Nitro is phenomenally more expensive there is no comparison... just the fuel expense alone, but nitro engines only last a few months before you need to drop another $500 into a new engine if you want to be competitive. You can operate 2-3 electrics for about the same expense to maintain 1 nitro, no joke!

Amain did there christmas or black friday weekend special last year when I got my X6 for $90 so worth to wait. Like others have posted I charge some 4s (LiFe) batteries with a 12V power supply no problem under 15 minutes as well from storage. I think if I had the X8 (8s battery version) and charged 8s batteries then I would of considered needing a 24V feed).

yeah, I’m pretty sold on that charger with 12v ps. Only thing I’m worried about is how charging works at the track itself. For some reason I doubt they’ll have outlets everywhere with free electricity? I guess I need to plan a trip and find out before I invest any more money :)

You will want the power supply for use at home, but if there is no power at the track, then you can hook up the charger to your 12V automobile battery with alligator connectors, another option is to invest in a power inverter, I use this one here if I race at a track without any power:

An option that I have available to me is charging on a Hitec x4 pro ac+ 400watt with a DC Source of at at least 14vdc 30amps higher voltage within spec is better. Can allocate wattage but only down to two channels, figures so it can only charge at 200watt?? One battery .. so that can charge all my lipos primarily and finish off the High voltage lipos on a separate Dynamite passport P2 which can run upto 200 watts on a dc power supply but still only 100 per channel no combining.

So in my case I can charge faster with the X4 and then finish off in the passport (same as hitec) if HV lipo.

I apologize got the specs wrong on the x4.
Thou it runs better on a DC power supply it does not have the same feature as some the newer versions of the hitec charger or the dynamite passport ultra.

Reason why cheap! Bringing stock depleted cuz newer stock coming in for XMas!!!

Yes and no.
The real competive guys are the ones that get the stuff for free or cheap. The rest behind them do want the 500 dollar engines but are not worth the 500 dollar engines. With electrics the same, people are willing to spend to get the best but if they do not get the A finals or even the B finales they are not worth to use the best of the best.
And with electrics I do see the same, people drop their batteries and motors after a few races to get fresh ones. So to be competive in any class whatever, it will cost money.