Aka Melissa

I want to get my boyfriend a RTR nitro truck or car. 1/8 or 1/10. I'd like to stay under $300. I was looking at an Earthquake but am open to suggestions. it needs to be pretty sturdy and stable. - doesn't flip over or crash too easily. I understand that RTR doesn't really mean that you can take it out of the box and drivit. How much assembly (and cost) should I expect when buying a car? So that it actualtv is RTR?

mugeyman

hi aka melissa take a look at 1/8 scale nitro buggy and or trucks ( truggy) ofna hyper 7TQ buggy and truggy are around $300 give or take free shipping the higher the vehicle stands the easier it is to flip over because center of gravity is higher yes these are ready to run just add batteries for radio controller and nitro fuel
go to Amainhobbies , nitrohouse.com , also see youtube videos on rc stuff the top stuff notch stuff
is 8 time world champion kyosho mp9 tki3 ,(mugen seiki mugen mbx 7) , tekno nb48.3 losi 8ight
team associated rc8 ofna hyper 7TQ and afew more you might like or he might like ,and some hobby stores work deals on ebay new stuff too well good luck in your search

mattster1971

There are tons of Nitro trucks and buggies right around the 300 mark. I would agree that the Hobao Hyper 7TQ is a great option. The SS is just a touch more and it offers a few upgrades. You could also look at some Ofna models. Maybe Redcat if you don't mind buying some upgrades to make it tough enough. I think pound for pound the Hyper 7 is going to be the toughest RTR buggy you could buy. Check out Tower Hobbies and Nitrohouse.com for some other ideas.

The RTR means it comes with everything you need right out of the box. It doesn't mean you should put fuel in it and try and start it. Make sure to go through and put locktite BLUE on every metal to metal screw in the kit as they don't do that. After one or two runs you will begin to lose important screws. You have to properly break in the engine too after that is done, then you can go bash your brains out having fun.

mugeyman

hi mattster yes,the hobao corp is the company that makes rc stuff for ofna , you can also go to ofna store,
ofna.com and see hobao markings on there products , and also purchase rc items too. see youtube nitro rcnerd he has a lot of videos , bashing , racing , tuning , building, and rebuilding, hyper 7s and othe buggys and trucks thanks for your info mattster . great

Aka Melissa

Thanks for the info. Any thoughts on the Redcat Earthquake or Hurricaine? I also looked on the Nitro website and saw this for $298. They say regularly $507 rofessional 1/8Th Scale 2.4 Ghz Nitro Powered Exceed RC Ready to Run .28 MadWarrior RTR Racing Edition. Is that a good deal or a gimmick?

mattster1971

Its a good price for an RTR that is made for the weekend fun runs. It wont win any races but should hold up to his requirements for a first nitro buggy. Just be sure to make him go through it and locktite all the metal to metal screws including the clutch bell screw and stuff like that. Its going to save you headaches. Don't let him make the mistake of filling it up and taking off without proper preparation. In Nitro you have to do the proper steps or you are doomed to have issues forever. Make sure to follow the break in procedure closely also. I think those look like fun vehicles. They don't get 5 star reviews because they aren't the toughest vehicles on the market but are nice for entry level nitro experience. Make sure you purchase a receiver battery don't use the 4 AA battery pack they give you. Its inadequate for steering response. This means a 5 cell hump pack or flat pack of 6v for the receiver. Also get a good failsafe for the car. Duratrax makes one that I know works. You will need an inexpensive charger to charge the pack so look for that too. You can get one just to charge the NIHM battery 6v or you can get one for future expansion with capabilities to charge LIPO or other. This will run you about 14 for the battery and charger ranges are huge, 25 up to 99 for a decent charger, depending on what you want it to be able to do in the future.

Also look at this site www.nitrohouse.com or www.towerhobbies.com Two major sites with the Hobao line of products/ Ofna which is the Hyper 7 and Hyper SS

DieHarder

Don't get a Redcat. If you want him to be a happy man and actually enjoy running it, get the Habao/Ofna. Brand name means a lot and Redcats are just cheap and not built very well. I strongly vote for the Ofna Hyper 7.

Ofna Hyper 7 - http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXRUS1&P=ML

Use coupon code: 014GN and take $27 off, making it only $272.99. It comes with free shipping.

SyCo_VeNoM

tend to agree with nitro if you go cheap there is a high chance it will be a headache to get running.
The Hyper is probably the cheapest model I'd even recommend as of right now. Only reason its low cost is its an old model that has been sold for a long time so parts are quite easy, and plentiful to get, and it can take a beating.

I've seen too many redcat reviews which show the things breaking $10-20 in parts the 1st 5-10 mins of the test run. There was one done by this site a few years back where the reviewer was saying how great the durability was, but if you look at the video you could see it broke a damn part in the 1st 3 mins from a flip that he repaired in the next clip(and broke a few more).

We also had a person who got a redcat for his 1st RC on the forums awhile back(I'd guess its been 2-3 years) on the buggy forum that would keep trumpeting how great they were. It was funny after he broke down, and tried the hyper that they recommended above he started saying how crappy Redcats were, and broke all the time in comparison

Basically I would not recommend a Redcat for a first RC due to their durability issues. Now maybe if he had a few I'd say maybe as just something to mess around with, or see how far he could modify it with parts from other RC's sure.

mugeyman

aka melissa , think the other guys are right ,stay with the ofna or hobao hyper 7 nitro ok this is stronger and tougher than the other items you were looking at , even if it is back ordered until January .you get it ,maybe on ebay site too , you will have to try that web site ok thanks

Aka Melissa

Thank you all for the great advice. I'm gonna go with the hyper 7. Will let you know how he does with it. I'm sure he'll thank you for pointing me in the right direction.
I guess lots of people are taking your advice. EVERYWHERE is out of stock. Good things come to those who wait?

mattster1971

check several vendors. Check Tower check Nitrohouse.com, check amain, do they carry ofna? maybe not. How about hobbico. oh and EBAY... you will find one there, just get new not used. never buy a used Nitro. ever

DieHarder

Here ya go - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ofna-Hyper-7...YAAOSwAKxWZtM4

That's a listing I would buy from.

mattster1971

Whoa, me too, 259 is a great price for the RTR, wow. Makes me want a third one LOL

mugeyman

hi melissa ,matt, syco, die harder yes i got stuff from that ebay site you have listed, yes and go for the hyper 7 great

Aka Melissa

Well I did it! I bought the Hyper 7 on EBay. For a minute I was afraid one of you guys were going to buy it out from under me LOL. I still need to get the other stuff that was suggested ( battery, charger, etc. ). I have to admit i'm not exactly sure what some of those items are. I am clueless about RC Cars. I do know you've made my boyfriend a very happy man. I suspect I'm going to have to take up the hobby if I plan on spending time with him anymore lol

mattster1971

LOL I think you should. You can have as much fun as him with these things if you don't mind a little oil and nitro on you hands Just start your questions on what you need and many will give advice. You need the charger. I would get a Hitec X1 touch, easy charger with expandable capabilities and touch screen for ease of use for a newbie. You need the 6v hump pack battery, those are easy to find on ebay for pretty cheap, Tenegy makes a good pack 1600 mah. It comes with a controller so your good there. Umm, good fuel like Byrons or whatever your local LHS sells. Use 20% nitro. Get him the necessary tools too, Look on Ebay for Dynamite Hex drivers metric.. 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and one more. The car will come with a small nut driver. Get one that will take off 17mm also because that is the size of the wheel hubs. A wheel hub wrench is needed. That's a cheap buy, it looks like a cross. I would have loved if my ex wanted to join me.

paulienkeo

you will have to try that web site ok thanks

Aka Melissa

so a quick update. Got the car. Boyfriend was thrilled with his new hyper 7. I got all the parts that were suggested. He spent a couple of days loc-titing the screws. Ran fuel through it per break in instructions. He is outing the garage swearing at the darn thing because a) it's a ***** to start and b) it is squirting fuel out the tail pipe. Any suggestions? I suggested to him that he hop onto this website but he just looked at me and sort of growled lol. I think this is the start of a love/hate relationship with his car!

mugeyman

hi aka melissa go to the rc universe car , nitro and gas engines faq and fixes for tuning nitro
engines , he might have it flooded if to much fuel coming out exhaust pipe , and not starting , see the rc universe car and nitro faq and fixes , maybe he can look into a starter box for the coming year ok happy newyear

Aka Melissa

Thanks again. And happy new year to you too!

mattster1971

yeah have him lean it out a bit, its suppose to spit some fuel on break in and it will be harder to start. up the idle to help compensate for the increased fuel flow, will then have to dial it back to keep the clutch disengaged.

Most important : TELL HIM NOT TO GET FRUSTRATED and GIVE UP..... If it were easy everyone would run Nitro. There is a bit of an art to tuning and running Nitro so hang in their and give him any helpful tips you can find on Youtube for starting and breaking in.

shihab111

Yap guys I have learned too much unknown matter from this article. Tnx a lot.

HoBao Racing Taiwan

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We just launched the site and are still adding parts on daily basis. Eventually, any and all Hobao Parts will be available on there. If you cant find the item you are looking for, you can also email [email protected] and we will get it added within 24 hours.

Thank you

krokodyl

Yeah,your first nitro is definetaly frustarating at some points. Depending on weather, it may need a bit of tuning to get started. Most importantly, tell him to make small adjustments on the needles/valves. I made the mistake of turning them alot and got totally lost. Nitro is very fun, but does have its frustarating parts.