new2r/c

I'm looking into buying a nitro buggy or truck. I've done reasearch on the T-maxx and the Violator and all I've heard is good stuff about both. My buddy has a T-maxx so I've seen what it can do and I'm looking more toward that but I read in a mgazine some "tests" they did on the Violator buggy and that thing seems pretty sweet too. I live in southern Arizona so I'll be bashing through the sand all the time and eventually I want to start racing.
Must haves:
1. nitro power
2. 4 wheel drive
3. highest speeds
4. fair amount of hopped-up stock and/or aftermarket parts
5. radio and reciever(so an RTR is preferrable)
6. 1/8-1/10 scale(preferrably 1/8)
Also, I have some what of an idea about what I'm getting into as far as price is concerned but I'd like to keep it under $600.00. A kit would be nice so I can put it together myself but they seem much more expensive than an RTR because of the radio and reciever but if you know of a good combo that matches a kit with the rest of the items needed to complete than that would be helpful as I know barely anything about this adventure. I'm a "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" kinda guy just to let you know. I have a few months until I actually get the nitro because I'm currently deployed (marine corps) to Iraq but I want to get as much info as possible before I purchase. Sorry for the long thread. I wanted to give out as much info as possible to create a starting point for you to work with. Hey, at least I'm not double or triple posting. Thanks
tim

beetlebz

are you the same dude from southern arizona that i just replied to?

either way, id stick with a monster truck for dunes, but theres a whole host of 1/8th scale buggies out there from OFNA, mugen, and kyosho. all are decent cars, but if i had dunes to run id get a tmaxx or a monster GT

corradopsi

well it sounds to me like a HPI Savage SS would be right up your ally. its a kit monster truck and far more durable than a T-maxx. you can also pick out a nice radio to go with it. you should be able to easily afford the truck, radio and other nessessary equipment for 600. the monster GT is also a nice truck. and if you want the newest and baddest monster truck (my opinion) try out a new Losi LST. its selling for 600 and just came out. there is one at my local track now, that terrorizes all the other trucks out there. hopped up T-maxxs, savages, GS SUT's, etc. its winning very consistantly. and its not just the driver since most of the drivers also race other classes, and this guy is middle of the pack in gas truck.

ScoopGrate

get an associated rc10gt rtr
best thing money can buy..plenty of parts from tower and the motor goes strong on 20%!!

wzilla

Go for the LOSI LST

Sofast-NT

I'd get the Revo or Monster GT.

jbrow1

iTrader: (28)

I'd say the hands down is the revo. It is from what I've seen actually running, the smoothest, best driving truck. You can get rid of the electronic shifting mechanism pretty easily. I think traxxas is actually coming out with a $12 part to do properly. But it's easy enough to do with stuff you've already got. It's the only monster I've seen that looked like it could actually turn. And the suspension seems silk smooth. I think it and the tmaxx are the best for racing, the revo being top though.

The MGT, I just don't think really would be good for anything but bashing around. From what I've seen it's huge, heavy, and turns around a city block. But the owner of it wasn't known for being mechanical...

The Lst is again huge. It did seem quite powerful, and could turn better than the MGT. It would summersault over frontwards with the brakes, or wheelie over backwards from acceleration. Both of those being a plus as long as you can drive, and can tune the brakes. But I would hate to have to fill those shocks. They are massive, like an inch in diameter. Probably take a bottle each.

So it really depends what you want to do with it when you get it. If you want to bash and beat it up, probably any of the above, or any monster for that matter. But if you want to race, and have the best racer you can get, the revo would be it. It's the only one I've seen be able to corner without fear of rolling over.

Aaron Waldron

One bottle of oil will fill 2 and a half LST shocks.

The LST is the biggest, baddest, fastest monster truck out there. It doesn't have the off-the-line studder that a Revo does, nor it's serious on and off power push. It moves much faster than the Monster GT or Savage ever will, and it's a genuine Losi product.

Although the 7-inch diameter tires are a little tall for racing, a set of racing tires and rims are all that's needed to transform the truck into the best handling track-truck out there. And when it's in low-gear, I'd love to see another stock truck out-climb and out-pull the LST's .26 engine.

beetlebz

ive actually been hearing mixed reviews about the LST on the track. ive heard from several different people that the truck tends to be easy to off-power oversteer, thus causing excessive roll going through the apex of turns, and losing time. also the occasional roll over.

aside from that, ive been hearing about assorted durability issues. what specifically i dont know, the kid was pretty obnoxious so i didnt hang around long to talk to him lol i was talking to another gentleman at the BMX track a bit ago also complaining about one or two nagging durability problems with the LST. nothing im sure losi wont be able to iron out in the normal course of development.

id be very interested to get my hands on one for a few laps though. that thing has GOT to be a blast to drive

EDIT:
just so i dont sound like a losi basher (and im not!!) both people had nothing but GREAT things to say about the truck, save for the small kinks. the obnoxious kid was obnoxious because he raved about the truck constantly!

Aaron Waldron

Off-power over-steer is corrected through driving. Just because there's a turn in the track doesn't mean you must drive full-lock into the corner and wait until you're facing backwards to let the wheel return to center! haha

The monster tires are quite heavy and cause major broken parts when crashing. Losi is working feverishly on new parts to increase the strength of this monster and they'll figure it out in no time

beetlebz

oh oh check the edit. both people i talked to loved the truck!

jbrow1

iTrader: (28)

I've heard about some durability issues to. Like the diffs. But I'm sure that'll be fixed. I just think the revo is the only pure racer mt out there. The tmaxx almost is, but not quite. I'm not saying any of the others are bad, just depends what you want to do with them. But the lst does have quite a price tag.

beetlebz

it is a bit steep, but then again, it IS the ultimate basher. i honestly think, being a die hard AE fan, that id get an LST before a MGT. from what ive heard, losi is really great about ironing out kinks.

hey, Aaron, can you pull some strings to get us all LSTs?

Aaron Waldron

Dude I can't even pull enough strings to get myself an LST..haha.

The Revo is not a race-bred monster truck...that's just not where the market is. More than 90% of Revos sold will never see a race track. When an uninformed customer walks into a hobby store and sees the Revo as the only truck without the same conventional four-shock setup, they're going to like it.

beetlebz

last i was in the hobby shop (not THE lhs, just a semi local hobby shop) and he said he hadnt sold a revo yet! i was stunned. the dude at my track has sold a couple of em.

i definitely see what you mean tho aaron. the first time i got my hands on one i sat there with a dumb smile on my face pushing the truck down and letting it rebound. cantilever suspensions are amusing to those of us with too much free time