Dead-on timing for popping-up each rig's videos at the end. That really is the tip of the iceberg on the care and detail you put into each of these vids, from the build, driving, cameras, off-camera commentary... I really wish I could share more often your content, because it's a really stellar effort. Great job, Craig. I am absolutely gutted with the Gmade, as it's probably my favorite of these rigs too, with a close second from Element's offering. I've been wondering about two things about the two types of issues you've had. About the driveshafts, was each end on phase? and about the c-clip, is it able to accept any measure of washers to fine-tune the backlash between the R&P? I do eventually plan on getting both a Gmade, though the Buffalo, for a more of a capable trail truck rig, as well as Element's V2 Builder's kit to make it more of an all out scale crawler with my own body, wheels tires to make it very much my own thing. If anything, a third rig to complement these would be a Gladiator for its unique wheelbase coupled with the portals and the dig option, which, IMO, make for a very complete trail-crawler garage. As much as I could have it all in one single package, I can't seem to stomach the Traxxas, as good as I reckon it is for a complete package. It just seems so obvious and easy way out, that I don't even consider it. Shows how much of a mental issue I have, when I reject the solution to most problems you might have whenever you're deciding for the best option. It gets rid of the fun of it, doesn't it?
Firstly, thank you for the compliment. It was really nice to have that detail noticed! Heh. Secondly, the E clip allows for no shimming, but as someone pointed out on a previous video, it could be possible to shim the ring gear across a tad to snug it further against the pinion. I investigated this closely and found two things: one, you can shim the ring gear across by 0.1mm at most, and two, it isn't necessary. I don't believe it was a question of shimming, mesh, clearance etc. when it failed. The gears just aren't strong and I shouldn't have run on 4S at all. Other crawlers, even the budget oriented Gen 8 V2 would take it, but the gmade is using outdated manufacturing for its diff gears and it just isn't up to the stress of modern power systems. My conclusion on this is that 5-slot motor on 3S will be the way to go. We will see. The shafts were in phase, as were the axles (the axles can't help but be, from this design). I like what you're planning for future rigs. I find your approach to the TRX4 both hilarious and familiar, though I've overcome this for the sake of my channel (gonna try everything I can get my hands on - there's a Knightrunner en route to me right now, for example). There are some bad points for the TRX4 - for one thing, she's a heavy beastie in comparison to the Element and GMade offerings. Anyway, I'll do more videos soon that cover similar topics around rig decisions and comparisons. They're a bit of work but worth it for many of us, including me! Cheers :)
@@RCTNT . I'm in some FB/gmade/crawler groups and some people have advised not to run a brushless system in the gmade. Seems the diff gears and the long shaft in the transmission are prone to breaking. I guess they just can't handle the power. I'm glad I took that advice. Was going to go with a castle system in mine but when with a HW 1080/HH crawlmaster 10t in the bom and a HH trail master 21t in the Buffalo. I've had no problems so far but I ckinds baby my stuff too. Plus, trying to flip a rig back on it's wheels (like you where doing) is hard on the front drive train. Yes, I know it should take it but it is what it is. I like mine but I wouldn't recommend one. Here in the US , aftermarket is basically nonexistent and parts can be hard to get. Actually, the ring and pinion in the diff of the element is their biggest weak spot also. On my 3rd one in an IFS trail walker I have. No problems with the straight axles though. Still better than the gmade but not as good as an axial ar44. Enjoy your content!! Keep them coming!!
@@warpspeed9.985 thank you for the info. I can understand "no brushless", for sure. Even my 40T brushed motor seems too much for it on 3S. I think a 5-slot motor on 3S will be a good match for the drive-train. Or a regular brushed system on 2S. It's a shame, this is otherwise an incredible platform. Thanks for your thoughts :)
Great video as always. You have covered the top 3 most interesting rigs for getting into crawlers. I don’t know a lot about the Gmade but I agree 100% about the TRX4 and the Element senduro. IMO the sendero has way more potential for rocks but the TRX4 is the “multipurpose” rig to go. Hard choice, but you coverd all the main facts to make the right decision. Keep the good work!
Thank you :) The Gen 8 needs a look in too, but I was focusing on rock crawling for this one. I'm going to do an all rounder choice video soon and or a budget limited one as well. Stay tuned!
Just to add another option into the mix, I've recently bought one of the new AT4V pickup truck kits from Cross-RC. This truck features portal axles, 2-speed transmission and remote-operated diff-locks. I've just finished the kit build, including the integration of some upgrade parts and it is looking like a great truck. See my series of videos on the new AT4V including unboxing and step-by-step kit build on my channel, BlackSeaRC.
My AT4 EMO video drops Sunday night :) Great rig ain't it! From the other day: Possible new contender for most capable 4x4 crawler in stock form! We will test & find out soon! #at4emo instagram.com/p/CU9KnMUvvD5/?
@@RCTNT Can't wait to see it in action! I have the pick-up version and it really looks great. I know it isn't a licensed body but it has a character of its own that is quite appealing.
hi, great video, i have two gs02 trucks wich one of them is used by my 4 year old boy, both running Brushless on 2s,never had problem with them,maby is just the case of setting slipper coluch properly
Awesome video mate very detailed 👌 I've got the scx10.3 jeep jl but looking for a new rig to build for comps so far I'm looking at either the sport or phoenix portal for chassis im probably going to go with the phoenix for the overdrive but I do really like the look of the sport body 😀
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I've got my VS4-10 built but I'm having some trouble getting the transmission to work properly. It's otherwise been finished for over a week and I'm itching to test it and do the review, but I just can't get it to drive yet! I've pulled it apart 4 times so far and after literally 8 or 10 hours over the last week trying to work it out, I've decided today to pull the gearbox completely apart, degrease the lot, then build from scratch all over again. It's been doing my head in, a bit! Not my first build, either, but it has been a little frustrating! It looks like it'll be a truly great rig - once I get it going!
That's a shame about the g-made I really liked the look of their military/blazer truck. I've ordered the element ecto which will be my first Element vehicle, they have impressed me with their build quality and performance out of the box. Great vid 👍👍
Thanks, and yes, it is a shame. It isn't over yet though. I started by treating this thing like the other crawlers (4S, no slipper, high torque motor) but really it may do well with a light touch and a lower budget! 5-slot motor, 3S, a little slack in the slipper and just maybe it'll be a poised performance king. We shall see! The Ecto looks interesting. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Element is really on the ball of late!
I am not into extrem scale but I ordered optional gears to eliminate the front overdrive on my Gmade. Somehow didn't feel right to have it 😅 maybe that is the problem? Did drive in a crawlerpark a few times pushed my daughter on a Bobbycar towed other cars and also engaged the slipper with a not good fitting snow plow.
Did my gears hold? Yes. But no more 3S or 4S operating, they're just not strong enough. 2S is ample, given the wide space between 1st and 2nd gears, so it's been fine since then.
@@Nordlicht05 that's slower than I'd think with something as fast as 35T and stock gearing. Still, the power is the issue, not the speed. I'd have thought 3s would be fine but no, these gears really aren't good. Still, you haven't broken yours yet so you're doing something right!
Excellent video as always, really love your technical approach. I've ordered a Gmade Buffalo for a trail rig with light crawler use. Planned on running it with a Holmes Trailmaster on 2S hopefully it should be fine.🤞 Couldn't resist the Blazer body. I don't own anything Traxxas bit the TTX4 kit may get me. I love building kits and winter is coming....
Hey, thanks, I appreciate it. I also think you're onto a winner with your plan with the Buffalo. 2S on nearly any brushed motor should be okay, honestly. I'm going with the Crawlmaster as I think 5-slot is the key to 3S success with this platform, but we'll both end up with similar wheel speed and torque at the end of the day and I suspect we'll both be happy. I just took the... long way to find the answer! lol oh well, now we all know! 4S and Gmade bad! 2S or 3S and 5-slot good! Happy building!
Great review. Am really thinking about a GMade as a second truck. I have fully upgraded TRX4 which I love. But want something capable that doesn’t need all the money thrown at it straight out the box. In the year since posting, are you aware of anyone machining diff gears? Or is the only option still the cast ones? Great video. Thanks!
Thanks. Cast gears remain the only choice, so my recommendation is to run this only on 2S. The 2-speed transmission means you'll still have speed and it is a very valuable crawler without needing any upgrades, so I think this would be a good choice.
@@RCTNT Thank you. I appreciate that. I run 3s in my other truck, but I do have a couple 2s batteries. So that’ll do me fine! And I might just grab a couple spare gears! Cheers for the reply and the review!
I have one of the Higher end TRX4s, a Blazer, and i use it almost Exclusively for trailing. and shes a heavy beast with a full interior. But what I have to say is the locking diffs, and a shifting tranny lets me Mob it like a basher and crawl as good ass my friends with lighter trucks. i changed wheels and tires that looked good, and put in a 1280 Hobbywing (because i smoked the stock esc but they areabout the same speed.) the 2 speed and locking diffs are worth it if youre gonna play with the thing every day.
@@RCTNT I just got a Pofusion 2300 for it to replace the 1280 init now . i hear it fixes all my gripes, it should scream in top gear. my buddys got a couple of the 6x6s, and the stock trx4 Blazerdrove circles round it. ive added a bunch of weight since then. Its My Slowest truck, but its tied for smiles on my face
Nice. I have several of the Fusion and AXE systems and a 2300k Fusion Pro here waiting to go into something also. Excellent systems, aren't they! I have an original AXE 1200kv powering my BC8. That thing weighs about 45lb when fully loaded with log trailer and it pulls off road from a stop in 2nd gear. Crazy!
@@RCTNT the 1280 pro fusion never did me wrong.Ive been playing with it for months . Ive tried to burn one up The 1280 in a trx 4 in high pulled me sitting in a desk chair across the room., andi weigh lighe 200 pounds.
Gutted to see that, as I have just completed my gmade buffalo. I don't suppose that axial Ar44 axle gears will fit? even if it means using different drive shafts, I know that axial knuckles fit on gmades axle without mods. I have got a5 slot 16 turn motor and 3S power like you said, I guess I just have to see what happens. Hopefully SSD or RC4WD will make some aftermarket ones.
Have you had any experience with team associated ecto ??? And how is parts to get for the G made. I asked that question too fast. It was the next truck up. Sorry.
Haven't got any plans for the Ecto, sorry. I know very little about this one - gotta pace myself and the channel budget and this one hasn't been a priority yet! However, I have moderate experience with the Enduro platform in the Sendero, Gatekeeper and Knightrunner and all three have been consistently good in terms of quality and performance. The Ecto is probably similarly good, at a guess. I like what Element are doing these days. The gmade has needed diff gears. I'm very impressed with its performance but not with its drive-train durability. Keep an eye on them though, gmade continue to improve. I've been in touch with gmade regarding the diff gears. They have no plan yet for cut steel gears but it could be a thing in future.
You can crawl with this, but don't tighten the slipper clutch all the way and go 4s battery like he did. Slipper clutch saves gears. Especially the ones in pot metal. Gears for this are cheap. 5$ for pinion, 7-8$ for ring gear. Replacing a trx-4 bronco 2022 body is expensive. This thing has 35$ body shell, 55$ complete body kit with everything included bumpers, plastic details, light buckets, and decals. Tune it right and it shouldn't be expensive to own. I'm still hoping for option parts like hardened metal gears for the diff. I've used mine probably 8-10hours. Nothing broken with 3s battery and 110mm tires. In that runtime I've destroyed many parts on my 2014 scx10.
@@stevewest7260 I've jumped my gs02f probably 20 times from 2 feet high. No issues. My friend jumped his new axial bomber from same hight 3-4 times and destroyed the front axle housing plus bent the internal driveshaft. He had similar damage on his axial wraith.
I only used 4S on the first run that first day. Since then it's been 3S and when it broke on this video, it wasn't being subjected to anything harsh at all. I'm hoping with a 5-slot motor it'll be good, longer term. We'll see!
@@RCTNT I think the fully tightened slipper clutch where you'll significantly reduce durability. Especially with electric motor that has a lot of torque from low rpm.
Hi there, first day watching your vids, and im really in love with the GS02F, but this diff and drive shaft weakness is just a pain in the butt... have you found any solutions to it? And if not, would i be able to swap out drive shafts to steal ones, if i also changed both axles to lets say, trx4 axles or something of "normal" durability?
Thanks and welcome! I asked gmade about better qualify gears but they have no plans to make them (that they shared with me anyway). So, best solution is to simply install an appropriate power system - a 5-pole 16 turn 540 motor, for example, or a 13 to 15 turn 550 5-pole. The Holmes Hobbies CrawlMaster Sport would be fine here. Run on 2S or 3S, it'll be fine. Just stay away from punchier motors and you'll be fine with the OEM running gear. It's such a capable vehicle, you'll soon forget about the lower power. It's amazing on the rocks - and you still have a decent second gear for a bit of speed when you want it!
@@RCTNT man that sucks arse! I want 4s on that stupidly beautiful thing. No aftermarket companies making diff gears for the axles yet? If not, ill buy the rig and get some treal alu scx10 iii axles. Wanted to use it as a towing trail rig :D towing is no good with gears as soft as butter, but you sure know that 😃
@@jannicklunddallarsen5668 no hardened gears available last time I looked, but I haven't looked since November 2021. It may change, dunno. There are better choices for tow rigs. This thing is light and is designed to crawl. The Gen 8 V2, TRX4 platform in general, SCX10, among others, are all going to be better in front of a trailer. Tougher running gear, too. But the GS02F is gorgeous and a real performer so I can appreciate why you're looking at it!
@@RCTNT well I already have my trx6 towing my flatgekko lcg cheater rig. So I got some great towing and comp rigs already. I would buy this, only cause of some Camel trophy events in denmark this year, and only 4x4s scalers are allowed, so I cant use either of my rigs. So I wanted to build a nice looking 4x4 that also crawls really well. And I got my mind set on the gs02f already hehe. The transmission outputs to the drive shafts, they can take universal driveshafts right? Its only the axle end of the drive shaft that is proprietary eh?
@Jannick Lunddal Larsen I believe this is the case, but I'll have to check for you. It's been a while! Yep, just checked my write up (rc-tnt.com/rc-crawler-reviews/gmade-bom-tc-gs02f/). Normal outputs from the transmission. I like your thinking. This thing will destroy (if overdrive is allowed)!
Nothing yet, I haven't looked at it! (I still live under a rock generally - it's a strength and a weakness of this channel. A strength because you only will ever hear my own opinion from my experience with a vehicle. A weakness in that I'm not always aware of the latest and greatest trends in the hobby). I'll look into it and maybe a video will appear at some point :) Meanwhile, I'll reply again here if I have an opinion after a first look! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Ok, I've put my name down for one. We'll have a look at it whenever I finally get it! I tried to buy it from Amain but they won't ship to Australia for this, even though they did ship the Knightrunner for me last week. Go figure. It looks like the same old Enduro with a few updates. But, sometimes small changes can have a big effect. We shall see! (If it's as good as the Sendero HD, which it will be at a guess, then it would have been perfect in this video! We'll have to settle for the Sendero HD RTR in the meantime!)
That would own this little comparison now wouldn't it! (check out my 6 month tour video for a peek at my finished VS4-10. Video coming soon!) ua-cam.com/video/QYOSQOo6CUY/v-deo.html
@@jeffsrcchannel2191 including one Phoenix VS4-10 with a faulty (new) servo that I'm replacing right now. I sure can't wait to test this thing! Hopefully today!
It came out, but isn't damaged. My grub screw was installed with loctite and is still secure. Haven't looked closer than that yet but everything looks undamaged. I've got to pull the whole truck apart soon, I'm just waiting on a delivery of a 5-slot motor so I can down-tune the rig to give it another chance as a great crawler. I want it to succeed, it's just so good on the rocks. When I do that I'll go over the drive line in detail and look for what happened and why. We shall see!
I made a 3d printable part on thingiverse that fixed this pin issue for me. This is where axial wb8 hd driveshaft has better design. You'll pay 7$ for a different axle pinion outdrive style and you can use almost any other crawler driveshafts between axles and gearbox. I've lost my first pin after 5minutes driving. Not a single one after many hours with the extra sleeve. The last pin issue I had was scx10 cva pin breakage. I wear them out frequently on my axial. Much thicker cva pins on ga44 axles. Needle bearing pins are much cheaper than oem rc car pins.
@@thor_4017 nice, thank you. I'll look into that. I've also used a quality fabric tape as an outer sleeve in some vehicles and that tends to last a couple of years between replications. I haven't pulled everything apart yet but I'll keep this in mind when I do. Thanks!
My RC friend, this was an opinion piece, not a scientific experiment! I encourage you to make your own if you feel differently, there's room for all our opinions in this great hobby :) Thanks for watching!
@@stevemdelacruz5602 I'd prefer to have no brownie points from anyone. I actually contacted them directly and sent them my GMade Boom TC video and asked about cut steel gears. They may get back to me but I'm not holding my breath!
Dead-on timing for popping-up each rig's videos at the end. That really is the tip of the iceberg on the care and detail you put into each of these vids, from the build, driving, cameras, off-camera commentary... I really wish I could share more often your content, because it's a really stellar effort. Great job, Craig.
I am absolutely gutted with the Gmade, as it's probably my favorite of these rigs too, with a close second from Element's offering.
I've been wondering about two things about the two types of issues you've had. About the driveshafts, was each end on phase? and about the c-clip, is it able to accept any measure of washers to fine-tune the backlash between the R&P?
I do eventually plan on getting both a Gmade, though the Buffalo, for a more of a capable trail truck rig, as well as Element's V2 Builder's kit to make it more of an all out scale crawler with my own body, wheels tires to make it very much my own thing. If anything, a third rig to complement these would be a Gladiator for its unique wheelbase coupled with the portals and the dig option, which, IMO, make for a very complete trail-crawler garage.
As much as I could have it all in one single package, I can't seem to stomach the Traxxas, as good as I reckon it is for a complete package. It just seems so obvious and easy way out, that I don't even consider it. Shows how much of a mental issue I have, when I reject the solution to most problems you might have whenever you're deciding for the best option. It gets rid of the fun of it, doesn't it?
Firstly, thank you for the compliment. It was really nice to have that detail noticed! Heh.
Secondly, the E clip allows for no shimming, but as someone pointed out on a previous video, it could be possible to shim the ring gear across a tad to snug it further against the pinion.
I investigated this closely and found two things: one, you can shim the ring gear across by 0.1mm at most, and two, it isn't necessary. I don't believe it was a question of shimming, mesh, clearance etc. when it failed.
The gears just aren't strong and I shouldn't have run on 4S at all. Other crawlers, even the budget oriented Gen 8 V2 would take it, but the gmade is using outdated manufacturing for its diff gears and it just isn't up to the stress of modern power systems.
My conclusion on this is that 5-slot motor on 3S will be the way to go. We will see.
The shafts were in phase, as were the axles (the axles can't help but be, from this design).
I like what you're planning for future rigs. I find your approach to the TRX4 both hilarious and familiar, though I've overcome this for the sake of my channel (gonna try everything I can get my hands on - there's a Knightrunner en route to me right now, for example). There are some bad points for the TRX4 - for one thing, she's a heavy beastie in comparison to the Element and GMade offerings.
Anyway, I'll do more videos soon that cover similar topics around rig decisions and comparisons. They're a bit of work but worth it for many of us, including me! Cheers :)
@@RCTNT .
I'm in some FB/gmade/crawler groups and some people have advised not to run a brushless system in the gmade. Seems the diff gears and the long shaft in the transmission are prone to breaking. I guess they just can't handle the power. I'm glad I took that advice. Was going to go with a castle system in mine but when with a HW 1080/HH crawlmaster 10t in the bom and a HH trail master 21t in the Buffalo. I've had no problems so far but I ckinds baby my stuff too. Plus, trying to flip a rig back on it's wheels (like you where doing) is hard on the front drive train.
Yes, I know it should take it but it is what it is.
I like mine but I wouldn't recommend one. Here in the US , aftermarket is basically nonexistent and parts can be hard to get.
Actually, the ring and pinion in the diff of the element is their biggest weak spot also. On my 3rd one in an IFS trail walker I have. No problems with the straight axles though. Still better than the gmade but not as good as an axial ar44.
Enjoy your content!! Keep them coming!!
@@warpspeed9.985 thank you for the info. I can understand "no brushless", for sure. Even my 40T brushed motor seems too much for it on 3S. I think a 5-slot motor on 3S will be a good match for the drive-train. Or a regular brushed system on 2S. It's a shame, this is otherwise an incredible platform. Thanks for your thoughts :)
Great video as always. You have covered the top 3 most interesting rigs for getting into crawlers. I don’t know a lot about the Gmade but I agree 100% about the TRX4 and the Element senduro. IMO the sendero has way more potential for rocks but the TRX4 is the “multipurpose” rig to go. Hard choice, but you coverd all the main facts to make the right decision. Keep the good work!
Thank you :)
The Gen 8 needs a look in too, but I was focusing on rock crawling for this one. I'm going to do an all rounder choice video soon and or a budget limited one as well. Stay tuned!
Great video mate this channel is going to explode in subs in no time 👍🏼 Great honest down to earth fun enjoying all Rc’s.
Thank you kindly.
Just to add another option into the mix, I've recently bought one of the new AT4V pickup truck kits from Cross-RC. This truck features portal axles, 2-speed transmission and remote-operated diff-locks. I've just finished the kit build, including the integration of some upgrade parts and it is looking like a great truck. See my series of videos on the new AT4V including unboxing and step-by-step kit build on my channel, BlackSeaRC.
My AT4 EMO video drops Sunday night :)
Great rig ain't it!
From the other day:
Possible new contender for most capable 4x4 crawler in stock form! We will test & find out soon! #at4emo
instagram.com/p/CU9KnMUvvD5/?
@@RCTNT Can't wait to see it in action! I have the pick-up version and it really looks great. I know it isn't a licensed body but it has a character of its own that is quite appealing.
@@BlackSeaRC That it does indeed. Fabulous truck.
@@BlackSeaRC where were you able to find the pickup version? I’ve only ever found the blazer style
hi, great video, i have two gs02 trucks wich one of them is used by my 4 year old boy, both running Brushless on 2s,never had problem with them,maby is just the case of setting slipper coluch properly
Thanks, I think these will be perfect on 2S. Appreciate the thought on slipper clutch. Glad you're enjoying these with your boyo, that's great :)
Awesome video mate very detailed 👌 I've got the scx10.3 jeep jl but looking for a new rig to build for comps so far I'm looking at either the sport or phoenix portal for chassis im probably going to go with the phoenix for the overdrive but I do really like the look of the sport body 😀
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
I've got my VS4-10 built but I'm having some trouble getting the transmission to work properly. It's otherwise been finished for over a week and I'm itching to test it and do the review, but I just can't get it to drive yet! I've pulled it apart 4 times so far and after literally 8 or 10 hours over the last week trying to work it out, I've decided today to pull the gearbox completely apart, degrease the lot, then build from scratch all over again. It's been doing my head in, a bit! Not my first build, either, but it has been a little frustrating!
It looks like it'll be a truly great rig - once I get it going!
That's a shame about the g-made I really liked the look of their military/blazer truck. I've ordered the element ecto which will be my first Element vehicle, they have impressed me with their build quality and performance out of the box. Great vid 👍👍
Thanks, and yes, it is a shame.
It isn't over yet though. I started by treating this thing like the other crawlers (4S, no slipper, high torque motor) but really it may do well with a light touch and a lower budget!
5-slot motor, 3S, a little slack in the slipper and just maybe it'll be a poised performance king. We shall see!
The Ecto looks interesting. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Element is really on the ball of late!
The sendero is a great crawler. i been sticking to my trail honcho though. only thing id want is overdrive/underdrive
Nothing wrong with tried and true!
I am not into extrem scale but I ordered optional gears to eliminate the front overdrive on my Gmade. Somehow didn't feel right to have it 😅 maybe that is the problem? Did drive in a crawlerpark a few times pushed my daughter on a Bobbycar towed other cars and also engaged the slipper with a not good fitting snow plow.
Makes sense for a trail truck. I understand :)
@@RCTNT I edited a little.
Did the front drive hold after that?
Besides adding the gears for a 1:1 drive I did put in a ton of extra grease.
Did my gears hold? Yes. But no more 3S or 4S operating, they're just not strong enough. 2S is ample, given the wide space between 1st and 2nd gears, so it's been fine since then.
@@RCTNT I drive with 3s but a 35t brushed motor. 12-13kph second gear
@@Nordlicht05 that's slower than I'd think with something as fast as 35T and stock gearing. Still, the power is the issue, not the speed. I'd have thought 3s would be fine but no, these gears really aren't good. Still, you haven't broken yours yet so you're doing something right!
GMade gs02f👍😎
Brilliant rig eh!
Excellent video as always, really love your technical approach. I've ordered a Gmade Buffalo for a trail rig with light crawler use. Planned on running it with a Holmes Trailmaster on 2S hopefully it should be fine.🤞 Couldn't resist the Blazer body. I don't own anything Traxxas bit the TTX4 kit may get me. I love building kits and winter is coming....
Hey, thanks, I appreciate it. I also think you're onto a winner with your plan with the Buffalo. 2S on nearly any brushed motor should be okay, honestly. I'm going with the Crawlmaster as I think 5-slot is the key to 3S success with this platform, but we'll both end up with similar wheel speed and torque at the end of the day and I suspect we'll both be happy. I just took the... long way to find the answer! lol oh well, now we all know! 4S and Gmade bad! 2S or 3S and 5-slot good! Happy building!
Great review. Am really thinking about a GMade as a second truck. I have fully upgraded TRX4 which I love. But want something capable that doesn’t need all the money thrown at it straight out the box. In the year since posting, are you aware of anyone machining diff gears? Or is the only option still the cast ones?
Great video. Thanks!
Thanks. Cast gears remain the only choice, so my recommendation is to run this only on 2S. The 2-speed transmission means you'll still have speed and it is a very valuable crawler without needing any upgrades, so I think this would be a good choice.
@@RCTNT Thank you. I appreciate that. I run 3s in my other truck, but I do have a couple 2s batteries. So that’ll do me fine! And I might just grab a couple spare gears!
Cheers for the reply and the review!
I have one of the Higher end TRX4s, a Blazer, and i use it almost Exclusively for trailing. and shes a heavy beast with a full interior.
But what I have to say is the locking diffs, and a shifting tranny lets me Mob it like a basher and crawl as good ass my friends with lighter trucks.
i changed wheels and tires that looked good, and put in a 1280 Hobbywing (because i smoked the stock esc but they areabout the same speed.)
the 2 speed and locking diffs are worth it if youre gonna play with the thing every day.
5 of my 6 TRX vehicles have the 2-speed and locking diffs and I agree. Great all rounders aren't they :)
@@RCTNT I just got a Pofusion 2300 for it to replace the 1280 init now . i hear it fixes all my gripes, it should scream in top gear.
my buddys got a couple of the 6x6s, and the stock trx4 Blazerdrove circles round it.
ive added a bunch of weight since then.
Its My Slowest truck, but its tied for smiles on my face
Nice. I have several of the Fusion and AXE systems and a 2300k Fusion Pro here waiting to go into something also. Excellent systems, aren't they!
I have an original AXE 1200kv powering my BC8. That thing weighs about 45lb when fully loaded with log trailer and it pulls off road from a stop in 2nd gear. Crazy!
@@RCTNT the 1280 pro fusion never did me wrong.Ive been playing with it for months . Ive tried to burn one up
The 1280 in a trx 4 in high pulled me sitting in a desk chair across the room., andi weigh lighe 200 pounds.
Man that's just awesome. How fun is rc eh?
nice, thanks for the entertainment!
Gutted to see that, as I have just completed my gmade buffalo. I don't suppose that axial Ar44 axle gears will fit? even if it means using different drive shafts, I know that axial knuckles fit on gmades
axle without mods. I have got a5 slot 16 turn motor and 3S power like you said, I guess I just have to see what happens. Hopefully SSD or RC4WD will make some aftermarket ones.
I think you've selected the perfect power combo. You'll be fine, I bet.
@@RCTNT well fingers crossed mate, thanks for the reply.
Have you had any experience with team associated ecto ???
And how is parts to get for the G made.
I asked that question too fast. It was the next truck up. Sorry.
Haven't got any plans for the Ecto, sorry. I know very little about this one - gotta pace myself and the channel budget and this one hasn't been a priority yet!
However, I have moderate experience with the Enduro platform in the Sendero, Gatekeeper and Knightrunner and all three have been consistently good in terms of quality and performance. The Ecto is probably similarly good, at a guess. I like what Element are doing these days.
The gmade has needed diff gears. I'm very impressed with its performance but not with its drive-train durability. Keep an eye on them though, gmade continue to improve.
I've been in touch with gmade regarding the diff gears. They have no plan yet for cut steel gears but it could be a thing in future.
Thanks for the review, I know what I'll never buy. Capable or not can't crawl with out a drive line.
You can crawl with this, but don't tighten the slipper clutch all the way and go 4s battery like he did. Slipper clutch saves gears. Especially the ones in pot metal. Gears for this are cheap. 5$ for pinion, 7-8$ for ring gear. Replacing a trx-4 bronco 2022 body is expensive. This thing has 35$ body shell, 55$ complete body kit with everything included bumpers, plastic details, light buckets, and decals. Tune it right and it shouldn't be expensive to own. I'm still hoping for option parts like hardened metal gears for the diff. I've used mine probably 8-10hours. Nothing broken with 3s battery and 110mm tires. In that runtime I've destroyed many parts on my 2014 scx10.
@@thor_4017 not buying either one. i already have 5 other crawlers.
@@stevewest7260 I've jumped my gs02f probably 20 times from 2 feet high. No issues. My friend jumped his new axial bomber from same hight 3-4 times and destroyed the front axle housing plus bent the internal driveshaft. He had similar damage on his axial wraith.
I only used 4S on the first run that first day. Since then it's been 3S and when it broke on this video, it wasn't being subjected to anything harsh at all.
I'm hoping with a 5-slot motor it'll be good, longer term. We'll see!
@@RCTNT I think the fully tightened slipper clutch where you'll significantly reduce durability. Especially with electric motor that has a lot of torque from low rpm.
Oops, just ordered one of these, hopefully it will ok on 2s and lots of mechanical sympathy lol, good vid :)
It will be fine, for sure. 2s all day long, no worries. Enjoy your very capable new rig, it's really excellent!
@@RCTNT Thank you :)
Hi there, first day watching your vids, and im really in love with the GS02F, but this diff and drive shaft weakness is just a pain in the butt... have you found any solutions to it? And if not, would i be able to swap out drive shafts to steal ones, if i also changed both axles to lets say, trx4 axles or something of "normal" durability?
Thanks and welcome!
I asked gmade about better qualify gears but they have no plans to make them (that they shared with me anyway).
So, best solution is to simply install an appropriate power system - a 5-pole 16 turn 540 motor, for example, or a 13 to 15 turn 550 5-pole. The Holmes Hobbies CrawlMaster Sport would be fine here. Run on 2S or 3S, it'll be fine. Just stay away from punchier motors and you'll be fine with the OEM running gear.
It's such a capable vehicle, you'll soon forget about the lower power. It's amazing on the rocks - and you still have a decent second gear for a bit of speed when you want it!
@@RCTNT man that sucks arse! I want 4s on that stupidly beautiful thing. No aftermarket companies making diff gears for the axles yet?
If not, ill buy the rig and get some treal alu scx10 iii axles. Wanted to use it as a towing trail rig :D towing is no good with gears as soft as butter, but you sure know that 😃
@@jannicklunddallarsen5668 no hardened gears available last time I looked, but I haven't looked since November 2021. It may change, dunno.
There are better choices for tow rigs. This thing is light and is designed to crawl. The Gen 8 V2, TRX4 platform in general, SCX10, among others, are all going to be better in front of a trailer. Tougher running gear, too. But the GS02F is gorgeous and a real performer so I can appreciate why you're looking at it!
@@RCTNT well I already have my trx6 towing my flatgekko lcg cheater rig. So I got some great towing and comp rigs already. I would buy this, only cause of some Camel trophy events in denmark this year, and only 4x4s scalers are allowed, so I cant use either of my rigs. So I wanted to build a nice looking 4x4 that also crawls really well. And I got my mind set on the gs02f already hehe.
The transmission outputs to the drive shafts, they can take universal driveshafts right? Its only the axle end of the drive shaft that is proprietary eh?
@Jannick Lunddal Larsen I believe this is the case, but I'll have to check for you. It's been a while!
Yep, just checked my write up (rc-tnt.com/rc-crawler-reviews/gmade-bom-tc-gs02f/). Normal outputs from the transmission.
I like your thinking. This thing will destroy (if overdrive is allowed)!
awesome 😎
Thanks 🤗
What do you think about Element RC Enduro Builders KIT 2?
Nothing yet, I haven't looked at it!
(I still live under a rock generally - it's a strength and a weakness of this channel. A strength because you only will ever hear my own opinion from my experience with a vehicle. A weakness in that I'm not always aware of the latest and greatest trends in the hobby).
I'll look into it and maybe a video will appear at some point :) Meanwhile, I'll reply again here if I have an opinion after a first look! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Ok, I've put my name down for one. We'll have a look at it whenever I finally get it! I tried to buy it from Amain but they won't ship to Australia for this, even though they did ship the Knightrunner for me last week. Go figure.
It looks like the same old Enduro with a few updates. But, sometimes small changes can have a big effect. We shall see! (If it's as good as the Sendero HD, which it will be at a guess, then it would have been perfect in this video! We'll have to settle for the Sendero HD RTR in the meantime!)
@RC-TNT Hello. I am also wondering your opinion for Element RC Enduro Builders KIT 2. Looking forward to see a video about it.
@@cyilmaz10 welcome and no worries! I don't know how long it'll be until Australian sellers get stock again but my name's on the waiting list.
Are you getting the Vanquish VS4-10 Phoenix for Christmas? 😁
That would own this little comparison now wouldn't it! (check out my 6 month tour video for a peek at my finished VS4-10. Video coming soon!)
ua-cam.com/video/QYOSQOo6CUY/v-deo.html
@@RCTNT A great collection, loved it :)
@@jeffsrcchannel2191 including one Phoenix VS4-10 with a faulty (new) servo that I'm replacing right now. I sure can't wait to test this thing! Hopefully today!
@@RCTNT Wicked :)
@@jeffsrcchannel2191 yeah it wasn't "today" sadly. Still working on it!
Did the pin snap or fall out on the gs02?
It came out, but isn't damaged. My grub screw was installed with loctite and is still secure. Haven't looked closer than that yet but everything looks undamaged. I've got to pull the whole truck apart soon, I'm just waiting on a delivery of a 5-slot motor so I can down-tune the rig to give it another chance as a great crawler. I want it to succeed, it's just so good on the rocks. When I do that I'll go over the drive line in detail and look for what happened and why. We shall see!
I made a 3d printable part on thingiverse that fixed this pin issue for me. This is where axial wb8 hd driveshaft has better design. You'll pay 7$ for a different axle pinion outdrive style and you can use almost any other crawler driveshafts between axles and gearbox. I've lost my first pin after 5minutes driving. Not a single one after many hours with the extra sleeve. The last pin issue I had was scx10 cva pin breakage. I wear them out frequently on my axial. Much thicker cva pins on ga44 axles. Needle bearing pins are much cheaper than oem rc car pins.
@@thor_4017 nice, thank you. I'll look into that. I've also used a quality fabric tape as an outer sleeve in some vehicles and that tends to last a couple of years between replications. I haven't pulled everything apart yet but I'll keep this in mind when I do. Thanks!
Trx4 all day every day
I don't know of a better all-rounder if you could only have one, yeah!
you can make any resuit, not fair and just
My RC friend, this was an opinion piece, not a scientific experiment! I encourage you to make your own if you feel differently, there's room for all our opinions in this great hobby :) Thanks for watching!
😉👍💯
To
Those gears look like wltoys gears
They're better than that at least! (they're bigger, lol). Sadly, you're not wrong.
@@RCTNT its just what they looked like to me honestly
Get no brownie points from gmade now
@@stevemdelacruz5602 I'd prefer to have no brownie points from anyone. I actually contacted them directly and sent them my GMade Boom TC video and asked about cut steel gears. They may get back to me but I'm not holding my breath!
@@RCTNT wow that crazy such a nice looki g truck to