Most RC enthusiasts know about the Axial brand. But few know that Axial was the first RC manufacturer to embrace RC crawling. Axial was also the first RC brand to produce a scale trail truck.
Axial RC cars are good. The Axial brand has received many awards like “Truck of the year” and “Best Crawler” from a variety of institutions throughout the years. The SCX10 III Jeep is a fine example of a quality RC crawler at a good price. Axial strives to make RC cars that are rugged and realistic.
“Best Engineered Product of the Year” and “People’s Choice” are a couple more awards Axial boasts. On top of all that, obtaining spare parts for Axial is easy, so you can upgrade any plastic parts with metal and repair the RC quickly and affordably if you happen to break it. Sometimes that’s just part of the fun.
From small 1/24 scale RCs that are ideal for children and adults, to larger RCs like the formidable SCX10-III Jeep for extreme rock crawling fans. Axial is one of the leading brands of high quality RC cars.
Who Makes Axial RC?
Horizon Hobby LLC purchased the Axial brand in 2018. However, Axial itself was founded in 2005 and rapidly became known as a leading brand for RC cars. To this day, the Axial team stays involved with local and national RC events so that they can keep up with the latest RC trends, technologies, and market needs.
Here are a few Axial RC models that prove the brand is not only good, it’s one of the best.
Axial Yeti Jr. Can-Am Maverick X3 Rock Racer
Last update on 2024-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This model is a hybrid of rock crawling and off-road bashing. It’s extremely durable to take some heavy rolls and crashes. Launch it over ramps without worrying about if it will survive the landing, it will, unless it’s landing really hard on cement.
This is a small 1/18 scale 4WD that you can have fun with in the garden or even the house.
For children that don’t have the best control yet, limit the throttle up to 50% so that they can get used to it. It’s a standard feature on the radio.
It handles jumps and landings very well with its soft suspension. It achieves air-time pretty well as long as you stay on the throttle a bit so it doesn’t nosedive.
It comes with a very capable 1300mAh NiMH battery, which can’t be replaced with a LiPo, LiPo batteries are not an option on this vehicle.
The handling is brilliant on grippy pavement, but you’ll have to watch out for rollovers. Bigger tires help you get through sand and dirt without sinking or getting stuck. If you are looking for a bit more speed on flat surfaces, you can replace the bulky dirt tires with your own.
A small touch that adds huge convenience is the rear hinge body mount system, it allows you to lift the body up on a rear hinge for you to work on the electronics.
The Yeti Jr. is truly RTR and comes in at a great price for a beginner RC.
Specification Highlights
- Licensed Can-Am Maverick body and wheels.
- Adjustable Coil-over oil-filled shocks.
- 380-size 37T motor.
- 48P Gears (adds durability and gives more gearing configurations).
- Centred Rear Driveshaft.
- 7.2V 6-cell 1300 mAh NiMH battery pack.
You can view the latest deals over here at Amazon
Axial SCX10 III RTR Jeep Wrangler Rubicon JLU
Last update on 2024-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The SCX10 III Jeep is an 1/10 Axial RC rock crawler with advanced abilities and behaves like realistic full scale vehicles.
One of the features that stands out for me is the dig option of the 2-speed transmission. It comes with a 3-channel radio system. You can lock up the back wheels and keep the front going to get you out of sticky situations. If you don’t want to use the dig, turn the servo into the two speed position instead.
The radio has a thumb control for the steering for true one handed operation.
The ESC and receiver are a combined unit. This means if you want to upgrade either part, you’ll have to upgrade both. Having said that, most people are going to be perfectly happy with this combo unit.
Specification Highlights
- Two-Speed Transmission (High and Low)
- DIG Lock Function – (locks rear axle from transmitter)
- Tough portal axles that increase ground clearance.
- Adjustable Wheelbase.
- Fully re-buildable oil-filled shocks.
RBX10 Ryft 4WD Brushless Rock Bouncer
Last update on 2024-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is the 1/10 RC car from Axial for adrenaline seekers. It uses a brushless motor for extreme power straight out of the box. The battery is conveniently located under the hood of the Ryft. As you’d expect from a rock bouncer, the wide wheel base is going to prevent you from rolling most of the time.
Even on 3S batteries, it has loads of power to blast up and over rocks. Be prepared to get covered with dirt if you’re standing behind it. It has quite a bit of roll standard, so you could add a bit of drag brake into the profile to get a more controlled feeling.
The pivot mounts are all separate so you can swap out parts individually when required. Axial went the extra mile to make this model as durable as possible while keeping the price reasonable. The axles are made of tough steel as well as all the gears.
The suspension has aluminium body shocks with 3mm shafts and adjustable preload.
Overall, this is another good RC from Axial that will have you bouncing over rocks in no time.
You can see all the specs and latest pricing here on the Axial website.
Specification Highlights
- Strong Powertrain with S3 Brushless motor (upgradable to S4)
- Full time 4-Wheel Drive Transmission
- Long Travel Front and Rear Shocks (recommend adding some additional oil as it gets soft quickly on the first drive)
- AVC from the Transmitter (on demand traction control)
For a great deal, check out the Axial Ryft right here on Amazon
Still not convinced? Listen to what TheRCSaylors have to say about Axial. They are extreme RC enthusiasts with decades of combined experience.
SMT10 Grave Digger 4WD Monster Truck Brushed
Last update on 2024-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The standard wheels are great on this 1/10 scale monster truck. They get through dirt and fly over ramps with ease. If you choose to fit larger tires on this model, don’t gear up, leave the stock 14 tooth gear intact and give the RC cool down times.
2S is perfectly reasonable to run this vehicle on. If you run 3S, you risk burning out the motor on vigorous rides. To decrease any tire friction on the body, install a front sway bar.
Ok, it may sound like a lot of limitations, warnings, and additional modifications required, but this is a really good RC straight out of the box. I’m just giving you some insider tips so that you can keep it running healthy for longer.
To see this model and all it has to offer, check it out over here on Amazon
Specification Highlights
- Dynamite 550-size 12 turn Brushed motor.
- Tube Frame Chassis.
- BKT Monster Jam Tyres.
- AR60 OPC-Axle with 4-link Suspension.
- Rear Sway Bar.
SCX24 1967 Chevrolet C10 4 WD Truck Brushed
Last update on 2024-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This realistic 1967 Chevrolet C10 is ready to run, just like all the others in this article. Because it’s so small, 1/24 scale, it’s fun to drive indoors when it’s cold or after dark. It has waterproof electronics, so you’re definitely not limited to indoors only. In fact, this little RC is quite capable when moving through obstacle courses.
The battery life is exemplary on this rig because the vehicle is so small. These are cool little RCs at just over $100. These are definitely affordable enough for everyone to get one and compete on scale obstacle courses.
Specification Highlights
- 4- Link rear and 3- link front suspension for better handling
- Dynamite 7.4V 350mAh 30C LiPo battery
- Dynamite 180-size 88T Brushed Electric Motor
- True full time 4WD
- Full ball bearing drivetrain
Conclusion
To be honest, I could have added any 5 Axial RCs to this article as good examples. Axial has a wide range of vehicles from tiny to massive. But no matter which size you choose, you’re going to get a quality RC. Axial is one of the top brands along with Traxxas and Redcat Racing and there’s little chance any one of them will disappoint you.