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"monster truck" which one?

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Got several Tamiya cars already and my little grandson loves them BUT he really likes the "monster truck" style, huge wheels. Not my cup of tea ,so have none BUT will get one.

I have no idea if all the chassis are the same and if any are preferable, Looking at Lunch box, MN pumpkin, monster beetle (have a blitzer) blackfoot, clod or Bullhead,pretty much all of them!

We use on mainly paved/tarmac and loose gravel and short grass. Would like a fairly good turn of speed, not walking pace OR constant wheel stands and can not ignore the odd jump,who can : )

Any opinions please? Just looked on Models sport and lots of kits out of stock.

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It has to be the Clodbuster (the Bullhead is the same but not as pleasing on the eye). Its really quite big, loads of fun, parts are pretty easy and its near indestructible. 

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If you're open to other companies, add the Traxxas Stampede Bigfoot Edition to your list.  Fair bit of speed out of the box, tough as nails, and good looking.  In the US it's a better value than the Tamiya options, not sure about UK.  Having said that, I love my Monster Beetle.  Not as tough as the Traxxas (even considering the nearly required MIP diff upgrade), but my son and I always enjoy having a run with it.

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For me its the Monster Beetle, but thats because I always wanted one as a kid.  The MIP ball diff is a must, and bearings, but otherwise its a great runner and looks the best of all of them.  It handles surprisingly well too.

If you're not fussed about any of them then apparently the WT01 cars are indestructible though.

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If you are after a turn of speed, half decent handling and not too fussed about wheelies, the Konghead or King Yellow G601 are worth a look. Way more stable and less twitchy handling than the very short wheelbase 4 wheel derivatives. 

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Now that I have a Clod Buster again after 15 years or so I became a huge fan of it... again :)

So if you want a real monster truck especially for a little kid it has to be the Clod... It's not just about the looks but also the way it drives. It has a charm that no other monster truck have.

The two motors and gearboxes really have a unique sound just like the enormous wheels while they buzz along on the ground. And when you take some air with it it's crazy when the truck hits the ground. Sounds like the T-Rex walking in Jurassic Park...

And off course, the whole thing rattles when you run it.

It's a lovely truck with unique personality... 

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I’ve had all 3 

the Lunchbox/pumpkin is very bouncy and fun but not a great performer.  The Blackfoot/Beetle handle the best but that rear end will fail.

If you go with either of the above, I recommend picking up a lexan body. The hard bodies look great but break easily.

I Also agree with 3-speed on the Traxxas. They handle better than the Beetle/Blackfoot without the weak points and parts are very easy to find. These are great for younger users.

In my opinion, the best “monster truck” experience is the Clod.  They are super tough and look more like real monster trucks. Also they have way more body options.

The 4WD/4WS is great and with lipo batteries will give you the extra speed to make it more interesting. Also metal gear high torque servos are cheap and a great upgrade.   Even though most of the suspension comes from the bouncing tires, they are stable and lots of fun.

As another option, take a look at the Axial SMT10. They are still selling them for about $300 USD RTR. They are much faster and handle better than the clod.  Only drawback is the stock tires are too small, I think.  You can upgrade to Clod size tires/wheels for about 100.

You still get the look of a monster truck with more speed and better handling. And they only use one motor.

here is a pic of my SMT 10. Happy Bashing!

 

 

A1D04DAD-01AF-436F-8B11-B6A74063B134.jpeg

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I can only comment as a lunchbox owner as I’ve not owned the others.... yet..., they’re on my wish list! I bought my lunchbox mainly because I’d be able to hand it down to my kids who are 3 and 5.  I’ll list the pros and cons below as I see them, I’d strongly recommend ball racing whatever model you decide to go with

great fun from the box, arguably most fun to drive in stock form

Fun to upgrade and tinker with if you choose, I’ve currently got 13.5 brushless in mine !
requires less maintenance and upkeep than some other models

pops wheelies, what kid wouldn’t love that!!!!

cheap- I paid about £150 and got everything, radio gear, batteries ,chargers etc

Not an accurate car to drive, especially tough if you upgrade the motor

stock shell does make the truck quite top heavy

 

in terms of alternative shells, you can get some but you will have to be creative in terms of mounting them, I myself am in the process of finishing a herbie shell for my LB. Pete Wylie RC has a YouTube channel with lunchboxes on there with various shells as well

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How "little" is your grandson?!  I have both a Clod and Stampede,  and the Stampede is far and away the better driving experience.  The Stampede would be recommendation.  You can get one RTR cheaper than all the others mentioned.  They also seem to hold their value better, just in case grandson gets bored with it.  I am running a mild brushless setup on 2S and I just turn it down and let my 4 year old go nuts with it.  The absolute must-do with the Stampede is to upgrade the plastic castor blocks to aluminum.  They are guaranteed to bend and in turn bend the pin in them.  Traxxas also runs their own battery plug.  Not sure how that will come into play for you,  but it should be known.

I do want to get a MB/Blackfoot just to compare the driving experiences.  I should be picking up a WR-01 on Monday also for a (hopefully) good price.

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Is say lunchbox... Or the Bigfoot mentioned above as I have seen both in action..the Bigfoot is fast..12t right out of the box ...comes with a wheelie bar..

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It has to be the clod. They are kid proof, the transmission's are bomb proof.  All you need are ball bearings and oil shocks and it's perfect! It can take lipo 3s stock which will give you all the speed you need. A larger servo solves and steering concerns. 

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9 hours ago, 67CamaroSS said:

One more

EEF54831-321A-43E6-B4DA-7D126E4B6A9A.jpeg

 

Man that Bigfoot body is gorgeous!!!! Do the holes come pre-drilled?

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Yes, the factory painted Bigfoot bodies come with the holes pre-drilled.  The clear bodies do not have the holes, as far as I know.

3E5942CA-26B4-4774-8481-4ED89AC3452B.jpeg

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Easy. Get lunchbox and a clod. 

Lunchbox is available in 3 sizes.

Clod only available in XXXL

Tamiya lunchbox.

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Some say the Clodbuster is so big it has its own moon and a gravitational pull.

Legend says that the Clodbuster is the only thing that Chuck Norris is afraid of, and that one tyre weighs the same as 2 baby elephants.

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1 hour ago, kwkenuf said:

Yes, the factory painted Bigfoot bodies come with the holes pre-drilled.  The clear bodies do not have the holes, as far as I know.

3E5942CA-26B4-4774-8481-4ED89AC3452B.jpeg

And they line up perfect for the Clod?

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20 minutes ago, GTodd said:

And they line up perfect for the Clod?

 

20 minutes ago, GTodd said:

And they line up perfect for the Clod?

If I recall, the rears line up perfectly.  The front just needs repositioning of the body mounts, easily achieved by making a couple of holes on the chassis. I can send pics if needed. I saw it on a video on YouTube.

its a very clean and easy mount.

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9 minutes ago, 67CamaroSS said:

 

If I recall, the rears line up perfectly.  The front just needs repositioning of the body mounts, easily achieved by making a couple of holes on the chassis. I can send pics if needed. I saw it on a video on YouTube.

its a very clean and easy mount.

Thanks! Body ordered!!!

 

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Lol!  That was information I didn’t know!  I bought mine for my Stampede,  not my Clod.  But glad I know now!

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