Love it! A few additional notes: Ofna was a U.S. company that rebranded Hobao and Hong Nor (Taiwanese companies) as Ofna. When they dissolved, Hong Nor cars got resold as Team Redcat vehicles for awhile, and Hobao sells their stuff on their own now. Helion was a Hobbytown exclusive brand that Gil Losi Jr. started after they sold Losi to Horizon. They basically just imported Chinese cars as Helion as a way for Hobbytown to sell lower end models. The current Team Associated Rival MT10 is the same as the Helion Avenge 10MT.
The Hong Nor vehicles are still fantastic, parts support is good, but pretty limited to online. I would love to see that company pick up in popularity again as even their older designs still hold up well
@@vivos71 i had 3 Ofna buggies back in the late 90`s early 2000`s 1/8 LX pro 1/8 MBX/LX halfbreed build with parts off ebay which i turned into a monster truggy.. and more recently the ofna hyper10 short course which was a tough little truck with pb suspension and center diff it really out shined the traxxas cars but ultimately too much of a tank to run fast on the track.
@@drewp9112 with the optional lightweight parts it could still hold it’s own, it was no heavier after upgrades and key component removal than a Losi 10 scte
@@vivos71 i only raced it once hit too much sky on a big jump and landed on the roof bent both shock towers. i did upgrade those and the braces with some nice aftermarket stuff but it never saw much more than some teeth marks from my dog chasing it. got into helis and it sat for a bit till i sold it. i do plan on getting back into buggy/stadium trucks this year. not A big fan SCT`S
I wouldn't say HoBao's quality has fallen, it's more that they just haven't kept up with modern developments. Their Hyper TT10e, for example, is still the same car they've been selling for over a decade that used to be the staple of the 1/10th scale 4WD truggy class. It's had a few tweaks to improve durability and reliability, but it hasn't been fully redesigned from the ground up to take advantage of the tech developments available today like the Tekno, XRAY and PR Racing truggies have. That being said it's still a very capable truck and can even hold its own against the others, at least on dirt which helps even the playing field.
Oh man I still collect Duratrax Evaders... Fun fact they're extremely similar to a Team Losi XX-T the chassis is almost identical , that's why they're so capable on a track. They also made a ''PRO'' version which featured full graphite chassis and suspension (just like a Losi XX CR). They also had CVD and hard anodized shocks. I still race my pro and its a very fun truck.
Great video. With the amount of brands coming and going you probably won't run out of content you can build sequels with for quite a while either, just look through some old RC magazines and you'll find tons of stuff that isn't around anymore. Ishima, RB products, Novarossi, etc.
Enjoyable vid as always, and you are mostly right about Tamiya. They did recently release two new design off road buggies though, in the TD4 and TD2. They aren’t race spec as such, but can be hopped up a bit and raced at say club level. That’s about it other that their usual fare and re-releases. Eta: the chassis I mentioned are cool, the bodies are dreck though, awful.
Fantastic video! I owned an Evader as a kid and it actually sparked my love for RC. As for Tamiya, what a good explanation of their history. I took a TT02B to the track this week and man… it just doesn’t stack up. I wish they would have a race buggy readily available. The TRF01 has been out of stock for what feels like forever.
Tamiya doesn't innovate very much these days, but they still practice the sensible tradition of sealing their off-road buggy transmissions with gear covers. For some strange reason, exposing the transmission and excluding the gear cover has now become a "thing" with Team Associated, Team Losi, Yokomo, X-Ray, and Durango. This is a completely ridiculous trend.
The TT02B is an entry level beginner buggy out of the box. What did you expect? You have to drop a bunch of hop up parts into it to get it descent on the track.
I remember seeing the Hornet/Grasshopper in the early 90s, wowing at the Box art. Many years later getting a TT02R, wasted money on dumb hop ups and regretting it lol
Tamiya is still a popular race class in the UK, I have an M-06 that I race most weeks and there are also lots of people running the TT01/02 cars and particularly the trucks. The buggies get raced in the classic classes we have here too.
Just getting back into rc after 12 years or so. I'm shocked how much it's changed. Impossible to find good brushed motors for my old car! Do a video on Trinity if you haven't yet. I heard the owner recently died. Idk if that's true.
@@murrijuana2842 not a GOOD one. I did find tamiya is the only one left making a decent on with the Super Stock RZ. The new reedy motors are terrible and are the same motor as surpass/integy
So... Helion... Fun fact - many of Associated's current RTRs were originally developed and sold by Helion, most notably the Rival MT10. As for Tamiya, it might have been better if you made this segment for TRF specifically. Tamiya is still relevant in the spec racing world, mostly in on-road but the TT02B is starting to become popular as an off-road class.
the helion avenge mt was a cool truck, did backflips pretty well but when i got into it parts support was burning out so i trashed it and stuck with traxxas.
I had a ofna hobao hyper 7...toughest rc i have ever had. I agree with your tamiya assessment. While i doubt they'll be going anywhere, the do need a shot of adrenalin to their creative hearts. I like a lot of their stuff (and have a lot of it) but some mojo has been lost and they rely on re-releases too much. I'd love a re-release super hornet though...my first hobby grade rc.
im 14 and i rally\touring rally my tamiya tt01 and tt02 and my friends drive tt02b on the outside track but i drive my team associated bj4 (its very old)
i hear what you are saying about Tamiya , but it needs saying that they are a vast company , the rc division is actually a small part of the vast entity , but when you see the Tamiya facility in japan , not to mention other smaller facilities which are attended by families , not just silly old men taking it all far too seriously , you start to understand the philosophy of Tamiya. the race scene in the US especially appears to be wallet racing which invariably drives newbies away from the hobby . Tamiya is about having fun racing which is demonstrable by the new comers to the hobby in japan and Europe where the Tamiya cup is almost always over subscribed . those who notice the obvious about competitiveness compared to other brands are missing the point , Tamiya can make $1000 chassis kits which can take on the best and often win , but only grumpy old men with large disposable incomes can afford them . Tamiya want everyone to have fun in the hobby , not sit in the corner eyeing up how spending another $1000 dollars on a radio and motor system will surely let them win , win , win . it is an important aspect of the hobby , it shouldn't be about winning races , its about having fun racing ,something we in the UK value as is demonstrated by a tiny company called MARDAVE.😘
Love it! A few additional notes: Ofna was a U.S. company that rebranded Hobao and Hong Nor (Taiwanese companies) as Ofna. When they dissolved, Hong Nor cars got resold as Team Redcat vehicles for awhile, and Hobao sells their stuff on their own now. Helion was a Hobbytown exclusive brand that Gil Losi Jr. started after they sold Losi to Horizon. They basically just imported Chinese cars as Helion as a way for Hobbytown to sell lower end models. The current Team Associated Rival MT10 is the same as the Helion Avenge 10MT.
Thanks for the info Razor 😊
The Hong Nor vehicles are still fantastic, parts support is good, but pretty limited to online. I would love to see that company pick up in popularity again as even their older designs still hold up well
@@vivos71 i had 3 Ofna buggies back in the late 90`s early 2000`s 1/8 LX pro 1/8 MBX/LX halfbreed build with parts off ebay which i turned into a monster truggy.. and more recently the ofna hyper10 short course which was a tough little truck with pb suspension and center diff it really out shined the traxxas cars but ultimately too much of a tank to run fast on the track.
@@drewp9112 with the optional lightweight parts it could still hold it’s own, it was no heavier after upgrades and key component removal than a Losi 10 scte
@@vivos71 i only raced it once hit too much sky on a big jump and landed on the roof bent both shock towers. i did upgrade those and the braces with some nice aftermarket stuff but it never saw much more than some teeth marks from my dog chasing it. got into helis and it sat for a bit till i sold it. i do plan on getting back into buggy/stadium trucks this year. not A big fan SCT`S
haha-Mr Tamiya wanted a porsche 934 turbo - and found away to make it a tax right off
I wouldn't say HoBao's quality has fallen, it's more that they just haven't kept up with modern developments. Their Hyper TT10e, for example, is still the same car they've been selling for over a decade that used to be the staple of the 1/10th scale 4WD truggy class. It's had a few tweaks to improve durability and reliability, but it hasn't been fully redesigned from the ground up to take advantage of the tech developments available today like the Tekno, XRAY and PR Racing truggies have.
That being said it's still a very capable truck and can even hold its own against the others, at least on dirt which helps even the playing field.
Oh man I still collect Duratrax Evaders... Fun fact they're extremely similar to a Team Losi XX-T the chassis is almost identical , that's why they're so capable on a track. They also made a ''PRO'' version which featured full graphite chassis and suspension (just like a Losi XX CR). They also had CVD and hard anodized shocks. I still race my pro and its a very fun truck.
Great video. With the amount of brands coming and going you probably won't run out of content you can build sequels with for quite a while either, just look through some old RC magazines and you'll find tons of stuff that isn't around anymore. Ishima, RB products, Novarossi, etc.
Enjoyable vid as always, and you are mostly right about Tamiya. They did recently release two new design off road buggies though, in the TD4 and TD2. They aren’t race spec as such, but can be hopped up a bit and raced at say club level. That’s about it other that their usual fare and re-releases.
Eta: the chassis I mentioned are cool, the bodies are dreck though, awful.
Fantastic video! I owned an Evader as a kid and it actually sparked my love for RC.
As for Tamiya, what a good explanation of their history. I took a TT02B to the track this week and man… it just doesn’t stack up. I wish they would have a race buggy readily available. The TRF01 has been out of stock for what feels like forever.
Tamiya doesn't innovate very much these days, but they still practice the sensible tradition of sealing their off-road buggy transmissions with gear covers. For some strange reason, exposing the transmission and excluding the gear cover has now become a "thing" with Team Associated, Team Losi, Yokomo, X-Ray, and Durango. This is a completely ridiculous trend.
The TT02B is an entry level beginner buggy out of the box. What did you expect? You have to drop a bunch of hop up parts into it to get it descent on the track.
I remember seeing the Hornet/Grasshopper in the early 90s, wowing at the Box art. Many years later getting a TT02R, wasted money on dumb hop ups and regretting it lol
2:49 perfect example of why reversing is generally banned in racing.
Yup
Tamiya is still a popular race class in the UK, I have an M-06 that I race most weeks and there are also lots of people running the TT01/02 cars and particularly the trucks. The buggies get raced in the classic classes we have here too.
That's kind of surprising ngl
Liking this series on past rc companies 👏
Just getting back into rc after 12 years or so. I'm shocked how much it's changed. Impossible to find good brushed motors for my old car! Do a video on Trinity if you haven't yet. I heard the owner recently died. Idk if that's true.
How are you not able to find a brushed motor? Have you tried Google?
@@murrijuana2842 not a GOOD one. I did find tamiya is the only one left making a decent on with the Super Stock RZ. The new reedy motors are terrible and are the same motor as surpass/integy
Tamiya cares about what makes them Money and that's models and manly military, tools and the best paint in the world
My dad owned a vaterra ascender and to this day it is a great crawler and honestly as, if not more capable than my trx4
Love the video mate.
VATERRA was horizonhobby house brand befor losi and Axial were taken over.
So... Helion... Fun fact - many of Associated's current RTRs were originally developed and sold by Helion, most notably the Rival MT10.
As for Tamiya, it might have been better if you made this segment for TRF specifically. Tamiya is still relevant in the spec racing world, mostly in on-road but the TT02B is starting to become popular as an off-road class.
the helion avenge mt was a cool truck, did backflips pretty well but when i got into it parts support was burning out so i trashed it and stuck with traxxas.
I had a ofna hobao hyper 7...toughest rc i have ever had.
I agree with your tamiya assessment. While i doubt they'll be going anywhere, the do need a shot of adrenalin to their creative hearts.
I like a lot of their stuff (and have a lot of it) but some mojo has been lost and they rely on re-releases too much.
I'd love a re-release super hornet though...my first hobby grade rc.
great video and information
How about Mardave that produced Europes first kit in the 1960’s. Then there is AYK and PB racing.
The problems with offroad TRF was a driver thing. As they didn't have any good drivers.
Lee Martin won multiple championships with trf off road buggies
@@leeroyjenkins7141 I stand corrected... they had 1 good driver.
im 14 and i rally\touring rally my tamiya tt01 and tt02 and my friends drive tt02b on the outside track but i drive my team associated bj4 (its very old)
i hear what you are saying about Tamiya , but it needs saying that they are a vast company , the rc division is actually a small part of the vast entity , but when you see the Tamiya facility in japan , not to mention other smaller facilities which are attended by families , not just silly old men taking it all far too seriously , you start to understand the philosophy of Tamiya. the race scene in the US especially appears to be wallet racing which invariably drives newbies away from the hobby . Tamiya is about having fun racing which is demonstrable by the new comers to the hobby in japan and Europe where the Tamiya cup is almost always over subscribed . those who notice the obvious about competitiveness compared to other brands are missing the point , Tamiya can make $1000 chassis kits which can take on the best and often win , but only grumpy old men with large disposable incomes can afford them . Tamiya want everyone to have fun in the hobby , not sit in the corner eyeing up how spending another $1000 dollars on a radio and motor system will surely let them win , win , win . it is an important aspect of the hobby , it shouldn't be about winning races , its about having fun racing ,something we in the UK value as is demonstrated by a tiny company called MARDAVE.😘
Hey, great video! Your voice is a bit muffled though
👍
Wasn't tamiya's high lift hilux and f350 the starters of the modern scale crawlers though?
Kinda yeah. But I mostly wanted to focus on racing, not really crawling
Good vid
Please find out what OFNA stands for. Might be the best answer in the RC community
Have you made a video on tracks that have come and gone?
Not yet