TRX-4 Defender vs. SCX-10 III Wrangler vs. Element Enduro Ecto: Crawler Canyon Shootout

[@auxil47]

Clearly you have attended and excelled at the Bob Ross school of Narration, your voice is soothing, articulate and perfect. Kudos to you sir and thank you for your excellent narration and dissection of RC vehicle video's.

[@YoShImUrA53]

Your video is excellent! I can truly get a good view of the vehicles from a single POV, I can totally relate your narration to what's happening with what the trucks are doing or struggling to do, and why. And crucially, for a comparison test, you've given me a great idea of the differences in driving and feel/feedback from each. Sub'd!!

[@thecardoski]

Love your content, good stuff. Ordered a Element builder's kit 2, today. Sort of tired of constantly repairing my bashers.lol

[@jasonhughes3587]

Lol, thats what got me into crawlers. 6s bashers are great if you want to turn your garage into a parts warehouse. Now i spend a lot more building crawlers but atleast they rarely ever break 😂

[@Mr450pro]

The foam is way to hard on the Ecto. Try softer foams and adjust ride hight and it will perform fantastic

[@boodyspringer4199]

Greatest comparison video ever, thank you.

[@nickmann5822]

I have the TRX4 blazer and the Enduro HD. Both trucks are amazing! But the TRX4 is a little ( and I do mean LITTLE) better in EVERY aspect... It crawls better, it is bashable, tighter turning radius, MUCH better body, better parts availability... It's just a better rig. And I hate Traxxas, but they nailed the TRX4. Credit where credit is due.

[@RoadsideRC]

Interesting comparison! Based on my experience with a TRX4 Sport, SCX10iii Gladiator, and Ecto I really do find your comparison interesting. I use all 3 as crawlers and trail trucks. I don't honestly see much difference in how a truck is used between the two situations...except that a top-heavy trail truck tends to fall-over a lot more. Perhaps it is the brass you have put on your TRX4 that really helped it here. Doing this test again without that weight would show a very different result, I believe. Subscribed!

[@CrawlerCanyon]

The only brass on the TRX-4 is the caster blocks, which were take-offs from another truck. The weight added is negligible, they just work better than the stock pieces, which were always a bit sticky and sometimes stopped the steering from centering. Admittedly, the steelie wheels on the TRX-4 help a whole lot-- the Sport is really a different beast than the Defender, whose body alone weighs almost 2 pounds. The TRX-4 run without the body would have run circles around the Ecto in stock configuration. I agree with one of the other comments, the foams that came with the Ecto are waaaayyyy too stiff for a truck so light. I wouldn't consider the Ecto for trailing with the stock gear because it's just really slow, and the included radio really doesn't offer the best throttle control.

[@RoadsideRC]

@@CrawlerCanyon Are you running 2S or 3s? Mine is faster than I walk on 3S?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

@@RoadsideRC all of my trucks are on 3S. Sure, the Ecto will do better than a walking pace, but it’s not really competitive against two-speeds. Tops out around 5.5mph with the stock 14-turn, while the other two easily get into double digits. For me at least, trailing isn’t “crawling at WOT on flat ground.”

[@TheRoadTaken]

Outstanding comparison. Are the tires on the axial stock? I really like the defender but I do plan on doing crawling with more of a bias towards trailing.

[@evintacy7272]

I have an scx10 iii and the Ecto,,, I tell ya find myself running the Ecto much more !! Element is one great company getting better with every rig they make!!

[@walentinjanowsky]

Awesome video! Loved the comparison. Would be interested to see those with minor tuning like better tires and some weight distribution. To me tires did already a big improvement on the Defender but even bigger on the ecto as i find the stock tires on the ecto way to hard

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Check out one of the more recent uploads, the Big Body Battle-- the Defender and 10 III are both in it, and significantly improved since this video. The Ecto... well, that thing wins every "comp" I put it in now.

[@swaggdaddy9507]

So everyone just gonna ignore the fact that this guy's voice is perfect for the rc shootouts he sounds like he should be broadcasting for nascar

[@frankernstorfer372]

I got an ecto 2 month ago and just changed the tires into Louise Champ, and changed the inserts into Injora silicone soft. Try it….and eather the scx10 nor the trx could compeed….and it is much cheaper aswell.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

This ancient artifact was essentially a battle of 3 trail trucks, and of the three, the Ecto is way out in front. Up against more capable competition, the trailing arms will always be the Ecto's stumbling block.

[@wgmainline9812]

Great comparison video!!! I already have the TRX4 and SCX10III but I am considering the Ecto or the Sendero. This video gives me a better idea of how they stack up against each other. Thanks for the work on this!!! Subscribed!!

[@RyanRKJ]

They all can be fun. But, for me, the Axial is the clear winner. Why? Because it looks the best. Great body detail, and the RTR comes with inner fenders, lights, and an interior behind nicely tinted windows. It's a full package. It even has beadlocks for a less expensive tire change if you want. I use it for just what you say it is best for: a mix of rock crawling and trails. I've done three 10km trail runs with mine so far this year (along with many shorter runs).

[@Offroadflicks]

Your mic and camera has improved so much!! Lol

[@Olek_endurek]

I just picked up the ecto 😊😊

[@TheRoadTaken]

Outstanding comparison. Are the tires on the axial stock? I really like the defender but I do plan on doing crawling with more of a bias towards trailing.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

All three were on stock tires at the time, if memory serves. It has been a while, though.

[@Stewpkiddable]

that effin wine from the traxxas is a no go for me. i prefer an rtr with a quiet motor. the basecamp is soooo nice and quiet out of the box.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

There's a video on here of a TRX-4 with a Castle Mamba-powered outrunner in it, and it is easily the loudest rock crawler I've ever heard. See how long you can last: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imaXnWBohc9pqJo

[@RTmadnesstoo]

The first thing I changed on my Ecto was the tires which eventually broke in on a heavy trx4.

[@RC-CARS-WORLD]

Awesome video my rc friend, great job 💪😃👍

[@jerrywatson1958]

This video earned you a new sub today. Thanks for all the hard work. I have the Defender and love it for both Trail and Rock climbing. For me the competition is keeping 4 wheels on the ground when crawling and climbing over obstacles. I have to ask, is that area your back yard? You did a fantastic job. I wish I had some property to build one.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Yep, that's all my backyard. And in terms of my crawler videos, that one is pretty old-- the course is MUCH larger now.

[@jerrywatson1958]

@@CrawlerCanyon Do you have any videos of building it? I would love to see an overhead view. You have land scaping talent for sure.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Just this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aafYqquvgKqHoJY Most of it is pretty mundane, moving dirt and rocks with a shovel and wheelbarrow. It takes hours without dealing with cameras. As I've mentioned in a number of videos-- I'm a terrible documentarian.

[@jerrywatson1958]

@@CrawlerCanyon I would say you do enough, your narration is above par imo.

[@jerrywatson1958]

@@CrawlerCanyon Just watched the video. It was exactly what I was hoping for. Check out my very amature rc videos from a few years back. For me the costs of camera equipment plus RC's got to be too much for the budget. No more Gopros now just my cell phone (Android). Just click on my name. If life rewards my finances in the future, I may start back videoing again. But for time going forward your videos will do just fine for my RC needs. My preference though is for all Holmes Hobbies and Castle Creations. Not into Hobbywing, wasted too much money back in the day with RTR's and then their HW replacements direct from China. All but one e-waste now. But everyone has their choice as to what to spend their money on. I did buy Carisma, I am very happy with the platform but the electronics are junk. I would still buy the kits thou when trade doesn't take 3 months and cost an arm and a leg, lol. Thanks for reading my rant. I look forward to your future videos.

[@Daniyoyo]

I only use my defender for scale trailing .. the chassis will never allow for crawling no matter the weights until you redo everything ..

[@CrawlerCanyon]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4WsfmN3q7WkpLM

[@mayorgamm1]

Great job!! 👏👏

[@skyrunr]

I think the TRX4 with the ne bronco body would bring it up a notch. I couldn't stand the motor's siren during the tests. I lean more towards the most realistic experience. I don't want something that just goes up an obstacle with no problem. I'd also rather drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. ;) I think I'm going to rebuild a scale vehicle (HGP407?) and get a basic cheap crawler. Very helpful video and nice course. How did you not laugh when the vehicles rolled out of frame? LOL

[@CrawlerCanyon]

The XL-5 from the Defender is long dead and a better ESC has been put in, so the motor is a whole lot quieter now.

[@skyrunr]

@@CrawlerCanyon Thank you. I think I might be happier starting with the Traxxas, and upgrading it as I break it. I'll need a Toyota body for it though. ;)

[@johndavid5627]

good on fake rock everywhere i go, its different , usually river banks. you're kinda urban crawling city rock.the etco body is sweet? Canary yellow!

[@rbatman9704]

If you had to choose just one of these to own, what would it be? platform to build on etc.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

That's a really to one to call. Out of the box, I would say that the Defender is the most fun, and genuinely needs the least work to get it workable. Fast forward all the months since this video to today, and the 10 III and Ecto bear no resemblance to what they were, while that Defender looks almost exactly the same. A stock defender with knuckle weights is extremely capable-- make it a not-Defender (that body weighs 28oz) and it's startlingly good. I mean, there's no way I could pick. Can't have just one. Element axles are probably my favorites-- easy to convert to SOA, they're super SUPER smooth, and they're borderline affordable. Everything on a TRX-4 seems like it came off of a tank, I've still never broken any part of any kind on any TRX-4. The 10 III takes the most work to make it NOT a trail truck, but in that way it's pretty rewarding when you finally get it to behave. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them... ...that said, if you really want an Ecto, don't buy the RTR. Buy a Gatekeeper Kit or an Element Builders Kit 2 and throw an Ecto body on it. You spend less time and money than I did to get it where you want it.

[@rbatman9704]

@@CrawlerCanyon ty for the info! Give me some things to consider.

[@MineCraftPickAxeXL9]

Yea i bought an ecto today im puting metal beadlocks on mine

[@CrawlerCanyon]

If you've driven it AT ALL on those plastics, the metal wheels will be a world of difference. When you get rid of the Grabbers, the sky is the limit. They're a thoroughly mediocre tire.

[@babblingidiot7903]

Traxxas trx4 have same servo problem like other traxxas rc?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

At least I’m my experience…. not really? The 2075X is not a great servo (weak and slow) but it does work. The micro servos can be hit-and-miss. Two Defenders here, so 6 Traxxas micros, and only one of them has died. The other five are still chugging along. Now the regular 2075s that come in all the other Traxxas? Terrible.

[@jimlayhey1965]

put softer foams and softer tires with and ecto will go anywhere

[@nickmann5822]

Nope TRX4 is better. There are a couple videos where they swap tires and it still out crawls the element.

[@jimlayhey1965]

@@nickmann5822 i have 2 trx4 and element ecto ecto wins

[@nickmann5822]

@@jimlayhey1965 I have both as well My TRX crawls way better.

[@Duececutty6972]

Cmon. TRX killed it. Lol

[@EpicSwedishFika]

The stock tires of the Ecto are useless!

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Yeah, they're definitely not great. I mean, most OE tires are pretty bad, but I've lately been testing out the OE tires from the 10III (Axial Nitto Trail Grapplers) and they're actually pretty good. As far as a "trail tire" goes they're superb. I still put they Canyon Trails as "best" stock tire (after some tuning) but no amount of tuning could save the OE Ecto tires. They can't keep up with the truck when it's bone-stock.

[@cheapmod]

i hate traxxas but i have trx4

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Unlike many Traxxas vehicles "out of the box," the TRX-4 is an absolute tank. I have yet to break a TRX-4 drivetrain part. I've turned bumper mounts and bumpers into confetti, but that's mostly on me.

[@rcdaejeonrc5878]

nice~~

[@Mnt-400]

god vid

[@ziggyzbeak]

Apples and oranges a comp crawler and two trail crawlers