New to crawlers and Vanquish got my attention!

[CrAzYoNi]

Hey all!
I am thinking of purchasing my first crawler. Most of my friends own Axial - but I prefer something with higher quality.

I have been looking and saw some great deals on the Vanquish Products VS4-10 Fordyce RTR Straight Axle Rock Crawler - what are the differences between this and the Phoenix model? Also is it fine to start with a Straight axle or better to start with a Portal axle?

I hope your input will help me to decide what to do, as I don't live in the States, and grab the Vanquish Products VS4-10 Phoenix Portal Rock Crawler Kit + shipping might be very expensive for me - but I always prefer kit over RTR...
Thanks in advance!! "thumbsup"

 

[twade984]

In my opinion the Fordyce is one of the best options for an RTR or a first rig.

The main differences are:

Phoenix has the vfd twin transmission which has the option for dig and selectable o/d

Kit versions have vxt tires, RTR has falken tires

Machined spools and ring gears

Beefier links for steering and upper links

Fordyce has standard vfd, smaller upper and steering links, sintered ring gear/spool, falkens and kmc riot beadlocks.

Just for me personally I think the fordyce body looks better, and I much prefer the simplicity and strength of the standard vfd.


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[JatoTheRipper]

It’s nice to see when someone thinks on their own. In my opinion, Axial quality has typically been suspect and I own at least 5 of their vehicles.

The highest quality of any plastic rig I’ve had experience with is the Traxxas TRX-4. That thing is a scale crawler built like a basher. Other rigs do out perform it, but the on the fly 2WD/4WD shifting adds a fun new aspect and challenge. Plus, the TRX-4 aftermarket is second to maybe only Axial. I wish Traxxas offered a straight axle version. Portal axles give you more ground clearance, but gives the truck a higher center of gravity so it’s more prone to tip overs. I prefer straight axles. Your preference may depend on the terrain where you plan to run. Portals will clear more rocks, but climbing hills, and to a greater extent, side hilling will significantly worse than straight axles.

I have two metal Vanquish rigs (Origin and Ultra). I want to buy a Fordcye and would give it a chance. Outside of Vanquish, it’s most likely never going to get the aftermarket support that Axial and Traxxas have. I only know of one person with a Vanquish plastic axle rig and he prefers the TRX-4. I have two TRX-4 and would not hesitate to recommend those.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy a Vanquish kit any longer. They discontinued those.

 

[ferp420]

crawlers are like dogs it don't matter what bread they are as long as they make ya warm and fuzzy inside

 

[Axle Scott]

crawlers are like dogs it don't matter what bread they are as long as they make ya warm and fuzzy inside

All of these comments are great, but, this one takes the cake

 

[ferp420]

All of these comments are great, but, this one takes the cake

"thumbsup"��

 

[smog]

crawlers are like dogs it don't matter what bread they are as long as they make ya warm and fuzzy inside

All of these comments are great, but, this one takes the cake

Because that post starts by referring to a dogs and bread my brain went straight to hotdogs and I thought yeah, hotdogs’ll do that!

...Then I thought, wait, did Ferp mean breed?

Yup, he means breed. Strange though how that sentence makes sense either way though...


...but back on topic. The TRX4, Axial Basecamp, Vanquish Fordyce, Element Enduro are all good trucks. It’s a rich time for crawling. My experience has me believing that Vanquish has the edge in overall quality and likely performance as well. The transmission and motor are about as forward and low as you can possibly get it. Its geared really well and the axles are beefy as an Alberta cow

 

[ferp420]

the op in his first thread shared a picture of his 3 dogs and ya 1 was a hot dog lol
that was just a reference to his dog post

just like getting a dog you love the ones you have they don't have to be the "best" dog or the "fastest" dog or the cutest or most agile you love them for what they are
crawlers are the same way in my opinion they don't have be the "best" one they just have to be fun

 

[B-MOW71]

Because that post starts by referring to a dogs and bread my brain went straight to hotdogs and I thought yeah, hotdogs’ll do that!

...Then I thought, wait, did Ferp mean breed?

Yup, he means breed. Strange though how that sentence makes sense either way though...

Its geared really well and the axles are beefy as an Alberta cow

I missed that the first time I read it. Now that you mention it, I busted out in laughter!:lmao: True, true!

And then you mentioned a cow and now my mind can only think of Pink Floyd Animals!:ror: IYKYK!

just like getting a dog you love the ones you have they don't have to be the "best" dog or the "fastest" dog or the cutest or most agile you love them for what they are
crawlers are the same way in my opinion they don't have be the "best" one they just have to be fun

Fun, yep, that is what matters!"thumbsup"

 

[CrAzYoNi]

Cars are fun!
My dogs are like my wife.... they are beloved and spread love! but when they want something - they will get it in one way or another - and is irrelevant how much it will cost me (the husband!), or how much it will put me in pain.
My crew of dogs don't like any of my RC, especially the hotdog one (Dachshund) ;-) they try to rip their body shell and wheels :\

Talking about RCs... I always prefer to use Kit over RTR. I am a big fan of Kyosho (I know that they are not so much appreciated in the USA...) I like their quality, and the experience I have while driving it... I love it!!
As Kyosho doesn't have a 1/10 scale (or similar) crawler... I was looking for a brand whose customer comments are similar to this brand - and Vanquish Products customers seem to be a great match - this is where I started to think about Vanquish.

I see that there is a good deal (INO) on Amain for Vanquish Phoenix kit with Portal axle - which I think to purchase. I just need to do my homework to understand its weak points, required upgrades, and recommended wheel alternatives (for upgrade \ replacement in the future), ESC, motor, servos, and batteries of course.
In a WhatsApp Crawlers group, I am a member of I see they seem to always recommend a cheap set of ESC + motor + batteries from AliExpress..... so I still wonder about it and know that I need to do some learning.
I want to know how much will be the overall price for this new type of hobby (I am currently after an injury, so all I can do is upgrade my current rigs, without racing anywhere :\ )

I was also considering RedCat earlier but saw that their parts market is very low.

 

[indybama]

Cant go wrong with vanquish. I know from experiance, the phoenix kit is extremely durable. Get u a fusion se, a good radio, decent servo, n wheels n tires, youll be set

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[Axle Scott]

It seems as though the phoenix kits are in short supply. If you get one go with Bama's input. They are very nice to build and you can ad servo's as you see fit. On one of my rigs there is the OD servo and DIG servo, the other rig is set-up with no extra servo's. I like them both just the way they are.

 

[smog]

the op in his first thread shared a picture of his 3 dogs and ya 1 was a hot dog lol
that was just a reference to his dog post

just like getting a dog you love the ones you have they don't have to be the "best" dog or the "fastest" dog or the cutest or most agile you love them for what they are
crawlers are the same way in my opinion they don't have be the "best" one they just have to be fun

It's no less than a hotdog coincidence

...and agreed. For myself taking out a rig is just about being into it, being in the moment and having fun....just gotta have her tuned to your liking




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[CrAzYoNi]

@Smog what rig do you have? Are you using the Fushion Pro (2300kv)? I was thinking between it and the 1800Kv for the Phoenix kit. - I wonder if the Pro (2300Kv) can be installed smoothly into this kit?
@indybama, about Radio I'm alright, got an old Sanwa MT4 in use, and MT-S ready inside a box (for 4 years now :\ ).
What servo do you recommend? I've got good experience with Savox for casual use (I used Hitec for my 5th scale, and KoPropo for buggy 8th scale races) - should I set up such a rig with 2x servos? what I'll earn from it?
What about wheels\tires - I prefer to use a ready set of wheels & tiers (ProLine Badlands MX38 are my favorite)

 

[xwaz]

The 2300kv fusion pro is a amazing motor in the phoenix, I have one in my one of my portals and a few other in various trucks. The 2300kv offers a little better speed if you are going to hike with the truck and a little more tuning options. The 1800KV SE is also great and just as smooth, it has slightly less tuning and slightly less speed but also costs less. The only thing you will need to do for either motor is shave down the upper link mount with a hobby knife about 2mm, you'll be able to see exactly where when you drop the motor into the skid plate. It only takes 10-15 seconds to do.
Steering servos are all personal choice, the Fusion Pro has a good enough BEC to run more HV servos at 7.4V, I run a Reef 444 (not my personal favorite) on mine but also have run a dozen other servos off it. Or you can always skid that BEC and run a Direct power unit, I recommend the NSDRC RS800v2 if want a bulletproof and stupid strong servo. or the RS500B for if you are on more of a budget. If have a half dozen of them and they all have been flawless.
Dig/OverDrive can be a rtr level servo, or amazon 20KG, it's more than enough to run those, just dial in your end points to not burn them out. The functions are worth playing with and seeing if you want keep them in the long run.
Wheels and Tires are all personal preference, stick with a 1.9 and any tire from 4.19 to 4.75, depending on the look you want to go with. Finding other people in your area to crawl with will let you see what tires your terrain prefers. But first runs the VTX are not too bad, I still run them from time to time and while they aren't the greatest in the world. I still find they work well enough to have a good time. At least in my terrain.

 

[smog]

@Smog what rig do you have? Are you using the Fushion Pro (2300kv)? I was thinking between it and the 1800Kv for the Phoenix kit. - I wonder if the Pro (2300Kv) can be installed smoothly into this kit?
@indybama, about Radio I'm alright, got an old Sanwa MT4 in use, and MT-S ready inside a box (for 4 years now :\ ).
What servo do you recommend? I've got good experience with Savox for casual use (I used Hitec for my 5th scale, and KoPropo for buggy 8th scale races) - should I set up such a rig with 2x servos? what I'll earn from it?
What about wheels\tires - I prefer to use a ready set of wheels & tiers (ProLine Badlands MX38 are my favorite)

I have my runtime on the Phoenix Portal. I have a 2700kv Puller Pro and Castle ESC in it. It's a great system but find it can sound annoying after awhile

I am just finished building my Phoenix Straight axle kit into a slider. In that I have put a 2300kv fusion pro. I also have the 2300kv fusion pro in an Element Enduro build, and while I have limited time on it, I can tell you that it has a start up crawl thaT brings a smile to my face every time i am on it. It may not have nearly the torque or top end of a Holmes Puller Pro, but it's ultra smooth and dead quiet. To me, that can't be beat

The fusion pro will drop into the Phoenix chassis, it does require some slight shaving down of one the link mounts on the skid plate


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[xwaz]

I have my runtime on the Phoenix Portal. I have a 2700kv Puller Pro and Castle ESC in it. It's a great system but find it can sound annoying after awhile

I am just finished building my Phoenix Straight axle kit into a slider. In that I have put a 2300kv fusion pro. I also have the 2300kv fusion pro in an Element Enduro build, and while I have limited time on it, I can tell you that it has a start up crawl thaT brings a smile to my face every time i am on it. It may not have nearly the torque or top end of a Holmes Puller Pro, but it's ultra smooth and dead quiet. To me, that can't be beat

The fusion pro will drop into the Phoenix chassis, it does require some slight shaving down of one the link mounts on the skid plate


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I agree, I have a Mamba X and Holmes 3800kv that has been in both a Portal and SA and its got way more punch that my Fusion but the Fusion beats it in efficiency, low speed startup, and drag brake any day of the week.

 

[smog]

I agree, I have a Mamba X and Holmes 3800kv that has been in both a Portal and SA and its got way more punch that my Fusion but the Fusion beats it in efficiency, low speed startup, and drag brake any day of the week.

3800! That's some wild speed

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[xwaz]

3800! That's some wild speed

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I have it geared down a bit, instead of the 15t I think I have a 11 or 12 in there but fast motors geared way down provide a lot of torque and low end control But I still have enough speed for snow, hill climbs and some jumps. :mrgreen:

 

[smog]

I have it geared down a bit, instead of the 15t I think I have a 11 or 12 in there but fast motors geared way down provide a lot of torque and low end control But I still have enough speed for snow, hill climbs and some jumps. :mrgreen:

I hear ya, I have geared down a 3300 Puller Pro by dropping a few teeth on the pinion but still find it wildly fast.

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