Falcon XR-

Hi all,

I'm in the process of choosing a new buggy for racing . I've done plenty of research and there seems to be little between the top brands performance wise, the driver seems to be the difference in most cases however correct me if I'm wrong.

Why is there is a noticeable difference in price amongst the top manufacturers. Does this indicate quality and R&D invested by the manufacturer? If so is this extra expense reflected in the end product and how satisfied with your purchase are you. Also would you still purchase the same kit / roller again knowing what you know now?

At the present point in time which of the following represents the best overall package.

Mugen MBX5R 1/8 Off Road Buggy Kit - $589.99
OFNA Hyper 8.5 Pro 1/8 Buggy Kit (80% Pre-Built) - $399.99
Team Associated Factory Team RC8 Competition Buggy Kit - $459.99
Kyosho Inferno MP777 WC World Champion Team Edition 1/8 Off Road Buggy - $599.99
Team Losi 8ight 1/8 4WD Competition Buggy Race Roller - $459.99
XRAY XB8 EC - Luxury 1/8 Nitro Off-Road Car - $609.99

All prices from - http://www.amainhobbies.com/index.ph...1_44_48/page/1

Essentially I'm trying to gauge how satisfied everyone is with their current buggy. Is there anything in particular you don't like and equally do like. Pro's and con's etc. Magazines reviews are great however I'm after real world feedback.

Regards

Falcon

R40Victim

iTrader: (1)

The Mugen is the easiest to drive, and among the highest quality. You'll prolly be happiest starting there.

xlgraphicspro

iTrader: (5)

you can get the losi race roller for about 100 bucks less than what you have stated there, but I think the RC8 is the most bang for your buck! That's super cheap, and with the update you can get after buying it, it's pretty reliable. plus you can save alot of money on clutch shoes if you buy some impulse-rc.com clutch shoes for 11.99 a set, can't beat that!

I currently have the Kyosho, and haven't had it long enough to report back on it. But It is one of the best, and comes out on top in alot of the head to head tests.

rezenclowd3

iTrader: (17)

Honestly all proven vehicles. Look at what designs and features you like the best. I love my Losi 8, though I have had all my diffs wear abnormally fast, which is rare with other 8ight drivers. Im now waiting for the Xray 808, as Im just ready for a new toy after a little over a year.

Furadi

Yea, the losi is only 499 when you add it in your cart. As far as bang for the buck that would be the Hyper 8.5 at 60 bucks cheaper than the RC8 and its almost unbreakable...

Having said that, I plan on getting an RC8 for this season

underway

iTrader: (56)

Best bang for buck = HYPER 8.5 Great car with everything in the box....

ehartman_49348

iTrader: (27)

+1 on the RC8! Great value for the price! The buggy is a lot more durable than what people make you believe! I would recommend upgrading the top plate to an alloy version, but other than that it is great! And like xlgraphicspro said, you can get clutch shoes for the RC8 from impulse-rc.com, which are cheaper and better than the stock ones!

IanWright

iTrader: (1)

That's a nicely constructed topic.


I agree that it's about driver mainly, a little has to do with the car suiting the driver. I just switched from a Kyosho to an AE car and the difference in weight has made a difference as well as a few other things. I actually liked the weight of the Kyosho, as long as the engine has the punch to suit it. I know a few guys who run truggy diffs to help that out, but that's straying from the point. The weight of the car was something i could feel in corners and made it very positive, however the lighter RC8 manages to me to carry better corner speed despite being so much lighter and jumps better and has a bit more speed in the reactive department.

I am going to end up writing an essay here...

This is all my opinion and experience, i haven't been driving that long and can't pretend to be an expert though


The RC8 over the Kyosho in terms of handling is what i love, although i never drove my K car with big bore shocks that would make a huge differance. The turning circle of the RC8 is almost comical when you first see it properly. The RC8 needs a few tweaks (All very easy to read up on on the forums and get instructions) to get the shocks right, the K car i can't see anyone buying to race and not wanting to upgrade shocks to big bores pretty much straight away. So right of the bat you will be spending real money Vs the RC8 which you will sort out the suspension for well under $10.

SooOOooo... add $68 ( http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...ducts_id/14946) straight off for the Kyosho and $4.30 (http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...ducts_id/19932) for the RC8.

Kyosho out of the box has seriously high quality plastics and is as bulletproof as a car can get, so in terms of not breaking it so often as other cars you may be able to offset some of the cost... that's very debatable though and comes down to driver as well not smashing the car up. Personally i would write the Kyosho car off because of high cost of kit, spares and the assumption you would want to upgrade to BB's plus the fact it is heavy and getting long in the tooth... given it's pedigree and kyosho quality the next car that is in the works is going to be very exciting.

The Losi i have had a lot of experience with despite not owning one. Until the RC8 popped it's head out it has been dominating everywhere i have been. No doubt it is a top performance car, spares are available everywhere and the team support i have seen is pretty damn cool, i have seen that up close a few times here and in California. The only thing you need out of the box is to make the well documented O ring mod on the throttle servo... however, Losi have released a new tweaked chassis ( http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...ducts_id/21233 ) that (I am sure of this as of last month is the states, i know it over here...) that isn't shipped as part of the kit, and like the Kyosho big bores is something i know i would want on top of the kit for the track. That would i guess depend on your own driving level. If you are novice you won't notice or need the difference yet, if you are sportsman at a good level i would assume you would. For that alone i would hesitate on the Losi unless it is part of the kit. Otherwise add $100 at some point of your driving curve. If i hadn't gone RC8 i would have gone 8ght though.

Rc8 has had some issues, it's still a new car and needs some tweaks, AE have been top on the customer service stakes with the free service packs that bring the car to strength. As mentioned, the shock cap mod is a must but no biggy. Beyond that, after 8 Gallons in 8-9 weeks through the car i love it. Wear wise, i just replaced all the plastics after 6 - 7 gallons to take out the slop from wear and tear. I don't honestly know how that compares to other cars, i have not taken a car from the box and driven it hard. Cost wise on your list it is the second least expensive car and a top contender out of the box performance wise, spares availability wise and customer support wise.

impulseRC clutches have been mentioned, i have just driven my first set into the ground and they lasted well beyond stock with minimum maintenence... that mixed with the RC8 clutch system that is easier than any other currently to change are my favourite feature. Other than the body clips to hold the fuel tank in to make easy pulling it out, i am all about that... oh, and the nylon locking wheel nuts... and the.... the... put it this way, it's easy to work on


Overall in answer to your question, i will be going with another RC8 as this one gets worn out (Plastic rear chassis guard should be under $5, i never used it and wish i had). It's strong, it's light, it's fast and handles extremely well and can be tweaked handling wise easily.


I can't speak for the other cars, i'm sure you will get a lot of feedback though! My take on RTR's are that they are a false economy as a general rule. You will bust and replace servos real quick, bend the shock towers and replace them and be forever spending money and time repairing it. If you are really sure you want a 1/8th buggy, spend the money once and wisely.


Damn. My coffee is cold.

Falcon XR-

Hi all,

All comments are appreciated and taken on board.
Yeah the Losi 8ight is actually $450.00 when you place it in the shopping cart, don't know how I missed that............ sigh....

The basis for my questions has been to remove the advertised hype and get feedback from the community. Magazines are great and serve a specific purpose, to sell cars. What I'm chasing is a general sense of customer satisfaction and has the product (buggy) met your expectation.

Ian, you have been most helpful and to be honest have answered in exactly the fashion I was after. I was targeting owner drivers with my post and you've clearly outlined the pros and cons for the RC8. It's a strong case.

As for myself, I'm completely new to RC Cars however have spent many years flying RC planes. Time for something new If RC planes has taught me one thing it's this - completely research your subject prior to the purchase.

Once again all comments and opinions are very much appreciated.

ehartman_49348

iTrader: (27)

Ian: Nicely written buddy!

In my post I didn't answer the question if I would buy the same car again and the answer is: I already have! I have 2 RC8s so I can test different setups easier. I setup one car one way and the other car the other way and compare the difference back-to-back... I guess I am a little spoiled.....

IanWright

iTrader: (1)

Ja, if you have been flying aircraft for years already you should have a head start on most starting out with gas buggy racing - discipline in maintenence... if something falls off a plane it's wreckage. I have been working on getting on top of maintenence discipline as i have lost a good place in an A final for stupid reasons too many times, and it's heartbreaking when it's your own fault for not paying attention to detail.

All the cars on your list are competitive at all levels in a competent drivers hands, no mistake. I actually work in a shop a lot, and in the ballpark of those cars i try and figure what will suit someone if they are undecided and generally recommend going with the car spares that are most available and that grabs you the most. If you push me a little outside the shop i will recommend the RC8 personally. There has always been something about AE i have loved, back when i was a teen i raced the RC10 against fashion in the UK for lighter buggies and scored well with it. Not because i thought anything less of Shumacer cars or Losi or whatever, the Associated just appealed and felt right. Now to me they are still geting it right, it has been frustrating at times but the answer is always just round the corner, wether it's another driver, a Factory team guy, the AE forum or the thread here on RCtech.

I just talked about the Kyosho being heavy and getting old, but recently i saw Cody King at Revelations own the track up against Drake and Truhe and a few other names. When it come to the crunch, it is driver, but it's knowing your car as well. Each has it's foibles and the beauty of the internet and the team companies that communicate well is that you can get on top of the car quickly.

One car you didn't mention is the Jammin. One of the most approachable pro's i have seen and met is Chad Bradley - knowledgable to Pro standard (Obviously!) and also good at communicating that information... a few of his bits on the internet talking through subjects of tuning have been invaluble to me. The Jammin buggy is a great car with plenty of info and tips from the team about it available.

http://www.rc411.com/pages/howto.php?howto=24&page=3

Along with that, Xrays XB8 manual (you can download it from their website) has a great section at the back on tuning a car to the driver and track. For people like me learning about this stuff it's terrific and the best example so far of what a race car manual should contain.

Another good bible is http://www.nitroreview.com/hintstips...ngTechTips.pdf for engine tuning.

A more in depth look at car handling http://users.pandora.be/elvo/

Clutches (My current learning area) http://www.rc411.com/pages/howto.php?howto=12&page=2

Hope this helps. Drop me a pm if you need any help anytime, like i said i am no pro but i have and still am going through the early learning curve and if i can help or point you somewhere that has helped me i will.

Plenty of others on this forum more knowledgable than me and happy to pass on some wisdom... but also some wiser than they let on as well and on the bad side some that know nothing but will talk like they know it all.

You gotta love forums!

IanWright

iTrader: (1)

Hehe... i have a 7 day a week track at my disposal and a shop owned by my sponsor on site... between us we should make one hell of an expert on the RC8 and should be able to put together a car to suit anybody!

i want a second car though damnit!

mugenlife

iTrader: (4)

i wouldnt say it is abnormal...before every long main i see at least a few change out the center diff housings+ parts wear on the losi is pretty high compared to others i have seen. most guys i know are either on their second kit and or replacing all the drive shafts for this new season. on my mugen you can BARELY tell any wear and i raced a season on it.all of the cars listed can win but as far as what i have seen from a longevity stand point mugen and xray are the best (doesnt mean you will drive it fastest). alot depends on your driving style as well. the hyper 8.5 excellerates fast but handles more like a mugen or xray (sorta have to throw them around the track to go fast) the losi is a very agressive car (meaning you dont have to throw it around to get it to be fast) and it excellerates fast and jumps the best. the rc8 has tons of steering and excellerates fast but i dont know how parts wear is on it. these are very general terms i have seen and the parts longevity may or may not be important as i KNOW guys who replace everything after a month or 2 reguardless and some who dont replace anything until it breaks...all are good cars. i would go to your local track/tracks and watch what the fast guys do to each car for a few week ends that way you get an idea what it takes to get each up and going fast.

Falcon XR-

Ian,

Thanks very much for the great feedback and links, most helpful. I'm impressed with the Associated RC8, you certainly put forward a strong argument. I am certainly considering it.

Eric,

For anyone to purchase two of the same buggy is definitely a positive statement. It's also a good way of making everyone quite envious I'll have a more in depth look at the current Associated RC8 thread on this site.

mugenlife,

Your summary confirms much of the research I have completed thus far, I'm beginning to see a consistent theme on the pros and cons for most of the buggies now. I'm also going to spend some more time at the track and pay a little more attention to the finer details you've mentioned.

Thanks again to all. The feedback has been exactly the information I was after.

Cheers

Falcon

weaponx

iTrader: (49)

Check out tiltedrc.com for the best prices available. As far as quality, the Kyosho, Mugen and Xray have the best fit and finish. But all ofthe buggies listed are good, ultimately get what you think you will be happiest with, as that is the most important thing.