I spent over $3,000 in the last 7 months just getting into the hobby. Started with a Sledge, then needed a Hoss for the boy. Then we wanted crawlers. TRX-4 K10 High Trail Cheyenne, then needed a TRX-4m for the boy... I had to buy all the tools to enter the hobby and when those weren't good enough, MIP tools. Most cost is in the Sledge and upgrades for that.
I actually don't buy many upgrade parts from Traxxas for any of my RCs, only stock parts, EXCEPT the light kits for my UDR and my TRX Bronco. For many of the other stuff I check eBay, but it does add up quickly for sure. I'm not to much concerned about how much I'm spending because I have sooooo much fun with my RCs and that's all that really matters. You can always make more money, but no amount of money can replace what makes you smile the most.
Thanks for your channel Bro!! I come from the late 80s and early 90s, Team Losi was King. And Team Associated... Traxxas was the new new kid on the block. I had a hopped up Tmax and thats where my story ended. Around 2003. Now Ive got the RC itch again and I am counting on you to get me back into the swing of things. And you do not disappoint. Subscribed.
My family has a TRX-4 Defender and a Tactical Unit and have been running them fairly hard for a few months now with ZERO failures. Even the steering servos are still working! We will replace and/or upgrade parts only as needed. Just because Traxxas offers all of these parts doesn't mean you need to buy them. At least they're available if and when you end up needing them. It seems that a lot of people that rag on Traxxas either can't afford their products or keep buying their products! We also have two Stampedes and a Rustler that have been nothing but a joy to own.
that's what I'm thinking....I'm getting mine this week and the only thing i want to do is ass the inner fenders...which are just 20 bucks, and look good an might keep stuff out of the inside a little bit more. still want to get one more batter than the 2/charger I got. thinking a 3s..but local shop said stay away from 3s. would like a little more speed maybe, for straight/yard/road running
@@miragexl007 I run Traxxas ID 5000mah 3s batteries in my TRX4 and haven't had any issues yet. Motor does get a bit hot after a while, but haven't had any trouble.
Ha, ha... shot 8 videos that night and this was the last one. Was starting to zombie out. We try to keep it honest and insightful. But most of all, try to keep it fun and not take our expensive toys too seriously. :)
@@RCReviewChannel I'm just glad you don't yell when you're excited, you just show it on your face. Not having to adjust my volume constantly is great. So thank you, for your time and effort that you have put in to your style.
Bought my TRX4 used 300.00 saved a bunch and the truck a couple nice upgrades. I added remote WARN knock off winch and knock off SUPPER SWAMPERS a set of metal bead locks. Spent around a 100 on all of it. The kicker is I was in an effort to save a couple dollars and make a recovery ramp myself Because 8 dollars seemed to high for a piece of plastic. Well lets just say the injury to my hand after the wire wheel on my bench grinder pulled me into it I now have over 300.00 in doctor bills and still rising. The best upgrade to a TRX4 is automotive wheel weights around the inside of the rim under the foam. Oh and I think I have watched all of your videos there great thank you.
Story of my life, the biggest waste of money in my RC hobby was actually a Traxxas 2WD Rustler, I went nuts and wanted it to do over 100mph so I added a Castle Mamba Monster ESC and Brushless motor and made the mistake of upgrading the car so much that it will not stay on the ground and is completely uncontrollable at anything more than half throttle. I must have put over 2k into it including the Futaba radio system and all the aluminum parts.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I KID YOU NOT: I spent $1545. And I love it!! I sent a copy of this clip to my crawling buddies to make sure they understand that they were not alone criticizing me. To my defense: I wanted to recreate the one we had in 1972 when I was 6. Even I, as a 6 year old, could see and appreciate the thick metal the Brits used to make it. When we went off road for 8 hours with my cousin (1 month old), his shoulder got dislocated within the first hour and he cried for the next 7 hours. Now, he is a proud owner of a defender and my crawler buddy. SOOOO, I have a $15 crying baby in the back of the defender to commemorate him.
I kept things simple on mine. It came with tracks, but I blew up the shocks for the tracks quickly, so I replaced them with aluminum body shocks. I added aluminum wheel hexes for the tracks and that's the only Traxxas "upgrade" parts I added beyond additional lights. Everything else is from other companies, i.e. Hobbywing Fusion SE motor/ESC, Powerhobby servo, and Spektrum DX5C radio and receiver.
@@gasolinediesel972 I stripped the spur gear in my Traxxas Slash 4wd VXL 12 times until, i finally bought a robinson racing steel spur and slipper clutch kit
Thanks for the great video and good advice! Just finished my Trx4 unassembled kit build and now it's time to start fine tuning everything! So far I'm pretty happy with the quality of the kit for it being a Traxxas product. Currently have trimmed the stock foams, modded the expedition rack to lighten it, put on some steel rc4wd wheels, swapped and flipped the bumper brackets, and am adding a winch to the stock front bumper after trimmer off the plastic fairlead. After this I will drive it and get a feel for where it needs to have changes made. Keep up the great videos! Love your channel Francis!
I have been playing with RC cars since 1976, and 95% of them all, I am happy running totally stock. If you include removing the bumpers and the rock sliders, and adding black electrical tape to the breather holes in the wheels. I'd say 97% stock for the most part. I used to buy bead lock wheels and always had to have a new set of sticky tires! Now I am pretty happy running the TRX-4 Sport at 97% stock. It has climbed anything and everything that I have ever wanted to climb. So far so good!!
I bought and RC4WD Land Rover Defender D90, and I went to town in various upgrades, mods, adding a real winch, etc, and by the time I was done, I had a $1000 vehicle in front of me. Yes, it looks beautiful, but its so heavy and unpractical, that its mainly a shelf queen on display and I mainly run it indoors in my living room.
I took off my bumpers, cut the springs, relocated rear shocks, removed shock bump stops and cut the heck out of my body! Like a lot! The only thing I did was bigger steering servo and I’m waiting on wheel spacers. Then I’ll change tires eventually
I just bought the TRX-4 Crawler kit. This is my first rc car. I thought a crawler would be a lot more fun than something meant to go fast and race; just a lot more possibilities for places to drive. I'm looking forward to building it. I never realized how complex and upgradeable rc cars were. I've been doing a lot of research into what the best upgrades will be. Your videos have been very helpful. Overall, it's seems like the TRX-4 is a great starting place in rc cars.
My favorite platform for crawlers to customize is the Trx- and I just wanted the best that I could have❤ so I bought all the brass, metal axles, 500oz servo, cnc servo mount/chassis brace, cnc shock mounts, hi clearance steering links, SS axle links, 2.2 wheels and tires, 12mm+ brass wheel hex, underive/overdrive, diff locker kit/t-lock servo/cable delete, custom length driveshafts, 120mm internal shocks, cnc trans case and trans mount, bumper mounts/bumpers, SS skids, SS screwz, lcg tray, servo savers, 36t motor/fans and accessories for the bed (shovel, bags, recovery ramps, hi lift jack on the hood and a cooler) = 6 inches of travel and so much fun! Then I decided to do the same to a Trx6 g63. Unreal🤑🫡🙄😂
I just got back into RC with this truck. I ordered it with the charger/3s batt combo. I got the Bronco version and ordered spare tire and chrome brush guard and plastic beadlock rims. I unglued and reused original tires to save a few dollars. I got the Bluetooth link adapter with it too after seeing how much of a pain manual programming was. I also opted for the 330oz servo and BEC. After having it for a few days I ordered the LED kit and I'm looking into the telemetry mods. I love this truck. Future mods will be underdrive, brass weights, and smaller batteries. Right now I only use it for trailing and a lil bashing/jumping, so replacing broken parts for stronger ones will start soon I'm sure lol.
Well said. But, its not just Traxxas. I have an SCX10 II approaching 2k. And I have to laugh when I think of everything Ive bolted on to that thing. Ive almost replaced the entire truck. I shouldve just bought the parts individually and assembled it myself. I bought a cheap and easy rtr for my daughter to trail run .. and have turned it into what should probably be a shelf queen, but isnt. We beat it, regularly. But, its pretty much bulletproof now. Money well spent? Who cares .. its fun .. and, I cant help myself. ;)
You have definitely "hit the nail on the head".....on my build, I am at around $350 and that is just in the body & cage and extras on the body. I don't even have a rolling rig yet, because I wanted to take my time and modify the body and cage to what I wanted. Now that my body is finished, I will order the trx4 Defender for the chassis only and sell the body to who ever wants it. So I will end up around $900 total for now, but will be adding the SAMIX BRASS eventually and different bumpers....so yes I will be around $1500 when all is done.
I wish they would ditch that old style radio and electronics. my trx6 was anemic with the brushed motor it came with all it would take was a little sticky mud to burn it out. when I put the axe system in it totally changed it. gave it a nice top end speed and all the torque you could ever need. your portal gears will explode before the motor stalls I also changed to a flysky gt5 and that was a great upgrade like who wants to be counting flashing lights in 2020 with the axe system you just tap the power button and its ready to roll with the automatic adjustment of the drag brake
Just got my first TRX4 Blazer. Bought a ($23) Annimos 25kg servo, 3s battery ($60), going to solder deans male connector ($5). The only other upgrades I intend to get are brass portal covers (F&R), light kit ($60), and some beadlock wheels w/ better tires down the road.
I feel the best way to build is to figure out what you want to do with it first. I’m building mine for sorrca class 1 competitions, so that dictates what I will purchase, eg. which scale parts will earn me the most free points, which upgrades are absolutely necessary like a winch, 4.19 tires, windshield width bumpers, better servo, etc, etc. So I won’t buy a lot of unnecessary stuff, knowing ahead of time what I want my rig to “accomplish” and how scale/performance oriented I need it to be. But if someone just starts buying stuff randomly with no vision or direction, I imagine it can break the bank real fast.
you are fast becoming my favorite RC channel, that said, never owned traxxas, but I think I have just pushed an rc4wd Gelande 2 to a 1000 bucks, no drive mods, ita all body,winch,bumpers and accessories .
I'm not one of the millions who recently jumped on the bandwagon.... I've been in the Hobby since 1984. I've owned Traxxas products, from the Sledgehammer to the OG .15 Nitro Stampede to the Revo.... They were a small American Company, like Axial was before the Horizon takeover. And dealt with us on an individual basis - THEN. Now their just another multi National Corporation, run by Stockholders who run the Company. Their products are DESIGNED to get you in, and entice you to spend MORE than you paid for the Truck on Accessories and modifications, many of which aren't even needed. The TRX-4 is a product of 2 years of Market Research and infiltration... Nothing more, nothing less.
Quite a few of those upgrades are *not* a waste of money! I'm in the process of building my TRX-4 and the only bad purchase this far has been to buy the 8085 LED kit instead of 8084, 8116 and 8117. Should have saved me $20 and some e-waste. To me a more interesting question is how to *not* spend $2,000 on your crawler...
for my sport i bought the traxxas 400 servo, overdrive gear, hobbywing 1080, holms crawler expert 13t , proline beadlocks with hyrax tires with dual foam inserts, bowhouse lcg battery and vanquish bumpers, amazing trx sport. lot of fun
My needs are fairly simple except that I do have a Trx-4 TRAXX to which I am adding a Que-T roll cage body for a dune buggy look with the TRAXX. I will get the body soon and do as stock a build with it as possible except I have already added a 25 kg-cm steering servo, Hey OK BEC to power it, replaced the radio with 3 CH Spektrum because the one I got with the truck didn't work and the jerk at the hobby shop wouldn't replace it. I will add some light kits and a light bar. I mostly run on dirt-high mounds on construction sites, a little water and some moderate rock crawling. Not as extreme as some, but I have fun with it, and the build will look awesome to me when completed.
Thought about it but now I have seen your video about these upgrades I will only do the essential stuff like an aluminium motor mount the stainless screws and the servos, maybe not the traxxas ones. That's more than enough for now I think.. thanx, this is helpful 👍🏻
Motor, esc under and overdrive. beadlocs and tires.steering servo and bec. Yeah racing "metal"front axle housing,steering knuckles and c hubs. So pretty much what I do to every rig I own.
@@RCReviewChannel I make my own links so save a few bucks there. On the west coast of Canada pretty rigs dont stay pretty for long if you run them.lol. My rigs are not gonna win any show and shines,but they will hold together.lol
I have installed light kit. Rock,body,roof rack w/light bar. Long arm lift kit. Bumper brush Gaurd with lights. Traxxas servo 400 w/bec. Skid plates. Rear ladder. Radiator, metal decals,Easy switch. Interior. Toe Chain and have more coming. After listing this I can’t believe how quick this truck gets expensive lol. Best of fun with it. All that matters. Next purchase is the traxx kit.
Just bought my first crawler, trx4 that came with the traxx. Have wanted one for a while and that combo made me pull the trigger. Will be switching it over to run on my flysky noble, already ordered the hobbywing fusion and a new savox 1210. Next will be some nice and wheels and tires then ill hold off and get a bunch of hours driving to see what else may enhance my personal experience with the rig. Will probably get a lighter body soon, as I know eventually ill be chasing the lowest cg I can. Bottom line is these things are a hobby and we spend money on them because they are fun. I doubt my trx4 will ever cost me as much as any of my 6s arrma fleet has. So lo g as the wife never finds out how much my toys cost ill keep buying them 😇
I am struggling to find anything the TRX4 Defender can't drive over in it's stock form! It's ALMOST as capabable as my Capra. All I bought is 'scale accessories' :) the TRX4 is amazing! (only upgrades have been servo and lights)
I just got mine and the only upgrades I plan are wheels and tires, brass, and a steering servo. I'll upgrade parts as they break. Otherwise I'm not messing with it. My friend has one that is completely stock and he's never done any maintenance. Five years that things been running.
Here is the progression how I spent the $1545: I painted the body, added crying baby ( see story about cousin's dislocated should at 1 month old in 1972 when we went off roading), added the driver with long shaggy hair and a long beard made out of my own, added a blond bitch sitting next to me (a Labrador), interior, seats, lights, windows, door grips, hinges, tank, windshield wipers, air inlets, stickers ( including the mud flap lady despite my wife's protests), license plates, chains, a hitch ( which I took off because It worsened the departure angle) a bunch of luggage and net, easy switch for on and off AND OF COURSE, ESS dual sound, . I also got the blue tooth connector. Now the body was 10000 pounds and top heavy. Solution: SPEND MORE: to reduce the center of gravity I installed steel wheels and BRASSSSSS. Any brass available I put on. Now, the truck was so heavy it looked like it had a flat and it would constantly slip. Solution: SPEND MORE: So I got very stiff tire inserts and the grippiest tires. Now, while standing, the wheels would not steer because of the massive weight and the sticky tires and I broke the connector: Solution: SPEND MORE on a better connector. STILL, the truck was unwieldy and would not steer. Solution: SPEND MORE: A better servo. The servo cannot just be replace. You need a BSC. IS IT WORKING NOW?? Is it climbing good? YES, like the day I took it out of the box! My crawling buddies are laughing their butts off.... and I can see the comedy in it myself. ;)))))) One of those smart Alecs noted that I do not have a winch....remember all this did not improve the performance AT ALL!!!!!! It is to just make up for the heavy body. LOL
Great video. I always thought aluminum was stronger whilst making it look cooler. Some of those parts you mentioned I would have liked to upgrade. Not anymore!
2 years old TRX 4 bronco. all stock servos and everything still running great. Nothing has failed except steering servo. I replaced the motor with a $20 Holmes Hobby trial master sport 550. awesome brushed motors. they have bearings in them and seem to be more powerful. they wake the truck up.
You are one of a kind! And very lucky! All my servos have been changed out! Recently changed ESC and now I gotta change the light controller cuz it doesn't power through ESC anymore! Boo! LoL it's a money pit!
@@MrKongpvu I have only ran about 60 battery packs thru it. I forgot to mention that the steering servo stripped out within a week. but other than that no issues. I never put mine in water so maybe why last so long ? Rain and snow is ok and fun. but I will Not swim my RCs
I'm not sure how much I've spent on my TRX. A few things I can list that will probably give you a good idea. I replaced the servo with the PowerHD DW25LV. The micros are still stock, one dead one going dead. I've got spools for front and rear. I've got Proline Shocks. Front and rear aftermarket aluminum bumpers, front with winch. Light kit. Scale details including roof rack. Tracks. 3 sets of wheels but only one set of Proline Flat Irons (so far). I have the spare tire mount which the Bronco didn't come with. I use the batteries I bought for my Traxxas Unlimited Desert Racer so no extra cost there. I think that's it, but not 100% sure what I've missed if I have missed anything. It is definitely pretty high up there, but surely not as much as you've listed. When my motor or ESC dies, I'll be buying the HW Axe system. If my plastic axles break or give my problems, I'll be installing complete CNC aluminum axles. I figure currently my TRX has cost me about $1200 about if I were to guess.
Just bought my first crawler but I already know I will be replacing the servo, ESC and motor. After that just going to see what breaks and what needs to be upgraded. It's just for fun with friends
Bought the Defender... servo upgrade, BEC, Tires/Wheels, couple body accessories. I'm interested in seeing how well everything else holds up. May do an overdrive kit for the front axel. Otherwise, I'm going to hit the trails and enjoy it.
Yep. That's the way. Resist the temptation. Weird thing is part of the thing that keeps crawling interesting is buying new stuff and seeing how they work out.
the mods i do on my crawlers are tires,better servo,metal gears in trans and axles,metal drive shafts,and esc, that is really all i ever needed....oh and a radio.yeah so it is all just part of the hobby, i like my rc's.
Living in Iowa I might have to buy the Traxxas traxx for snow, and the tactical body so it'll look like a tank. I can figure out how to mount a gun and servo too. It won't cost near $2000 either. Great video.
When I first got into RC trucks I overspent! My Defender is at about $1800! All brass under Springs. Weight added and truck is HEAVY! My Bronco has aluminum parts & is at $700... (All parts from CHINA) Guess which one works the best... That's right! The Bronco! I buy ALL my parts from China now. Same stuff just generic. $14 for a set of NICE aluminum beadlocks! My Bronco is mostly aluminum from China! My shelf queen is at 98% aluminum. I leave shit alone these days!
My course was free just dirt and junk around yard wood and pavers. holes logs whatever I can get my hands on free adds on OfferUp people always have stones and scrap wood for free
I learned about the traxxas money pit syndrome back with the stampede,once burned, learned the hard lesson again with the redcat rs10, best overall bang for the buck has been team assoc.But hey (: were all fan boys of something, my axials havn't come cheap but they could burst into flames and I"d still be back for more! 😀👍
Upgraded with proline wheels and tires, servo arm & full lighting. Purchased a newer body for the clear windows. The rest of my money went on detail parts including a full interior. Before I knew it was well above two grand. Looks terrific but wondering if it was worth it! ?????.
Servo, bec and metal servo horn are the only things I've bought for my sport. Done a few free mods and for my use so far it hasn't needed anything else and goes places none of my other trucks can.
You hit the nail either on the head ...everyowants to do upgrades and most for traxxas trx 4 are the most expensive ones....brass, transmitter, uder/ power drive , aluminum parts and of corse esc/motor....its a level course to fallow ....great video thanks ....
Much appreciated. It's fun to buy parts and try them out. But often, they do nothing. But if it personalizes the vehicle and keeps the hobby fun then it's worth it for some.
Yeah that's me, I got the Defender, and have replaced the steering servo (Holmes Hobbies BLS HV500v.2), the motor w/Holmes Hobbies Revolver and SW4 esc. I added the light kit and CC BEC. Also two sets of tires and beadlocks, two 3 cell 5200 Mah lipos. Not to mention scale trailing accessories. I am considering getting the bluetooth module or a new Spectrum 5c rugged. I would like the gps but damn, so much money
Added to TRX 4 Sport 1. Traxxas Inner fender set. 2. E... Portal Covers Front Only. 3 Traxxas to Dean battery Adapter so I can use my existing batteries.my existing Charger Overlander is so good 😊 4. Not brought yet broke after Christmas But am getting Over Drive and looking at e... Lighting kits and roof bar
2 years late but I have the 2021 trx4 bronco and I'm pretty happy with it the way it is. I have a large battery for extra drive time but aside from that, it's pretty and functional for what I do with it. No need for extras. I do think the black wheels are a little boring but I know I can change those with other plastics. Adding weight sounds like a good way to start your electronics down a slippery slope to 2k in upgrades
Nobody forces one to buy those parts. I have 3 trx4 all have upgrades of some sort. My Axials 3 of those upgraded don’t get run much any more. I personally Love the trx4. Been in the hobby decades.
Traxxas is NOT a RC Hobby Company... They've sucked a LOT of Fanboys into their Web! Think I'm exaggerating? They KNOW what they're doing! Even IF I could afford one, and it would only be the Sport... There's TONS of aftermarket products from Companies that can't WAIT to get on the TRX-4 Phenomenon... At least their part and electronics are much cheaper!! I LOVE how you're not afraid of Fanboydom!! Keep telling it like it IS! 😎👏👏👏👏 Carmine ✈🚂🚙
They make good crawlers now. But they kind of went overboard with this thing. Just wish they made parts that actually improved performance. Better bumpers, sliders, Good brushless motor , radio....
Agreed. The performance is pretty good.... I throw the word "Fanboy" around a lot. In the case of the TRX-4, for all intents and purposes it appeared that Traxxas AIMED the original with its terribly high price.... Straight at the 11-16 year old, Children of Upper Class Professionals. You know, the Brats that will ruthlessly hound their parents until they coughed up the *$600+* for the Unstable Rover AND the *necessary* ancillary products that they HAD to get, just to get started!!! 😖😡 At the same time, GIVING AWAY Rigs to all the TH-cam Channels that they were SURE would pander to them! (I'm guessing you didn't get a Freebie TRX-4 at the introduction) 😋 OK! I admit it. I wanted the Bronco in the WORST way! It looked just like the Truck I owned in the early 80's. I am in serious trouble financially and have been for over 5 years..... That wasn't going to happen. Then I thought "Hey! I could get just the Body"... NOPE! $165.00 AFTER all the SEPARATE parts you had to buy, just to finish the Body.... Traxxas had our number! ALL of us. They were snooping around the RCCrawler Forum for nearly a year before the release, teasing everyone with spy shots. Axial, Vaterra and RC4WD used to post the Forum often..... To Talk to us as hardcore Crawlers, asking US for suggestions and fielding complaints, in a very civil manner. They posted Videos of upcoming Rigs, and how to get the best out of the one you had!! TRAXXASS hasn't visited ANY Forum, since they released the Bronco.... What does that say? I'd STILL take a TRX-4 Sport. It's what they should have given us in the FIRST PLACE! But of course, I can't have one, unless it's a gift.
@bassman686 They've got every RIGHT to do what they do.... Doesn't make it the RIGHT thing to do!! You got the Bandit. That's a GOOD, SOLID Buggy, originally released in the mid 90's... ANY teething pains have been long gone by now. I owned one, loved it. My issue isn't with the stuff they USED to make... It's what they've done to the Crawler Market!!! Prices on EVERYTHING went up, after the TRX-4 Phenomenon took off...... Unchecked, until REDCAT introduced the Gen 8! NOW all of a sudden, everyone's released *less expensive Rigs.* We spent nearly a whole Month in Business School, learning about the old adage of "The Producer can share what the Market can bear". For a while, Traxxas SHOVED the price points UP. They did it with a crazy amount of hype and advertising dollars. All of a sudden - AXIAL is now selling *$450 SCX10 IIs!!!* Other brands started raising prices... You and everyone else can thank REDCAT for the Gen 8!! If that didn't happen... I'd be willing to bet that the new Element Sandusky(whatever it's called!!), would have been released at about $449-$479..... And they would have GOTTEN it, had there been no Gen 8. Sometimes, Capitalism fixes ITSELF!!! At least that's what they USED to teach.
@bassman686 Couldn't have said it better! If there had been more outrage in the beginning, and the Sheeple DIDN'T buy in droves... Traxxas would have been Forced to Lower the price! (Which I still believe would have given them even more success...) And I use that Jeff Goldblum quote often! It's relevant to so many things. 😉
I don't think this is exclusive to Traxxas. All my RC's get something replaced. I have a defender for a year now... All servos replaced, wheels, tires, samix brass, lights, ESC, new defender body and paint, scale accessories, motor, gears, and now I need a light controller cuz this 1080 ESC doesn't allow the lights to work. I guess I love this hobby! LoL
The only crazy thing that I bought for my defender was a 25$ light kit from amazon, for that price I would just expect them to turn on and thats it, no it has high beams, turn signals, flashers, reverse lights and pretty much every function you could ever want for an rc truck. Aside from that i put some scx10.2 bf goodrich ko2 wheels on it and a good servo and its an absolute blast to take on the trails
Honestly because of the problems I've had with Traxxas, when I buy replacement parts I buy other brands, like Savoxx servos and Hot Racing aluminum parts. I refuse to give Traxxas and more money for problems they knew about and ship the product out with regardless. That's just me though. My TRX4 Bronco wasn't so bad with the exception of the steering servo, but my first gen. Xmaxx was a complete disappointment, the telemetry system bricked 2 freaking radios and Traxxas support is terrible, because I live in Canada they didn't know if they'd cover it so I'm outa pocket for their crappy updates that killed two radios. Anyway sorry for the rant of the Xmaxx money pit, but the Trx4 platform does have so factory blunders, I just buy from other companies to fix the problems or dress up the truck is all. Great video's, keep'em coming!
It’s a good business some people love the bling and bragging on all the stuff they installed but I think you have to choose if your gonna crawl or back yard brawl....I do spend some good money on my rigs but it’s well spent on purpose hard parts for crawling...also building one from scratch will be cheaper as on a RTR you take off most the parts and upgrade so you spend the money twice....it’s an addictive hobby but fun...
All I’ve bought are the cheapest metal beadlocks and brass weights that I could find on AliExpress. I didn’t even buy official batteries or charger, just get a TRX to XT60 or Deans connector and boom, cheaper batteries. Only thing I’d consider buying from Traxxas is overdrive for the front axle and the upgraded micro servos when the stock ones eventually break.
Lol, yeah I did about $200 just in brass on my sport. It sits in my closet. I run Gen8 and Cross. I do have a rig that I spent stupid money on, at this point it is a completely custom scx10ii based rig. And portal's brass and all my traxxas cant touch it
I purchased some months ago a traxxas rustler vxl 4x4; watched a you tube channel where they did upgrades. Traxxas sent everything to this channel to do upgrades on this vechile. I looked at the upgrades and for the cost I could have bought two rustler vxl 4x4 's. So I know what you mean where you were doing that upgrade list on the channel. It would be nice for traxxas to send me those upgrades; luckily the hobby store said don't get anything until something breaks.
We know it! Most RC Reviewers are given the vehicles and all the option parts packages. We just wish Traxxas produced more performance parts that made a difference. Better radio, motor, bumpers, sliders, tires, etc.
Steel bumper for 160USD. It was great at first, but then the sheet metal started cracking. Ended up buying 2 more bumpers (both cheaper), one is billet aluminum and the other is very very thick steel with a more crude but better design than my first one. Still worth it haha.
Aluminum and Brass is a well known tuning aid in crawlers… You choose Aluminum to add strength and weight to specific parts and you use brass to balance weight overall so SOME aluminum is not a bad thing... Just look at the Vanquish VS-4 party traits.
I optimized my TRX4 by focusing on reducing weight and getting as much clearance as possible: - 5.4” Proline TSL boggers with cut outer lugs. - Gmade wheels (drilled for venting) - Proline dual stage foams - MIP 4mm wide track kit - Samix +8mm hub adapters - Samix high clearance titanium links - Savox 1210sg steering servo - Proline wrangler body - Stock rock sliders lifted with spacers - Wertymade front bumper - SSD RC rear bumper - Castle BEC - 9 tooth pinion This approach might not be ideal if you want to stay in a specific tire class, but getting clearance/approach/departure angles has made a huge difference in functionality.
I see no upgrades that cannot be replaced with aftermarket parts for better quality and better price.Mine TRX4 D110 has all possible upgrades installed including brushless 650 ounce servo, metal axle housings full of brass, AXE system and almost all plastic parts replaced with metal and its around 1400$ total.
I did the tire mod you showed, and it seems to help a ton. I also have a winch and metal bumpers for my TRX4 Sport (the rear is custom and kind of crappy). My chassis kit doesn’t have any mods since I’ve only had it for a couple months, but I’m planning on getting metal servo horns for both trucks ASAP since my Sport fell four feet and the teeth on the horn stripped out. I cut the fairlead and stinger off of the Sport’s stock bumper and slapped both of its bumpers on the kit since I couldn’t stand how terrible the bumpers that came with it looked. I have tire and wheel upgrades planned for at least one truck. There is also a Proline C10 I have trimmed up, I just need to buy paint for it. I also have a Proline back half cage I’m going to stick Proline’s new ‘78 K10 on. I’m thinking a two-tone green on the K10. I like to do mods and upgrades to the appearance more than the performance. Tires, wheels, servos, and things like that I’ll upgrade, but I’m not interested in brass and aluminum parts all that much.
I only buy what i need or want So far it performs very good stock Once you begin to change things it never ends. And you make it worse. If a weak links breaks i will replace it with something better
I've spent a total of $1083.00 in upgrades yet that does includes body armor, a top of the line night vision FPV VR package and a new show floor body, Proline light kit, Sound. No Lift Kit, No interior, No Winch. I've included the cost of any parts I purchased by mistake. Total weight 9.6 lbs - back heavy only because of spare tire on the show floor body. So yes, just a touch over $1600.00 total yet I'm getting more for the money than others. The task of grease packing everything lay ahead. I watch RC Review channel to prevent costly mistakes and save money. Mine could possibly defeat Talbot with the right winch. Driver = G.I. Joe $10.00
Traxxas list Stock assembly kit Bought : Lift kit Brass portals (front and rear) Skid plates Front and rear hot racing bumpers Zeon warm replica winch Light kit Steering servo and BEC 2.2” mud slingers on headlocks 2stage crawling foam 1966 Chevy proline body Interior
My only point is spending $1500 on a scale truck does not mean is worth $1500. As well only a few of these upgrades actually improve performance many are just frivolous scale details that actually do nothing for the truck
I personally dont like Traxxas as a Company, I wish they were better as a Company, I held off buying a TRX=4 because of the way they did the RC Community a while back. However I did finally cave and bought a Traxxas item when they released the 79 Bronco Body.
Just upgraded my servo, trx 2255 and added traxxas bec trx 2260,that is it. I did not even bother upgrading my servo horn. My traxxas trx4 sport traxx is good to go.
Next video “How to make an $10,000 scx24!!”
Lol
I spent over $3,000 in the last 7 months just getting into the hobby. Started with a Sledge, then needed a Hoss for the boy. Then we wanted crawlers. TRX-4 K10 High Trail Cheyenne, then needed a TRX-4m for the boy... I had to buy all the tools to enter the hobby and when those weren't good enough, MIP tools. Most cost is in the Sledge and upgrades for that.
I actually don't buy many upgrade parts from Traxxas for any of my RCs, only stock parts, EXCEPT the light kits for my UDR and my TRX Bronco. For many of the other stuff I check eBay, but it does add up quickly for sure. I'm not to much concerned about how much I'm spending because I have sooooo much fun with my RCs and that's all that really matters. You can always make more money, but no amount of money can replace what makes you smile the most.
That's the way good buddy!
Thanks for your channel Bro!! I come from the late 80s and early 90s, Team Losi was King. And Team Associated... Traxxas was the new new kid on the block. I had a hopped up Tmax and thats where my story ended. Around 2003. Now Ive got the RC itch again and I am counting on you to get me back into the swing of things. And you do not disappoint. Subscribed.
My family has a TRX-4 Defender and a Tactical Unit and have been running them fairly hard for a few months now with ZERO failures. Even the steering servos are still working! We will replace and/or upgrade parts only as needed. Just because Traxxas offers all of these parts doesn't mean you need to buy them. At least they're available if and when you end up needing them. It seems that a lot of people that rag on Traxxas either can't afford their products or keep buying their products! We also have two Stampedes and a Rustler that have been nothing but a joy to own.
Yup. Good ecosystem of upgrades. Pricing is quite steep though and their best customers would be a lot more loyal if reasonable.
Staying away from: all of it... keep it simple and just go crawling
that's what I'm thinking....I'm getting mine this week and the only thing i want to do is ass the inner fenders...which are just 20 bucks, and look good an might keep stuff out of the inside a little bit more. still want to get one more batter than the 2/charger I got. thinking a 3s..but local shop said stay away from 3s. would like a little more speed maybe, for straight/yard/road running
@@miragexl007 I run Traxxas ID 5000mah 3s batteries in my TRX4 and haven't had any issues yet. Motor does get a bit hot after a while, but haven't had any trouble.
yea also the cars...just crawl on your own :-D hehe
Bermsy Fructa yea
Good advice. I just got started into RC crawling and I’m NOT spending a fortune on money WA$TING shit.
i dont know why, but this dude's demeanor is pretty entrancing
Ha, ha... shot 8 videos that night and this was the last one. Was starting to zombie out.
We try to keep it honest and insightful. But most of all, try to keep it fun and not take our expensive toys too seriously. :)
@@RCReviewChannel I'm just glad you don't yell when you're excited, you just show it on your face. Not having to adjust my volume constantly is great. So thank you, for your time and effort that you have put in to your style.
Yessss
This is one of the issues I have with Traxxas. They make great stuff but its simply just too expensive.
Yeah and a lot of fluff in there. Should have better performing parts like motor, radio, bumpers, sliders....
Bought my TRX4 used 300.00 saved a bunch and the truck a couple nice upgrades. I added remote WARN knock off winch and knock off SUPPER SWAMPERS a set of metal bead locks. Spent around a 100 on all of it. The kicker is I was in an effort to save a couple dollars and make a recovery ramp myself Because 8 dollars seemed to high for a piece of plastic. Well lets just say the injury to my hand after the wire wheel on my bench grinder pulled me into it I now have over 300.00 in doctor bills and still rising. The best upgrade to a TRX4 is automotive wheel weights around the inside of the rim under the foam. Oh and I think I have watched all of your videos there great thank you.
Story of my life, the biggest waste of money in my RC hobby was actually a Traxxas 2WD Rustler, I went nuts and wanted it to do over 100mph so I added a Castle Mamba Monster ESC and Brushless motor and made the mistake of upgrading the car so much that it will not stay on the ground and is completely uncontrollable at anything more than half throttle. I must have put over 2k into it including the Futaba radio system and all the aluminum parts.
Why not start with a more stable platform or just a better car? Rustler sucks for making into a high end car. Its a dirt cheap basher.
The motor, the ESC. Hobbywing is $250 and you really do need that, especially the trx 6
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I KID YOU NOT: I spent $1545. And I love it!! I sent a copy of this clip to my crawling buddies to make sure they understand that they were not alone criticizing me. To my defense: I wanted to recreate the one we had in 1972 when I was 6. Even I, as a 6 year old, could see and appreciate the thick metal the Brits used to make it. When we went off road for 8 hours with my cousin (1 month old), his shoulder got dislocated within the first hour and he cried for the next 7 hours. Now, he is a proud owner of a defender and my crawler buddy. SOOOO, I have a $15 crying baby in the back of the defender to commemorate him.
Personally the light kit is fine, it makes the trx4 look so good. But thats about it.
I kept things simple on mine. It came with tracks, but I blew up the shocks for the tracks quickly, so I replaced them with aluminum body shocks. I added aluminum wheel hexes for the tracks and that's the only Traxxas "upgrade" parts I added beyond additional lights. Everything else is from other companies, i.e. Hobbywing Fusion SE motor/ESC, Powerhobby servo, and Spektrum DX5C radio and receiver.
my rule of thumb is, if a part breaks after the third time. I upgrade that part. Other than that. just keep it simple.
very reasonable!
Damn, third time? I’d be upgrading the 1st time depending on what it is like servos for example. Buy once, cry once.
@@jacobcvpi8279 sure thing booboo, you do you.
@@koniseatskimchi5541 It's stupid to wait until the 3rd time. You do it the second time. Chances are, if it breaks twice, then it's a weak spot.
@@gasolinediesel972 I stripped the spur gear in my Traxxas Slash 4wd VXL 12 times until, i finally bought a robinson racing steel spur and slipper clutch kit
Staying away from the lift. It does look cool but seems counter productive for a crawler and it performs very well as is.
Thanks for the great video and good advice!
Just finished my Trx4 unassembled kit build and now it's time to start fine tuning everything! So far I'm pretty happy with the quality of the kit for it being a Traxxas product.
Currently have trimmed the stock foams, modded the expedition rack to lighten it, put on some steel rc4wd wheels, swapped and flipped the bumper brackets, and am adding a winch to the stock front bumper after trimmer off the plastic fairlead.
After this I will drive it and get a feel for where it needs to have changes made.
Keep up the great videos! Love your channel Francis!
I have been playing with RC cars since 1976, and 95% of them all, I am happy running totally stock. If you include removing the bumpers and the rock sliders, and adding black electrical tape to the breather holes in the wheels. I'd say 97% stock for the most part. I used to buy bead lock wheels and always had to have a new set of sticky tires! Now I am pretty happy running the TRX-4 Sport at 97% stock. It has climbed anything and everything that I have ever wanted to climb. So far so good!!
good insight
Thank you for saving me from myself! My wallet is grateful! Bad aluminum! 😅
The sound fx coming in on the steering servo was on point
Thank you!
I bought and RC4WD Land Rover Defender D90, and I went to town in various upgrades, mods, adding a real winch, etc, and by the time I was done, I had a $1000 vehicle in front of me. Yes, it looks beautiful, but its so heavy and unpractical, that its mainly a shelf queen on display and I mainly run it indoors in my living room.
I took off my bumpers, cut the springs, relocated rear shocks, removed shock bump stops and cut the heck out of my body! Like a lot! The only thing I did was bigger steering servo and I’m waiting on wheel spacers. Then I’ll change tires eventually
I just bought the TRX-4 Crawler kit. This is my first rc car. I thought a crawler would be a lot more fun than something meant to go fast and race; just a lot more possibilities for places to drive. I'm looking forward to building it. I never realized how complex and upgradeable rc cars were. I've been doing a lot of research into what the best upgrades will be. Your videos have been very helpful. Overall, it's seems like the TRX-4 is a great starting place in rc cars.
You just guided me into the right path to getting POOR with a cool ass trx4
My favorite platform for crawlers to customize is the Trx- and I just wanted the best that I could have❤
so I bought all the brass, metal axles, 500oz servo, cnc servo mount/chassis brace, cnc shock mounts, hi clearance steering links, SS axle links, 2.2 wheels and tires, 12mm+ brass wheel hex, underive/overdrive, diff locker kit/t-lock servo/cable delete, custom length driveshafts, 120mm internal shocks, cnc trans case and trans mount, bumper mounts/bumpers, SS skids, SS screwz, lcg tray, servo savers, 36t motor/fans and accessories for the bed (shovel, bags, recovery ramps, hi lift jack on the hood and a cooler) = 6 inches of travel and so much fun!
Then I decided to do the same to a Trx6 g63. Unreal🤑🫡🙄😂
This helped me. Just got the trx4 sport. Thanks
I just got back into RC with this truck. I ordered it with the charger/3s batt combo. I got the Bronco version and ordered spare tire and chrome brush guard and plastic beadlock rims. I unglued and reused original tires to save a few dollars. I got the Bluetooth link adapter with it too after seeing how much of a pain manual programming was. I also opted for the 330oz servo and BEC. After having it for a few days I ordered the LED kit and I'm looking into the telemetry mods. I love this truck. Future mods will be underdrive, brass weights, and smaller batteries. Right now I only use it for trailing and a lil bashing/jumping, so replacing broken parts for stronger ones will start soon I'm sure lol.
Well said. But, its not just Traxxas. I have an SCX10 II approaching 2k. And I have to laugh when I think of everything Ive bolted on to that thing. Ive almost replaced the entire truck. I shouldve just bought the parts individually and assembled it myself. I bought a cheap and easy rtr for my daughter to trail run .. and have turned it into what should probably be a shelf queen, but isnt. We beat it, regularly. But, its pretty much bulletproof now. Money well spent? Who cares .. its fun .. and, I cant help myself. ;)
That grey 2 tone body looks so good.
You have definitely "hit the nail on the head".....on my build, I am at around $350 and that is just in the body & cage and extras on the body. I don't even have a rolling rig yet, because I wanted to take my time and modify the body and cage to what I wanted. Now that my body is finished, I will order the trx4 Defender for the chassis only and sell the body to who ever wants it. So I will end up around $900 total for now, but will be adding the SAMIX BRASS eventually and different bumpers....so yes I will be around $1500 when all is done.
I wish they would ditch that old style radio and electronics. my trx6 was anemic with the brushed motor it came with all it would take was a little sticky mud to burn it out. when I put the axe system in it totally changed it. gave it a nice top end speed and all the torque you could ever need. your portal gears will explode before the motor stalls I also changed to a flysky gt5 and that was a great upgrade like who wants to be counting flashing lights in 2020 with the axe system you just tap the power button and its ready to roll with the automatic adjustment of the drag brake
Just got my first TRX4 Blazer. Bought a ($23) Annimos 25kg servo, 3s battery ($60), going to solder deans male connector ($5). The only other upgrades I intend to get are brass portal covers (F&R), light kit ($60), and some beadlock wheels w/ better tires down the road.
You're pretty dialed with cost/performance. The last great upgrade is the Hobbywing 1080 ESC for nex level modulation and braking
I feel the best way to build is to figure out what you want to do with it first. I’m building mine for sorrca class 1 competitions, so that dictates what I will purchase, eg. which scale parts will earn me the most free points, which upgrades are absolutely necessary like a winch, 4.19 tires, windshield width bumpers, better servo, etc, etc. So I won’t buy a lot of unnecessary stuff, knowing ahead of time what I want my rig to “accomplish” and how scale/performance oriented I need it to be. But if someone just starts buying stuff randomly with no vision or direction, I imagine it can break the bank real fast.
Great advice of knowing how you plan to _use_ the rig *first*
you are fast becoming my favorite RC channel, that said, never owned traxxas, but I think I have just pushed an rc4wd Gelande 2 to a 1000 bucks, no drive mods, ita all body,winch,bumpers and accessories .
Thank you. We try to deliver insight to feed our addiction. But we try to keep it fun and light as well.
I'm not one of the millions who recently jumped on the bandwagon....
I've been in the Hobby since 1984.
I've owned Traxxas products, from the Sledgehammer to the OG .15 Nitro Stampede to the Revo....
They were a small American Company, like Axial was before the Horizon takeover. And dealt with us on an individual basis - THEN.
Now their just another multi National Corporation, run by Stockholders who run the Company. Their products are DESIGNED to get you in, and entice you to spend MORE than you paid for the Truck on Accessories and modifications, many of which aren't even needed.
The TRX-4 is a product of 2 years of Market Research and infiltration...
Nothing more, nothing less.
@@CarminesRCTipsandTricks remember traxxas bullet
@@paulclancy2404 barely, but yes.
@@ctsteve1967 That's not how it's SUPPOSED to work...
Quite a few of those upgrades are *not* a waste of money!
I'm in the process of building my TRX-4 and the only bad purchase this far has been to buy the 8085 LED kit instead of 8084, 8116 and 8117. Should have saved me $20 and some e-waste.
To me a more interesting question is how to *not* spend $2,000 on your crawler...
for my sport i bought the traxxas 400 servo, overdrive gear, hobbywing 1080, holms crawler expert 13t , proline beadlocks with hyrax tires with dual foam inserts, bowhouse lcg battery and vanquish bumpers, amazing trx sport. lot of fun
Well so far the only thing I've bought that has made me happy is a used trx4 I haven't done anything to it except play with it
My needs are fairly simple except that I do have a Trx-4 TRAXX to which I am adding a Que-T roll cage body for a dune buggy look with the TRAXX. I will get the body soon and do as stock a build with it as possible except I have already added a 25 kg-cm steering servo, Hey OK BEC to power it, replaced the radio with 3 CH Spektrum because the one I got with the truck didn't work and the jerk at the hobby shop wouldn't replace it. I will add some light kits and a light bar. I mostly run on dirt-high mounds on construction sites, a little water and some moderate rock crawling. Not as extreme as some, but I have fun with it, and the build will look awesome to me when completed.
Thought about it but now I have seen your video about these upgrades I will only do the essential stuff like an aluminium motor mount the stainless screws and the servos, maybe not the traxxas ones. That's more than enough for now I think.. thanx, this is helpful 👍🏻
Brass portal boxes, ssd cheap steel beadlocks with brass lock ring, 1.9x5.4 tsl super swampers, 120mm desert lizard shocks, 12t mortor.
Motor, esc under and overdrive. beadlocs and tires.steering servo and bec.
Yeah racing "metal"front axle housing,steering knuckles and c hubs.
So pretty much what I do to every rig I own.
That's a pretty good code to live by!
@@RCReviewChannel I make my own links so save a few bucks there.
On the west coast of Canada pretty rigs dont stay pretty for long if you run them.lol.
My rigs are not gonna win any show and shines,but they will hold together.lol
Haha
My cousin bough the new Bronco from Traxxas because of you and now he has spent over $1000 on upgrades
I have installed light kit. Rock,body,roof rack w/light bar. Long arm lift kit. Bumper brush Gaurd with lights. Traxxas servo 400 w/bec. Skid plates. Rear ladder. Radiator, metal decals,Easy switch. Interior. Toe Chain and have more coming. After listing this I can’t believe how quick this truck gets expensive lol. Best of fun with it. All that matters. Next purchase is the traxx kit.
Just bought my first crawler, trx4 that came with the traxx. Have wanted one for a while and that combo made me pull the trigger. Will be switching it over to run on my flysky noble, already ordered the hobbywing fusion and a new savox 1210. Next will be some nice and wheels and tires then ill hold off and get a bunch of hours driving to see what else may enhance my personal experience with the rig. Will probably get a lighter body soon, as I know eventually ill be chasing the lowest cg I can. Bottom line is these things are a hobby and we spend money on them because they are fun. I doubt my trx4 will ever cost me as much as any of my 6s arrma fleet has. So lo g as the wife never finds out how much my toys cost ill keep buying them 😇
I am struggling to find anything the TRX4 Defender can't drive over in it's stock form! It's ALMOST as capabable as my Capra. All I bought is 'scale accessories' :) the TRX4 is amazing! (only upgrades have been servo and lights)
I made my own lomg arm brass links with a drill grinder and tap. Bought the longer cables seperately.
I just got mine and the only upgrades I plan are wheels and tires, brass, and a steering servo. I'll upgrade parts as they break. Otherwise I'm not messing with it. My friend has one that is completely stock and he's never done any maintenance. Five years that things been running.
Here is the progression how I spent the $1545: I painted the body, added crying baby ( see story about cousin's dislocated should at 1 month old in 1972 when we went off roading), added the driver with long shaggy hair and a long beard made out of my own, added a blond bitch sitting next to me (a Labrador), interior, seats, lights, windows, door grips, hinges, tank, windshield wipers, air inlets, stickers ( including the mud flap lady despite my wife's protests), license plates, chains, a hitch ( which I took off because It worsened the departure angle) a bunch of luggage and net, easy switch for on and off AND OF COURSE, ESS dual sound, . I also got the blue tooth connector. Now the body was 10000 pounds and top heavy. Solution: SPEND MORE: to reduce the center of gravity I installed steel wheels and BRASSSSSS. Any brass available I put on. Now, the truck was so heavy it looked like it had a flat and it would constantly slip. Solution: SPEND MORE: So I got very stiff tire inserts and the grippiest tires. Now, while standing, the wheels would not steer because of the massive weight and the sticky tires and I broke the connector: Solution: SPEND MORE on a better connector. STILL, the truck was unwieldy and would not steer. Solution: SPEND MORE: A better servo. The servo cannot just be replace. You need a BSC. IS IT WORKING NOW?? Is it climbing good? YES, like the day I took it out of the box! My crawling buddies are laughing their butts off.... and I can see the comedy in it myself. ;)))))) One of those smart Alecs noted that I do not have a winch....remember all this did not improve the performance AT ALL!!!!!! It is to just make up for the heavy body. LOL
Lol awesome story man. So your saying just get a lighter body from the beginning?
@@ryancee217 just avoid sentimentality with your childhood. It saves you tons of money. ;))))) Or dwell in it as its a hobby after all.
Great video. I always thought aluminum was stronger whilst making it look cooler. Some of those parts you mentioned I would have liked to upgrade. Not anymore!
this is why I buy aftermarket on what I can and then wait for things to break i suppose
2 years old TRX 4 bronco. all stock servos and everything still running great. Nothing has failed except steering servo. I replaced the motor with a $20 Holmes Hobby trial master sport 550. awesome brushed motors. they have bearings in them and seem to be more powerful. they wake the truck up.
Now, that is good performance! And self-discipline.
You are one of a kind! And very lucky! All my servos have been changed out! Recently changed ESC and now I gotta change the light controller cuz it doesn't power through ESC anymore! Boo! LoL it's a money pit!
@@MrKongpvu I have only ran about 60 battery packs thru it. I forgot to mention that the steering servo stripped out within a week. but other than that no issues. I never put mine in water so maybe why last so long ? Rain and snow is ok and fun. but I will Not swim my RCs
I'm not sure how much I've spent on my TRX. A few things I can list that will probably give you a good idea. I replaced the servo with the PowerHD DW25LV. The micros are still stock, one dead one going dead. I've got spools for front and rear. I've got Proline Shocks. Front and rear aftermarket aluminum bumpers, front with winch. Light kit. Scale details including roof rack. Tracks. 3 sets of wheels but only one set of Proline Flat Irons (so far). I have the spare tire mount which the Bronco didn't come with. I use the batteries I bought for my Traxxas Unlimited Desert Racer so no extra cost there. I think that's it, but not 100% sure what I've missed if I have missed anything. It is definitely pretty high up there, but surely not as much as you've listed. When my motor or ESC dies, I'll be buying the HW Axe system. If my plastic axles break or give my problems, I'll be installing complete CNC aluminum axles. I figure currently my TRX has cost me about $1200 about if I were to guess.
Lol yes I did this exactly , 😂 bought Trx-4 and put 500$ into it lol , and it’s amazing and I love it 👍👍
That is a big part of keeping the addiction going.
Just bought my first crawler but I already know I will be replacing the servo, ESC and motor. After that just going to see what breaks and what needs to be upgraded. It's just for fun with friends
Bought the Defender... servo upgrade, BEC, Tires/Wheels, couple body accessories. I'm interested in seeing how well everything else holds up. May do an overdrive kit for the front axel. Otherwise, I'm going to hit the trails and enjoy it.
Yep. That's the way. Resist the temptation. Weird thing is part of the thing that keeps crawling interesting is buying new stuff and seeing how they work out.
the mods i do on my crawlers are tires,better servo,metal gears in trans and axles,metal drive shafts,and esc, that is really all i ever needed....oh and a radio.yeah so it is all just part of the hobby, i like my rc's.
Living in Iowa I might have to buy the Traxxas traxx for snow, and the tactical body so it'll look like a tank. I can figure out how to mount a gun and servo too. It won't cost near $2000 either. Great video.
When I first got into RC trucks I overspent! My Defender is at about $1800!
All brass under Springs. Weight added and truck is HEAVY!
My Bronco has aluminum parts & is at $700... (All parts from CHINA) Guess which one works the best...
That's right! The Bronco! I buy ALL my parts from China now. Same stuff just generic.
$14 for a set of NICE aluminum beadlocks! My Bronco is mostly aluminum from China!
My shelf queen is at 98% aluminum.
I leave shit alone these days!
Lucky for me I watch your reviews so I’m not disappointed with and mods. Also for $2500 you could make a sweet crawler course!
My course was free just dirt and junk around yard wood and pavers. holes logs whatever I can get my hands on free adds on OfferUp people always have stones and scrap wood for free
I learned about the traxxas money pit syndrome back with the stampede,once burned, learned the hard lesson again with the redcat rs10, best overall bang for the buck has been team assoc.But hey (: were all fan boys of something, my axials havn't come cheap but they could burst into flames and I"d still be back for more! 😀👍
Upgraded with proline wheels and tires, servo arm & full lighting. Purchased a newer body for the clear windows. The rest of my money went on detail parts including a full interior. Before I knew it was well above two grand. Looks terrific but wondering if it was worth it! ?????.
Don't worry. You're not alone in this addiction. It's worth it if you had fun along the way.
Servo, bec and metal servo horn are the only things I've bought for my sport. Done a few free mods and for my use so far it hasn't needed anything else and goes places none of my other trucks can.
Yup, that is the smart way.
You hit the nail either on the head ...everyowants to do upgrades and most for traxxas trx 4 are the most expensive ones....brass, transmitter, uder/ power drive , aluminum parts and of corse esc/motor....its a level course to fallow ....great video thanks ....
Much appreciated. It's fun to buy parts and try them out. But often, they do nothing. But if it personalizes the vehicle and keeps the hobby fun then it's worth it for some.
The single biggest upgrade for mine was the VRD Carbon I got to replace it 😎
Yeah that's me, I got the Defender, and have replaced the steering servo (Holmes Hobbies BLS HV500v.2), the motor w/Holmes Hobbies Revolver and SW4 esc. I added the light kit and CC BEC. Also two sets of tires and beadlocks, two 3 cell 5200 Mah lipos. Not to mention scale trailing accessories. I am considering getting the bluetooth module or a new Spectrum 5c rugged. I would like the gps but damn, so much money
Added to TRX 4 Sport 1. Traxxas Inner fender set.
2. E... Portal Covers Front Only.
3 Traxxas to Dean battery Adapter so I can use my existing batteries.my existing
Charger Overlander is so good 😊
4. Not brought yet broke after Christmas
But am getting Over Drive and looking at e...
Lighting kits and roof bar
Wonderful path to upgrade discovery
2 years late but I have the 2021 trx4 bronco and I'm pretty happy with it the way it is. I have a large battery for extra drive time but aside from that, it's pretty and functional for what I do with it. No need for extras. I do think the black wheels are a little boring but I know I can change those with other plastics. Adding weight sounds like a good way to start your electronics down a slippery slope to 2k in upgrades
Nobody forces one to buy those parts. I have 3 trx4 all have upgrades of some sort. My Axials 3 of those upgraded don’t get run much any more. I personally Love the trx4. Been in the hobby decades.
Yup. Great to have options. The more we upgrade or personalize a vehicle, the more we use it. Big part of the fun.
I know I is. Butt R y’all
Traxxas is NOT a RC Hobby Company...
They've sucked a LOT of Fanboys into their Web!
Think I'm exaggerating?
They KNOW what they're doing!
Even IF I could afford one, and it would only be the Sport...
There's TONS of aftermarket products from Companies that can't WAIT to get on the TRX-4 Phenomenon...
At least their part and electronics are much cheaper!!
I LOVE how you're not afraid of Fanboydom!! Keep telling it like it IS! 😎👏👏👏👏
Carmine ✈🚂🚙
They make good crawlers now. But they kind of went overboard with this thing. Just wish they made parts that actually improved performance. Better bumpers, sliders, Good brushless motor , radio....
Agreed. The performance is pretty good....
I throw the word "Fanboy" around a lot. In the case of the TRX-4, for all intents and purposes it appeared that Traxxas AIMED the original with its terribly high price....
Straight at the 11-16 year old, Children of Upper Class Professionals. You know, the Brats that will ruthlessly hound their parents until they coughed up the *$600+* for the Unstable Rover AND the *necessary* ancillary products that they HAD to get, just to get started!!! 😖😡
At the same time, GIVING AWAY Rigs to all the TH-cam Channels that they were SURE would pander to them!
(I'm guessing you didn't get a Freebie TRX-4 at the introduction) 😋
OK! I admit it. I wanted the Bronco in the WORST way! It looked just like the Truck I owned in the early 80's.
I am in serious trouble financially and have been for over 5 years.....
That wasn't going to happen.
Then I thought "Hey! I could get just the Body"...
NOPE! $165.00 AFTER all the SEPARATE parts you had to buy, just to finish the Body....
Traxxas had our number! ALL of us. They were snooping around the RCCrawler Forum for nearly a year before the release, teasing everyone with spy shots.
Axial, Vaterra and RC4WD used to post the Forum often.....
To Talk to us as hardcore Crawlers, asking US for suggestions and fielding complaints, in a very civil manner.
They posted Videos of upcoming Rigs, and how to get the best out of the one you had!!
TRAXXASS hasn't visited ANY Forum, since they released the Bronco....
What does that say?
I'd STILL take a TRX-4 Sport. It's what they should have given us in the FIRST PLACE!
But of course, I can't have one, unless it's a gift.
@bassman686 They've got every RIGHT to do what they do....
Doesn't make it the RIGHT thing to do!!
You got the Bandit. That's a GOOD, SOLID Buggy, originally released in the mid 90's...
ANY teething pains have been long gone by now. I owned one, loved it.
My issue isn't with the stuff they USED to make...
It's what they've done to the Crawler Market!!!
Prices on EVERYTHING went up, after the TRX-4 Phenomenon took off......
Unchecked, until REDCAT introduced the Gen 8!
NOW all of a sudden, everyone's released *less expensive Rigs.*
We spent nearly a whole Month in Business School, learning about the old adage of "The Producer can share what the Market can bear".
For a while, Traxxas SHOVED the price points UP. They did it with a crazy amount of hype and advertising dollars.
All of a sudden - AXIAL is now selling *$450 SCX10 IIs!!!*
Other brands started raising prices...
You and everyone else can thank REDCAT for the Gen 8!!
If that didn't happen...
I'd be willing to bet that the new Element Sandusky(whatever it's called!!), would have been released at about $449-$479.....
And they would have GOTTEN it, had there been no Gen 8.
Sometimes, Capitalism fixes ITSELF!!!
At least that's what they USED to teach.
@bassman686 Couldn't have said it better! If there had been more outrage in the beginning, and the Sheeple DIDN'T buy in droves...
Traxxas would have been Forced to Lower the price!
(Which I still believe would have given them even more success...)
And I use that Jeff Goldblum quote often! It's relevant to so many things. 😉
I don't think this is exclusive to Traxxas. All my RC's get something replaced. I have a defender for a year now... All servos replaced, wheels, tires, samix brass, lights, ESC, new defender body and paint, scale accessories, motor, gears, and now I need a light controller cuz this 1080 ESC doesn't allow the lights to work. I guess I love this hobby! LoL
Agree. Traxxas has upped the upgrade game though with an obscene amount of option part. They want the RTR monies and the uprade funds.
The only crazy thing that I bought for my defender was a 25$ light kit from amazon, for that price I would just expect them to turn on and thats it, no it has high beams, turn signals, flashers, reverse lights and pretty much every function you could ever want for an rc truck. Aside from that i put some scx10.2 bf goodrich ko2 wheels on it and a good servo and its an absolute blast to take on the trails
I put the lift kit links on mine with the 90mm and stock servo mount.
Just upgrading the electronics in mine. No heavy crawling just trailing.
Plus Spectrum Rugged transmitter system ($200), Hobbywing 1080W ESC ($42) and Reedy 16T 5-pole motor ($29). With tax, about $300.
Those are the upgrades that make sense.
so far for my trx4 i bought steel beadlock wheels and duratrax deep woods cr c3 only cost me $113
Honestly because of the problems I've had with Traxxas, when I buy replacement parts I buy other brands, like Savoxx servos and Hot Racing aluminum parts. I refuse to give Traxxas and more money for problems they knew about and ship the product out with regardless. That's just me though. My TRX4 Bronco wasn't so bad with the exception of the steering servo, but my first gen. Xmaxx was a complete disappointment, the telemetry system bricked 2 freaking radios and Traxxas support is terrible, because I live in Canada they didn't know if they'd cover it so I'm outa pocket for their crappy updates that killed two radios. Anyway sorry for the rant of the Xmaxx money pit, but the Trx4 platform does have so factory blunders, I just buy from other companies to fix the problems or dress up the truck is all.
Great video's, keep'em coming!
It’s a good business some people love the bling and bragging on all the stuff they installed but I think you have to choose if your gonna crawl or back yard brawl....I do spend some good money on my rigs but it’s well spent on purpose hard parts for crawling...also building one from scratch will be cheaper as on a RTR you take off most the parts and upgrade so you spend the money twice....it’s an addictive hobby but fun...
All I’ve bought are the cheapest metal beadlocks and brass weights that I could find on AliExpress. I didn’t even buy official batteries or charger, just get a TRX to XT60 or Deans connector and boom, cheaper batteries. Only thing I’d consider buying from Traxxas is overdrive for the front axle and the upgraded micro servos when the stock ones eventually break.
that blazer is gorgeous
Just getting back in as of a month ago. NO Traxxas. Already 3 grand in. SMDH
Yr axle kit, integy portals, integy high mass 2.2 wheels, protek 370 servo, hobby wing axe combo( brushless & sensored) RRD110mm suspension, voo doo tire sets and suggested foams, integy servo horn, rear tcable for front, hr brass portal weights, hr brass dif weight, hr front bumper/ servo relocation brass and hr 8mm hub extension, od/ud gears. All worth the money. Personal opinion.
Lol, yeah I did about $200 just in brass on my sport. It sits in my closet. I run Gen8 and Cross. I do have a rig that I spent stupid money on, at this point it is a completely custom scx10ii based rig. And portal's brass and all my traxxas cant touch it
Only steering servo and wheel/ tire combo and 2 portal input gears
I purchased some months ago a traxxas rustler vxl 4x4; watched a you tube channel where they did upgrades.
Traxxas sent everything to this channel to do upgrades on this vechile.
I looked at the upgrades and for the cost I could have bought two rustler vxl 4x4 's.
So I know what you mean where you were doing that upgrade list on the channel.
It would be nice for traxxas to send me those upgrades; luckily the hobby store said don't get anything until something breaks.
We know it! Most RC Reviewers are given the vehicles and all the option parts packages.
We just wish Traxxas produced more performance parts that made a difference. Better radio, motor, bumpers, sliders, tires, etc.
Steel bumper for 160USD. It was great at first, but then the sheet metal started cracking. Ended up buying 2 more bumpers (both cheaper), one is billet aluminum and the other is very very thick steel with a more crude but better design than my first one. Still worth it haha.
Dude i spent 1k on my all steel axial wraith. Ill either make a wraith or buy a trx4. 2speed and portal axles sound great
Aluminum and Brass is a well known tuning aid in crawlers… You choose Aluminum to add strength and weight to specific parts and you use brass to balance weight overall so SOME aluminum is not a bad thing... Just look at the Vanquish VS-4 party traits.
My whole WPL C24 metal version setup is only $200.
I optimized my TRX4 by focusing on reducing weight and getting as much clearance as possible:
- 5.4” Proline TSL boggers with cut outer lugs.
- Gmade wheels (drilled for venting)
- Proline dual stage foams
- MIP 4mm wide track kit
- Samix +8mm hub adapters
- Samix high clearance titanium links
- Savox 1210sg steering servo
- Proline wrangler body
- Stock rock sliders lifted with spacers
- Wertymade front bumper
- SSD RC rear bumper
- Castle BEC
- 9 tooth pinion
This approach might not be ideal if you want to stay in a specific tire class, but getting clearance/approach/departure angles has made a huge difference in functionality.
Damn bro, your diving my clone!
Except the Samix links, i did Vanquish straight links. Do your Samix high clearance links leave the driveline exposed?
I see no upgrades that cannot be replaced with aftermarket parts for better quality and better price.Mine TRX4 D110 has all possible upgrades installed including brushless 650 ounce servo, metal axle housings full of brass, AXE system and almost all plastic parts replaced with metal and its around 1400$ total.
I did the tire mod you showed, and it seems to help a ton. I also have a winch and metal bumpers for my TRX4 Sport (the rear is custom and kind of crappy). My chassis kit doesn’t have any mods since I’ve only had it for a couple months, but I’m planning on getting metal servo horns for both trucks ASAP since my Sport fell four feet and the teeth on the horn stripped out. I cut the fairlead and stinger off of the Sport’s stock bumper and slapped both of its bumpers on the kit since I couldn’t stand how terrible the bumpers that came with it looked. I have tire and wheel upgrades planned for at least one truck. There is also a Proline C10 I have trimmed up, I just need to buy paint for it. I also have a Proline back half cage I’m going to stick Proline’s new ‘78 K10 on. I’m thinking a two-tone green on the K10. I like to do mods and upgrades to the appearance more than the performance. Tires, wheels, servos, and things like that I’ll upgrade, but I’m not interested in brass and aluminum parts all that much.
I only buy what i need or want
So far it performs very good stock
Once you begin to change things it never ends. And you make it worse. If a weak links breaks i will replace it with something better
I've spent a total of $1083.00 in upgrades yet that does includes body armor, a top of the line night vision FPV VR package and a new show floor body, Proline light kit, Sound.
No Lift Kit, No interior, No Winch. I've included the cost of any parts I purchased by mistake. Total weight 9.6 lbs - back heavy only because of spare tire on the show floor body.
So yes, just a touch over $1600.00 total yet I'm getting more for the money than others. The task of grease packing everything lay ahead.
I watch RC Review channel to prevent costly mistakes and save money. Mine could possibly defeat Talbot with the right winch. Driver = G.I. Joe $10.00
This is the reason I got out of the hobby ,specially the initial cost , not a child’s hobby anymore ,or an affordable adults hobby
Traxxas list
Stock assembly kit
Bought :
Lift kit
Brass portals (front and rear)
Skid plates
Front and rear hot racing bumpers
Zeon warm replica winch
Light kit
Steering servo and BEC
2.2” mud slingers on headlocks
2stage crawling foam
1966 Chevy proline body
Interior
Performance mods ftw!
My only point is spending $1500 on a scale truck does not mean is worth $1500. As well only a few of these upgrades actually improve performance many are just frivolous scale details that actually do nothing for the truck
succinctly put.
Enjoyment =price paid.
I personally dont like Traxxas as a Company, I wish they were better as a Company, I held off buying a TRX=4 because of the way they did the RC Community a while back. However I did finally cave and bought a Traxxas item when they released the 79 Bronco Body.
Yeah, the base chassis is just very high quality. They should create more affordable option parts that actually improve performance.
Just upgraded my servo, trx 2255 and added traxxas bec trx 2260,that is it. I did not even bother upgrading my servo horn. My traxxas trx4 sport traxx is good to go.
Sure does sound like fun to me
Got flat lead weights from a tire store works great to get weight on trx4 low and up front cheep mode for 25 cents per lead weight bar