trf511 vs dex410
 

trf511 vs dex410 anyone have tried both and your oppinion
would be really appreciated
the price and parts support doesn't make a
difference since i will have parts in stock!!
thanks
pete68

Ah...

Well, I own a 501x and am very happy with it. (A 511 would just be less hassle with maintenance.) Though, honestly, the DEX410 does look like the future. So much less maintenance required and it's a completely different sort of platform. Built from the ground up for modern racing. Having said that, the Tamiya is still very good. (After all, just look at the 2009 EFRA results, they also run pretty well out of the box.)

In my opinion, they're so vastly different that they're barely worth comparing. (Like iPhone and Blackberry: they both do different things so well, it's more of an instinct and personal taste sort of thing.)

Unfortunately, I haven't tried a DEX410, so obviously biassed towards the Tamiya. Though I can see why so many people are opting for the DEX410!

I owned a TRF511 and it was the best 4wd I have ever had the pleasure to drive. Then came the DEX410 and I just had to have one.
Can honestly say that it doesent matter what car you buy. Two of the best cars in the market. Everything else feels like toys.
The TAmiya has got some amazing corner speed on graveltracks and the dex seems to do the job just as good. Havent had the chance to try it out really yet on gravel. Love my dex and loved the trf511 too. A must is the diffcover of Fredrik Emilsson.
What ever you want it is two top of the line machines.

I have to say I really like my 501x worlds car, but I do tend to drive my B44 sometimes as well depends who shows up with what. The Dex410 looks really awesome looking, but I do tend to prefer parts support over anything else. And it's easy to get parts for my 4wd buggies. The Dex410 wouldnt be so hot for me because I live in the United States. People at my tracks either run the B44 or the Kyosho Lazer ZX5 FS. I'm the only one with a 501x now, so I
guess that makes me feel kinda special to have a car nobody else runs.:thumbsup:

I too would really like to know the answer to this question as well...

I've had the CAT SX, B44, TRF501, and now the TRF511. I'm curious about the DEX...There is a big price difference here in the USA between the DEX and every other 4WD.

For the US style tracks I've run, I've found the B44's front end to be too fragile, the CAT SX too twitchy. Took way too much work to get it to handle well and stripped spur gears.

The TRF501 handles great and in the two years I've raced it, only broke a couple parts that were my fault.

The TRF511 handles great but the standard arms are weak and break constantly...

I want to know if the DEX is the shiznits....

TIA

Simple fix for that Bushy... use your 501X arms on your 511. I did that when I built my 511 and not one broken arm yet.

yes you can do that but be carefull, if you get a heavy inpact with the 501x wishbones it can bend the alloy parts, I tend to use a db01 wishbone set there stronger than the 511 but weaker than the 501x;)

Also, the harder arms will bend the hingepin if hit hard enough, so keep one in spare just in case.

Hinge pins can bend, yes, but they are cheap. A package of 4 pins are about $2 USD.

STFU....MOVING ON...

Now to really answer your question...I owned both cars. I cant tell you this. Maintenance on the dex410 will save you time. You can change diff oils replace the diff and adjust the slipper in under 15 mins if you were determined to do so lol. With the tamiya cars it used to take me a real long time to get to the spur or the diffs. Also the ball diffs were a huge hassle. Are they too tight, are they too loose. It gets old. BUT...they both handle very well. I can honestly say, that the dex does everything well. On outdoors and indoors. so thats versatility. On outdoor tracks with the 501 I had to replace belts and rebuild diffs after every run. In the durability dept. the R version of the DEX has a weak point with the front plastic brace. Get the ally one and ur good. Arms never brake, hinge pins never bend, shocktowers never an issue. Only thing to worry about is the drive shaft pins. Read on durangos tips to build those right. 501/511...Arms do break and with that pins will always bend. rear wing mount is a joke and always gets loose. shock towers are surprisingly strong, never broke one. body looks amazing. it looks stunning in all aspects but is a bit fiddly when it comes to maintenance issues and arm/ hinge pin breakage. I remember I had to stock up on pins and arms all the time. as well as front shock shafts. Rear wheel wobble is also an annoying thing and the 12mm hex conversion made it handle worse in every way.

when properly set up and if driver skill is not an issue, then both are remarkable on the track. I really enjoyed my 501, even though you are discussing the 511, its not far off. The reason in the end that I sold my 501 was the maintenance issue. Too much going on. No matter how well you wire you motor leads or servo wires one day something will come loose and catastrophe will strike. I once had my servo mounts come undone and since they run parallel to the front belt, the belt got caught on it and snap! lost the race...DNF.

Not saying the shafts in the dex dont get in the way, but they will not cause such a huge problem. and as I said...removing the spur is literally seconds...removing the diffs...4 screws. You just cant get that with ANY other buggy.

Yes I know this is a late reply but I felt the need to add to it for any future inquiries.

The belts last a very long time (half a year if you race every weekend) if you adjust it properly. Mine is 1,5 years old and only on its 2nd rear belt. Front is the same.

Also, how the hell did you manage to have a servo mount come undone?!? The things are made in plastic and impossible to come undone once screwed in.

To me it sounds like operator error big time.

Nope...def not an operator error my friend. I know the belts are strong but if u go out on a US style track with dirt everywhere and debris...belts will be the death of the car and ur pulleys. And yes the servo mounts do come undone and I was advised to go aluminum and thread lock it to stay in place...and this was fro ma team driver out here in the states.

I also ran on the same track with a cat sx. We both always had the same problem. REPEATEDLY

I run outdoors all the time, I haven't got any issues with the belts or constantly needing to rebuild the diffs on my 501. I am using the newer, more durable, drive belts that come with DB01R and 511.

I agree that the 511 arms brake easily, but to brake a 501 arm you really have to try, like drive full throttle at a concrete wall...

Pins might bend and arms might brake if you hit that concrete wall, though :)

As for 511, the arms brake more easily and thus the pins don't bend as easily as in 501.
Ever heard or seen or read what might happen to a DEX when a pin comes loose from the drive shaft...? Yes, it is what you could describe as a huge problem (flame out :thumbdown:). And yes, it does happen. For the newer models this problem should be sorted, though.

The Cat SX belts are not very strong (regardless of surface), I'll agree with you on that, but the belts on the 511 is a lot better.

We race on any surface, in any weather, and have not heard or seen what you report at all. Thats why I'm hard pressed to believe you.

LoL...Yes lipo explosions...if you dont follow the tips they give you. Newer models are fine. My car is perfect. As for newer drive belts that are stronger maybe...but dude those of you who tell me you dont break a-arms on ur 501/511/db01s must be delusional. I found the 501x versions were strongest, the 511 "high traction" arms were, for lack of a better word, pathetic examples of an a-arm and the db01's were ok but due to the added flex, they broke too. I dont drive like an idiot nor do I bash. And these parts DO break. Theres even a video on this thing on youtube, I think rclazy something or other posted it. Its a weak point guys, its a fact. I never said the car sucked. It handles great. But maintenance wise...cmon...how many screws to access your diff? lol Remove top deck, remove front shocks, remove camber links. cmon. I know this is a hobby but driving more and fixing less its where its at. ;)

Also to access/change ur spur...you have to go through the same song and dance...Uhhh pull a clip theres ur spur on a rango :)

Hey man, to each his own. I dunno your track conditions, But I know whatIve experienced. Running on an indoor carpet or astro...I had no issues. Outdoors with some dirt or indoors too for that matter...pulleys got chewed up, small rocks got inside the rear diff all the time. I mean guys if something can go wrong it will. And I even had the rear optimized diff cover. :thumbdown:

FYI, access to diffs on the 511 is 4 screws front and rear. Access to the spur gear is 4 screws and a trick to remove the layshaft assembly without having to loosen anything else.
And yes, the 501 arms are nearly indestructable.

Yes Ive heard the 511 is way easier to maintain. But you know what they say..fool me once shame on u fool me twice....eh u get it lol. I just had to go with my gut when I bought my new car.

I know the trick to remove the layshaft and it was a hassle still. Dont get me wrong I loved ALL of my tamiya rides cuz when they were on point they were on fire. But there was always this nagging thing at the back of my head as if I was waiting for "the moment" it all went wrong.

I started with a fully hooked up DB01. It had every option known to man on it. I had so many spares from the stock kit I actually built a second one and gave it to a friend to come race with me. Each of us always had the same problems. Needless to say because he was strictly a 1/8th scale guy, this first experience with electric turned him off to it.

Bottom line...it just has to work right the first time. A broken arm here or there, a broken c hub, or even a broken shock tower is FINE with me. but drive line issues? sorry Ill pass.

Get a laser fs2 pal

You won't have any of the problems with both cars mentioned above

And I bet you'll be quicker with a lazer then both cars

lots of guys run the lazer at the track. Good car and smooth. But I found my car of choice Im good.

And soon will a Ass or Yokomo driver say that his car it the best buggy.

What a surprise!;)

Only parts i have broken on my 511 have been front arms and std front shock towers. I use the std arms - high traction. They have never failed to the point where i havent finished though - they usually crack. Would rather crack an arm than bend alloy parts. I agree, the std arms are weak. Tamiya even write on the package that they aren`t the strongest ! Something along the lines of " for professional use only, use part number **** for more durability "

As for the rest .......

Never had any issues with the wing mount coming loose, the belts or pullies wearing or breaking, the diffs being too tight or too loose nor needing to be rebuilt after every run as you describe. Your servo mount came loose cos you didnt do it up properly, you used an alloy screw, or it had been in and out so many times that the threads were worn on the mount.

Steel screws that self thread into plastic dont vibrate loose. Thats a fact. Don`t wish to piss on your fire or be rude but frankly it doesnt sound like you bolted certain parts of your 501 together right in the first place dude. Sorry !

This in particular ...


Is complete rubbish if its built correctly. Any car will drop to bits if the person bolting it together doesnt do it correctly.

The Durango is a great car though. you`re right ! - i`d have one if i wasnt happy with my Tamiya :)

Interested in this trick Jan - ive never had to change spur as yet but it would be handy to know :)

I've ran my 501x for 2 years racing weekly on a wide variety of high grip and low grip surfaces.

So far total breakages on this car are:
Rear Wishbone, landed short on a huge triple running on a 1/8th track with a 4.5
Front Shock Tower, hit a wall flatout
Front Shock Shaft, landed nose first off a jump into a block

I've never had to replace any pulleys, the belts I replaced once as they where starting to look a little tatty. My diff's go months between rebuilds and never lose any smoothness, I just re-grease them every so often. I've never had to remove camber links or the shocks to get the diff's out either, there is plenty of room to manoeuvre them in and out with the shocks and camber link's left on.

I wouldn't say the DEX is a bad car, I would love one myself but I have to say the Tamiya doesn't need much maintenance to keep it going well.

Rich, the trick is as follows; undo the four screws (obviously), then pry each belt, one at a time, to the side of the pulley and turn the wheels. Eventually, with some force, it'll slide off. Do the same to get it back on again.
Its a little tricky but can be done. I wouldnt recommend it though if you're not in a hurry. Its a little tough on the various parts, but it wont flat out break them. It can be done on the 501 aswell.

I don't see screw count as an issue... it is really not that much of a difference if you have to screw 4 screws instead of 8 to access the diffs. And besides, you could mod the top decks (cut them under the shock tower bulkhead) on a 501 so you could access the diff by opening just 4 screws.

Accessing (removing it, changing pinion etc) the motor on a 501 is, on the other hand, not very handy. But it is fixed on the 501.

Ive not broken any wishbones yet but do agree the plastics tamiya use are the worst quality and for a company thats been going this long should have learnt by now. Diffs well they are rough and worse than my lazer zxr ones and they were bad but they still work fine with my gearbox covers on to stop dirt getting in. Other than that and three broken spur gears and a faulty layshaft the cars been a dream.

Simples, The 511 is now discontinued and the DEX 410 aint ;)

And this is a fact? Url or it didn't happen ;)

No ETA from Tamiya USA on stock...and Tower shows it as discontinued:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXWXX8&P=7

RC Mart also replied to my recent inquiry that it was discontinued...

As far as braking the arms on a 501 goes, here is a quote from the DEX410R review here at oOple.

"The suspension arms are (identical to the DEX410) moulded with plenty of glass or and are proven to be really tough - possibly too tough depending on your point of view since something else might well break instead of these arms. I bought some spare sets for the original car and never used them - it seems the Tamiya TRF501X finally has a match in the toughness stakes."

As I understand that quote, the 501 arms are (according to the writer) one of the toughest available, and before the DEX came possibly the toughest available.

Round 1 Euro's Qualifying:

Fastest: Lee Martin (Tamiya) 12/315.97

Case settled.

The 201 beats the 511 and DEX410? ;)

Cheers for the info my friend :)

I've had a 501 And a Durango and now a lazer

I've had a lot of trouble with the db-01 which all turned out to be faults in building or adjusting it.
Still it's such a pig getting to the diffs that I just wanted something easier to work on and got the 511 and it's brilliant. It's just so easy to drive.

And this thread is about 501X?;)

What is a DEX410?? Never seen one at my local track run (and never will)... But I hear they are simply AWESOME (and the chassis looks the business).

Pete68, if parts support is not a problem, flip a coin and let the chips fall where they may. You have a win win decision ;)

Any decision yet?