Jconcepts Landmine 1.9" Performance Scale Tire
Vanquish VS 410 Pro out on the trail testing the Landmines.
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Around the middle of May, I was busy tidying up my review on the 2.2 Scorpio tires when Rich from JConcepts reached out to hear my thoughts on the Scorpio and how the testing went. With Mojave Valley’s position in the RC world being that of a small ant on the information pile, it was refreshing to have a manufacturer genuinely interested in hearing feedback about their products.
During our talk, I described the unique terrain features of the grainy sandstone rock and how it presents a series of challenges to deal with. While the Scorpio did well, it’s not the most well-rounded tire on the market and has a few weak spots when dealing with loose or wet terrain. |
After further discussion, Rich offered to send over a set of their Landmine 1.9 tires to run through a similar testing process. The hunch was that the Landmines would perform better over a wider range of terrain, but they needed to be put to the test.
As for the published results, I laid out to Rich that the review must be an independent project conducted solely by MVRCA and not “guided” by JConcepts. Basically, if they were terrible, I would say just as much. This was all agreed upon and the Landmine tires arrived the following week.
As for the published results, I laid out to Rich that the review must be an independent project conducted solely by MVRCA and not “guided” by JConcepts. Basically, if they were terrible, I would say just as much. This was all agreed upon and the Landmine tires arrived the following week.
Exceptional detail in the tread pattern.
Initially released in 2019, the Landmine crawling tire development was guided by JConcepts' experience gained from the Scorpio and Rupture tires, as well as their long background in off-road buggy racing tire design. I’ve already worked with the Scorpio 2.2 and found that to be an excellent tire, and I have a fresh set of Ruptures are sitting here ready to go.
Looking at those two tires, I can see where the Landmine shares some of these same ideas. The squared crown of the Landmine very similar to the Scorpio, but the more open lug pattern is closer to the Rupture tire.
The first Landmine release offered up the larger 120mm tire, and the following year JConcepts released the smaller “scaler” version with a 106mm tire height. Both tires come in the Super-Soft green dot rubber compound for maximum grip on the rocks.
Looking the Landmine tire over, I’m struck as to the impressive amount of detail contained in the tread pattern, and the above-average finish quality. Molded-in rock ejectors and a 50/50 reversed tread pattern makes this a non-directional tire. The tire lugs themselves are asymmetrical and directional, giving you the ability to reverse the tires without losing the advantage of surface engagement from the unique lug shape. It’s a nifty way of giving you more life from the tire by reversing them as the wear down.
The lugs are also not simple blocks, but feature steps and angles, along with a few inner pockets and molded in siping lines. Running down the sidewall are the main outer lugs which tie into a thick ring molded halfway down the sidewall. This ring has faint gaps and a few small lugs which help fill in the extra space and offer plenty of traction area when rubbing the sidewalls.
The tire is soft, but not flimsy. There is no ribbing underneath the tread or on the inside of the sidewalls. I’m not going to say that’s a disadvantage for a crawler, but it may not be firm enough to stand up to any kind of rock-racing action without closed-cell foams installed. Just something to keep in mind in the event you had plans on spinning these up to higher speeds.
The rubber compound is sticky enough to pick up just about every piece of lint and stray dog hair on my desk. The product and company’s name is clearly molded into the sidewall of the tire, as well as the part number and size, giving it a very scale look.
Also worth mentioning is the excellent quality of the tire’s bead area. This shape is precisely molded into the tire and provides a clearly defined ledge for mounting the wheel. The bead also carries its thickness right to a squared-off inside edge. Overall, this is about as good of a design and manufacturing quality that you’ll encounter on the market today.
Looking at those two tires, I can see where the Landmine shares some of these same ideas. The squared crown of the Landmine very similar to the Scorpio, but the more open lug pattern is closer to the Rupture tire.
The first Landmine release offered up the larger 120mm tire, and the following year JConcepts released the smaller “scaler” version with a 106mm tire height. Both tires come in the Super-Soft green dot rubber compound for maximum grip on the rocks.
Looking the Landmine tire over, I’m struck as to the impressive amount of detail contained in the tread pattern, and the above-average finish quality. Molded-in rock ejectors and a 50/50 reversed tread pattern makes this a non-directional tire. The tire lugs themselves are asymmetrical and directional, giving you the ability to reverse the tires without losing the advantage of surface engagement from the unique lug shape. It’s a nifty way of giving you more life from the tire by reversing them as the wear down.
The lugs are also not simple blocks, but feature steps and angles, along with a few inner pockets and molded in siping lines. Running down the sidewall are the main outer lugs which tie into a thick ring molded halfway down the sidewall. This ring has faint gaps and a few small lugs which help fill in the extra space and offer plenty of traction area when rubbing the sidewalls.
The tire is soft, but not flimsy. There is no ribbing underneath the tread or on the inside of the sidewalls. I’m not going to say that’s a disadvantage for a crawler, but it may not be firm enough to stand up to any kind of rock-racing action without closed-cell foams installed. Just something to keep in mind in the event you had plans on spinning these up to higher speeds.
The rubber compound is sticky enough to pick up just about every piece of lint and stray dog hair on my desk. The product and company’s name is clearly molded into the sidewall of the tire, as well as the part number and size, giving it a very scale look.
Also worth mentioning is the excellent quality of the tire’s bead area. This shape is precisely molded into the tire and provides a clearly defined ledge for mounting the wheel. The bead also carries its thickness right to a squared-off inside edge. Overall, this is about as good of a design and manufacturing quality that you’ll encounter on the market today.
Pro Line Racing two stage XL foams in the 1.9" wheel size.
I won’t go as far as saying it’s universally accepted that foams will make or break a crawler tire’s performance, but in my personal experience, getting the right foam into the tire will considerably improve all aspects of its performance and ability.
With the Landmines, the OEM foams are a decent, standard open-cell single stage foam which deliver fair results on the trail for most drivers. But if you stay with these foams, you will not see the full potential of the Landmines, especially when things get challenging.
Keep in mind that the Landmine Performance Scaler is a 120mm tire, leaving quite a bit of space between wheel and top of the tire. When running a basic open-cell single-stage foam, the tire is going to want to fold over across the wheel when the terrain tilts the truck to the side, known as “side-hilling.” This is the main weakness with all open cell foams and tall tires in both the 1.9” and 2.2” range.
Anticipating this, I had ordered a set of the Pro-Line Racing XL two stage foams (#6174-00) to have on hand when the Landmine tires arrived. I fully intended to push these tires to their absolute limits with the Vanquish VS 410 Pro truck, so I didn’t spend any time fooling around with the standard foams.
With the Landmines, the OEM foams are a decent, standard open-cell single stage foam which deliver fair results on the trail for most drivers. But if you stay with these foams, you will not see the full potential of the Landmines, especially when things get challenging.
Keep in mind that the Landmine Performance Scaler is a 120mm tire, leaving quite a bit of space between wheel and top of the tire. When running a basic open-cell single-stage foam, the tire is going to want to fold over across the wheel when the terrain tilts the truck to the side, known as “side-hilling.” This is the main weakness with all open cell foams and tall tires in both the 1.9” and 2.2” range.
Anticipating this, I had ordered a set of the Pro-Line Racing XL two stage foams (#6174-00) to have on hand when the Landmine tires arrived. I fully intended to push these tires to their absolute limits with the Vanquish VS 410 Pro truck, so I didn’t spend any time fooling around with the standard foams.
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Testing Setup
Starting off with the Landmines laid out on the workbench, I punched three vent holes (3mm) in each tire and then installed the Pro-Line two-stage foams. After mounting them up on a set of Vanquish aluminum beadlock wheels, I placed two Vanquish wheel weights on the front hubs only; the rear wheels did not have weights. Doing the majority of the crawling for this project was our new Vanquish VS 410 Pro crawler. This has been a fantastic truck out on the trail with many adventures already complete. |
Vanquish VS 410 Pro Ready to Go.
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I pulled the VS 410 off the shelf and gave it a close look over to make sure everything was in order, I mounted up the Landmines with the Pro-Line foams. Sitting on the workbench, the VS 410 looked quite sharp with the new tires, even though the Vanquish body has taken quite the beating from a few nasty technical trails.
All kinds of grip on the sandstone with the Landmines.
Badrock Ridge
Rolling out to Badrock Ridge, I jumped right into the more technical sections of the trail.
I had already been driving the new VS 410 for a couple of months, taking it on several trips to different rock crawling areas, and over that time the truck has become my preferred crawler of choice in the collection.
I find it to be well composed and surprisingly nimble on difficult trails with an unusual ability to handle steep side-hilling situations.
The Landmine’s rubber is very soft right from the packaging, but a good scrubbing-in is almost always needed with a crawler tire to open up the surface for even more traction. I cruised along the lower side of Badrock just to rack up some trail time and get an even amount of wear on the front and rear tires.
Right away I could see a good pairing between the foam and the tire, with just the right amount of flex at the sidewall where the tread meets the ground. They felt very sticky, gripping to the gritty sandstone surface.
Rolling out to Badrock Ridge, I jumped right into the more technical sections of the trail.
I had already been driving the new VS 410 for a couple of months, taking it on several trips to different rock crawling areas, and over that time the truck has become my preferred crawler of choice in the collection.
I find it to be well composed and surprisingly nimble on difficult trails with an unusual ability to handle steep side-hilling situations.
The Landmine’s rubber is very soft right from the packaging, but a good scrubbing-in is almost always needed with a crawler tire to open up the surface for even more traction. I cruised along the lower side of Badrock just to rack up some trail time and get an even amount of wear on the front and rear tires.
Right away I could see a good pairing between the foam and the tire, with just the right amount of flex at the sidewall where the tread meets the ground. They felt very sticky, gripping to the gritty sandstone surface.
Lifting the inside rear will on this sidehill. Landmines are dug in like a tick!
In one area on the trail, there is a steep side-hilling line that wraps around the base of a sandstone rock.
Tackling this has been a challenge for any crawler I have worked with on this trail, but the VS 410 had pulled the most impressive lines before sliding down the side of the rock’s surface.
With the Landmines ready to go, I headed into a steep line wrapping around to the right, and I was shocked to see the truck stick to the rock like a lizard.
I was already further along the line that I had ever been in the past, but only three of the four tires were gripping the rock.
The rear inside tire hovered in the air about a half inch, yet the other three tires were firmly planted into the rock’s surface. It held it comfortably enough for me to snap a quick photo.
Carefully inching along, the VS 410 leaned even further, yet the Pro-Line foams were doing an excellent job of supporting the sidewall of the tire, focusing the contact patch directly into the rock below. It was impressive. At this point of the testing, I can’t think of a reason why you would not want to run these two-stage foams from Pro-Line. There is no single-stage foam that will support the tire nearly as well.
By now I had expected the truck to lose traction and slide down the side, but the tires continued to hold as I crept along all while the slope continued to steepen. Finally the truck started to tip over slowly to the side, with the center of gravity throwing in the towel before the tires gave up their hold.
Tackling this has been a challenge for any crawler I have worked with on this trail, but the VS 410 had pulled the most impressive lines before sliding down the side of the rock’s surface.
With the Landmines ready to go, I headed into a steep line wrapping around to the right, and I was shocked to see the truck stick to the rock like a lizard.
I was already further along the line that I had ever been in the past, but only three of the four tires were gripping the rock.
The rear inside tire hovered in the air about a half inch, yet the other three tires were firmly planted into the rock’s surface. It held it comfortably enough for me to snap a quick photo.
Carefully inching along, the VS 410 leaned even further, yet the Pro-Line foams were doing an excellent job of supporting the sidewall of the tire, focusing the contact patch directly into the rock below. It was impressive. At this point of the testing, I can’t think of a reason why you would not want to run these two-stage foams from Pro-Line. There is no single-stage foam that will support the tire nearly as well.
By now I had expected the truck to lose traction and slide down the side, but the tires continued to hold as I crept along all while the slope continued to steepen. Finally the truck started to tip over slowly to the side, with the center of gravity throwing in the towel before the tires gave up their hold.
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Setting the truck down at the bottom, I headed over to the base of the slope where it terminates into another slab of sandstone, and made short work of climbing up the V-notch, hooking to the right to loop around and have a few more runs at the side-hill.
The next couple of weeks were spent working different areas at Badrock, developing a feel for how far I could push these tires. In just about every situation where the truck could stay upright on the rock, the tires would hold firm and provide excellent traction. This Landmine tire was bringing out a new level of performance I hadn’t seen from the VS 410 before. Unfortunately, the VS 410’s body took some additional abuse during this time, but I was pleased to be climbing some rather difficult sections on the trail. |
Miller's Joint steepness is hard to capture in photos.
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Miller’s Joint
Standing at the bottom of a 30’ joint between two massive blocks of sandstone, I looked up into Miller’s Joint with high expectations. This trail is a fun and challenging climb up a tight line where your tire’s sidewalls will be put to the test. The steepness of the trail constantly pushes the truck off the centerline, trying to get the tires to slip down and wedge into the bottom of the joint. It’s tough on lexan bodies and definitely not the place for shelf-queens or highly detailed trucks with side mirrors or other decorations. |
Starting at the bottom trail with my photographer in place near the top, I made a smooth and deliberately slow place, working my way up into the first few feet of the trail.
The Brood Racing 35T Slither motor I was running is a perfect choice for this kind of crawling, proving plenty of smooth power to the tires.
The Brood Racing 35T Slither motor I was running is a perfect choice for this kind of crawling, proving plenty of smooth power to the tires.
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Working my way up the joint, the Landmines were hooking up well on the sandstone, but the steep slope into the joint coupled with the uneven walls would periodically slide the truck up against the side of the rock.
Once jammed up against the rock, I would have to turn into the opposite side and grind my way along the wall until the tires pulled me away. When that didn’t work, I would crank down on the servo and actually push the truck away from the rock, then give it a slight reverse, mashing the rear of the body into the rock wall. |
Just a little bodywork underway in this section.
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This creates a bit of space for the front of the truck to turn back into the rock and hook an edge of the tire in order to pop it back up into the wall.
Once back straddling both walls, I would re-center the truck back across the top of the joint, and continue the climb.
Once back straddling both walls, I would re-center the truck back across the top of the joint, and continue the climb.
Fighting my way to the top of Miller's Joint.
In some areas, it is just too steep for this move.
The next solution was to crawl up the side for a few inches, then turn sharp back towards the opposite wall, carrying a front tire and hopefully spanning the joint again.
This little dance was brutal on the tire’s sidewalls, beadlock ring, and the lexan body of the truck.
Some areas were easier to span than others, but it was the steep uphill slope that magnified every small error that I made.
I’ll also mention this trail will kill off a weak servo in short order, but the Reef’s 444 didn’t seem to mind the abuse.
The next solution was to crawl up the side for a few inches, then turn sharp back towards the opposite wall, carrying a front tire and hopefully spanning the joint again.
This little dance was brutal on the tire’s sidewalls, beadlock ring, and the lexan body of the truck.
Some areas were easier to span than others, but it was the steep uphill slope that magnified every small error that I made.
I’ll also mention this trail will kill off a weak servo in short order, but the Reef’s 444 didn’t seem to mind the abuse.
Confidence is everything at this spot on the trail. It's a long way down to the bottom.
At the top of the joint, the trail veers off to the left, putting you back on top of the rock again.
In this area, which is about 5’ long, the lumpy sandstone is very steep with little room for a mistake. Flipping over here will send your truck falling to the bottom of the joint, 30’ down to a sheet of solid rock.
Staying smooth and steady, the Vanquish carefully picked its way up the trail until reaching summit of the rock pile.
In total, the climb took about 15 minutes to complete and at no point did I feel the Landmines weren’t up to the challenge.
I feel like this trail is an excellent measurement of a tire’s traction and control, as well as putting the foams to the test as well. I don't believe that a lower quality foam would have handled the heavy side-loads on the tire in this situation.
In this area, which is about 5’ long, the lumpy sandstone is very steep with little room for a mistake. Flipping over here will send your truck falling to the bottom of the joint, 30’ down to a sheet of solid rock.
Staying smooth and steady, the Vanquish carefully picked its way up the trail until reaching summit of the rock pile.
In total, the climb took about 15 minutes to complete and at no point did I feel the Landmines weren’t up to the challenge.
I feel like this trail is an excellent measurement of a tire’s traction and control, as well as putting the foams to the test as well. I don't believe that a lower quality foam would have handled the heavy side-loads on the tire in this situation.
Navigating this nasty, technical trail at Ten Mile.
Boise, ID
With the weather still on the hot side for this time of year in Boise, the Vanquish made short work of a number of trails, even making a few impressive passes along the Ten Mile ( in name only ) rock wall.
This same rock wall gave the Wraith fits with the Duratrax tires seemed far easier with the Landmines, even though they are more than an inch smaller than the 2.2” Duratrax tire.
Of all the areas tested, Lucky Peak’s eroding lava rock was the most enjoyable to drive. The rough, gritty surface of these rocks were easy pickings for the Vanquish.
Steep, off-camber lines quickly showed how well the Pro-Line two-stage foams accentuated the performance of the Landmine tires. They supported the sidewall of the tire will allowing the tread patch to grip the rock’s surface securely.
Other than blowing my second Hobbywing 1080 WP ESC’s capacitor ( which was replaced with the new Copperhead from Castle RC ), the Landmine tires were fantastic.
With the weather still on the hot side for this time of year in Boise, the Vanquish made short work of a number of trails, even making a few impressive passes along the Ten Mile ( in name only ) rock wall.
This same rock wall gave the Wraith fits with the Duratrax tires seemed far easier with the Landmines, even though they are more than an inch smaller than the 2.2” Duratrax tire.
Of all the areas tested, Lucky Peak’s eroding lava rock was the most enjoyable to drive. The rough, gritty surface of these rocks were easy pickings for the Vanquish.
Steep, off-camber lines quickly showed how well the Pro-Line two-stage foams accentuated the performance of the Landmine tires. They supported the sidewall of the tire will allowing the tread patch to grip the rock’s surface securely.
Other than blowing my second Hobbywing 1080 WP ESC’s capacitor ( which was replaced with the new Copperhead from Castle RC ), the Landmine tires were fantastic.
Headed to the top!
Fruita Colorado
For a change of scenery, I headed up Fruita Colorado to spend a few days crawling on the granite hillsides tucked away in an area known as Loma.
One particular hillside is deceptively steep, with a vast expanse of weathered granite. Appearing in sections on the granite are bits of moss and lichen, as well as a few pockets of pine needles and other forest debris which have washed down from the trees at the top of the hill.
Because you have a short hike to this area from the parking lot below, it's easy to forget that you’re already on an incline before you reach the exposed rock for crawling. What seemed like an easy line to crawl is actually quite steep, and the groaning of the Landmines seemed to prove this out.
Water runoff and weathering has carved out excellent crawling trails along the numerous cracks running down the granite face. These small wash trails are the most enjoyable and challenging features on the hillside, and our group spent a few hours working our way up to the top.
For the first day, I hooked up with my good friend Kyle with his Vanquish VS 410 Pro and Rick with his Element Enduro. We attacked a particularly long and weathered crack in the rock which ran a considerable distance up the side of the hill. Water had smoothed the edges and added in a few deep pockets, forcing most of the crawling action to be spanning the gap with only the side lugs and crown edges of the tires making contact. The Landmine’s sidewall lugs held firm due to the support from the Pro-Line foams inside, preventing the tire from folding over at the beadlock ring. The outer ring of lugs on the tire were also tall enough to deal with pockets of dirt and moss, sinking down into this material and maintaining traction.
For a change of scenery, I headed up Fruita Colorado to spend a few days crawling on the granite hillsides tucked away in an area known as Loma.
One particular hillside is deceptively steep, with a vast expanse of weathered granite. Appearing in sections on the granite are bits of moss and lichen, as well as a few pockets of pine needles and other forest debris which have washed down from the trees at the top of the hill.
Because you have a short hike to this area from the parking lot below, it's easy to forget that you’re already on an incline before you reach the exposed rock for crawling. What seemed like an easy line to crawl is actually quite steep, and the groaning of the Landmines seemed to prove this out.
Water runoff and weathering has carved out excellent crawling trails along the numerous cracks running down the granite face. These small wash trails are the most enjoyable and challenging features on the hillside, and our group spent a few hours working our way up to the top.
For the first day, I hooked up with my good friend Kyle with his Vanquish VS 410 Pro and Rick with his Element Enduro. We attacked a particularly long and weathered crack in the rock which ran a considerable distance up the side of the hill. Water had smoothed the edges and added in a few deep pockets, forcing most of the crawling action to be spanning the gap with only the side lugs and crown edges of the tires making contact. The Landmine’s sidewall lugs held firm due to the support from the Pro-Line foams inside, preventing the tire from folding over at the beadlock ring. The outer ring of lugs on the tire were also tall enough to deal with pockets of dirt and moss, sinking down into this material and maintaining traction.
Landmines providing solid traction on loose terrain.
Working our way up through the rocks, we encountered small pockets of dirt and plant debris which the Landmines easily navigated.
With the dryness of the dirt and dead vegetation, there was little chance of it sticking to the tire, and the wide contact patch of the lugs kept the truck moving along without any issue.
With the dryness of the dirt and dead vegetation, there was little chance of it sticking to the tire, and the wide contact patch of the lugs kept the truck moving along without any issue.
Knocking off another difficult climb for the day.
If anything, I needed to improve the overall balance of the truck in order to maximize the traction of the tires. A few times I had the Vanquish close to flipping over backwards while the rear tires held firm.
Over the next few days, we continued to explore this area and seeing just what our trucks could scale. Knowing that trying to crawl up the mossy areas of a rock was just asking for trouble, I had to take some unusual line choices to reach the top of a hill.
My usual choice was to side-hill around the moss until I reached the exposed rock underneath, and then turn sharply into the rock’s race.
The Landmines would groan and slide with this style of driving, but more often than not I reached the top.
Over the next few days, we continued to explore this area and seeing just what our trucks could scale. Knowing that trying to crawl up the mossy areas of a rock was just asking for trouble, I had to take some unusual line choices to reach the top of a hill.
My usual choice was to side-hill around the moss until I reached the exposed rock underneath, and then turn sharply into the rock’s race.
The Landmines would groan and slide with this style of driving, but more often than not I reached the top.
The loose grit on the rock makes this line challenging.
The granite surface feels much different under the tires than the sandstone I was accustomed to crawling, and I felt it needed a finer touch and more precise line choice.
There were a few areas where the entire truck would slide back with all four wheels locked into position, and a quick touch of the rock’s surface with my fingertips revelated a loose, gritty surface.
It’s actually much looser than sandstone, and the speckled surface of the granite hides most of this grit. The space between the Landmine’s lugs created plenty of room for this grit to push into without lifting the tire off the rock, maintaining traction along the way.
Kyle and I ended up spending a few hours in one small section, working a few lines until we had tried just about every possible path to reach the top. I found myself spotting exact features in the rocks surface to aim for, turning at just the right spot and working the throttle to maintain forward momentum when I started to slip. It was quite a learning experience, especially dialing in the technique of bumping the throttle when you needed a bit of wheel speed to get past a tricky spot.
There were a few areas where the entire truck would slide back with all four wheels locked into position, and a quick touch of the rock’s surface with my fingertips revelated a loose, gritty surface.
It’s actually much looser than sandstone, and the speckled surface of the granite hides most of this grit. The space between the Landmine’s lugs created plenty of room for this grit to push into without lifting the tire off the rock, maintaining traction along the way.
Kyle and I ended up spending a few hours in one small section, working a few lines until we had tried just about every possible path to reach the top. I found myself spotting exact features in the rocks surface to aim for, turning at just the right spot and working the throttle to maintain forward momentum when I started to slip. It was quite a learning experience, especially dialing in the technique of bumping the throttle when you needed a bit of wheel speed to get past a tricky spot.
Element's Gatekeeper easily cruising along this lava rock at Lucky Peak.
Additional Testing
Over the next few months, I had the chance to hit more trails in Idaho and Nevada, and the Landmines continued to perform.
The Vanquish VS 410 Pro seemed like such a natural fit to the tires that I ended up moving these wheels and tires over to my Element Gatekeeper and spending another three weeks on the rocks.
Maybe there was a chance that the VS 410’s own excellent manners were rubbing off on the tires, putting a bit too much shine on the Landmines?
Like the Vanquish, the Element Gatekeeper excelled on all things rock as well as loose soil and gravel. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, there was really nothing these tires couldn’t handle.
I actually cleared a few steep lines that were not possible with the tires which were on the Gatekeeper before ( a set of knock-off Hyrax ). With this, I was able to rule out the VS 410's influence and could see clearly that these were a very good set of tires.
Over the next few months, I had the chance to hit more trails in Idaho and Nevada, and the Landmines continued to perform.
The Vanquish VS 410 Pro seemed like such a natural fit to the tires that I ended up moving these wheels and tires over to my Element Gatekeeper and spending another three weeks on the rocks.
Maybe there was a chance that the VS 410’s own excellent manners were rubbing off on the tires, putting a bit too much shine on the Landmines?
Like the Vanquish, the Element Gatekeeper excelled on all things rock as well as loose soil and gravel. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, there was really nothing these tires couldn’t handle.
I actually cleared a few steep lines that were not possible with the tires which were on the Gatekeeper before ( a set of knock-off Hyrax ). With this, I was able to rule out the VS 410's influence and could see clearly that these were a very good set of tires.
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Here is a short video of the Element's Gatekeeper builder kit outfitted with their new Ecto powerwagon body and the Landmine tires from the Vanquish.
I had expected this climb to be a bit more challenging, but the Gatekeeper easily rolled this spot a number of times. |
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Updated Vanquish VS 410 with a new body, bumpers, skids, and a fancy Castle Copperhead ESC.
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Final Thoughts
After three months of testing where the Landmines crawler tires were put through rugged terrain in three different states, I still couldn’t find a rock surface where they didn’t impress. I had expected that the price for this performance on the rocks would be a short tire life, but much to my surprise they are still in pretty good condition, and I feel there are still a number of trail miles remaining for this set. I’ve worn back the leading edge of the cleats, and there is a bit of fuzzing on the edges of the crown lugs, but I have yet to tear a sidewall despite my best efforts. |
As a crawler tire, the Landmines have a perfect blend of tread pattern, lug height, and carcass support. As soft as the rubber compound is, they held up very well considering I consistently attacked steep, technical climbs over rough rock.
In our diverse and technical terrain, there was nothing I encountered on the trail that these tires couldn’t handle. Now I did not test these in the water or on wet rocks, so I have no data or experience for their performance in those conditions. I avoid water like the plague ( vented tires ), but if driving in wet conditions is part of your usual terrain, you may want to look around a bit more for additional information.
Changing out foams to a two-stage setup is a given, and most crawlers already experiment with foams to make that final adjustment for top performance. There are a few options out there for foams, but if you’re not sure where to start, get a set of Pro-Line XL foams and you’re good to go.
In our diverse and technical terrain, there was nothing I encountered on the trail that these tires couldn’t handle. Now I did not test these in the water or on wet rocks, so I have no data or experience for their performance in those conditions. I avoid water like the plague ( vented tires ), but if driving in wet conditions is part of your usual terrain, you may want to look around a bit more for additional information.
Changing out foams to a two-stage setup is a given, and most crawlers already experiment with foams to make that final adjustment for top performance. There are a few options out there for foams, but if you’re not sure where to start, get a set of Pro-Line XL foams and you’re good to go.
On the trail with Alex's Gatekeeper close behind.
Testing Details
Pros
Cons
Specs
Test Crawler (Main)
- Locations: Loma Colorado, Boise Idaho, Las Vegas Nevada.
- Duration: 3 Months.
- Testing Platforms: Vanquish VS 410 Pro ( 90% time ) and Element Gatekeeper ( 10% time ).
- Total hours on all trails combined: Approximately 35
Pros
- Excellent traction on many different rock types.
- Pricing is attractive when compared to other top-tier brands.
- Well-made and easy to mount.
- Rubber compound is soft and durable.
- Excellent curb appeal.
Cons
- The shorter lug sizes may not be ideal for mud.
Specs
- JConcepts Landmine Performance Scaler 1.9” Tire ( Product Link )
- Part Number: 3156-02
- Weight: 62 grams per tire.
- Rubber Material: Super Soft Compound (Green Dot)
- Directional: No
- Size: 4.72” ( 120mm )
- Retail Price: $24.00 ( per pair )
Test Crawler (Main)
- Vanquish VS 410 Pro
- Brood Racing Creep 35T
- Castle Copperhead ESC
- Reefs 444
- 3s 1500 mAh lithium battery
- Pro-Line Racing Two-Stage Foams (6174-00).
JConcepts 1.9 Landmine Evaluation Results
Technical Rock: 25/30
Large Slab ( Slick Rock ): 18/20
Tire Construction Quality and Appearance: 20/20
Rubber Compound: 20/20
Tread Life: 4/5
Versatility: 5/5
Total Score: 92/100
Technical Rock: 25/30
- Landmines proved to be a highly capable tire. It’s not at the level of a full-blown competition tire for an open or unlimited class of crawler, but they not terribly far behind. I believe that with the right set of foams, these tires can really shine on nasty, technical rock.
Large Slab ( Slick Rock ): 18/20
- While coming up short on a few of the steepest sections of slick rock, these tires do stick on the side hills and steep lines at Badrock Ridge surprisingly well. On side-hills, the Landmines are excellent.
Tire Construction Quality and Appearance: 20/20
- Excellent detail, good looks, perfectly formed beads, and the optimal balance of tire carcass thickness in relation to lug height.
Rubber Compound: 20/20
- JConcepts green rubber compound is one of the best we've tested. It’s sticky, pliable, and performs well under a wide range of temperatures. Perfectly suited for crawling.
Tread Life: 4/5
- For such a soft, sticky compound, these tires are holding up well. There is some initial wear on the squared edges of the lugs, but it doesn’t seem to be degrading the trail performance. Overall, these tires will wear out with heavy use, but the tradeoff for performance feels worth the investment.
Versatility: 5/5
- Excellent performance on just about every section of trail at Badrock.
Total Score: 92/100
Vanquish VS 410 Pro
Bonus Content
I felt it would be entertaining to take the JConcepts press release for the Landmine tires and critique its content based on my findings from the testing. The following press release is from 2019, shown below in quotes.
My comments are in italics and preceded by MVRCA.
"The JConcepts designers have opened up the imagination to create an all-new 1.9” performance scale tire. The Landmines, developed over a 2-year period of testing, tuning and analysis have reached the summit and now available to the crawling enthusiast. The design starts with a robust carcass carefully shaped and sized for a multitude of conditions and capable of completing those difficult courses while being down-to-earth enough to carry a scale appearance."
MVRCA – I think they nailed it here. If there is a miss with other tires, it seems to be found in the tire’s carcass. No matter how innovative or eye-catching the lug shape, positioning, or rubber compound is on the tire, if the carcass is too thin and flimsy, or too thick and rigid, the lugs will not be as effective. I’ve seen this in the Duratrax line where the carcass is far too thin to keep the lugs from folding back into the tire. With the Landmines, I never experienced that situation.
"The team spent considerable time with the split-block center design which has been sliced, stepped, and recessed for flexibility and contortion over sharp, loose, and polished surfaces. The Landmines have alternating solid and cavity pads which is ideal for transitioning from smooth dirt or pavement into dirt, mud, and rocky terrain. Moving toward the edges of the carcass, the scaling tire has horizonal grippy pads with edge and channels to provide additional forward climbing bite."
MVRCA – I also agree here, but not 100% in the aspect of mud. While I did not have a chance to run these in mud, they did fill up a times with soft wet sand around the bases of some lava rock which I encountered in Idaho. It was only a small section of trail, maybe 10’ in total, but I did notice it. The lug pattern is a bit tight for my liking in a mud tire, and I feel their Rupture is a better choice for mud conditions. That said, if you’re operating with a “scaler” criteria in mind, then these would be a good choice while still maintaining a true scale appearance. There is a compromise here when it comes to mud performance and maintaining a scale appearance, but the Landmine gives nothing up when you’re talking about driving Landmines on hard, dry rock or any rough terrain.
"Down within the tread, a lightning pattern, knob plots and connector bars pull the design together to work together at shallow and deep sinking positions. Once power is applied to the vehicle, the tread spacing opens which allows for deep digging, making it a great working tire in dirt and muddy conditions. As the tread rolls down the sidewall, a whole new course of tread and side-lugging is applied. A grippy radial ring provides a consistent rubber contact patch in pinched conditions while in the vertical plane, new traction bars alternate between angular and island mapping for squeeze grip."
MVRCA - The sidewall section of the Landmines is pretty darn good. I used it often to catch the side of the tire against a rock in efforts to scale very steep and tight sections, which is pretty much all of Miller’s Joint. While grinding the sidewalls into the rock with the Reef’s 444 servo, they never failed to grip and showed little more than a slight abrasion.
"The flexibility of the green compound combined with the lug arrangement gives the tire a grippy feel but still maintains that all important scale and performance look. The overall height provides plenty of ground clearance for an abundance of terrain and bossed side-wall logos read with beauty and balance. The tires include a soft open cell foam insert capable of standing up to the super soft compound but flexible enough for sharp terrain. Battlefield, watch-out, Landmines are taking over."
MVRCA – When it comes to tire compounds, this is something that JConcepts is well versed in, and it is of no surprise they picked an excellent rubber quality. Their Green tire compound is indeed very soft and grips the rocks well, and it is also surprisingly durable. The foams included with the tire are fairly standard, but as we discussed earlier, a two-stage foam of your choice will really make these Landmines shine.
Overall Press Release Assessment: Highly Accurate.
I felt it would be entertaining to take the JConcepts press release for the Landmine tires and critique its content based on my findings from the testing. The following press release is from 2019, shown below in quotes.
My comments are in italics and preceded by MVRCA.
"The JConcepts designers have opened up the imagination to create an all-new 1.9” performance scale tire. The Landmines, developed over a 2-year period of testing, tuning and analysis have reached the summit and now available to the crawling enthusiast. The design starts with a robust carcass carefully shaped and sized for a multitude of conditions and capable of completing those difficult courses while being down-to-earth enough to carry a scale appearance."
MVRCA – I think they nailed it here. If there is a miss with other tires, it seems to be found in the tire’s carcass. No matter how innovative or eye-catching the lug shape, positioning, or rubber compound is on the tire, if the carcass is too thin and flimsy, or too thick and rigid, the lugs will not be as effective. I’ve seen this in the Duratrax line where the carcass is far too thin to keep the lugs from folding back into the tire. With the Landmines, I never experienced that situation.
"The team spent considerable time with the split-block center design which has been sliced, stepped, and recessed for flexibility and contortion over sharp, loose, and polished surfaces. The Landmines have alternating solid and cavity pads which is ideal for transitioning from smooth dirt or pavement into dirt, mud, and rocky terrain. Moving toward the edges of the carcass, the scaling tire has horizonal grippy pads with edge and channels to provide additional forward climbing bite."
MVRCA – I also agree here, but not 100% in the aspect of mud. While I did not have a chance to run these in mud, they did fill up a times with soft wet sand around the bases of some lava rock which I encountered in Idaho. It was only a small section of trail, maybe 10’ in total, but I did notice it. The lug pattern is a bit tight for my liking in a mud tire, and I feel their Rupture is a better choice for mud conditions. That said, if you’re operating with a “scaler” criteria in mind, then these would be a good choice while still maintaining a true scale appearance. There is a compromise here when it comes to mud performance and maintaining a scale appearance, but the Landmine gives nothing up when you’re talking about driving Landmines on hard, dry rock or any rough terrain.
"Down within the tread, a lightning pattern, knob plots and connector bars pull the design together to work together at shallow and deep sinking positions. Once power is applied to the vehicle, the tread spacing opens which allows for deep digging, making it a great working tire in dirt and muddy conditions. As the tread rolls down the sidewall, a whole new course of tread and side-lugging is applied. A grippy radial ring provides a consistent rubber contact patch in pinched conditions while in the vertical plane, new traction bars alternate between angular and island mapping for squeeze grip."
MVRCA - The sidewall section of the Landmines is pretty darn good. I used it often to catch the side of the tire against a rock in efforts to scale very steep and tight sections, which is pretty much all of Miller’s Joint. While grinding the sidewalls into the rock with the Reef’s 444 servo, they never failed to grip and showed little more than a slight abrasion.
"The flexibility of the green compound combined with the lug arrangement gives the tire a grippy feel but still maintains that all important scale and performance look. The overall height provides plenty of ground clearance for an abundance of terrain and bossed side-wall logos read with beauty and balance. The tires include a soft open cell foam insert capable of standing up to the super soft compound but flexible enough for sharp terrain. Battlefield, watch-out, Landmines are taking over."
MVRCA – When it comes to tire compounds, this is something that JConcepts is well versed in, and it is of no surprise they picked an excellent rubber quality. Their Green tire compound is indeed very soft and grips the rocks well, and it is also surprisingly durable. The foams included with the tire are fairly standard, but as we discussed earlier, a two-stage foam of your choice will really make these Landmines shine.
Overall Press Release Assessment: Highly Accurate.
Author’s Note
For this project I was supported by JConcepts with samples of tires as well as some historical information about the Landmine crawler tires.
For this project I was supported by JConcepts with samples of tires as well as some historical information about the Landmine crawler tires.