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Switched from 3D-printed frames to carbon fiber after a bad crash last fall
I used to run all my builds on cheap 3D-printed frames I made myself, saved like $15 per build but they broke every time I clipped a gate. Last October at the local field in Austin I went down hard from 40 feet and the frame exploded into like 20 pieces, took me an hour to find all the motor screws. Anyone else hit that point where you just accept spending more upfront to avoid rebuilding after every race?
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theas946d agoOG Member
you're really just wasting time with the 3D printed stuff though. the math changes when you factor in how many screws strip out on impact. i counted once and i was spending more on replacement hardware and motor shafts than a decent carbon frame costs. plus there's the hidden cost of crashing mid race and losing the whole season points. carbon fiber doesn't just hold up better, it transfers energy differently so your expensive electronics survive too. that's the part nobody talks about - the motors and vtx that get wrecked when the frame shatters. one dead $80 motor paid for my frame upgrade right there.
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