Why Nitro???
11-22-2012, 11:33 PM
#1
Suspended
Thread Starter
Why Nitro???
OK, getting back into hobby since all of these brushless motors came about. It seems like so many people recommend electric and electric only. It does seem that nitro is a little more difficult in some aspects, I owned one when I was around 14 and didn't find it too hard to get the hang of. So my question is WHY do YOU run nitro R/Cs??, whether bashing or racing I would love to get input.
11-22-2012, 11:44 PM
#2
Oh you know the same old same old i like the smoke and smell of the nitro thats the reasons 
Na i used to be a Nitro 1/8 scale guy i just got tried of the keep up on it and looking for pit guys not just tuning the engines/clutches. So thats the main reasons why i converted to electric 1/8 scale Truggy. And i can focus on driving more .
Dont get me wrong i like the smoke and smell somewhat of nitro still.
Na i used to be a Nitro 1/8 scale guy i just got tried of the keep up on it and looking for pit guys not just tuning the engines/clutches. So thats the main reasons why i converted to electric 1/8 scale Truggy. And i can focus on driving more .
Dont get me wrong i like the smoke and smell somewhat of nitro still.
11-23-2012, 12:09 AM
#3
Nothing satisfies like a well tuned rip roaring nitro. Anyone can plug in a flashlight and turn it on, but it takes skill and experience to be competitive with a nitro. I prefer nitro, I can't stand those little tiny 12 sec lap sct tracks. I have a SCTE all optioned out and it sits on the shelf. If they would run them on the large open tracks where they belong I might drive it more. But I still prefer the nitro, it's just more satisfying when you get it right.
11-23-2012, 12:29 AM
#4
I find comparing a electric to a nitro is like comparing a 4 banger to a v8, the sound/ feel of a nitro is something special and does not compare, when you compare per CC they put out around the same power of a top fuel is very impressive and very alluring to say the least.
Nitro is not for some people as they are fairly high maintenance but over time becomes predictable maintenance with experience, I believe they do suit a certain type of person.
Also as Frank said getting a good tune screaming like a banchee is pretty cool and satisfying.
Nitro is not for some people as they are fairly high maintenance but over time becomes predictable maintenance with experience, I believe they do suit a certain type of person.
Also as Frank said getting a good tune screaming like a banchee is pretty cool and satisfying.
11-23-2012, 12:57 AM
#6
Im mainly just a basher, and I originally started with nitro years ago and really liked it and then about 5yrs ago i swapped over to Brushless to see what all the fuss was about and i found it to be be cleaner and just overall easier.
But last mth ive just Sold off my electric stuff (i kept my crawler) and have just bought a Nitro buggy as ive been finding the electric boring, as i miss the sound and smoke and i enjoy the tuning side as well theres nothing like a nitro car/truck at full noise hey, great fun.
I think alot of guys are scared of by the tuning side of Nitro and these days with Brushless its just plug and play hey.
But last mth ive just Sold off my electric stuff (i kept my crawler) and have just bought a Nitro buggy as ive been finding the electric boring, as i miss the sound and smoke and i enjoy the tuning side as well theres nothing like a nitro car/truck at full noise hey, great fun.
I think alot of guys are scared of by the tuning side of Nitro and these days with Brushless its just plug and play hey.
11-23-2012, 03:12 AM
#8
People who do advise electrics are the ones who did never get the feeling with nitro. They ruined many engines, could not get them running properly and mostly they refuse to undertand the technology, replace a glowplug once in a while, check the clutch when the engine is stalling etc.
It is getting worse because even people without experience with nitro are telling that running it is difficult and more tuning than driving.....
To me there is nothing that can beat the smell, the sound and the technology of nitro engines.
It is getting worse because even people without experience with nitro are telling that running it is difficult and more tuning than driving.....
To me there is nothing that can beat the smell, the sound and the technology of nitro engines.
11-23-2012, 03:26 AM
#9
I like the long 45 min mains that make it a real race. 7 min mains are lame.
It deosn't help that there are dozens of pathetic hard to tune engines out there and dozens of RC tech posters that recommend them to newbs. Some engines are just plain no good.
If you can't tune an OS21xzb with a p3 plug and a 2090 pipe, then you aren't likely to do much better with electric either.
It deosn't help that there are dozens of pathetic hard to tune engines out there and dozens of RC tech posters that recommend them to newbs. Some engines are just plain no good.
If you can't tune an OS21xzb with a p3 plug and a 2090 pipe, then you aren't likely to do much better with electric either.
11-23-2012, 03:39 AM
#10
nitro, why we r all addicted with it?
for me, when you do racing, preparing your nitro is like preparing real car. The kit it self (drivetrain, etc), electricity, engine (caburetor setting, glow plugs, clutch shoe, clutch spring, fuel). Once you had everything in place. just let it screamin to you, and BANG! the smells, the sounds, the kicks, and the performance just like ecstasy.
for me, when you do racing, preparing your nitro is like preparing real car. The kit it self (drivetrain, etc), electricity, engine (caburetor setting, glow plugs, clutch shoe, clutch spring, fuel). Once you had everything in place. just let it screamin to you, and BANG! the smells, the sounds, the kicks, and the performance just like ecstasy.
11-23-2012, 04:35 AM
#11
I run and race both and I disagree with those saying that if you know how to properly tune and run a nitro engine then electric is inferior.
Both classes are fun. Can't beat the 45 min main of nitro racing but 6 days out of 7 i only have 30mins of free time at a track.
It is just not enough time to bring out all my nitro gear, start and tune the engine, practice for 15 mins before having to transfer all my nitro gear back into the car again.
Also I dun have the time to go through maintenance (changing filters, etc) as I work from 3pm to 5pm and then 6pm to 2am.
Electric is much simpler to run for me in this case. I charge up a 6000mah batt in the office, hit the track at 5 with just a car and controller in each hand. Plug in the batt and I have a full 25mins of driving. Motor and esc temps are good and plenty of charge left in the batts.
Once I'm done i just put car and controller in my car. And hold on for the batt to be charged the next day.
Dun get me wrong I love nitro, especially on the weekends when I have an entire day to laze away. But electric is in no way inferior or less fun. It is just a different type of fun. Simpler to run but not as versatile as nitro.
Both classes are fun. Can't beat the 45 min main of nitro racing but 6 days out of 7 i only have 30mins of free time at a track.
It is just not enough time to bring out all my nitro gear, start and tune the engine, practice for 15 mins before having to transfer all my nitro gear back into the car again.
Also I dun have the time to go through maintenance (changing filters, etc) as I work from 3pm to 5pm and then 6pm to 2am.
Electric is much simpler to run for me in this case. I charge up a 6000mah batt in the office, hit the track at 5 with just a car and controller in each hand. Plug in the batt and I have a full 25mins of driving. Motor and esc temps are good and plenty of charge left in the batts.
Once I'm done i just put car and controller in my car. And hold on for the batt to be charged the next day.
Dun get me wrong I love nitro, especially on the weekends when I have an entire day to laze away. But electric is in no way inferior or less fun. It is just a different type of fun. Simpler to run but not as versatile as nitro.
Last edited by tak4; 11-23-2012 at 04:55 AM.
11-23-2012, 04:42 AM
#12
Tech Fanatic
I just recently got back into nitro. I took a break from rc for several yrs. While I got married, bought a house, and had a kid. I got back into it with an 8th scale brushless truggy. The brushless truck is really fast and fun to drive. I see why so many people like electric these days with the power of lipo packs and brushless motors. It's so easy you can't go wrong. I was missing the sound, and smell of the nitro motor. I guess I actually enjoy tuning the motor and setting the truck up. Like others have said, when you get it right, It's very rewarding when that nitro motor goes screaming past! I picked up an Rc8t off Craigslist and was reminded how frustrating nitro can be trying to tune the used motor that came on the truck. Turns out the motor was just wore out. No big deal because I got a great deal on the truck. I put a new motor on and quickly realized I still knew what I was doing. I haven't touched the brushless rig since. I'm having too much fun with my nitro!
11-23-2012, 05:44 AM
#13
Why do you like to watch an action movie or NFL game NOT on mute?
Every gearhead loves the music of a well-running, screaming engine. Electric in comparison is the epitome of mind-numbing lameness.
Every gearhead loves the music of a well-running, screaming engine. Electric in comparison is the epitome of mind-numbing lameness.
11-23-2012, 06:52 AM
#14
I like both , nitro and electric.... they each have their place....We have a long winter and I hate indoor nitro, so electric is just awesome for running indoor during the winter....I love racing my 1/12th car when I get the chance.....
However with that being said nitro has so much much more personality and requires a much higher degree of skill to master.......Sometimes overcoming the challenges involved in nitro is what I find most satisfying , and I suspect many others feel this way too.....Nitro requires skill, and the more skill you have the better and more reliably the engines will perform....
I believe one of the issues nitro faces is lack of knowledge.. Many people in the hobby have a very limited understanding of mechanical workings and limitations of these engines....Which often times puts people at a massive disadvantage when things start going wrong...The internet does have some good information, but unfortunately most of it is buried by mountains of very bad information.....Which unfortunately usually results in people having to learn by trial and error on their own, and often times results in them leaving the hobby before they get anywhere near to mastering these engines.....
Another thing that kills nitro is that people do not do any maintenance to the engines....Most people buy a engine, run it weekend after weekend until it fails...Then depending what went wrong they repair the engine or buy a brand new one.......on average most people cycle thru engines every 5-6 gallons.....It is unfortunate but most people treat these engines as if they are a maintenance free device..and unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth....As these nitro engines require frequent maintenance and cleaning in order stay in top running condition..The absolute wort thing you can do to a nitro is run it weekend after weekend and not take it apart...
The number one cause of engine failure and tuning troubles is lack of maintenance and cleaning !!!
With a proper maintenance schedule a nitro engine can last many times the average..It is quite easy to get 20 gallons of reliable usage from a race engine if you take care of it... cleaning, Rod, bearings and a repinch will work wonders and extend the lifespan of a engine many times over....I cant stress this enough, people need to learn how to maintain their engines...
99% of the tuning issues people have with a nitro engine will have nothing at all to do with the needles , nothing to do with the brand of engine, or fuel being run, or the engine being modified or stock... Its lack of maintenance......so many trouble engines out there are simply dirty or damaged ! yet weekend after weekend the owner will chase the needles trying to needle the engine into submission....
However with that being said nitro has so much much more personality and requires a much higher degree of skill to master.......Sometimes overcoming the challenges involved in nitro is what I find most satisfying , and I suspect many others feel this way too.....Nitro requires skill, and the more skill you have the better and more reliably the engines will perform....
I believe one of the issues nitro faces is lack of knowledge.. Many people in the hobby have a very limited understanding of mechanical workings and limitations of these engines....Which often times puts people at a massive disadvantage when things start going wrong...The internet does have some good information, but unfortunately most of it is buried by mountains of very bad information.....Which unfortunately usually results in people having to learn by trial and error on their own, and often times results in them leaving the hobby before they get anywhere near to mastering these engines.....
Another thing that kills nitro is that people do not do any maintenance to the engines....Most people buy a engine, run it weekend after weekend until it fails...Then depending what went wrong they repair the engine or buy a brand new one.......on average most people cycle thru engines every 5-6 gallons.....It is unfortunate but most people treat these engines as if they are a maintenance free device..and unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth....As these nitro engines require frequent maintenance and cleaning in order stay in top running condition..The absolute wort thing you can do to a nitro is run it weekend after weekend and not take it apart...
The number one cause of engine failure and tuning troubles is lack of maintenance and cleaning !!!
With a proper maintenance schedule a nitro engine can last many times the average..It is quite easy to get 20 gallons of reliable usage from a race engine if you take care of it... cleaning, Rod, bearings and a repinch will work wonders and extend the lifespan of a engine many times over....I cant stress this enough, people need to learn how to maintain their engines...
99% of the tuning issues people have with a nitro engine will have nothing at all to do with the needles , nothing to do with the brand of engine, or fuel being run, or the engine being modified or stock... Its lack of maintenance......so many trouble engines out there are simply dirty or damaged ! yet weekend after weekend the owner will chase the needles trying to needle the engine into submission....
11-23-2012, 10:06 AM
#15
I like the longer races = more track time = more bang for your buck. At least that how I see it. I got out of 1/10 electric just when Lipo batteries were just starting to get popular and went 1/8 nitro. I was sick of spending all my time maintaining/babysitting a dozen battery packs all week to race 2 classes the next weekend. I have also never seen a nitro buggy/truggy go up in flames during a race and be pretty much destroyed.I have seen a few run aways but they don't normally wreck most of the vehilce.