Full Version: Rc Cars Or Trucks
I'm looking to get the hubby one of those RC cars or Trucks for fathers day. Don't know anything about them. Which ones are the best, fastest, and runs good in sand. Of if anyone has one they are willing to sell. He has always wanted one and I said he'd use it a couple times then it would sit. But he has been such a wonderful hubby the last couple of weeks, I wanted to get him something good for fathers day. Thanks, Amy
Guy at work has a nice onr he is selling with a bunch of spare parts. He was trying to getme to buy it but thats all I need is another $ fricking hobbie
well get hime a gas truck,If he wants to take it to glamis defentily stick with a truck not a buggy.I would get him a "truggy"Its 4wd and u can still run paddles on it.It just depends on what you wanna spend.You can buy kits now that are ready to run just add gas for a good price.I would stick with a" jammin x1crt made by ofna or go to jamminproducts.com to check the truck out"or maybe a "hpi hellfire" or "lighting stadium made by hot bodies hotbodiesrc.com i believe"they are around the 500-600 range but they are ready to go and then just hookyou hubby up with a aftermarket motor down the road and he will have t he fastest ride in the group.
if i were you i would get him an hpi savage i run mine at the dunes all the time i launch mine off the top of razorbacks and its fine when it lands i also run paddles on it also very easy to fix if they break
savage is a proven basher. if he wants a more nimble truck get a jammin ready to run. for the price its much better than a hellfire. all my friends run jammins i have a mayhem but i extended the chassis and did other things so its the same footprint as a jammin, the stock mayhem is a pretty good truck for the money, not as good as the jammin, especially the dx2 controller that comes with it, cant go wrong with spektrum, no crystals so no one can override your frequency. with any ready to run save yourself the headache and change the steering servo right away. for the money the jr st125 is a great deal at $35 for a metal gear servo, the stock servos in RTR's have plastic gears. and definately have the shop break in and tune it before you give it to him, it will make it fun right away, unless he knows how to do all that.
also stay away from hobby people, they are usually clueless and dont carry as good of brands, i.e. jammin(ofna),kyosho,losi,mugen etc. not sure where your located but my local shop is great. hobbytown usa in corona ask for andrew.
The Jammin X1 is hands down the best RTR (ready to run) on the market. The car has dominated (truly) every race this year (the race version mind you). The RTR version is a solid platform and will allow your hubby to upgrade (it's going to happen...) items down the road. I suggest 1/8 scale buggies, they are as closest thing to indestructable you'll find. The trucks arent quite as strong, or fast, and they dont handle near as well. Lots of roll overs when playing in the street. Jammin offers a conversion to a truck if he decides thats what he wants down the road (or the truck kit from the beginning if you think he'd like that better).
The Sportwerks Mayhem is a pretty nice RTR as well, the big advantage of their package is the radio (the controller) and the steering servo that it comes with. It is stronger than the offerings from the other companies. I would stick to the Jammin just because of it's potential to do what ever he likes (ie racing, bashing, whatever).
I would suggest dropping the money on a good steering servo, they run 80-130 bucks but they are worth their weight in gold. Crashes or scrubs along curbs will kill standard servos in these bigger cars. The strong ones wont be phased. They also center so the car doesnt wander left to right.
Expect to pay $700-800 all said and done (gas, batteries, etc).
The Sportwerks Mayhem is a pretty nice RTR as well, the big advantage of their package is the radio (the controller) and the steering servo that it comes with. It is stronger than the offerings from the other companies. I would stick to the Jammin just because of it's potential to do what ever he likes (ie racing, bashing, whatever).
I would suggest dropping the money on a good steering servo, they run 80-130 bucks but they are worth their weight in gold. Crashes or scrubs along curbs will kill standard servos in these bigger cars. The strong ones wont be phased. They also center so the car doesnt wander left to right.
Expect to pay $700-800 all said and done (gas, batteries, etc).
the jr st125 is a 125 gram weight metal gear servo for $35 bucks the action is a tad slower than the 70 plus units but not that slow at all.
the hobby town in Corona is a great shop and the owners are way cool people...the savage is a great truck...as is the T-max..there are several of them out there...I would tell you to look at the T-max because it has an all in one starting system that is extremely easy to use...
these other trucks that have been mentioned such as the hellfire, etc. are not beginner trucks..these are fairly new and very expensive...your hubby is looking for an entry level toy..which will haul ass and go through the sand....
hands down a T-maxx or Savage would be the only 2 I would recommend..or wait...a third one would be XTM mammoth....
and shop for the best deal...hobby people does have decent deals so don't rule them out....
expect to pay about 400 when the dust settles...OTD complete...
these other trucks that have been mentioned such as the hellfire, etc. are not beginner trucks..these are fairly new and very expensive...your hubby is looking for an entry level toy..which will haul ass and go through the sand....
hands down a T-maxx or Savage would be the only 2 I would recommend..or wait...a third one would be XTM mammoth....
and shop for the best deal...hobby people does have decent deals so don't rule them out....
expect to pay about 400 when the dust settles...OTD complete...
Thanks everyone. So many choices. Wow just for a toy 
xtm is hobby peoples brand, id stick with hpi or traxxas if you want a monster truck, you can get parts at most stores for the two. out of the monster bashers id say savage or t-maxx, then revo in that order( revo is a good truck, the most popular in racing for monsters, but odd to work on compared to the others plus the suspension parts are suspect stock ), stay away from the cen. if you want a more racing style monster id push the Losi LST2. the RTR truggys come with roto start so its almost the same as the onboard starters hand held battery packs, just add an ignitor. and as stated earlier 1/8th scale buggies are great. i race 1/8th scale truggy and buggy, both are a blast. my buddies have have bought up the chain starting with jatos( 1/10th trucks) to revos and ended up with jammin RTR truggys, and they are just casual users, the other half race with me and have jammin pro kits with nova rossi motors m8 and m11 controllers with spektrum etc. so its the range no doubt. im the cheap bastard and buy their old stuff lol. got my kyosho buggy and mayhem truggy off the same guy for 250 total with extras. and picked up a used m8 with spektrum and two recievers for $160, so im lucky ( cheap ). but after proper setup im completely competetive ( truggy lots of mods like chassis cutting and extending with custom bracing ).
i second hobbytown in corona the older guy races with his daughter and hes a super cool guy.Go buy him a jammin x1 rtr and put a os v-spec motor in it and he will have the fastest rig out there
HPI Savage. He'll love it.
here you go check this out,its one of the top trucks in its class and u wont be able to compare it to its competion,its 1/8th scale and 4wd
http://cgi.ebay.com/OFNA-JAMMIN-X1-CRT-RTR...1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/OFNA-JAMMIN-X1-CRT-RTR...1QQcmdZViewItem
the older guy is jamie, him and his wife marie, who is very knowledgable as well are the owners.
its around $510 before tax at hobbytown and they can break it in for you. plug and play.
Been happy with my..... I mean Caleb's Revo
Things are gonna break thats a given.
Although, I feel the Revo is more a track truck, corners like a son of a gun.
but won't wheelie very easily, The Traxxas TMaxx would maybe be a better choice
for the sand. But .... then again The Revo just came out with a 3.3 Revo that should be pretty bad a$$, http://www.traxxas.com/products/nitro/revo...revo_trucks.htm
but again, set up mostly for a track.
Just noticed that the T-Maxx is also available in the 3.3 version, This would be my choice for a Glamis Truck, Hands Down
http://www.traxxas.com/products/nitro/maxx...trx_tmaxx33.htm
I'm not looking to race profesionally, just have fun
The Traxxas web site is very helpful. www.traxxas.com
Traxxas Parts are readily available, and the Hobbie People in Murrieta have been super helpful even working on my.... Caleb's Truck for free . ( long dumb story)
Also bought planes there, Dave whom works only on weekends is the man for planes, espeacily the electrics which I am switching over to.
funny, I went from electric RC10 cars and trucks to gas, and now I'm going from gas planes to Electric
Things are gonna break thats a given.
Although, I feel the Revo is more a track truck, corners like a son of a gun.
but won't wheelie very easily, The Traxxas TMaxx would maybe be a better choice
for the sand. But .... then again The Revo just came out with a 3.3 Revo that should be pretty bad a$$, http://www.traxxas.com/products/nitro/revo...revo_trucks.htm
but again, set up mostly for a track.
Just noticed that the T-Maxx is also available in the 3.3 version, This would be my choice for a Glamis Truck, Hands Down
http://www.traxxas.com/products/nitro/maxx...trx_tmaxx33.htm
I'm not looking to race profesionally, just have fun
The Traxxas web site is very helpful. www.traxxas.com
Traxxas Parts are readily available, and the Hobbie People in Murrieta have been super helpful even working on my.... Caleb's Truck for free . ( long dumb story)
Also bought planes there, Dave whom works only on weekends is the man for planes, espeacily the electrics which I am switching over to.
funny, I went from electric RC10 cars and trucks to gas, and now I'm going from gas planes to Electric
pesonally, i stay away from nitro RC vehicles. they are effin fast and run speed till out of fuel, but they are much more expensive, have to be tuned, very tempermental and engines arent very cheap. the most expensive thing to maintaining an electric vehicle is the battery pack....woopdie doo. although i will give the gas trucks are much better to run in the sand than electrics.
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
You need the power in the sand.
And If you treat the engines right I.E run afterrun oil etc their pretty reliable.
Also, with the nitro you have a air filter to clean . what do you think that sand does to the electrics?
And If you treat the engines right I.E run afterrun oil etc their pretty reliable.
Also, with the nitro you have a air filter to clean . what do you think that sand does to the electrics?
QUOTE(ElCaminoManT @ Jun 5 2006, 06:39 PM)
pesonally, i stay away from nitro RC vehicles. they are effin fast and run speed till out of fuel, but they are much more expensive, have to be tuned, very tempermental and engines arent very cheap. the most expensive thing to maintaining an electric vehicle is the battery pack....woopdie doo. although i will give the gas trucks are much better to run in the sand than electrics.
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
[right][snapback]1661977[/snapback][/right]
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
[right][snapback]1661977[/snapback][/right]
so damn true, except i cant get away from nitro!. here's a pic of my fleet. as you can see, i have almost every kind they make. just added a new buggy today!(well new to me) if he gets pissed off easy or annoyed easy, then get electric. i have ran all kinds of cars and trucks. i've been into r/c's for about 12 years now(wow, just realized that) and i love my buggy. if you get one, get a buggy! they brake A LOT LESS than any other r/c out there. they are a lot less work, and can haul a$$, and go in the sand. i run 2 paddles in the rear and my buggy is great in the sand, faster than my t-maxx! just be prepared to work on it, even the electric ones will need attention. oh and if you get a buggy, get this one BUGGY!!!!!!!! that is a newer version of the buggies i run. i have the Hyper 7 and have honestly, never broke any thing major. just little things. great buggy! loved it so much i got another! but if you want the best of the best it will cost a lot. like my t-maxx...i have over $2500 in it. and i'm done typing for now...
get the HPI SAVAGE
QUOTE(ElCaminoManT @ Jun 5 2006, 06:39 PM)
pesonally, i stay away from nitro RC vehicles. they are effin fast and run speed till out of fuel, but they are much more expensive, have to be tuned, very tempermental and engines arent very cheap. the most expensive thing to maintaining an electric vehicle is the battery pack....woopdie doo. although i will give the gas trucks are much better to run in the sand than electrics.
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
[right][snapback]1661977[/snapback][/right]
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
[right][snapback]1661977[/snapback][/right]
I used to feel the same way, that is, until I started running nitro powered vehicles. Initial setup CAN be more expensive however, in the long run it comes out about the same. You should get 4 gallons out of your nitro motor with good care and a "pinch" here and there (I'd say 3 for racing. 3 gallons of fuel run $60-75, motor runs $150-300 (we'll say $250 for arguments sake). Lets call it $320 for the pair. Nice receiver packs will run $40, we'll pick up 2 of these so we can drive all day long. $400 bucks for a good 2-3 months of racing.
Now lets look at electric. To be competitive you're going to buy a new electric motor every month (I usually ran through 2 a month). A decent mod motor will set you back $55. 3 months worth will run you $155. Batteries!!! Hands down the killer in electric racing. A good battery will run $65, you need at least 5 to run 3 months of good racing without destroying the packs (it can be done on 3 but they will get hammered). So we'll go with 4, $260. $415 total.
Runtime:
Electric = 6 minutes with good equipment
Nitro = 10 minutes on a tank of gas. Refuel equals 10 seconds, hit the gas and back out playing. Typical gas A mains run 45 mins. It is a friggin blast.
Mod electric and gas run about the same speed.
This being said, I still love mod electric
For all out fun, nitro cant be beat though.Personally, I dont like Traxxas. They make toys, this will limit your hubby down the road if he decides this is something he likes and wants to start racing. Race cars can be run as bashers, bashers cant be run on the race track (at a competitive level) though. As stated before, nothing matches the speed, handling, and STRENGTH of a 1/8 scale buggy. Jump the Traxxas over a house and check out the results, the 1/8th buggy will probably drive away
Not a Traxxas bash, the MAXX lines fun factor is way up there. 1/8 buggy has a lot of versatility though.QUOTE(madweazl @ Jun 9 2006, 10:47 PM)
QUOTE(ElCaminoManT @ Jun 5 2006, 06:39 PM)
pesonally, i stay away from nitro RC vehicles. they are effin fast and run speed till out of fuel, but they are much more expensive, have to be tuned, very tempermental and engines arent very cheap. the most expensive thing to maintaining an electric vehicle is the battery pack....woopdie doo. although i will give the gas trucks are much better to run in the sand than electrics.
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
[right][snapback]1661977[/snapback][/right]
(i love my electric truck, run on the dirt track tho, not sand)
[right][snapback]1661977[/snapback][/right]
I used to feel the same way, that is, until I started running nitro powered vehicles. Initial setup CAN be more expensive however, in the long run it comes out about the same. You should get 4 gallons out of your nitro motor with good care and a "pinch" here and there (I'd say 3 for racing. 3 gallons of fuel run $60-75, motor runs $150-300 (we'll say $250 for arguments sake). Lets call it $320 for the pair. Nice receiver packs will run $40, we'll pick up 2 of these so we can drive all day long. $400 bucks for a good 2-3 months of racing.
Now lets look at electric. To be competitive you're going to buy a new electric motor every month (I usually ran through 2 a month). A decent mod motor will set you back $55. 3 months worth will run you $155. Batteries!!! Hands down the killer in electric racing. A good battery will run $65, you need at least 5 to run 3 months of good racing without destroying the packs (it can be done on 3 but they will get hammered). So we'll go with 4, $260. $415 total.
Runtime:
Electric = 6 minutes with good equipment
Nitro = 10 minutes on a tank of gas. Refuel equals 10 seconds, hit the gas and back out playing. Typical gas A mains run 45 mins. It is a friggin blast.
Mod electric and gas run about the same speed.
This being said, I still love mod electric
For all out fun, nitro cant be beat though.Personally, I dont like Traxxas. They make toys, this will limit your hubby down the road if he decides this is something he likes and wants to start racing. Race cars can be run as bashers, bashers cant be run on the race track (at a competitive level) though. As stated before, nothing matches the speed, handling, and STRENGTH of a 1/8 scale buggy. Jump the Traxxas over a house and check out the results, the 1/8th buggy will probably drive away
Not a Traxxas bash, the MAXX lines fun factor is way up there. 1/8 buggy has a lot of versatility though.[right][snapback]1673636[/snapback][/right]
i started nitro witha t-maxx back when they first came out. loved it. and well like madweazl said, they are kinda just toys. i wanted to get into racing and something more than just running in a dirt field. so i tried my truck at it, and it sucked. so i got a buggy!
now i go to a track 2-3 times a week. traxxas is started to get into the racing world. they got the Jato. nice little car but i would still buy another buggy instead of it. i wish i started with a buggy, would have been much less painfull...and as for the electric vs nitro...i find nitro cars to be A LOT more work. the $$$ might be around the same but the work and hr's put into it will be more. a few months ago i was going to sell all of my nitro and get into electric......but i cant drive a car that makes no noise and that wont burn my eyes
and of course that sweet sweet smell of burning nitro! 
i think i would start with electric. then move into nitro.
I'm pretty fanatical with my cars. Tear down, clean, and inspect after every race so the maintenance hasnt been any different for me. Racing I was constantly making changes anyways, so there was no difference there either. Once tuned, most (dont buy a cheap engine) nitros hold their tune very well. Electric motors need every bit as much maintenance. Clean motor after every run, clean the comm, clean the brushes, oil bearings (or bushings for the stock motors), and add comm drops. Dump and condition battery pack and recharge. Make suspension adjustments (always one click away...). Clean tires, reinstall.
I actually dont care for the sound of the nitros, I love the silky smooth operation of the electrics. The smell however, gives me a chubby every time
I actually dont care for the sound of the nitros, I love the silky smooth operation of the electrics. The smell however, gives me a chubby every time
Id taking electric of nitro anyday when it comes down to maintence and cleaning.with my nitro i have more time cleaning the thing then i do driving it one day at the track
but the thing is, unless your a racer you dont HAVE to do all of that to your car. i almost never clean mine. why clean it when i will be getting it dirting right away the next time i go out. i only clean it when something breaks and i have to tear it apart.
so i think electric would be easier because you dont have to do all of that to the motor, i didnt and i still had a blast with my electric.
so i think electric would be easier because you dont have to do all of that to the motor, i didnt and i still had a blast with my electric.
Check this out. The 1/5th scale cars all run on Gasoline (not nitromethane) and are much more rugged. You pay more in the beginning but they save $'s on fuel and parts costs. All the "Glo Plug" cars wear out fast and need constant tuning. Many do not run as often as the owners want them to run.
http://www.hpiracing.com/kits/kitMain.php?partNo=10600
I know a guy that has one of these and has had minimal problems.
http://members.aol.com/sodhead/mb/mb2.jpg
http://www.hpiracing.com/kits/kitMain.php?partNo=10600
I know a guy that has one of these and has had minimal problems.
http://members.aol.com/sodhead/mb/mb2.jpg
QUOTE(MONTANA GIRL @ Jun 3 2006, 12:27 AM)
I'm looking to get the hubby one of those RC cars or Trucks for fathers day. Don't know anything about them. Which ones are the best, fastest, and runs good in sand. Of if anyone has one they are willing to sell. He has always wanted one and I said he'd use it a couple times then it would sit. But he has been such a wonderful hubby the last couple of weeks, I wanted to get him something good for fathers day. Thanks, Amy
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[right][snapback]1657416[/snapback][/right]
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