zipzap or microsizer? what to get ?

[Takevin]

Hello, im new to this, i was all set to get a zipzap, but now going thru this forum, im not so sure anymore if i should now get a microsizer. From reading the posts here, the size is different, are the micros faster, less weight/ range, availability to upgrade? What are your guys and gals opinions and why so i can decide. thankyou :) ps does anyone have a video of either in action?

[Takevin]

does no one here have an opinion or comment about either or?

[DJ_Mo]

Well I was at the same boat as you, but I already own a Microsizer. I bought my ZipZaps yesterday with the FF kit. I have to tell ya I hate the ZipZaps : very slow car, slighly larger than the microsizer. ONLY thing decent about them was the cool FF kit and the real cheap upgrades (rims, wheels etc).

After extensive shopping, the Tomy BitChar-G/Hobbico Microsizers seems to be the best RC value and high level of fun. The cars have a very nice high quality constructions, and TONS and TONS of upgrades available for it. From US Microsizers sets, Japanese Tomy Bit Char-G to custom stuff with wealth of info on it. All the parts just work better on a Microsizer.

Get yourself a Microsizer from this website, and enjoy !! Soon you can add whatever parts and stuff you want to. And the way this hobby is going both Tomy and Hobbico is going to bring in more stuff :). Heck someone in here could make in some serious cash by making FF body kits for the Microsizers :). (I would try it, but I suck at painting).

Hope this helps.

[headhunter555]

i got a ZZ and like it thats all i have i cant compare it to anything else, but the big thing is the ZZs just need weight savings and they will whup but,

i like mine.

[latency]

From what I have read the Micros are faster. But to me that is boring. I like the challenge of tweaking these babies. Besides, many races do not come down to speed, but to who can take the best lines, and control their car the best.

Seeing a Micro whoop up on a ZZ would not surprise me, but when you see a ZZ whoop up on a micro, I immediately give props to that guy. Not only could he drive, but he likely had a ton of mods. :D

I guess it all comes to preference really. I am more of a purist, and the Micros and Chars in my opinion are not very close to scale correctness. The ZZ's are larger, but by looking at any of the bodies you can immediately tell what car it is...not the case for me with the micro/chars. I also think the ZZ cars have more realistic handling and because they are larger are a bit more challenging to drive.

Just my $.02 though. :D

[mechanist]

I like the ZZs so far. It was a cheap way for me to get into this hobby and try it out. I'm still just poking around and trying it out and I think of it and they are great for that.

I've got one of each frequency and a handful of the accessories to mess with. They've been a lot of fun so far.

I'll probably grab one of the Tomy Bits here at a hobby shop. Hopefully on a different freq. than the ZZs just so I can mess with the Bit accessories as well.

[Takevin]

thankyou guys for your opinions, after an exhausive stint of reading as many replies on the forum for bit char and zz. Im going to go with a zz to start out with, later on a bit char. My friend who owns a pt cruiser is of course getting one, so i would like to get a zz, probably the porsche or honda. :)

[MTL]

i have both, but i had my Bitcharg first...
the ZZ is a good buy...20$ is chump change to some...
and if u buy a MSizer....u can buy the FFZZ sets, and use the rims and gears..its a plus

only thing about the ZZ i dont like is ...only a few cars look good in my opinon, and those are the Eclipse, Supra, and well...thats really it...the rest are just deformed...not in a cute deformed way like the Bits, but in a "what the___" way

[VDOGG]

ZZ's are new...People are just now figuring out the best mods...There will be aftermarket parts (besides the ones radio shack sells), and they will be WAY more popular than bits...Why? Because they are available in every town (every town has a radio shack right??), just give the ZZ's a little time to catch up!!!

-Vince

[MicroVader]

We got 2 zips and a Microsizer at work. We have a
make-shift track on a table in the back room and the zips
work better in that space. We're new to this so that opinion
may change with time, who knows.

The stock zip is far easier to control vs. the stock Microsizer.
The zip makes nice wider natural turns where the Microsizer
make very sharp and tight turns. I've read here that
the Microsizer can be tweaked to get more natural steering
but I haven't had time to try that yet.

The Microsizer is way faster and seems to have better
climbing ability. I don't like the small wheels on the front
and the shorter cartoony body.

The zips don't have any cool bodies yet other than the Fast
and Furious kit but I like the fact they are 1/64 and can use
a slot car body so I'm hopeful there.

I ordered a 35mhz bit from Japan and I hope to convert it
to a Zip once I get it so we can race 3 cars at once. :D

~Chris

p.s. I posted this link in another post but here it is again.
An avi of our 2 zips racing on the table at work. 5.6 MB

http://www.flashpoint-dms.com/cars/race2.avi

[Mattydiah]

I got a ZZ PT Cruiser a week or so ago, and I really love it. In stock form, its kinda slow, but the handling can't be beat. I got the FF upgrade today and I can honestly say its very quick!!

On my linoleum floor, its almost too fast to handle, it flips over and spins out alot. It would be more controllable on a better surface, but still very quick.

The best thing though, about ZZ's is they are cheap and readily availiable. If you were to mess one up beyond all repair, you could just go to your local Radio Shack and pick up a new one cheap. With BC's, you have to import them, and Microsizers are pretty much limited to hobby shops now, and lots of them dont even carry MS'ers.

Basically, what I'm saying is, I like my ZZ, and I dont regret not getting a BCG or a MSer. Like someone said above me, just wait, the ZZ's are only a week old, as time goes on, more and more mods will come out, and you will be able to run with the best of em, no sweat!

[Takevin]

yea, i held off yesterday buying a sizer, but unfortunetly, every radio shack, i called about 10 plus, are near completely sold out of the zz's, the only ones that have some in stock are the pts and mustangs{shudder}, i have a life size transam so its against my nature to get a ford zz, hehe. The one i would like to get is a porsche or black honda zz, get the ff kit too. Ill just have to wait till they do a restock. I live here near chicago in the burbs, everyone is getting these cars.

[SteelBluePT]

I would say zipzap just for convenience and the similarity of the two. Plus I prefer the zz (having never owned another tinyr/c though) because its closer to scale-looking. I own a PT Cruiser and getting the Blue PT Cruiser body of the zips was a no-brainer for me. I think its great, runs well, I bought a FF upgrade kit and love the performance of it. Im trying to find another PT Cruiser zip in 27mhz but haven't been able to find one, just the one I got a cpl weeks ago. This is my first time getting into the tiny r/c's---I used to race 1/10 scale a while back and have recently got back into the whole r/c thing---love the small ones for convenience and speed of charging/running, its great. Good Luck!

[tuner00]

Funny... the last RadioShack I visited had 40+ ZipZaps on the shelves, fast and furious bodies, tracks, etc. (porsches, pt cruisers, mustangs).

I want the black and blue civic. Too bad they didn't have it. I did buy all their grand prix tracks. My son and I are having a blast with these. Also want one of those F&F upgrade kit to get the motors. Darn!

[Takevin]

i guess it depends on where you live, one radioshack put out a bunch sat, they were gone in a short time.

[tuner00]

I have seen 80 stores out of stock here in the Twin Cities and I found one store with boat loads of them.

[Mattydiah]

I always seem to get lucky. I got the last PT cruiser when I bought my ZZ, and just this weekend, I got the last FF upgrade kit.

Just lucky I guess. Most stores I have been to are telling me Wednesday for a restock date, so just wait a few more days.

[spradlinb]

I just found the ZZs at my local RadioShack three days ago, and they had 2 of each car type and frequency, plus about eight of all the upgrade kits... I bought two of the PT Cruiser's and just had a lot of fun running it around the floor at home (even though I only have a 10' x 10' kitchen floor to use)! I'd heard of the smaller Bits, but didn't want to pay the extra to find them, while these ZZs were just a few blocks away from me. I went back the next day for the FF upgrade kit, and they'd almost sold out of the cars and parts... about four cars total, maybe two of each of the kits left. The person working said they're the most popular item they've had in years, and I can see why. I'm not a radio control enthusiast, really, just someone that likes to dabble, and these ZZs are definitely a great price for the fun you get out of them! Can't wait for more body styles and mods to appear.

Cheers.

[tuner00]

back to the original topic...

I just received my Micros and I seem to like it more than the Zip.

(EVO Lancer, Subaru WRX, Skyline Bodies)

Reasons:

1. cool looking bodies --- has a certain cool look
2. speed!
3. better controller rocker switch - doesnt hurt
4. love the separate charging light.. red green color blind here.
5. tires sit on the wheels better than the zip...
6. longer run times?
7. love those transparent headlights
8. quick motor replacement without needing a screwdriver... also a negative though

not so good:

1. nicad battery
2. wheels can't be modded as easily (not plug and play switch on like zip)
3. need to mod the antenna still just like zip
4. motor is not as secure as zip where it's screwed in
5. controller requires screwdriver to replace batteries


I guess that's about it for now.

I will have to take a picture of them together side by side for size comparison.

[SteelBluePT]

By the sounds of it, if your really into the slight speed increase of the microsizer, than thats the way to go. But if your more into slightly more scale realism and convenience, than stick with the ZZ. Me---till theres a PT Cruiser Microsizer, I wont go near it---its that body that got me into this whole TinyRC thing anyway! Either way--have fun!

I picked up another freq of the PT Cruiser and the pit box last night, couldnt be happier with my current setup!

[chronic588]

I work for Radioshack so I got the ZZ's very cheap. I have ordered all the clones from the bitCharA, Lxx, Micro Q, Huale and the original Tomy's. But because of the stupid dockworkers strike I wont be getting those in for a long time.

I am planning on testing them all and racing them against each other to get a full spec sheet (When you work for Radioshack this is part of the job to learn the products, one of the fringe benefits...lol). I have done it for the ZZ's and posted it somewhere on this site. The max speed you can get on the stock kit is 2.2 MPH. With the FF kit and top gearing you can tweak it up to 4.7 MPH.

We fooled around with a 3V Lithium battery and got it as high as 8 MPH before we blew it up (actually it burnt out the IC board and motor, burning smell).

The question I have has anyone considered using the ZZ chassis and putting the Tomy circuitry into it? The tomy circuits are superior, but the ZZ chassis has more space for mods.

[Deadite]

Check out this thread....somone has put bit guts in zz.

http://tinyrc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1330&highlight=bolts

[Deadite]

I do have to give it to the ZZ they are nicely detailed but are slow. I love the rims how they go on and off and the tires even have a tread. I don't like the controller though. I like my bubbly little bit body.

Show me your bits! (hmmmm that sounds wrong)

[tuner00]

I can't believe how many clones are out there now... so much selections.

I was at the mall the other day and saw some MiniRacers for $24.99 and looked almost like Bits. I may pick one up since they sell them in 4 different channels.

[rinkowitz]

Whatever you buy, it seems that the 49mhz work best for range. I've got a ZZ PT 27 and it sucks for range, but fun as hell. I'm modding the antenna tomorrow for more range.

Thanks to everyone on this site for posting such useful info!!!!

[Viper76Man]

Can anyone comment on the reason the ZZ handles better then the BIT. I am not concerned about top speed, battery life, or looks as no matter which I will buy I will end up modding the heck out of it. I read that it turns better, but I have never really seen why?

[keith20]

Hey Viper, I think I got that one nailed. When I used to race 1/10 scale, I had an HPI Mini Pro. Really fast, and really quick steering. It had about a one or two inch shorter wheelbase than a reg 1/10. It was a miata, compared to say a stratus. I'm pretty sure the longer wheelbase on the ZZ, compared to the bit, makes it a lot slower to turn in to a curve. This makes my bit clone really twitchy compared to my ZZ. Toe-in, like on real cars may have something to do with it also. I don't know about a Bit, but my ZZ has quite a bit of toe-in, making it center quicker and turn in slower. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[tuner00]

the motor speed is less on the ZZ than on the bit/ms and the tires on the bit/ms have no treads.

Control and handling improves when the motor is not as fast and your tires can grip well.

[Viper76Man]

perfect, now we are getting somewhere with the wheelbase thing.

so has anyone setup the gears, motor, tires to achieve similiar speeds, and then put them on the track to see how they do against each other?

From what I gather the BITS have a tendency to oversteer and the ZZ's to understeer. As tuner00 said this could be because of power reasons... but if anyone has done the above test maybe we can put this to rest.