Loving mine...maybe because she was my 2nd rc and first crawler at 50years of age but better late than never. But for real she's backed up by a Crawlmaster Sport 550 in 13t. managed by a HW 1080 and controlled with a FS gt5....so smooth. Thank you Mr. Holmes for the work you do in this hobby...only familiar with your motors but know enough and am anal enough about what I want and how things feel that my last two rigs I got seen about and hour of playtime then the motors got 86'd and HH motors went in.
Got the Gen8 as my first crawler, went to a local shop that let me side by side to all others. Its a no brainer this RC is perfect for a starter crawler.
I'm brand new to the RC and Scale community and I have watched numerous reviews trying to figure out which Crawler to get. I finally settled on the Gen8 and I'd just like to say Thank You for such a good review. I'm also a snob in terms of technicality, form and function so I completely understood your point of view. 👍
Good observation on the jerky response of the motor throttle. You kept knocking the motor though and kept urging the buyer to change the 17t 550 motor. Many have already reviewed and observed that the problem is the transmitter. It is a cheap radio that has no ability to modulate this motor or ANY motor. Replace that and you shall see as many have. The next problem is the ESC. It's terrible and can't modulate either. Sooo, good effort but wish you did a little more research BEFORE concluding what the problem and fix is.
17t is not well suited for a rock crawler if low speed control is wanted. It's simply the downfall of brushed motors that when you get beyond a certain threshold of rpm per volt, startup control suffers.
@@HolmesHobbies put your greatest motor in that stock esc/radio and realize that you will still have very poor control. So your advice is really misleading here. Work on the weak links and root causes of the problem first.
@@greggk1061 I'm not denying that the stock electrics are all pretty poor. I just think the motor is the worst part of it. I'm a motor snob. I also have plenty of customers that threw a 21t or 27t TrailMaster Sport 550 on stock ESC and loved the improvement in control.
Glad to see your review, and I will say it responds to your electronics well. I ran it for about 30 minutes on stock electronics, then put a Trailmaster Pro and BLE in. I think the radio is also a hindrance, as it's a bit "sticky" on the throttle. I will say the stock tires are not bad, especially as they wear in. The stock foam is definitely not the best though LOL
Good to see you’re on the mend Johnrob. The Gen 8 was my first crawler since 2011-12. I think it’s a great crawler. I added one of your 21T 550 motors, upgraded to a Savox 1230sg servo, and a HW 1080 esc. On 3s, it’s got great low end control while still having the necessary wheel speed when needed. I’m impressed with Red Car first in-house offering and Im looking forward to their future releases. 👍🏼
HolmesHobbies I agree Johnrob. The body is huge and heavy, the stock foams are terrible, the tumor on the skid has to go, and the bump steer from the factory is easily correctable. I love the licensed Scout body, the stock licensed tires aren’t bad once a decent set of foams are installed, the eliminated the tumor on the skid, and changed up the steering linkage to eliminate most of the bump steer. Add in portal axles, bead lock wheels, metal links, a divorced transmission& transfer case, and very nice shocks. All in all, it’s a fantastic crawler when you factor in the price. IMO Red Cat is killing it. 👍🏼
Even though the tires are bad, it just takes 5 runs for the tires to break in out of their in-box stiffness. The stock tires will get better and better the more your drive this RC car
Nice insights John. Been beating on a Gen8 with your BLE-Pro and Puller Pro 2200kv on 3S, Brass links and a few other mods. Runs hard and is easy to work on. The body is way too big, but I don't run stock bodies so the Gen8 PACK is awesome for $160 to build off of.
John, that Gen 8 was a GAME CHANGER... It's caused the same DROP in price offerings from the competition, as the price RISE after the first TRX-4!! Is it perfect? Not really. But it's got tons of potential!! 👍👍 Carmine 🚂🚙
What is everyone's thought on the stock tires? I understand dual stage foams are ideal, I have some options on wheels and tires already, but looking for input. Tomorrow AM I become a proud Gen 8 parent
Good to see your take on the Gen8, I recently put a crawl master pro 10 turn in mine... haven’t got to really test it out though ( was crawling and the truck tumbled and broke the steering portal cover about 10 minutes into the fun). I was at the Zia scale nationals and it was cool to actually meet and talk a bit about motors with you.
it comes with an 18 tooth pinion too big. i went with a 14 tooth pinion which is way better and 13 turn crawlmaster is great. way better low speed control. I would even go with a 16 turn motor.
ive driven nothing but Axial for the last 8 years, and i recently got one of these, and a few other brands. the Gen8 is quickly becoming my favorite RTR. its a lot of truck for the price and handles like a champ outta the box. I didnt have the same experiences personally with the throttle control though. Mine is quite smooth overall especially slow crawlin. I love the weight of it.
I have a quick question in regards to the revolver motor would this small motor be okay for a heavy gen 8 or heavy trx4 I've seen you run one in the trx4 but was unsure as to if it was of a stock weight configuration thanks for any input you may have
I've ran Revolver's for years. Have one powering a two TRX4's, a 6x6 called "King Midas 6x6", an old AX10 Scorpion that's been converted to an SCX10 and a 1000kv Revolver powering a 35 pound BC8 Mammoth , two Trailfinder and a few others. If they aren't run'n a Revolver it has a Puller Pro. The 540 Revolver is powerful enough to power pretty much any RC. Years ago on the Traxxas Forum...a guy calculated the outrunner to be making twice the power of TWO 21-turn Titan 550 motors....this "guy" had replaced his twin 550-can titan motors in his E-Maxx with a it. He was WAY more than happy with the increase with torque. For years I've called the Revolver the Diesel engine of electric motors....with 12-stators and 14-magnets makes it extremely torquay and your run time per battery will most likely triple.
I really like the look of this but ended up buying the Sport kit in the end having read too many issues regarding portal gears and axles etc. Hopefully those issues have only affected a small number of people as I'm still hoping to get one soon.
FYI. the magnets aren't factory from Redcat. They all come stock with velcro, which is OK, but the big issues are adhesion of the velcro to the inner fender system and low grip of the velcro itself. I purchased these magnets online (20mm x 2.5mm thick). I tried using only 8 (one on each fender well), but the body wanted to pop off too easily. 16 magnets work a treat, as you can tell. :)
@@stpbasss3773 If you listened, @8:31 "I think he threw in some extra magnets. Maybe the stock ones weren't quite good enough." That's my rig that he's using and was just wanting to clarify that magnets don't come stock.
John, given all other factors being the same gearing, battery, etc, would you run a lower KV motor with a larger pinion or a higher KV motor with a smaller pinion.?
@@HolmesHobbies I messed up. I wasn't referring to the redcat in specific. I was just meaning in general. To achieve the same wheel speed which one do you like better.
In general, higher hv with more geardown vs lower kv with less reduction. Or higher voltage instead of higher kv. Volt up, Gear down has been my slogan for 13 years.
It's hard to complain much about the Redcat Gen8 RTR for the price of $299. It's a lot of rig with a lot of good points for that price. It has it's issues, as any RTR does, but nothing some time on the bench and a few dollars won't fix. I've heard people complain about "bump steer" but it's so minimal it's really a non issue for me. It does have a bit of torque twist, but as you said it's quite manageable. I'm still using the stock tires and they are fairly grippy after I scrubbed them down good with Lava soap and a brush to get the grease off that's left over from the casting process. My only real complaint is how "jumpy" the throttle is, especially in reverse it's pretty impossible to "crawl" backing up. A different controller with throttle EXPOnential adjustment would probably help a lot. I'm considering saving up and getting a Hobbywing AXE System For Rock Crawler Combo for it.
Mr. Holmes, I could use some help if you have the time. I'm currently preparing to build 2 axial scx10ii's and the TorqueMaster Expert 21t 550 looks perfect for me. I'm just absolutely clueless about the motor timing and such that you have on the side. If you get a chance hopefully you can point me in the right direction there. Thanks in advance. Love the review btw. I love critical reviews!
I love the look of the Redcat gen 8 scout but getting spares here in the uk is a problem. Spares and aftermarket parts are plentiful for the Trx4. So i’m going with that kit instead.
We love our redcats. I recently added the portals to our gen7. It's been impressive for the cheap price point. Give us sub if your a redcat crawler fan! We've been trying to add alot of footage.
Great videos John, I truly enjoy your channel! I am actually building a gen8 right now and building it with a mild competitive edge, ive ran the trailmaster 21t in my gen7 rig for a while now with great success still utilizing the stock Hexfly esc. I have been looking into the torque master brushed series considering a 13t 540. How do you feel that motor with a quality esc would perform in this rig after the initial review? Keep up all of hard work, much appreciated sir! Ryan.
great review brother, love mine, I put a torquemaster 21t 550 with a castle sidewinder4 in mine,freakin awesome torque and control....your motors are hands down the best I have ever used and I've been in the hobby since the '80's.
I've got a brand new Traxxas 21t 550 sitting in a drawer. Would it be a better motor than the 17t in my RedCat? It came with a TRX4 esc I got for less than half price off eBay. So the motor was basically free.
#200milegen8 on Instagram. Killed the stock servo within 50 miles, added a glitch buster with a used Protek 100t (coated in Plastidip), and Crawler Innovations DW foams. Added a light kit from Lit LED lights and that's it. It's gotta be one of the best rigs out of the box Ive ever had.
Do you have the link to the 3D printed skid plate that you show in the video? The link you provided is a different type of skid plate as it is not flat. Thanks in Advance!
Dude your videos are great. You're so knowledgeable and go into detail where it's still easy to follow. There's a lot we can learn from you. Keep up the great content.
I'm looking for my first rig to get into the hobby, and this one is high on my radar. Going to be honest, I love the price point and that Scout body is beautiful! The other one that I'm hearing the most about, and a few people have recommended, is the TRX4 Sport. I'm wondering, for a first time driver who's most likely going to be fairly ham-fisted, which one of these would be the better rig? Not looking to build a fleet, I mainly want something to do during this quarantine and the fact that I can't take my actual 4X4 out anywhere. Thinking this is going to be a one and done type purchase. Well I say that now anyway, LOL. Right now the Gen 8 is 269, while the trx4 sport is 349. Is the TRX worth $80 more? Going back to esthetics, the generic body of the trx4 is a big turn-off to me. I know they're replaceable, but that's just another added expense on top of the original purchase price. Thanks!!
@@HolmesHobbies thanks for the input! I've watched another one your videos since commenting on this one, I like them a lot and will watch more. I'm going to look into that trx4 sport more.
I get the impression that this has aftermarket alloy beadlock wheels, best proline tires, aftermarket servo, modified center bump, repositioned/lower battery tray, fixed steering issues. So I'm not really sure you're reviewing a $300 rig. At least be consistent if you're gonna fix all the weaknesses of this capable rig.
