huminski

My Feedback: (23)

Thinking of getting my first 1/8 buggy. Thought I had my mind made up a dozen times but here I am.

A little background, I started in hobby-grade RC with a tamiya fox then a Losi JRX2. Have had since then (which was 1988 or so) a whole lot of cars, like Nitro RS4's, Kyosho Optima, etc, but all 1/10, never 1/8. I also fly RC a lot so I'm not a noob so to speak. Back in the day I used to race the Losi JRX2 and was not that bad. But alas that was a long time ago.

Long story short, these are what I'm looking at right now:

Redcat Hurricane - $260 shipped to me.
Pros: Price, huge owner following that swears by them, price, looks nice, price.
Cons: I'll have to order parts for it online, as nobody local (I can find) stocks redcat parts.

Himoto RXB-1 - $320 shipped to me. (edit - I said tornada at first but meant rxb-1)
Pros: Again, owners love it, price is good, better hardware than the redcat (all hex head screws for example), PBS front end, CV's instead of dogbones, GO engine.
Cons: Again, parts availablilty.

Hot Bodies Lightning 2 Sport - $405 out the door in a local shop, a bit cheaper online (as low as $314 but not in stock, if I could find it in sotck for this price it would seem to be a no-brainer...)
Pros: HPI (Hotbodies) reputation, local parts availability, great reviews
Cons: Price, and it seems to be discontinued (is this true, and if so will it cause a problem getting parts?)

I'm looking for something to take in the woods and sandpits near me and bash around for now, and hopefully race in the spring. I don't need a pro version of anything, don't need aluminum arms, don't need a picco racing motor, etc. Just want a nice, reliable, powerful buggy for a good price.

Help! Maybe I should just stick to flying...

Thanks!

hrdcoreglf

For a beater that can be put on the track next season, Hyper 7 RTR.

amf66

Get the Himoto RXB-1, it has PBS suspension and cost $320 at [link]http://www.himotoracing.com[/link] and a much better buggy than either of the buggies you have listed. Here is a picture of it:

youwish16

+1

get a hyper 21 rtr black

amf66

If you have a hobby shop near you that sells it get the Hyper 7 TQ Black Edition but otherwise get the Himoto RXB-1.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

This is my recommendation and if you do a search and look around on many threads like this this is the number 1 recommended buggy for new comers.

dragon2k2

either the hyper 7TQ or cen matrix

giddyuperic

Go with hot bodies, America company and they won the worlds. Plus you can get parts.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

If he was going to get a kit and not a RTR the Hot Bodies D8 would be a good choice along with the Hyper 8.5. Getting parts for a Hyper 7 is not a problem and you can get the parts CHEAP. Just look on ebay. Keep in mind wining a race is 10% the vehicle and 90% driver. [X(] If it was not for the second place winner of the worlds engine having problems the D8 would have been second but that is racing.

huminski

My Feedback: (23)

I went with the Hyper 7 TQ Black. Got it for $279.99 shipped so that's not too shabby.

This one comes with the Hyper .21, not the .26. That's a good thing for me since I have dreams of racing it. Is this hyper the 8 port or what? Also has full universals in the center, front and rear shafts instead of dogbones. 14mm shocks. Seems to also have a lot of aluminum and grpahite as well. For the price I'm happy you guys pointed this one out to me.

Should have it late this week or early next week.

Can't wait to get it.

Later,

Dawman

My Feedback: (33)

You made a wise choice and will be very happy with that buggy and is much better then the redcat or himoto . The engine that came with it is not the 8 port and believe that is the 3 port engine . Let us know how you like it when you get it .

Dawman

My Feedback: (33)

If you go by that , many hobby shops don`t sell Himoto so why would he buy one ? Most hobby shops have parts support for the Hyper 7 .

amf66

Getting a Himoto would be good if you didn't have a LHS or if you're just wanting to be different than anyone else. I'm not saying that the Hyper 7 is a bad buggy (which it's not), just that the Himoto seems to be a better buggy for the money especially since his local track doesn't an engine size limit.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

The Hyper 21 3 port will be a great learner engine. Need any help let us know. I wish you could get the Hyper 8.5 RTR that they sell overseas with a .21 here in the US. but it would be a couple hundred more.

Dawman

My Feedback: (33)

Funny how mostly newbs think this . Have you had a Hyper 7 to compare ?

amf66

No, but I do know that the Himoto has full turnbuckles, a laydown steering servo, a 3 port .28 engine that can be easily upgraded to a 6 port and some of the best support on the Himoto Support forum. Have you ever seen a Himoto RXB-1? [:-]

Dawman

My Feedback: (33)

Yes , I`ve had customers come to the shop expecting to get parts for it . I`ve also tried a Himoto POS a few years ago that a customer gave the shop because he was tired of fixing it .

amf66

Just because one of there vehicles is bad you are saying that they all are? The Himoto RXB-1 is hardly a POS, just ask anyone on the Himoto forums. I've never seen a Hyper 7 and I'm not saying that it is terrible and if another OFNA was bad I wouldn't think that the others are bad too.

Dawman

My Feedback: (33)

My opinion is not based off just one .

Ask anyone on the Himotos forums ? That`s like asking anyone on the Losi forum if Losis are junk and so on . I`ve been in this hobby for a long time and know cheap quality when I see it . There is a reason most hobby shops don`t sell them and why most racers don`t race them . I`m entitled to my opinions as you are also . But saying your Himoto is better then a Hyper 7 , you will find it hard to find many seasoned racers to agree .

46u

My Feedback: (3)

I never owned a Himoto but new a team racer that at one time was sponsored by them and even went over seas to there factory on there dime. Did not last long as he was not happy with the buggy or the support from Himoto.
Just my 2 cents.

Where there any Himoto drivers at the Worlds and if so where did they place.

hrdcoreglf

I have tried Himoto, and Redcat, not bad for a low cost buggy. I know longer own them. They were for fun, but they do not use true T7 7075 aluminum on the parts. Both vehicles had weak aluminum parts. On the other hand I still own Ofna/Jammin and have not found them to have the same problems. Both had weak chassis supports, rear anti-squat plates, shock towers, universals, and several other things. Is any buggy perfect? No, but from experience Ofna is the better choice for a racer to be. As far as the engine, I have raced with a .28 and a .21. I would take the .21 any day. Not to mention that a couple of tracks in my area run mutual points races and do follow roar rules most of the time. What ever buggy anybody picks, it is a labor of love, so don't expect to buy any vehicle and not have to do work to it and maintain it.

huminski

My Feedback: (23)

I didn't want this to become a bÂ*itch session. Let's try to be positive.

I picked up a Spektrum DX2 used today for $80 with the reciever. Hooked it up in my old JRX2 and I am very impressed. Granted, I was using a 20 year old Magnum Junior AM, but the difference is night and day, I can run the DX2 as far as I want to and the signal is perfectly clear. The built in failsafe is awesome too. I'll be putting the DX2 on the Hyper TQ and using the Hyper's AM set for the old JRX2. Guess I'll have to retire the old Magnum Junior......

46u

My Feedback: (3)

The fail safe only works for lost signal not low receiver battery in this radio. Will work if your TX battery gets low. Good radio for a starter radio and you do not have to worry about frequency conflicts. You just cannot beat 2.4 GHz!!!!!!!!!!!

huminski

My Feedback: (23)

Are you sure about the failsafe? I think it does, because when my battery in the JRXT was drained down it would failsafe if I gave it throttle, like when the BEC voltage sagged the failsafe kicked in. Sure is what seemed like was happening.

Dawman

My Feedback: (33)

It does this when the battery voltage gets low and low enough to when a load is applied the battery drops and actually turns off the rx for a second . Not really failsafe but seems like it on electric cars . On nitro same thing happens but it can happen when throttle is open and can stay open until the rx powers back after the battery replenishes enough to power it back on .