THE AXIAL SCX10
Review by Evo RC
Axial predominantly specialise in remote control crawlers. The SCX10 III Gladiator is available as a RTR and comes with all the Spektrum branded electronics pre-installed so you can get to crawling quicker.
The SCX10 III Gladiator’s transmission offers a third channel DIG function that lets you lock the rear axle directly from the transmitter for front wheel drive motivation, which results in a tighter turning radius. Although the stock setting is locked out from the factory, you can set up the vehicle to have a 40% faster second gear instead of having the DIG feature just by moving the DIG servo to the transmission. If you want a faster second gear and want to also keep the DIG function, you can add another micro servo to the chassis and swap the radio to one with at least four channels.
The SCX’s motor is located at the front of the chassis for forward weight bias, which improves an RC crawler’s crawling capabilities. The standard battery tray accepts full-size LiPo or NiMH packs and is positioned near the vehicle’s center for better balance. There are also locations in the chassis’ side pods for those who prefer using shorty LiPo packs.
The Gladiator looks like a long vehicle because it is. To get its proportions just right, it was decided to elongate the wheelbase from the SCX10’s standard 12.3inch length to a stretched 13.9inches. This was done by extended the wheelbase with longer frame rails and chassis supports.
This was not my first crawler and I fell in love with the Axial brand. So for a 1:10 scale I opted for the Axial SCX10 over the Traxxas TRX series or other brands.
I was not entirely convinced that the standard SCX10 Jeeps is what I was looking for until I saw the gladiator. It’s elongated chassis looks awesome. Something out of a Safari desert vehicle. It’s a top contender on the top scaler RC crawlers. It’s plush suspension, articulation and smooth motor drive is a very good mix. It makes the SCX go over terrain that you thought were challenging at first.
recommend UPGRADES
I haven’t installed many upgrades to the SCX, just upgraded the drive shafts from plastic to metal. The quality of the chassis, shocks and body shell as stock makes this RC worth every penny. One could install a brushless crawling combo like the Hobbywing Fusion series for more power.
You’ll manage to keep up with more sophisticated crawlers without issues. If you’re looking for a 10 scale awesome crawler, then yes I completely understand the situation. To decide on what to get is not easy.
Especially since the prices of such RCs can easily go over 600 euro and one wouldn’t want to risk not getting what he expected. Overall the SCX series III is an excellent platform, so go for it, you will surely be satisfied.
