It went a lot further than I thought it would. FMS FCX18 Review

FMS sent me their latest, the FCX18 and rather than do a simple review, I decided to make it extra complicated and measure how far the truck could go on a single charge. It comes with a large battery so this seemed like the perfect backyard test. How did it do? Stick around and find out!
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[@tomajohncampbell2866]

I beat the crap out of my 24 scale rigs and haven't had any issues with drive lines. I did strip a set of front gears and then replaced both ends with metal. No more issues. I've had my power wagon for 2 years

[@AKseries1]

My lc80 broke a ear off the rear driveline out of the box when my wife ran into my leg. Injoro metal drive line installed from Amazon 👌 works perfectly fine again.

[@saturnfivehynrgrc581]

Video watched in its entirety. Like button energized.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks!

[@chuckstogdill1938]

Really digging all of what FMS is doing. I have a magnum I've slammed and did a rust paint job on for a shop truck

[@scalebuildersguild]

Very cool!

[@laddridgerc3828]

That happy song is stuck in my head now. 😂

[@scalebuildersguild]

Sorry, not sorry!

[@Dniedaccess]

"Isn't this incredible...? It's gonna be some kind of record...!"

[@shafiqjan1474]

As a 1:28 scale on road racing club operator I can attest to the problems with counting laps for tiny RCs. You are gonna have to count manually. 😂👍🏽

[@etowngti]

Unironically, thank you for this Sisyphean and entirely unnecessary task...genuinely the most fun I've had watching a video all week 😂

[@scalebuildersguild]

Ha! Thank you!

[@andrewsexton5625]

Just a new perspective to look at the signals....cause I've been on the wagon...but what if, the signals are to show the following rig the turns it took to get up said obstacle. So when I find them just as annoying, when looked at differently...could actually be beneficial. ✌️ ( commenting before the end of the video, but that sounds like a cool way to test a rig, which I haven't seen done yet) p.s.-thanks for being the guy who took that time to count the revolutions 👊

[@scalebuildersguild]

That’s not something widely used on the trail, but it’s an interesting suggestion. Thanks for watching!

[@wncrcandoffroad3919]

Best Nascar race I've seen in a long time.

[@scalebuildersguild]

😂

[@andrewrichey7374]

That’s what I love about the two speed, you could walk normal pace I got the gray one love it the details awesome the lights are one of my favorites love my night runs

[@_Sphaxz_]

My guess as to why the IR counter was off so much is due to it being outdoors. I bet the sunlight was causing IR readings and you might have different results indoors. Seems like a nice little truck. If only it had straight axles

[@chazdriver]

Good call. Needs a little tunnel built over the IR housing with a wall that comes down behind the truck. Probably help a lot with accuracy.

[@evanprost7820]

Why would you want straight axles? The fcx portals can take a pretty decent beating and have way more ground clearance, I have the old fms lc80 that has straight axles and it def gets hung up on them, lots of ppl swapped fcx24 portal axles onto them as an upgrade, I wanted to as well as the 2spd but now I prob just wanna buy one of these since fms has done exactly that.

[@_Sphaxz_]

@@evanprost7820 because they look worse and I prefer straight axles

[@scalebuildersguild]

You might be right about that! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@Sysiphos]

Since it's going at pretty constant speed, you get the distance quite close from just the time spent. This looks so good and portals probably help performance with little tyres a lot, 2 speed really helps with these tiny brushed motors but I'd rather just have brushless.

[@timjohnson9406]

That rig is pretty sweet. I'm not a Toyota guy but that the most scale looking rig I've seen yet, and may have to get one.

[@thomasblair7996]

Thanks for the video,think maybe possible to rig the turn signals with the headlights maybe,enjoy all your videos and work!!!

[@ashleyarmstrong47]

Circumference of a circle is pi times diameter not pi R squared, still laughing from it. Great rc though, for sure be willing to add this to my small rc collection

[@Wedgee]

Pi r squared gives the area of a circle, Pi r cubed is volume of a sphere and 2r Pi will, indeed, give the circumference of a circle. It’s almost like I was wrong about that for years as well before being corrected… 😊

[@akoshorvath-risko5838]

Excatly! I thought I was going insane, but there is no way a 0.79 diameter circle has a circumstance of 4.9. If my math is correct it actually traveled 1.95 kilometers

[@scalebuildersguild]

My math is right, I said it wrong. The radius was .79 meters.

[@jasonbecker4997]

Nerds.

[@wrecklass]

​​@@WedgeeVolume of a sphere is (4πr³)/3. Four-thirds Pi r cubed. As long as we're being nerds. He did say it wrong and then did the correct math. 😊

[@marcushaas44]

Such a cool review, love the myth buster approach 😅👏👏

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks! 😁

[@donaldpartridge8569]

As usual, very entertaining, informative, and just plain cool!

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for watching!

[@cardboardcrawlersrc8805]

My battery lasted sooo long from the factory. 😃. Full blown energizer bunny style what a great truck. Love mine

[@scalebuildersguild]

Great to hear!

[@danon-theautisticmaker8112]

2 things with ur IR sensor counter setup - 1) It works with light - sun light or other bright light sources will mess with it. A car port type structure, shading (to block sun & other light sources a bit) over the area where the beam hits ur target would be helpful. 2) It'll also help if you reflective mark is (reasonably) strait up & down compared to the horizontal IR signal. Great vid! Thanks for doing this test, I know I & I'm sure MANY others have been wondering about how far that big battery could drive it.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated!

[@danon-theautisticmaker8112]

@@scalebuildersguild No Worries, thanks for the quality vids. ;-)

[@Casitascrawlers]

Fair RC already has a bunch of upgrades for it including trailer scale bits & interior with figure I believe.

[@andrewrichey7374]

Yeah I like that when it’s finish the lights flash let you know the battery’s low, I haven’t ever seen this test before cool appreciate you sharing

[@jdsrcs8061]

Ok you convinced me to get this rig!!! My garage fund says thank you!!!🤘🤘🤘

[@scalebuildersguild]

Sorry, not sorry? 😂

[@peri_2257]

This things run time is right up there with this visual appearance. Other than those two things, that's all it has. I've tried to add some bigger tires and shocks and haven't been able to find anything that'll fit. Same issues that traxxas does and makes the parts all specific to only this model. I feel that I may have to add a few scx 24 parts and that'll make mounting the shocks better? I also cant fit the suspension extention brackets anywhere but to how small it is? For me with all crawlers, I treat them like a group together; they're all friends lol. Truck is honestly perfect stock but trust me, just keep it stock lol. Proline hyrlax actually work pretty well too, just tried those out.

[@andrewrichey7374]

Use your Finger up in the wheel well opens hood great, here watching 8:44 AM Monday morning

[@antonblinov3547]

Strange, that nobody mentioned that square length is 2*pi*r, but final result is right))

[@johnnyhotshoe1292]

You must not have read the comments thoroughly lol

[@TheAmericanUhate]

Last video my guess was an odometer to measure distance traveled too lol. I remember typing the comment out and guess I forgot to hit send, cause I just checked and it wasn't there. RCtestflight did an RC high mileage video a while back I remember. He put several of them on a teether with a power supply running them and let them go for weeks in his back yard. They wore out a circle in his yard lol. His wasn't very good quality RC's, and they was falling apart on every moving part by the end. Was interesting to see though lol

[@scalebuildersguild]

Exactly where I got my inspiration from! Thanks for watching!

[@killertek78]

Note: get some portal gear backups, and get stoked about the Blue/Silver one I ordered!

[@PS3Nightassassin124]

785 revolutions while I was the 788th Like as mine arrives tomorrow. The bang for the buck is so good on this little 18th scale!

[@ScaledRC]

Thats a cool truck. Might have to get one go with my son's trx4m

[@boombado998]

i recently bought trx4m defender in tan look, its awesome and i love it❤❤❤

[@mikemangiameli561]

You must not like having wheel speed when you need it to get over something. 😅 it sure helps. Ya have to admit it is better than any scx24 hands down

[@scalebuildersguild]

Considering it’s way bigger, it had better be! Thanks for watching!

[@MrCaprinut]

I actually have a old NIB venom speed meter in my pile of parts that I've never used. But I've been thinking many times how great it would be to know the exact distance driven.

[@rcpie]

Great, fun video! Keep up the good work! 😀👍🏻

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thank you! Will do!

[@RobConant-qb7bi]

I think if you were to turn the beam to the right a little looking in the direction of the beam, I think it would've hit it's mark better.

[@tomajohncampbell2866]

FMS is crushing axial and traxxas in the 24 and 18 scale market

[@cardboardcrawlersrc8805]

Does Axial make 18th scale ?

[@MitchellBolognaniRC]

I think the Furitek Fury Wagon has taken the trophy for best rtr crawler on the market. I love FMS scale features though amazing detail

[@paulclancy1371]

Great video. Strangely neither FMS or Amazon will sell me one of these in Canada. Does anyone else have that problem? Cheers

[@scalebuildersguild]

It will take a few weeks for it to become available.

[@joshmagnum7312]

I just called my local hobby shop in Calgary Alberta and they said they will be getting them in in a few weeks.

[@BlindGuyRc]

It may not have worked properly... but that is still super cool. That little.truck has some good run time eh. Very cool

[@scalebuildersguild]

Who knows what my neighbours think 😂? Thanks for watching!

[@letsgetitrc]

I love the little controller. Take notes, Traxxas! 😆 definitely need the 2 speed! If a crawler can't crawl and do donuts I don't want it! 😂

[@JCpNK]

Let me start by saying I love mine. But when I first got it I didn’t.. I installed shock keys, fixed the steering, got different wheels and tires and trimmed the front fenders.. The main issue I have now is the crazy amount of chassis play. It’s very hard going slow from an uphill or flat to downhill transition. If you know anything that will tighten it up I’m all ears 😊

[@GSG-lc5zm]

They've got an interior for it and 3 trailers (I think) And some of the fcx24's(original,smasher,K5) come with metal gears through out, some with a mix of plastic and metal

[@GuitarsNAmmo]

My favorite is the Blue and Silver version. I already have a yellow FMS FJ-40 and a grey/silver Axial CJ7. I ordered a red FMS FJ-45 so I need a blue one next. Maybe this FMS FXC18 or a Traxxis TRX-4M 1/18 Bronco.

[@JoeyChittick]

The end result was calculated correctly but for anyone who noticed, Pi*R^2 is the area of a circle, while Pi*D, or Pi*2*R is the circumference.

[@andrewrichey7374]

I love the gray one it is beautiful

[@petertyson4036]

Just bought one ,haven't received it yet ,will let you know

[@daviddoyle1017]

On the fence with this one. Really like the jeep bodies on The SCX24 but this FMS appears to have much better set up etc and likely a better vehicle. Wonder if they will do an aftermarket Jeep body.

[@andrewrichey7374]

Yes they did a great job love mine well appreciate you sharing I watch for the next one until then peace and chicken grease 😁👍👍😎

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for watching!

[@thebigfut]

I bet it picked up on the tires and not the body. In the past the ones I've seen had a higher pivot point and attachment to the vehicle. So that allowed them to put a "back stop" on the other side of the sensor. This gives it a reasonable length of beam and eliminates/minimizes vehicle errors.

[@jeffmackovitch9987]

Nice video except for your math skills lol. Canada? Also truck is great… I want more bodies in the future but good to see not another power wagon, Jeep or New Bronco body!

[@scalebuildersguild]

I leave the math to my wife 😂.

[@workingclassperson2124]

FMS fan. Already was gonna get one. I’ll just get one sooner. Hope you fix it.

[@nodnarbsuahdlef]

That's a pretty impressive run time. Almost 2.5 miles on one battery! Curious to know what the results w/ the k10 would be with the bigger wheels/tires

[@scalebuildersguild]

Not sure!

[@nhmtrhd]

Maybe next time testing you should rake the area before testing. Just a suggestion. FYI, you did way better than I would have done🤓 Nice job, great watch👍

[@scalebuildersguild]

Are you criticizing my yard upkeep 😂? Just joking, that's a good suggestion!

[@jasoncheyne78]

How would the scale out to a Tamiya 1:14 truck been looking for something to go with my rigs

[@scalebuildersguild]

Sadly, these would be too small against the 14th scale stuff.

[@arthuringraham193]

12:23 My wife’s original version has straight axles.

[@zachweber4757]

Just got my lc80 v2 from fms on sale for $119. Feels great stock, but already have my list of goodies in the mail 😅

[@scalebuildersguild]

That’s a great deal!

[@paulm1237]

Juts got mine last week. After the free mods for steering, this thing is awesome. Such great low speed modulation. Sadly the rear pinion gear failed already, so time fir metal diff oarts already :(

[@scalebuildersguild]

Sorry to hear that!

[@paulm1237]

@@scalebuildersguild thanks! I'd still highly recommend it. Did you know the stick tx can be set to run a 4th servo for four wheel steering right out of the box? Just grab a servo and another steerable axle and go nuts! It's so capable right out of the box for the money. Thanks for all the hours of entertainment SBC, you're a gem and your authenticity is really appreciated in a world of KZbin AI generated junk!

[@vdel9036]

A test i'd be interested in would be to count how many roll over the body can withstand before getting its first scratch. Can you make an arduino based system to measure this important value ? 😄

[@scalebuildersguild]

😂

[@RedLakeArchery]

Just bought it. Not here yet. Great review!! Oh and 250$ of upgrades on the way.. lol

[@scalebuildersguild]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@AKseries1]

Anyone have a issue when you run it through rough terrain and it sounds like it disengages from gear? Happened to me when it got on the grass, but I dropped into low gear and it was fine. Curious if that’s normal or an issue to watch out for.

[@nubs_rc6115]

Digging the new FMS, but I can’t help but wonder. Are you wearing a “Tuxy” lol😂

[@scalebuildersguild]

I AM wearing a Tuxy! So glad it's cool enough to wear them again!

[@brandaneakright6082]

I hope the electronics are better then the older fms’s like the k10, my esc and receiver kept burning up on my k10. I ended up getting tired of it and got rid of it, but I got the traxxas high trail trx4m k10 now and the defender. My buddy has the older version of that lc80, and he’s had the same issues I had with my fms. They look killer but the customer service for them isn’t very good either.

[@scalebuildersguild]

They’re definitely working on improving that, but like any company, there’s going to be growing pains!

[@mofofpv4759]

Wanted to say I love your videos. Always very entertaining and intuitive. I have a 1/10 scale crawler that I would love to put a scale SBG sticker on. Could you please let me know if and where I could get one? Thank you very much.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for watching! We had a sticker set for sale last month, and I might still have a few left for sale. Email me: [e-mail] and I'll check for you.

[@electronsmove]

That type of sensor needs an actual reflector mounted perpendicular to the sensor to work reliably. It is a transmitter / receiver pair. You have some angle on your target and it is probably not sending the beam back to the transmitter reliably.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for the tips! Much appreciated!

[@just.jose.youtube]

Things went quite alright for a "moodier Matt" video. 😛 Fun idea with that "how far/long would it run" challenge! FMS is defenitly releasing some good products. Are you planning on modding this model? Besides what others said, I think the obtuse angle made by the car surface and the IR beam could explain why your set up didn't read some of the passings.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for watching, I don’t think I’ve got any plans for modifications if I’m honest.

[@matusknives]

Thanks for the video. 3 hours per charge is very impressive. But I would like to ask another question - are any of the FMS 1/18 rigs compatible with Furitek brushless setups without some major customization of the motor/gearbox mounts? Thank you.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Not that I’m aware of, he might offer conversion kits but you’d have to do some research!

[@matusknives]

@@scalebuildersguild Thank you. I was only wondering whether I have missed something obvious. I have then taken the topic to FB and found out that - I quote: "FMS fcx18 uses everything from the fcx24. The chassis is a little longer to accommodate the hard body. That's it". I need to check whether the same holds true for my 'old' Glacier.

[@kjflyte5088]

Bringing back tether cars matt?? Old meets new? RWB on a tether next?? Send it..

[@patinaautosalon]

best metal case servo for the fcx24? idealy waterproof?? just shooting my shot here

[@scalebuildersguild]

I like Reefs servos.

[@andrewrichey7374]

Yeah the rear defroster is a nice touch for sure

[@RCRitterFPV]

I'd try to find an average lap time.. then time..... seems like 12 second lap time?? maybe 10 seconds when the battery was fresh?

[@fdougwillman132]

I’m always down for Matt doin’ math!

[@scalebuildersguild]

😂

[@IJS433]

Is this one a good starter kit? and how long does the battery last? If it's possible I'd like to know how long and how wide the body is too?

[@scalebuildersguild]

Dimensions are listed on their website, battery lasts a long time. I got nearly three hours out of the original FCX18 Land Cruiser.

[@rcgoodtimes6657]

Very nice release from FMS, I would like to see (or hear) a more quiet transmission. I also ended up just cutting the turn signal wires on my Rock Van lol

[@laddridgerc3828]

How far do you think the stock trx4m can travel compared to the fcx18 travelling 2.4 miles?

[@scalebuildersguild]

I’d say probably two thirds of the distance, considering their battery is 750 mah or so!

[@Mike_and_Life]

He put that hat on and a 1992 F150 instantly appeared in the driveway.

[@johnnyhotshoe1292]

His hat game is on another level...😂 🎩 👒

[@axialjohan]

I hear people say that the FMS LC80 is noisy compared to the TRX-4M. Is that correct or is it not so bad?

[@scalebuildersguild]

It's quite loud, yes! There's more gearing, so there's more noise. Thanks for watching!

[@axialjohan]

Thank you!

[@ateaserc]

Nice little test you did there. I drive the fcx24 blazer out of the box for the 12 hour fix enduro this year. I would have liked that 900mah pack for that, lol. It held up with no failures for over 19 total miles in those 12hrs. Very pleased.

[@scalebuildersguild]

That's very cool!

[@akoshorvath-risko5838]

Where have I seen someone advertising a car with the distance it drives on a single tank of fuel/battery, but expressing it in a unit of area before...? Anyway, great video, all that matters is that you really "put it in H", if you catch my drift.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Thanks for watching!

[@Jay-ws7tv]

How does this compare to the TRX4m

[@scalebuildersguild]

I don’t do a lot of comparisons. Watch my videos and decide for yourself!

[@MyraHodgkiss]

Time to do an energizer bunny livery on it!

[@tonystambaugh4422]

That was party sweet

[@seaneff28]

Still not available in NA

[@bra1nc417d]

No body mount clips is a big oversight.

[@bidibulle6795]

Hello from France !! A little more or less personal question.. For you personally, if you had to have only one, which one would you take? The FMS FXC18 or The TRX4M? I would really like to buy one for my walks in the forest but I hesitate a lot between the two...... Thank you in advance for your answer . A Frenchi Fan boy..

[@scalebuildersguild]

If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, I think the 2 speed would probably suit you better, so the FCX18 would likely be my choice. Thanks for watching and good luck with your choice!

[@bidibulle6795]

@@scalebuildersguild So I'm leaving for a FMS, I walk about 7 km every 2 days in the forest and I really wanted a small RC to put in the backpack. I already have a 1/10 from Element RC (the trail walker), I love my RC but it is too big for the backpack and winter is coming so a small RC will be perfect. Thank you very much for your super quick response!! The Frenchi....

[@scalebuildersguild]

That sounds like fun! I'm sure you don't get as much snow as we get here in Canada during the winter. Enjoy it!

[@bidibulle6795]

@@scalebuildersguild You know I live in the mountains in the eastern Pyrenees (my village is called "Vernet les Bains" 960 meters above sea level) I am 6km from the peak of "Canigou" (2785 meters above sea level) and, I have quite a bit of snow in winter, we do some superb hiking here too!! But, to be honest I must still have less than you in Canada I think!! You know I live in the mountains in the eastern Pyrenees (my village is called "Vernet les Bains" 960 meters above sea level) I am 6km from the peak of "Canigou" (2785 meters above sea level) and, I have quite a bit of snow in winter, we do some superb hiking here too!! But, to be honest I must still have less than you in Canada I think!! 😜

[@Casitascrawlers]

How about putting it on a treadmill?

[@BigDsRc517]

Plastic diff gears will strip out, mine lasted 3 days.

[@scalebuildersguild]

Well, I ran mine for three hours continuously, and no problems that weren’t caused by me! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@raptorguy7204]

What volvo???? I'm confused

[@scalebuildersguild]

I get 70km of electric range on my XC60.

[@raptorguy7204]

@@scalebuildersguild dude! You drive a volvo?! Same here. An s70

[@jameswisecarver]

Someone's been watching rc test flight aye, he did a video where he took 3 rcs and put them on a tether to see how many miles they could actually drive

[@scalebuildersguild]

That's where I got my inspiration!

[@jameswisecarver]

@@scalebuildersguild I've watched his video like 3 times so I am curious to see yours, I think it's awesome we can really see what takes the most stress and how well brands are built. Thanks!

[@-Gerald-]

Squirrel !!! 🐿️

[@YavorM-Yash]

Saw it too. 😊

[@AMPROEngineering]

Some of us need turn signals to live.

[@rc_tom]

Matt counts the revolutions.... So, is he a counter revolutionist...? Asking for a friend

[@scalebuildersguild]

😂

[@joecole6875]

To get under the hood, just poke it from the underside of the vehicle! It was hard to write this without it sounding rude.

[@scalebuildersguild]

😂

[@KonstantinosVavoulidis-cj6yy]

Why are you torturing lil bro! What have he done?😭🥺

[@ssamssamssamsson]

I like it a lot. I think you need a smiggins folly of your own 🤔

[@scalebuildersguild]

Agreed!

[@Andy_C_aka_Cliff_McCrawl]

Is your wetsuit on backwards?

[@scalebuildersguild]

😂! It's a Tuxy!

[@gilbertocruz4423]

I like the 2 speed. One speed makes it boring.

[@666impreza666]

Congrats. You got the AREA. If you want to get the length of the circumference it would be 2*pi*R That is 4,96m per rev. Maaaaaaaaaan

[@scalebuildersguild]

Nope, I got circumference. Despite me saying it wrong, my math was right.

[@jasonbecker4997]

Nerds.

[@666impreza666]

@@jasonbecker4997 We rule the world Muahahahahahhahahaha.

[@donmclaughlin1178]

Pie are round lol

[@cgnovice2969]

I do like my LC80 A LOT, but i really wish for some more aftermarket support. The gimmicky hood is driving my insane. Hard to open when you need it, and always opens when you’re driving. The servo is absolute trash in my opinion so I will change that for something more powerful. It can never turn on an actual problem so you have to go back and forth to adjust direction. And don’t get me started on the quality of the plastic. Absolutely trash in my opinion. My sons TRX4M is taking a beating my I’m on my second bumper for even thinking about crashing. So I will be drawing up and order a CNC of a mount and bumper

[@turksandjerps]

C=2πr

[@scalebuildersguild]

Is that even a word?

[@turksandjerps]

It’s language from a country that no longer exists

[@nicklame2647]

2πr?

[@scalebuildersguild]

Yes, I said it wrong. Is the math correct? YES.

[@trentadams3880]

Hahaha omg I'm going to calculate how many dust particles I breathe in each day .. haha... 🤭🤫🤫shhhhh. All good fun you need to visit granny and say yes I do ☺️ paint that thing green an make sure it's not sticky as glue......