Traxxas 1/16 Grave Digger

This is my experience with the new Traxxas 1/16th scale Grave Digger. This is a pretty popular toy on the market and folks love it! It has the scale looks that appeal to younger kids and yet is a true hobby grade RC. Lets see how it does!

[The Brand]

As always, i start reviewing hobby grade RCs by looking at the brand. Why? Because these "toys" are made to be broken and having a large company means parts support. In the case of Traxxas, you cannot find any better! Traxxas has it's parts in darn near every hobby store and there are tons of aftermarket companies pumping out parts as well.

[In the Box]

When i first opened the box, I was a bit floored. Normal hobby grade RCs are covered in foam and wedged in there tight. Much to my surprise, I didnt see any foam..... or an RC. The Grave Digger comes in a huge backpack (helping with the appeal to kids). Inside the pack is the truck, radio set, battery/charger and reading material. I’ll hammer out the boring stuff to focus on the truck.

[The Radio]

Traxxas stuck with their 27mhz AM radio set on the Grave Digger. That’s a bit upsettting actually. These radios have super long antennas that are designed to poke everyone else’s eyes out. What that also means is that the reciever on the car also has a massive antenna that can break if the truck rolls over *spoiler alert, the truck rolls over*

[Battery and Charger]

The truck includes a 7.2V 1200 mah battery. For those of you that have no idea what that means, you can expect about 12-15 min. of runtime on a single charge. It’s important to note that the chassis of the truck is designed to be able to hold 2 batteries, though only one is included. This way you can double the runtime by placing them in series. The wall charger, as with all ready to run RC vehicles, is a joke. It will take about 3 hours to charge up that battery. I highly suggest going and buying a real hobby grade RC charger (only about $30) and it will have you out there in half an hour tops

[The Pack]

After looking at the pack, I have to say it’s pretty cool. The design on it is great! My only concern is the dimensions of the pockets. They put so much in it that the pack is essentially one huge open pocket. Anything you put inside will just roll around like crazy. But still, it was a cool thought and I like it when big companies act original.

[The Grave Digger]

Grave Digger is one of the most iconic monster trucks around. Traxxas really hit the mark on the scale looks! The tires also look realistic and they even made custom green parts to add to the overall look. Good job Traxxas!

Taking the body off we will see the same chassis that Traxxas uses on all of their 1/16th scale RCs. The chassis has lay down shocks with cantilevers, which are totally adjustable. The stock springs are weak though; they make the truck so crazy bouncey that its a joke. All of the electronics are water-proof, including a water-sealed case for the receiver. For a motor, Traxxas stuck with the Titan 12t. Total top speed is about 20mph.

The Grave Digger is the only Traxxas 1/16th scale that is totally 2wd. You can upgrade that front end for 4WD but it will set you back about $50

Now that we know what we are looking at, I’ll take it out to the track and see how it does on my favorite places: Dirt Track, Street and Heavy Off-Road

************TEST TIME**************************

[Dirt Track] Going around the track at my local hobby shop was a chore. The big tires often catch on jumps and the poor springs prevent the suspension from soaking up bumps. What you get in the end is a truck that flips, rolls over and lands really rough. It took forever to do one lap since I had to go and keep flipping it over!

[Street] I think this is where Traxxas wanted this truck to be driven. When driving on a smooth surface, the Grave Digger handles turns well, drives smooth and is a lot of fun. I can see it being driven by kids out in the road and in parking lots. If that’s what you're looking for, then this truck is great!

[Heavy Off-Road] Grass and mud! I can see a kid using this in the yard, so i found some failry high grass and went to town! The high ride height and massive tires let this thing roll right over grass. Seriously, it didn’t feels a thing!. This truck did well out in the mud, and that is again, due to the tires. This and the street are where the truck is at home.