ASK Cub Reporter, 02.22.2012- No Bad Questions, Only Sic Answers

Futaba 3PRKA Review
Do you stand by your rating and review of this product ?
I am considering one after reading your review however find your review extremely favorable compared to others, I have read from users of this radio.
I run in environments with other radios and cars present on the track.
Thanks
Phil

Cubby– Hola Phil, thanks for the email.

Do we stand by our review? Hummmm….. of course we do, what answer did you expect? LOL

But… I have a little story for you. We recently reviewed the Losi Mini 8IGHT buggy. Brian had no issues and very little breakage on the unit he reviewed, therefore it received a very high score on durability. However, I was around a different unit and it seemed to break constantly. Was the unit that Brian tested a better example of what most people saw in the field, or was the unit I was around a better example? Obviously one of the two was a better example, but how do we know which one? Well… we aren’t going to test a dozen samples of each product, there simply isn’t enough time in the day.

In regards to our Futaba 3PRKA, I purposely tried to destroy that transmitter. At the end of the review it was still working as well as the day it came out of the box. It didn’t look nearly as good, but it functioned fine. Based on our test unit, I highly recommend it.

This next email is a long one… so keep reading to see it all…

Truggy Help!

Hey Brian.

I am new to the rc world even though I’ve been a fan for a long time. I recently bought a used MERV and I’ve been loving! It’s a mean little machine. There in lies the problem… It’s little. I’ve been frustrated trying to keep it in a straight line while running around with my friends RC10GT2. It’s clear to me I need (want) a bigger machine.

I’m really in love with the idea of a truggy. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be many options. I’ve narrowed it down to a couple different rides. I’m unsure of them all for different reasons. Can you please weigh in on this and give me some feedback? Pretty please?!

I mostly bash but I race motocross and autocross so I appreciate something that handles well. I would like to get into racing perhaps down the road soon. I’m not looking to spend more than $400 if I don’t have to.

Option 1. Caster Fusion F8T-RTR.
This looks like an awesome machine and I’ve seen it advertised as low as $389. I am mostly concerned about replacement parts availability and upgrades. I can’t find a lot of info on how durable this guy is either.

Option 2. Thunder Tiger Sparrowhawk XXT.
This looks like a great option. Especially since you guys reviewed it. I am still concerned about parts availability and upgrades. The price is right on this one too.

Option 3. HPI Trophy Truggy.
This thing looks amazing. I know looks can be deceiving though. I’ve read questionable things about the durability of this car. I know it’s a little more money but the fact that it’s made by a large brand would make parts easily available and give me a little peace of mind maybe. That’s of it’s any good.

Option 4. Traxxas Stampede Truggy Conversion.
This looks like a lot of fun. I’ve seen some video and some pictures of these and they seem to be pretty legit. It does look awfully low slung but I’m guessing that’s solely for race applications. I’m VERY intrigued by this option because Traxxas parts are everywhere around here. Lots of upgrades available. Best part is it’s waterproof. I’m a big fan of low maintenance machines. I’m very anal about my equipment and take very good care of it but the easier it is to maintain the better.

Sorry for the novel I’ve written but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your website and figured I’d ask the guys who know what’s going on in the RC world. If I’ve left any good picks out feel free to let me know.

Thanks!

Drew J.

Cubby– Yo hey Drew, thanks for the email, don’t tell Brian I stole it from him? 🙂

Who are you rooting for this season? RV2? Dungey? Bubba? Sucks to hear Reed is out for the rest of the Supercross season, but the guy is a BEAST talking about being back in time for the nationals! I’m not much of a Villopodium fan, so I guess I am rooting for Dungey to give him a good run for the title.

About your selections-

Option 1, the Caster Fusion– we had good luck with our review buggy a couple years ago but we haven’t pulled trigger on their truggy.

Option 2, the Thunder Tiger Sparrowhawk– Brian loves that truck, and while it is a truggy, it’s 10th scale, making it hard to find a place to race.

Option 3, the HPI Trophy Truggy– Legit 8th scale truggy, big tires for rough surfaces, big power for making the quad on the back side of the track. I have not driven one, so I can not personally recommend.

Option 4, a Traxxas Stampede with truggy conversion- On the upside, parts will be extra easy to get, but once again I haven’t driven one, so I can’t recommend first hand.

I ain’t no Vince Offer, but here’s my recommendation…

If you mainly plan on bashing I highly recommend the Thunder Tiger. It’s fast, handles well, won’t break the bank, and parts availability is fine thanks to Great Planes distribution.

If you plan on both bashing and racing I’d say pop for the HPI. Thow a proper set of Pro-Line wheels and tires on it and you should be good to go.

That’s it for this week ya bunch of freaks, shoot me your questions, requests, complaints, and bomb threats to Cubby at BigSquidRC dot com.

YOUR Cub Reporter