I think I want a Nitro MT.....

[mrfurious40k]

Hey all,

So I've been waiting for the Outcast to come back in stock and while that's been taking forever I've had some time to think about what I need in addition to my Nero to keep me happy in my RC world.

Here's my biggest problem with Lipo powered cars: Lipo care, charging and storage. I don't mind it but when you have 15 minutes after work before the sun goes down to throw a car in the grass and drive, you just can't do it when your batteries take 30-45 minutes per set to charge. With nitro, it's hook up the receiver pack, fill up the tank and go. I like that and it would suit my life on the days I just want to scratch the itch. I would never get rid of my Lipo powered rig but Nitro is so easy once you have it broken in and tuned.

So that leaves me with the question of which one to buy? Savage? Revo? Something completely different?

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[WoodiE]

I understand your reasoning completely and I'd make two recommendations. The first getting a HPI Savage - these things are well known for their incredible durability, parts are easy to get, and there are tons of hop ups available.

The second would be if you really want to go with something super easy to maintain and even less hassle than nitro can be soemtimes and that's to go with a 1/5th scale RC like a HPI Baja or Losi.

 

[mrfurious40k]

I understand your reasoning completely and I'd make two recommendations. The first getting a HPI Savage - these things are well known for their incredible durability, parts are easy to get, and there are tons of hop ups available.

The second would be if you really want to go with something super easy to maintain and even less hassle than nitro can be soemtimes and that's to go with a 1/5th scale RC like a HPI Baja or Losi.

Thanks WoodiE. I had the original Savage back in the day so I'm leaning heavily towards one. They are out of stock everywhere, though. Maybe because of their recent change in ownership?

I like the idea of the 1/5th gas powered trucks but the prices are a little prohibitive except for the Redcat Racing brand which I'm not confident are worth the money. I've read mixed reviews on their electric stuff.

 

[Jlolley]

Love the sound smell and feel of nitro. That said it is slower, dirtier, and much more work than electric. You won't be doing standing back flips. Just sold Kyosho Mad Force, ran like a top. Bought Losi Lst xxl2 gas, (gas $3 / nitro $36 gal) Known issues caused it to take off uncontrollably, hit a van and break in half. I will keep one to tinker and play with, but if it is for ease, imo stick with electric. PS....had savage x 4.6.... in my experience I had to repair it every time I drove it. I have not had that experience with any other RC. I did buy it used, so that could be the issue. Others love them. Good luck.

Then there is pull start and it's issues, or starting wand and charging batteries.

 

[mrfurious40k]

Love the sound smell and feel of nitro. That said it is slower, dirtier, and much more work than electric. You won't be doing standing back flips. Just sold Kyosho Mad Force, ran like a top. Bought Losi Lst xxl2 gas, (gas $3 / nitro $36 gal) Known issues caused it to take off uncontrollably, hit a van and break in half. I will keep one to tinker and play with, but if it is for ease, imo stick with electric. PS....had savage x 4.6.... in my experience I had to repair it every time I drove it. I have not had that experience with any other RC. I did buy it used, so that could be the issue. Others love them. Good luck.

Then there is pull start and it's issues, or starting wand and charging batteries.

I have a lot of experience with nitro and electric. I used to race weekly and was all electric for that but was primarily nitro for playing around at home. The situation is that I have 30 to 60 minutes to play after work or before work sometimes and those times arise without notice. Charging 3 sets of Lipo packs to run the Nero takes 2 to 3 times longer than I have to play and I won't store them any way but with a storage charge so you can see that when I have the opportunity, I don't have the equipment at my disposal. All of the batteries I would need for a Nitro setup at Nimh so they are cheap and don't mind being abused (although their life is shortened). My plan is to have 2 receiver packs and 2 starter packs charged and ready so I can drop the car on the ground, fuel it up and go when my 30 minute window opens. On the days when I can plan ahead and charge all my packs, the Nero will come out of the garage. Nitro is dirty and slow but it's much more convenient if you only have a few minutes to play and your batteries don't get used enough to always be ready.

 

[Jlolley]

Sounds great. Any ideas on the vehicle you like. Will you go 1/8 scale?

 

[mrfurious40k]

Sounds great. Any ideas on the vehicle you like. Will you go 1/8 scale?

The field used to be loaded with them but since brushless and Lipo came along the choices are limited from names that I trust will be around long enough to supprt the truck with parts for years to come.

I had the original Savage when it first came out so I'm familiar with that. It was a good truck. The Savage X 4.6 was my original pick but since it's out of stock everywhere I had some time research a little.

The Revo is on sale for $499 right now. It comes with reverse and a receiver pack out of the box and those are things I'd have to buy separately with the Savage. So even though I can't use the Tower coupon with the Revo, the price will be about the same in the end. I've always wanted a Revo since they first came out but I dropped out of the hobby and never got one. I just don't know how durable and reliable the nitro Revo is. I started clear of the brushless Revo due to durability issues so I'm a bit worried about the nitro version.

 

[Jlolley]

That sounds great. I also have looked at the revos. That is a good price. It has its own starting system I believe. Good luck and have fun.

 

[jonUF02]

There are pros and cons to both electric and Nitro. Personally, I LOVE those tiny little engines. A marvel that such a small thing can burn fuel and make such power. I actually find that when I run Nitros, I prepare more and go to certain locations where I won't bother anyone with the noise. It's actually more of a process. I'm the guy who just fully charges batteries after each run and leaves them ready for the next. Electric I just pop in some batteries and put it on the ground, mess around in my street or two empty lots next to me without fear of annoying the neighbors.

Nitros are definitely cheaper than electric. Everyone is going to electric because they are simpler to use and understand than a tiny engine, and now they are faster and also the noise is far less. There are tons of great used nitro vehicles out there for a couple hundred bucks, and fuel is dirt cheap compared to Lipo batteries and chargers. You can fill the tank over and over, all day long, no waiting. Some people complain about engine tuning, but honestly I have not touched the needles on my T-maxx with OS engine in years. Maybe run it 10x a year though.

As far as recommendations, I'd say the T-maxx 3.3 (LWB) is a solid platform with infinite parts available. Mine is probably only 20% Traxxas parts left. The Traxxas engines are not really bad, but I love my OS .21TM engine. I also love the EZ-start system on Traxxas, although a lot of people complain it adds weight, it's very convenient. My next favorite nitro was a HoBao Hyper 7 4wd buggy. It's built like a tank, easy to work on, parts are pretty cheap and available, it handles awesome, and pretty darn fast even in the RTR version. I've never had a Revo 3.3, but seems like a good one too. I prefer the E-Revo over E-maxx, so probably would like the nitro Revo as much or better than the T-maxx.

I woud not consider buying any HPI vehicle right now, their parts supply has quickly been drying up since the company was sold off. (Not that Arrma is doing any better right now with many parts on back-order for months) Their future is very uncertain. The other one I always like to look at when I go to the LHS is the Losi XXL2, which is a 2-stroke gas truck, not Nitro. It's a big boy, but not as big as 1/5 scale. Since I liked the race buggy, and I like the Kraton, I think I would love to play with a 1/8 nitro race truggy but never had the chance yet.

 

[Jlolley]

I have the Losi xxl2 gas. I love it, the truck itself is more over engineered than anything ive seen. Wheels and Shocks are massive. It is a pleasure to look at and eady to work on. That said, break in is lengthy and it lacks the punch of the nitro motor. Just sold kyosho mad force kruiser 2 and it would do wheelies. Took about 1.5 gallons for engine to reach full power. But then it would scream until out of fuel.

 

[mrfurious40k]

I ended up buying the Revo 3.3 this morning. My first Traxxas rig ever. It just seemed like the most value for money at the sale price and the parts availability is ridiculous. Don't know how I'm going to like the TSM and all of that funky stuff but I guess I can turn it off. I picked up spare spur gears, air filter elements and glow plugs. Everything else will wait until I run it and see what I break. I know from my previous nitro cars and trucks that I always chewed up spurs first and glow plugs went fast during break-in and getting-to-know-you tuning.

 

[jonUF02]

Gearing and multiple gears is another thing that adds to the complexity of engine vehicles over electric. If you change the 1 or 2nd gear, or shift point, it will react differently, and there is still pinion and spur involved on top of that. My T-maxx was keeping up with a Slash on 3s in straight-line runs. It also was full wheelie for the first 50ft of each run, and I've weighted it down with some aluminum parts, and retained the EZ-start system.

 

[olds97_lss]

I ended up buying the Revo 3.3 this morning. My first Traxxas rig ever. It just seemed like the most value for money at the sale price and the parts availability is ridiculous. Don't know how I'm going to like the TSM and all of that funky stuff but I guess I can turn it off. I picked up spare spur gears, air filter elements and glow plugs. Everything else will wait until I run it and see what I break. I know from my previous nitro cars and trucks that I always chewed up spurs first and glow plugs went fast during break-in and getting-to-know-you tuning.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm curious how your venture into nitro went.

I started electric a year ago and found it far more convenient than nitro. I get the "only have 30 minutes to run" mentality, but to me, if you only have a 30 minute window... you may want to reorganize your day a bit.

To make electric a bit more convenient, I got a charger to keep in my car. With 7400mah 2S packs, I can have them charged and ready in about 15 minutes from storage, 30 when flat on my car charger (12A x 2). My main charger in the house is 10A x 4, so it takes a bit longer, but is nicer to the packs.

I have 2 nitro revo's. Personally, I never cared for the traxxas 2.5/3.3 engines. A lot of hype, fussy tune and not much power. Both of my nitro revo's run non-traxxas engines. One a fully converted big block LRP28, the other with an OS21Tm.

I've been bashing with nitro for nearly 20 years. Going electric has rejuvenated my RC interest.