crazydave wrote: when someone I consider a friend like Payaso comes up and calls them crap, I got a little offended.
I wasn't trying you offend you Dave, but sometimes I find myself at a loss for a better way of explaing the way I see it.
All of the experiences I've had with the redcat/smarttech, ect. has been through friends that wanted to get started in nitro. I used to drive a cab for a couple of years when the limo was slow and would often have alot of down time, so I would bring some sort of R/C to work to kill time. At first I would just bring a mini Z, or something small, but eventually started bringing in my nitros. That got some other drivers interested in them. Once they find out the price of admission, they often start looking for a cheaper alternative. Which for beginners almost always means shopping by price.
So a few months go by and they save their cash to plunk down on a vehicle. They come in with some redcat stuff all excited to play at work. That was really short lived as the vehicle was defective from the factory. So 2 more weeks of waiting for the new one to come in and we finally get it and get it fired up.
I can't really explain the dissapointment I saw in their faces when their stuff didn't perform the way they thought it would after watching many vids on the net and watching mine run, but it was kinda like a sad/pissed off/confused. The crazy part is, I was the guy who got em into it and was the guy who knew about nitro, so I was the one tuning/fixing/adjusting these things for them, so part of their anger was directed at me. I was trying to explain over and over why their model didn't perform like mine did, but they didn't want to hear it. They only knew they saved their hard earned money to buy a toy to play with and have fun with and now they are having mega problems and have to order their parts from some a hole in north fla from some motorcycle shop.
And they're pissed at me, like I talked em into buying this model. I'm no nitro master, but I do know my way around an ABC engine and can tune as good as the next guy, but that doesn't matter if the product it self is the problem. Now they started really blaming me (because people need someone to blame instantly) and I was the one touching their new toy. It was just a really shitty experience for all, cause they're out their money, don't have a toy to play with, are pissed at me, and me mad as fuck at redcat for putting me in this situation....
They did end up going with more reputable manufactuers in the end, but they never did get over the knock off route.
On the other side of the coin, these guys did save for a while and went without herb, or beer to get theirs, but it might have been a different story to a degree if they were just getting them for a review. Remember when you were talking bout Kyosho and how you saved for their kit and felt duped? Do you think you would have felt the same way if they just sent it to you for a review and it hadn't cost you your savings?
In the end, I just feel like those companies mis lead their customers in to believing their product is something it's not. They're the predators and the budget hobbyist is their prey. Which is why they are constantly operating under a different name.
silla