hornet vs grasshopper

[twaleta]

I was recently thinking of getting a cheap buggy that doesnt need much upgrades and thats has it own style and is fun.I came up with the grasshopper and the hornet.But i noticed the grasshopper is cheaper is there any reason why?

[Willy iine]

The suspension is simpler on the GH.. but even so it's a fun car to own and drive.  I think out of the two, I would go with the Hornet, however.. I listen to @Ferruz. 

[Twinfan]

Hornet is an "improved" Grasshopper, with oil filled rear shocks for example.  It also has a 540 motor vs the 380 of the Grasshopper.

[Kowalski86]

The Hornet is lighter, has slightly "better" rear suspension, and it comes with a 540 silver can. The only real drawback is the lexan body vs the Grasshoppers hard plastic shell.

If you don't mind the looks I'd suggest a Mad Bull over either one. It's slightly more expensive but it has some QOL improvements like a battery door that stays shut.

I would also reccomend the DT02 Holiday Buggy, but that one puts you back to a 380 motor and "needing" upgrades.

If you look around you might find some cheaper Hornet kits below the (overpriced imo) $160 mark.

[Twinfan]

Mad Bull isn't really a buggy IMHO with those big tyres.

A DT-03 Neo Fighter is cheaper than both the Grasshopper and Hornet if you're in the UK at £77.57 including ESC, CVA shocks and a Torque Tuned motor.  Just grab some bearings and you're sorted:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamiya-10-Neo-Fighter-Buggy/dp/B00I92DJNQ

[Kowalski86]

30 minutes ago, Twinfan said:

Mad Bull isn't really a buggy IMHO with those big tyres.

A DT-03 Neo Fighter is cheaper than both the Grasshopper and Hornet if you're in the UK at £77.57 including ESC, CVA shocks and a Torque Tuned motor.  Just grab some bearings and you're sorted:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamiya-10-Neo-Fighter-Buggy/dp/B00I92DJNQ

I guess it's more of a "truggy" then?

I do agree on the DT-03 suggestion, they're cheaper than a Hornet, more durable chassis, it'll handle much better, and you'll have a bigger selection of aftermarket wheels/tires to pick from.

[twaleta]

 

43 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

The Hornet is lighter, has slightly "better" rear suspension, and it comes with a 540 silver can. The only real drawback is the lexan body vs the Grasshoppers hard plastic shell.

If you don't mind the looks I'd suggest a Mad Bull over either one. It's slightly more expensive but it has some QOL improvements like a battery door that stays shut.

I would also reccomend the DT02 Holiday Buggy, but that one puts you back to a 380 motor and "needing" upgrades.

If you look around you might find some cheaper Hornet kits below the (overpriced imo) $160 mark.

Yes well then i guess the hornet is the better option for best performance out of the box.I also think the lexan body would be beter because its lighter.I found alot on ebay or amazon that are below 160.

[Sogogi]

I only had hornet (though gh1, gh2 on its way to me), and personally would pick depends on what body you like(limited candy green version is available.. but not sure how long it will last). I didn’t like hornet’s oil shocks. Prefer pogo (spring shock) with softer springs.

I recently purchased progressive speings for gh2.. so will share how it performs hopefully soon.

[cstorckiii]

There's always the Rising Fighter...

[Twinfan]

Yep, another great choice!  Forgot about that one...

[El Gecko]

Ehhh, I haven't driven one, but the Rising Fighter always seemed a bit too top-heavy with that giant wing. Not much difference in chassis between that and a Grasshopper 2 anyway, just wheels/tires really.

It definitely depends on your bodyshell preference, but if it's not too futuristic for your tastes, the GH2 is a great compromise between the original Grasshopper and the Hornet, because it has a hard plastic shell like the GH but improved suspension like the Hornet, although it's technically even better than a Hornet because it's easier to fit oil shocks on all four corners (whether they actually help the handling is debatable).

The original Grasshopper is a great looking buggy (the Hornet as well) but the hardbody is easier to paint and prep than a Hornet, and with a 540 motor it can be just as fast, although as others have already mentioned, the suspension is about as primitive as you can get in an RC car. But it's still a hoot to drive IMHO. The GH/Hornet and later GH2 chassis are possibly the lightest offroad chassis that Tamiya has ever made, so they're super efficient and decently fast with even basic brushed motors.

I love driving them all, and it's hard to pick a favorite. In a test of speed and handling the Hornet is at the top, but honestly the GH and GH2 are not far behind if they're fitted with 540s.

[Sogogi]

Rising fighter is great except it has lower clearance due to center part of the axle being larger.

[Ferruz]

Regardless of the situation and the valid alternatives offered above, you should get a Hornet! You won't be disappointed 😃 Arguably the best hundred-and-something dollars I ever spent in my life, lol. You want somerhing with "its own style"? Then it really is perfect👍.

I do have a NIB Grasshopper but I haven't built it yet... I expect it to be very similar to the Hornet in terms of character and fun, but I get the idea the latter may be worth the few extra coins.

[twaleta]

5 minutes ago, Ferruz said:

Regardless of the situation and the valid alternatives offered above, you should get a Hornet! You won't be disappointed 😃 Arguably the best hundred-and-something dollars I ever spent in my life, lol. You want somerhing with "its own style"? Then it really is perfect👍.

I do have a NIB Grasshopper but I haven't built it yet... I expect it to be very similar to the Hornet in terms of character and fun, but I get the idea the latter may be worth the few extra coins.

yes.Im planning to run my 2wd slash (my main rc car) now for carpet racing so i need something fun and cheap that makes me smile that i can drive anytime.

[Pizza Frog]

Slightly prefer the grasshopper because it has cool paddle tires and you won't eventually rip the wing off, and the friction pogo rear suspension isn't really much worse than the hornets.  (I view the Lunchbox as a big wheel version of those cars and it's the greatest thing ever, all 3 are great though)

[twaleta]

24 minutes ago, Pizza Frog said:

Slightly prefer the grasshopper because it has cool paddle tires and you won't eventually rip the wing off, and the friction pogo rear suspension isn't really much worse than the hornets.  (I view the Lunchbox as a big wheel version of those cars and it's the greatest thing ever, all 3 are great though)

Yes i think they are pretty equal i just prefer the design of the hornet more but they are both awesome with the lunchbox 

[SupraChrgd82]

 

[Sogogi]

Grasshopper / hornet series is my favorite tamiya series.

And speaking of… I just received GH2…. 

[TurnipJF]

IMO the Hornet is the best-looking of Tamiya's MORA buggies, but the DT-01 is the toughest and best performing. The Mad Bull version comes with big wheels and tyres that enhance its off-road prowess, and if you don't like the look of them, it works well with standard buggy wheels and tyres too:

 

[Sogogi]

More grasshoppers

[Kowalski86]

1 hour ago, Sogogi said:

More grasshoppers

Rumor has it that it only takes 3 hours to build a Grasshopper, one for the chassis/body, and another for fitting each rear tire onto their rims!

[Sogogi]

8 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

Rumor has it that it only takes 3 hours to build a Grasshopper, one for the chassis/body, and another for fitting each rear tire onto their rims!

Lol wow i remember when i built the hornet. My fingers hated me.

[Kowalski86]

1 hour ago, Sogogi said:

Lol wow i remember when i built the hornet. My fingers hated me.

I'm mixed, it is a challenge fitting the tires on and you have the world's tiniest bolts and screws to worry about.

On the other hand, it's a neat idea that roughly mimics full size wheels, let's you re-use wheels with new tires, and they don't require foam/glue.

The front wheels are much easier in my experience.

[Sogogi]

11 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

I'm mixed, it is a challenge fitting the tires on and you have the world's tiniest bolts and screws to worry about.

On the other hand, it's a neat idea that roughly mimics full size wheels, let's you re-use wheels with new tires, and they don't require foam/glue.

The front wheels are much easier in my experience.

I do like reusability of those wheels. I wish more modern ones also use that type of wheels (not like those crazy beadlock wheels where you gotta put 20 screws per wheel)

[twaleta]

44 minutes ago, Sogogi said:

I do like reusability of those wheels. I wish more modern ones also use that type of wheels (not like those crazy beadlock wheels where you gotta put 20 screws per wheel)

yes i agree they also look cool