Let's just agree to disagree. :mdr:

We could both argue til we're blue in the face and probably never agree. You may have had good experiences with Traxxas and bad experiences with Novak. Personally, I've had the opposite. Yeah, yeah, I know Traxxas has great CS...the point is that I don't want to have to talk to their CS dept in the first place.

As for the SD XR, mine has worked flawlessly for the 2 or 3 years I've owned it. It started out in my crawler, then replaced the esc in my E-savage, then replaced the EVX-2 that wouldn't run on 14 cells until the voltage was drained down to 16.8v. It really pissed me off that I had just dropped almost $400 on this truck and when I plug in my 7-cell packs it won't go. :tongue:

I won't even get into my VXL issues.

well I will post an update on the XR ..the evx2 has been problematic from start ...I went brushless with my 3905 after 15min of runtime on stock motor and esc to test it...funny I have to pay to have it fixed and it was never right to begin with...disapointed with the support especialy since the fresh charged batt problem is a known mistake on their part

From the ESC manual.
From the E-Maxx manual
From their own words water resistant is more like it.

Actually the vxl is rated higher than the mm. 200amps versus 110 if memory serves me correctly. They are marketed at the same section of the hobby. I would say that the computer interface and overall programming options make the mm superior, as does CC experience in esc production. The sidewinder is not as capable as the other two, spec wise, but still is better than the vxl IMO. On a properly geared 3s powered 2wd vehicle it is an excellent esc, and nothing can touch it for the price. Plus it is fully programmable, something the vxl does not offer. Lack of programability kills the vxl for me.

Oh I agree, I don't want it, I just think it's different. The VXL is the first "real" RTR Brushless RC setup.

Again, I am not saying Traxxas is the best, I just think they are better than some give them credit for.

Dewmwrz: then why didn't you send back your Velineon? :na:

lincpimp: Traxxas claims 200 amps, but has anyone proved this? And can 3.5mm connectors even support 200amps?

TexasSP: You say "RTR" like it's a good thing. :lol: And yes, I agree, Traxxas isn't that bad. In fact, I just pre-ordered a Slash today. (it just looks too cool) But their electronics don't come close to Castle's quality.

Well sure, if maxamps packs can produce 250 amp burst specs on a 1/10mm thick al tab then a 3.5mm bullet connector should be able to handle at least 200 amps. Maybe more...

Note: all of that is sarcasm.

I go back to vacum cleaner ratings, they get those numbers the instant the motor melts, or transfers most of the parts to an alternate universe...

I think we agree more than we disagree. Castle's quality is phenomenal, especially at the prices they charge. But I just chalk Traxxas' up to typical RTR expectations.

Most RTR's use sub-par, at best, electronics.

Also, that slash does look like a cool little truck, I am tempted to order one myself, I like that it is actually close to scale.

Easier to let you deal with the pain. :party: I hate having to use warranties. It should be strong enough for typical stupid bashing.

My experience and Ken saw this first hand is the Velineon ESC is quirky. Button sticks after hard impacts causign the controller to freak out. LVC kicks in causing power to go to 50% with lesser qualitiy batteries (Trinity LiPro). Motor leads break off at the board mainly caused by Traxxas running the wires through the rear shock tower. Losing the ability to program the ESC drove me nuts.

I changed the ESC over to a MM and kept the motor. It has done much better as a basher as long as big rocks don't jump out in front of me at 40! :gasp:

Not all Traxxas stuff is bad. I've been running on a broken rear arm split down the middle at the end for a month because I have been lazy to replace it and it has not popped apart since the first time. I'll buy another Traxxas vehicle in the future (probably a Slash) and rip out the electronics.

The Slash does look scale but when the body can fit on a Sportwerks Turmoil based on measurements it's hard for me to call it a 1/10th scale.