Hello all! I am a seasonal racer that is still stuck in the nimh/brushed age. I am looking to start catching up with the "Jones-es" but how should I start? I'll have to transition slowly because I can't throw a ton of money at this hobby. I'd love to hear your opinions on which one I should go to first and maybe what products. Thanks in advance.

If your nimhs are 3300mah or larger, and have some life in them get brushless. If you have any lower or your batteries are dead, go lipo. Also depends on what motor you have.

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The reason I've been holding off is because I have a few good 4200s and a couple good 4600s. I also have a ton of good usable stock motors and 1 or 2 good mods. It's not like I'm dumping $$$ into the old stuff yet.

Both will be rather expensive.

A good lipo setup will likely require that you purchase a new charger. A good charger will cost you a bit (~$150). Then you still have to buy the batteries.

A good brushless setup will likely require that you purchase a new ESC. A good ESC will cost you a bit (~$100). Then you still have to buy the motor.

Here is another dumb question. Is there any issues with running one without the other? Like using lipo power with old brushed motors and speed controls. Or will a brushless system suck the life from my nimh batteries faster?

I'm in the same boat you are in. I have 4600 nimh that is in good shape.
I decided to go brushless and wait to go Lipo.

I will switch over when the nimh batteries die out.

Lipo will run in either, but the older brushed esc prob doesn't have a low voltage cutoff (lvc) to protect lipo from being overdischarged. Lipo batts can be damaged by discharging them below about 3.0v/cell (don't discharge a 2S below 6v for example). There are lvcs you can add to brushed setup to do this - Novak smart stop is one example.

Brushless can be tougher on NiMH batts - if you don't have 3300mah or bigger, the pacs will have trouble generating the current - you'll be able to tell easily, batts will get very hot, very quick.

And if you're asking about mixing brushless esc and brushed motors - yes, thats possible, but just be sure to buy esc that can do both.

Going lipo can be not so expensive if you're patient and shop around. This past weekend, Zippy 4000mah 2s lipos were going for $28 at hobbycity.com. These batteries have received good reviews, as a result, they sold out quickly. You can get a Turnigy 6 charger or a Onyx 230 charger for $80 or less. You can use the lipos on your brushed motors until you have get the money to buy your choice of brushless motor/esc or you can start selling you stuff while it's still in good condition and use it to pay for your lipo/brushless stuff.

with minis i was lipo/brushless and it was nice..thats when nobody balanced packs..my lipos swelled then i went to brushless/7cell-elite&intellect, and i was thrilled they was rochin..now though balancing everything with my lipo in nitro id never look back. I know im making some horrible comparisons here but from my experience patience with every step in lipo is key(to be sure everything is proper)

if you do go lipo just watch your balance leads to be sure they fit with the balance ports in the charger you purchase to save the soldier time, unless you like to soldier..iv had some 1/10 scale brushless gtb w/out lipo cut-off novak systems ran on nimh, never w/lipo..after running them i cant amagine ever running brushed..they were very efficient and smooth...

I to am looking to keep up with the "joneses". have beein doing a lot of research in this forum. like you i dont have a grand to go out and get everthing all at once! one component at a time! Dustin 360 has a good point, the ESC, it's the heart of the machine! a brushless ESC is required to operate a brushless motor, and lipos require a voltage cutoff. A new ESC should be the first step as it will run you old brushed motors now, and handle brushless and lipos in the future!

i kept my nimh's for a while when i got brushless in my offroad. i was b-main every night. installed brushless and won shortly after. then added lipo and i clear the jumps farther. id say brushless if the way to go first.