Team LOSI Mini-T Review

TEAM LOSI 2-CHANNEL TRANSMITTER

This simple 27mHz AM 2-channel transmitter has servo-reversing for steering and throttle. The radio is comfortable to hold and includes a grippy steering wheel that resembles a full-scale 3-spoke rim and radial tire. There are two horizontally mounted knobs for adjusting throttle and steering trims. A third vertically mounted knob on top of the radio adjusts dual rate, which controls how much the wheels turn in both directions. Two LED lights serve as battery-level indicators.
 

MINI-T DIGITAL ESC AND RECEIVER UNIT

An integrated receiver/ESC unit sits in the middle of the Mini-T's small chassis. The digital ESC provides linear throttle response, braking and reverse. During normal operation, an anodized heat sink helps to keep the unit cool. The receiver contains a 27mHz frequency crystal, which can be swapped for optional crystals to accommodate other users on the same frequency.

POWERFUL RS-280 MOTOR

The rear-mounted, 35-turn, 280-size motor scoots the Mini-T along to just over 10mph. The motor's positive and negative leads are easily unplugged, so it's easy to remove and replace the motor.

MICRO STEERING SERVO

The Mini-T's microservo does a good job of cranking the front wheels in both directions. A springloaded servo-saver protects the unit in a collision. The trim comes set spot-on from the factory.

The Mini-T's ESC/receiver unit sits in the middle of the truck. The throttle and steering functions have linear proportional control. Heat sinks keep the ESC cool, and the receiver unit's crystal can be removed if you want to use another frequency	The Mini-T uses a pretty effective adjustable slipper clutch. Loosening or tightening a nut that presses against a wave washer adjusts the clutch tension.
The front shocks can be mounted in one of three positions in the shock tower and two in the lower A-arms. Camber and toe can be adjusted with the front end's threaded links.	The Mini-T's modular construction makes it easy to wrench on (if you get the urge). You could probably run it all year and never work on it.

Performance

It took me less than three minutes to rip open a new pack of 12, AA batteries, install them in the truck and radio and put the body on; I know this because I timed myself to see just how long it would take to get the Mini-T up and running once it was out of the box. I first ran it in my house and found that it has gobs of traction on carpet-so much that it traction-rolled a few times. The steering was surprisingly crisp and very predictable. There was the usual on-power push but off power, the Mini-T turned on a dime. After running it under the coffee table and over the sandals my wife had told me to put away, I headed outside; the Mini-T was a little too fast for our small living room.

In the side yard, the Mini-T ripped up the loose dirt, and its 280 motor was able to throw up roosts that were so cool to watch that I did it again and again. It was time to break out the included cardboard jump, which I secured to my driveway using a small piece of duct tape. The Mini-T was just itching to take to the air. It jumped just like the 1/10-scale Triple-XT. In the air, the truck was level and easy to control, but landings off jumps were a slightly different story: the truck bottomed out over the cardboard jump because of the undamped rear shocks. This scratched up the chassis' bottom, but the damage was purely cosmetic. Steering the Mini-T on cement was similar to steering it on carpet-precise and manageable. The truck's brakes worked really well, too-plenty of consistent straight-line braking. The small rear Taper Pin tires actually barked like full-size tires.

I headed to the street to test top speed and radio range. The Mini-T quickly reached its top speed of 10.1mph, which is slow for a "big" car but speedy for a 1/18-scale machine (and there's much more speed on tap with optional 5 and 6-cell packs). I was able to drive it about two houses away from mine-about 200 feet. That's excellent range for a micro-truck with AM radio equipment. After running for nearly 40 minutes, I noted that the alkaline batteries showed signs of fading, so I decided to end the test session and to check for wear and damage. The bottom of the chassis was deeply scratched, and the rear tires' pins had worn down a bit, but everything else looked fine.

THE VERDICT

Team Losi's Mini-T surpassed many of my expectations. It's faster than I expected, more durable than I thought it would be, and I can't believe how well it steers and handles. The Mini-T is an excellent buy, not only because of its price, but also because it can be run indoors and out and has a long run time. Cheap to own, cheap to run and goes anywhere; that's the ultimate combination for RC fun.

LIKES Exceptional 1/10-scaletype handling. Quick and responsive. Racy look and feel. Absolute blast to drive. Inexpensive. DISLIKES Suspension is a little too bouncy off the jumps.