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QUADIFYRC RC Car Review and Upgrade Guides

SG 1602/1601 and HBX 16889 Review - an excellenT budget brushless 1/16 truck

19/2/2020

70 Comments

 
The SG 1602 Brushless RC truck is a 1/16 scale 4wd off road truck/buggy (truggy) that has a powerful and efficient brushless motor/esc system. Note, this appears identical to the HBX 16889 and shares the same parts. It is available from Banggood for less than $90 and as little as $70. I've had one of these for about 2 months now and for the times that my son lets me drive it I've had quite a few runs to get a good feel of performance and durability. My full review is below.
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What's in the box?
Actually this is pretty well equipped:
  • The Truck (4wd brushless 1/16 scale)
  • 2.4GHz remote
  • 2s 1300mah li-ion battery
  • USB charger
  • LED Headlight system (for user to install)
  • Wheelie bar (for user to install)
In order to get this running you'll need 4 x AA batteries for the transmitter. These 2.4GHz transmitter are extremely efficient so you'll get good battery life even with cheap alkaline batteries. As mentioned above there is a nice set of headlights and wheelie bar included and these are very simple to install with well laid out instructions.
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LED headlight integrate nicely in the bumper and are easy to install
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LED headlight plug into a spare port on the receiver/ESC and have a power regulator. Spares are listed on Banggood for $3
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The wheelie bar is mounted solidly to the frame and is absolutely necessary given the power. Spares on Banggood for $6
Specs and design
  • Overall truck design is a low centre of gravity with compartively large truck wheels and body 'truggy'. This design tends to have the best combination of handling and ability to clear obstacles.
  • It is shaft driven 4wd which is the most common format presently due to durability and low maintenance requirements.
  • POwer system is based around a brushless 2435 sized 3900kv motor. Compared to the brushed counterparts these have way more power and torque AND have better efficiency. Win win!
  • Receiver is integrated in the ESC for simplicity and it's good to see a 3-wire servo meaning this can easily be replaced with an aftermarket unit if you wish to upgrade (although stock performs well).
  • Being 1/16 this is very small and light which means it will be fast and carry less momentum in a crash = more durable.
  • Tyres are hardish rubber but are wide meaning you should get a good balance of grip and wear.
  • Suspension is friction dampened only which means it'll be bouncy but oil-filled upgrades are available at a low cost.
  • LED headlight integrate nicely into the electrics and the wheelie bar is well built. Definitely keep the wheelie bar on - it gets a lot of use!
  • Body is durable and held on by split pins. Truggy design means there is no overhand and keeps the dust out well
  • There is a full set of ball bearings on the driveline which minimises friction and wear
  • Battery included is a lithium ion 2s 1300mah. These offer excellent energy density and enough output to power this along for around 15 minutes which is pretty amazing given the speed.
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Truggy style rc trucks have a low centre of gravity and large tyre are for grip. Bodies are small meaning they don't collect debris.
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Propeller shaft drives the front and rear metal diffs off a spur gear. Very efficient when done right (which this one is)
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Brushless 2435 sized 3900kV motor is highly powerful and efficient - an excellent design choice.
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Wide hardish tyres offer a good combination of grip and wear life
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Friction dampers are typical in this price range. An upgrade yields a significant improvement
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Polycarbonate body is tough. Make sure you remove the protective plastic!
Getting it ready to run
The main battery is an 18500 1300mah 2s li-ion pack and charging couldn't be simpler - plug the included USB charger into a USB port on one end and on the JST balance plug (white plug on the battery) on the other. It'll take 2-3 hours to charge but it is very simple when you compare the alternative of using a hobby-grade charger like this one. I'd recommend using a USB power supply rather than plugging into the USB port on your computer just in case the QC is a bit dodgy.

The only other thing you need to do is add 4 x AA batteries to your remote. Turn the remote on, turn the car on, put the shell on with split pins and you're ready to go!
In operation - remote
Trigger remotes are the most common controllers around for good reason - they are very intuitive. Pull the trigger to go forward, push to brake and then to reverse push it again. Everything is full proportion i.e. if you pull the trigger a little it will run slowly, if you turn the wheel a little the car will turn a little. Steering and throttle trim on the remote it is set the centre-points for steering (to make it run straight) and throttle (to make sure it is in neutral when trigger released) respectively. Steering dual rate will change the range you can steer - leave this wound clockwise on this model. Unfortunately there is no throttle dual rate which is a very good tool for limiting maximum throttle for the learner. You can ignore the bind mode, this is not used here and performs no function if pushed.

Lastly the control link has no interference but the range isn't fantastic. After about 50 metres the signal can be lost at which point the truck becomes unresponsive in a failsafe mode rather than running off with the last control that was input. Raising the remote above your head can often get you back in range.
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Remote is a simple 2.4Ghz unit with trim but dual rate only for steering.
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Receiver is integrated on the ESC. You can see the small antenna circled. If there is interest in extending range, please leave a comment and I'll write a mod article.
In operation - performance
Man this little truck is quiet and fast! Quietness suggests a will meshed gearset with little friction and this truck is very impressive in that regards. This means a lot more power to the ground rather than being lost in noise and heat. I haven't run a GPS speed on it but it is a lot faster than the WL toys 12428 which my other son owns. In addition to top speed this has massive pick-up. It will wheel-stand anwhere there is a reasonable level of grip, it is most impressive on short grass in particular where it will wheelie right to the end of the battery.
Some have said these tyres are too hard but I think they are perfect for the application - they offer great grip on grass and are predictable on concrete/tar seal. They are hard enough to make sure they last a good amount of time before replacing. They seem to be glue to the rim fairly securely. Spares are available here.
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Tread pattern is fairly positive and should last well
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You can see about 10 runs of wear here, half of those runs on tar seal
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Large footprint area for tyres mean than hard compound will still grip well
Being a truggy style truck it has a fairly low centre of gravity and will not flip when using full throttle and steering unless you hit an obstacle. Compare to the WLtoys 12428 where full throttle and full steer from stand still or at speed will cause a flip. The stock suspension is very bouncy and tends to bottom out over jumps. This is because shocks are friction only i.e. they lack oil dampening. I highly recommend the oil shock upgrade front and rear but I'll cover this more in the section further below. With oil shocks this things handles very well indeed but it's pretty good for a car of this price range even without them.
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Durability
This is the section that takes the longest to review because I can't make a call by driving it once or twice (even 10 times). So far I've had to replace nothing at all and it has been well abused by both myself and my 5 year old who is learning. Furthermore there is no wear on the driveline I can see or hear which is promising. I've also just learned front and rear diffs are metal with metal conical gears which means they should last the life of the car at least (unlike the plastic gears on generation 1 of the 12428 buggy which stripped with regularity). There is no obvious wear in drive cups and shafts at this stage.

I am wary of the way the front and rear arms mount directly to the front and rear diff housings but so far the plastic seems to be of the right blend of compliance and bendability. I'm also not a fan of the way the wheels mount by bolt rather than nut but again, this is a design comment rather than a specific durability issue. Update: there are upgrade available if you wish to go to a tradtional universal shaft and nut retainer as below:
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Plastic steering and suspension linkages are obviously not adjustable but have proven very durable for bashing with my 5 year old
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Chassis showing signs of scrapes but no breaks. I would have like arm pin mount to have been separate to chassis/gearbox but at least they are strong
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Universal drive shafts in the front means good steering and suspension movement without fear of losing a dogbone.
Upgrades
First off there are no critical upgrades. Everything runs well as is and there are no glaring design issues. With that said I would recommend the oil shocks as it greatly improves on an already good handling truck. Oil shocks will improve dampening mean it can better control the springs making it less bouncy during running and lessen the chance of bottoming out over jumps. The official upgrade parts are actually decent - unlike other cheap oil shocks I've seen they offer about the right amount of dampening and spring strength for this truck. You can no doubt find shocks from other cars to fit but you can guarantee these ones 'just work'. There are a range of other parts below but I'll only be getting these upgrades if/when the stock parts break. The full list of upgrade and replacement parts can be found here.
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Stock friction dampers do the job but are my first recommendation to replace
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These oil dampers are designed for the SG 1602 and HB16889 so fit perfectly with the right spring rates. They are sold in pairs here for about $6 and I'm super pleased with the improvement they have brought.
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Fitted on the front
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...And the rear. I've since wound the tensioners right up to reduce sag. 
Conclusion
I'll be brief here. For me this is the budget RC car to have at the moment if you are looking to step up from a toy grade without the expensive of a full hobby grade setup. This is because it offers they key elements you want in an RC car:
  • Speed thanks to the awesome brushless setup
  • Durability thanks to the light weight, smart design and use of materials
  • Handling thanks to the truggy style layout
Compared to his older brother's WL Toys 12428 which is a standard in it's own right, this out performs it in every facet including battery life which is over double in comparison.

Further more the small size means it can be easily placed in a backpack, in the bottom of a baby buggy or however you want to carry it.

This is an easy truck to recommend and I think will be very popular. If you are looking to buy, make sure you get the brushless rather than brushed variant. The same truck is sold under SG and HBX brands. To be safe I've identified the correct models in the links below and in this article:
6 month update - My 5 year old son has now been running this every weekend for the last 6 months. It's yet to break anything substantial. This is definitely my recommendation for a fast reliable and tough RC car for friends' kids and would recommend the same for reader. More details on the 6 month update in this article.
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SG 1602 2.4G 1/16 Brushless RC Car High Speed 45km/h Vehicle
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HBX 16889 1/16 2.4G 4WD 45km/h Brushless RC Car with LED Light Electric Off-Road Truck RTR Model
​Thanks for reading, if you found this article useful please feel free to like or share, the facebook links below directly link/like this article. Links are affiliated and help me buy the bits I need to produce this type of content. If you are looking for quads or parts check out my coupons and discounts page which I keep updated with only the parts and quads I like at a proper discount
70 Comments
Kirk Maluo
26/3/2020 09:21:13 pm

Do you know where to get additional batteries? Thanks!

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Quadify RC
27/3/2020 09:28:54 am

Here you go: https://bit.ly/2JeBacV

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Dave
24/11/2020 09:51:31 pm

How do you fit these batteries? On the website they appear to be longer than the stock, with the tray not having an obvious option to expand.

Kirk Maluo
1/5/2020 06:46:32 pm

Hello again, do you know where I can get wheels for this? The inside rim stripped where the spinning nut meets the rim. Thank you!

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Quadify RC
1/5/2020 06:52:06 pm

No problem! Here are the wheels: https://bit.ly/329P9Jp

All other parts here: https://bit.ly/328EP4w

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Peter
11/5/2020 05:39:35 pm

Hi!

Thanks for the detailed review. How do you extend the range? Some reviews say that the transmitter is not strong enough (because they can extend the range by using a different transmitter).

Thanks,
Peter

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Quadify RC
12/5/2020 09:01:01 am

Hey Peter

My pleasure. I've actually already pulled the receiver/esc unit apart but all the electronics are covered in epoxy in order to waterproof so I cannot access the receiver wire which was my original plan. As for using a different transmitter or multiprotocol that could work BUT you would need to know the protocol this one runs on. I'm planning on pulling the transmitter apart at some point to see more.

Truck has been riduculously strong through, in a summer of bashing my 5 year old has broken only the spoiler.

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Kirk Maluo
12/5/2020 09:44:06 am

Could we extend the transmitter wire for a stronger signal?

My son stripped the nut slot inside of one of the tires. Are new RC cars designed this way now? I think the switch has a loose connection too, so I may bypass it. Other than that, this car takes serious skate park type abuse. I ordered tires, oil shocks, and a second vehicle just in case. Too bad parts take forever to come from China now.

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Quadify RC
12/5/2020 09:59:44 am

Hi Kirk

Unfortunately these are meant to be at length tuned to 2.4ghz so unless you desolder from the base and solder a new longer unit on (which I intended to do) you can't without damaging the reception. Unfortunately you cannot unsolder at the base as it is covered in epoxy.

Most cars have a pin that goes in the outdrive shaft (like this one) but then a hex adaptor on the shaft the the pin drives. Wheels typically have a hex inset to mate up to this. I believe you can get a simple 12mm hex to allow you to use other wheels and tyres. I don't like the standard design but as yet it's held up well.

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Kirk A Maluo
29/5/2020 06:17:18 pm

I ordered these wheels thinking they were an exact match, but it looks like it needs the hex adapter you were talking about. Do you know which is the right adapter on banggood? Thanks!

https://m.banggood.com/2PCS-Tires-Wheels-Rims-for-HBX-16889-116-RC-Car-Vehicles-Spare-Parts-M16038-p-1608288.html?rmmds=search

Sam
14/5/2020 11:12:51 am

Hello,
I am interested in buying an entry level rc car. Looking for a new hobby.😊
This car is very interesting and a remo 1635.
How does the sg 1602 compares to the remo 1635?
Which one is better in your opinion and what are the differences in parts and quality?
Hopefully you can help me.

Thanks,
Sam

Reply
Quadify RC
14/5/2020 12:24:08 pm

Hi Sam

Nice, it's a fun hobby and an RTR kit like this is a great way to get in.

Do you mean this car? (the Remo) https://bit.ly/2WrYqLS

It looks very similar but and the alloy parts look nice but the plastic is not a weak point on the SG1602. On the plus side there do seem to be a number of spares? WIthout having tried it though it's hard to recommend.

I cans say that 4 months in the SG1602 has taken an absolute hiding and is still fast, silent and efficient with no damage other than the rear spoiler.

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Jon
20/6/2020 03:18:57 pm

"Unfortunately there is no throttle dual rate which is a very good tool for limiting maximum throttle for the learner."
Do I understand this correctly as there is no way to limit the speed for children/beginners?
That's too bad. Great review though!

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Quadify RC
21/6/2020 09:41:43 pm

Yes, you cannot limit speed unfortunately. With that said my 5 year old (soon to be 6) has been practicing using part throttle. Even when he runs with full throttle it has stood up to the beating. As at June 2020 the only thing broken is on of the LED headlights and the rear spoiler. It still goes hard!

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Dave
24/11/2020 09:55:39 pm

We bought a 16889 second hand in the summer, and a new sg 1602 in the autumn. Subtle difference in the controllers: The older model had a Throttle DR and the newer one had a speed adjustment to limit the speed.

Great review - both have handled the knocks well.

patrick
12/8/2021 11:09:27 pm

All the recent packages include a TX which DOES have a throttle rate control

Wu
31/8/2020 04:48:44 pm

I'm new into the hobby, and got this model recently. After my 2nd run, the throttle is no longer working. The servo is still responsive, but the throttle doesn't work. The ESC is blinking 2 red flashes intermittently. Wondering if you have any advice, as online searches haven't turned up anything helpful.

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QuadifyRC
31/8/2020 04:53:46 pm

Hi Wu

Glad you ventured into the hobby, it is a lot of fun. That said it isn't when things don't work! First of all confirm your battery is charged. If you have access to a multimeter or a friend with a charger that displays voltage then this will be able to confirm. I see this issue most often when batteries are not charged properly for whatever reason and the LVC (low voltage cutoff) kicks in. This is assuming of course all physical connections from the ESC to the motor are intact.

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Wu
31/8/2020 05:30:06 pm

Thanks for replying! This happened with a fully charged new (allegedly) batteries. Unfortunately due to lockdown, I can't head to any RC shop to get the batteries checked. I'm going to try charging them again. What would you recommend I start testing replacement parts to narrow down this issue? Batteries, transmitter, then ESC? Can I just get any generic 2.4Ghz transmitter, or are there any specific controllers that need to be paired to the ESC for this basher? 😅 I did have have a barrel of fun (maybe too much fun?) for the day it was working.

Quadify RC
31/8/2020 09:05:12 pm

Yeah try charging again perhaps. Hopefully it will be something simple like this or the motor connectors, you know one of those facepalm moments. If you need a new ESC here is the one for HBX 16889 https://bit.ly/2GelEzt but I can't find one for the 1602/1601 in which case you'd have to go aftermarket. Let me know if you keen a link for a low price setup for that

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Wu Han
31/8/2020 10:48:24 pm

It was the LVC! Phew—here's to more months of bashing! Turns out it matters where you plug the USB charger. I plugged it into a higher watt adapter and the battery charged properly this time. Thanks for your tip! Saving the links for ESC. Interested also in an aftermarket upgrade you can recommend for later :)

Jack
15/9/2020 06:07:51 am

Hi - first off, thanks for the great site! I've been reading quite some articles and it's really got me wanting to get into the hobby. I also have a 4 year old son who absolutely loves RC cars.

So my question is which would be the better car to begin with this SG1602 or the WLtoys 144001?

Again, thanks for sharing the knowledge

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QuadifyRC
15/9/2020 09:05:18 am

Hey Jack

Thanks for the feedback! Haha the hobby is a slippery slope but sure is a lot of fun. I'd recommend the SG1602 (HBX 16889 is the same) over the 144001. This is because the SG1602 is ready to go, fast, very durable and requires very little maintenance whereas the 144001 has more potential but requires a lot of tinkering. Hope that helps?

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Jack
15/9/2020 07:17:23 pm

Sure does, thanks!

I'm horrible though - ended up buying both. The things we do for our kids, eh.

Jakub
2/8/2021 06:41:53 pm

I have the same problem to choose 😄, thanks

Joshua
16/9/2020 05:17:09 pm

Hello,

I am new to the hobby but I was wondering are there any upgrades I can do such as a new motor and ESC to increase my speed. Thank you

Reply
QuadifyRC
16/9/2020 09:57:05 pm

Hi Joshua

This is a fast and reliable car out of the box but outside a shock upgrade I recommend keeping it stock, especially if you are new to the hobby. If you are looking for a car to tinker with more in the same budget category check out the WLtoys 144001 https://bit.ly/2XEXTWa

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Dave
24/11/2020 09:58:23 pm

Regarding the upgrades, on purchasing a used one, one of the wheel hubs had a screw broken in it so we upgraded to the alloy front drive kit, and rear. It's tough, but the fine metal wire to hold the pin on the front cv(?) assembly proved a weak point causing the pin to fall out and lose drive at the front.

I have rectified with new pins (from ebay) and large heat shrink cut to width and it's been solid since.

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QuadifyRC
25/11/2020 08:52:45 am

Great to hear. Sometimes it's tricky buying a second hand one to know how it's been treated but sounds like you've come up with a good fix

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dek
3/12/2020 12:55:50 am

Hey, this is a great review! :)

I am leaning towards buying one for me and the gf and was wondering what is the battery compartment size, so I can order a few lipos as well? Thank you in advance for taking the time to reply! :)

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QuadifyRC
3/12/2020 10:32:44 am

Hey Dek

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah these are a great little truck. Unfortunately my son's car has been stolen but the use a 2s 16500 lion pack meaning the packs are about 34mm wide and 55mm long. The stock battery actually works really well in this car, you can buy the car with 2 batteries here: https://bit.ly/36v1a00 or extra batteries here: https://bit.ly/3g8ZP2c (get the one with t-plug connector)

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Dek
3/12/2020 08:00:45 pm

Hey Quadify, thank you for the quick reply and sorry to hear it was stolen. Also, thanks for sharing the battery size, I will check the links and the options for small lipos.

Have a great day ahead!

ETX
5/12/2020 07:13:39 pm

Anyone know where to get a CLEAR body that fits this?

Reply
Molax
23/1/2021 06:20:17 pm

Hi, does this have low voltage cutoff? When i used my 2s lipo it draied it to 2.9v and 3.0v. if this has lvc can i increase it? Thanks!

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QuadifyRC
28/1/2021 11:28:11 pm

Unfortunately it is very low and cannot be adjusted. I recommend a cheap lipo buzzer connected to the balance lead like this: https://bit.ly/3ockWDS

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Mrkng
14/8/2021 08:25:02 pm

A low voltage cutoff too low for a beginner car is not good/cool. It potentially causes premature battery damage. For the unaware parent they either spend more money on new batteries or simply give up assuming it's a bad product.

Pete
28/1/2021 10:47:49 am

Awesome reviews and tutorials! Thank you. I have one question. I have a brushed 16889, and am going to use some spare parts to convert it to brushless, but I can’t find any info on the gear pitch of the pinion and spur gears. Do you know what gear pitch they use for the pinion gear in the 16889? I have everything else, and it’s want some additional options on hand for gearing. Thank you.

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QuadifyRC
28/1/2021 11:35:39 pm

Sorry I wish I could check for you but my car was stolen some time ago :(. Stick with stock gearing, it is very good (you can't adjust it anyway). Looks like all parts including motor and pinion are available here: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Ap3gIr

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Dave
29/1/2021 12:56:09 am

Thinking about this, the gears from motor to diffs can all be upgraded with parts from Aliexpress or Banggood. I havent done an upgrade but do consider the cost of parts vs just buying a brushless car straight off. The brushless ones come stock with plastic gears so I dont know if there is a brushed/brushless difference apart from motor and esc.

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Toby
1/2/2021 05:08:07 am

Great review just what I was looking for. The 16889 is my 1st RC for years and it’s a blast!

I’m going to order the oil shocks but wanted to get a 2nd/3rd battery at the same time. What would you recommend? Will 2s LiPo work with the usb charger. It would be good to get a battery I can use in other cars down the road....I know I’m gonna buy more cheap RC’s now it’s inevitable lol

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QuadifyRC
1/2/2021 10:02:06 pm

Hey Toby, yes it's a lot of fun isn't it? Definitely grab the oil shocks, they're not the worlds best shocks but improve the cars handling a lot.

If you want another battery I'd just grab another stock on for this car - it's fairly small and you are limited for options but it works well https://bit.ly/2Yvrdz9

Sorry for giving you the RC car bug (not sorry)

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Toby
2/2/2021 07:51:26 am

Thanks for the reply!

I will try and track down a stock battery 😀

OW link
6/2/2021 02:11:32 am

Great review, thanks for taking the time to put it together, I've got one on order.

Are there any other shells that fit? I know the FTX tracer one will but I really want to find other 1/16th shells that look different.

Im unsure which will fit though due to the mounting posts. Do you know the distance between front and rear posts?

Cheers,

OW

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QuadifyRC
6/2/2021 09:39:17 pm

Sorry I'm afraid I can't give you the measurements. Sadly the car was stolen late last year :(

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Dave
6/2/2021 02:38:02 am

Just wondering if anyone had a list of spares of screw sizes to use? Postage from Chjna has stalled and I need some screws for the steering arm ends. I measure them as 2.2mm wide and 12mm long but unsure on pitch of the thread.

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QuadifyRC
6/2/2021 09:40:17 pm

With the car being stolen late last year but best bet is to take one into a hardware store or better yet a hobby store.

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thoms
23/2/2021 06:55:13 am

hello thanks for the detail review! I'm from Indonesia, I just want to start new hobby RC, I'm considering SG1601 and SG1602. can you help me to decide which one? any pro/cons , Thank you in advance

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QuadifyRC
23/2/2021 10:14:40 am

No problem! Both are good, depends on the look you like. Also consider the HBX 16889 which is the same car rebranded which has more spares directly available: https://bit.ly/3bxsjR1

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Euwan
27/3/2021 04:11:53 am

I am about to pull the trigger on this. The only thing I am worried about is the Tx range not being good. What would be a good tx to uprade to and how would I install it if the esc already has a built in rx?

Thanks

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OW
27/3/2021 05:44:54 am

Hi. I get plenty of range (haven't lost signal yet). I keep it in sight and it goes plenty far enough for that.

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Euwan
27/3/2021 05:54:22 am

Thanks for the response. I got some fpv equipment that I will put on it so that should make it even more fun hahaha

Eric
6/5/2021 09:57:58 am

This is awesome! Let me first thank you for the excelent website, info and reviews. I've red many articles the last few days and ordered my 1st RC car (SG 1601). 🥳

Received it today and could not resist to try it before going to bed.

While testing for the first time I noticed only the forward is controlable in speed (the further I pull the trigger, the faster it goes). Witch is not the case with the reverse. The reverse is so agressive this way and (for me) kind of uncontrollable as it shoots away.

Is this the way a (cheaper segment?) RC car works? Or is it just the case with this version RC car (SG 1602/02 and HBX 16889)? Or... is it a fault in my version, and can it be fixed?

Thanks again!

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QuadifyRC
6/5/2021 12:05:03 pm

Hey no problem Eric.

Yes, typically the reverse in bundled electronics with most cars is single speed and cannot be changed as reverse is usually only used for freeing yourself from obstacles.

Discrete ESCs are often one speed only as well but that speed can be adjusted by way of programming card.

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Adam
14/5/2021 02:03:10 am

Hi, thanks for writing such great in depth articles. I've found them so useful with my new found love of (relatively) cheap RC cars from China!

I bought the brushless HBX 16889 & HBX 16890, the truck and the truggy, the same as their SG counterparts.. as you say the internals are identical. The only real difference is rear suspension setup, same chassis parts but different layout. However, the shocks on the truggy are marginally shorter so it sits lower. The truck wheelies much easier being higher. I have ordered the oil shocks for both and am wondering if it's possible to shorten the stroke on one set like you did with the shocks on the SG1603 drifter? ..or is this irrelevant?

As I said, I'm new to this and don't want to potentially ruin the new shocks. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

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QuadifyRC
14/5/2021 10:39:54 am

Hi Adam. My pleasure. Yes there are some gems out there but also some real rubbish, you just need to know where to look! I guess that's where I come in.

Anyway you are dead right - follow from the SG1603 to get exactly want you want. Enjoy!

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Ronan
18/5/2021 12:56:51 am

Hi great review. I purchased one of these recently and have fitted the oil shocks. It makes a huge difference, thanks for the tip. I have one question, after owning the SG1602 for a month all of a sudden it stopped while it was driving and won't switch on, not even the LEDs on the front. I've checked the battery and its perfect so I ordered a replacement ESC/receiver off Bangood assuming this is the culprit. When I've fitted the new ESC will the original remote pair ok with it? The banggood ESC/receiver looks identical to the original one. Thanks!

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Ronan
18/5/2021 03:08:11 am

I meant to say I have the SG1601 which has a red coloured ESC which looks slightly different than the one in your 1602.

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Adam
21/6/2021 04:24:38 am

Hi I'm looking for your expert advice, if I may? The steering wheel on my transmitter turns but does not move the wheels. Steering trim adjustment works from transmitter, but steering dual rate knob makes the wheels go full lock when turning the dial all the way up! Any ideas? Many thanks

Reply
Adam
21/6/2021 05:04:03 am

..I just fixed it myself - inside the transmitter, 2 of the 3 steering wire solder points were touching. I separated them, re-bound the transmitter and problem solved!

Reply
QuadifyRC
21/6/2021 09:29:37 am

Great problem solving, it's so satisfying when you can find the issue and repair yourself. 👌

Jakub
2/8/2021 06:54:01 pm

Thanks for good review and tips. I just ordered one and I cannot wait to drive it

Reply
QuadifyRC
3/8/2021 03:02:40 pm

My pleasure! I think you'll love it

Reply
Robert Albrecht
29/8/2021 08:13:55 am

Thank you for your articles and for sharing your experience!
I found your WLToys articles, stuck on your stuff (drones and helps in my basement were abandoned for several Years) and It had lead me into rediscover echt as a Hobby, buying the 16889 and having much fun with my 5-year old.
The oil damper upgrade I did today will bring even more joy through better control and smoother handling for my Kid.
I ordered a second one for Father-Son bashing and for trying 3s with cooling etc.
Do you have any experience with upgrading motor/esc?
(Or do you know where to find some)

Greetings from Germany!

Reply
QuadifyRC
31/8/2021 12:17:39 am

Hi Robert

Thanks for the kind feedback. Drones have taken a back seat at the moment while my boys and I get into RC cars together. I know it sounds tempting to upgrade the speed but the car can't really handle it. If it helps the new 16889a pro is a little more expensive but has lots of really well though out upgrades. Motor is larger but similar kv so same top speed.

Reply
Guido
14/2/2022 07:36:50 am

I have 2 sg1602’s and both have the same issue. They have steel drive shafts but plastic cups on both the dif and wheel axle side. After a little bit of bashing the plastic cups at the rear failed and its > $20 and 4 weeks before they can be replaced. Really disappointed. On the pictures in the article above I see all plastic shafts so maybe that is more consistent and less prone to failure. Also have a Flyhal fc600 and that has all steel parts so would def recommend the hbx pro version or the flyhal over the standard model as the higher price of the better version outweighs the parts and the hassle of fixing the cheapo car.

Reply
Tomislav
13/5/2022 04:10:20 am

Hello. Which is the biggest battery that can fit in? That's because I want to buy one, but maybe a larger one. Does a 2000 mah battery fit in the battery ,case,?

Reply
Mauro
30/10/2022 08:06:17 am

Hello,
great review!!
I have had this car for a year and I have never had any problems, for 4 months it has stood still with the battery disconnected. Today I turned it on again and the car started forward but after 2 seconds it stopped moving back and forth. If I try to turn with the remote control, the wheels turn but the engine doesn't want to go forwards or backwards. Do you know what it could be?
Thanks

Reply
Kirk Maluo
31/10/2022 11:10:44 am

Is it fully charged? Sounds like a low battery.

Btw, has anyone found tires that fit this car?

Reply
Mauro
31/10/2022 09:59:54 pm

The battery has been kept on charge for 4 hours and I think it is charged. Maybe I can check with a Voltmeter. This morning I started the car and for a few seconds it worked perfectly, then it stopped and the only thing that works is the steering.

QuadifyRC
28/11/2022 11:18:33 am

Hi Mauro, sounds like one or both of the cells might be dead. The USB chargers that come with these cars aren't great and need a lot of care which is usually why I recommend a better charger. Fully charged you should be reading 4.2v per cell or 8.4v combined.

Reply



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