Traxxas Blast Review: Is Traxxas' Budget Speedboat Worth It? (2026)

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The Traxxas Blast is the cheapest way into Traxxas's RC boat lineup, and for a first-time buyer it is a sound one: a 603 mm (23.75 in) deep-V RTR that runs around 20 mph, is hard to flip, and draws on more spare parts than almost anything else at its price. It is also brushed, NiMH-only, and clearly outrun by brushless boats a step up the market.

That trade-off is the whole decision in the entry class. The Blast wins on simplicity and durability, with a water-cooled 540 motor, a sealed waterproof ESC, and a 20-degree deadrise hull that stays predictable in small chop. It loses on outright speed, and on the two features beginners ask about most: self-righting and LiPo support, neither of which the stock boat has.

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Traxxas Blast: Overview

The Blast is Traxxas's smallest and least expensive boat, and the one it has kept in production the longest. It is a 1/10-scale deep-V mono, 603 mm long and 0.79 kg ready to run, sold as a complete package: boat, TQ 2.4 GHz radio, NiMH pack, and chargers in a single box. Traxxas rates it difficulty level 1, which in practice means it is meant to be dropped in the water and driven, not tuned between runs.

Two versions matter when you are shopping second-hand or comparing listings. The older 38104-1 and the current 38104-8 share the same hull, the same 540 Stinger motor, and the same Nautica ESC. The only change is packaging, with the latest model adding a 4 A USB-C charger alongside the 4 A 12 V DC charger. The original 3810 from years earlier used a stick radio and shipped with a DC charger only. Current colorways are Green and Orange, and the running gear is identical across them.

The Blast sits at the value end of the market, which is why it keeps coming up against the best RC boats under $100 in buying conversations even though it costs more than that bracket. What you pay for over a toy-grade boat is that it is repairable. Every part, from the drive cups to the motor, is a numbered Traxxas spare rather than a throwaway assembly.

Specs & What's in the Box

The figures that decide whether the Blast fits your water are mass and footprint. At 0.79 kg (1.75 lb) and 603 mm long, it is light enough to hand-launch and short enough for a backyard pool or a narrow pond, but heavy enough that it does not get shoved around by light chop. The 20-degree deadrise is a moderate deep-V: enough V to cut a small wake and track straight, not so much that the hull plows and drags.

In the box you get:

• The Blast boat itself, assembled and ready to run
• A TQ 2.4 GHz two-channel transmitter
• A 6519 three-channel micro receiver with fail-safe, mounted in an o-ring sealed waterproof box
• A Traxxas 2056 digital high-torque waterproof steering servo
• A Power Cell 7.2 V 3000 mAh NiMH battery with an iD connector
• A 4 A USB-C charger and a 4 A 12 V DC peak-detecting charger
• A quick-start guide

The one thing not included is four AA cells for the transmitter, so plan on that before your first run.

The power system is deliberately plain. The 540 Stinger is a 20-turn brushed motor with an integrated water-cooling jacket and a 3 mm output shaft, fed by a Nautica waterproof brushed ESC that runs forward only and is set up for six-cell 7.2 V NiMH packs. There is no reverse and no low-voltage cutoff for lithium packs, which is the single most important limitation to understand before you buy. Steering comes from a steerable outdrive with adjustable trim, driving a surface-piercing propeller through a direct drive.

Build Quality & Durability

The Blast earns its reputation on the water rather than on the bench. The ABS hull carries integrated foam flotation in the bow, decals are pre-applied, and the hatch opens wide for battery changes. It is genuinely hard to flip in normal running, and when it does go over, the foam keeps it floating rather than sinking. For a beginner boat, that combination matters more than top speed.

Two weak points come up again and again in owner reports. The first is water ingress. The hatch is held down by a rubber band rather than a positive latch, and water also finds its way in around the seam where the top deck meets the hull. The fix owners use is straightforward: seal the seam and tape the hatch, then drain and dry the hull after every session. Our guides to waterproofing a hatch and stuffing tube and to diagnosing water intrusion cover both jobs.

The second is drivetrain wear. The front drive cups are plastic, and so is the universal joint, and both wear faster under stress, which is why a brushless conversion demands a metal U-joint. On the stock brushed motor the wear is gradual and easy to live with; it becomes a real problem only when you add power.

The electronics themselves are sealed honestly. The receiver sits in an o-ring sealed box, the servo and ESC are rated waterproof, and the fail-safe is set at binding. None of that replaces a proper drying routine, though. Water still pools in the hull, connectors corrode, and the brushed motor benefits from attention. The after-run checklist is worth following from day one. Traxxas also specifies freshwater only; salt water is off the table for this boat.

Performance: Speed, Handling & Runtime

This is where expectations need calibrating. Traxxas advertises the Blast at under 30 mph, and on the stock 7.2 V 3000 mAh NiMH pack the real figure is closer to 20 mph. That is not a fault, it is the design: a brushed 540 driving a single surface-piercing prop through a light ABS hull. It is a pleasant, predictable 20 mph on flat water, and it is stable while it does it. What it is not is a boat that will keep pace with any brushless RTR.

Handling is the Blast's strong suit. The moderate deadrise and light weight make it forgiving to turn, and it stays composed in the small chop you find on a pond. It has no self-righting, so if you do manage to flip it, you retrieve it by hand. For a full explanation of what self-righting is and why it matters, see our guide to how self-righting works. The Blast's saving grace is that it is difficult to turn over in the first place.

Runtime lands around 10 to 15 minutes per charge on the included pack, depending on throttle discipline and water conditions. Two habits keep the drivetrain healthy: keep the propeller clean, because a nicked or slightly damaged prop cavitates badly on this hull and bleeds thrust, and never fit an oversized three-blade prop, which loads the brushed motor, trips the heat up, and can stall you mid-run. A two-blade prop is the safer choice, and if the jargon here is new, this primer on KV, deadrise, and props lays it out clearly.

Finally, the LiPo question. The stock Nautica ESC has no low-voltage cutoff and the manual rules out lithium packs for the boat as shipped. Running LiPo without changing the ESC risks over-discharging and puffing the pack. Stay on NiMH, or upgrade the ESC before you go lithium.

Traxxas Blast vs Pro Boat Recoil 2: Head-to-Head

The Recoil 2 is the boat that most often pulls a Blast shopper away, because it delivers the two things the Blast lacks. Here is how they stack up.

The Recoil 2 wins on performance and on recovery. Its brushless outrunner and 30 A marine ESC make it significantly quicker, and its self-righting means a flipped boat is a momentary inconvenience rather than a walk to retrieve it. Those are the two features beginners most often regret not having.

The Blast counters with simplicity and cost. Its brushed drivetrain is easier to diagnose, its NiMH pack avoids the care and storage overhead of LiPo, and it runs longer between charges. It is also the more forgiving of the two for a first-time driver, because 20 mph on a stable deep-V is less likely to end in a flip than 25+ mph on a smaller boat. If you are weighing the whole Pro Boat range, the Recoil 26 review shows what the larger sibling adds.

The honest split: buy the Blast if you value low-maintenance simplicity and a lower entry cost, and buy the Recoil 2 if you want speed and self-righting and do not mind managing LiPo.

Recommended Upgrades & Accessories for the Traxxas Blast

The Blast has a well-worn upgrade path, and it pays to climb it in order rather than jumping straight to a brushless swap.

Traxxas 2923X 7-cell NiMH pack. The single easiest speed gain. Moving from the stock six-cell 7.2 V pack to a seven-cell 8.4 V unit adds about 15 percent more voltage, and Traxxas puts the potential top-speed gain at up to 10 mph with no other change. Check the Traxxas 2923X 7-cell on Amazon.

Traxxas 1529X prop shaft. Swapping the stock shaft for a 3/16 in unit opens the door to aftermarket metal props that the stock plastic shaft cannot mount. This is the gateway to real prop tuning once the 7-cell pack is in. Search the Traxxas 1529X prop shaft on Amazon.

Replacement propeller (Traxxas 3834). The stock composite prop is a consumable. It wears, and once nicked it cavitates, so keeping a spare is cheap insurance. Check the Traxxas 3834 propeller on Amazon. If you step up to a metal prop, read our guide to 2-blade vs 3-blade props and to prop balancing first.

Hotter brushed motor plus an XL-5 ESC. A common budget step is a 12T to 19T Titan-class brushed motor paired with a Traxxas XL-5 ESC, which unlike the stock Nautica unit includes a LiPo cutoff and would finally let you consider lithium. It keeps the build brushed and simple while adding usable punch.

Brushless conversion. The serious move. A marine brushless motor of up to 3500 kV on 2S or 3S, run through a waterproof 60 A marine ESC, needs a metal U-joint and a 4 mm shaft to survive the extra torque, plus turn fins and trim tabs to stay stable at the higher speed. Space inside the Blast is tight, so plan the layout before buying parts. Our guides to brushed vs brushless motors and to choosing a marine ESC cover the matching, and the wider brushless boat roundup shows what you get if you would rather buy brushless outright.

Traxxas 3875 water-cooling kit. Useful once you over-prop the boat or convert to brushless and the heat load climbs. Note that some of the older 3875 kits do not include the pickup that matches the current hull, so verify contents. Check the Traxxas 3875 cooling kit on Amazon.

Hatch sealing tape. Not glamorous, but taping the hatch and reinforcing the deck seam is the highest-value fix on the whole list, and it costs almost nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion & Final Verdict

The Traxxas Blast does one job well: it is the most forgiving, best-supported way into hobby-grade RC boating without committing to LiPo, brushless, or self-righting hardware. It is stable, difficult to flip, repairable down to numbered spare parts, and honest about what it is, a roughly 20 mph brushed deep-V for small water. For a beginner, a young driver, or a family boat, that is exactly the right set of priorities.

It is not the boat for anyone chasing speed. If 25+ mph and self-righting are what you want, spend a little more on a brushless RTR and save yourself the conversion. If you stay with the Blast, the upgrade path is clear: a seven-cell pack for a quick speed bump, a 3/16 in shaft and a metal prop for real tuning, and hatch sealing for peace of mind.

If you want to see where the Blast sits in the wider range, the Traxxas boat guide ranks every model, and the Disruptor VXL-4s and Spartan SR reviews show what a step up to brushless buys you.

Check the Traxxas Blast on Amazon