix kit, but with my own modified Jeep hard-body fitted.

i-gKPvmxv-XL.jpg

photo. Vanquish VS4-10 Phoenix chassis.

 

i-LPGvssS-XL.jpg

photo. my own twist using a modified Injora JK Jeep hard-body, rather than the supplied Lexan Toyota FJ40-esk shell.

 

Ultimately, if you build a VS4-10 chassis with 90mm shocks and straight axles, you'll get some really impressive articulation (as per my Ghetto Vanquish), while with the 80mm shocks and portal axles (you get on the Phoenix and Ultra) it's not quite so much, although still very capable and impressive. The main thing is how composed (and strong) these vehicles are when crawling and trail-running.

Jenny x

 

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2 minutes ago, JennyMo said:

Ha ha - of course, although the Pro and Ultra kits are very expensive, primarily because they include their CNC aluminium axles which are around $500 a pair on their own!

In comparison, the Phoenix kit has moulded nylon/plastic axles (still very high quality, the same material they use for the chassis cross braces etc. which has significantly reduced the overall kit cost... the VS4-10 chassis set is exactly the same as their higher end kits, and the new VFD 'Twin' transmission* is actually an evolution of the previous version, which includes the DIG and selectable front overdrive ratios as standard - essentially you can run it in 4WD, or RWD or even FWD if you wish.

*note. The Phoenix (and Ultra) vehicle kits uses the regular VFD transmission set you can buy seperately (to upgrade the older Vanquish chassis and 3-gear trasmission kits), while their 'Pro' model kit includes some metal upgrade parts in the original VFD transmission - although all those optional parts are available separately, and fundamentally of course, currently only the Phoenix kit has the new 'Twin' version of the transmission which has the selectable overdrive and DIG built-in.

I'd echo what over people have suggested above, the Element Enduro is a good builder's platform - increasingly flexible (with a IFS option, albeit for another $100) and with plenty of aftermarket support these days... however, the Vanquish stuff really is another level - I've built two vehicles based on the VS4-10 platform now - my original Ghetto Vanquish (4Runner) which I featured in the builds section here, and my latest project which is based on the Phoenix kit, but with my own modified Jeep hard-body fitted.

i-gKPvmxv-XL.jpg

photo. Vanquish VS4-10 Phoenix chassis.

 

i-LPGvssS-XL.jpg

photo. my own twist using a modified Injora JK Jeep hard-body, rather than the supplied Lexan Toyota FJ40-esk shell.

 

If you build a VS4-10 chassis with 90mm shocks and straight axles, you'll get some really impressive articulation (as per my Ghetto Vanquish), while with the 80mm shocks and portal axles (you get on the Phoenix and Ultra) it's not quite so much, although still very capable and impressive. The main thing is how composed (and strong) these vehicles are when crawling and trail-running.

Jenny

 

Yeh I know my way around your showroom pretty well by now haha! Honestly when I looked on the Vanquish site my eyes went straight to the VS4-10 Pro black & I wanted it I just like everything about it, I’ve not been this excited about the prospect of a new model for years. Sure it can be tinkered with for personal taste but the basic quality & engineering (backed up by glowing reviews on several crawling forums) has me pricing up stuff to sell to raise funds already. I even love the body, it looks like an IH Scout to me like a ‘70 or something? Just the kinda stand off scale look crawler with plenty of ability & tough drivetrain I was after*. Yes it’s expensive but I’ve spent more hopping up Savages & Emaxx’s in the past & hopping this thing up would never be essential. I won’t need od for what I’d be doing & I can live without dig (tho I’d like dig on the wraith) so the transmission would be fine, well, better than fine tbf, I think I’m in! Thanks for the Vanquish tip I’d completely missed them somehow, and thanks for the comprehensive replies too, appreciated ;)


* I’ll still want a Trailfinder  

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Happy to help! - don't worry, if you have the budget (and oh if I had the budget!), the Pro is probably the best kit you can buy [from any manufacturer] from a running point of view... if you can raise the funds, get one, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. You will be spoilt for anything else however ;o)

As you say, the truck-cab Scout style body is really nicely proportioned too - it is Lexan of course (which I personally don't like), but can be painted in all sorts of realistic ways... it's also worth noting that Vanquish sell the Pro/Ultra body set separately if anyone wanted to mount it on a 313mm wheelbase chassis.

You can always add the DIG at later date, and it's worth noting there are still options you can add to the Pro kit (such as the aluminium shock towers - either standard or extended height) to trick it out further... I'd also look at their range of aluminium wheels, as the kits come with plastic bead-lock wheels as standard - good quality of course, but not quite as stylish as the pukka Method or KMC aluminium options they offer.

Welcome to the money-pit!

Jx

 

 

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57 minutes ago, JennyMo said:

Happy to help! - don't worry, if you have the budget (and oh if I had the budget!), the Pro is probably the best kit you can buy [from any manufacturer] from a running point of view... if you can raise the funds, get one, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. You will be spoilt for anything else however ;o)

As you say, the truck-cab Scout style body is really nicely proportioned too - it Lexan of course (which I personally don't like), but can be painted in all sorts of realistic ways... it's also worth noting that Vanquish sell the Pro/Ultra body set separately if anyone wanted to mount it on a 313mm wheelbase chassis.

You can always add the DIG at later date, and it's worth noting there are still options you can add to the Pro kit (such as the aluminium shock towers - either standard or extended height) to trick it out further... I'd also look at their range of aluminium wheels, as the kits come with plastic bead-lock wheels as standard - good quality of course, but not quite as stylish as the pukka Method or KMC aluminium options they offer.

Welcome to the money-pit!

Jx

 

 

Well I’m by no means wealthy I’m just one of those who never gets around to selling stuff so there’s a lot I’ve amassed over the years that I can liquidise & being from an engineering background plus 40 odd years of messing with rc cars it doesn’t take me long to spot a quality thing. It makes sense (to me) to pare down my never driven vintage race cars to like one or two & pour the cash into the only type of driving I regularly do. How I missed those things when they came out I do not know! About the body, it’s actually a lexan one I wanted because it’ll be used (& rolled) a lot & in all weathers/conditions so low CoG & durability win over realism. It’ll look fairly scale once it’s dulled down & dusty I reckon anyway.. I mean I will attempt to build a proper scale truck at some point but this isn’t it. I have the remains of a 028 HiLux somewhere if I can find it. Right then, funds to raise! 

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So the TRX-4 sport or Gmade GS02 have not come up yet. I have a RTR Sport and thought about building another for fun but the Gmade stuff looks great value. Do these have a hat in the ring or are there reasons not to buy?

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1 hour ago, Nobbi1977 said:

So the TRX-4 sport or Gmade GS02 have not come up yet. I have a RTR Sport and thought about building another for fun but the Gmade stuff looks great value. Do these have a hat in the ring or are there reasons not to buy?

Tbf this wasn’t a what’s the best crawler thread I was just asking if there was a SCX10 III RBK version coming, then the Vanquish came up.. :lol:

I’ve nothing except personal preference against either of them, plenty about. 

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On 11/27/2021 at 9:12 AM, Nobbi1977 said:

So the TRX-4 sport or Gmade GS02 have not come up yet. I have a RTR Sport and thought about building another for fun but the Gmade stuff looks great value. Do these have a hat in the ring or are there reasons not to buy?

I'd say once you get to a certain price point (around $300/£300) there are no bad options, just what you personally prefer (if you're buying it because of the included body shell) and what is readily available in your particular country (although online/international ordering/shipping these days makes things a lot more simple in that regard)... Certainly both Traxxas and Gmade offer most of their kit parts as spares if you ever break anything, and as a base chassis for a custom build all of these 1/10 ladder chassis are effectively the same - live axles and 3/4 links and shocks front and rear - normally with a chassis mounted steering servo too - so tweaking the link lengths and swapping shock tower locations and axles etc. is a pretty straight-forward affair if you want customise the donor further.

That TRX4 Sport is an excellent platform, and the supplied body can be made to look like a pretty authentic Tacoma style overland truck if that is your want (including a number of included moulded scale accessories) - if you're on a more modest budget, it's probably the best [specification] of the builders' kits out there to get you up and running.

Jx

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28 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

Tbf this wasn’t a what’s the best crawler thread I was just asking if there was a SCX10 III RBK version coming, then the Vanquish came up.. :lol:

I’ve nothing except personal preference against either of them, plenty about. 

I know but since it was going that way and knowledgable people were posting I though I would ask. 
 

Vanquish looks very nice kit but far over the top of what I will ever be able to stress.

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1 hour ago, Nobbi1977 said:

I know but since it was going that way and knowledgable people were posting I though I would ask. 
 

Vanquish looks very nice kit but far over the top of what I will ever be able to stress.

Absolutely. For what it’s worth the Gmade was above the Traxxas on my list, the Buffalo pickup body looks awesome. 

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So I’ve managed to track down a VS4-10 Pro kit in the UK (it wasn’t easy), and I’ve lined up sales of various stuff to raise the necessary, but I’m having trouble pulling the trigger on it. Yes it’s the best kit out there no question & I really want one but it just feels too self indulgent, know what I mean? My missus would never spend like that on a hobby even if I begged her to & she’s much gooder & more deserving than I am I just don’t think I can do it, or enjoy it if I did. I think I might need more guidance from the TC trail/crawler community on an alternative kit.. please. 

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16 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

So I’ve managed to track down a VS4-10 Pro kit in the UK (it wasn’t easy), and I’ve lined up sales of various stuff to raise the necessary, but I’m having trouble pulling the trigger on it. Yes it’s the best kit out there no question & I really want one but it just feels too self indulgent, know what I mean? My missus would never spend like that on a hobby even if I begged her to & she’s much gooder & more deserving than I am I just don’t think I can do it, or enjoy it if I did. I think I might need more guidance from the TC trail/crawler community on an alternative kit.. please. 

Break up with her...  Then no guilt!

Alternatively, raise the cash to buy her something nice as well so you both have nice new toys...

Terry

 

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Well I wouldn't buy a Vanquish for many reasons, and I wouldn't get the older Pro kit either:

  1. No mainstream UK distribution. Reliant on a single shop in Northern Ireland or US imports.
  2. Very expensive.
  3. The older "Pro" kit is not the latest version of the platform.
  4. I think they called the new version a "Phoenix" as a reference to them going pretty silent on the products front for a while. I'd be concerned about their long term future. Their wheels were probably a major money spinner and they've been ruthlessly copied by the Chinese.

If you want a performance scale crawler at a reasonable price with good UK support I'm sticking with my original suggestion of an Element Enduro. With GMade, Axial and Traxxas as runners up.

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I won't comment on the money side of your decision since I spend way too much myself and that's a personal thing, but if you get an Axial/Traxxas/Element and never own the Vanquish you'll never know the difference.  I own a couple VS4 chassis kits and they're nice, but I wouldn't say you have to have them over one of the high volume brands.  All of the base crawlers these days are really nice and perform really well, don't think there's any of them I don't like in one way or another.  

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