The Mini Maxx KILLER Traxxas Already Makes? Meet The Mini ERevo!

[@tontoapache4948]

I had a good belly laugh when you said the arms are going to break 🤣. I'll never forget my disappointment being new to the hobby and coming home with the merv. Got it all ready to go and blipped the throttle go get out of the garage, it hit my cars tire and literally both front arms snapped in the center. Never had any issues with arms after installing RPMs all around. Thank you for the video!

[@DoRC]

Yep. RPM is the way to go. I actually now have them sitting on the bench but they didn't quite get here in time for the video.

[@andrewpitzer245]

So happy I found this channel. I was starting to get burnt out by the usual review content. Breaking the car down and inspecting each piece has been awesome to see. I think I blew away 4 hours Saturday morning watching your videos lol. Great stuff!!!

[@Hutch_Davenport]

This cannel is so much better than the meme channels that play loud music and do stupid stuff for clicks. It's good entertainment, but you learn almost nothing about the product.

[@DoRC]

That's awesome I'm glad you're enjoying!

[@DoRC]

Giving you guys as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision is my goal!

[@vivos71]

Traxxas tried to make the ultimate Mini basher, but didn't even make the best mini basher they offer.

[@DoRC]

I think it's Superior to the mini E-Revo in some ways but the fact that it's inferior in any ways is kind of a head scratcher.

[@vivos71]

@@DoRC It's nice to see that it can still keep up. I hope Traxxas doesn't discontinue it, as I still have a lot of fun with mine. Maybe if Traxxas makes a 3s version of the Mini Maxx with the VXL 3s system and the appropriate upgrades (and hopefully priced competitively to the Savage XS) then I'll have more to think about, but right now the performance of the Mini Maxx doesn't have me wanting to leave the Mini E-Revo and Savage XS behind.

[@lesslethalmusic]

@@vivos71 us Merv owners are dedicated as hell hahaha

[@dougdishler2086]

The best by far RC channel fellas

[@Hutch_Davenport]

Buy a Hyper Go, save money and you get a superior car. H16BM for $135 or an H14BM for a few bucks more.

[@MemelordJord]

I think it’s actually just a testament to how good the revo platform is, and how advanced it was when it came out

[@DoRC]

To some degree yes but I also feel like the new MiniMax doesn't really give us much in the way of innovation.

[@zedorda1337]

The REVO 1.0 is the absolute worst design Traxxas ever made and that is a statement from Traxxas.

[@learningcurve1479]

Until I watched this, I had forgot I had two of these collecting dust in a storage unit... Thanks for reminding me Great video.

[@DoRC]

Yeah I get the feeling This is going to cause quite a few mini E-Revos to get the dust knocked off them :-)

[@PigglyWigglyDeluxe]

It’s also way easier to shoehorn big power into the ERevo. Diffs stink though but the aftermarket has figured EVERYTHING out. Everything.

[@DoRC]

Pretty much yeah. Most everything can be upgraded and a lot of it's fairly inexpensive.

[@PigglyWigglyDeluxe]

@@DoRCyou can also run the 540 motor mount on these trucks if you want a bigger motor than the brushless 380, I was running a castle micro x2 with castle 1406-5700kv on 4S is downright hysterical

[@E.H.Tatman]

The Merv has stood the test of time. They're still very relevant after all of these years. I have 6 of them (and 2 mini summits). They have been everywhere with me. The Mini Max doesn't seem like it does enough to make me consider getting one. I mean, is it really an upgrade to the Merv?

[@DoRC]

I think it depends on what you consider an upgrade. I think the max chassis is probably stronger overall. It is a little bit easier to work on. It likely has the potential to be more durable just because the parts are larger and it can take 1/10 scale parts. Obviously parts support will probably be there for longer but as a vehicle I don't really see it being that much better. Not yet anyway

[@3Y3ECE]

I was excited for this platform. Now that it's out, I'm going to wait a couple of years to see what the aftermarket does for it. In a market saturated with mini rc's, $250+ goes a lot farther with anyone else... Great video, thank you for your honesty!

[@DoRC]

That seems reasonable. I'm sure the aftermarket will come along with reasonably priced upgrades for it and then it'll probably end up being a pretty sweet platform

[@dirtrider88]

saturated with mini RCs🤣. man you shoulda been in the hobby 10-15 years ago

[@3Y3ECE]

@@dirtrider88 oh I was! Still got a few kicking around!

[@jacobbuckles6741]

@@3Y3ECE I still haven’t recovered financially from the rc18’s. 😂

[@3Y3ECE]

@@jacobbuckles6741 I started with Tyco, Tamiya, and Nikko. Oh, also whatever Radio Shack had that year! It didn't get better for me... I've gotten rid of many, but keep going down rabbit holes!

[@ISIAH_STL]

Mojave grom brushless! For the win!

[@DoRC]

Yeah that's kind of hard to argue with especially when it comes to repairability

[@lesslethalmusic]

probably the best mini truck ever honestly

[@TomleyRC]

The Mini ERevo VXL in the UK is £339, which converted to USD is $430... crazy price. I've got the Mini Summit VXL, I should dust it off really... didn't know they did a centre diff for them 👌

[@DoRC]

Yeah the center differential makes all the difference. How much is the minimax in UK?

[@TomleyRC]

@@DoRC I think I'll get one for the Summit. Mini Maxx is £279 ($355).. that's inclusive of tax. Our Tax is 20%.

[@DoRC]

@@TomleyRC okay yeah that's a bit more of a price difference than over here. But yeah dust off that summit! They are fun!

[@lornefrancis9231]

@@TomleyRC here in Newfoundland they are the same price as the UK .Bet when mini max hits the stores here it will be close to 500.Arrma granate box I have cost over 5

[@spike--]

$300 at amain hobbies. (USA)

[@nicko2222]

the mini e revo is just so cool. i’ve never owned one but i think i’m gonna buy one before the get discontinued

[@DoRC]

Yeah it's probably worth picking one up now. I get the feeling they're not going to be around much longer.

[@nicko2222]

@@christhompsonphotography6783 okay but is it a mini e revo?

[@mikeh4924]

I could say so much, but keeping it short, it feels like the Arma Grom BLX is the way to go. Thanks again for great quality content!

[@DoRC]

Arrma definitely makes a really good mini

[@mikeh4924]

@@DoRC I could be wrong but I haven't seen anything about the Granite 223 or a Granite Grom BLX yet. I'll be watching those when you get your hands of them for sure!

[@MKu64]

the way the full size e- revo drives is just so nice and different to every other RC.. the 1/16 erevo doesn't have the exact same feel as its big brother but it definitely has a bit of it - and as a result it's still much cooler to drive around than the Arrma or other 1/16 for me.

[@Nerm78]

So glad you thought of this video. I think most people dont even thing of the Traxxas 1/16 line up. I have a few of them and they are fun as hell. Of course I upgraded a lot to RPM parts before i ever ran them but they are definitely some of my favorite mini bashers!

[@DoRC]

Yeah they do need a few choice upgrades to be reliable

[@lesslethalmusic]

when i was a kid i lusted after the merv so much. I finally got one as a gift (and relaunched me into the hobby) by surprise last christmas, so going on a year with it. I broke the A Arms almost immediately, but other than that small upgrades over time have turned it into such a beast. i can throw it in my backpack, bike around, and rip all over the city. my next plan is to replace the servo with the savox or the metal geared traxxas one next.

[@DoRC]

Yeah the RPM arms are kind of a required upgrade. I would recommend going with the savox. It's better than the Traxxas one

[@RCDEPENDANT]

Never heard of the merv 🤔

[@OGRCFanatic]

@@RCDEPENDANT merv = mini e Revo

[@s109apache7]

Ah the og e revo body love it! Wish they never stopped making it

[@DoRC]

Yeah I picked this one up used to make a different video but it ended up in this one instead :-)

[@drewncars9505]

Wow this makes me really miss my MERV. I got one for Christmas easily 10+yrs ago. I did blow the rear diff out of it once by putting tires way too large for it on there and snapped the chassis twice in the front end but it was still a blast. I had the VXL version but only ran NIMH batteries and it would still do standing backflips! I had a ford raptor body, metal shocks, pin tires and buggy wheels on it and it absolutely ripped in the dirt! I miss that little car. Took a pause from the rc world and sold it to a friend of mine and then got back into RC a couple of years ago. I think he may even still have it. I was considering the mini max but I might just go buy back my MERV!

[@DoRC]

The mini Max is definitely a more durable platform especially once people start upgrading it but the mini E-Revo is still great!

[@AlbertPerry-f9h]

I kind of agree with you on that they should be completely different class However, it does seem like Traxxas hurried up and brought the mini max to market to cash in on the basher mini craze That being said, if I were going to buy one of the minis at this point, I’d probably go for an Arma but it’s sad to see that old mini Revo is keeping Pace with a much newer car that should be much better built By the time you get the mini Revo upgraded versus the mini max I think you’re gonna end up with a lot more money into the max platform That’s just my humble opinion I’ve generally really supported traxxas in the past But they’ve done some really bizarre things like making proprietary servos so that you can’t use different brands I’m not very fond of companies doing this kind of stuff, hobby wing did it as well with their crawler system. They had a proprietary sensor port. And Traxxas is done this several times with batteries not just with their TRX plug but with their TRX 4M battery plug as well Whether they like it or not, other companies are going to find a way to make upgraded parts for their vehicles and most enthusiast like to pick and choose brands based on their personal experience with them. Well, Sam may love castle others hate it. Some people are huge, hobby wing fans, others hate them Traxxas has done other things like going after people for stupid reasons and suing them out of business. Nearly but I guess if that’s what they do that’s just what they do.

[@DoRC]

I definitely see where you're coming from with the proprietary stuff though I did want to clarify that hobby wings proprietary sensor cable is to make it waterproof. The industry standard cable and connectors aren't waterproof and there's not really any way to make them waterproof so they did have a purpose

[@AlbertPerry-f9h]

@ Yes they were water proof however I’ve personally never experienced a issue with any of the others And when folks asked for different kv options Rather then the company doing so they just came out with a 3300 can which didn’t really do what anyone wanted Let’s not forget the axe system was limited to a 3 s max so you were stuck with no way to bolt up and gear down the selections to make it act the way you wanted The first version of their firmware was awful with a delay (similar to drive by wire vehicles ) at start up and a 350 rpm start This means unless you buy the super low kv your start up wasn’t as smooth as need be I saw Holmes hobbies do a video on that and other popular crawler combos at that time (I’ll add castle was having some supply issues so axe was one of the other only options aside less known brands ) he compared them to his motor and castle esc and a straight castle set up Now I get he can be a little biased however it seemed very honest and fair he didn’t bash anything that others hadn’t also noticed he just had a way to test start up rpm most don’t own That being said I bought 2 axe systems one 1800 one 2300 Both were great after the v2 update was released however that took some time to come to market They had more rpm better smoother start up And lost the delay which was my major complaint Now I’ve had sensor wires fail cause they get tweaked but never seen any issue Let’s give hobby wing the win tho for the wire being waterproofed The traxxas battery stuff along side other brands doing priority stuff kinda irks me We as rc enthusiasts want to have choice to run what we want This makes it hard when they do this kind of stuff I do kind of wish more reviewers and beta testers would speak out but I do get why they don’t say much negative As a beta tester I would often review my products honestly and it seemed the worse the review the longer between testing. If I said things were great they’d send another product immediately Sucks but this is how our world works This is why I almost always wait and see what the real world reviews say before I buy anything new I almost exclusively buy rc used (with exception for electronic stuff ) cause I get them cheap enough that I can pass them along and not loose a lot It’s sad that we can’t get someone to make a non proprietary (or current industry standard plug ) set up so it’s water proof This way you can mix match esc and motors However with the am32 stuff now that ship has sailed

[@2down4up]

God I want a mini E Revo VXL so bad! My Revo VXL 2.0 (whatever you wanna call it) is my favorite RC car that I own. And I have a lot of them. The Revo was really special, way ahead of its time! As you said, that really shows here with it still being in the conversation with the brand new mini Max. Traxxas killing off the Revo was a sad day for me! I hope that one day they’ll bring out a new version of it.

[@DoRC]

Go for it. You can usually pick them up pretty inexpensively locally or even on eBay.

[@FLPatrick1095]

Lets see the Mini Maxx tires on the E Revo

[@DoRC]

Unfortunately I'm not sure it could handle that large of a tire. The trenchers are already a little bit bigger than the stock tires and the Mini Max tires are massive.

[@TastierBackInThe80s]

I have no idea why it took so long to find this channel. You do great comparisons and reviews, then the mods and upgrades to existing cars, like the low CG Gorgon. Brilliant! Which is exactly how my mind works, And now this, M&M vs the 1/16 E-Revo. Which is something to really consider. Did Traxxas already do small scale RC right all those years ago, and the Mini Maxx is an inferior substitute cashing in on the Maxx platforms large scale reputation.

[@DoRC]

I wouldn't say it's necessarily inferior but I wish it were just a little bit more superior.

[@garretttikkanen9152]

Had mine for a few years and love it I changed the servo put on a bottom skid plate stronger toe links and only destroyed one diff but i use different tires per terrain I am on I have 4 different sets of tires I use for bashing I use the summit tires more cushion on the big jumps

[@DoRC]

Seems reasonable.

[@keylitho]

I have 2 mini E-Revo VXL's and they are amazing.. I have been driving them with my kid for years and only a few minor breaks..

[@DoRC]

Yeah they're pretty good. Probably not quite as durable as the Mini Max but definitely have their advantages.

[@bkfracing8025]

When I told people that they wasn’t listening smh lol great video

[@DoRC]

Yeah I think in the long run the mini Max will be a better platform especially once the aftermarket comes along and makes reasonably priced upgrades but for now it's kind of hard to pick a winner.

[@wildgoose6596]

The mini e-revo vxl needed some upgrades to make it more durable,and its not the easiest to work on, but the design is fantastic. Its not really a basher, though it does bash (just like its big brother). But the design with the inboard shocks is excellent. I love the mini e-revo for its uniqueness.

[@DoRC]

Let me get bash is fairly decently. Obviously you're not going to be jumping at 30 ft at a skatepark but it's reasonably durable with a few upgrades like you said.

[@michaeljnewton]

I went ahead and cancelled my Mini Maxx order for store credit. I’ll just wait until there’s a V2 or running update to get one. Did pick up the Raptor R though, at $399 I think it’s a decent deal compared to any of BL-2S vehicles. The scale body is sweet and it might be a little quicker to 60mph than my real F150 lol

[@DoRC]

Well I hate to dissuade anybody from trying a new model but I do think it doesn't represent the best value for money.

[@Backupplan94]

I kinda wish Arrma would make a Grom XL chassis that would match the scale of the Mini Maxx. I drove my Mini Maxx today and it felt like the perfect size for bashing in your yard. When I was younger, I hated working on my mini E-Revo and I had to treat it like glass. But I had the V1. They got MUCH better over the years lol. Hopfully the same will be for the Mini Maxx.

[@DoRC]

I'm hoping that is the reason why we haven't seen a grom Kraton. I guess we'll just have to wait and see though

[@sheldonisnumberone]

It didn't get much better

[@jamesp6452]

I cut a hole in the top of one battery tray on my merv. Just enough room for the esc from my mt10 to fit in. Paired with the reedy 3300kv motor made it a little beast.

[@DoRC]

I've done that a couple times in the past. Definitely a good way to get the ESC jammed in there :-)

[@frozenphyro2302]

I had a mine as both a MERV and Mini Slash 4x4. All that I did for the MERV was replace the arms with RPM. Otherwise, it has been a great little car since its original release.

[@DoRC]

Yeah it's not without its flaws but it's surprising how good it is compared to the nearly 16 year newer minimax

[@AlexW1224A]

Hello, i need some help picking out which to go for. (Im gonna use it mostly on dirt roads but occasionally i will run the car on snow whenever it does snow, im not looking to put many/if any upgrades on it and im also not planning on putting the rc car on 3s batteries, it would also be my 2nd hobby grade rc) which one do you suggest?

[@DoRC]

If you planning on sticking with two s and don't really mind that it's not the best handling car in the world the mini Max is not a bad truck. It will have longer product support it's a bit easier to work on and there should be lots of upgrades available for it's pretty soon

[@AlexW1224A]

@@DoRCalright, thank you

[@pjpankratz8829]

Ha! I was wondering how the 2 would stack up - thanks for reading my mind! I was also wanting more out of the mini maxx. Does not seem sorted out so let's see if a V2 will improve it.

[@DoRC]

Yeah I'm sure people will find ways to make it better It's just kind of odd to me how comparable it is to the mini-Revo 15 years later

[@MangoJim90]

I remember there was 2wd grave digger on this 1/16 traxxas platfort which you can easily upgrade to 4wd, etc. I had one😍 imo sometime it better to make a dozen of new bodies in different styles for reliable chassis to make it "fresh"🤩

[@DoRC]

Yeah they made a bunch of different cars on this platform. They really milked it for all they could

[@mikehansen9898]

I said it on Tomly's video. They've already had really good diffs in this line up of 1/16 rigs. The Mini Maxx just seems half baked.

[@DoRC]

I don't think it's half fake. I think Traxxas released exactly what they intended to release. The problem is with the intended to release was the cheapest thing they could get away with.

[@mikehansen9898]

@DoRC fair point. They know people will buy the upgrades. They will buy the replacement parts.

[@MCsCreations]

Awesome bashing, dude! 😃 Thanks for the comparison! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@DoRC]

Thanks glad you enjoyed!

[@MattsMotoWoRX]

This video proves my point exactly. Give it time and everything will become cheaper for the Mini Maxx. I'm excited to see how good the mini maxx is once the aftermarket gets ahold of them and starts making them mini tanks. I'll have to check back on this comment in a year or 2 to see how well it ages. Love the videos DoRc keep em coming!

[@DoRC]

For sure. The Traxxas upgrade prices definitely leave a lot of room for the aftermarket to come along and provide upgrades.

[@MrSteveESQ]

Any RC is better if you throw money at it & it doesn't unfortunately change the fact that it's a poor right out the box.

[@DoRC]

For me it's always a matter of price versus what you're getting. At $200 I would have zero complaints about the minimax but at 270 it's a much tougher cell.

[@Sisu2280]

Do a break down on the new 4x4 Bigfoot for us!!

[@DoRC]

I'll probably skip that one. Other than the fact that the body is new there really isn't much to talk about. It's just the same 3S 4 wheel drive platform that's under all the other ones.

[@jmacsgarage]

I bought a mini maxx for my son and myself. It’s been a blast for him and I. 2s is plenty fast and in stock form he has beat the crap out of it with no breakages yet. I have no plans to swap in a 3s system. Price is too high for sure but I like the parts availability of traxxas in my area. I don’t have any regrets of the purchase for what we use them for. It’s his favorite RC and we have a few. I have other big bashers if I want to go nuts.

[@DoRC]

Yeah right out of the box it's pretty good. If you ever do start breaking drivetrain components definitely get the center differential. With thick fluid in it the driving dynamics really don't change that much and it really helps protect things

[@UKevoXIII]

I’m with you on that one the mini max should be miles ahead of the revo but I always thought the mini revo was so advanced for what it was even thought it’s tough to work on still has better options and cost about the same

[@DoRC]

Yeah it's a little bit fiddly to work on sometimes though not too terrible once you learn some tricks. The minimax is surprisingly comparable when like you said it really shouldn't be

[@UKevoXIII]

@ that’s the truth

[@Island-RC]

I sold my mini E revo to my roomate a while back but still tinker with it Got the brushed one new. Took a 380 mount and put a castle 8450 kv and sidewinder 4. Still needs a center diff but has rpm arms all around. What weight diff fluid would you use in the front and rear next time I rebuild them for my roommate? Have a blue mini max under the tree to go with my xmaxx etc and can't wait to compare them myself

[@DoRC]

On a little guy like this the front rear differential weight doesn't really matter that much. I'd go maybe 10K or whatever you have.

[@johnnybubu100]

I love my Mervs, my brushed one is stock but now I am wanting a bl2s system for it

[@DoRC]

That would probably be pretty good though I think you could get a more powerful system for less money if you went with something like a hobby wing.

[@shuster1921]

Now you got me hunting down a Mini E-Revo😂🤣 Great Review Sir!

[@DoRC]

Yeah you can usually find them relatively inexpensively and the upgrades really aren't bad either.

[@FatherandSon_RC]

We debated on the mini Maxx, but we got on the reservation list and did buy one. (Of course we got it home and my daughter wrapped it and put it under the Christmas tree and said we can't open it until Christmas! Lol) We are betting the traxxas upgrades and aftermarket will be huge for the mini Maxx. As built it is sufficiently durable albeit underwhelming. Just a bit more wheel speed to be able to backflip, and it would have been great as is. We have faith this will be a great platform in the long run! And we can't wait to see what you do with it as these upgrades become available!

[@DoRC]

I agree. I think that the platform itself has a lot of potential It just would have been nice if it offered a little bit more value for money out of the box.

[@glennborek2359]

I love the mini Revo , really like driving it handles good. They are difficult to work on. Compared to a lot of other platforms out there. if you’re good with that, it’s a great car. I don’t mind it so much but when it breaks, it’s the last car I fixed simply because it’s more complicated.

[@DoRC]

Yeah definitely is a little bit more difficult than some cars but to be honest it's not really that much harder than the new mini Max is.

[@jacobbuckles6741]

Little tid bit about the diffs on the MERV. The issue isn’t actually the diffs not being shimmed enough from the factory, hence why you said they felt fine. The issue is the bulkheads flexing, which cause the mesh to loosen up and strip the gears. When you shim them, you actually want to run the gears a tad bit tight. This way as the bulkhead flexes and pulls the gears away, they’re still tight enough not to slip. Now… on newer MERV’s. I’m not sure when Traxxas updated the bulkheads. But, there is now a screw that runs through the bulkhead helping hold everything together. The first run of MERV’s did not have that. Part of the reason you don’t hear too much about diffs stripping anymore either.

[@DoRC]

Yep. Mine has the screw going through it. That definitely makes a difference.

[@RChobbyofficial]

I am probally goona buy a big e-revo sometime

[@DoRC]

Yeah you're going to have to find a used one as they're pretty much unobtanium new

[@RChobbyofficial]

Yeah in this time they are pretty unexpensive (for my country atleast)

[@chriszak3282]

Great video, I was waiting for someone to make this comparison, and simply put a 3s in the revo and it will do around 50mph and be controllable.

[@DoRC]

Yeah it'll definitely get up to that speed. I don't think the stock drive train really likes 3S but even on two as it's still a lot of fun.

[@chriszak3282]

@DoRC I run mine on 3s with a center diff it's been good, but of course I'm not crashing into everything, I made a nice track in my backyard and it runs it nice,night and day difference from when it was a slash, mini slash was pretty bad at everything

[@AllInRc1971]

I have had the mini Erevo VXL for around four years. Only thing I ever broke was the front driveshaft. Just got the Rog1 in today. Dying to see that that thing does.

[@DoRC]

Yeah we're all it's pretty good car. The ROG one is good as well though the CVDs are a weak point. It's possible by now that they've updated them but I'm not sure

[@trullmann]

Good video and great comparison. Makes me miss my mini erevo. Was thinking of getting the Mini Maxx but seeing way too many issues with this one out of the box.

[@DoRC]

Yeah I'm sure the aftermarket will come along and address most of them. And honestly if you don't mind keeping on stock power it's really not bad it just isn't terribly inspiring if you know what I mean

[@LH156-20]

Question on different trucks. Whats your opinion on the Mojave Grom 223S vs the Rlaarlo terminator carbon fiber.

[@DoRC]

I think they're different enough that you can pick based on size alone. The OT is quite a bit larger than the Mojave Grom So if you want something a bit bigger and more versatile go with the OT but if you want something smaller the bash more confined areas Go with the Mojave

[@christianrambissoon1141]

Have 2 used mervs, vxl and brushed. Both are a hoot!

[@DoRC]

Yeah theyre are a lot of fun!

[@Restless2010]

As someone who owns both. After I did the diff mods on my Mini Maxx and added 3s system I love the Mini Maxx. I love my Mini E-Revo as well but, I can never enjoy it on 2s it just isn't powerful enough, so I end up running it on 4S and all I do is blow out differentials...

[@DoRC]

Yeah 4S on the mini E-Revo is way too much. 3S with a center differential and shimmed differentials is generally considered pretty durable.

[@gman69455]

Love this comparison. This is exactly how I feel about these two trucks. Now put those sledgehammers on that mini revo and see how it handles them lol.

[@DoRC]

I was tempted to but I'm pretty sure I know what the outcome would be.

[@UrbanLegendRC]

Excellent points

[@DoRC]

Thanks :-)

[@Restless2010]

With all that being said Traxxas did a revamp on the standard E-Revo by making it have larger differential gears. It would be cool if they did that with the Mini E-Revo and redesigned it to be able to accept 10th scale differentials that would be killer!!

[@DoRC]

I'll be really surprised if the mini E-Revo doesn't get discontinued.

[@samintrepid]

I buy the mini e-revo vxl when he was release and I have so much fun because in time he was the first mini to reach 50mph with 2 nimh 7.2v battery or 3s lipo :)

[@DoRC]

Yeah it was crazy fast for its time. It's still fast now for a small basher

[@deezrcz]

You can also run 2 2s lipos in series 😉 who knows how long things will last though! (Kev Talbot did it)

[@DoRC]

Yeah but to be honest this thing is already wild on 3S I really can't see any practical reason to put it on 4s

[@deezrcz]

@@DoRC I agree. Other than for a laugh.

[@jjonwards]

Great video as usual 👍🏻

[@DoRC]

Thanks!

[@AirsoftPresident]

The suspension geometry on the mini maxx is really holding it back in terms of offroad capability. I’m hoping they release a VXL version in 2024 with center diff, upgraded front/rear diffs, wider arms, better shocks. Until then I look forward to what ARRMA has in store to compete with this.

[@DoRC]

I agree. It's very rudimentary just like the 4S Max and it suffers from pretty much the exact same problems. I'm sure it can be somewhat fixed with tuning but I'm not sure they're going to be able to do much about The actual geometry issues.

[@YoungWide]

The mini e revo that I've owned has stood the test of time and on 2s stock gearing it's quick enough when you turn up the punch it can backflip off of curbs and small ramps and with rpm arms and hubs it has not broken once even with how offen I run into things lmao.

[@DoRC]

Yeah on 2S, especially with a center differential and the rear diff shimd it holds up pretty well

[@robertkhan6599]

Thanks god someone finally said it

[@DoRC]

Glad you enjoyed the comparison :-)

[@mr.raiders7029]

Revo has always been the best

[@DoRC]

It definitely has some advantages.

[@allyoucando8486]

I have the Slash 16 and is really good, but something you don't mention is they tend to flip over because high center gravity. The weakness the slash 16 has are easy to fix. Because of you now, you need to shim the rear and front

[@DoRC]

I did show it in the video a couple of times but honestly I didn't really mention it because as compared to the minimax it's not nearly as tip over happy.

[@jacobariss9700]

Long arm travel kit will get you some more ground clearance. Kinda wondered how these 2 compared.

[@DoRC]

It does give you more ground clearance but it also dramatically increases how easily the truck will roll which is already kind of a problem. It is a trade-off.

[@paulmcnamara2908]

Have a brushed mini revo bought it for my daughter which she's outgrown slow but still fun just the way it is! If was to replace it would defo be the Kraton Grom not the Mini Maxx

[@DoRC]

The Grom is a great car especially with the new BLX!

[@kashmurray1199]

The REVO platform may not be stronger, but handling is much better. I had the mini Slash in the REVO platform. Did vary well. On 3S also. No breaks.

[@DoRC]

Yeah it's definitely not the world's strongest platform but I think it does strike a good balance between strength drivability and just general fun.

[@RCfanAddict]

I always clean the parts before reassembling!

[@DoRC]

Yep that's definitely the right way to do it :-)

[@RCfanAddict]

@DoRC Appreciate all you do! Traxxas needs to pay attention to what's available before launching products as It feels they're years behind

[@DoRC]

@RCfanAddict I honestly think they're real problem is pricing. If this thing was 200 bucks it would be a home run.

[@jc49fishniner4lif7]

Great points you brought up and i remember my first ever rc was a Chinese truggy that had the same suspension as the mini revo and it was very problematic

[@DoRC]

Yeah it has to be done right and on the mini E-Revo it is well executed.

[@jackchase79]

I think with the merv will prolly spend more time rolling onto the roof than the mini maxx but with the wealth of knowledge on the Internet you can bullet proof it and it will reward you in the end. Also if you get the brushed version it has the 1/10 motor mount in it already and you can put bigger electronics in it. 1/16 summit is an option also!

[@DoRC]

You might be surprised. The minimax really likes being on its roof and I tried to bash very similarly between the two in the same area. The max spent significantly more time upside down

[@jackchase79]

@@DoRC I retract my statement!! I think I’m just used to the rolling over with the merv and maybe the lack of videos and honest reviews on the mini maxx hasn’t made that flaw completely apparent yet. Not trying to kiss ass but this channel is what the hobby needs and has lacked for a few years now. Thanks for the time and effort you put into the videos and look forward to what’s next!

[@DoRC]

@@jackchase79 Don't get me wrong The Merv also likes to flip over if you're not careful but the max is far worse at least in my experience. It tends to pogo around on suspension a lot and just end up on its roof going over bumps

[@s109apache7]

I do only have 1 issue with the mini e revo it’s the battery trays… or at least mine, my battery tray doors keep coming off from jumps and I can’t fix it, also I’ve had diff issues before because of 3s so I stuck to 2s

[@DoRC]

Yeah the door's popping open is a problem. If you velcro your body on like I did it almost completely eliminates it because the doors can't open since they are stuck to the body :-)

[@s109apache7]

@@DoRCah thx I’ll keep that noted! Fun fact the mini e revo Acually got me into this hobby quite a fun mini basher

[@DoRC]

@s109apache7 Yeah it's not what that it's weak points but it's a good one

[@s109apache7]

@@DoRCjust curious would you ever consider setting up a P.O. Box so we can send you things?

[@bucksrcs1583]

Never had a mini Erevo. Sometime i want to add one to my collection, to me the mine Erevo looks like a good basher to me

[@DoRC]

It is. It's got a lot of suspension travel which makes it really dynamic off-road. It does like to roll over occasionally but it's not that bad once you get used to it

[@M14armorer]

Great content man

[@DoRC]

Thanks Glad you enjoyed!

[@dylanwhite6539]

I got my mini erevo on a trade for a trx4m I had. With a 4600kv sw3 combo it’s a ripper on 2s. I run mine with basically the same diff fluid you did and with dual 2s lipos in parallel that’s 4400mah for about $30.

[@DoRC]

Nothing wrong with that! I bet you get crazy run times

[@dylanwhite6539]

@@DoRCit might honestly be the longest runtime of any rc I have at the moment.

[@DoRC]

@dylanwhite6539 as always in this hobby the range of opinions I've gotten on and have run the full range between being the best car they ever had to being complete trash.

[@AdamStLouis-gn9ti]

I love my merv.. as stated you address the weak points and it's insanely fun won't hurt anyone if you're bashing around other people love mini rcs and I own full size xmaxx and 6s arrma

[@kylewright5441]

I use to go through bulk heads left and right on my MERV

[@DoRC]

Yeah they are a fairly weak point though aluminum skids definitely help

[@scarifrougeone7225]

Hmmm very interesting, first time I ever watch anything with the E-REVO. 15 years difference, from the looks of the comparison video I will agree with you 100%. Durability is huge but it don’t make up for a 15 year difference in performance. But, Traxxas does say skill level 1 for the Mini. I think the Mini was rushed into the Market. It should have the VXL in the system to begin with. Might have to check into a E-REVO VXL before they gone! Thanks for sharing. Well done great job. ⭐️⭐️🏁🏁⭐️⭐️🏎️😎

[@DoRC]

Yeah they do say skill level one and honestly if it had a skill level one price tag I'd be fine with it. At $200 I'd have no complaints.

[@maxeriousbrooks9807]

Love my mini revos I have two of them with 3d printed cages instead of boddies HW 16bl30 escs stock 380 motors they fly ... 3s is almost to much with 16bl30s i hope they don't discontinue them thinking the maxx will replace them.. they would have to sack the 1/16 summit and slash as well thou so hoping they stick around for awhile longer

[@DoRC]

It would be nice but I get the feeling their days are numbered. We'll see.

[@feverexplosion1968]

can u do a video on the Maxx? A review?

[@DoRC]

I probably wouldn't be able to justify doing one until a new version comes out but when one does you'll definitely see it here.

[@feverexplosion1968]

@ Thank you. Right now I have the V2. I just want to see more videos on it. I Just really love it.

[@sebastianwallace268]

the mini e revo is awesome because it supports nimh 2s and 3s. The durability is not great to be honest. A set of aluminum C Hubs is needed so the pivot balls don't pull out and then it's the best mini RC on the market

[@DoRC]

Yeah there are definitely a few things that need to be upgraded on these but fortunately upgrades are cheap and plentiful

[@blusinbarnesify]

Give it a year and there be a mini Max ll and it will be awesome. MARK MY WORDS

[@Boogie_the_cat]

Everyone said that about the Mini Maxx already. It's not like Traxxas didn't do enough R&D The problem is Traxxas wants you to pay at the door. When you don't pay enough at the door (Mini Maxx) then they make sure you pay out the 🍑 for mandatory upgrades. Traxxas didn't mistakenly make the Mini Maxx into what it is. They already had a set of 10th scale diffs they could have used if they wanted the diffs to be strong. No, they wanted a new SKU to sell to you, so they made different cheaper diffs. The mini Maxx was designed to look good on paper and in a picture. The hype machine sold it, you bought it, now you're stuck upgrading it or driving like my dead grandma. The Mini Maxx performs exactly how Traxxas intended it to.

[@DoRC]

I think we'll see a VXL before then

[@hitpointrc]

I 100% agree that the mini revo shouldn’t have even held a candle to the mini maxx, but I personally prefer the mini revo mostly bc I grew up with a mini one and a full sized one too

[@DoRC]

The nostalgia definitely is strong with this one. I haven't messed with one in probably 10 years and it was really fun getting reacquainted with it.

[@adriafitzy6459]

Your point about how the Mini Maxx should be better than the MERV due to age difference really makes me ponder the question... how does RC improve from here? I really struggle to see where it can get better. Of course, this isn't to say that every RTR is as good as it can be (obviously), but at this point there's plenty of vehicles where a few supply chain changes to incorporate whatever RPM does for their plastics and other companies do for their upgrade parts and we have nearly bulletproof bashers. Unless we can somehow lighten things without a hit to resilience, IDK how vehicles can get more durable. And in terms of handling, the only thing we're probably looking at is making brushless servos cheaper. And I feel like we're really starting to hit diminishing returns with speed, the stuff 12s 1/5 scale bashers can do is insane, I do not see people at large trying to bring more speed with that. The only innovation I can see from here is FPV, but for surface stuff where the risk of tipping is so great, it's probably not going to be practical for long term use beyond the novelty aspect. Of course, the Mini Maxx is not really a fit to all of these questions, because some of its issues are just laziness/greed/malaise/bewildering choices. But just in general, how does the hobby improve? I really don't know.

[@DoRC]

I think increased durability increased handling and increased ease of maintenance and repair are the three places where things can continue to get better and the minimax doesn't really give us much innovation in any of those respects.

[@Scxjunkie]

Groms are the mini basher goats

[@DoRC]

Grom?

[@frederickgrassie3383]

Love the mini max but needs upgrades. My opinion! I am looking at the typhoon 223s right now!

[@DoRC]

For a mini especially with the little proline trenchers you can get for it The 223S Typhon is kind of hard to beat right now. It's really good right out of the box and is probably one of the easiest cars in the world to work on

[@frederickgrassie3383]

@@DoRCand I totally agree with you. And going to order one!!😊

[@BellaT-nu4vv]

how big deal were those e maxxes and revos when introduced first... still feels authentic imo

[@DoRC]

Yeah that was a fun time for the hobby

[@JCpNK]

I have two Arrma Grom Typhon and Mojave BLX’s.. The larger tires on the Typhon made it a whole new machine. Let us know if you find a good upgrade option for the Mojave please!

[@DoRC]

That's tough because of the lack of room under the body. If you don't mind trimming the body the sky's the limit but I really don't know much of anything that's going to be better than what comes on their stock without having to do trimming

[@Marts112]

100% agree with you and another great video

[@DoRC]

Thanks Glad you enjoyed!

[@projectkarr]

I have bashed and abused my mini erevo for 15 years. Parts are cheap and the car is an absolute animal on 2s, not to mention 3s. It’s also fairly durable with rpm arms. By far my favorite car to just launch full throttle to see how many flips it will do. Also I don’t even know what the diff internals look like because I’ve never had to open one.

[@DoRC]

Yeah the differential internals are pretty good right out of the box

[@t3floz]

The problem with the e revo 1/16 is that the servo breaks very easily and the same for the diffs. Arms and front skidplate are also very fragile. You have to get alot of upgrades to make it durable and its also a pain to work on. Its a very fun car to drive on 3s tough!

[@DoRC]

It does need some upgrades but I would say with a servo RPM front skid RPM arms center differential and shimmed rear differential you'll have a pretty strong car.

[@DoRC]

Ultimately there are a few weak points but they're fairly cheap and fairly easy to fix so it's not too bad

[@t3floz]

@@DoRC Yeah, i had 2 but i got tired of problems so i sold them. If they did a updated version that isnt as bad as the mini maxx i would 100% be interested. My first real rc car and a blast to drive on 3s. Standing backflips with stock wheels etc

[@DoRC]

@t3floz For sure and out of the box just like with the minimax it really can't handle 3S. You need to at least shim the rear differential and put a center differential in it

[@rsquared9703]

I’ve been out of the RC world for a couple years but I had a 1/16 e-revo and it was a blast to drive…..when….the diffs didn’t blow out, the bushings didn’t wear out, the servo didn’t strip out, every pivot point waddled out, shocks needed gear oil to be effective, tires with actual grip were needed. All that said, the mini maxx and mini e-revo are one and the same. Nothing has changed in 12 years.

[@DoRC]

Yeah the mini E-Revo definitely has some places that need tweaking in order for it to be good but, and this was the point of the video, the minimax just doesn't really feel like a huge improvement and it really should

[@rsquared9703]

@ that makes sense, I might have misunderstood some of your points. I appreciated your video though. It gives a realistic expectation for owning a mini maxx. I might still buy one, one day for my kids but it would be on 50% for a while.

[@DoRC]

@@rsquared9703 I don't think you would be unhappy with the mini Max. Obviously by the time you have it in your hands you're already aware of it's price so it's not like that's going to be a surprise. Overall it's a pretty decent little car.

[@Rc-Krazy]

I had a mini revo. Got rid of it but I sure do miss it

[@DoRC]

You can still get another one :-)

[@magnusstone]

Hey, what was that loctite you like again? In the pump tube?

[@DoRC]

It's called vibra tight gel. Great stuff

[@magnusstone]

@ thank you! Is it the medium strength 12535/125?

[@DoRC]

@magnusstone That's the stuff! It's expensive but it's actually cheaper in the long run than a liquid thread locker because you almost never waste any

[@magnusstone]

@ I’m buying it. Thanks!

[@DoRC]

@magnusstone Sweet!

[@scottykardos]

Well said, agree 100%................I have a mini revo that I rediscovered 10 yes ago .........and again 2 yrs ago installed 3650 3600w running on 2s ....handles like a dream. With the heavy motor and light 2s battery it is the perfect balance....close to 40 mph with a lot of low end grunt . The diffs are pretty weak ....just don't jump it and enjoy. Oh yea my HYPER GO H16PL go will blow it away on speed and cost but drives like shit compared to the pleasure of driving the mini Revo. Yea they might be discontinued ....think I'll pick up a vxl just to keep before they go extinct Thanks

[@DoRC]

They aren't discontinued just yet but probably soon

[@lowridr2]

I had a few mini e revos it was actually the car that got me hooked on RC it’s pretty fragile and crash at decent speed you will most likely break something and I use to have spare on rear diffs because they would strip very often especially on 3s

[@DoRC]

Out of the box it has some weaknesses but most of them are pretty easy to address. If you properly shim the rear differential it'll last a lot longer. Putting a center differential in makes a huge difference and a few other bits and pieces will make it pretty strong.

[@vivos71]

@@DoRC I found also using aluminum skid plates also helps keep the diff housings from spreading under torque, and also has the added benefit of putting some weight down low for slightly more planted cornering. I remember actually preferring running 2 nimh packs just because it made the mini e-revo more planted in corners, and the less initial torque from a nimh setup also helped keep the diffs happy.

[@PigglyWigglyDeluxe]

I think the stock gearing on the ERevo is plenty strong, I’ve had mine for years running 4S with standing backflip power and blown up tires with a center spool, no center diffs, and the transmission gears and spur gear have held up beautifully. Diffs however, I run the Hot Racing spiral cut diffs, expensive, but you could even call them… “bomb proof”. The biggest weak point in my opinion is the arms, specifically the fact that RPM doesn’t make arms that fit the extended wheelbase design like you’d see on the mini summit. They only make standard wheelbase arms, and I like the extended wheelbase setup.

[@DoRC]

Yeah the arms are definitely a weak point. The hot racing differentials are a huge improvement but I still prefer a center differential as it really does help protect everything.

[@PigglyWigglyDeluxe]

@@DoRCI hear ya. I prefer not having a diff but I get the tuning appeal. I’ve got a center diff on my 1/16 slash, I suppose it’s all preference. If you truly want maximum durability, the HR diffs with the HR aluminum bulkheads with proper shimming is basically indestructible but it’s not cheap and it makes it wicked heavy especially if you’re running big power I also love the stock wheels, but the most annoying thing about them is a rock will always get caught in there and lock it up. Also, Associated 14MT wheels are an excellent option for these trucks too. Great grip, soft, durable, fitment and proportions are perfect

[@just.jose.youtube]

Companies in every type of business do this. In the fashion industry they come up with "a new shade of blue" every once in a while... Smartphone companies give their phones another gimmick and put more MPixels on their selfie cameras... Etc. RC modeling is also a business (for Traxxas it's all it is), so I think it's normal (albeit sad) to find this "planned obsolescence" in the hobby as well. If you want to be the coolest kid on the block, flashing the latest trend, be ready to open your wallet. :p Traxxas messed up on a thing or two about the Mini Max but, you know what they say, "there's no such thing as bad publicity". I didn't know about this mini ERevo... Nice video! 👌👏🙏

[@DoRC]

Absolutely. I think Traxxas only real problem Is there pricing. If the minimax was $200 it would be great

[@just.jose.youtube]

@DoRC yeah, I also think ~200USD would be a reasonable price for this. But I think this isn't targeted for you or me. Traxxas designs products for the masses, not the hobbyists. My guess is that long time RCers and people who know the market will be the minority of the MiniMax buyers. People buying/receiving their first RC car and who can't afford/justify bigger/pricier models; I think these will make the bulk of the sales. Some will run it for a couple of months and never pick it up again. 😛 Still a win for Traxxas.

[@emirserkann]

Corect informations👍 Mini e revo weakneses #1 a arms #2 rear diff needs to shim

[@DoRC]

Pretty much. I would add that the center differential is a must if you want to put real power to it.

[@emirserkann]

@DoRC if you run with 3s yes needs to center diff, great video👌🏻

[@DoRC]

@emirserkann thanks

[@rustlerboi1052]

The biggest advantage I see with the Mini Maxx over the mini e-revo is the ability to take on 1/10th scale electronics: standard size servo, 540 can motor, and larger ESC. The 1/10th scale ring and pinion gear on the Mini Maxx is also nice to have - although I am quite surprised to hear the planetary differential is a weak point. My understanding is the ring and pinion are the same size as the rustler 4x4 platform. Wonder why they didn’t use the spider gears from that diff instead. I had the mini e-revo brushless awhile back. I could not stop breaking diff ring and pinion gears no matter how I drove. Eventually gave up on the platform.

[@DoRC]

Did you shim the differentials and run a center diff?

[@sitlos.]

I have fit 1/10 scale motor and esc into my merv no problem. Damn thing will do 65-70 and it’s a little tank for the most part. Fun as hell also. Lol.

[@rustlerboi1052]

@@DoRC I did shim the differential, but did not run a center differential. Perhaps that would have made the difference. Somehow I didn’t realize a center diff was available!

[@Bonurges]

Do you say, “ameliorated” ?! 🧐 😳 noice! 👌

[@DoRC]

Quite and indeed :-)

[@mikehansen9898]

My guys vocabulary is a big part of why I watch his videos.

[@DoRC]

@@mikehansen9898 :)

[@RyanTucker-jw8dn]

I bought the Jato BL-2 last weekend, but I am going to pass on the Mini Maxx. I wish the designers had done a better job of making the chassis look more like the Maxx rather than upsizing the parts.

[@DoRC]

Now to be fair I'm glad they upsized the parts. The drivetrain's already proving to be kind of fragile. It would have been even worse with smaller parts

[@idan678]

0:49 that arm screw almost gave up haha

[@DoRC]

The car is actually torn apart in that clip. I was still waiting for the replacement front input shaft at that point in the video. During driving I have not had any of the screws back out.

[@J-ThomasRST]

Do you think a Arrma Typhon 6S V6 is coming soon?

[@DoRC]

Do I think it's coming? Yes. Do I think it's coming soon? I have no idea.