Why you can’t afford not to get an RC Crawler

The Big Three

As with anything, there is so much to remote control rock crawlers. When I got started on this little niche hobby I found that 3 names stood out: Traxxas, Axial, and FMS. There is no right or wrong here but I’ll just let you know right now I went with Traxxas so call me biased. I am also talking mostly about the shoebox sized small crawlers 1/24 to 1/18th scale. They do make big ones that are 1/10th scale and I do want one, but I’m not doing anything with those yet.

There are pretty big differences between the brands so here’s what I’ve found:

TRAXXAS

Traxxas seems to be like the Apple of the RC world. They are very user-friendly, have a lot of support for modifications and parts, and they are a good all around pick. The name brand vehicles are licensed so they can use a little more detail in their designs which help the looks, and they have a huge cult crowd following for making crazy fast RC cars.

Axial

For some reason this seems to be the most popular pick when I find others with the same hobby. They are the most affordable option and they have a lot of parts and modifications that can be made as well. They are smaller and less realistic looking than the others but they still look good, especially the power wagon. Axial seems to have a win in the categories of off-road capability and affordability. If you want to do some crawling and get technical this might be your best bet.

FMS

FMS is the winner when it comes to realistic looks. It is amazing the detail that is put into the cars. I love it when you can’t tell if the picture is of a full-size truck or a toy. They do have some good features like a dual speed transmission that make it more fun in some cases. They come with working lights standard and usually have an interior which adds to the realism.

Things to know before buying:

Maybe it’s just me but I impulsed bought so many things that I made a rule that I had to seriously need or desperately want something at least three times before I could consider buying it. This is something that you don’t need so consider yourself lucky if you are someone that can buy one. It is definitely fun and totally worth it if you make it a point to get out there and use it.

Something I didn’t like was that I feel slightly embarrassed and a little bit judged when I pull out an RC toy at a public hiking trail and see all of these people getting ready to go out and I’m just playing around on the rocks just off the parking lots. Still it’s fun and hiking trails are the perfect spots to find cool obstacles and if you get a 1/10th scale the paths are basically dirt roads, which is sick!

I had the most fun at the beach! I think the sand is where this little guy shines. I took it to the beach and spent hours just going through tunnels I made with hills and bridges and all the fun things you can imagine. I loved every second and I would still do it again, but it took forever to clean off the sand and there is rust on the screws and I don’t think the shocks are quite right anymore. Just know that the ocean or salt water will try to kill your crawler, so you’ll have to come to terms with that if you do play with it on the beach.

I am thrilled with the Traxxas and my dad loves his Axial, I do think I am going to get another little 1/18th scale Traxxas to have an off road buddy for sure when I go with someone else but then eventually I do want one of the bigger 1/10th scale crawlers when I get the chance. It is just something that can bring a smile to your face. You can have an off-road experience with your family and not have to buy a full-size rig and make a whole separate trip out of it.