Another chinese rebrand

[purpletimbo]

I always wanted a Mad force nitro version of my electric Twin Force, nut the money put me off, then I saw this


$179 shipped new, .21 and 3 speed, all parts match my twin force exactly, and seem same quality, roll on summer

[Coelacanth]

The parts may indeed match, but I highly doubt the Chinese quality will match the Japanese originals. That's what I've read about Chinese knock-offs of other Kyosho cars like the Optima (Beagle) and others. Most of the parts will interchange but the quality is not the same.

[purpletimbo]

It looks like when Kyosho stopped making them, the newer ones are different chassis length and wider track, this lot bought the machines etc, or maybe they made the bits for Kyosho, like the HPI Baja and King motor, all same factory, either way, I would be hard pressed to tell arms etc apart strength wise, and wheels and tyres are spot on, and its a Kyosho engine.

[Winger]

I believe China casts the parts out of candy...like sweet tarts or something. Although, it does look cool.

[Bo Wallen]

I am sorry to say....... The quality can't be the same........."Chinese quality is all aboute cutting corners" The material is cheaper a lot cheaper i am sure. That make me sad i like to buy sheap and i did..... Where did it end up ? Yes in the bin.

[Coelacanth]

Exactly what Bo said. That's the whole purpose of manufacturing a knock-off, to build it on-the-cheap. They accomplish this by using sub-standard materials. The Optima arms and many parts were glass-filled nylon; the glass imparted strength to the parts. I am fairly certain the Chinese knock-off parts are just nylon, or maybe even plastic. I bet you could probably tell the difference when you use an X-Acto knife to cut off a nub from where it was molded, or even just score it. The Kyosho parts will have a different "scratchy" feel that you can hear and feel. Plain nylon (or plastic) won't.

The aluminum used in the important frame rails & shock towers will possibly be slightly thinner, or an inferior grade that's softer than what Kyosho uses. You probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference by looking at it, but I would bet the knock-off parts would be more prone to stripping out or bending.

If it just sits on a shelf, it probably won't matter, though.

[Lonestar]

This "it's chinese so it must be crap" is getting old after a while.

Have you guys had one in your hands? No. Then let Timbo get his and report back on it. Maybe it's pure corner-cutting junk... maybe it's 90% there with the K stuff for 66% less.

Remember that (i) Chinese factories can manufacture just as good stuff as any western ones, it's all a matter of supplying their customers with what the value equation that makes them happy and (ii) Chinese engineers have the same training as western ones... same research budgets... but they're more eager to climb up the Consumer Society hierarchical ladder than western ones... be afraid.

Paul

[Coelacanth]

A good majority of Chinese-made stuff is crap, and well-earned, very well-deserved. The only thing that can make a Chinese manufacturer output high-quality products is when the parent company oversees every aspect of the manufacturing process. Then, and only then, will the resulting product have a quality *atypical* of Chinese mass-production. This is obviously not the situation with Kyosho, they most certainly didn't oversee the Beagle manufacturing process, as it was a ripoff. Around the same time, the Royal Ripper royally ripped off Tamiya's Hotshot, and that car was a POS.

I have one example of a Chinese-made product with the parent company monitoring very closely the Chinese manufacturing in my basement, a drum kit from Sonor. Sonor is a German company that obstinately refuses to make a substandard product, and their Chinese-made Force 3005/3007 drums are at the very top of the "intermediate" niche, and equal to or superior than many offerings by Japanese & American manufacturers. But if it wasn't because of German employees closely watching over their Chinese manufacturing processes, the drums would've ended up being like any other el-cheapo $400 drum kit coming out of China with a bazillion different knockoff names pasted on them.

One other example where I can point to better-than-expected Chinese product is Chinese-made electronics for RC, like EZRun and FlySky.

But, I must say that these are exceptions to the rule.

Next time your shoelaces break, your boots have the soles separate within 3 months, your clothes have threads fraying after a few washes, frying pans have the Teflon coating start falling off after 6 months, blah-blah-blah--look to see where it was made. I'll give you three guesses where, and the first 2 don't count.

[Jedi Master]

Inferior or not, I think it's a great find! Nice one Timbo!

[Bo Wallen]

Spot on Sir Coelacanth

[vwjuice]

Post a link to it. I want one. I have a lot of chinese rc crap that I have great results with.
So many name brand rc products are actually chinese made. Losi chargers??? Made in China and the chinese version is $100 cheaper....

[knucklebuster]

On a side note, check where your top dollar Makita/Dewalt/Milwuakee/Porter Cable tools were made. You may as well go to Chinesemart aka Walmart and buy Black and Decker.

Ever wonder why you can buy replacement parts for Dewalt/Porter Cable/Black and Decker at the same store?

We are very hard pressed to buy anything new that was not made in China or with Chinese made components. China quietly plotted an economic war about 50 years ago and won.

[vwjuice]

Even Harley Davidson, Castle Creations, and thousands of other companies outsource parts.

[Bo Wallen]

I like this line : "The only thing that can make a Chinese manufacturer output high-quality products is when the parent company oversees every aspect of the manufacturing process. Then, and only then, will the resulting product have a quality" I know people that have to go to china and take random samples of steel aluminum etc. and bring home for lab. test..........Like the New BayBridge in CA Chinese steel Scary

[EvolutionRevolution]

We are very hard pressed to buy anything new that was not made in China or with Chinese made components. China quietly plotted an economic war about 50 years ago and won.

Nah, outsourcing to get the lowest wages humanly possible is more like it. It seems that with the rising quality of life in China the country is getting too expensive for some companies, so they outsource to Birma and other borderline third-world countries. In 10 years time "Made in China" may be "Made in <insert poor African country here>". But hey, that's what you get with an economic system solely focussing on money and wealth for the few.