Axial AX10 Scorpion "Ready to Crawl" Version

Having owned a "go-fast" nitro RC car for quite a while but a Jeep Cherokee crawler as my actual vehicle, it was time to give the RC crawlers a try. I am very glad I did. The slow speed and electric motors make them much easier to deal with, in my opinion. In short, I'm addicted.

The RC crawler I finally decided on is the Axial AX10 "Ready to Crawl" Scorpion. "Ready to Crawl" really means "it will crawl after you get batteries and a charger", but you get the idea. There was absolutely no assembly required on my AX10 Scorpion, and after I added batteries the thing was ready to go. I had a lot of fun with it the first time I tried it out, and what follows are my opinions only.

The Good

1. The Axial AX10 Scorpion did really well, right out of the box. It was definitely capable, and had a gob of torque. The stock tires are a decently soft compound and the articulation was out of control. These things flex!
2. Most websites claim about 45 minutes of run time, but I seem to get quite a bit more out of mine. If you aren't at full-throttle constantly the battery packs will last much longer.
3. The aftermarket support for the Axial AX10 Scorpion is massive, and upgrade parts are generally very cheap. Aluminum arms, stronger servos, tires, axles, drive shafts and every thing else can be upgraded. In fact, most of the aftermarket tube chassis buggies are designed around the Axial AX10 Scorpion platform.
4. It came with actual bead lock rims, meaning the tires are mounted using pressure, not glue. This aspect is very handy and also realistic, and makes changing out the tires or the foams a breeze. It also looks super cool.

The Bad

1. Almost everything is made out of plastic. As I mentioned, aluminum upgrade parts are readily available for the Axial AX10 Scorpion, but the RTC package is largely plastic. If you only plan on using it in the backyard once a month, then this aspect of the car may not bother you. If you love working on things and hope to make a serious crawler out of it, though, the aluminum aftermarket is your friend.
2. The stock body had fenders that actually contacted the tires at full flex, and required a trimming. I used a Dremel type tool with a steel cutoff wheel, but a hobby knife or even scissors will do the trick. Once trimmed, I actually liked the look of it and the tires no longer rubbed.
3. In order to get your Axial AX10 Scorpion up and going, you will need eight AA batteries for the controller, and a battery pack for the buggy itself. Of course, the batteries don't come ready to go, so we need to buy a charger, as well. Once you have the items though, it's smooth sailing. The battery pack mounts on top the chassis, making the buggy a tad top heavy. Aftermarket packs are available that attach to the front axle.
4. As with any "off the shelf" build, the servos seem a little weak - particularly the steering. I would recommend an upgrade on that for the serious crawler. In order to effectively navigate on the rocks, the wheels simply must be able to turn whenever we want them to.

In short, this author gives the Axial AX10 Scorpion a thumbs-up. In fact, a thumbs-way-up may be more appropriate. At the hobby level, this car is great fun because of the huge availability of both stock and upgraded parts. While there are some short comings in stock form, the Axial AX10 Scorpion can be a very worthy crawler with a few simple upgrades.