Revell Modzilla 1/18 Monster Truck Review
Sometimes you don’t want (or need) high-end. Sometimes you just want something affordable to get the job done. The Revell Modzilla MT is a very affordably priced 1/18th scaler aimed at the basher crowd. Does it have enough performance to be fun? How hard can it be bashed before it breaks? Should you cut the check? Read on to find out…
From: Revell
Direct Link: Modzilla MT
Unboxing Pictures: BSRC Unboxes The Modzilla
Review By: Cubby
Pictures By: Tim Mohr
Specs:
RTR or Kit: RTR
Age: 14+
2wd or 4wd: 4wd
Shaft or Belt: Shaft
Electric or Gas: Electric
Scale: 1/18th
Length: 10″
Width: 7.5″
Wheelbase: 6.5″
Weight: 22 oz
Motor: Brushed
Speed Controller: Combined with receiver
Radio: Revell 2.4GHz
Stability Control: No
Sound Module: No
Differential: Front & rear gear type
Driveshafts: Metal bones
Shocks: Plastic, friction type
Servo Saver: In steering rack
Screws: Phillips
Tires: Revell, chevron pin design
Battery: 2S Lithium, 850mAh
Part Number: #RVLC01LL
Warranty: 90 day limited
Bashing Specs:
Front wheel travel: .6″
Rear wheel travel: .6″
Wheelie on demand: No
Backflip off ramps: No
Top Speed (measured by BSRC): 18 mph
Runtime (measured by BSRC): 15 minutes
Street Price: $79
Primary Competition: Other 1/18th scalers like those from Dromida and Associated.
What’s Needed To Complete: Nothing, zero, nada. The truck comes with AA batteries for the transmitter as well as a USB charger for its Lithium battery.
Build Quality: Out of the box we didn’t find any issues with the build quality on the Modzilla.
Test Drivers: Iron Mikeee, Robbie G, T-$$$, and yours truly.
Test Venues: Minnie Ha Ha park in Fenton Missouri, a skate park in Arnold Missouri, RC Outlaws in Collinsville Illinois, and a CostCo parking lot.
Set-up Notes: Our Modzilla was run bone stock, including the stock battery connector. Heck, we even used the included USB battery charger.
Turning: Like many 18th scalers on the market, the Modzilla had some twitchy steering. Initial turn-in on the truck was quite aggressive, almost to the point where it was hard to drive the truck in a straight line. The smallest of input to the wheel got a fairly large result, thus making it somewhat twitchy to drive. Once past the initial turn-in of a corner the Modzilla was well behaved.
Jumping: As far as 18th scalers go, the Modzilla jumped about average on nice flat take-offs. However, the friction shocks and foamless tires made for some crazy take-offs on bumpy jump faces, plus some hard landings on bigger jumps.
Bumps/Whoops: Once again, friction shocks and foamless tires hurt the Modzilla’s handling. Yes, you can blast over bumpy areas (and have fun while doing so), but its bouncy nature can make the truck hard to control.
On-Road: While we had fun driving the Modzilla on pavement, its tires did cause it to skid around quite a bit. Its solid low end power made things interesting from a dead stop, but in a large parking lot it tapped out quickly on top speed.
Grass: Hey, it’s an 18th scaler, don’t expect it to plow through 5″ tall grass. Its 4wd and tires did a good job of getting it through shorter grass, but if your backyard only has tall grass, you’ll need to look for a truck of a larger scale (hint, hint- ARRMA Granite or Kraton).
Tires: While the tires had a toy grade look to them, they actually performed quite well in grass and in loamy dirt. Their lack of foam did affect (read hurt) their performance, but they gave more traction than we were expecting.
Power: The brushed motor pared with a Lithium battery give the Modzilla a surprising amount of power. The low end has decent spank, the mid-range has some pull, but it does sign off relatively early up top at 18 mph. Does it have enough power to be fun? For a noob, definitely, and it has enough to be fun in smaller areas (like 30′ x 30′) for even experienced drivers. But, when taken to larger areas long time drivers will be wishing for more top end.
Radio: The Revell 2.4GHz transmitter is quite small in the hand, which is probably a good thing for youngsters. It felt small to all of our full sized testers, but the radio had decent range and we never experienced a glitch.
Broken Parts: We ran a bunch of packs through the Modzilla with very little breakage. By the end of testing we managed to break one of the front tie-rods and to pull one of the friction shocks in half.
Misc Notes:
We had a noisy servo on our test unit. It worked fine and we never had a problem, but it emitted more noise than a typical servo.
The transmitter uses 3 AA cells. Yes, 3, not 4. While the cell count is a bit odd, it did make the transmitter lighter and we never experienced any problems with it.
The manual isn’t very detailed, providing just what is needed to get the truck up and running.
On the back page of the manual it tells you to be sure to turn the transmitter on before the truck. On an inner page it says to turn on the truck first, then the transmitter, to allow the trans/receiver to bind properly. We can assure you that you’ll want to turn the truck on first, then the transmitter if you want them to actually bind.
Our truck had a bit more drag brake than we preferred.
Best Mod: We haven’t checked to see what will fit, but oil shocks has to be the first mod that we’ll do on the Modzilla.
Summary:
A = Outstanding/Best in Class, B = Above Average, C = Average, D = Below Average, F = Horrific
Time To Bash: B We found the Modzilla to be fast and easy to get from the box to the local bash spot.
Workability: B A standard 18th scale layout is found on the Modzilla making it quite easy to work on.
Car Show Rating: C Our testers felt that the tires had a bit of of a toy grade look to them and that the body, which had excellent graphics, didn’t have a great shape to it.
Bash-A-Bility: C The Modzilla took a typical beating while sporting a normal amount of breakage.
Fun Factor: B The included Lithium battery gives the Modzilla decent low end power, thus helping to make the Modzilla a fun truck to drive.
Handling: C While its platform could be good handling, its friction shocks and foamless tires really hold it back.
Value: A For only $79 we felt the Modzilla was a great bang for the buck.
Parts Availability: C You won’t find many local hobby shops stocking Modzilla parts (yet), but they are readily available on-line.
BigSquid Rating: B- Is the Revell Modzilla the best 18th scaler you can buy? No, it is not. However, it is a great deal of fun for only $79. It is a great first car or a good backyard basher for a buyer who is looking for something affordable.
