Losi Highroller Review
December 1st, 2008 . by Jeff HoyBig wheeled, great looking, ground clearance to die for, fun. Those are all phrases you could use to describe Losi’s newest electric truck, the Highroller. It’s a purpose built basher that flies right and looks good to boot.
Features
The Highroller has a three gear transmission, a 12-turn closed endbell modified motor, and high performance speed control with reverse and reverse lockout. Big bore shocks, massive tires, a ton of ground clearance, and skid plates all make sure that this truck can be run anywhere and over any obstacle that might be in it’s way. Full ball bearings in the transmission and at the wheels are a great inclusion on an entry level kit like this one. A 2-channel 27Mhz transmitter and receiver offer a reasonable amount of control but little adjustability. A 2.4Ghz radio like those included in some of Losi’s other kits would have been a better option I think, but Losi was obviously concerned with cost with the Highroller.
What’s in the box?
As a RTR the Highroller includes almost everything you need to get started, except batteries and a charger. The truck, radio, manual, and accessory bag pretty much round out the complete contents of the impressively large box.
There are some tools provided for basic maintenance, but in my opinion they are substandard. The 4-way wrench included only works on the wheel nuts and slipper nut, not the shock nuts or ball studs for the steering. Add to that the fact that it’s made out of plastic diminishes it’s worth to me. A steel 4-way couldn’t have been that much more expensive. Two allen wrenches are included, the smaller of which is easily rounded off if you try to torque the screws too much. A flat wrench is also included for the turnbuckle tie-rods and it works well enough even if it is a tight fit. If you’re handing this truck a lot of punishment you may want to consider investing in a better set of tools.
The manual provides a ton of great information on running, tuning and maintaining your truck. Make sure to give it all a good read before setting out with the Highroller. And refer to it often if you’re new to the hobby and want to make performance improvements.
Prep time
The Highroller is a RTR, but that doesn’t mean you should just put a battery in and start bashing. Take some time to check that all the screws are tight, all the tie-rods are the same length, and everything spins and moves freely. It might also be wise to use some thread-locker on the few metal to metal screws on the truck. I found a couple of the screws were loose on my truck and the slipper clutch was very loose. Beyond that the truck was well put together, though I did greatly miss the opportunity to do it myself.
Fun time
As usual I replaced the stock receiver with a unit compatible with my Futaba 4PK transmitter. Unless you spend a lot of time tweaking your settings and know what they do the 4PK won’t offer many advantages over the stock transmitter other than the better signal of a 2.4Ghz system. The stock radio will work just fine for pretty much everybody.
I put in a fresh Team Orion 3400mah carbon edition race LiPo and hit the dirt. This is a big truck with big tires, so it didn’t really rip away, it kind of lumbered up to a top speed of just over 15mph. It’s certainly not going to beat any speed records or even my Baja King in a drag race, but for what it is the speed was impressive enough.
High speed responsiveness isn’t all that great, I put the Highroller through a slalom course at high speed, the truck didn’t take it too well. It handled fine at about half throttle. Trying to swing those big tires and high chassis around takes some serious work on the part of the servo and suspension. A bit of tuning may get it to handle the corners quicker but may make it a little less stable in other ways.
Trying to make fast stops or sharp turns under braking is a bit of a mess on the street. The Highroller tends to 180 in both of those circumstances. From what I can tell this is caused by a very loose differential. Being a gear diff the only way to tighten it up would be to use a heavier grease. The diff isn’t sealed though, so applying grease to it would only help for a very short time.
The Highroller flies flat with little input from the driver and when it lands you hear a satisfying whomp from the massive tires compressing. And no matter how crooked my launch was, the Highroller always landed wheels down and ready for more. There’s enough ground clearance and suspension that chassis slap never even came up as a concern for me, even off some massive jumps. The Highroller soaks them all up in stride and keeps on running. I even managed to pull a couple slap wheelies after I adjusted the slipper clutch a little bit.
All that said though the Highroller isn’t made for racing, it’s made for bashing. And you can do that with gusto with this truck. You can drive this truck pretty much anywhere — rocks, grass, bad streets, playgrounds — and have a ton of fun doing it. The Highroller really is a blast to drive in a way I haven’t experienced in a long time. It’s going to flip and roll and tumble it’s way over anything you throw at it and you’ll probably be laughing about it instead of running a calculator in your head trying to figure out how much it’s going to cost to fix it. The Highroller is fairly durable and braced in all the right spots. Skid plates help protect the steering and transmission and the motor is mounted high over the transmission to keep it up out of the way. Big bumpers front and rear help to keep walls, curbs, and other cars at bay. In my drive time I only experienced one bent axle, easily fixed with a couple pairs of pliers, and a couple cracks in the body shell also emerged.
Not so fun time
Unless you’re a gearhead that is. The maintenance and tuning of the Highroller isn’t difficult, but it would have been easier if I had built it myself and known all the issues involved with it’s assembly.
The truck is meant to be sturdy and as such there’s a lot of braces installed that you have to remove if you want to strip off some of the bigger parts. Trying to remove the transmission was quite a pain the first time, but then I realized I didn’t need to take off everything that I did, so it’s been easier since. Instructions for assembly and disassembly would have been very nice to have.
My particular Highroller came out of the box with crazy amounts of toe-out at the front and negative camber all around. I adjusted the toe to about 1.5 of toe-out and I put the camber to about .5 negative front and rear. That improved straight-line handling quite a bit and reduced steering a tad which is giving the truck a bit more stable feel during cornering.
What could be improved
Not much is needed to make the Highroller better. It already comes will full ball bearings and turnbuckle tie-rods, two very nice features for an entry level truck. I would suggest a stronger steering servo to swing those big tires a little easier, that might make it a bit more responsive. You might also want to replace the servo tape used to hold the receiver and ESC in place, when I replaced the receiver it pulled off quite easily. The only other thing this truck needs is a sealed gear diff or adjustable ball diff. I think that would greatly improve street performance. Overall the Highroller is a good package out of the box.
Conclusion
From the outside it may look like Losi is trying to position itself as another Traxxas. The new Highroller just seems to add to that because it’s obviously meant to compete with the likes of Traxxas’ Stampede or Tamiya’s Super Blackfoot, two other 2WD monster trucks. Is Losi doing anything better than those two with this truck? Not really, it’s more or less the same. Traxxas’ Stampede is cheaper but offers no other real advantages over the Highroller. If you want to build your own truck though get the Blackfoot as it’s the only kit truck out in this class. I’m still not a fan of RTRs.
Probably the one place where this truck wins over the other two is style. It just looks a lot better than the ‘Pede and Blackfoot, but that’s purely subjective. For first timers you can’t go wrong with the Highroller. It’s performance could use a little adjustment but it’s no slouch. It flies well, lands soft, and takes it all in stride.
Info
- Manufacturer
- Losi
- Horizon Hobby (distributor)
- Product website
- http://www.losi.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB0103
- Where to buy
- Stormer Racing ($159.99)
- Your local hobby shop (±$159.99)
December 16th, 2008 at 12:08 am
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February 11th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Can you put a brushless in the highroller? I want it to go faster. I’ve had it for about a week and I like it a lot, just want it to go faster.
Edited for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi James,
Yes you can install a brushless motor system in the Highroller. Losi has a couple systems that will work great for it, just look on their web site for a Xcelorin system for 1/10 scale vehicles. You’ll have to get a speed control and motor.
The only problem is with the gears in the transmission, being plastic they are likely to wear out more quickly with a brushless motor than with the stock motor. Losi has an aluminum idler gear for the highroller, so you’ll want to install that in the transmission before making the jump to brushless.
Right now if you want to get some more speed without a big investment, just buy a larger pinion gear for the motor, maybe a 15 or 16 tooth 48 pitch, and that’ll give you a bit more top speed, but you’ll lose some acceleration.
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you well in your quest for speed.
Jeff
March 22nd, 2009 at 8:08 pm
It needs a better rear end! The gears and drive shafts can’t take it.
Edited for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
March 22nd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Hi Shane,
Thanks for stopping by. Just for the record are you speaking from personal experience? And if so what brushless system were you using, specifically what was the motor’s rating?
Thanks for your input,
Jeff
March 26th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Hi Jeff,
I bought this truck for my five year old son for Christmas…well Santa did
Anyway he has not run it too much but when we turned it on the other day it started going in reverse, as soon as we turn it on, it screams in reverse until turned off. The manual does not offer a whole lot of trouble shooting. Not that I know squat about RC trucks, just trial and error over the last few months, we are new to all of this (but love it!) however it seems to maybe need to be re-programed?? Any advice? Please advise. Thank you!
March 26th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Hi Kristen,
The first thing I would check is the radio controller. Always turn it on first, before you turn the truck on. Check the Throttle trim (bottom knob on the right side of the controller) and make sure it is pointing straight left so that the nub is lined up with the line next to it. If that’s not the problem then you can try reprogramming the electronic speed control on the truck itself. It’s a fairly simple 6 step process outlined in the instruction manual, but if you don’t have that around all you have to do is
And that should be that. If the controller is set right and the reprogramming doesn’t work then the problem could be with the radio receiver. Make sure everything is plugged in to the receiver properly. The steering servo should be plugged in to the Channel 1 slot and the speed control should be plugged in to Channel 2. Check the antenna coming out of the receiver and make sure it hasn’t been damaged or cut. It’s just a thin wire, so damage can and does happen to them. You’ll have to remove it from the black antenna tube to do a good inspection of it. If nothing is wrong with the antenna then make sure the crystal is firmly installed in the receiver. The crystal is the piece on the receiver that has the plastic pull tab. You can pull it out and plug it back in to make sure it’s seated properly. The controller also has a crystal on it’s back side under the plastic cover, so you can try reseating it as well.
In general when a truck or any r/c vehicle just takes off on it’s own, that points to a radio problem. Either the controller isn’t transmitting properly or the receiver isn’t receiving properly. But check what I’ve lined out here first, hopefully it’s just something as simple as the throttle trim not being set right or the speed control needing to be reprogrammed. If neither of those work then your next best option is to either take it to a local hobby shop that specializes in r/c cars and see if they can trouble shoot it for you, or give the Losi/Horizon Hobby product support line a call at 877.504.0233.
I hope some of this helps and thanks for stopping by.
Jeff
April 12th, 2009 at 8:19 am
My high roller went through some water and the speed controller went out, but I want to go brushless anyway. The brushless system I want is the 1/10 Xcelorin 7500Kv Brushless Combo. What kind of battery should I get to go with it?
April 12th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Hi Nate,
Brushless and LiPo go together like PB & J, so I’m going to say get a 2S LiPo battery. You’re going to need something with a smaller case, so a 2S pack with a about a 4000mah capacity should fit without a problem. Losi has a pack like that with the EC3 connector which you can see here. You’ll also want to look at MaxAmps.com as they offer a ton of different batteries like this one, and you can get them with any type of battery plug you need. Those batteries are going to run you about $100 each, and if you don’t have a LiPo balance charger then you’ll need to buy one of those as well. A little bit cheaper option that I’ve personally used and like is Team Orion’s Carbon Edition LiPos. You can get a 3400mah 2S pack for $75 or a 3800mah 2S for $90 from Stormer Hobbies and others and they fit perfectly in the High Roller, you’ll just need to change the battery connectors to the Losi EC3 style. Again you’ll need a LiPo capable charger, but they do not require a balancing charger. You’ll also need a soldering iron to put the connectors together. If you don’t have a soldering iron check out your local hobby shop, I’d be willing to bet that they’d help you put them together. Most hobby shop guys are cool and have a deep love for all aspects of the hobby.
I would also recommend getting the aluminum idler gear for your transmission before you make the jump to Brushless/LiPo. It’s only $10 and it will probably save you a lot of heart-ache and broken gears.
If you don’t want to spend that kind of money then any good high capacity NiMH will work great as well. You’ll lose some punch at the end of the battery pack, but unless you’re racing I doubt you’ll miss much.
Thanks for stopping by,
Jeff
May 9th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I was wondering if the 4200 mah batteries we bought might be ovekill? They last for about 40-45 minutes each and i bought 6 of them on ebay for 20 bucks each… I can literaly play with my truck for 10 hours non stop! It takes about an hour to charge 1 battery but with 6 of them charged and ready to go an hour I’m playing while 1 is charging is awsome… But i did notice that the motor gets a tad warm after the 3rd battery. Is there like a heat sink i could put on this motor or is that just the nature of teh beast?
May 9th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Hi Mark,
I wouldn’t call that overkill, I’d call it super-fun-happy-time. If your motor is too hot to touch, then yes you’re working it too hard. The best thing to do is to let it cool down for 10 – 15 minutes between pack. If, however, you can keep your finger on the motor for a period of time, say more than 10 seconds, then there’s no problem at all. You should only need a heat sink in the first case, not so much for the second. This heatsink made by Tamiya should fit the Highroller’s motor without a problem, the motor in the Highroller is the standard 540 size. But your best bet is to go to your local hobby shop and see if they have one that you can test fit first.
Keep having fun and thanks for stopping by,
Jeff Hoy
May 12th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Thanks Jeff. and no the motor doesnt get that hot its just warm and i was worried i would ruin it becuase everyone suggests the 3600 mah batteries but they cost 45-50 bucks each and i got my 4200’s on ebay for 26 bucks each so i figured the bigger the better.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Just keep in mind that the more you use something, the sooner it’s going to wear out. The motor on the Highroller is a closed endbell type which can’t be maintained easily. So when it’s done, it’s done. If you’re running your Highroller a lot, then you’ll have to expect to replace the motor eventually. If you start to notice a decrease in performance, or the motor starts arcing a lot, then it’s probably time for a new one. A direct replacement is only about $20 though (be sure to check out your local hobby shop first), so it shouldn’t be too big of a deal.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:15 am
well i enjoy it so much that we bought 2 more. One for the Wife and my 16 y/o doughter we only run them about 2-2.5 hours a day sat and sun. But Summer is coming and so far their running Perfectly. My First 1 has seen alot of repairs already as i am used to Helicoptors not trucks LOL but every repair has been a piece of cake. Their very easy to repair and my Local Hobby shop has enough parts in stock to build one from scratch which is realy nice of them or just forethought i dont know which. Ive had to replace 2 shocks a steering knuckle the front bumper and right rear rim so far. Curbs and Fences arnt very forgiving. Where we play with them (Baseball fields) they are awsome. Infields and outfields are great cause the grass is very short and well groomed and the Base Lines are awsome for creating dustbowls and doing 360 degree turns its just fun.
We have not run them so much the motors get that hot. a couple times mine has gotten pretty warm but by the time i get to my 3rd battery im kinda tired of playing with it 40 minutes a battery is pretty intense at times.
Thank You for this Wonderful Web Page and all of your Comments and Suggestions. I just want to take another minute and Thank You Personaly for all of your efforts to keep us all informed and also for Taking the time out of your Personal Life to help all of us Hobbyists. Great Job Jeff.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:00 am
I’m working on another article about some must have hop-ups for the Highroller. You’ll want to check it out when it’s up because there’s a few parts that will help with durability.
Thanks for your kind words Mark, I’m happy to help.
Jeff
September 12th, 2009 at 12:08 am
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