The MJX Bugs 14210 is a 1/14 scale brushed electric truggy that caught my attention recently.
As someone looking to expand my RC collection into smaller scales, I was intrigued by this ready-to-run model and its impressive specs on paper. However, after testing it out, I’ve found myself quite disappointed with the MJX Bugs 14210’s handling and stability issues.
In this extensive review, I’ll provide my candid thoughts on the MJX Bugs 14210 truggy after putting multiple battery packs through it.
I’ll cover the basics like speed and durability, but will focus especially on the truck’s handling, which is unfortunately its Achilles’ heel. Even though the 14210 looks amazing and has great power, it sadly fails on delivering a fun RC experience.
Table Of Contents
At a Glance: MJX Bugs 14210 Specs
Before jumping into my full review, let’s take a quick look at the advertised specs for the MJX Bugs 14210:
- Scale: 1/14
- Length: 270mm (10.6in)
- Width: 190mm (7.5in)
- Height: 100mm (3.9in)
- Wheelbase: 170mm (6.7in)
- Ground Clearance: 25mm (0.98in)
- Weight: 1kg (2.2lbs)
- Speed (claimed): 25mph
- Motor: Brushed 370 motor
- Battery: 7.4V 1500mAh 2S LiPo (included)
- Drivetrain: 4WD shaft
- Tires: Chequer all-terrain
- Shocks: Oil-filled coilover
- Radio: 2.4GHz pistol grip with trims
As you can see, the MJX 14210 checks off a lot of boxes on paper. It’s lightweight at just 1kg, yet powered by a beefy brushed motor for speeds up to 25mph. The 4WD drivetrain, coilover shocks, and grippy chequer tires point towards solid performance as well.
But in my testing, this promising truggy failed to live up to expectations when it came to actual handling and control. Let’s take a closer look at where it falls short.
Visual Design and Quality
I have to hand it to MJX – the Bugs 14210 is one sharp looking truggy right out of the box. The shaped composite chassis has crisp edges and venting, while the durable polycarbonate body is festooned with great graphics. Its wing, roof scoop, exposed motor, and chequer tires make it look like a mini racing truggy.
Build quality seems fairly decent with no immediate flaws. The suspension arms are strong composite, while oil-filled shocks handle the bumps. The wheels use 12mm hexes and are mounted on chunky dog bone driveshafts.
Small details like the wheelie bar, rubber bumper, and spare rear wing add to the race-inspired vibe. With the included 2S LiPo battery on board, the 14210 has some nice visual heft as well.
In the hand, the MJX truggy feels cleanly put together. The only build quality nitpick so far is that the receiver box sits loosely on the chassis brace. But otherwise, fit and finish appears up to par for a ready-to-run model at this price point.
Speed and Power
With a 1500mAh 7.4V LiPo and brushed 370 motor, the 14210 isn’t lacking for power on paper. MJX says it can hit 25mph out of the box. To test this claim, I found a straight stretch of pavement and made a few speed passes using a GPS speedometer.
On 2S power, the lightweight truggy accelerated smoothly and felt fast off the line. After a few runs working up to full throttle, I topped out at 29 mph – beyond the claimed top speed. Throttle response is snappy, while the brakes rein things in with authority.
For perspective, comparable 1/10 stadium trucks often max out between 30-40mph. So nearing 30mph in a smaller 1/14 rig with lower voltage battery is impressive. The included 1500mAh pack delivers 6+ minutes of mixed running time as well.
So in summary, the MJX Bugs 14210 delivers on its speed promises, providing brisk acceleration and an entertaining top end on 2S. Power and runtime seem very satisfying for a mini basher like this.
Handling woes
With its race-inspired looks and potent power system, I couldn’t wait to put the MJX truggy through its paces on a track. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to see that handling was not this model’s strong suit.
Even simple maneuvers resulted in traction rolls and clumsy recoveries. Turning at moderate speeds often created enough side-g force to barrel roll the truck. And quick direction changes or bumps could easily send it into an uncontrolled spin.
Having tuned plenty of RC cars for track use before, I recognize the signs of a truck with chassis balance issues. The 14210 behaves like its center of gravity is simply too high. Combined with the short wheelbase, it doesn’t take much to get those lightweight chequer tires off the ground.
The truck is also plagued by steering slop right out of the box. There is visible play in the servo saver / bellcrank assembly up front. This vague feeling steering certainly doesn’t help matters either when trying to drive the 14210 precisely.
To illustrate how much of a handful this truggy can be, check out this short driving clip: https://www.youtube.com/embed/CpQ1nLE_BFk
As you can see, I’m taking it easy here on a flat parking lot. Yet the MJX truck is all over the place, spinning out repeatedly with minimal steering input. At one point it manages to flip over from a standing start just trying to make a moderate turn!
While a bit of tweaking could likely improve matters, out of the box performance like this is unacceptable. A model marketed as an RTR toy shouldn’t be this much of a handful to drive.
Durability
In terms of durability, the MJX 14210 proved fairly resilient in my testing. The composite chassis held up well to repeated jumps and crashes without buckling or cracking. Landings are absorbed capably by the oil damped shocks.
I did manage to snap off the rear shock tower eventually. But given the abuse it endured, this relatively small plastic part held up well. Beyond that, the rest of the suspension arms, hubs, and driveline components survived a week’s worth of bashing.
The polycarbonate body and foam bumper also protected the truck through some heavy crashes and rollovers without damage. And I was happy to see the wheels stay true and driveline intact even after some big hits.
For a mini RC model, I found the MJX 14210 to be quite tough and durable overall. It seems well equipped to handle the rigors of bashing and only needs occasional wrenching to fix the inevitable broken parts. Just be prepared to replace that rear shock mount sooner or later.
Tuning and Upgrades
In hopes of improving stability and handling, I tried tweaking the 14210’s setup some based on my experience. Here are the changes I tested:
- Lowered front ride height
- Softer rear shock springs
- Lighter 30wt shock oil
- Added diff fluid for more damping
- Swapped to more grippy wheels/tires
Unfortunately, none of these basic tuning steps made a significant difference in the truck’s handling woes. It still traction rolled easily and lacked precision in the turns.
The soft shock springs did increase grip slightly by adding more weight transfer. But the fundamental problem of chassis roll remains.
Until I can diagnose and address the underlying balance issues, tuning options seem limited on this budget model. Geometry and electronics leave little room for adjustment out of the box.
Pros
- Aggressive race truggy looks
- Durable polycarbonate body
- Speedy power system
- Capable brushed motor
- Tough composite chassis
- Oil-filled shocks handle jumps
Cons
- Terrible handling characteristics
- Rolls over constantly
- Steering has lots of slop
- No tuning adjustments
- Very limited parts availability
Who is it good for?
With its handling difficulties, I can’t widely recommend the MJX Bugs 14210 unfortunately. Only more advanced hobbyists looking for a project truck might find some value here.
Younger or novice RC drivers will likely become frustrated quickly by how difficult this model is to control. And with no parts support currently, repairs could be challenging too.
If you’re just looking for a basher RC truck, there are much better options in the 1/10 or 1/8 scales. The extra stability goes a long way for controllability and fun.
Final Thoughts
The MJX Bugs 14210 shows tremendous promise on the surface. It looks like a pint-sized racing truggy and boasts power to match. But none of that matters when the handling is as poor as it is here.
Perhaps with enough mods and tuning work, this truck could be tamed into a capable micro racer. But for most RC fans, the time and effort required makes it hard to recommend.
It’s unfortunate the 14210 doesn’t live up to expectations. With some tweaks to balance and geometry, MJX could resolve the issues and have an impressive rig here. As it stands though, I can’t fully endorse this truck unless you’re up for a project.
For casual RC basher use, there are many better ready-to-run options available that don’t suffer these handling woes. While the MJX Bugs 14210 looks exciting in photos, its driving difficulties make it tough to enjoy for most enthusiasts.
