Here are a list of the RC cars that I’ve owned, why I bought them and a list of pro’s and cons.
Traxxas TRX6 Hauler
Why this is my favorite RC car.
It is so much fun to drive, it’s strong, sturdy and as capable as many of the other cars I trail with. It can haul some really heavy weights and looks great in the dark with all the lights on.
What I’ve Hauled
I’ve hauled TRX4’s, Tamiya TT02’s, a Swamp Dawg RC Fan Boat but my favorite thing to haul is a 1L flask of coffee, a great addition when it is a cold day on the trails and the cafe is shut.
Pros –
1 – It can haul some really heavy loads.
2 – It’s very well built and sturdy, I’ve rolled it down hills a few times and it just keeps going.
3 – Very capable on the trails/hills.
Cons –
1 – Winch is not mud proof and didn’t last long, I’ve now replaced it with a 3d printed storage box.
2 – The rear gearbox bearing often needs replacing, I do beat on mine so maybe this is a me thing!
3 – The wires feeding the lights on the side of the bed snag on twigs and other things on the trail and 2 have now been ripped out.
Traxxas TRX4 Defender
The full size Land Rover Defender is one of my favourite full sizes cars so I had to have an RC version that could take a beating, be waterproof and look fantastic. I’ve seen some people add lots of scale accessories to theirs and they look almost real life in some of the photos but I bash and roll my cars so the accessories would quickly fall off. As I drive mine in mud the standard motor did not last long so I replaced it with a Hobbywing Fusion Pro 2300kv and that made a huge difference, much faster, better control and mud/waterproof.
Pros –
1 – Scale looks, I love real life Defenders so to me this is the best looking car Traxxas produce on the TRX platform
2 – Wheel Base. This has a slightly longer wheelbase than the TRX4 sport and this certainly helps hill climbing.
3 – Durability. I’ve bashed this car and rolled it down multiple rocky hills but it just doesn’t seem to break.
Cons –
1 – Top heavy, the bodyshell is heavy and tall so this does tend to make the car lean on the slopes. I added lots of brass to mine and that makes it perform a lot better.
2 – There seems to be a lot of play in the body when fitted and this causes it to rattle when it goes over bumpy ground.
3 – Price, although this is my favorite looking Traxxas rc car I think they pay a premium to use the Land Rover branding and this is reflected in the price. I may have listed this as a con but it is worth the extra money as it looks great.
Traxxas TRX4 Clipless Sport
I love running my car in mud and the simplicity of the TRX4 Sport makes this one of the best cars I own for mudding. Single speed and locked diffs means 3 less servos that may fail, also less components in the gear and diff boxes simplify maintenance.
Pros –
1 – Clipless. This is the first clipless rc car I have owned and it makes removing and fitting the bodyshell a breeze. My only negative experience of clipless was when I’d run through dog poo and not noticed until I put my fingers underneath to unclip the body 🙁
2 – Simplicity. Single speed and locked diffs make maintenance much easier.
3 – Affordability. Very affordable car when you compare it against its rivals.
Cons –
1 – The wheels rub really badly on the bodyshell when steering.
2 – Weak steering servo that struggles to turn the wheels when stationary.
3 – Basic looks but I guess this is expected for the price
Traxxas TRX4 K10 High Trail
Probably the worst Traxxas car I have bought, it’s very top heavy and the tyres are too big. It excels at trailing on forest floors but not much else.
Pros –
1 – Price. For 2 speed and unlockable diffs this car comes at a great price.
2 – Trailing. I found this great for just driving along the forest floor, it seems to get over much more than the Sport or Defender and is very smooth when running fast.
3 – Tyres, the tyres are huge 2.2’s and once the foams get wet the walls have no strength to them
Cons –
1 – Seems to break more, I think the taller, longer setup increases stress on components and this leads to more breakages, or maybe I’m just unlucky but I seem to have spent more time fixing this car than using it.
2- Huge wheels and tyres increases the centre of gravity and along with the lifted kit this car seems to spend more time on its side than on all 4 wheels.
3 – Durability. The body looks ok out of the box with lots of silver detail but they very quickly wears off and it wasn’t long before the car started to look scruffy.
Traxxas TRX4M Defender
When it’s raining outside I enjoy playing with my TRX4M Defender indoors. They are so small you can easily make obstacles for it to climb over using cushions and other items you find around the house.
Pros –
1 – Looks great and very detailed.
2 – Customizable. Lots of companies do many accessories and custom parts to upgrade the TRX4M. Add a brushless motor and this thing becomes very quick.
3 – Lighting. This model comes with lights already fitted and these make the car look great in the dark.
Cons –
1 – Top Heavy. The body is quite heavy for the size of the car and this tends to make the call look as though it is rolling around a lot.
2 – Tyres. The tyres are not glued on and sometimes come off the rim. They are easy to refit but this is a pain.
3 – Price. This is quite expensive for what you get, lots of other cheaper alternatives are available.
Swamp Dawg RC Fan Boat
This rc fan boat is so much fun to use. It uses a big air propeller to power the boat and makes a great noise as it glides over the water.
Pros –
1 – Terrain. I have used my fan boat on water, ice, snow, concrete and wet grass and it is fun on all of them.
2 – Unsinkable. The hull is filled with foam which means it floats even when tipped over.
3 – Doesn’t get snagged. As there is no propeller in the water it does not get caught on weeds or water lilies it just zooms right over them.
Cons –
1 – Steering. The steering feels a bit hit and miss, you need to keep a good flow of air over the rudders to make it turn at all.
2 – Weak hull. I’ve cracked my hull in several places so it would be better made out of stronger plastic.
3 – ESC. The supplied esc is not waterproof and didn’t last me long before I needed to replace it.
Tamiya Neo Scorcher
I bought this as I wanted a Tamiya, I owned and raced Tamiya’s as I kid and I wanted one of the newer designed kits that was 4wd. The Tamiya Neo scorcher was ideal for this.
Pros –
1 – Build. Quick and easy to build with high quality instructions included.
2 – Upgrades. There are loads of metal upgrades available from a few reputable companies.
3 – Cornering. It low centre of gravity and wide stance make it handle corners very well.
Cons –
1 – Durability. Some of the parts seem quite brittle especially in the cold weather.
2 – Steering. The steering is quite loose and I would suggest upgrading to metal parts.
3 – Slow. The stock motor is quite slow, I upgraded mine to a brushless system.
Tamiya Holiday Buggy
I bought this to put on a shelf and look at although I did run it on grass once. It’s slow and doesn’t perform well but I love mine.
Pros –
1 – Looks great. Lots of scale detail and looks great once painted.
2 – Nostalgia. I used to own Tamiya’s in the 1980’s and I enjoy them just as much now as I did then.
3 – Affordable. Great value kit and ideal for beginners.
Cons –
1 – Slow. It comes with a 380 motor and is very slow.
2 – 2WD. Often gets stuck even on grass or mud.
3 – Basic. This is an entry level basic kit that requires many upgrades in order for it to perform well.
Brushed Vs Brushless
One con not listed is probably my biggest ‘con’ with all of the Traxxas TRX vehicles and that is the brushed motor. I like to run my cars in mud and I found the brushed motor does not last long in mud. When I buy a new Traxxas car now I replace the motor and esc with a Hobbywing Fusion, I’ve used the 1800kv and the 2300kv Pro versions and both are fantastic, probably the best single upgrade you can do to a Traxxas TRX4 or TRX6. I used the 1800KV in my Hauler as I haul heavy cars. I put the 2300kv in the Sport and it’s so much more fun to drive now both at low and high speeds.
TLDR – Brushed motors don’t like mud! Buy a Hobbywing Fusion if you run your rc cars in mud.