Maverick Microbe SCT Flux (Review)
I have been waiting for a proper 1/24 scale short course truck since way back when the Micro B came out. Maverick (An HPI brand) has released one that looks like it might be exactly what I want, in both a brushed and brushless version! Did they do it right?
Quick Specs
- 1/24 scale 2WD Short Course Truck
- Brushed and brushless options available
- ESC can be used as a standalone receiver (brushed versions)
- Programmable ESC (brushless versions)
- 2S LiPo battery and USB charger included
- Threaded oil filled shocks (plastic)
- Price Brushless: 149.99 | Brushed 109.99
What's in the Box?
I went for the Flux version of the Maverick Microbe SCT since the brushed version seems to offer the same electronics that I had in my Speck B. I got the truck, a Flysky transmitter (Same Speck B/Microbe unit), a 380mah 2s lipo battery, a USB charger, and some literature and extra body clips.
Overview
The first thing that caught my eye was the pearl finish added to the yellow paint on my truck. It looks much better than I expected it to based on the photos I saw online. The body is mounted with two body clips in the back and a front mount that slides into the front shock tower. The chassis is longer than the Microbe version and has an additional adjustable battery slider. Mounted to the front and back are some robust SCT inspired bumpers that look like they'll take plenty of abuse. The wheels and tires are taller than other 1/24 models and the tires on this truck feel like they'll be very grippy which means I'll likely be dealing with some traction roll on my carpet track. Outside of those differences, the layout is similar to the Microbe/Speck B platform, and that's a good thing because it includes the same electronics/battery holding system that I loved on the buggy version of this platform.
For those of you that are interested in the brushless version of this truck, you'll be happy to know that the ESC and motor appear to be RTR versions of the Hobby Wing Mini 28! That's awesome, because the Hobby Wing system is probably my favorite system to run on the Microbe/Speck B platform. Other than plastic casing and branding, there is an additional difference between this RTR version and the Hobby Wing system you would buy, this system is non-sensored, so you might experience a little bit of cogging at low speeds. Still, for a RTR brushless system in this scale, the Hobby Wing electronics are an incredibly good choice.
First Pack
Yep! Those tires definitely grip on the carpet, and traction roll was a major challenge with this truck at first, but I stayed fairly determined to work with it for a while to see how it would do. I did get it to stay fairly planted with some careful corner planning, but these kinds of techniques are usually far from the fastest options which means this chassis will need some tuning before it's ready to race (on carpet at least).
There is plenty of power on tap thanks to the Hobby Wing manufactured electronics, and while I haven't tried yet, I believe you can program this system with a Hobby Wing program card. There is a slight bit of cogging when you're in the lower end of the throttle range, but I don't think it's a big enough problem for most people to care about. It's not like we're taking this thing rock crawling after all, and I would imagine that most people will be pretty deep in the throttle the majority of the time they're running this thing. The only place I really noticed it was when I needed to do a 3 point turn or something after a crash. Something requiring reverse/forward interactions and low speed maneuvering.
Fifth Pack
By the fifth pack, I decided to do something about the traction roll. I basically just taped the outside edge of the tires covering 3 rows of spikes and that helped take a lot of edginess away. Not a permanent fix in my eyes, but good enough for a review! Anyway, with my tires taped I was able to be a lot more aggressive with the SCT, and while I was still able to traction roll, it was only in situations where I was really pushing hard. In comparison to other RTR cars of this scale, the Microbe SCT Flux is refreshing because of all the power that I have access to! I love the idea of these little cars coming out in a brushless trim, and hope that we will see a brushless version of other cars (Lookin at you, Losi) at some point.
The suspension is extremely plush and the truck handles jumps and bumps, and running over track barriers, very well. Speaking of jumping, short course trucks are notorious for floating after jumps because of all the air trapped under the body. This is not something that you'll experience in 1/24th scale, although I was halfway hoping that I would. It's a blast to watch while it's running too, because of how much suspension action you actually see. There is visible body roll that makes the whole driving experience feel believable, like you're driving a real deal short course truck. I think people planning to bash this truck will really appreciate the box stock setup, while people looking to race will likely want to tighten it up, and lower it a bit. All in all, the Maverick Microbe SCT is a blast to drive, and while not set up ideally for carpet racing out of the box, provides an excellent short course truck driving experience at this scale.
Durability Notes
No issues or breaks while running this truck, and I don't expect that I will have any issues any time soon. The Microbe SCT is built solidly and the bumpers on it will certainly protect the chassis from the majority of crashes that you'll see. Overall the truck is smooth, and well built, and I really don't expect that anyone will see any major issues. I have not tried to swap out the pinion gears with the provided options on this model in particular, but I certainly hope they fit better than the ones that were provided with my Speck B. I will update this article if I run into anything, but I would suggest working with the additional pinion gears carefully.
Final Word
I'm very happy with the Maverick Microbe SCT. It's exactly what I hoped for when it came to a short course truck at this scale. It would have been all too easy to simply convert the buggy chassis over, and just bolt some bumpers and body mounts on, but that's not what we got! They designed this truck to be a true SCT, and while it does share some design cues pioneered by the Microbe buggy, it is a platform of its own. The difference is significant enough to where the Microbe SCT feels much different from any of the other 1/24th scale buggies and trucks that are out there.
I also appreciate that there are brushed and brushless versions available to suit different budgets, and priorities. I did go for the brushless version for review, but I'd absolutely pick up a brushed one if I had a certain power system in mind for the future, or if I were running in a place where brushless power isn't very well suited. Great work from HPI/Hobby Plus, or whoever is responsible for the design here. This is an excellent addition to the 1/24th scale racing style options we have available and I hope to see more!
