Tamiya Grasshopper (1 or 2) Budget Motor Options 

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@@NordicRC Thanks! Glad you liked it! I appreciate the sub!

It does give it a bit more power and speed but does not add the extra weight of the much larger 540 motor. I think it is a nice compromise of power and weight! Have fun with it!

Welcome to the hobby and I am sorry you'll never have money again🤣🤣🤣 Seriously though if you ever have questions just ask, if I don't know then someone in the chat probably will!

Just a warning... They are kinda like chips, if you get one and then you will want the rest of them!!!! Hit me up, I can recommend a few for ya!

Thanks for stopping by and checking it out. New stuff coming at least once a week. I am trying to do 2 a week but it can be very hard to do some weeks!! Appreciate the kind words and I'm gonna keep making new ones as long as folks keep watching!!

Thanks for watching and for the kind words. The Rising Fighter is a fun little buggy! You are going to have a blast with it.

The hopper chassis is probably the best named platform in the history of RC! No matter what you do to it is still going to buck and bounce around on you. It is definitely part of the charm! I am sure it is a rocket with the RZ motor in it!!!

@@AddamsPlayground it’s super fast compared to the stock 380, but slow compared to modern cars, but i don’t think you’d want it to go any faster, it’s so bouncy that it flips over a lot when turning almost like a lunchbox, but it’s great! And always makes you laugh, just have to find a way to keep the shocks from popping out on top

They are super fun and tough little buggies! You should look into the Neo fighter or the Racing Fighter on the DT03 chassis next! Right around the same pricing but drive way smoother and eliminates all that hopping around. While it is a signature of the hopper it can make it hard to drive at times. Thanks for stopping by and checking in!!

@@AddamsPlayground Thank you very much for the recommendations, I will look into them 😊 By the way, I already have a rerelease Hotshot I bought at the same time as the Grasshopper. I fell in love with the red color and the mono suspension. It is still not assembled, so no experience with it yet.

@@Rasle500 The HS goes together rather easy. The rear suspension is a little fiddly and cutting out the body takes a bit of patience but overall it is a fun kit to assemble. Just study the complex steps a little before assembling and you will be fine! I scratched my head once or twice but examining the instructions got me sorted.

Thanks for stopping by and checking it out!

Yeah, I really hadn't noticed any until I went to order this and it was one of the recommended accessories. For the price I couldn't pass up trying it out. Glad you liked it and thanks for stopping by and checking it out 😊😊

@Jess yeah if you can find a deal on them somewhere or a used one that you can trust. Would be spicy!!!

It makes it faster than the stock 380 and drives better than with a heavy 540 in the back so it is not a bad option. You just have to get pinion for it as the stock brass one is pressed onto the shaft. You can get it off but I didn't want to wreck the stock motor since it was brand new, if it was an old one then I would have.

​​@@AddamsPlaygroundmaybe a late reaction to this post, but when using a sport tuned 380 in a Grasshopper, the best pinion gear to use is the one from a Monster Beetle. And the 380 sport tuned includes 2 pinion adapters to make it fit.

@@RubySander Thanks for the tip!

Yeah, I understand why most people go straight to the 540 option. I thing the 380 sport tuned is a better option than the stock motor but it really wakes up with the 540!

I didn't even have a speed meter at this point. Just me and a couple old cell phones!

@@AddamsPlayground I would send you one but they're $60 It took a lot for me to buy one I've used it on a lot of my brushed RCs and the three brushless I have

@@nomusicrc I have one know, just never think to use it.

@@AddamsPlayground so... Sounds like a great video to test all of your cars well maybe not all of them lol

Not a problem at all! 10 tooth 32 pitch pinion I used for the 380 - Redcat part # RCL-H012 you could also try a Robinson Racing RRP0100 10 tooth 32 pitch gear.

@@AddamsPlayground Cheers dude! Just picked up one of these GH2 kits for a future build! It was a bargain so I thought to put it away for the future 😁

@@theoagrc it is a pretty good little running buggy! Looking forward to seeing what you planned for it when you get around to it!!

@@AddamsPlayground I will be pitching it head to head against its older brother 😁 Loved seeing how much your hobby room has progressed man!

@@theoagrc yeah a lot different from the begining of all this! I have been working getting organized and trying to have everything out of camera view less chaotic!! Still have some more work to do but it is a lot better out there.

I am sure that can be a hand full! They are great little buggies and stand up to a ton of abuse. Guess that is why they still sell all the time almost 40 years later!

Batteries have come a long way as well as the electronics being so much more efficient. I remember my first truck getting only about 7-8 minutes out of a battery back in the day. That was when we had the mechanical speed controls with the resistor on it to literally "burn off" the unused voltage!

It does have a noticeable increase in power and a bit more speed. Honestly I would say let him learn on the standard 380 and once he gets good at it just drop in a silver can 540 to give him more speed and power. The only real advantage of the sport tuned 380 is the extra power but no added weight so it doesn't buck around quite as much than with the heavier 540 back there. It is going to hop and buck around with either so I think the stock then 540 route is the easiest and cheapest route. If you need a stock silver can let me know, I have at least a dozen sitting here!

Addam, that's REALLY nice of you!! 😊🙏 I've got a bunch of Silver Cans though. Rarely use them! I figured a solution for "bouncy bouncy" several years ago... Grasshopper/Hornet/Rising Fighter has MORE unsprung weight than sprung weight!!!! 🙄😵 We've always called them "cute, iconic, classic", and just the "Tamiya Way".... But facing reality, their Handling SUCKS! (Not disrespecting the almighty "T", but it's just a Fact) Anyway, to NOT make your prided Classic drive like a $10 Wally World toy.... Step 1 - Shocks. Up front, any typical 1/16th scale 55-60mm Buggy Shocks, with 40wt Shock Oil. You use the Hornet upper Shock Mounts, those Steel U-shaped things. (Your GHII already has them) 😉 Step 2 - (optional and PRICEY!) INDEPENDENT Front Suspension!! The horrible Camber/Toe shift when the front is compressed (ESPECIALLY in reverse!), is nothing short of appalling. There's several 3D Printer files on Thingiverse, you can buy it ready made from Shapeways (Expensive!!), OR if you remember the old Futaba FX-10... it was a Hornet Chassis - WITH an Independent Front Suspension already added!!! 😁 Really hard to find though. Step 3 - Rear Shock Extenders (exactly like what the Lunchbox has, around the rear Axles). That moves the Shocks back.... improving Leverage AND more clearance for the 540 Motor! 😊 Step 4 - keep the GHII Rear Dampers (with lighter Oil, about 15-25wt). But those STIFF Springs have GOT to go!!! Go to any Hobby Shop, or Evilbay or Amazon, and buy a package of two Axial Wraith Springs (roughly 5X softer, about the same length!) After that, the front and rear Suspension will actually WORK! Not just skip over the top of terrain. I'll try and get you more specific info. 😉

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xnGZ4CmPWXk.html Here's the video, explaining the 3D Printed route. Several BIG Channels have used it. I have it on my Lunchbox and Grasshopper I. My friend Alberto will explain clearly, the how's and why's. 😁

@@CarminesRCTipsandTricks great line up of tips!!! I will have to work on some of those! I drive my grasshopper II around a good bit, it is fun and handles decent enough and I do enjoy some of the hopping and bucking as it brings back a lot of memories of yesteryear! Thanks for taking the time to share all that and you definitely need to do a video specifically on this part!

Yup Addam, that's the charm and nostalgia! But being a Re-Re, and without collector value (Although LOTS of sentimental value!), I had been plotting for Decades over those Buggies. I very much love them, but personally I enjoy improving them. Of course they'll never win an A-Main. Wouldn't even qualify! But why not bring out the best in them. My friend Alberto, whose video I shared above, is an Engineer and long time Tamiya lover. He's been committed for at least the past 17 years, to create improvements for Tamiya's entire lower line RCs! Have a look at his channel.... you GOTTA see "Superfly" 😎😲😵 He made the Hornet/Hopper REAR Suspension independent!!! Plus Cantilever Shocks in front! Absolute overkill? YES!! On a level that can't be described. But he wanted to push the boundaries of what was possible with the diminutive Grasshopper. It IS impressive. 3D Printed everything but the Tub and central Gearcase! He also went wild with a Frog! And has several worthwhile improvements for the entire ORV Chassis line. If nothing else, you might leave, fascinated! BTW, after Mods, the Hopper will still Hop and Buck.... it will just Roll, Spin, Slide and CRASH less! 😉

So Lipo (lithium polymer) batteries will get damaged and can become dangerous if over discharged. You should not run them on ESCs that do not have a built in lipo cutoff to prevent over discharging the battery. Many newer ESCs have setting or jumpers you can adjust if you are running lipo or nimh batteries. This is a safety feature to make sure you don't damage the batteries.I hope that answers your question and wasn't confusing...

It would perform close to the sport.tuned over all just a little less punchy and slower overall. Next comparison video I'll make sure.to step through them all. I think the go-to is either a stock 540 or the sport tuned. The stock if you happen to have one and sport tuned if you have to buy something usually. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, much appreciated.