Durango dex 410 Vs tamiya trf 511
 

Hey
As the title says.
What do you guys think ?
I race on astro at bury but will hopefully do regionals soon.

durango parts are very easy to get hold of :)

Durango!!

At the current price of the Rango its a no brainer...... hurry hurry hurry :thumbsup:

Go for a 511, it's quicker, easier to set up, and the spares are not as difficult to get hold of as everyone makes out.

Engerneering wise the Durango is awesome. But I would put money down that will be quicker and more consitant with the Tamiya, and it's easy to work on.

On paper the durango is quick, on track the 511 is quicker. I think results speak for themselves really.

And as Matt says, parts aren't difficult to get hold of. We stock all the common spares such as wishbones, hubs, castor blocks, spur's, e.t.c e.t.c.

Good answer there. I wonder how many Durangos and Tamiyas are in the National top 40. Be interesting to look at said results ;)

That is a good answer I'm back to square one now haha.
With the 511 do you have to change the belts often ?

I have no doubt there will be more Durangos in the top 40, even the top 120. But availability of cars and spares will determine most of that alongside sponsorship packages.

Just because there are more durangos in the top 40, it doesn't mean its a better car.

The 511 is an easy yet smooth car to drive, its ideal for the novice racer and high end racer alike. Its also proved to be the best 4wd car in the UK and Europe via Lee.

However, a good car is really determined by what suits your driving.

In a year i've not had to change a belt. I might do it as the front one has just started to fray a little.

If you look at the national a 511 will finish higher than any other car!! Unless of course Lee runs the 502 as it's already in the bag!

I have no doubt lee would do equaly as good with a durango. Think Areo was it .....
I also have no doubt your bias as you don't stock or sell durango........
You could tell me if u have driven a durango?

Depending if you are in a hurry or not. Both cars are great cars but I favour the TRF. I am absolutely sure there will be a new version of the 511 out or at least a re-release of it after the worlds and that there is a new Durango version on the way is sure bet.
I am waiting to see what Tamiya, Durango and Losi are up to before I buy a new 4wd. For now. Go with the TRF;)

Yes i agree, i think you hit the nail on the head, availability of cars and spares.

Mark, i had a lend of a Durango for a short while from a friend and spent a lot of time setting it up. I managed to get the car going quite well and cant really say anything negative about it, but when i switched back to my 511 it was instantly faster.

Also, im not at all biased by the products i sell, im intelligent enough to realise if another brand of car is superior.

As i said, a good car is solely determined by your driving. Spares availability doesn't come into lap times and ease of driving, those are just factors to consider when choosing a car.

Think it's more a case that Lee is the best 4wd racer in the UK and Europe, not just down to the car.

Both cars are obviously excellent, so its down to personal choice.

The Durango is a superb car that requires hardly any maintenance. Parts availability is never a problem and their customer service is second to none.

You can order direct from their website or from Model shops.

Id say go for a Durango, but im obviously biased lol

I posted this to hopefully get and answer haha
I'm back a square one im stuck what to go for. ;(
Lee Martin is obviously an amazing driver and could properly drive most cars. So I don't think that is a factor. I want something that is strong and easy ish to drive as I'm new but something that will last and wil be good to use in the future.

The bottom line is that in all fairness they are both good cars and you wouldnt really go worng with either. But in my opinion you will probably get better spares and support backup from Durango.

I own a Durango and a 511, and I'd take the 511 over the Durango anyday. I didnt find the Durango build quality to be as great as everyone made it out to be. However the quality of the Tamiya is simply in its own league :)

I think the deciding factor really will be availability of the 511 kit itself. I do agree that for peace of mind the durango is the better choice as far as spares, technical help e.t.c goes.

But the 511 is still the faster car on track. lol

I have both cars and try to run them side by side as much as possible.

I like both cars very much. I'm a very average driver and I've found that the Durango feels/looks the faster car on the track (could be the noise it makes), its very aggressive and does handle well.

However, my 511 is such a smooth car on the track, it almost looks slow but I'm always more consistent and put in faster lap times even though it feels slower than the Rango. Does that make sense?

Have a chat with the boys at Bury, I'm sure you will get all sorts of reasons to buy one car over another but which ever one you go with you will not be disappointed as they are both excellent. I personally would go with the car that you can get the most assistance with track side with things like set-ups.

One thing to take into account though, if you get a Tamiya first and decide its not for you the second hand value for the car will be quite strong and you won't have any trouble in selling it on if you feel the need to compared to the Durango at the moment.

thats my 5p worth anyways.. :thumbsup:

I think the best bit of advice would be to try them both first if you can ?

Both are great cars, parts supply really isnt a problem with either tbh and they are both very strong cars, but they do drive differently - the Durango is lightning quick but slightly 'edgy' to my mind and can catch you out if your not concentrating 100%, i feel the TRF511 is easier to drive quickly and consistently, at least in my average hands.

Try before you buy :)

Who sells the tamiya I found them at fusion hobbys. Are these any good ?

Many shops list the 511, but next no no-one has them in stock.

Only place i believe have some is SpeedtechRC in the U.S.

So if I ordered it how long before they get here ?

Careful you dont get stung with Import duty from the US :cry:

There is a 3rd option ... keep your FS2 and ask for some help with setting it up to you liking.

I have driven all 3 (Dingo, 511 & FS2) and to be honest I found the Dingo far too point-n-squirt for me and nothing I could do with the setup (in the 1 day I was working with somebody to help them get it to their liking) could make it feel smooth and "tame".

The 511 is indeed a very smooth car to drive and it seems to be relatively difficult to get it to the point that the setup is so far off it is undrivable, that tells me it's very well balanced. It's a nicely made car too, in fact the only thing I could say against the car is that the drive train is very open so it WILL require more maintenance than any shaft drive car (but to be fair that's try of the majority of belt cars).

The FS2 is almost maintenance free (so long as built properly the first time of course), very strong (there are a couple of areas where changing the length of the odd screw or similar improves strength though ... happy to explain) and really tunable. That tunability means you can get it to feel however you want it to feel but some people need a little help to get it to the point they like it (as njc11 or me and we'll go through the car with you and advise).

So I'd rule out the Dingo (personally I am not keen on the rear end geometry as that is what makes it so agressive) which leaves the 511 and the FS2.

Obviously I've chosen the FS2, I make no secret of my passion for the brand but even if that wasn't a factor I simply don't have any spare time so the car starts one meeting exactly as it finishes the last ... right down to the cells still being in it sometimes!! There is no way in the world that any belt driven car would continue to perform for months at a time treated like that, as an engineer I'd not expect it to either.

So for simpliity of ownership and tuning options to make it feel however you want it to then the FS2 has it in the bag.
If it has to be one of the two mentioned in you first post then go for the TRF511.

They state international orders will be sent via EMS, generally it will be in the UK in 4-5 days, but allow some time to clear customs. As HarlowS stated, you may very well get caught on customs charges. At the very least its likely to be 20% VAT plus the parcelforce handling charge of £13.50. Even with that in mind, its still not a badly priced car.

http://www.speedtechrc.com/store/ebp...nid=52&id=9626

Regarding your question about Fusion Hobbies, they are a small establishment who hold very little stock. When I rang them a couple of months ago looking at one of the Tamiyas they said they didnt have stock but could get it in a few days. Then I asked about the Cat Sx2 and they said they didnt have stock but they could get it next day....

They also happen to be based in the same town of Burton Latimer which I live in, and I can tell you 100% that they dont have a commercial premises so they must operate out of their home / garage. That doesnt mean they wont be able to help you, but I would advise calling the number and asking them the situation for the car you looking for rather than just ordering online. :thumbsup:

Ive never driven a Durango but know several people with them. They are a good car.

I have dealt with Jeff at Speedtech before and hes a really helpful guy.

The belts are pretty much fit and forget, i have never changed one due to wear or failure. As already said, the rear drivetrain is open, i recommend one of fredriks short rear belt covers and use some diff protectors after assembling the diffs. I often hear people moaning about needing to rebuild the diffs often, well i rebuild once before the outdoor season and once before the indoor season. They are still smooth now after approx 10 outdoor meetings. Ceramic balls are recommended RC Lazy stock those. I imagine that some are running the slipper too tight and so the diff is slipping causing premature wear.

Also, i use a small piece of foam to cover the thrust race to stop fine grit from getting into it.

As for 511 spares, you really dont need many, front and rear wishbones, front shock shaft and shock cap set, maybe some spare shock towers. Thats about it. All parts are readily available, it just means that you need to carry some of your own rather than relying on a trackside shop to carry them for you.

my 2 cents is that no matter how good the car is, if its not stocked locally it's not worth the effort or cost

Just been onto my local shop.
They have rang the main Stockist in the uk for tamiya and apparently the 511 is discontinued kit now.
The USA version for tamiya is showing no stock also.
Looks like I'm staying wot my fs2.

The UK stockist - AKA The Hobby Company has never had a 511 in stock, they thought that the kit was too expensive and decided not to stock it.

I think the every 511 in the country has been imported.

The only time I've had a problem getting spares was when the front top deck broke, after being hit by another 511 which jumped short on the cross over. I just had Fredrick make me another.

One way to get a load of Tamiya spares is to break a 501x, as alot of the parts are the same.

Is it worth considering a CAT SX3 also? Closer IMO to the Tamiya. Fandango's are great cars, no doubt and always look fast to me but somehow more frantic, whereas the Tamiya has a composure to it. If spares availability and cost are an issue then surely it's worth looking at the CAT which has many similarities with the Tamiya but is cheaper and easier to service.

I also have a new in box Cat SX3 C/F Pro for sale in you decide to go down that route.

Think I'm going to stick wit the laser till a revised version of the tamiya comes out.

shameless cat pimpage :lol:

will swap you a rango for it :thumbsup:

Have never driven or owned a 511 so it would be unfair of me to assess the car, but I went over to a Durango from a B44 and I was instantly quicker... And it suits my animal style driving :D

Spares availability & backup/support if needed are second to none imo.

I alway love how people are 'instantly quicker' everytime they get a new car. This would imply that cars of a few generations back must be significantly slower, and yet I've seen plenty of older models doing just as well.

But I digress.
One of our previous drivers (Shanks, who hasn't been around for while) switched from a 501X to a Durango and notably did worse. He struggled with the car for a while, switched to an FS2 and got better again.

You need to run the right car for you. As you've seen I'm remarkably quick with an old RC10, which is funny as I was dreadful with a B4. Its just that the car suits me.

I'm not sure you'd find a 511 or a 410 better than your FS2 on the track, unless they suit your style more that is. Admittedly you might find that the 511 is very very robust, more so than the 410 for sure, and both are stronger than the FS2, but that is about it. However you'd be the only 511 just as you are the lone FS2 now, so all setup is your own, whereas others run Durangos.

[QUOTE=Si Coe;524240]I alway love how people are 'instantly quicker' everytime they get a new car. This would imply that cars of a few generations back must be significantly slower, and yet I've seen plenty of older models doing just as well.

Well hey I'm just passing over my experiences!! And I did not imply anything like that btw Si.

carl stick with your fs2 mate theyre a great car and youve only just started racing so give it chance mate:thumbsup:
Ive only got rid of my fs2 for a change as its the only car ive driven regulary,i must say i realy liked my lazer.