Duratrax Mini Quake vs. Hot Bodies Minizilla?
It’s amazing how many people have emailed me, or just come up to me at a bash or at the track and asked me “What truck is better? Minizilla or Mini Quake”. Sadly the answer I give them is neither short nor the answer they really want to hear. If you are the type of person with a short attention span, and are not going to read all this, the answer is “They are both awesome, go buy one!”
I can’t pick one over the other, because in my opinion, they are apples and pears. They are almost alike, because they are both 1/18th scale trucks, both affordable, and both very bashable! But they are different enough to not easily be able to choose one over the other.
To start off, they both handle and feel very different. If you went out and bought one of each, drove the Quake around for about 5 minutes, then drove the Minizilla, the first words out of your mouth would be ‘whoa’. Not that the Minizilla is that much better than the Mini Quake, but they are that different! Most likely what will happen is you will pull the trigger on the Zilla and either pull a wheelie, or flip it and land on the lid!
The Minizilla drives like a hopped up monster truck. It’s got a lot of torque, it’s springy, and it’s tipsy. Around a track, (parking lot or dirt) taking turns at full speed in the Zilla is going to cause you to roll. Just like in a 1/10th (or 1/8th) monster truck. The Minizilla is top heavy, just how I like it! It feels great and is fun to drive. Every time I take mine out to bash, it brings a smile to my face. My only issues with the stock Minizilla are that it’s a bit slow out of the box, and the front bulkheads will be the first thing (and probably only thing) you break. So my suggestions, save up for a brushless motor! The Mamba sport package is a great fit for this truck. It’s not too powerful, it can take a beating. I haven’t had to replace the bulkheads since I upgraded to the RC-Solutions chassis, and I have given the truck a good beating. If you don’t have the cash to upgrade all this, just save up and get the motor, you will be very happy.
So now onto the Mini Quake. Out of the box it is plenty fast, but a little heavy. It has a very solid feel to it, and it can really take a beating. The only parts I have broken are the front knuckles. After replacing them with the carbon fiber versions this wasn’t an issue again. The only other problem I have had are the tiny Phillips screws. They tend to strip and break. So if you get a chance, replace them with some nice hex heads. For general bashing, ramp jumping, and racing, this Mini Quake has been a dream. I can hang with the best of them, and with the street tires I have run, can out turn any other truck in its class in the parking lot. I might not be the fastest in the straights, but around the corners I can loose anyone. It’s not tippy like the Zilla, and nowhere near as top heavy. You’re not going to get wheelies out of this one, but you are going to have a blast on the track or in the yard.
So to wrap things up, I’m a big fan of both trucks. Even after almost a year of bashing with them, I bring out each one with a specific type of bashing in mind, and neither fail to deliver the experience I was looking for.
I hope this answers some questions out there. Feel free to post/comment and I’ll do my best to post further information if needed.
For more information on either, check the reviews here:
http://www.bigsquidrc.com/reviews/ and check out the manufacturer web pages here:
http://www.duratrax.com/ and
http://www.hotbodiesonline.net/
Thanks for reading!
Brian
