04DarkShadowGT

I am not really loyal to one or another.  When I go out to get another RC, I figure out what style of car I want and then what each company offers in that category.  <div>
</div><div>I typically go for what I see as the best value irrespective of brand.  If all is equal I would go with whatever my local shops have the most parts for.</div><div>
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disjaukifa

My Feedback: (14)

That seems to be a logical and smart approach. Honestly I wish I could do that but I have always been a brand loyal guy, which is good and bad. I don't have a Hobby Shop within under an hour of driving from me so I just order everything from Tower Hobbies.

I would be so happy if Tower Hobbies started to carry Spektrum brand equipment. That is the only thing that I can not order from them . . .

-Disjaukifa

disjaukifa

My Feedback: (14)

Wow quoting myself her but I just realized this also. I was very hesitant to get my Spektrum DX3S because I had been a Futaba person for near 12 years, but I got the DX3S for the telemetry and I have never looked back. Since I have done that I have also replaced my wife's Futaba AM transmitter with a Spektrum DX2, not the DX2.0 its the newer version, and she also likes it as well. She made a comment to me they other day that she had to relearn how to judge her timing because her Slash seemed to be responding faster.

I could have gotten her any 2.4ghz system but I ended up getting her a Spektrum system because I wanted all my transmitters to be the same . . .

Just goes to show what brand loyalty can do. However I can justify it somewhat because I can interchange all my receivers now in case hers dies or one of mine dies.

Again not saying its right just saying that is what I did and I would probably keep on doing. If Futaba every came out with a transmitter that was 2.4ghz, had telemetry, and took only 4 batteries, I would have to do some research on it . . . but I am still not sure that I wouldn't just stay with Spektrum.

-Disjaukifa

Justin B

My Feedback: (8)

To me brand loyalty doesn't exsist, if I like something and can afford it I'll get it. Why limit yourself to only whatever(your favorite brand)makes?
It just seems to me like you would be missing out sticking to just one brand, no one makes the best of everything.

As far as Traxxas goes, If your racing professionally get something else (except for maybe a Revo)but if your not, they do make a very good product that if/when you have a problem you can find replacement parts and hop ups at almost every hobby shop in the world. They are ready to run right from the box everything included with ez start nitro's tobrushless set ups. They're as durable if not more than any other rc out there. Whats not to like about that......it's too easy???


Just my 2 cents.

disjaukifa

My Feedback: (14)

I guess it also has to deal with past experience as well when it comes to brand loyalty, but even then that can be misleading. I had two Duratrax Evader electric buggies that I still have, and they run great. Because of that I got a Duratrax Raze thinking it would be the similar, but I ending up not liking the Raze at all, found out then that just because a company makes a good electric vehicles, doesn't mean they will make a good nitro vehicle.

I do try to aviod Traxxas because I had some bad experiences with them a few years ago but I still got my wife the Slash. Like I said, I really like the slash minus the motor and possible the chassis. The chassis is still in great condition so I am not all that worried about it yet but I just think if you are going to design and build a truck that uses that much grunt from the motor, it should be rebuildable.

I honestly run purely HPI stuff at the moment because it was good value for what I was trading and it was what I wanted. I have always heard good things about HPI through the years and decided to try it. I don't do any racing where I am at because I don't live near a track, but I have always heard that HPI makes a a good mix of a basher/racing vehicles that they can be tuned to suit your needs. Also parts and after market parts are readily available.

Brand loyalty has it pros and cons, but it depends on the person and also on what you are planning on doing.

-Disjaukifa

cummins driver

My Feedback: (31)

Well, Im not really too brand loyal when it comes to r/c. I am pretty brand loyal when it comes to real trucks though

With r/c's, I have owned these brands:

Tower hobbies- Nitro St-15
Traxxas- Electric Stampede-T-Maxx-Nitro Rustler
Duratrax- Electric Evader
Sportwerks- Mayhem Pro 1/8 buggy
HPI- .25 Savage
Associated- .21 MGT


I have owned several different brands at least for a short amount of time. Basically, I dont judge how good a vehicle is by the reputation of the brand. Igo see what the owners of that vehicle have to say about it, look at parts support, andlook at its weaknesses, and strong points, and go from there with it after i have looked at all the manufacturers.

As for Traxxas not being good... Well, I am not a big fan of how the T-Maxx is built. The bulkhead design, and how they attatch to the chassis is just a bad design IMO, and is weak. But, as for my nitro rustler, and my electric stampede. They were both awesome little trucks that would take a beating. I like traxxas, im just not a big fan of the t-maxx unless it has aluminum bulks, and RPM arms, which then makes it an ok truck, but not great.

My Savage has been awesome. 3 1/2 gallons through it, and other than replacing the clutch and clutch bell bearings, it has been flawless. I havent broken a single part. I think HPImakes some really tough, well thought out stuff.

My Associated MGT has also been great so far. I havent had it that long, and have only ran maybe 1/3 gallon through it, but so far it has been tough, and it is very easy to work on. Ithought about getting another savage, but im glad i ended up with the MGT. Its nice to have 2 different trucks, because i like them both for different reasons. Idont think the associated would be as durable as the savage for hardcore bashing, but since i dont drive my R/C's like i stole them, and i dont jump much, it should last me a looong time. I love the layout of the chassis, and how easy it all is to get to, and it has some nice features.

My duratrax evader was an ok truck. I wasnt a huge fan of it, but it held up fine for the little while that i had it. I would own another duratrax vehicle as long as other owners thought it was a good buy, but most of the time they have some problems and not enough help from the aftermarket to remedy them.

My Sportwerks Buggy was awesome. Very good quality, and it drove and handled smooth as butter. It was a really nice buggy, and even though it is discontiued, I would not hesitate to own another.Id like to own it in the truggy version if i found one cheap.

My Tower Hobbies stadium truck was horrible. It was my first r/c and i bought it based on price over anything else. I wont go into much detail, but i dont think i ever had fun with it.The motor was the biggestproblem though. Inever really broke the truck itself, but it wasnt well designed either.


Basically, if the company makes what im looking for, and i run up on a good deal or trade for it, I will try it out! I love trying different things,and it has helped me realize that each r/c has its good and bad traits about it. Im very happy with the 2 that i own right now though. I doubt they will go anywhere soon. I would like to pick up a truggy of some kind eventually though.

Eric

disjaukifa

My Feedback: (14)

Well so far it seem that there are more people that are not brand loyal than people who are. All really interesting views. Well I was going to add a poll I think I would have to start a new thread . . . can you add a poll to an existing thread?

-Disjaukifa

suburban_hooligan

<div>im willing to wager you couldn't. iv been bashing a XXXT for 10 years the truck routinely gets 6-8 feet of air under it. gets launched off BMX jumps. launched down hills (usually down concrete embankments) off my own ramp, and iv broken 4 parts. i still have the original body on it for crap sake and its still in good shape. the truck is so controllable that i just almost never crash. if i don't crash i can't break. a rustler doesnthandle as wellso you will crash more. the more you crash the more likely you are to break.</div><div></div><div>you crash more and break, i crash less and break. its one of those balancing act deals.


you guys need to stop acting like traxxas is some kind of bashing gods. it aint no better at what it does than anything else</div>

quietnas1

Well I'm not into brand loyalty. I like them all. I have a Jato 3.3 which is awesome in my book, an RC10GT, an HPI RS4 2, and I will have a HPI SAVAGE by Christmas. Also looking at the Kyosho DST. I like them all and they all have pros and cons. I would never stick to just one brand bcuz they all have something to offer in my book.

SAVAGEJIM

I too am not really brand loyal as I will buy an RC from any brand that is a decent RC. I will (and have) bought RCs and RC gear from HPI, Traxxas, Losi, AE, Tamiya, Cenchain and several more. The issues that really affect my purchase are parts availability, hop-up options, and function. If an RC has these, I will buy it for sure. Now, I have bucked that trend when I bought the Cenchain GST, parts cannot be had at the local RC store, so I have to wait on snail-mail for stuff. But the thing that really swayed my decision to get the GST is because seeing one on the local track  used to hang out racing in the MT class, that truck took alot of punishement and actually dished out more.

Above all, I will only buy from brands that do not clone; I am a firm believer in giving my money to the brands that did their own research and design and put their own efforts to test their RCs. I do not believe in giving my money to guys who leeched from the brands who worked hard to make a good RC.

Chris_RC

Traxxas4Fun, Have you ever owned the DT that you said your rustler would be more durable than? What have you owned besdies Traxxas? ...Thats what I thought.....</p>

I'm a Losi fan, but I have a gilizion screws and hex wrenches for US (Losi and AE) so  thats comes in handy a lot. Also, I know a couple Losi drivers and they help me with parts and tips, etc.</p>

<font color="#242424">st_dragn_wagen, I think alot of people who post on this site are people who only have 1 car-a Traxxas and think that is the best car, and the only car to buy in the world. I've had a rustler XL5, and a XXX-T MF2, and by far the XXX-T was more durable stock. The rsutler needed a couple things to be reliable, and when I broke, I replaced it with a stock part. Also the rustler handles worse and it just doesnt feel right when running it, unlike my MF2.</font></p>

suburban_hooligan

<font color="#242424">yeap, its one of those caseswhere its simply the best based off the fact that they own one and have probably never owned anything else, so they lack the experience to now any better. if they owned a kyosho or ofnathen thatwould be the best and only car to buy and you wouldn't be able to convince them any different. </font>
<font color="#242424">the thing i can't quite understand is how pointing out the flaw of that mind set, makes us jerks. they talk crap, we talk facts. they talk ignorance, we talk experience. and some how that makes us the haters</font></p>

Cheap Guy

I tend to be brand loyal until something happens to change my mind. I started off in RC cars with Tamiya and Tamiya-based cars but it became a chore trying to get replacement parts. I had a TB-02 and the bolt that held the diff together broke. Took two weeks to get the replacement part. Most ot the LHS in my area only carry a few if any Tamiya parts.

My brother-in-law gave me a Traxxas Bandit and I became hooked on Traxxas products. They fit my type of "playing" which is 100% bashing and fixing. I like the fact that if something breaks I can go to the LHS or even PepBoys and get a replacement part. I now have four Rustler and am very satisfied with the product and brand.

Having said that, when it was too cold outside this winter to play, I looked for something to run inside. Traxxas didn't make a smaller scale car at the time so I tried a Losi Micro. While they need a little work to get running just right, I ended up getting hooked on them, but I still wished Traxxas made a smaller car. When Traxxas announced the 1/16 Slash, I thought about it but they are a little too rich for my pocket (ended up buying a couple of Mini-T's) but again, because of my good experience with Traxxas, I would prefer Traxxas over Losi.

Airbus 9e

I had a T-Maxx that was nothing but problems....It would eat glow plugs, the pipe to manifold boot would melt if you replaced it with a stocker, The internal gears in the transmission would shred landing jumps no matter how i set the slipper....My Losi Aftershock has been about as reliable as you can expect....I broke the right front suspension arms bouncing it off my brother inlaws Savage...

I've had race cars more reliable, and those get worked hard.....

My first RC10 dirt oval car looked rough.....the nylon they used would yellow over time, and even new, it was the color of a well chewed dog bone....Looked like hell, but it held up to racing 3-4 nights a week for almost 4 years....the only thing I ever broke on it was a front suspension mount....

The bottom line is....Associated, HPI,Losi, OFNA, Mugen, Kyosho, and some others build good quality cars that last and are easy to repair and maintain....

Chris_RC

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You've had experience with the Micro-T and Mini-T-those are Losi's cheapest cars. Plus your comapring a 1/36 to a 1/10.</p>

T-Maxx's are a POS IMO.  I just ran 1 today-wouldnt hold a tune worth its life I'm a great tuner, and even I was puszzled), pipe came out of the manifold, and the design was extremely outdated.</p>

Druss

I think the thing to keep in mind with any brand is that loyalty is typically built up from use.  If you were introduced to a certain brand by a friend or at the track... etc. and it works for you then you tend to buy the same brand again rather than risk buying a different one.</p>

I've got Ofna and TTR 1/8 nitros but most of my electrics are either AE or Tamiya.  Not because I think they are better but mostly because I like building kits and I've never really had problems with either.  I do own a Slash though and they are tons of fun.</p>

On a side note, I don't think the slash was designed with the hard core RC guy in mind.  They are affordable enough that it allows many new comers to join the hobby with a vehicle that's built tough so you can bash with it but you can also race it in a spec class.  I know the SC10 is a better race truck but I won't ever get rid of my Slash.  The summit is another example of Traxxas ingenuity.  I think Traxxas has done the right thing from a marketing and manufacturing point of view, they aren't after the race market that other makers want, they want to make durable trucks for the average basher and they do it well.</p>

Cheap Guy

True about the Micro T and Mini T being Losi's cheapest cars, but the point is that since my first experience with Traxxas was good (1/10 or otherwise), I tend to favor Traxxas. That's the idea behind brand loyalty - if you have a good experience with something, you tend to stick with it, or at least consider it first.

DaveG55

I am not brand loyal to anything. IMHO, the only people who benifit from brand loyalty are the people selling or making the product. I much prefer to look around, see what's available, try the different options out myself and make a decision on what I like combined with the results of my research. </p>

For example, I own 3 Chrysler vehicles (a Dodge, a Jeep and a Chrysler). Each was bought because they fit what I needed at the time and were, to me, the best choice.  When it was time to buy my wife a new car I did not say "We have to buy Chrysler".  No, we looked at several different options. We ended up with a Kia even though many people I know said it was not a good brand. Well, it's been 5 years now and it has been one of the best vehicle I've owned. The car has 118,000 miles on it and has had nothing other than routine maintaince done to it. I'm the same way with everything from household appliances to personal electronics, to the stuff I buy (rc's, golf clubs, boats, motorcycles, etc) for a hobby. If it works well, fits what I need, is a good value and I like it, I'll buy it. What brand it is has VERY little to do with my decision.</p>

dominicevans

with a username like that we don't expect anything different from you

Krawlin

I am not brand loyal so to speak, but "brand biased" because I really like Mugen. I own several brands currently, Mugen, OFNA, Traxxas, and Losi, and I have owned HPI and Kyosho and AE RC's as well. I really like all of them, but I am very partial to my Mugen MBX5-T, its my favorite out of the bunch. I would like to try Tamiya or Hot Bodies just to broaden my "brand spectrum." I don't see how anyone can enjoy being brand loyal because it limits you severely in this hobby in my opinion. All brands have their strong points and weak points, and I think that is what makes it nice about owning several brands of RC's, you get the strong and weak points of each brand and you have more fun because you have more RC's!

ProRCRacer88

Brand loyalty has alot to do with what i will spend my money on now adays. Started off with a duratrax overdrive st and had nothing but problems so i got rid of it and got a schumacher and that was a great car and still is but i dont recommend them for track racing. Then I got a serpent 1/8th and shortly after i brought it they discontinued parts and came out with 2 new versions within a years time. Got rid of that and brought the Kyosho st-rr and have had nothing but good times. As much as i ran it i only broke about $50 worth of parts and that was all my fault, not the truck just failing on me. Im sold on kits from well known brands that are out winning races because its not just the driver that wins races, its the rc has to be of good quality too. I dont fool with the newer brands because i cant be sure they will stay in business long or go under.</p>

Argess

I'm not particularly brand loyal.  I do like HPI and OFNA, but would buy almost anything if I liked it.  They're all pretty good, just some better than others and often as not, all have various pro's and con's.

However, watch out for Peer Pressure.  I sort of thought I'd like to buy a Revo 3.3, but know I will take abuse for buying Traxxas.  That would be a bad factor in making a decision not to purchase.

cummins driver

My Feedback: (31)

Did you ever thing it might be hard to tune because of a loose header?Since it was obviously loose since the pipe came out of it.

A lot of people just think they are too good for what traxxas makes for some reason. Not everything traxxas makes is the best, but a lot of their stuff is good in my opinion. The T-maxx is good with a few upgrades and has a great power to weight ratio. The revo is a great truck out of the box. And all of their electrics are extremely durable and well designed.

Since you brought up Losi's to compare to. Lets compare the high roller to the traxxas stampede. The high roller wont handle brushless power. The stampede will handle it all day long. Im not saying everything traxxas makes is better than losi, but I am saying not everything losi makes is better than traxxas as some people would have you believe.

A lot of you traxxas haters really ought to try a traxxas.Especially some of their better models. Most of the traxxas stuff is very durable, especially their electric stuff. They may not handle the best, but they are more for bashers, and durability is king when you are bashing.

Eric</p>

suburban_hooligan

yes they can. talked to a guy at the hobby shop that was running a 10.5i think he said novakin it one. said all he had to do was put an alloy idler gear in it and said something about the diff but the dude had an thick accent so i didn't understand half of what he was saying.

<div>im a basher and my opinion differs. i don't have a hole lot of space. i like to link jumps and corners together, and i hit a lot of sketchy jumps, soipreferhandling andflight controlover durability. i don't like crashing. crashing means you failed.</div>

cummins driver

My Feedback: (31)

You have to buy parts for the high roller to handle brushless though. Not so for the stampede. Plus, you can buy the stampede brushless from traxxas. Something a lot of manufacturers dont offer, and it saves money for those who would have converted anyways. 

 You dont have to crash to have durability problems. That was my point with the high roller. It has transmission durability problems with brushless and probably a strong brushed motor would do it.

 Eric