to start off with the mad torque is a 1/8 scale crawler that would fit into the super class in competitions. would not run with the redcat rs10 (1/10 scale).

to start the tires on the exceeds ( and redcats) are a joke. they are way to stiff and don't provide enough traction for anything other than just running around the yard.
the axles on the exceed are plastic geared. these break very easy and replacements are hard to come by, plus there is no aftermarket steel gears available.
on the axles, the c-hubs (ends of the axles where the knuckles attach) are molded into the the housings. this is a bad design as it does not allow any clocking of the axle, the plastic is weak and breaks under heavy load, and the screws will back out very easily requiring constant tightening.
the motors are weak at best, and not up to the task of actual rock crawling.
the frame is not designed well. nicad or nimh batteries are not any good for crawling. the link mounting geometry is not designed well at all.
the stock 3 links allow axle walk a 4 link is tons better for axle control
the stock servo mount is weak, any servo that is powerful enough to actually turn the tires will bend/break the servo mount.
dogbone axles are a real problem. not enough angle to get good steering, and if you can modify them to get the angle, they pop out of the cups. universal shafts are needed but not available.

now between the exceed and the redcat you got to remember your talking about 2 different scale of crawlers. i have no experience with the redcat 1/8 scale crawler.
the redcat suffers from alot of the drawbacks the exceed does, BUT there are aftermarket gears for the axles, there are aftermarket motor swap kits, there are aftermarket chassis's for it.

with the exceed, finding 1/8 scale (super class) tires are hard to find and expensive. for the redcat (1/10 scale) tires are very common and tons cheaper.

you say you have owned most every crawler. well rc4wd crawler are not very good either. the bully is a decent crawler, but needs work in the suspension and chassis department. the axles are very good stock, but do require some work to improve steering angle.

axial xr10's have their drawbacks, but overall they are pretty decent, the bergs are very nice but money becomes a problem as parts are outragous.

i have owned the redcat rs10xt, the axial ax10, scx10's, i've ran bergs, xr10's, bullys, and the like.

the biggest question on crawlers is what your intended purpose is. if your just out having fun then just about any crawler will be ok. the problem with these cheap crawlers is aftermarket and replacement parts. you WILL break things, and it sucks not being able to get replacements or upgraded parts. if you plan on competitions, then it's a whole different ball of wax. the cheaper crawlers (exceed, redcat, and even bullys) don't have the abilities to compete well. the bully takes tons of work to get the weight of the rig down to be competitive, and the steering issues rear their ugly heads. if you get the throw you need you hit the shocks, if you get wide enough to clear the shocks, you run into crazy scrub radius, the others just lack tons of things.

have you owned a mad torq ??? the tires are as soft as the ones on the axial its the max stone i think your confusing youself with and also anything mentioned in this thread of a 1/10 scale crawler is un needed as read the title of my thread . alot of people are looking for a nice reliable back yard crawler and this imho is it i dont reply that its a comp crawler in any means EVERY rc can be made better by throwing cash at it that is not the point of this thread . so if you would like to brake down how each and every crawler has its drawbacks and how to fix them start a NEW thread about it . as this one is for the mad torq crawler that is why i named it that .

Originally Posted by rcphreak

i hva econtacted rcx and it is for sure 1/10 scale not 1/8 packaging error .

your title and post here say this is a 1/10 scale crawler. so comparisons to other 1/10 scale crawlers would be relevent.

i have NOT owned an exceed crawler. i have NOT owned one for the reasons i stated above. on the other hand, i HAVE driven the mad torque, the max stone, and the mad torque.

you are correct that all "out of the box" crawlers have drawbacks. i am NOT trying to talk bad about the exceed crawler, just trying to let other people know that these crawlers are NOT competition grade. they are fine for backyard crawling, having fun, and general bashing. they are NOT on par with the top competition level crawlers, and really won't be no matter the money you throw at them.

Originally Posted by hoghead5150

your title and post here say this is a 1/10 scale crawler. so comparisons to other 1/10 scale crawlers would be relevent.

i have NOT owned an exceed crawler. i have NOT owned one for the reasons i stated above. on the other hand, i HAVE driven the mad torque, the max stone, and the mad torque.

you are correct that all "out of the box" crawlers have drawbacks. i am NOT trying to talk bad about the exceed crawler, just trying to let other people know that these crawlers are NOT competition grade. they are fine for backyard crawling, having fun, and general bashing. they are NOT on par with the top competition level crawlers, and really won't be no matter the money you throw at them.

OK guys, i am looking for a non-competion rock crawler without braking the bank. is it true that you always get for what are you paying for? The nitrorc ones look realy cool in their web site with plenty of pics, vids and info. The same though does not apply to Redcat. This is going to be my first rc truck. I am really involved with fixed wing planes an CP helis. Other poeple told me to get away from the crawlers and get a monster truck like the Torment as an entry point for more fun. Anyway, thank you guys for the input and happy crawling

if crawling is what you want, then monster trucks won't do it. the monster trucks are more for faster speeds and bashing around. crawlers are alot slower, but can go alot more places.'

if your not looking to get into competitions, then that opens up alot of different brands. the exceed and redcats are not bad, and are actually pretty capable. they are a blast to drive, just not on the level of full comp rigs,

do your research, and make SURE you can get spare parts. things do and will break, and nothing worse than waiting on parts.

as hog said and also if nitro rcx has it in stock youll get it in a timly manner they are located in ca .