all the differences between Traxxas and Tamiya (List)

Sometimes when we think of buying a new kit or RTR (Ready-To-Run), we wonder if our manufacturer of choice is truly the best for us.

Are we truly getting the best bang for our buck, or are there greener pastures to tear up with better, more affordable wheels?

Today, we pit two legendary brands against each other to see which is truly the best for you.

Tamiya Vs. Traxxas – What Are The Differences

Before we can make any valid judgments on either brand, we must first define their differences in a clear, concise manner.

In the right corner, we have Tamiya, a true pioneer of hobby-grade RC models.

• Tamiya’s focus on the ease of construction of their kits is unrivaled, but as good as the quality of their RC cars are, they won’t stand up well against a bashing session. 

Tamiya focuses on casual use and attention to detail, mostly relegating their RC cars to being a shelf model for those of you who like to play rough.

In the left corner, we have Traxxas, a manufacturer of some of the toughest, most resilient RC cars.

• Traxxas’ focus on the durability of their RC cars is one of their best assets. The quality of their RC cars is top-notch for those of you who love to play hard, but for the more display oriented mind, they may fall a little short for those of you who want an affordable, detailed model.

Tamiya vs Traxxas – Technical Comparison 

The table below should help you get a more detailed view into some of the more technical differences between Tamiya and Traxxas.

Which Is Easier To Maintain, traxxas or tamiya?

Tamiya	Traxxas
Tamiyas maintenance is relatively easy.	Traxxas’ maintenance is more on the technical side.

After the fun is over, you may notice that the body of your RC car is damaged in some way, or perhaps you drove through a few puddles and need to perform maintenance.

This is a fact for every RC car out there, but which out of the two will be less of a pain in the neck to maintain?

• Tamiya’s maintenance is generally characterized by the relative ease of being able to quickly deconstruct the model. This allows you to get in there to displace any possible water droplets with WD-40, to replace missing or broken parts, etc. If you can build it easily, you can likely take it apart easily.

However, with how a Tamiya model is meant to be used, you shouldn’t have to maintain the model as much as with most other hobby-grade RC car brands, which is a plus for those of you who don’t wish to get down and dirty with repairs and having to buy new parts.

• Traxxas’ maintenance can be a little more challenging than its predecessor. The maintenance for a Traxxas RC car is usually high, based on how they’re meant to be used. Traxxas RC cars are driven through mud, rocky terrain, and frequently take a beating.

The maintenance can get pricey with Traxxas, as many new arts may need to be bought, depending on how roughly you play with it. You will need to take your RC car apart for maintenance far more often than with Tamiya.

In this case, we think that Tamiya is a much better choice for those of you who prefer low maintenance RC cars. 

Availability Of Parts

Buying spare parts for your damaged RC car can be a hassle, so we’re going to look at which of the two companies have the most parts in stock, and also which parts are more expensive.

• Tamiya’s spare parts seem to always be in stock, which is good news for you, if you’re a haphazard driver. The parts also seem to be in an affordable price range, for what they’re worth. The most common parts on Tamiya’s website usually range from $3.00 – $15.00.

• Traxxas’ spare parts also seem to always be in stock, but the parts that one will likely need to replace can range from $20.00 – $50.00. For what they’re worth, those components are still fairly priced, but with how often a Traxxas RC car will need to be repaired, it will definitely be a more expensive car to maintain.

Customer Support

When you simply can’t handle a problem with your RC car on your own, good customer support can make a world of difference.

Which of these companies has the better customer support out of the two? Which will truly help you in your times of need?

• Tamiya – People who’ve needed help for RC cars that have been damaged during transit have been sent replacement parts, reimbursed, and ultimately given a great customer service experience.

• Traxxas – Horror stories of customer service representatives not returning calls, representatives being rude to customers, and representatives refusing to help customers with products that arrived damaged can be found all over the web.

Differences In Pricing of the two brands

Now for the question on everyone’s mind: which of the two brands is least expensive?

To determine this, we have to look at the average prices for both companies’ catalogues.

• Tamiya’s average pricing in their RC car category ranges from around $160.00 – $250.00. There are more expensive models in their listing, but keep in mind that these are just the average prices that you can expect to find on their website.

• Traxxas’ average pricing in their listing ranges from around $230.00 – $330.00

Durability of Traxxas vs Tamiya

Which product will last longer with their expected use in mind?

Tamiya builds their RC cars for more casual usage, so you shouldn’t expect to see their models breaking as often as most other RC model brands, but with that being said, their durability isn’t often heralded as often as the more extreme brands in the business.

Traxxas builds their RC cars to take frequent and rough rides in hazardous conditions, which means that their focus on durability exceeds that of casual RC car brands.

Tamiya’s & Traxxas’ Best Sellers

Now that you’ve decided to choose either Tamiya or Traxxas, here’s a table of three of their best sellers, just to give you an idea at what you may want to consider purchasing.

Conclusion

What have we learned from this comparison between Tamiya and Traxxas? Which is best for you?

Let’s go over a quick summary:

Tamiya: if you enjoy casual use of your RC models and are looking for a more detailed shelf piece, then Tamiya is for you.

Traxxas: if you want durability and the ability to handle extreme conditions out of your RC car, then Traxxas is for you.