Sackville RC

Together we Built a suitable place to race

  • About US
    • Programs Offered by Sackville RC
  • Halifax & RC’s
    • Halifax RC Park Updates
    • Local RC Clubs & Info
  • Model Railway
  • Projects & Builds
  • RC Tracks
  • Resources & Guides
  • Reviews

Axial Yeti XL User Review

Posted by AParsons on January 6, 2015
Posted in: Axial, Radio Control. Tagged: 1/8, 4wd, Electric, Monster Buggy, RC.

The Axial Yeti XL is an impressive looking RC vehicle, by the size alone it commands attention. It is the first of its kind, classified as a 1/8 scale Monster Buggy. Since its November 2014 release, many people have had questions, so lets take a closer look at it and see if it’s worth the $699 US price tag. (It can be found cheaper using coupons and promos offered by various sellers.)

What is in The Box

The box is huge and inside it you find the Axial Yeti XL, a 2.4ghz Transmitter, a Manual and some Parts Bags that include two extra sets of Helmets ready to be customized, Body Clip Pull Tabs (No clips), some of the Yeti XL’s include Diff Shims that need to be installed (Rumour has it the new ones already have the shims installed at the factory), assorted Shock Pistons, Hallow Balls, Body Mounts and some other goodies.

DSCF1578

First Impressions

Out of the box, the Yeti XL is just very cool to look at. You should find yourself grinning ear to ear. Upon closer look, you may find some issues. Example: The left rear tire on mine was not glued to the rim at all. At that point it was time for a closer inspection. After a teardown in order to install the Diff Shims I found the Rear Diff had very little fluid in it and the Front Diff wasn’t much better. I cleaned out the Diffs and added 200 000 wt fluid. I did this in an attempt to smooth out some of the twist seen in Yeti XL videos. I then decided to check the Shocks and I found that only two of them were filled properly. I cleaned out the shocks and added 35wt fluid all around, in attempt to help settle the Yeti XL in rough terrain.

DSCF1610

 

Areas of Concern

Diff Shims

DSCF1602

The Diff Shims, which are recommended for 6s use, were inside a parts bag and really should have been installed at the factory. The included instructions clearly show where the shims belong on the Diff, but the instructions don’t tell you everything you need to remove to access the Diffs, and the exploded parts diagram isn’t much help here either. This isn’t a difficult job, but it would be much better if it included proper instructions. A person new to Axial or someone new to the hobby may struggle trying to figure things out.

Battery Compartment

DSCF1582

Accessing the batteries is not a problem and pretty neat. The body flips up and will lock into place, allowing you to get at the battery compartment. The problem comes when you put the clips in place to hold the battery compartment closed. Even after trimming the tabs that hold the battery doors closed, it can still be a bit of a pain to install or remove the clips with a battery in place. Installing pull tabs on them will make the clip removal easier.

Servo

This is the same servo use in the 1/10 Axial Yeti. I find it slow and a little cumbersome; I wouldn’t expect it to hold up to the weight of the Yeti XL. It may be best to have a backup on hand to minimize down time.

Wheel Nuts

DSCF1616

These are terrible. I wish I could sugar coat it, but this set up for a vehicle this big is just sad. Axial could have done so much better here. I have no idea why they opted for 8mm wheel nuts instead of 17mm. Their current design will lead you to round off the hex eventually, no matter how careful you are when you are trying to remove them. I plan on modifying this area with the Traxxas 17mm hubs. That is just one option, there are others available.

I was actually ready for most of these areas of concern. When I did my research prior to getting the Yeti XL, I found a Yeti XL Pre-run Checklist on the Axial site itself. This really prepared me for what to expect and do prior to my first run. It is a good habit to check over your brand new RTR’s before your first run anyway. These sort of things can be found with all manufacturers.

Driving Impressions

I have only been Bashing with it and have done zero crawling. Plain and simple, The Yeti XL is a blast to drive. It can handle just about all the terrain you can throw at it. After a slight Shock adjustment, the Yeti XL jumps like a champ. Yeti XL is powered by a Castle Creations 2200KV 4-pole Vanguard XL brushless motor and a waterproof Vanguard AE-4 ESC. This setup is very capable on 4s, providing me with more than enough power for now. I haven’t had any concerns with temperatures on 4s. I don’t expect it to be a problem, but I am curious about 6s during the dog days of summer.

The steering isn’t anything special. The stock servo is the same servo used in the much smaller and lighter 1/10 Axial Yeti. I would like more responsive turning and better handling and I hope an upgraded servo will do the trick.

Maintenance

A day after few runs through 3″ deep water, I decided to do a teardown and check the condition of the bearings. I found the Rear Wheel Bearings very dirty and hard to turn. The Bearings on the Rear Diff were ready to seize up. The condition of the front Bearings weren’t as bad as the rear ones, but still in need of attention. I cleaned out the Bearings and packed them with grease because I plan on doing a lot of winter driving.  I also ordered another set of Bearings from Boca Bearings. Once you have taken the Yeti XL apart once, the second time is much easier and changing any broken parts should be fairly straight forward.

Final Thoughts

I love this vehicle, it is by far my favorite to drive. It has its short comings, but there is nothing that can’t be fix or modified. Aftermarket parts are now starting to make there way to stores. Hot Racing has some parts, with plans to release more. In fact they have already released a 17mm Serrated lock Nut to replace the current stock setup. The Axial Yeti XL is made with a lot of plastics and that creates flex. Some people think this is a bad thing and they want to start replacing parts with aluminum options. I plan on taking a different route. The plastic doesn’t bother me. After 6 batteries, I haven’t broken anything. All of my driving has been on 4s but I have driven it very hard, hit things and she keeps coming back for more. I plan on replacing things as they break. The plastic may be the reason this thing can take a beating, because of the flex. I don’t plan on racing this. It will be my Bashing vehicle, so I don’t need to dial in the Toe and Camber Links to exact specs, I don’t need to start removing parts to lighten the load so I can shave off a 10th of a second on my lap time. I just get to drive it until it breaks, fix it and do it all over again.

Is it worth the money? Only you can answer that for yourself. Do you mind the work you may need to do before you drive it? Do you mind waiting for aftermarket products to be released? Is it in your budget? I couldn’t be happier with it to this point. It always brings a smile to my face and I can’t wait to take her out jumping after work. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It just seems to suit me and the things I love about this hobby. I hope Axial release a kit version.

UPDATE Jan 15, 2015 Axial to release the Yeti XL as a kit. It is due in stores, in mid February.

Side by Side Size Comparison

DSCF1625

Left to Right 1/10 Team Associated B4.2, 1/8 Team Associated RC8.2e FT, 1/10 SCT Traxxas Slash and 1/8 Axial Yeti XL

 

Axial Yeti XL Resources

Axial Yeti XL Product Page

Axial Yeti XL Pre-Run Check List

Axial Yeti XL Forum at RC Crawler

Hot Racing  and DHawk Racing on Ebay at this point are leading the way in aftermarket parts.

The Toyz offer a large assortment of Crawler accessories to add to the authenticity.

 

Advertisements

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • More
  • Google
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posts navigation

← “Cold Hard Dash” a Halifax RC Park Fundraiser
HPI Q32 Baja Buggy →
  • Halifax RC Park. Latest Updates

    • Generosity Beyond Expectations
    • Halifax Radio Control Park Website
    • Halifax RC Park Committee
    • Halifax RC Park Poll Question
    • HRM RC Park: May 2014 Update
    • Mission Accomplished! Halifax RC Park Open
  • Sackville RC Catergories

  • Sackville RC Popular Posts

    • Backyard RC Track Building Tips
    • Futaba 4PLS Early User Review
    • ECX Torment simple upgrade #3
    • RhinoForce S2: Review / Final Thoughts
    • Generosity Beyond Expectations
    • Traxxas Slash 4×4 LCG Chassis Options
    • Traxxas Slash 4×4 Upgrades
    • Traxxas Slash 2wd LCG Chassis Options
    • Pit Mats / Work Mats
    • NEW ARRMA TYPHON 6S
    • Twilight at the Halifax RC Park
  • Sackville RC Recent Posts

    • (Almost) The end of the road
    • Canadian Drone Rules
    • Traxxas Aton. Newbie Thoughts
    • Halifax RC Park Stocking Stuffers
    • Choices….choices…win a…Traxxas Slash
    • Buy a $10 ticket – Win an R/C Car
    • HRCP’s future rests in your hands
    • X-Maxx V2 8s Review
    • Work Party Saturday May 13th 2017
    • May 6th Track Rebuild Work Party CANCELLED due to weather
  • Sackville RC on Social Media

  • Sackville RC Topics

    1/8 1/10 1/32 2wd 4wd Accessories AKA A Main Hobbies asiatees balancing rc balancing wheel Batteries Battery Chargers Boca Bearings Buggy Builds Cancer research Carisma Contests Documentary Drifting Drone Electric Electronics Featured Products GPM Racing Halifax RC Park Helicopters How-To http://www.asiatees.com/ http://www.soarseiki.com/ Hudy Lap Timer LCG Chassis Miscellaneous Monster Buggy New Releases Nitro prototype Racing RC RC Racing rc wheels RCX 2014 Retailer Promotion Set up Tips Shining Star Chassis Soar Seiki Stadium Truck The Toyz Timed Session Tools Torsional Concepts Track Design Tracks Transmitters Ty Tessmann Upgrades
  • Search

  • Archives

  • Contact Us at

    SackvilleRC@eastlink.ca
  • Enter your email address to follow Sackville RC and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,032 other followers

  • Blog Stats

    • 396,116 hits
  • Admin

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries RSS
    • Comments RSS
    • WordPress.com
  • Advertisements
Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: