WraithOr Twin Hammers.

[BigSteve]

Hi all I'm considering buying a rock crawler and have been considering either a Wraith or a Twin Hammers. What are your thoughts/experiences on the models. Also are there any others I should consider.

Many thanks Steve.

[JennyMo]

What about a combo of both - Axial have just announced the "Yeti' - presumably in response to the Twin Hammers?

There is more info available courtesy of the magic of the interweb... other RC forums are available ;o)

Jx

PS. Personally I like the Wraith, but it really has been done to death now? - still, they look goooooood with alloy body panels and scale accessories fitted.

[BigSteve]

What about a combo of both - Axial have just announced the "Yeti' - presumably in response to the Twin Hammers?

There is more info available courtesy of the magic of the interweb... other RC forums are available ;o)

Jx

PS. Personally I like the Wraith, but it really has been done to death now? - still, they look goooooood with alloy body panels and scale accessories fitted.

Hi JennyMo that's interesting. What I would really like is a crawler that would also be at home throwing up some dirt on the flat. Is there such a thing. Sorry if this sounds a stupid question but until now I've only been into off road tamiya buggies.

Steve.

[shenlonco]

Hi it is hard to have something that will crawl and then run fast on normal off road conditions.

I have 2 twin hammers and like them a lot but I left one stock and the one in this video bellow I put a stock Tamiya silver can motor in it to slow it down for crawling mountain trail running. I also added stock axial 1.9 ripsaw tires and wheels from there RTR cars as they grip much better for crawling than the hammers stock tires.

I have rock crawlers but I converted them all for trail running as it's much more fun than playing on a pile of rocks that gets really boring fast.

See the video and I also have a 3 part video review from when I first got the truck... One thing I do not like about it is to take the body off you have to remove like 12 screws.

[Tamiya1/10]

I have the TH, still NIB, but i think the Yeti or Wraith is better. Is not from 1st hand experience, but i think newer models will always be better than older ones. plus axial has more hop ups, TH has only 3 upgrades. my vote is wraith/yeti.

[shenlonco]

I have the TH, still NIB, but i think the Yeti or Wraith is better. Is not from 1st hand experience, but i think newer models will always be better than older ones. plus axial has more hop ups, TH has only 3 upgrades. my vote is wraith/yeti.

Not true you may be surprised ..... and who told you the twin hammers only has 3 upgrades? there is so many companies who make upgrades you can put many different whole front steering and suspension set up on the hammers and much much more!

[Tamiya1/10]

Not true you may be surprised ..... and who told you the twin hammers only has 3 upgrades? there is so many companies who make upgrades you can put many different whole front steering and suspension set up on the hammers and much much more!

OK, you could be right TH has more than 3 upgrades counting by other companies. I think if one is counting upgrades, axial will likely still have more.

The bottom line is which is better over all from

cost / value, (can't comment on that)

durability (i hear TH has some quality issue or the parts are not very strong from RTR package)

capability (from youtube axial seems to be better for crawling, but in a flat out run TH may have the advantage because of the 2 spd)

The final deciding factor could be the over all look, as TH or wraith could not shut out 100% of the other and one may score of 78 and the other 80 with the difference not that significant so it could boils down to which looks better to you as your decision may not be number only.

[mr crispy]

I own both and TBH they are quite different styles of car.

The TW is a true Rock Racer, it doesn't do so well in the slow crawler configuration and doesn't have a crawlers clearance for some obstacles. It's best kept for faster trail running or the standard super insane fast hooning about, at which is excels

Bad points are the high, rear battery location which induces roll overs and the small battery space. You can mod the battery deck to accept full size race packs but it's putting a lot of weight in the worst place possible! I've had trouble hitting the right spot with mine, relocated the electrics to the battery deck and went with a 4200 Turnigy Shorty pack fitted under the drivers location. Together with anti sway bars front and rear it's tamed the rolls but it's a ****** to swap batteries. I'm thinking to go for the GCM front Tower plate conversion to hopefully cure the issues I have.

http://gcmracing.ca/viewitem.php?productid=98

The Wraith is a much better platform to turn into a crawler. Firstly it looks the part & with a few chassis changes it becomes a much more competent slow speed trial/crawling machine. Mine has the battery forward and flip bonnet mod both of which are virtually cost free. Chassis mounted steering servo with panard. Flip the shock mounts on the axles over to sit lower but retain the articulation. Leccy bits all in a project box on the old battery deck. Numerous other bits and bobs been done over the years and it's still going strong. Big + points are the size, it's more like a 1/8 sized buggy so has great ground clearance and will take just about any 2S lipo you can to put in to. I run with a 5000 Turnigy hardcase and it'll go for well over an hour of hard abuse!

Best of all mine has the best driver in the business

I would say the build and parts quality is about the same on both these cars and on a par with Tamiya. The main chassis parts are made from a tough, nylon type plastic so they flex rather than break in most impacts. I've cartwheeled the Wraith down a hillside before and not suffered any permanent damage other than paint scratches!

[shenlonco]

Yes the TH may not crawl as well because of the tub chassis...BUT if you ask what one is more fun to use I say the TH hands down is way more fun to use,, Like I said before crawling is fun but gets boring real fast.

I have a axial crawler with sticky 2,2 tires on it and I used to bring it in the mountain all the time now that I have gotten my twin hammers I like bringing it over the axial because it does almost everything the axial does but I can pop it into high gear and have some fast paced action in certain spots of the mountain and it makes thing so much more fun than just having one slow speed.

see my videos on youtube

[shenlonco]

MR Crispy take a look at my video I made you can make your hammers look much better than the standard everyone's dark green with what I show in my video it's easy!

They look much nicer also if you do it!!

Watch full screen in HD to see them better!

[mr crispy]

Anyone tried the 2 speed transmission upgrade for the Wraith? They work out apx £100 in the UK which always put me off and I've not seen any reviews about them. Bit too much to risk in a gamble for me.

Edit:

Not too keen on that effect Shen, I'm more of a dull, low vis military kinda guy

Had to make my own plasticard bonnet as I melted the original one with a new brand of cellulose thinners trying to clean off the paint

[shenlonco]

Looks pretty cool you should put some fast attack stickers on it!

Anyone tried the 2 speed transmission upgrade for the Wraith? They work out apx £100 in the UK which always put me off and I've not seen any reviews about them. Bit too much to risk in a gamble for me.

Edit:

Not too keen on that effect Shen, I'm more of a dull, low vis military kinda guy

Had to make my own plasticard bonnet as I melted the original one with a new brand of cellulose thinners trying to clean off the paint

[Tamiya1/10]

Anyone tried the 2 speed transmission upgrade for the Wraith? They work out apx £100 in the UK which always put me off and I've not seen any reviews about them. Bit too much to risk in a gamble for me.

Edit:(

Are you referring to the dig tranny? If yes, dig is not really a 2 spd tranny. It just turn you tranny from 4x4 to 4x2 and lock the rear wheels with only the front wheels turning making a tighter turning circle. good for wraith with the long wheel base in making tight rock crawling course. For honcho not so much benefit and making it less smooth because the rear drive shaft now has to rotate at greater angle. it won't make it faster like the TH 2 speed tranny.

[mr crispy]

Nope, not the DIG but a proper 2 speed tranny just like the TH. Seems they've gone up in price since I last checked.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111352709628

Edit: better to buy abroad and this listing even note the gear ratios!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301136788216

Sounds a bit better with the low gear being 1.78/1, lower than wraith standard (2.6/1) and high being a 5.05/1!

[MadMax]

Here's a Vid of the RC4WD 2 speed.

[shenlonco]

that thing just don't look like it is any good for speed no sense putting a 2 speed in the axial styles chassis rig.

Also when I look at the new yeti videos something seems off on the truck it's always nose diving when rccrawler did there review on the hammers it looked more balanced and jumped much better.

[mr crispy]

Yeah that Wraith in the clip is way too fast for my liking. But it shows there is a much more significant difference between the high and low gear than on the TH! If I fitted that tranny I'd use a 70-80T motor with a lower tooth pinion to get a decent slow crawling speed in low gear. Then flip it into high for trail running in between the rocky stuff.

[shenlonco]

Yeah that Wraith in the clip is way too fast for my liking. But it shows there is a much more significant difference between the high and low gear than on the TH! If I fitted that tranny I'd use a 70-80T motor with a lower tooth pinion to get a decent slow crawling speed in low gear. Then flip it into high for trail running in between the rocky stuff.

If you want crawling speeds and trialing speeds with your hammers why not put the biggest spure and smallest pinion gear combo fitted with a 80 to 100 turn motor it will probably be way slower. I have stock gearing and a standard silver can Tamiya motor in mine and I trail rock run and it's not that bad so with what I said above it should get half as fast as what I am running now?

[mr crispy]

Yep, tried a small pinion and 70T motor and it was great at crawling. It would be nice to be able my to switch into high gear on the fly and have a bit of moderate speed fun or drive along the trails at something other than slow crawler speed tho. Saying that i do need a higher tooth spur gear. The previous owner upgraded to 32 pitch gears which is great but I think he fitted a speed orientated set.

[shenlonco]

I run all stock but put a Tamiya stock silver can 540 in it,,, This way when on a nice spot on the trails I can hit high gear and still have a little bit of speed to have fun... but it is not fast by any means with a stock 540.