If it hadn’t of sheared that shaft it would have killed the rear diff. I blew 3 rear diffs with the VXL conversion. Destroyed all the internals.. teeth everywhere 🤷🏼♂️
Yeah. This thing needs more power and with more power it needs a center differential. Once you add up how much all that stuff costs this is pretty hard to recommend.
@TomleyRC Yeah straight out of the box It's a pretty cool little car but for what it does it's also wildly overpriced. At $270 it needed to be the best mini basher in the world and it just isn't
@Goofy_68 Yeah I'm really glad it helps! I would be doing the teardowns for my own edification anyway so it's great to have you guys along for the ride :-)
wow im glad u made the video .. i know not to buy this .. underwhelming ( and one of the best / honest review ive seen in a while ) so do RC you are the real deal great video !
The "Ultra" shocks are the #1 reason I completely abandoned Traxxas. I can't believe they still expect consumers in 2024 to accept those things. I'd be surprised if they cost more than ~$1/each to produce and they are the worst shocks I've ever seen, there's no excuse to keep them on even their base level cars. What could it really. cost to put a decent aluminum body shock on there? $2-3/each? I remember when they announced the Raptor R and I thought, "this looks amazing, I must have one" and saw the $500 price tag and assumed they came with the GTRs. NOPE! $4 worth of crappy shocks again. That was actually the moment when I said, "I will never buy a Traxxas vehicle again". Bought like 6 Arrmas since then, and never looked back. Anyway, nice reviewing as always. I really wanted one of these things when I first saw it but from keeping my finger on the pulse of the RC hobby for the past ~5-6 years, I keep seeing really cool innovation from companies like Arrma who listen to their customers, to companies like Traxxas who seem to release the bare minimum that is acceptable (ie. "it sells") and cut costs like it's going out of style. And they STILL want $275 for this thing. That plastic spur and center shaft will be toast in no time on 3S, and the BL-2S is not a good system at all. (EDIT: while typing this comment I got to the part in the video where it sheared off the pinion.) They really are operating in their own little bubble where no competitors exist. For $55 more you could have an 1/8th scale Typhon, Senton, or Vorteks with a center diff. OR, knock the price _down_ $75 and grab a brushless 3S Granite/Typhon/Mojave Grom. With an all-steel drivetrain. Does that make any sense at all? Unbelievable.
Yeah I guess they either have to have the prices at high because of how much it's costing them to make them or they know people will still buy them. I'm not sure where
At the moment in the U.S. you can get a 4s 1/10 Redcat Valkyrie for $239 delivered to your door. That really makes this truck and anyone buying it (for non review purposes, of course) seem insane.
Well we all have our biases and I'm no different but I try to be as honest as possible with everything I review. If something's awesome I'll tell you and if it sucks I'm going to tell you.
I tried to watch other videos and they're pretty embarrassing: grown men fawning over a 29 MPH mini truck with funky suspension. I mean, it's fine, grown men can fawn over whatever they like, but those are also the same people who trashed the handling of the Max Slash, and got upset about its cost-cutting measures (no sway bars) Every other review I've seen, it gets fawned over, driving like a WLToys from 5 years ago for double the price. Traxxas fans don't care, they want the new thing. It looks "neato" and they want to upgrade it. Me, I have a little bit of trouble justifying upgrades that (by the time you do axles shocks and diffs) cost significantly more than the stock sticker price, which is already inflated to high heaven. Smells like fanboy spirit.
@Boogie_the_cat I can definitely see at least some of the appeal for it. It isn't without any redeeming qualities It just really needed to be the best mini you can buy to justify the price and isn't
Man I can see why your channel is in my recommended, non stop information while showing a breakdown of the brand new release. That's hardly ever done in a review type video, keep it rocking sir!
I really appreciate your objectivity. You wanted to love it, you wanted to be 'wowed' by it, but you werent, and you told us so, and why. I established a loose saying for myself years ago in this rc hobby of ours, in regards to getting a new vehicle of any kind, you have to ask yourself, 'is it nice enough to buy twice?' Because you will almost always spend around double if you plan on upgrading it, racing it, etc. Though not a big name, Laegendary has actual 1/10 brushless monster trucks with great reviews for about $100. For the cost of upgrading one of these mini maxxes you could buy 4 or 5 of those things, and start your own racing circuit with your friends. Just saying, name brands are generally reliable for parts, but when you do the work yourself, you can make beasts for fractions of what a new rig costs with a smaller company in a standardized scale. Excellent video, thank you for your honesty, I was really considering getting my first traxxas when I heard about this guy, but now, I'm probably getting my first *two* Laegendary's on amazon!
I've been looking at the Laegendary myself. I'm an old school R/C'er so I don't mind the manual beefing up of a decent platform. Their trucks look like anything else on the market. I haven't seen anything about whether it comes with bearings or not though. If not, can it be outfitted with them and are they standard sizes? Their website appears to be highly neglected and offered no info.
Man your breakdown review videos are simply the best! Been in the hobby for decades and this apprach for those of us that really want detail oriented information to make decisions on purchases just cant be beat. I hope your channel is growing cause it should be!
Glad you're enjoying! I would be doing these teardowns even if I wasn't making the videos so I'm just glad there are people that want to enjoy it with me :-)
Top notch Mr. Do RC. The complete dis-assembly and section by section commentary was amazing I commend you on that. Straight up honesty there is nothing more real than that. Looks like a lot of extra money and parts to truly bring it up to 3S. Keep up the good detailed videos most help to someone like me that has been out of the RC world for 30 years. 5- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s. 🏁🏎️🏁 be safe, thanks…
It sure ran nice after you went 3s. Thanks for sharing all you knowledge and diving into the cars. It's nice to see all the internals and access to them.
Same ol Trax-ass a lot of money for basic vehicles! If it was 3s and had even a metal center drive shaft or better yet a metal center differential it would be worth it! The 1/10 scale Maxx is one of the toughest trucks around but even that truck was overpriced for basic parts! Great job taking it apart and showing people what they’re getting or NOT getting! Also the honesty to me is the most important part of this video! Too many people who get these trucks to review are worried about losing their sponsorship because they are telling and showing the truth about a truck! Thanks again!
I'm starting to think that Traxxas have bots that defend their brand . Cause how can you think that Traxxas is worth the money , when you gotta spend money on upgrades that is standard to other brands outta the box . Like we shouldn't have to spend money on aluminum arms when every other brand gives them to you right out the box .
This was a great tear down video! The takeaway I got from this video was that if you don’t want to keep it box stock then it might be better off parking your money somewhere else lol. I ordered a black one and think that 30mph is perfect for my needs and area of bashing ☺️ Plastic center driveshaft is a bummer though 😢
Been in the hobby 3 years now learned just about everything when it co.es to working on rc cars and trucks, my favorite channel but the most important thing I've learned, is not to spend my hard on money on traxxas......I've never bought one, never will........This is by far the best RC channel, Call it my opinion nobody takes more time and genuinely cares like this guy
My thoughts were exactly the same. When it was leaked, I thought it should be about a $200 truck and the only way I was going to pay $250 (the original advertised price) was if it was already fully upgraded and had the performance to match. But now at $270, I just cannot justify it. Although, it is rather impressive that Traxxas has seemed to break the laws of physics with how little air control there is with those large of tires on that wheelbase. It is Traxxas, so people will buy them; but there are going to be some unhappy customers.
@ On paper, it should have the power to overcome inertia to at least get close to rotating. In the air, unloaded, those wheels should be spinning rather fast to hit (nearly) 30mph on the ground, but it looks like it can hardly even do minor adjustments in the air. When they showed it being driven by various YT people at some event a few months ago, I found it odd how poorly it was jumping for anyone that was driving it. I really thought this would be a chance for Traxxas to get back into what people want, but they fell flat (in every sense). The price, the performance, the durability…they checked no boxes except for having released a product, but arguable on the success of that considering the price change. As you said either in a comment or the video itself, this is (now) a $300+ purchase after tax. I thought Arrma putting all the upgrades on the Grom 223S models was to compete against this Traxxas release, but clearly it was not because Traxxas went the other direction and skimped out everywhere it could.
Well when grown men with the ambition to jump a real monster truck buy a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiny scale of said truck is and act as though they have that big real life one without thought fear of injury of death as a result of a crash……. What do you think is gonna happen? My 4 year old who will be driving it on NM batts first will not break it. And when she makes it to 2s she won’t have that I a man I can’t get injured send it to the moon mentality and then I won’t have a thought of man I can’t believe she broke and it was $270 I will be smiling ear to ear watching her. PUT YOU MAN PANTS IN FELLAS CAUSE YOU PUMPING OUT TO MUCH ESTROGEN
I was really hoping this truck was going to be good too. I started having concerns once they actually announced it with no slipper clutch, no center diff, and a plastic center driveshaft. I have seen some reviewers saying the front/rear tires are different (maybe no foams?) to compensate for the lack of the slipper even. I got more concerned when I saw the price had gone up from $250 to $270 for apparently no reason.. I was looking to add the Mini Maxx to my Maxx family. Sending even more wishes out to Arrma now for that Kraton Grom 223S BLX. Great review as always, really appreciate the deep dives tearing into all of these cars and the hard work you put into your videos!
@ I have a castle mamba x begging for its place in one. Of course that’ll require multiple upgrades to be available. And the new notorious is just too pretty 🥵
Great video, patiently waiting here in the UK for my Typhon GROM 3s after being impressed with granite GROM that’ll do me for now and when I want something bigger would more likely head in the direction of the new Vorteks. Got to say I’m relatively new but Arrma certainly seem to be smashing it right now.
I was pretty excited when they first announced this release until I saw the power package, I immediately knew it would be a $600 rig after all the "upgrades". I have a merv fully upgraded and while I do like it a lot now, the price to get here was absurd. Thanks for another great vid!
Same. Just wish the Grom cars were a bit larger. As uninspiring as the Mini Maxx is, out of the box it can go on terrain the Grom can't due to wheels/clearance. Arrma: 1/14th Big Rock 3s please!
i never liked these newer designs from Traxxas. wasn't anything wrong with the older ones. a brushless Stampede 4x4 is only about fifty bucks more than the mini Xmaxx.
Thanks for the video. About what I expected out of Traxxas. Keep pedaling their cheap ESC, Steering servo. They need to step their game up to MJX levels, if they want their stuff to compete, especially for what they charge. It's always spend more money to get the good parts. Nice video.
Yeah they have a pretty loyal fan base but just like anything like that depending on your fan base is not a good long-term strategy. Harley did that and they almost failed
@clean1566 I've been extremely impressed with my xmaxx and trx-4, I'll see how this does, but the broken front pinion is concerning and it's pretty poor engineering that you can't see pinion and spur mesh to align the pinion gear.
@@hinnmanfamily I flew drones and fixed wing, before getting into crawling, and now a little bashing. I was impressed by the toughness of the Trx4 chassis. My closest running mate, ran one. I feel the same as the title. I have a MJX16208 1/14 scale just for bashing and skatepark stuff. I thought this slightly larger Traxxas would blow the little guy out of the mud. They're gonna sell a bunch, cause there are people who like Traxxas a lot. They should have come out with 3-4s, and better electronics, at the same price, and there would be a line at the factory. It's all about having fun though, so I don't fault anyone for getting whatever gets em out there.
Amazing video, very informative content, and I'm sure exactly what most of us were looking for. I am definitely disappointed! I wanted to pick up one for me and one for my son, but after seeing this video, I would rather go for something else. What would you recommend that falls in the same category, that can take a good beating and at the same time it's easy to work on? Thank you so much for all the effort you put into this video.
That's a tough combination at this point. Honestly if you don't mind spending the money and don't really need it to be super powerful the minimax is not a terrible choice. It's just too much money for what it is. The Omni Terminator gets you a lot more for your money but it's a little harder to work on and support is a little riskier. The groms are fantastic especially the new BLX ones but they're a little bit smaller.
Dude I appreciate the honesty thank you! I was going to get one because they claim 1/10 scale components, causing many of us to believe it'll easily handle a 3s power system and that's simply not the case.
Wow... I know that ppl forget that traxxas and arrmas stuff cost differently in different countries. In partial reason for the rise of more indie brands like rlaarlo and mjx and etc.
The first honest and critical review of the Mini Maxx. I was initially excited but a little sceptical of some features. Should have launched 3s with center diff for $300.
Personally for myself ,dad and brother. He just bought one for himself and us. While it may not be the most wild thing out there. I do have to say for someone who has never owned a rebuildable rc like this before. It’s alot of fun.
Man your content is excellent I love the in depth tear downs. I agree with your take on this truck not to mention Arrma has been dropping hit after hit lately and there flying off the shelf. What’d we get from traxxas, this and the jato?
I can’t wait to pick mine up next Friday, I’ve had the black one on preorder since the first day I’ve heard of it, but I’m gonna keep mine stock with the acception of Mini ERevo pin tires and Proline mini paddle tires
I absolutely agree with this video 💯💯💯%! Everything you said I was thinking about during the entire video. Like you also mentioned I don’t honestly know what been going on with Traxxas recently? But some things aren’t going right.🤷🏻♂️👍💯💯🙂👌
Thanks for your honest opinion and especially love how you broke it down to show us all the internals. Also love how you threw in a 3s system to see how it would handle it. Definitely gonna be a money pit it you want more power out of it.
You hit the nail right on the head. Traxxas has lost touch with rc consumers and their prices. I have a couple Arrma's and a couple from Traxxas, but I won't be buying Traxxas again until they come back to reality!
I was already annoyed at the $84 center diff, but the sheer amount of work it would be to install is enough to put me off buying this. I’ll wait a year and get it either on sale or for sub 200 used
I figured that the mini Maxx would require a bunch of upgrades to get it close to the competition. It still looks like a cool platform if money is no object 👍
Yeah if you aren't concerned about money it definitely has potential. At a center differential and 3S Steel CVDs and it'll probably be a blast. Of course you're going to be at 550 bucks at that point
Thank you for the video. I was really looking forward to buying one but I’d rather not now. I’ll be in it almost as much as a 4s maxx by the time it’s all said and done with the upgrades etc…
For me…. As a person that’s been in the hobby since the 90’s. I see the price point because of the battery and charger that comes with it. That would make the truck closer to 200.00. But that’s really about it. Great smaller beginner truck with 10th scale electrics. Good video.
Eh. You can get a comparable non-Traxis branded battery for less than $20 and I wouldn't put the value of the charger at more than $20 either. It's also important to note that the vast majority of small RCs on the market today come with a battery and charger so when comparing pricing the inclusion of a battery and charger don't really help much
Good video. Seems like for $260 we're getting a very basic version of this mini Maxx. For that price atleast include a center diff and stronger front and rear diffs.
I got my son one of these as a step up over some cheapie amazon rando brands. He sheered that same front pinion gear, totally stock, in his first 15 mins on his first battery.
I absolutely wasn't sure how this was going to go i wanted to wait and see I had a feeling it would have some bugs to work out So I'm glad I had a reservation on this vehicle
That transmitter, while very basic, does have the red button on top which is used for programming. There should be a card which explains the way to enter the codes and make the changes.
Yes you can use the set button but on the TQ literally all it allows you to do is reverse channels. I just checked the manual and there is no other functionality. The TQI on the other hand has a ton of programming features
Best RC channel on UA-cam! Always so stoked to see you’ve gotten your hands on something. Love how you tear everything down and go through it bit by bit. (because I do the same thing with my new RCs haha) Any chance of fitting the Hoss/Stampede/Rustler/Slash center diff in there or is it specific to the Mini Maxx? Thanks so much for crushing it with these videos! 🤘
@@Curly21029 Yeah it would be nice if it was but it's probably a little bit too big which is why they went with a bespoke version or they just wanted to make more money.
Yeah this newer side clip system works a lot better. It did get dislodged a couple of times but never came completely off which is all I care about. If I can drive it back to me to put it back on I'm happy
You're opinion is worth a great deal !!!This is is absolutely a let down. Traxxas seem to not really care at the moment. They have missed a chance here. Maybe it will come back and bite them. Only my opinion.
Honest question as i have one waiting for me at the hobby shop once they can sell it on black Friday. So i already have a spare VXL 3s sitting in my parts bin. Is this worth getting or an i better off spending that money towards a Mojave Grom BLX, Omni Terminator, or the new rally? Also curious on the size difference between this, the Omni Terminator, and the ROG1. I appreciate any info you have and thank you for the great and honest review video!
It's a little bigger than an ROG-1 and a little smaller than an ot. Worth it is hard to advise. If you like it and you want it then it's probably worth it.
@DoRC I get that, I appreciate the reply! I did really want it but there's so many great RCs that have just been released within the past month I'm having my doubts now. So many decisions to make lol. I may go with one of the others and wait a little bit on the MM. Decisions, decisions!
Awesome bashing and review, dude! 😃 But I don't know, I just bought a 1/32 the other day and THAT'S a mini for me! 😬 (It's that 35 bucks kamtom model that looks like a 60s muscle car. And I highly recommend it!) Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
There definitely is no set definition for a mini. For me anything smaller than 1/10 kind of fits. This is on the upper end and the OT is really on the upper end but I would still consider this to be a mini. I guess it's more about the feel than anything else. When you pick up this car it feels small and light.
My first mini was an arrma granite grom and I have drove that tiny truck off of so many ramps at the skatepark and other than destroying the body on it that lil thing still runs great with no issues. And when I say I drove that truck...I mean hard.... like flips and shit ....and trust me ...I don't always land on all 4 wheels 🤷
I agree. Traxxas has been making some questionable decisions. I don't mean to judge but they may need to hurry up and update their updates. Especially w some new heavy hitters on the scene. You rock!
Did you know that all the centerdiff parts except the spurgear is the same as the Traxxas 4x4 platform? 😏. The mini has a 47t and the rest a 54! The rest should be bolt on!
Watch...I'm betting in about 2 weeks a VXL version will debut with a center diff for the low low price of OMG that's gonna be pricey. LOL. Seems like traxxas' MO (modus operandi) as of late. Also, awesome channel man. I've been a watcher for a long time and I've been in the hobby almost 40 years. You do really good content.
Great review, I am still going to get mine and it is for the under powered reason. I have a Maxx and with my limited area sometimes it is a little too fast for where I can run it, so this one should be more fun only for that reason.
Yeah if you keep this stock and you don't mind spending the money you'll have fun with it. It's not terrible though it definitely isn't the best handling car out there.
I have owned the Traxxas Mini Maxx for a few weeks and gotten to run a few times. The major weakness I found is the motor mount. Plus the design of how the ESC is mounted. When my motor mount cracked the motor shifted upward and sheared the signal wires flush with the ESC. Unfortunately that's not the repairs or cost I was expecting. I don't trust the motor mount now, so to fix that I feel like I need an aluminum motor mount, plus a new ESC. Getting to be a pretty expensive repair right there.
I do wonder how much a stock power system but geared up would help? 3300 kv on 2s is already VERY conservative on a 10th scale, I wonder how far you can push this stock system gearing wise.
From what l have seen in your video the Rlaarlo Terminator completely whoops it's ass. I still think the Terminator is the best deal out there. I knew the mini Max was going to need 3s power from the door to be impressive and definitely knew it was going to need the metal center diff. Welcome to the world of Traxxas. Buying an RTR truck then having to dump 200$ into the truck on upgrades.
I am far from impressed with this truck after watching your video. I don't think l am going to spend 500$ on a mini for it to live up to my expectations. Think l will just stick with the Omni Terminator carbon fiber edition l have and the Rogue 1. Both of them are the best Mini bashers that l have ever had.
Traxxas did well with the 3s mini revos. Mine is still going strong, and it's nearly five years old. On 2s, it's fast and torquey. All I've done is add some metal skid plates and some other goodies that are more bling. I have not broken it in all that time, and it's eaten some curbs before and worse. However the drive line has only seen WD40 during the winters and bearings, but besides that, it's 100%. I feel like the Minimax is trying to appeal to the mini market but they upkeep their prices like Apple does because they are a "premium product" I don't see that much anymore they need to bring something new to the market instead of making downsized models. I bet the Slash 6s is gonna get a mini version soon since it's of the Maxx platform.
I have the same fear about the plastic driveshaft, and you have to get the center diff or limited slip to use the aluminum shaft according to traxxas's website (I guess it's a different length? Don't know why else you couldn't use it with the stock spur).
The last time I bought an R/C was a NEW Associated RC10 B2. (30 years ago?) It retailed for over 600.00...nothing on it, nothing in it. The body? Who cares. Everyone bought a separate body that they actually wanted. They came clear and we had to paint them. Same went for the tires. The tires that came on the car were rarely used. We outfit our cars with electronics we wanted. We hand wound our own motors and built our own battery packs too. Also, RTR was almost not even a thing. You had to build any car worthy of anything. That said, you should be able to take any car available and make it what you want. Plenty of Grasshoppers back in the day running in the modified A Mains with the big boys. That's why it's called a hobby. Those who bought their way into a fast car rarely knew much about their car. Nice review. Thank you for the tear down and analysis. It was enlightening.
I feel like you nailed it, for the price point you kinda are stuck, I mean 270 is like 1/10 scale size and power. I wanna like it but makes no sense when I can buy a Arrma typhon for $60 more lol on 3s
Traxxas is in their own world in general.. nothing they make stands out. Nothing they make is necessarily bad, but nowhere near their competition. For example the Jato 2S.. like.. bro.. $330 for a 2S 30mph buggy, when all the rest like the Typhon 223S goes 50 mph, has a center diff, metal gears (mostly), a gyro, and easier maintenance.. for the same price.. Traxxas knows what they're doing though. They have their hardcore fanboys that would buy a tree branch with a Traxxas sticker on it for $100
I had high hopes for this as I have the 4s Maxx but man im glad I scrolled onto this video. This reminds me a lot of my mini revo as out of the box it was fast on 3s or 2nimh packs but it kept on blowing diffs, i wound up shimming the diffs properly and installed the center diff and no more blown diffs since but it also came at the price of speed and well money lol. Seems like Traxxas keep doing the same thing which is a disappointment and I think im gonna pass on it, I did pick up a Aarma Typhon grom 223s and it has blown me away I just really expected more from this. Thanks for the honest review it has saved me some money.
Yeah this definitely feels a lot like that where they designed the platform to not really be able to handle the power people are going to want to put in it
i almost always agree with most of what you say but my repairs of my grom typhon have been less than ideal for a cheap small vehicle. the wheel hexes are almost impossible to remove without destroying them, differentials requires a ton of disassembly and the CVD rebuild kits have a bunch of parts you dont need
Interesting. The hexes just unscrew and I've never had an issue with them. The diffs are just about the easiest in the industry to remove (8 screws total). Not sure about extra parts but that doesn't seem like a terrible thing. Most people consider the Groms to be very easy to work on overall.
Bought the Savage XS for my son. Seems like its a bit more durable, but the slipper clutch is a pain, plus its cramped and pretty hard to work on. I know you have experience from the XS, how would you say they compare?
Overall I'd rate them pretty similarly. Of course if the Savage had less power like the mini Max does it probably wouldn't have as many problems. Ultimately the biggest problem with the XS is lack of parts and upgrade availability. It has a few pretty serious weak points like the slipper clutch that they're just is no solution to.
@DoRC here in Europe parts are pretty easy to come by. Yeah the clutch is a big problem. That and that the diff gears arent available in better quality like the CVDs and drive train cups. Stupid not to offer higher quality parts for the entire drive train
Yeah I think the ROG one definitely has this beat. It can tend to tear itself apart If you're heavy-handed but just run it on two s and it's fine and still faster than this
As someone who owns a Maxx plus 2 stampedes and a GROM I find traxxas aluminum to be HORRENDOUSLY overpriced, like seriously $90 CAD for a servo saver when a HR one is 50 bucks? 160 Dollars for a light kit? $220 for a (crappy) servo, traxxas is way over their head when it comes to upgrades. (I couldn’t help add some more) Looking through the Traxxas upgrades for the mini Maxx it’s just as bad 125 clams for GTR shocks! 160 for metal driveshafts!!! That’s the same as the Max Maxx! Holy moley this is crazy. Plus the proprietary battery like seriously, I don’t like my GROM for having it but I do know that you can change them to a standard balance lead but still!
I'm an Arrma guy, currently own 9 Arrmas from Groms up to 6s, what i love about Arrma vehicles, they are so much easier to upgrade or replace parts compared to Traxxas always making it difficult to take their vehicles apart and their electronics being sort of proprietary and over priced. Great video as always, thanks for sharing.
I went into my hobby shop the other day to pre-order the mini Maxx, I originally saw on the advertising. It was $250, and when I went into pre-order they said it was $270. I still went through with the pre-order but found it very scummy to increase the price when you had already announced it at a certain price. After watching this video And seeing the cost cutting measures, and lack of a center differential and every additional part being the same price as a 1/8 scale vehicle, doesn’t make any sense. I’m going to cancel my pre-order.
While I can see where you and many others would have reservations about the price the one at our shop looks to be nearly all 10th scale things Stuff like the plastic gear servos and the center drive I would love to see if the plethora of 10 th scale diffs can fit those housings If so then there’s tons of ways to upgrade on the cheap (I regularly see slash rally stampede for 100 on line with upgraded servos sporting the 3s,vxl system ) That being said you can easily sell off the new take offs to someone and recoupe some cash off the price of car while paying for the market place buy as well I’d loved to see what exactly broke and how it needed to be replaced Considering you tossed a higher power system in it vs gearing up I can see why it broke Plus you were not being real easy I like your videos and am not bashing I just think it should been expected with large tires and bigger power you’d break something in driveline I also would like to see what the center diff looks like for a upgrade
To some degree I can understand where you're coming from and having one 10th scale parts is nice but I don't think any other one 10 scale differentials are going to fit. If Traxxas was going to make them compatible they would have just used those differentials. You definitely can sell off some of the stock parts to recoup part of the cost of the upgrades but that's really only going to apply to the motor and ESC. Let's say you can end up getting the VXL 3S for $50 after selling off your BL-2s system. You then need a differential that all in is going to cost you around $65. Once you add up the cost of the vehicle itself you're looking at a shade under $400. For a bit less than that you can get any of the 3S Arrma and for around half that price you can get a Rlaarlo Omni Terminator. I'm not saying that this car doesn't have the potential to be good and I'm not saying that out of the box people can't have fun with it. What I am saying is that for the extreme premium price they're charging the car needs to be extremely premium and it just isn't.
@ I don’t have the experience with the other brands aside the arrma Well and traxxas Shame they didn’t follow suit with the diffs as they did with the servo and esc combo That being said it beats their mini e revo for sure and idk if the grom platforms would run in the grass like you did there Sure seemed like that truck wanted to be on its roof I’m sure they’ll come out with wide kit But wished a center diff was standard Traxxas has been known to follow the social media and get rid of issues when consumers complain That being said perhaps they will make a stronger part I’d love to see what exactly broke there Was it the center shaft or the input shaft And if input shaft was it sintered or plastic I’ve seen some cars mix match diffs with metal and plastic Even front and rear cause the center is fairly well known for having that in traxxas The plastic spur and metal pinion
Don’t like that you can’t see the gear meshing when you swapped motors… also 3s seems a bit much lol. Mine is on the way and I’ll be keeping the bl-2s in it (wasn’t planning to) get a bigger pinion in it and grab a center differential. Also gonna be getting the wheelie bar and the body reinforcements. Overall I think it fits the maxx family pretty well.
I would definitely say the Arrma grom BLX vehicles have it beat. For the price and durability Arrma has the clear win in this category or Rc cars not to mention you have to upgrade this car to the vxl to hit 50 mph while the arrma grom systems are already capable of doing that
If it hadn’t of sheared that shaft it would have killed the rear diff. I blew 3 rear diffs with the VXL conversion. Destroyed all the internals.. teeth everywhere 🤷🏼♂️
I haven‘t seen that vid yet is it a new one?
Yeah. This thing needs more power and with more power it needs a center differential. Once you add up how much all that stuff costs this is pretty hard to recommend.
@@Elwurstnase next video (Saturday)
@@DoRC I agree… although I enjoyed it stock out the box. VXL let me down big time
@TomleyRC Yeah straight out of the box It's a pretty cool little car but for what it does it's also wildly overpriced. At $270 it needed to be the best mini basher in the world and it just isn't
Dude, this channel is invaluable to hobbyists.
Well it's just one guy's opinion but I'm glad It's helpful
@@DoRC Opinion is one thing, but the depth you go to with your teardowns is immensely helpful to prospective buyers.
@Goofy_68 Yeah I'm really glad it helps! I would be doing the teardowns for my own edification anyway so it's great to have you guys along for the ride :-)
I love how much you talk about the rc cars it is very helpful @@DoRC
Took the words ride outta my mouth!
wow im glad u made the video .. i know not to buy this .. underwhelming ( and one of the best / honest review ive seen in a while ) so do RC you are the real deal great video !
Thanks Glad you enjoyed it!
The "Ultra" shocks are the #1 reason I completely abandoned Traxxas. I can't believe they still expect consumers in 2024 to accept those things. I'd be surprised if they cost more than ~$1/each to produce and they are the worst shocks I've ever seen, there's no excuse to keep them on even their base level cars. What could it really. cost to put a decent aluminum body shock on there? $2-3/each? I remember when they announced the Raptor R and I thought, "this looks amazing, I must have one" and saw the $500 price tag and assumed they came with the GTRs. NOPE! $4 worth of crappy shocks again. That was actually the moment when I said, "I will never buy a Traxxas vehicle again". Bought like 6 Arrmas since then, and never looked back.
Anyway, nice reviewing as always. I really wanted one of these things when I first saw it but from keeping my finger on the pulse of the RC hobby for the past ~5-6 years, I keep seeing really cool innovation from companies like Arrma who listen to their customers, to companies like Traxxas who seem to release the bare minimum that is acceptable (ie. "it sells") and cut costs like it's going out of style. And they STILL want $275 for this thing. That plastic spur and center shaft will be toast in no time on 3S, and the BL-2S is not a good system at all. (EDIT: while typing this comment I got to the part in the video where it sheared off the pinion.) They really are operating in their own little bubble where no competitors exist.
For $55 more you could have an 1/8th scale Typhon, Senton, or Vorteks with a center diff. OR, knock the price _down_ $75 and grab a brushless 3S Granite/Typhon/Mojave Grom. With an all-steel drivetrain. Does that make any sense at all?
Unbelievable.
Yeah I guess they either have to have the prices at high because of how much it's costing them to make them or they know people will still buy them. I'm not sure where
@@DoRC Xmaxx needs to be reduced in price to about $500-600. Everything else needs to go down in price about $200-300
At the moment in the U.S. you can get a 4s 1/10 Redcat Valkyrie for $239 delivered to your door. That really makes this truck and anyone buying it (for non review purposes, of course) seem insane.
The first UA-camr to be honest about it. Thank you for not latching on to the traxxas teat
Well we all have our biases and I'm no different but I try to be as honest as possible with everything I review. If something's awesome I'll tell you and if it sucks I'm going to tell you.
Yes then latch to the Arrma Teat!! Yes brotha!!!
I tried to watch other videos and they're pretty embarrassing: grown men fawning over a 29 MPH mini truck with funky suspension.
I mean, it's fine, grown men can fawn over whatever they like, but those are also the same people who trashed the handling of the Max Slash, and got upset about its cost-cutting measures (no sway bars)
Every other review I've seen, it gets fawned over, driving like a WLToys from 5 years ago for double the price.
Traxxas fans don't care, they want the new thing. It looks "neato" and they want to upgrade it.
Me, I have a little bit of trouble justifying upgrades that (by the time you do axles shocks and diffs) cost significantly more than the stock sticker price, which is already inflated to high heaven.
Smells like fanboy spirit.
@Boogie_the_cat I can definitely see at least some of the appeal for it. It isn't without any redeeming qualities It just really needed to be the best mini you can buy to justify the price and isn't
Actually a couple of UA-camrs are saying the same thing. Underpowered and overpriced especially with other offerings out there.
Man I can see why your channel is in my recommended, non stop information while showing a breakdown of the brand new release. That's hardly ever done in a review type video, keep it rocking sir!
If you guys keep watching I'll keep making!
This is why I love your channel you tell the cold hard truth no hate or bias ❤️
To be clear I have bias just like everybody else but I do try to not let it color my judgment too much and be as fair as possible
@@DoRCyou haven’t strayed us wrong yet bro keep it up !
I really appreciate your objectivity. You wanted to love it, you wanted to be 'wowed' by it, but you werent, and you told us so, and why.
I established a loose saying for myself years ago in this rc hobby of ours, in regards to getting a new vehicle of any kind, you have to ask yourself, 'is it nice enough to buy twice?' Because you will almost always spend around double if you plan on upgrading it, racing it, etc.
Though not a big name, Laegendary has actual 1/10 brushless monster trucks with great reviews for about $100. For the cost of upgrading one of these mini maxxes you could buy 4 or 5 of those things, and start your own racing circuit with your friends. Just saying, name brands are generally reliable for parts, but when you do the work yourself, you can make beasts for fractions of what a new rig costs with a smaller company in a standardized scale.
Excellent video, thank you for your honesty, I was really considering getting my first traxxas when I heard about this guy, but now, I'm probably getting my first *two* Laegendary's on amazon!
Check out the Omni Terminator 2. It's a little bit higher end than the legendaries but not quite as expensive as the Traxxas
I've been looking at the Laegendary myself. I'm an old school R/C'er so I don't mind the manual beefing up of a decent platform. Their trucks look like anything else on the market. I haven't seen anything about whether it comes with bearings or not though. If not, can it be outfitted with them and are they standard sizes? Their website appears to be highly neglected and offered no info.
@@jasongreenwood3260dude, seriously, do yourself a favor and go for the Rlaarlo Omni Terminator. You won’t regret it.🙏🏼👍💯🙂🤷🏻♂️
everything in 1 video , i don't even need to check other youtubers , that poor central driveshaft xD , another great video thumbs UP!
Yeah I'm not sure what they made it out of but it certainly strong to be able to rip the steel pinion shaft in half
Man your breakdown review videos are simply the best! Been in the hobby for decades and this apprach for those of us that really want detail oriented information to make decisions on purchases just cant be beat. I hope your channel is growing cause it should be!
Glad you're enjoying! I would be doing these teardowns even if I wasn't making the videos so I'm just glad there are people that want to enjoy it with me :-)
Top notch Mr. Do RC. The complete dis-assembly and section by section commentary was amazing I commend you on that. Straight up honesty there is nothing more real than that. Looks like a lot of extra money and parts to truly bring it up to 3S. Keep up the good detailed videos most help to someone like me that has been out of the RC world for 30 years. 5- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s. 🏁🏎️🏁 be safe, thanks…
Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching!
Thanks for a thorough review on this new little rig. Appreciate your opinions, insight, the upgrade to 3S etc..
Glad you enjoyed thanks for watching!
It sure ran nice after you went 3s. Thanks for sharing all you knowledge and diving into the cars. It's nice to see all the internals and access to them.
Yeah it felt underpowered to me before 3S but on 3S it felt pretty nice, until it broke.
Same ol Trax-ass a lot of money for basic vehicles! If it was 3s and had even a metal center drive shaft or better yet a metal center differential it would be worth it! The 1/10 scale Maxx is one of the toughest trucks around but even that truck was overpriced for basic parts!
Great job taking it apart and showing people what they’re getting or NOT getting! Also the honesty to me is the most important part of this video! Too many people who get these trucks to review are worried about losing their sponsorship because they are telling and showing the truth about a truck! Thanks again!
Yeah I try to be as honest as possible.
All this does really is make me want an ARRMA Kraton Grom 223S to be released. Thanks for the review!
That would be sweet
Great video I see a lot of people that have it already. I can’t get mine until the 29th. I’m still gonna buy it.!
As long as you ignore the price you'll like it. It's not a bad car. Just too much money.
Arma is killing the competition with all these new releases thanks for the awesome vids and I love when you state facts 💯
Thanks glad you enjoyed. I am serious about that title too I really did want to love this car.
I'm starting to think that Traxxas have bots that defend their brand . Cause how can you think that Traxxas is worth the money , when you gotta spend money on upgrades that is standard to other brands outta the box . Like we shouldn't have to spend money on aluminum arms when every other brand gives them to you right out the box .
This was a great tear down video! The takeaway I got from this video was that if you don’t want to keep it box stock then it might be better off parking your money somewhere else lol.
I ordered a black one and think that 30mph is perfect for my needs and area of bashing ☺️ Plastic center driveshaft is a bummer though 😢
Well given that the plastic center drive shaft was able to rip the steel front pinion gear in half I think it's pretty strong :-)
@ haha! Good point!
If traxxas made a mini XRT, I’d probably turn a blind eye to any problems it might have lol.
@@Backupplan94 I'd be surprised if they didn't make something like that
That 3S made a huge difference in air control. Great vid!
Yes this truck feels completely different on 3S.
Been in the hobby 3 years now learned just about everything when it co.es to working on rc cars and trucks, my favorite channel but the most important thing I've learned, is not to spend my hard on money on traxxas......I've never bought one, never will........This is by far the best RC channel, Call it my opinion nobody takes more time and genuinely cares like this guy
Thanks! I do try to be as fair as possible when reviewing things. The Traxxas stuff isn't bad it's just too expensive
My thoughts were exactly the same. When it was leaked, I thought it should be about a $200 truck and the only way I was going to pay $250 (the original advertised price) was if it was already fully upgraded and had the performance to match. But now at $270, I just cannot justify it. Although, it is rather impressive that Traxxas has seemed to break the laws of physics with how little air control there is with those large of tires on that wheelbase. It is Traxxas, so people will buy them; but there are going to be some unhappy customers.
Yeah it all comes down to tire weight and wheel speed. The tires are pretty light and the BL2S system just can't get them spinning fast enough
@ On paper, it should have the power to overcome inertia to at least get close to rotating. In the air, unloaded, those wheels should be spinning rather fast to hit (nearly) 30mph on the ground, but it looks like it can hardly even do minor adjustments in the air.
When they showed it being driven by various YT people at some event a few months ago, I found it odd how poorly it was jumping for anyone that was driving it.
I really thought this would be a chance for Traxxas to get back into what people want, but they fell flat (in every sense). The price, the performance, the durability…they checked no boxes except for having released a product, but arguable on the success of that considering the price change. As you said either in a comment or the video itself, this is (now) a $300+ purchase after tax.
I thought Arrma putting all the upgrades on the Grom 223S models was to compete against this Traxxas release, but clearly it was not because Traxxas went the other direction and skimped out everywhere it could.
Well when grown men with the ambition to jump a real monster truck buy a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiny scale of said truck is and act as though they have that big real life one without thought fear of injury of death as a result of a crash……. What do you think is gonna happen? My 4 year old who will be driving it on NM batts first will not break it. And when she makes it to 2s she won’t have that I a man I can’t get injured send it to the moon mentality and then I won’t have a thought of man I can’t believe she broke and it was $270 I will be smiling ear to ear watching her. PUT YOU MAN PANTS IN FELLAS CAUSE YOU PUMPING OUT TO MUCH ESTROGEN
I was really hoping this truck was going to be good too. I started having concerns once they actually announced it with no slipper clutch, no center diff, and a plastic center driveshaft. I have seen some reviewers saying the front/rear tires are different (maybe no foams?) to compensate for the lack of the slipper even. I got more concerned when I saw the price had gone up from $250 to $270 for apparently no reason.. I was looking to add the Mini Maxx to my Maxx family. Sending even more wishes out to Arrma now for that Kraton Grom 223S BLX. Great review as always, really appreciate the deep dives tearing into all of these cars and the hard work you put into your videos!
Yeah they definitely feel different but they're the same part number in the exploded view so I'm really not sure what's going on with that
@@DoRCwhaaaaa??? That's not good. They feel different?
Glad I watched this. As always, you gave me good, honest info. I think the new notorious will be on my shelf in place of the mini maxx
By the time you buy the minimax a 3S system and The center differential you'll Not be that far away from the price of the new notorious
@ I have a castle mamba x begging for its place in one. Of course that’ll require multiple upgrades to be available. And the new notorious is just too pretty 🥵
Great video, patiently waiting here in the UK for my Typhon GROM 3s after being impressed with granite GROM that’ll do me for now and when I want something bigger would more likely head in the direction of the new Vorteks. Got to say I’m relatively new but Arrma certainly seem to be smashing it right now.
The Grom BLX with slightly larger tires will go pretty much most of the places this thing can for less money and will be more durable
I was pretty excited when they first announced this release until I saw the power package, I immediately knew it would be a $600 rig after all the "upgrades". I have a merv fully upgraded and while I do like it a lot now, the price to get here was absurd. Thanks for another great vid!
Yeah if you want to be able to go fast with this thing or have big power you're definitely going to be putting some money into it.
Literally, you save my pockets. With those flaws is over priced, arrma will be my next choices again
They definitely seem to be providing better value for money these days
Same. Just wish the Grom cars were a bit larger. As uninspiring as the Mini Maxx is, out of the box it can go on terrain the Grom can't due to wheels/clearance. Arrma: 1/14th Big Rock 3s please!
i never liked these newer designs from Traxxas. wasn't anything wrong with the older ones. a brushless Stampede 4x4 is only about fifty bucks more than the mini Xmaxx.
Thanks for the video. About what I expected out of Traxxas. Keep pedaling their cheap ESC, Steering servo. They need to step their game up to MJX levels, if they want their stuff to compete, especially for what they charge. It's always spend more money to get the good parts. Nice video.
Yeah they have a pretty loyal fan base but just like anything like that depending on your fan base is not a good long-term strategy. Harley did that and they almost failed
@clean1566 I've been extremely impressed with my xmaxx and trx-4, I'll see how this does, but the broken front pinion is concerning and it's pretty poor engineering that you can't see pinion and spur mesh to align the pinion gear.
@@hinnmanfamily I flew drones and fixed wing, before getting into crawling, and now a little bashing. I was impressed by the toughness of the Trx4 chassis. My closest running mate, ran one. I feel the same as the title. I have a MJX16208 1/14 scale just for bashing and skatepark stuff. I thought this slightly larger Traxxas would blow the little guy out of the mud. They're gonna sell a bunch, cause there are people who like Traxxas a lot. They should have come out with 3-4s, and better electronics, at the same price, and there would be a line at the factory. It's all about having fun though, so I don't fault anyone for getting whatever gets em out there.
Amazing video, very informative content, and I'm sure exactly what most of us were looking for.
I am definitely disappointed!
I wanted to pick up one for me and one for my son, but after seeing this video, I would rather go for something else.
What would you recommend that falls in the same category, that can take a good beating and at the same time it's easy to work on?
Thank you so much for all the effort you put into this video.
That's a tough combination at this point. Honestly if you don't mind spending the money and don't really need it to be super powerful the minimax is not a terrible choice. It's just too much money for what it is. The Omni Terminator gets you a lot more for your money but it's a little harder to work on and support is a little riskier. The groms are fantastic especially the new BLX ones but they're a little bit smaller.
@DoRC thank you, I really appreciate the reply and the info!
I will go check out the Groms 🤜🤛
Dude I appreciate the honesty thank you!
I was going to get one because they claim 1/10 scale components, causing many of us to believe it'll easily handle a 3s power system and that's simply not the case.
Yeah. I think they are a bit misleading on that part. Some of them definitely are 1/10 scale but it seems like they cut a lot of corners.
Really glad I found your channel! Now to go back and watch a lot of your past videos
Just don't go too far back. It gets pretty embarrassing several years ago :-)
@ lol that’s funny ! We learn as we go ! Appreciate what you’re doing .
Great review like always brotha
Thanks!
For the money it's strange that the truck is full of plastic and needs an upgrade. Thanks for the review, saved me money 👍
Yeah it's a bummer.
Great video mate ... tear down was awesome ... i wouldnt mind it but the $500 price tag for it in this country.... never lol
That's insane
Wow... I know that ppl forget that traxxas and arrmas stuff cost differently in different countries. In partial reason for the rise of more indie brands like rlaarlo and mjx and etc.
Great video. All the hype I was hearing had me thinking this was gonna be great but for the price just looks like it's not there.
For sure. It's just ok and it's way to expensive to not be great.
Thank you for the honest review and appreciate what you do for the community. Keep telling the truth brother.
Will do!
The first honest and critical review of the Mini Maxx. I was initially excited but a little sceptical of some features. Should have launched 3s with center diff for $300.
Yeah I wasn't kidding about the title either. I really wanted this to be good. I knew halfway through the tear down that it wasn't going to be though
I agree up the price and make it great. People would still bitch and moan about it, but at least it would be good.
Bravo! I’ve been waiting for your thoughts on this! Great review
Thanks Glad you enjoyed!
You’re on 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥excited you got this “early” to review!!!! Yours is the only opinion I really trust.
Well my opinion is just one man's opinion but I try to be as honest and unbiased as possible
Another Great Review Brother👊😋Once again why I own mostly Arrma Trucks and Cars!
I like some Traxxas stuff but they seem to be doing their own thing price wise these days
Personally for myself ,dad and brother. He just bought one for himself and us. While it may not be the most wild thing out there. I do have to say for someone who has never owned a rebuildable rc like this before. It’s alot of fun.
Yeah absolutely. It is not a bad car It's just overpriced. For a first hobby grade RC you could have done a lot worse though :-)
@ Although I know upgrades can be costly but, I mean I own a jeep as a daily so if that says anything I don’t mind fixing something 😂.
@josephconti9655 I hear that. I used to run XJ's quite a bit and upgrading full-size trucks is definitely more expensive than upgrading RC trucks :-)
Sure got some Iffy reviews but had to get one having Both Big Brothers
Man your content is excellent I love the in depth tear downs. I agree with your take on this truck not to mention Arrma has been dropping hit after hit lately and there flying off the shelf. What’d we get from traxxas, this and the jato?
Pretty much. Thanks for watching!
I can’t wait to pick mine up next Friday, I’ve had the black one on preorder since the first day I’ve heard of it, but I’m gonna keep mine stock with the acception of Mini ERevo pin tires and Proline mini paddle tires
Sweet! I'm sure you'll have fun with it. The stock system isn't terrible and you can probably geared up a little bit for some more jam.
Great video. Exactly what I wanted to see before purchasing. Good job bud!
Thanks!
I absolutely agree with this video 💯💯💯%! Everything you said I was thinking about during the entire video. Like you also mentioned I don’t honestly know what been going on with Traxxas recently? But some things aren’t going right.🤷🏻♂️👍💯💯🙂👌
Yeah it's definitely odd.
Thanks for your honest opinion and especially love how you broke it down to show us all the internals. Also love how you threw in a 3s system to see how it would handle it. Definitely gonna be a money pit it you want more power out of it.
Yeah I don't think you'd be able to get away without at least a center differential and it's associated parts
Yikes.. I'm glad I ordered the Omni Terminator from rlaarlo lol
Thank you for the vid. I always enjoy it. Very very helpful. 🙂
OT is a good truck
You hit the nail right on the head. Traxxas has lost touch with rc consumers and their prices. I have a couple Arrma's and a couple from Traxxas, but I won't be buying Traxxas again until they come back to reality!
Yeah I'm really not sure what they're doing. I guess they're still making money but it's kind of weird
I was already annoyed at the $84 center diff, but the sheer amount of work it would be to install is enough to put me off buying this. I’ll wait a year and get it either on sale or for sub 200 used
It's not the worst car to work on and it's nice that the fasteners are all pretty big but it's definitely not the easiest either
I figured that the mini Maxx would require a bunch of upgrades to get it close to the competition. It still looks like a cool platform if money is no object 👍
Yeah if you aren't concerned about money it definitely has potential. At a center differential and 3S Steel CVDs and it'll probably be a blast. Of course you're going to be at 550 bucks at that point
@@DoRC Didn't we have to buy another version of the Grom in order to just get something decent??
Love your screw by screw tear down! great video! Thanks for all the great info
Glad you enjoy! If you guys keep watching them I'll keep making them :-)
Thank you for the video. I was really looking forward to buying one but I’d rather not now. I’ll be in it almost as much as a 4s maxx by the time it’s all said and done with the upgrades etc…
Pretty much.
For me…. As a person that’s been in the hobby since the 90’s. I see the price point because of the battery and charger that comes with it. That would make the truck closer to 200.00. But that’s really about it. Great smaller beginner truck with 10th scale electrics. Good video.
Eh. You can get a comparable non-Traxis branded battery for less than $20 and I wouldn't put the value of the charger at more than $20 either. It's also important to note that the vast majority of small RCs on the market today come with a battery and charger so when comparing pricing the inclusion of a battery and charger don't really help much
Good video. Seems like for $260 we're getting a very basic version of this mini Maxx. For that price atleast include a center diff and stronger front and rear diffs.
$270:(
I got my son one of these as a step up over some cheapie amazon rando brands. He sheered that same front pinion gear, totally stock, in his first 15 mins on his first battery.
That's a bummer.
I absolutely wasn't sure how this was going to go i wanted to wait and see
I had a feeling it would have some bugs to work out
So I'm glad I had a reservation on this vehicle
Are you still going to get it?
That transmitter, while very basic, does have the red button on top which is used for programming. There should be a card which explains the way to enter the codes and make the changes.
Yes you can use the set button but on the TQ literally all it allows you to do is reverse channels. I just checked the manual and there is no other functionality. The TQI on the other hand has a ton of programming features
Great review! The Omni Terminator Carbon is less expensive than this one…. And fore sure the more capable rig.
Hard to argue with that.
Best RC channel on UA-cam! Always so stoked to see you’ve gotten your hands on something. Love how you tear everything down and go through it bit by bit. (because I do the same thing with my new RCs haha)
Any chance of fitting the Hoss/Stampede/Rustler/Slash center diff in there or is it specific to the Mini Maxx? Thanks so much for crushing it with these videos! 🤘
Unfortunately I don't think so. It's going to be specific to the minimax
@ hey thanks for the insight! I figured as much but didn’t hurt to ask.
@@Curly21029 Yeah it would be nice if it was but it's probably a little bit too big which is why they went with a bespoke version or they just wanted to make more money.
I'm impressed how well the body stays on, both my Xmaxx and Maxx it pops off every crash 😂
Yeah this newer side clip system works a lot better. It did get dislodged a couple of times but never came completely off which is all I care about. If I can drive it back to me to put it back on I'm happy
You should see Tomley’s review then. He has a whole montage of it popping off 😂
It's a neat truck but, on the fence with this one. Thanks for your info.
It's tough to recommend but if you really don't mind spending the money you'll probably have a decent time with it.
Definitivamente El Mejor Videl de review Que . Definitely the best review video you'll see today.
Thanks!
You're opinion is worth a great deal !!!This is is absolutely a let down. Traxxas seem to not really care at the moment. They have missed a chance here. Maybe it will come back and bite them. Only my opinion.
I'm not sure why their prices are as high as they are but it doesn't feel like it will be sustainable. What do I know though
Honest review as always, trusted channel, thank you for that mind :)
Thanks for watching Glad you enjoyed!
Honest question as i have one waiting for me at the hobby shop once they can sell it on black Friday. So i already have a spare VXL 3s sitting in my parts bin. Is this worth getting or an i better off spending that money towards a Mojave Grom BLX, Omni Terminator, or the new rally?
Also curious on the size difference between this, the Omni Terminator, and the ROG1. I appreciate any info you have and thank you for the great and honest review video!
It's a little bigger than an ROG-1 and a little smaller than an ot. Worth it is hard to advise. If you like it and you want it then it's probably worth it.
@DoRC I get that, I appreciate the reply! I did really want it but there's so many great RCs that have just been released within the past month I'm having my doubts now. So many decisions to make lol. I may go with one of the others and wait a little bit on the MM. Decisions, decisions!
@joeymendoza3859
I got the Mojove grom and a MT10 instead.
I was considering getting this truck at some point, but you've changed my mind.
Yeah I hate to turn people off from getting new things but this is a tough one to justify
@@DoRC Don't hate it, I'm grateful you do this
@@RaidenRC Glad you enjoy and thanks for watching!
I got my son one, and its bad ass!! To each their own.. This is for little kids, and it does the job.. My 4 year old loves it..
That's awesome! As long as you don't mind spending the money it's a pretty cool car
@@dokedoker3340 maybe. I've seen 4-year-olds drive RC cars before
Thanks for your honest review... Salute!
Thanks for watching!
Awesome bashing and review, dude! 😃
But I don't know, I just bought a 1/32 the other day and THAT'S a mini for me! 😬
(It's that 35 bucks kamtom model that looks like a 60s muscle car. And I highly recommend it!)
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
There definitely is no set definition for a mini. For me anything smaller than 1/10 kind of fits. This is on the upper end and the OT is really on the upper end but I would still consider this to be a mini. I guess it's more about the feel than anything else. When you pick up this car it feels small and light.
@@DoRC I see. Is it a 1/14 or 1/16?
1/16 is kinda standard size to me. 😂
My first mini was an arrma granite grom and I have drove that tiny truck off of so many ramps at the skatepark and other than destroying the body on it that lil thing still runs great with no issues. And when I say I drove that truck...I mean hard.... like flips and shit ....and trust me ...I don't always land on all 4 wheels 🤷
Yeah it's a tough little basher! Can't wait for a blx version.
I agree. Traxxas has been making some questionable decisions. I don't mean to judge but they may need to hurry up and update their updates. Especially w some new heavy hitters on the scene.
You rock!
Or at least lower their prices. The recent sale they had shows just how big their profit margins probably are.
TWO DoRc vids in a few hours?! Are we in heaven?? Am I dead?? 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽✅️💯❤️
After all that editing I feel dead :-)
Did you know that all the centerdiff parts except the spurgear is the same as the Traxxas 4x4 platform? 😏. The mini has a 47t and the rest a 54! The rest should be bolt on!
Watch...I'm betting in about 2 weeks a VXL version will debut with a center diff for the low low price of OMG that's gonna be pricey. LOL. Seems like traxxas' MO (modus operandi) as of late. Also, awesome channel man. I've been a watcher for a long time and I've been in the hobby almost 40 years. You do really good content.
Yeah given all of the upgrades that they have I'd be surprised if we didn't get a VXL version at some point
Great review, I am still going to get mine and it is for the under powered reason. I have a Maxx and with my limited area sometimes it is a little too fast for where I can run it, so this one should be more fun only for that reason.
Yeah if you keep this stock and you don't mind spending the money you'll have fun with it. It's not terrible though it definitely isn't the best handling car out there.
I have owned the Traxxas Mini Maxx for a few weeks and gotten to run a few times. The major weakness I found is the motor mount. Plus the design of how the ESC is mounted.
When my motor mount cracked the motor shifted upward and sheared the signal wires flush with the ESC. Unfortunately that's not the repairs or cost I was expecting.
I don't trust the motor mount now, so to fix that I feel like I need an aluminum motor mount, plus a new ESC. Getting to be a pretty expensive repair right there.
That's a bummer. I've heard a couple other reports of broken motor mounts as well.
Hot racing makes an aluminum replacement. It comes with an optional battery harness replacement. $70 I didn't plan to spend on this vehicle
@@DoRC I want to let you know, I really enjoy your content. I've learned a lot about the hobby watching your videos.
@wilnetz6201 ah. Yeah I suspect a lot of people are spending money that they didn't plan to on these cars
@wilnetz6201 That's awesome! I'm glad you enjoy the videos and thanks for watching them :-)
I do wonder how much a stock power system but geared up would help? 3300 kv on 2s is already VERY conservative on a 10th scale, I wonder how far you can push this stock system gearing wise.
Not sure. There's probably some room in there
I'm glad you're mentioning how they're pricing some of these vehicles just because of their name and less than what you're buying.
I honestly don't know what Traxxas is doing with their pricing. It's kind of crazy
From what l have seen in your video the Rlaarlo Terminator completely whoops it's ass. I still think the Terminator is the best deal out there. I knew the mini Max was going to need 3s power from the door to be impressive and definitely knew it was going to need the metal center diff. Welcome to the world of Traxxas. Buying an RTR truck then having to dump 200$ into the truck on upgrades.
The OT isn't perfect and it definitely has its own weaknesses but you do get a lot more for your money
I am far from impressed with this truck after watching your video. I don't think l am going to spend 500$ on a mini for it to live up to my expectations. Think l will just stick with the Omni Terminator carbon fiber edition l have and the Rogue 1. Both of them are the best Mini bashers that l have ever had.
Traxxas did well with the 3s mini revos. Mine is still going strong, and it's nearly five years old. On 2s, it's fast and torquey. All I've done is add some metal skid plates and some other goodies that are more bling. I have not broken it in all that time, and it's eaten some curbs before and worse. However the drive line has only seen WD40 during the winters and bearings, but besides that, it's 100%. I feel like the Minimax is trying to appeal to the mini market but they upkeep their prices like Apple does because they are a "premium product" I don't see that much anymore they need to bring something new to the market instead of making downsized models. I bet the Slash 6s is gonna get a mini version soon since it's of the Maxx platform.
I'm not sure what's causing them to have their prices so high but they need to fix it
I’ll stick with my carbon onmi-t that was $200 RTR on sale.
Good luck catching this thing on sale for years.
Yeah It sucks too because it's a cool little car it's just not almost $300 cool
I have the same fear about the plastic driveshaft, and you have to get the center diff or limited slip to use the aluminum shaft according to traxxas's website (I guess it's a different length? Don't know why else you couldn't use it with the stock spur).
Interesting. I didn't realize that
The last time I bought an R/C was a NEW Associated RC10 B2. (30 years ago?) It retailed for over 600.00...nothing on it, nothing in it. The body? Who cares. Everyone bought a separate body that they actually wanted. They came clear and we had to paint them. Same went for the tires. The tires that came on the car were rarely used. We outfit our cars with electronics we wanted. We hand wound our own motors and built our own battery packs too. Also, RTR was almost not even a thing. You had to build any car worthy of anything.
That said, you should be able to take any car available and make it what you want. Plenty of Grasshoppers back in the day running in the modified A Mains with the big boys. That's why it's called a hobby. Those who bought their way into a fast car rarely knew much about their car.
Nice review. Thank you for the tear down and analysis. It was enlightening.
Yeah you will be able to do that with this one but it'll cost a lot and these days you can get really good RCs RTR right out of the box.
As stock form its good for small areas,it takes so quickly that 30mph and stops well
Yes and no. It also doesn't really handle that well and really likes to end up on its roof a lot.
I feel like you nailed it, for the price point you kinda are stuck, I mean 270 is like 1/10 scale size and power. I wanna like it but makes no sense when I can buy a Arrma typhon for $60 more lol on 3s
Yeah especially when you're going to have to spend another nearly $200 to make it 3S
Traxxas is in their own world in general.. nothing they make stands out. Nothing they make is necessarily bad, but nowhere near their competition. For example the Jato 2S.. like.. bro.. $330 for a 2S 30mph buggy, when all the rest like the Typhon 223S goes 50 mph, has a center diff, metal gears (mostly), a gyro, and easier maintenance.. for the same price..
Traxxas knows what they're doing though. They have their hardcore fanboys that would buy a tree branch with a Traxxas sticker on it for $100
Maybe so but it seems like a poor long-term strategy
I had high hopes for this as I have the 4s Maxx but man im glad I scrolled onto this video. This reminds me a lot of my mini revo as out of the box it was fast on 3s or 2nimh packs but it kept on blowing diffs, i wound up shimming the diffs properly and installed the center diff and no more blown diffs since but it also came at the price of speed and well money lol. Seems like Traxxas keep doing the same thing which is a disappointment and I think im gonna pass on it, I did pick up a Aarma Typhon grom 223s and it has blown me away I just really expected more from this. Thanks for the honest review it has saved me some money.
Yeah this definitely feels a lot like that where they designed the platform to not really be able to handle the power people are going to want to put in it
yeah boy! Was waiting for the DoRC review!
Hope it didn't disappoint!
@@DoRC never does! Thanks for what you do!
i almost always agree with most of what you say but my repairs of my grom typhon have been less than ideal for a cheap small vehicle. the wheel hexes are almost impossible to remove without destroying them, differentials requires a ton of disassembly and the CVD rebuild kits have a bunch of parts you dont need
Irrelevant 🤦
Interesting. The hexes just unscrew and I've never had an issue with them. The diffs are just about the easiest in the industry to remove (8 screws total). Not sure about extra parts but that doesn't seem like a terrible thing. Most people consider the Groms to be very easy to work on overall.
I got 2 words, Omni Terminator. If I was in the market for a mini MT...
The OT is a good truck. It definitely has its weak points as well but I feel like they're easier to overlook than the weak points on this truck
Bought the Savage XS for my son. Seems like its a bit more durable, but the slipper clutch is a pain, plus its cramped and pretty hard to work on. I know you have experience from the XS, how would you say they compare?
Overall I'd rate them pretty similarly. Of course if the Savage had less power like the mini Max does it probably wouldn't have as many problems. Ultimately the biggest problem with the XS is lack of parts and upgrade availability. It has a few pretty serious weak points like the slipper clutch that they're just is no solution to.
@DoRC here in Europe parts are pretty easy to come by. Yeah the clutch is a big problem. That and that the diff gears arent available in better quality like the CVDs and drive train cups. Stupid not to offer higher quality parts for the entire drive train
Very well said. Great review as always. I appreciate you. 👍🏾
Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching!
@ yes sir. Great content brother. 👊🏾
On the slash variant cars/trucks the inner driveshaft bearing and the slipper clutch bearing are the same thing.
Not sure what exactly you're referring to here.
Performance wise, I’d put my ROG1 against that any day!! Loving the videos man!!! Keep it up, I really appreciate them!! 🤘🏻
Yeah I think the ROG one definitely has this beat. It can tend to tear itself apart If you're heavy-handed but just run it on two s and it's fine and still faster than this
As someone who owns a Maxx plus 2 stampedes and a GROM I find traxxas aluminum to be HORRENDOUSLY overpriced, like seriously $90 CAD for a servo saver when a HR one is 50 bucks? 160 Dollars for a light kit? $220 for a (crappy) servo, traxxas is way over their head when it comes to upgrades.
(I couldn’t help add some more)
Looking through the Traxxas upgrades for the mini Maxx it’s just as bad 125 clams for GTR shocks! 160 for metal driveshafts!!! That’s the same as the Max Maxx! Holy moley this is crazy. Plus the proprietary battery like seriously, I don’t like my GROM for having it but I do know that you can change them to a standard balance lead but still!
Yeah their prices are really something else.
I'm an Arrma guy, currently own 9 Arrmas from Groms up to 6s, what i love about Arrma vehicles, they are so much easier to upgrade or replace parts compared to Traxxas always making it difficult to take their vehicles apart and their electronics being sort of proprietary and over priced. Great video as always, thanks for sharing.
Arrma definitely seems to be giving more value for money these days
I went into my hobby shop the other day to pre-order the mini Maxx, I originally saw on the advertising. It was $250, and when I went into pre-order they said it was $270. I still went through with the pre-order but found it very scummy to increase the price when you had already announced it at a certain price.
After watching this video And seeing the cost cutting measures, and lack of a center differential and every additional part being the same price as a 1/8 scale vehicle, doesn’t make any sense. I’m going to cancel my pre-order.
Yeah I hate to steer people away from getting something new but for the money I think you can do better
Traxxas used to love tags and zip ties back in the day
For sure. They've gotten away from that for the most part these days
While I can see where you and many others would have reservations about the price the one at our shop looks to be nearly all 10th scale things
Stuff like the plastic gear servos and the center drive I would love to see if the plethora of 10 th scale diffs can fit those housings
If so then there’s tons of ways to upgrade on the cheap (I regularly see slash rally stampede for 100 on line with upgraded servos sporting the 3s,vxl system )
That being said you can easily sell off the new take offs to someone and recoupe some cash off the price of car while paying for the market place buy as well
I’d loved to see what exactly broke and how it needed to be replaced
Considering you tossed a higher power system in it vs gearing up I can see why it broke
Plus you were not being real easy
I like your videos and am not bashing I just think it should been expected with large tires and bigger power you’d break something in driveline
I also would like to see what the center diff looks like for a upgrade
To some degree I can understand where you're coming from and having one 10th scale parts is nice but I don't think any other one 10 scale differentials are going to fit. If Traxxas was going to make them compatible they would have just used those differentials.
You definitely can sell off some of the stock parts to recoup part of the cost of the upgrades but that's really only going to apply to the motor and ESC. Let's say you can end up getting the VXL 3S for $50 after selling off your BL-2s system. You then need a differential that all in is going to cost you around $65. Once you add up the cost of the vehicle itself you're looking at a shade under $400. For a bit less than that you can get any of the 3S Arrma and for around half that price you can get a Rlaarlo Omni Terminator.
I'm not saying that this car doesn't have the potential to be good and I'm not saying that out of the box people can't have fun with it. What I am saying is that for the extreme premium price they're charging the car needs to be extremely premium and it just isn't.
@
I don’t have the experience with the other brands aside the arrma
Well and traxxas
Shame they didn’t follow suit with the diffs as they did with the servo and esc combo
That being said it beats their mini e revo for sure and idk if the grom platforms would run in the grass like you did there
Sure seemed like that truck wanted to be on its roof
I’m sure they’ll come out with wide kit
But wished a center diff was standard
Traxxas has been known to follow the social media and get rid of issues when consumers complain
That being said perhaps they will make a stronger part
I’d love to see what exactly broke there
Was it the center shaft or the input shaft
And if input shaft was it sintered or plastic
I’ve seen some cars mix match diffs with metal and plastic
Even front and rear cause the center is fairly well known for having that in traxxas The plastic spur and metal pinion
Don’t like that you can’t see the gear meshing when you swapped motors… also 3s seems a bit much lol. Mine is on the way and I’ll be keeping the bl-2s in it (wasn’t planning to) get a bigger pinion in it and grab a center differential. Also gonna be getting the wheelie bar and the body reinforcements. Overall I think it fits the maxx family pretty well.
Yeah if you don't mind spending the money I'm sure it'll be fun!
I haven't bought traxxas in along time must be for the rich kids looks like the omni terminator is under the tree this year 😊
OT is a good one!
I would definitely say the Arrma grom BLX vehicles have it beat. For the price and durability Arrma has the clear win in this category or Rc cars not to mention you have to upgrade this car to the vxl to hit 50 mph while the arrma grom systems are already capable of doing that
Yeah this is bigger but you can just put bigger tires on the Typhon.
@ agreed