Nitro noob...D8s vs 8ight RTR
 

Getting back into R/C and looking for some opinions on 1/8 RTRs.

Last time I had anything to do with R/C was back when the original Associated RC10 was still on the cover of magazines. Recently back problems have forced me to forgo my previous hobbies of rock climbing, skydiving, and mountainbiking in favor of something less physical and I have decided to go back to R/C. I'm not planning on joining an racing circuit any time in the near future, but have decided that I want something big to have fun with and if I get comfortable enough then maybe some club racing. Since my budget won't currently allow me to go with the 1/5 5iveT, I am set on the 1/8 scale and definately want nitro.

I have been reading around the internet for a few weeks and between different reviews and looking at prices and replacement part availability; I am torn between the HPI D8S and the Losi 8ight.

My question to the group is whether the reciever and other components that come with the Losi are worth the extra $250 or so that the RTR packages cost.

I'm new to nitro and not racing, so I won't notice differences in engine power or handling issues. I'm looking for comments on reliability and duribility of the engines and other components.

Does the telemetry on the DX3S radio add worthwhile situational awareness in a non-racing environment or do you rarely payattention to it?

If you were going to buy something to bash around and learn with with the intions of buying quality parts when stock things break would you spend the extra money on the Losi or just get the HPI?

All I'm going to say is I bought a D8S and sold it after a month, then got a Hara, loved it but ended up with a Losi 2.0 which is another great car. If you plan on racing at all down the line get yourself a kit.

If I ever do get into racing it will be so far in the future that I would have either already upgraded all essential parts to race quality through the natrual processes of breakage and wear and tear, or will buy a car at that time specifically for racing.

Whenever I price out a kit, i tend to migrate towards higher end components to complete it and the price ends up well over what I need to spend for a startercar. Plus a car that is not already race ready gives me the opportunity to learn more about maintaining it as I start doing upgrades.

What I don't want is something with known reliability issues that will cause an almost immediate repair cost in the hundreds do to faulty or cheap engineering.

I've been wanting a losi eight RTR for a while, and also looked at the D8S, D8 hara, also mugen, and associated.

After looking at all those I've decided the RB One RTR buggy is the one I like best and will likely get soon. Amain hobbies seems to be the sole distributer unless someone else knows otherwise.

Reasons I like the RB one rtr.

1.) Full race exhaust header and pipe (no rubber hose)

2.) Best ever brake linkage setup

3.) Threaded body big bore shocks

4.) 2 models with or without engine pull start

5.) nicely laid out, high quality components (losi-like)

6.) reasonable $449 price

The losi eight RTR is a great package and you can't go wrong with that. It's a little early to tell for sure on the RB one. Not too many in circulation yet. But the few reports I'm seeing are that it's working really well and some expert tuners are set to run them this year.

This thread is for the kit version. The rtr seems to have many of the same parts and looks very similar.

http://www.rctech.net/forum/nitro-of...b-onr-r-2.html


Look at the photos on the last couple pages......really cool looking car!



Mike

Stay away from pull start. The added weight and hassle aren't worth it. You are much better off with a starter box. As soon as you break the recoil once you'll know why. It sounds like a nice feature but in reality it's probably what drive alot of newer people out of nitro. Plus once you get the engine flooded its pain. A starter box will save your knuckles, trust me. IMO the losi is hard to beat. To this day the 8ight is one of the best performers out there. Not to mention the availability of parts and the cost of parts is heavily in Losi's favor. The nice thing is if you decide to get the truggy down the road many of the same parts will fit both units. The rtr is nice because you get a solid rc and tx. The starter box will need to be upgraded pretty quickly but the stock one will work fine for now. You can upgrade the chassis and the rest of the buggy part by part for cheap and in the course of a month or two have a race roller built. Plus parts on eBay are a dime a dozen and there's plenty of setup guides to get you pointed in the right direction. Overall IMO you'll be much, much happier with the losi. Keep in mind the stock servos are weak and will need to be changed out within the first couple of weeks. It's better to change them out when they still work and keep them as backups than to have them die during a race or practice session.

JWM--Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I am definately starting to lean more towards the Losi unless some die-hard HPI fans chime in and find a way to sway me the other way. With the amount of info I have found on the D8 I figured some of it's fans would have offered their opinions.

The RB does have a good price, but I'm not finding the abundance of aftermarket parts that are available for Losi, HPI, Associated, or the other major brands. As a noob, I want the convience of finding parts virtually everywhere.

I am aware of the servo issues mentioned in virtually every 8ight msg thread I've read and planned to order better ones at the same time I order the car. Most threads just mention which servo model they upgraded to, but I was wondering what speed or torque ratings I should look for so I can do my own comparison shopping or choose between items in stock at the LHS.

For the starter box, does it need upgrading or replacing due to an under powered motor or other issues? Is the 350 engine compatible with a standard roto starter that can be carried as a back-up?

Take the BIG plunge and buy a kit! You'll wish you did if you don't...:nod:

Eventual car #2 will be a kit, but I would prefer to make all my noob mistakes on a less expensive RTR. Also I tend to have great brand loyalty, so which ever brand I start with I will most likely stay with for years.

For servos I'd check out savox. They have some very competitive prices and as soon as my ace/xp servos go I will be replacing them with savox.

For the starter a roto will not work. You will want a bump box but one with two very large motors. They are very reasonably priced at around $50 for a good one. There really is no substitute for a good bump box, trust me it will make your life so much easier. Luckily the one that's included will work until you buy a new motor which probably won't be until next year/season. To break in the engine that's included you'll need to loosen the glow plug a turn or two so it'll turn the motor over as the pistons are very tight inside the sleeve when they are brand new but once you run a few quarts through it, it should loosen up. With another motor chances are the included bump box won't work because many off them are even tighter yet. I've never used the stock 454 engine but from what I've read they aren't nearly as tight as some of the others. I broke in 2 go engine motors a year or so back and my stock box wouldn't even budge the piston inside the sleeve, so I had no choice but to upgrade. Once I got the right bump box it started easily each and every time.

As for rtr vs kit, obviously a rtr is going to get you up and going much quicker. A kit is nice if you know how to build one, otherwise it's a headache and could take you weeks to put it together. Once you've torn down the rtr a few times and feel comfortable you can upgrade parts one at a time or buy a bunch of them and install them. I've literally replaced every part on my rtr buggy and have made it into a race roller, so in reality none of the stock pieces are on it, they are in a plastic bin just in case I happen to need them in the event of an emergency. So you can build yourself a race roller without ever buying a kit and you can actually do it for about the same price, maybe even a few bucks cheaper if you get some good deals. I know I have several duplicate parts laying around because I found good deals on them, things like battery trays and fuel tanks were bought for pennies on the dollar. I have several sets of shocks and tires all bought from clearance sales or on eBay when someone has too many parts and there aren't enough buyers. You can also find some great deals on here as well. Just do your research and stick with a brand that's easy and cheap to find parts for. Because if there's one thing that doesn't change no matter what brand you go with is parts will break and they will break when you least expect it and at the worst time ;)

Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with hot bodies I've just never been a huge fan of theirs. Losi on the other hand is always winning races even against cars with much newer technology. People seem to say you can't push a losi like you can with others but IMO its perfect for the vast majority of us. They are very forgiving and can make you look much better than you really are. Plus I like the fact that I bought my 2.0 three years ago and it's still a valid contender today. Whereas when you buy something else chances are that company has already started to develop and prototype it's replacement. You see many cars with 2012 or 2013 edition. For me that's a deal breaker. You'd feel bad driving last years model when others show up with the newer version of your same car. At least I would. I like the fact that I have the latest version of my brand of buggy.

I think if you are going rtr you have to consider JQ, for 399 you get an alpha and unmatched support.

JQ is an interesting company. I wouldn't have a problem trying out anything they have to offer. Thats about the only other company besides losi and mugen i'd trust whole heartedly.

JQ is definately developing a good following and if I already had a couple of cars, I would definately consider getting on of theirs to add to the stable, but the limited selection of aftermarket hop-ups would leave me wanting more options to tweak the car and learn what setup I am most comfortable with.

Plus at only a couple years old it is too difficult to predict where they will be in 3,5, or 10 years. I would hate to have the only company that makes parts for my only car go belly up and leave me stranded.

I do applaud JQ for their Jan 299 special in an attempt to bring more people into the sport, but charitable actions and good intentions don't guarantee a long lasting company.

I started with a D8s and it was almost in destructible. I did get a bump box and some time later got a hara. I just got a d812 I like hpi hb The d8 is very tough it was a great basher.