ALL NEW 1/5 8S VIGILANTE from REDCAT

[305HemiGuy]

I saw the Vigilante in person today. That thing is WIDE AF . Hobby Shop owner was telling me that people didn't know how durable it was and he hadn't seen anyone bashing it, so I sent him some Thunder rc video links. He was like damn. Doubled backflips with like a 30 plus high foot jump into grass, with good landings. No problem

Well that explains why you hardly ever see those things rollover lol...Wide is good

 

[Hector_Fisher]

Me crunching the numbers and contemplating a poor decision:

 

[Armarookie43]

Me crunching the numbers and contemplating a poor decision:

Financially, it makes more sense to get the Vigilante over the Xmaxx due to the lower price and better electronics out of the box. The problem is, how long is it going to be built for? That's the only what if in this situation. And that it doesn't take ridiculous concrete landings as good as the Xmaxx does. But it was just an arm and not something serious like the chassis. I really like the look of it in person. It looks like a real truck.

 

[KnowAir]

I just watched another video from Exocaged rc on the Vigilante. With a 5690 he got 49mph out of it. That's plenty for me from a 25lb rc. He also hinted that Vitavon may start making parts for the Vigilante which will help some. I think the Vigilante will need some updated arms to really be recognized as a hardcore basher. I have to say from the vids I've seen on this truck it would definitely handle my needs quite well in stock form, maybe just a 56mm motor swap would likely be all I'd want besides center diff tuning. Such an awesome looking truck. Might need a wheelie bar too..

 

[Garcbomber]

Besides driving off a roof, who else broke an arm? Chalk it up to an anomaly with injection molding like the rear ring gear break Exocaged had.

Vitavon is already on upgraded gears, hopefully RPM gets in the ring with their arms and it's still well under X-trash 8S pricing.

 

[305HemiGuy]

I just watched another video from Exocaged rc on the Vigilante. With a 5690 he got 49mph out of it. That's plenty for me from a 25lb rc. He also hinted that Vitavon may start making parts for the Vigilante which will help some. I think the Vigilante will need some updated arms to really be recognized as a hardcore basher. I have to say from the vids I've seen on this truck it would definitely handle my needs quite well in stock form, maybe just a 56mm motor swap would likely be all I'd want besides center diff tuning. Such an awesome looking truck. Might need a wheelie bar too..

I would absolutely be satisfied with this thing in stock form. Only issue I would address is the diff(s) fluid as well to keep the front wheels from turning into pizza cutters so easily.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

Besides the crackhead driving off a roof, who else broke an arm? Chalk it up to an anomaly with injection molding like the rear ring gear break Exocaged had.

Vitavon is already on upgraded gears, hopefully RPM gets in the ring with their arms and it's still well under X-trash 8S pricing.

Thunder broke an arm. But it was sent pretty hard at the skatepark, so I don't necessarily count that as a fail.

Do you mean to say vitavon already has gears out? Or that they said they were working on some? Browsed their website but didn't see anything.

 

[Garcbomber]

Thunder broke an arm. But it was sent pretty hard at the skatepark, so I don't necessarily count that as a fail.

Do you mean to say vitavon already has gears out? Or that they said they were working on some? Browsed their website but didn't see anything.

Yeah, it "broke" but is still ziptied and enduring more pain.

Apologies about vitavon, I'm presuming Exocaged already sent his busted ring/pinion for them to reverse engineer.

 

[Matt05]

Besides the crackhead driving off a roof, who else broke an arm? Chalk it up to an anomaly with injection molding like the rear ring gear break Exocaged had.

Vitavon is already on upgraded gears, hopefully RPM gets in the ring with their arms and it's still well under X-trash 8S pricing.

Pretty easy to beat Traxxas pricing when you copy what works for them and don’t have to do near the amount of initial R&D…

But yeah, BOO TRAXXAS!

 

[KnowAir]

Yeah, it "broke" but is still ziptied and enduring more pain.

Apologies about vitavon, I'm presuming Exocaged already sent his busted ring/pinion for them to reverse engineer.

What I gathered from Exocaged is that Arthur from Vitavon has or will have a Vigilante to work from..

Pretty easy to beat Traxxas pricing when you copy what works for them and don’t have to do near the amount of initial R&D…

But yeah, BOO TRAXXAS!

Yeah, I know that's RC's formula in general, imitate not innovate. I'm still liking my Xmaxx by all means.. I just like that the Vigilante is yet another 8s basher option myself. The more, the merrier I feel.

 

[Matt05]

What I gathered from Exocaged is that Arthur from Vitavon has or will have a Vigilante to work from..


Yeah, I know that's RC's formula in general, imitate not innovate. I'm still liking my Xmaxx by all means.. I just like that the Vigilante is yet another 8s basher option myself. The more, the merrier I feel.

I agree 110%, but to act like Redcat wasn’t able to keep costs down because they copied a working formula is insane.

If I wasn’t trying to reduce my rig count, I’d have ordered one by now.

 

[KnowAir]

I agree 110%, but to act like Redcat wasn’t able to keep costs down because they copied a working formula is insane.

If I wasn’t trying to reduce my rig count, I’d have ordered one by now.

I can understand the hate for TRX, but can't deny their success. They have brought this hobby to the masses like no other company before them. For which I feel they deserve credit. They also have made some epic models along the way. Have they squashed some companies out of business? Sure, but that's the nature of the beast. Kill or be killed.. someone was bound to see this hobby as a business, I'm surprised it took so long to happen honestly..there's still plenty of brands to choose from, and no one is being forced to buy a Traxxas, so I have no reason to hate them myself.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

I agree 110%, but to act like Redcat wasn’t able to keep costs down because they copied a working formula is insane.

If I wasn’t trying to reduce my rig count, I’d have ordered one by now.

Nothing against an xmaxx, I would have liked to nab one for several years at this point. I was just never able to justify the cost. Watch a friend purchase one and spent another few hundred to get it to where it was reliable. I think he is in ~$1300 total. No hate on traxxas, but I'm not against someone else using a similar formula and providing a similar package with a different value set, such as for the budget-restricted folks like myself. Far be it from Arrma, traxxas, redcat, or anyone else to think they should be the only ones with X style chassis, Y components, made out of Z material.

And yeah I agree, if I had the money, i'd buy all of them

 

[KnowAir]

Nothing against an xmaxx, I would have liked to nab one for several years at this point. I was just never able to justify the cost. Watch a friend purchase one and spent another few hundred to get it to where it was reliable. I think he is in ~$1300 total. No hate on traxxas, but I'm not against someone else using a similar formula and providing a similar package with a different value set, such as for the budget-restricted folks like myself. Far be it from Arrma, traxxas, redcat, or anyone else to think they should be the only ones with X style chassis, Y components, made out of Z material.

And yeah I agree, if I had the money, i'd buy all of them

Amen. I'm glad I'm easily amused by most rc's in stock form, LOL. If I needed upgrades, I wouldn't halve half of the rc's I do.. to each their own. But for me, aside from the stock tires, the Xmaxx has been a treat to own. Many good times, and still going strong. Heck, I've yet to even break an arm or hinge pin on the thing..

 

[Matt05]

Nothing against an xmaxx, I would have liked to nab one for several years at this point. I was just never able to justify the cost. Watch a friend purchase one and spent another few hundred to get it to where it was reliable. I think he is in ~$1300 total. No hate on traxxas, but I'm not against someone else using a similar formula and providing a similar package with a different value set, such as for the budget-restricted folks like myself. Far be it from Arrma, traxxas, redcat, or anyone else to think they should be the only ones with X style chassis, Y components, made out of Z material.

And yeah I agree, if I had the money, i'd buy all of them

The point I’m trying to make is, Traxxas can’t simply copy themselves to keep cost down. When you eliminate most of the original design process, it’s much easier to keep the end price down.

 

[KnowAir]

The point I’m trying to make is, Traxxas can’t simply copy themselves to keep cost down. When you eliminate most of the original design process, it’s much easier to keep the end price down.

Agreed.. also why we rarely see anything new from the ground up. The Maxx stuff is all TRX design as far as I can tell, and I can imagine the time and money spent coming up with it is quite a lot. Then RC/TA quickly made imitations of it with the MT8/10 and Kaiju. I'm surprised they got away with it TBH.

 

[Garcbomber]

It's not like Redcat stole TRX's injection molding tooling and just started making components to assemble their Vigilante. They have 10s of thousands into new tooling on this platform and with competitive margins will do well after getting this into the hands of "competent" influencers. Anything not using a patent can be reverse engineered by another OEM or "upgraded" by aftermarket.

TRX just continues to nickel and dime regurgitating old designs thinking they have a monopoly, forcing fanboys to use their electronics/connectors/wheels while competitors have easily passed them by.

I literally took my $99 out of the box portal axle Ascent 18 and completely stomped a TRX4m with over 3 times that amount into it. Company is a complete joke.

Luckily he won it free from a JH Diesel promotion and instead of buying an X-trash will be the proud owner of a Vigilante.

 

[Snacktime]

People forget how crappy Traxxas was back in the day, bent shocks, busted bulk heads and rod ends lasting 1-2 tanks of gas. 20 years later they make a few high regarded models, somehow its the Maxx line? I have no had a interest in any traxxas product since my T-Maxx which was a love hate relationship.

Traxxas didn't make any technological advances, the aftermarket did! Traxxas just copied the aftermarket parts, upgraded packs started showing up at the hobby store. Like complete shock kits and MIP cvds in traxxas blue.

 

[Matt05]

People forget how crappy Traxxas was back in the day, bent shocks, busted bulk heads and rod ends lasting 1-2 tanks of gas. 20 years later they make a few high regarded models, somehow its the Maxx line? I have no had a interest in any traxxas product since my T-Maxx which was a love hate relationship.

Traxxas didn't make any technological advances, the aftermarket did! Traxxas just copied the aftermarket parts, upgraded packs started showing up at the hobby store. Like complete shock kits and MIP cvds in traxxas blue.

The aftermarket came up with the x-maxx chassis?

It's not like Redcat stole TRX's injection molding tooling and just started making components to assemble their Vigilante. They have 10s of thousands into new tooling on this platform and with competitive margins will do well after getting this into the hands of "competent" influencers. Anything not using a patent can be reverse engineered by another OEM or "upgraded" by aftermarket.

TRX just continues to nickel and dime regurgitating old designs thinking they have a monopoly, forcing fanboys to use their electronics/connectors/wheels while competitors have easily passed them by.

I literally took my $99 out of the box portal axle Ascent 18 and completely stomped a TRX4m with over 3 times that amount into it. Company is a complete joke.

Luckily he won it free from a JH Diesel promotion and instead of buying an X-trash will be the proud owner of a Vigilante.

Redcat took a design that worked (X-Maxx) and copied and pasted. How is that not cheaper than starting from scratch?

Nickel and dime old designs? Every Arrma is a variation of chassis and arm length with a different body put on top.

Horizon has their own Spektrum ecosystem that they are also trying to force people in to using, but I guess that’s not the same?

 

[Garcbomber]

If Traxxas was the first to make a modular chassis basher, props to them.

Until the Independent double wishbone design/pillow ball steering no longer dominates buggy, truggy, & SCT course racing, Arrma and Horizon will continue to revise that design into a basher. They'll leave the composite chassis/modular architecture to their toy grade or small scale.