I'm gonna sing a few praises on the Dirt Master... at least for what I think it is good for.
For our family vacations, I usually pick a car take to with us and try to bring along something different for every trip as well as a car that will be fun based on where we are going.
In the last few years I've taken a RC10B4, E-Maxx, Slash 4x4, Kyosho Beetle, a Hornet and a Tamiya Monster Beetle. They have all been fun and have had their plusses and minuses. The sand can also be quite a bit different depending on where we go. Over time my opinion of what makes a good beach-basher has evolved. Some are great but a pain to clean. Some have taken up too much luggage space which is always a concern. Some I loved to run but the idea of rust and sand in every tiny little nook and cranny drives me nuts.
Last week we went to the gulf coast of Alabama, specifically Orange Beach which is just barely in Alabama just 2-3 miles from Florida. If you are familiar with the panhandle of Florida, it's pretty much the exact same. For this trip I brought along my Dirt Master. So far, I'd have to say it's been my all-around favorite... at least for beach-bashing.
The car is pretty much box stock. It has a QuicRun 10BL120 (Gen 1) esc and a Quicrun 3650 G2 Sensored Brushless Motor (8.5T). I love this set-up for playing. It's fast, cheap and reliable. I'm now a 50yo basher and the esc has plenty enough adjustability for me to play in my yard and on the beach. I am no racer... have never been and will never be.
The only thing I can think of that deviates from stock would be the 2.2" JC Racing wheels with Schumacher Mini Dart front tires and 8x10 Spikes in rear. The tires have no foams and the wheels have no vent holes in an attempt to keep the sand out. Each tire has a couple of small vent holes in the tread to allow any sand to escape.
Whatever these tires were originally intended for, they worked great in the packed sand as well as the loose, loamy sand that had been wet the day or night before. In deep, dry sand a 2wd 1/10 buggy with small tires is probably not the best choice. The rear tires gripped enough to pull wheelies and the fronts and rears self-cleaned really well at low speed. I would guess a speed of about 10 mph the tire treads were jet-black because they would toss off any sand on their surface. The tires are a relatively stiff compound and did not balloon much even at full speed without foam inserts.
The car was stupid-easy to clean...almost everything on this car is plastic... literally almost everything. The shocks are threaded, but plastic. I brought a long a computer keyboard compressed gas duster and it blew it off in a matter of a minute or two.
Not to sound too much like a Kyosho commercial but I really think this is a good use for this car. It is cheap, low maintenance and the suspension works really well... basically a plastic version of the RB5. At full speed with 8.5 brushless in bumpy sand, the car cruised across the surface like a smooth rocket and it was fun just to stand back and watch the suspension do it's magic.
In the end I really like this buggy. It's not vintage so I can run it hard and beat on it. It's not a re-release of a car I wished to have as a kid, so I have no issue beating on it. It does have modern suspension so it handles well. It looks a bit old-school and so do I... so I like it.
One last thing. The car, charger, 2 ea 3000mah Li-Po's, basic tools, compressed air, spare set of tires & wheels, nut driver's and wrenches all fit in a standard backpack... a backpack an elementary kid would wear to school, not like one you would take hiking.
Anyway, I haven't seen too many post about the Dirt Master around I thought I'd toss out my opinion. it's a hot-rod... very fun.
