You were 100% right on your review. I waited & got mine at $399 & Arrma is still not putting locktite on the mount... I thank you for giving us the heads up on all these rc's. Salute!
Mine had so much thread lock on the motor mount, I had to use a pair of pliers to turn my driver even after hitting the screws with a torch. My SafeD cups on the front and rear diff did not have any thread on them. And this is the first Arrma that I have ever purchased that didn't have thread lock on the shock caps.
Needs locktite on the motor mount and needs hot racing front and rear hubs also needs the diffs shimmed and filled with oil just like any other Arrma 6s. The body is unique and durable in my opinion. It handles amazing does power wheelies extremely easy to work on. Nothing wrong with this car.
I appreciate your honest reviews & opinions in all things RC, Earl! You give us all a heads up on these rigs and to know what to expect if we buy them. Thank you!! 💯🤜
My kraton v3 was $440 in a rc shop and got a discount for buying a slash platinum the same day and got the kraton for 400 out the door and then 2 3s lipos with a 80 dallor a peace price for 50 a peace and had a 6s monster for 500 rtr with lipos. And the slash and lipo for another 500. And that shop owner was happy to help me and get my but from there out. I've bought every v3 6s rig besides the outcast. I love my like new senton 6s still like new I've kept and will never sell unless offered way to much for it.
Earl your honesty goes a long way. Thanks for always letting the new comers and some old timers in the hobby what to be aware for. Free rc’s aren’t good. Unless you’re truthful so I will rather pay for mines.
Man I picked one up for 399- 440 with tax just waiting to slap a 20 tooth pinion into it and new motor mount screws , I know stuff will break and I’ll upgrade as needed not until something gives out ! I agree though it’s a project out the box (slow as hell) and delicate haha
I also love the body as it keeps the inside clean unless ran in water. I had a row of leaves by the road to be picked up that where wet and I was plowing through the rows. Got high centered on them and even trying forward and reverse nailing it leaves flew everywhere. My Kraton, Notorious and Typhon would have had leaves all in the chassis. Not 1 leaf got in the Fireteam.
Your video was definitely one of the reasons I didn't bother buying it. I didn't even bother when it was 399 because I felt underwhelmed by it, and didn't like the styling.
Supply and demand, the hype will always drive prices up. People think that companies are not paying attention, but they are. They have teams of research and development. Great video Earl.
and us old guys still believe that the good ones come in a kit. if u want it built right, build it urself. the gas rtr's are the best example of no locktite on metal to metal.
It would make a great trail truck. Heavy Metal rc is making one right now. Thank you Earl for all the helpful videos. If every one had to pay canadian prices it would be alot different.
I am also on the 399 buyer club. Ran it a few times and it’s a lot of fun. Not worth 750 at all. On mine the quality control is fine. Nothing different than any other rtr. Gotta do minor things on most rtr’s. I’ll do a couple of light runs and then shim diffs and check fluids. Mine does seem a bit soft on shock oil, I might do some thicker oil for my type of running. And add some exb braces and towers. Other than that I think I will enjoy this platform for a while.
In Denmark, the mojave and the fireteam cost round 800usd. but i do love them, fireteam is a great truck, i did a monster truck conversion on mine, great fun. Funny thing, you mention that the Traxxas sledge is a 100usd less where you are ad, here in Denmark, the sledge is almost 100usd more :)
I never thought about them discontinuing it selling at that price. You have a point there. Horizon has been doing that lately when they get rid of a car. Happened to me with the force rc epidemic I'm good friends with the owners of my lhs. They've told me the price markup is huge for the rc companies. They told me about a plane they sold that cost $150 to buy. The company that made it only spend $5 to have it manufactured.
I just had my FT out for a snow bash & I have to say I do like this RC. You are spot on about the original price point and I wouldn't own one had it not been for HH Black Friday sale. The FT was in sale for $400 and let me tell you this is a lot of RC for that price. I also think your correct about the manufacturers taking advantage of people and their Biden bucks. If you watch the secondary market there is some pretty sweet deals out there from first timers that blew their load and bought a RC and everything to go with it. They lost interest and now they are basically giving their stuff away. Anyway good talk Eman cheers
Lots. Of great points... I just ordered a new (on sale) Outcast... my 1st gen Outcast is pretty wore out... aka everything has been replaced many times. It was on sale and I had max Horizon points. Thus, 3 Benjamin's 🙂. My experience with my Arrma is, They are at very least as durable as anything else (including quality control, ive received broke Traxxas out of the box, not shipping) . One of the things I like about Arrma is they are pretty straightforward to work on. Which Brings me to another point, any kid getting into this hobby; I was one back in the eighties better be prepared to spend a lot of money! 😂 But it's still a hell of a lot less money than a 1 to 1 rig! ... I like the combination of scale and bashing I think it's a good thing for the hobby. As a veteran I think the firearms are fine and maybe that's what they were going for? (I can see your point though... when i grew up i had 22 rifle at 11yro) Lastly, cheers! Thank you for your in depth review I'm subscribing to your channel. Thus, my long post you covered a broad range 😉
Was in the hobby HARD for 2 years. Won’t be buying another for a LONG TIME Earl. Done. Finito. Can’t justify it anymore. I rip & wheelie my Electric Pit Bike and get more out of it. But I appreciate the knowledge spit here Earl. As always. SOLID.💪💯🍻
Mine cost $367 otd. I didn’t want it at $399. But then 15% off at Tower, I couldn’t say no. At 1st glance, gear mesh is way tight. It will be on my bench for a qc check for sure. I have a Max6 combo sitting around, might chuck it in the fire team....
Every word you said is true, it’s the same with nitro , I’ve been in this hobby since I was 7 years old , I’m now 52 and it feels like we are getting ripped off by all these companies, you pay $850 it’s double here in Australia it makes you rethink about staying in the hobby because it is so dear , keep up the good work mr Earl 🏎🏎
I hear you... I'm not an Ozzy but I used to go down To your beautiful country from Japan every year for about 10 years while I was stationed in Japan... Your comment stuck out because I remember back when if you wanted to go fast you had to have Nitro... Hell, you couldn't even fly an airplane without Nitro. Now we can buy a out of the box 100mph + with stabilization. GPS. Camera.
The Fireteam is around $1,150 aud down here, depending on where you shop. And we didn't get the huge discount that they offer North American customers, nor were any Traxxas or Arrma vehicles on discount for black friday deals
I agree buddy, I just got into the hobby about 14 months ago, I really enjoy R/C kind of went crazy and I'll admit I'm one of the people who bought the Fireteam at release, I will never do that again I will wait, I'm a Traxxas Fan but really liked the looks of the Fireteam and not impressed with it....at all....wish I would.have paid $399...but I learned my lesson...I will never buy a R/C at release day....thanks for your vids you have helped me with so much💯👍👍
I stated the same thing in the Arrma FB GROUP. Your initial review was spot on. Also stated just last week that all the seasoned guys who said this rig wasn't worth the initial $750 were absolutely right. That's why it currently went on sale for half price 🤷♀️
I couldn’t agree more with you. I thought the price and “gimmick” of this missed the mark, but I jumped on the sale and bought one. It’s a good RC and I’m having fun! I heard after the sale the retailers were only profiting between $20-$30. Good review I value your opinion a lot!
I couldn't agree with you more on the Arrma Fireteam not being worth $750. I'm glad I waited until Black Friday for the $399 sale, especially seeing the product was made in China, a country with a $3.70 per hour minimum wage.
Have to say that is one thing I love about my CEN Reeper, the price for the truck has never changed and gone up, I've seen sales where they'll be 10% off, and parts can cost a bit much for upgrades but they've never gone up and replacements are reasonable
My only problem I've had with mine was the bearing that's it I had check bolts for lock tight and everything that needed lock tight had it on and the servo as well
i needed a bigger RC i’m glad i waited and thx Earl if your vids might of helped play a part in the blackfriday deal Im glad your honest we need more reviews we can trust. Horizon Hobby kept me in this expensive hobby a little longer $430. plus shipping i should have got two for parts 😂.
Very well said Earl... Hopefully that clears up any misunderstanding ppl took from your first vids. I for one NEVER buy any rc before I see your honest review. I was going to buy this but as you say $200 for a new canopy and I sure do crash a lot. Too expensive for me it just takes the fun out of it. I'll stick with my exb Mojave for now. Untill they lower the price here on the UK ... Thanks for another great vid.
Most fun rc I've ever bought was my first last year. It was an arrma typhon mega and I instantly started buying hopup parts then electronics. It's now, easily, my most fun car and quickest to rip on 3s out of all my rcs.
That great 👍 I remember when I want revo3.3 but everyone tells no stay with the tmaxx 3.3 but when I switch to the revo3.3 I had more fun with it then tmaxx. But I do love my armma kraton v5 it reminds me the buffer more then revo3.3
100% my experience. I bought a Kraton 6S 3 months ago. Didn't get through the first battery. Halfway through the first battery my center diff failed. Turned out the center diff had zero fluid in it. So I replaced the center diff. Next battery the the motor failed. Didn't make it through that battery either. The motor literally broke apart internally. After that it was axles popping out. Figured that using a small runner stop at the hub side of the axle kept the axle from popping out of the cup side at the diff. Took 2 months to get warranty parts. After all of that it's been diff failure after diff failure. So I have to learn to build them and have since upgraded the rear bulkhead. Also bought the EXB diffs and learned to build those properly. Also modifying the shocks and building those properly. Point being is that it's probably a better idea to buy a roller. And go through it. Then buy what you prefer for it.
I traded my 6s Notorious on 2 trx4s and some cash on my end. For me and my son, I like the 3s arrma line better. Cheaper to fix and less dangerous for my son to run and just as fast. I also think the 6s line is too large. We want the 4s Outcast next even if it is more. I'm still also intrigued about the 6s senton.
I've been an Arrma buyer since the V1 Kraton dropped. For me, the price point back then was a lot of the draw. Now, I think you're right. They're entirely too expensive for what we get. I will only buy chopped rollers on ebay now. The RTR stuff is just too much. None of them should be over $500 imo.
WOW THIS IS CRAZY BECAUSE IM GOING threw the same thing with a brand new Arrma Karton 1/5 8s EXB i had leaking shocks all four missing all shock ball ends missing, one tire was not even glued??!! and I had wheel Hex no warranty card and 3 wheel drive with a broken front I found had no oil. i emailed them and went to Loval hobby shop every couple days he said HH wanted to speak to me which was impossible he didn’t understand I couldn’t call them but I emailed them 14 times then they said we need pictures after month I kept going back to hobby shop to find out what was going I never in my intire life seen anything with such bad Quality Assurances/ or Check. they didn’t believe me so called the corporate line and demanded to speak to a manager or someone about this truck was sitting getting covered by dust with nothing from HH customer products support. the crazy thing is I finally got a email just yesterday saying parts are on the way it’s completely B$$L Shaft. i didn’t even want the truck but they said wait tell you recive your new parts we will make sure you’re happy. I’m telling the truth never again. when i order from Amain no questions asked and part is express fast shipping with proper customer service Forget Horizon I lost all that time and have rebuild this truck now wtf
@Earl Moorhead it’s unbelievable 6 months can u believe this. they better be sending built shocks and all the parts. I definitely understand now it’s crazy
Hey earl this is why I never buy the first version of anything. They are most likely discontinuing this or releasing a V2. That being said I did pick it up for 399.
I waited for the sale I agree at 399$ very good deal I am collecting spare parts will be going through it thoroughly like you did. Will have some fun with it if it gets destroyed, like you said got spare parts for other vehichles.
You're exactly right about the price point. If it was the same price as the other arrma 6s rcs, than it would sell as well as the others. I think the price will level off at some point. ...punch setting to 6 or 7 helps with the nose on jumps. ...It's like they put all the best parts from their 6s vehicles to make it their best all-around vehicle. ...does everything well, without being the best at one thing. I like that, though, because I can turn it into a true monster truck basher, or tune as a true track racer. ...a lot of cool things to try with this one. .....That price, though, sucks
I couldn't agree more that the price was too high at the release! But that sale was too good to pass up!! Other than the body and bumpers its a hybrid of existing 6s parts re-configured. I like the look of the body and the look of the tires. You can tune it to your liking, but out of the box its set up to be more of a ground pounder than a basher. 💯👍🤙😉
All these prices lately have hurt my love for the hobby quite a bit. I can't justify paying $700+ for an rtr vehicle that has electronics that aren't to my satisfaction. Those kind of numbers should b when you buy a kit & outfit how you want to
I got one of these a couple weeks back for the sale. And within the first 5 minutes my shock came apart. Tore a big hole in the rubber boot. Quality control might still be an issue!
somehow here in the land down under there seems to be a Failure To Communicate with discount Pricing going on or the hobby shops(HORE IZON)want to pretend that we dont see whats going on with prices in the US here there on sale for $1,299 if your lucky you can get one for $1,199 if they go down to the $700-$800 i will definitely grab one ,thanks for the great information on these RC's Earl🙂
100% agree with this vid, I waited and bough one used in great condition for about $500. It's a shame that in the UK we never got the price drop. Still selling here at £610/$750 & pretty obvious that Arrma/Horizon don't really care about the UK market
@@earlmoorhead5555 I live in poland. EU. Here, this model costs $760. Neither armma nor any other manufacturer has any sales here. There are no black fridays or digital mondays in this hobby. Outcast EXB is also still over $750. In the US, the fireteam on sale cost less than I paid for my big rock two years ago. I'm really sorry when I get newsletters from horizon with sales in the US.
@@earlmoorhead5555 This is a country of almost 40 million people. Apparently, the local distributor of horizon products does not see the point in lowering prices for these few hobbyists...☹️
I got one at my hobby shop for that deal but there was NO Loctite on mine at all so what your putting out is true do I go throw my rc yes because of that but like you say should I have to NO being it’s a rtr but like we seen we have to to protect your investment but for the price I had to I got mine at 375 cash out the door but like you I get deals on them because how many I buy thanks for the video
Never would of bought it, but I walked into the rc shop and they had the cyber Monday sale and with my shop special combined I walked out paying $380 including taxes. While it has its problems, it’s the best rc truck I’ve gotten out of the box for under $400 bucks. Now there is no way in hell I would pay $700 plus for the fire team
Got mine for the 399 but my only issue is when im reversing fast the wheels wobble. Does this happen to you and do you have any recommendations. Also what do you recommend I upgrade for best performance.
$400 price point makes this a great starting hobby grade RC to learn and develop mechanical/electrical knowledge with. IMO $600+ batteries/charger becomes too much of an investment for new users where they'll just purchase plastic 3/4S 10 scale rigs instead. Other brands will/should start following suit if they want to continue being competitive with 1/8 scale or larger bashers.
Just bought the Arrma Notorious 6s, 4 minutes into the 1st run, and the center diff. Disintegrates? I'm not sure if it didn't have fluid in it or if the plastic diff cases are not strong enough. 💰For 6s 🤔 Arrma-💪
Awesome man. The people bashing probably didn’t watch the whole video. Totally agreed I’ve never bought anything an influencer has said to buy. If they had to pay for it first then you’d get the real truth. Everything they get free is the best RC they’ve ever had. I just wouldn’t feel right knowing I told someone to buy something that I wouldn’t be willing to spend the money on myself.
I thought your reviews of the fireteam were objective and clear. They did help me decide that it wasn't the RC for me, and the price point really sealed it.
Yeah, people need to realize when a review comes out, a good part of the opinion is based on its current price. For $400 it's great. For original price it's not.
💯 % true Earl. I totally agree with everything you said. It’s definitely a good RC. I just got one and I’m really digging it. It’s definitely not worth 800.00
A lot of people got lucky and got it on sale for Black Friday at $399. It’s a total steal for that price and I would have bought it but I already bought a mojave in late November, tbh I didn’t like the fire team when it first came out but now I really like it.
