I'm looking at a mini sized short course truck...mostly for playing around

Either way I go, it's RTR, and both are around the $200.00 price point. What would you go with


The SC18 is 4wd. The Losi is not.

I'm also concerned about parts support for the SC18, as I don't know that brand as well as Losi. (I'm quite new to trucks, so my brand knowledge is pretty limited)

How about the traxxas slash 1/16 vxl?(If you're not looking for sc trucks strictly,try the merv vxl).I am not sure about the prices though.

i'd go sc18, associated is an awesome brand, and there's a brushless version out to, and the 4wd will help handling. it's also low cg, so i'd go with that one if i was getting one.

I ended up going wit the Associated SC18, and have been...well...dissapointed.


I got it saturday. Charged a couple batteries. Sunday morning, I put the first battery in and drive for about 3 minutes, and you can smell the motor cooking. I adjusted the mesh for the motor pinion....drove it another 3 minutes and the motor was cooking again.

the front drive belt is way too tight. I tried to loosen it as much as possible, and it's still too tight. Turns out if you call TA and ask what to do they send you a new front Diff. which is honorable, but kinda sucks that they don't just hand it to you when you buy it....I know how to replace the motor, i'm sure.

after I tried to loosen to the belt...I didn't get a second test drive...BECAUSE: The wheel on the transmitter fell off during my first battery pack

so it's in the mail to California to get fixed.

Sure, They ARE honoring the warranty....but still. This thing is going to cost me a new motor/esc and I have to pay to ship my Tx across the country. So much for RTR.


I think the Losi might of been the better choice here

sorry if i led you in the wrong direction, i've heard of the belt thing after this, i just don't check this sight all that often. i have the same radio on a t4.1 that my dad has, so far so good with the wheel staying on. they should fix it up, i think the belt was to small out of the box, which is why you had the issue. as the the bl system, not sure what happened. i'd try a battery that can deliver more amps before calling it trash.

Originally Posted by jettrooper02

sorry if i led you in the wrong direction, i've heard of the belt thing after this, i just don't check this sight all that often. i have the same radio on a t4.1 that my dad has, so far so good with the wheel staying on. they should fix it up, i think the belt was to small out of the box, which is why you had the issue. as the the bl system, not sure what happened. i'd try a battery that can deliver more amps before calling it trash.

Sorry, I might of mislead in my last post. The RTR I ended up with had a brushed motor, not the BL. I have a feeling it's toast, but I wont know for sure until I get everything back and hooked up (though from the smell, I'd say it is )

I'm sure Associated makes great trucks...people seem to love them. I must of just got a bad one (radio wise), but I'd think if they have a known belt issue, it would make sense to get repacement differentals out to the stores that stock them and just give them away when people purchase. It would of made my day alot better


BTW---is there a better site for RC cars and trucks?I've been checking RCtech a little, but it's kind of slow for new post too?

this one is pretty good, the one i spend a lot of time on is forums.thetoyz.com they are also a store that's based local to me, an online one, but i get stuff in practically one day, so i like it there. it's also a nice crowd all around on that site, lots of good info. i had heard from one of the mods on there that the belt was to short, and that's the issue. if it's a brushed motor, yeah, it probably burnt out. brushed, well, sucks. it's not that good and doesn't last as long as brushless. the ae radios, i have heard of that before. luckily it hasn't happened to me, the time i heard of it a guy was racing and he turned the wheel in a turn and the whole steering wheel broke off. the radio i've gotten to use(same) has not had this happen yet.

I purchased duratrax vendetta sc, it snapped axles every 6 runs. I put cvd axle,ball diffs from the toyz, had no more problems, except for stock motor would only last 20 runs. I put traxass mini slash brushless motor in it, it turn into a badass truck. My friend has sc18 with brushless, it can't keep up, the sc18 keeps breaking, dogbones,outdrives,steering parts. put rc18b wheel and tires on sc18 get more ground clearance

Hey ive got the sc18 its a great truck ive had it for a while now,I run it at a local indoor track in the winter dont really have time in the sumer casue im playing with my real race car.But theres allot of other trrucks out there like the vendetta that caant keep up with mine i havnt done much to it just BL motor,lipo batteries and she flyes..hope everythign gos good with the new one

Id go with the mini E-Revo vxl,,only prob ive had is back flipping all the time hahaha,,

id go with a mini erevo or mini slash!