Redcat Machete 6S 1/6 RTR 4WD Electric Brushless Monster Truck w/2.4GHz Radio

I know people love to hate on Redcat. I mean I get it, they are not Arrma, they are not Traxxas, fanboys are gonna fanboy. I look for value, and this car is an incredible value. Sturdy aluminum chassis, decent electronics, and "somewhat" easy to work on. This is not a full-send basher, if you go out and huck this thing off a 20ft quarter pipe, its gonna shatter. Who in their right mind would buy a 500$ 1/6 and do that though? Without upgrades first? Be realistic with your expectations. This is NOT a 1300$ M2C Kraton.

Now that my rant is out of the way, I do have some thoughts.

Electronics - Fine. They get the job done, but I have a 6S Spektrum combo that may get dropped in at some point. Decent torque and good launch behavior with stock tires. Motor ran very cool, even after spending an entire 4000MaH 6S at top speed. I will take durability and temp control over top speed any day. There is not much customization though with this ESC.

Chassis - I think, and its just my opinion, that we need .5" more ground clearance. This thing is a blast to float around the yard at full speed weaving around trees (and smacking a couple). I think maybe they kept it low to guarantee chassis slap, as the suspension has always been a weak spot with Redcat. This is a little excessive though. I think some Kraton shocks and 50w will make this thing fly

Ive only put maybe 10 hours on this thing the last few days, but I am very happy and I dont even have the updated parts installed yet. Im not listening to people when it comes to attitudes about how they handled things, half of the people making comments dont even understand how running a business works. S##t happens, they made it right. The people saying Redcat "knew" about the issue sooner, well it doesnt even really matter, does it? By the time you got your car, the upgraded parts were in the mail. Chill out, guys. This car is a freaking beast, just dont send it off a cliff and it will drive for years.

Overall experience: 2.5 (out of 5)
It's hard to define what this truck is. It's not a Kraton, it's not a Sledge, it's not an XRT... So what is it? I don't know. I honestly would not recommend this truck.

Handling: 2
Everything about this truck screams that it should handle like a dream, but it doesn't. It's heavy, it's very wide, it's very low, but the handling is disappointing and it ends up on its roof way too often.

Air control: 1
With the wheelbase, the small belted tires, and the less-than-stellar motor, this truck has horrible air control.

Dust-proof?: 2
This thing gets dirt in the deepest, most sensitive, and unexpected places. Multiple steering and driveline components had extreme wear after just a few runs.

Motor/ESC: 3
This has an average 1/8 motor combo. The problem is this truck isn't 1/8 scale. It will only get up to 40 - 45 mph.

Steering servo: 4
Actually a pretty good servo, and it is does quite well once you give it 8.4 volts. The problem is you'll need an external BEC or an upgraded esc to get that voltage.

Radio: 3
A nice, very basic radio. But the receiver can only handle 6 volts, which can be a limiting factor.

Tires: 4
The tires are quite good on their own. But their size and being belted give you horrible air control.

Chassis layout: 3
You'll have to drill some holes if you want to mount any motor that is at all bigger than stock.

Radio box: 2
Too small and awkwardly positioned.

Durability: 3
The wing and the front bumper rip off very easily. Overall the truck is pretty beefy, but dirt gets in all the wrong places and chews things up.

Aluminum parts: 2.5
The finish on the aluminum wears off very easily.

Aftermarket options: 1.5
If you want to change the look of this truck, you can't. There aren't any bodies out there that will fit.

Excellent build quality and great looks. Smooth handling with generous power. A better than average all-rounder.