trpastor

I wouldn't have thought so either - but guess it's just a weird glitch

I'll see what the LHS can tell me

mozzzy_2000

yeah you could be just unlucky hey. I've got a brilliant AM in a heli so I guess each system will be different. My buggy glitches like I said before but not enough to be a problem. But yeah I thought FM was glitch free. Thats why you should get someone to look at it. Could be something very simple.

Kemo

I use sanwa radios... no problems present. Futaba is too skinny for my likings.

Anyways, whats the RTR weight of the vehicle w/o fuel in it?

nitrosteve22

Hey guys,got a couple Q's on the whole 1/8th scale buggy thing. I love my little Tornado but I have to have an 1/8th scale buggy but what I'm wondering is how would this redcat stack up against OFNA's 1/8th scale RTR's? Lets take the Hurricane XP for example,how would it stake up against the OFNA Ultra Comp 2 RTR w/ .26? How about the OFNA 9.5 KP Violator RTR w/ .26 or the one I'm considering the most,the Hyper 7 PBS RTR w/ Mach .28. Now I know aside from the Ultra Comp,the other two are a tad more spendy but would be great bashers AND racers from what I've read. The small extra $ amount doesnt concern me as much,its what I'm getting for my $ that does. So what would ya'll say?

Redcat Hurricane XP vs.

OFNA Ultra Comp 2
OFNA 9.5 KP Violator
OFNA Hyper 7 PBS (This is the one I'm leaning to the most)

Xeller8

You won't go wrong with the Hurricane XP as it is right in there...it is basically a "clone" of those other buggies you listed and is less expensive to start with and if I'm not mistaken it is closest to the Hyper 7...ask trpastor about that one as he just picked up a Hyper not too long ago..

But as with all things...the decision is yours.

trpastor

Hey -

I did just pick up a Hyper 7PBS. It's used but in really good shape. It has the .21

I've also had the 9.5

I also know the Ultra comp well as I was very close to buying it.

Here's my evaluations. The Ultra Comp is not as good as the Himoto/Redcat. Go with the redcat before you go with that one

The Hyper seems stronger in the front hubs. The PBS seems like a stronger system but the rest is about the same. The shock towers are stronger on the Hyper 7 and 9.5 (thicker that is) BUT you can buy upgrade shock towers for the Himoto/Redcat that are just as strong

FInally the Himoto/Redcat is lighter. The Ofna's are beasts. Which probably means it's not going to be as fast. I have just started leaning out the .21 hyper 7 yesterday and it looks like it's gonna run pretty well, but the Redcat is definitly faster so far

I haven't had the Hyper7 Long enough to know but lets just say the 9.5 I resold a little after having both the Himoto/Redcat and the Ofna. I had a few issues with the engine but even when I got it working well I just thought the Himoto was simpler lighter cleaner overall. A lot more fun. It ran great out of the box and I got it brand new with .27 engine and FM radio for cheaper than a used ofna ($260 on ebay). Redcat sells um for about $329 I think and they will give you great service too.

I have taken mine into the LHS (2 different ones) and both of the people had the same reactions when I told them price and looked at how it was built. IT has some REALLY quality things and some things that are not as good as the ofna. The center braces are ALUMINUM BARS on the Redcat, while it's plastic on even the hYper 7. The hyper 7 has a stronger front end but it is heavier too (so probably slower) You wont' be sorry with either the redcat or the Hyper 7 and if you are it's something you're doing probably

I personally when I get time wanna race the Himoto just to beat the equipment snobs

Tim

nitrosteve22

Thanks guys!

Your right trpastor,Redcats site claims the XP weights in at 3300 grams while the 9.5 KP hits 3665 grams and the Hyper 7 tips in at 3500 (approx). Aside from the Hurricane,these numbers were pulled from TowerHobbies so they might not be spot on but I would assume they are close. Your post is very imformative and all together I think the Hurricane would be MY best choice considering what you get for what you give. And the RCU review raves pretty good about it (especially about the .27's output) and everyone in this thread seems to love theirs so after some deliberation the Hurricane XP takes the cake....mmmm... Cake... Plus it does seem similar enough to the OFNA's that upgrades and parts wont be a pain to find like their 1/10th scale counterpart. I dont regret buy the Tornado,I'da bought it anyways but the Hurricane has to be added to my little collection,I just hope the price doesnt go up anymore when I get the money around .

Oh,and how much louder are the .21-.27+ compared to say,the TRX.15 and VX.18 in my buggy? The noise level is a tad bothersome but I its the pitch that kinda bothers my ears when in close range (I dont love the nitro's any less though!).

Xeller8

The .27 is definitely a bit louder than the .18 but it's also a bit lower pitch...kind of a tradeoff...

And it's here and gone so fast it won't have much time to bother your ears...hehe!

nitrosteve22

Thats cool,it usually doesnt bother me when driving them its when I'm real close or right on top of em (for like the break in process ya know) that its gets to me. I would love an exhaust with a lower tone at idle and low RPM's and then scream like a Ferrari past 1/2 way throttle.

Just outta curiousity do you think that 4 stroke engine O.S. makes would be a worthy purchase? What it lacks in RPM's and output it makes up in torque but still its only like a 1/2 horse power... Maybe it'd work good in the Tornado... Shim the head and supercharge it!

trpastor

we will be glad to have another Redcat owner

The noise is similar but it does seem a little lower pitch than my 1/10th scale smartech (Yeah I have a smartech too, bet you guys didn't know that

jcam54

dog gone it guys why did you have to compare all of those buggys?!!

now I'm gonna have to ask my wife if I can buy a 'cane!!!!!!!

Thanks guys--you trying to get me divorced?[X(][>:][:'(][8D]

Xeller8

HEHE!!

*peer pressure starts here*

GO John GO....Go John GO!!

Kemo

OK guys here is what this is soon to amount to. I have done a LOT of pondering, and it amounts to 3 vehicles I am bouncing off and on for (yes and no pretty much). So far, my decisions have come down to the Cen truggy, Cen Matrix, or RR's Hurricane that i'd convert into a racer.

I have a couple of problems with it, for instance, can the front hubs be upgraded to C hubs? What CV shafts will fit on the rear? What front suspension arms will fit? Questions like that. Anyone willing to help is appreciated!

Buggygovroom

The aluminum parts were an excellent upgrade so far. I crashed hard today into a car tire and only snapped the bumper... nothing else bent. I flipped over somehow flying full speed down the street yesterday and cracked a wing but thats it. The metal parts are really paying off.

The O.S. Max vg is so far a very nice beater motor, no real problems or anything with it and it runs pretty strong considering its only like 100 bucks on tower hobbies. All i need now is a new radio and some decent servos, and a race motor and i think im ready for the track in spring. I can't stand this stock radio anymore... It glitched on me a few days ago and ran away causing the car to speed off, flip and rev the motor upside down very high... poof no more motor.

Xeller... it seemed like just a 13 tooth clutch bell was enough of a change for the big tires on my buddys car. No excessive wear on the shoes and no changing of the spur gear and it ran great by just changing the bell.

Kemo

who were you mentioning the engine to?

Xeller8

WOW!...just dropping 1 tooth on the clutch bell made THAT big of a difference??....hmmm....I wonder if his tires and wheels are as heavy as mine?...as much as mine was laboring under the extra load I was thinking it would take a bit more gearing down than that....also...what are the dimensions of his tires?

trpastor

Hey Kemo-

As far as C hubs I know that BuggyGV took the front end of a kyosho and put it on but you pretty much have to do from shocktowers out. There may be another way I guess but I'm not sure how -

Most Kyosho stuff is a pretty close fit from the front back I believe. Perhaps BGV and give a little more info on that too. His is about 80% Kyosho now I think

Kemo

that'd prob cost more than just buying one from the get go... doh

trpastor

Yeah I think that is probably true. They are good cars the way they are and I haven't had much problems with the front end at all (except I bent a steering knuckle when I went into a tree at about 25-30 and flipped it 3-4ft in the air. I bent it back and so far it hasn't bent again (and I hit is a little softer into a pole after that )


On another note - I just got the Hitec 945MG for my front steering servo on the Hyper 7 (I have the 645MG on the Redcat/Himoto) and this thing is kick ass. It is fast as hell and stronger than the 645 also. It may actually be too quick and responsive when I get out there and going, but I guess I will see

I'll give you guys a better idea of how the hyper compares in the coming days.

Buggygovroom

X
They are ofna wheels and tires, the tires are about as wide as 2 regular tires side by side.. and a bit higher. Im sure they are the same size as yours since the rims are the same.

As for the CV joints on the hurricane I used the front cv from my hurricane and moved them to the back and put a set of kyosho cv joints in the front. By comparison they were the same so a set of cv shafts for the front will work in the rear.

Xeller8

Is that a 7.5 that you have as your donor car?

Buggygovroom

yea, not much left of it though

mozzzy_2000

Hey all. Yeag after pulling apart my redcat/himoto along with the MP7.5 I have I noticed that its more similar than I first thought. I took it back in to the LHS & we compared actual kyosho parts & alot of the parts in the redcat are exactly Kyosho parts. All the running gear, diffs & gear boxes are 100% kyosho. As far as the front wheel geometry, there really is not a lot of difference & it does not take much to convert the front end of the redcat into the same as the mp7.5
Infact there is a slight tradeoff with the front wheel hubs not looking as robust as the mp7.5. On the redact/himoto the bottom arm axles are attach to that spring loaded brace & acts like a bumper, whereas on the mp7.5 that part is just a straight brace & has no springs or give in it. The guys in the LHS reckon that was actually better than the mp7.5's setup & they preferred the bumper effect. This is quite possibly why the front wheel hubs on the redcat don;t look as robust as the lower arm absorbs impacts way better than the mp7.5 does. Anyway if you take that spring part off & replace it with the kyosho brace and then add kyosho lower & upper arms & wheel hub/carriers & thats pretty the difference on the front end. Well it is on my mp7.5. There are a few versions so maybe its different but thats all the difference I can see. Everything else pretty much lines up. The parts look slightly different in the redcat but essentially they are the same configuration as the kyosho. The LHS said it only has to be 10% different before you can call it your own design but again another guy in there also said these were licensed through the Kyosho factories.
Got some of the alloy hopups & they seem to be worthy additions & easier to adjust than the standard parts they replace. Blings it right up too! You can also use the CVDs out of the MP7.5 as well. Currently I'm desparately trying not to pillage my mp7.5 for parts as it still is a very good buggy. Its hasn't as much raw grunt as the .27 but due to its extreme lightness, it really is very fast in comparison.
Anyway I've got mine back up & running & running well it is. Still going strong. Still pretty touchy on the needles though. I'm still finding that my engine still consistantly runs pretty hot, like 270+F hot. I am finding once it hits those sort of temps it always konks out. I try richening it a bit & all that does is bog it down & it stalls when you accelerate off. So it seems to want to operate at that temp but how do I stop it from stalling when its too hot? It got so warm under the lid today that it started to melt the cover! I am finding it almost impossible to run with the lid on as this seems to make it hotter & it seems to run better without it. But I can't run it like that in dusty or dirt tracks. Any ideas guys? Has anyone found a bigger cooling head that fits the infinty .27?? I think this engine would be a dream if I could keep the temp at least around 250F and a much bigger cooling head would be a huge benefit. A think a better clutch would also suit it as I find it needs to spool up before it gets going.
But it sure is going at some blistering speeds, Always gets an audience this buggy does. Spins people right out when they see this going so fast! I might see any of the local clubs will let me race it but I'd say even against the top .21's, this thing will cover them in dirt i feel & even might be too powerful for the smaller, windy tracks. It certainly sends up a rooster tail of grass and dirt whereever it goes. Who knows...there's only one way of finding out I suppose....
Anyway cheers all..

trpastor

Hey Mozzy

It's funny you say the Kyosho is a lot lighter. I can't believe that since both of the Ofna buggies I!QUOT!ve had have been noticeably heavier. It seems like they are unnecessarily heavy then.

As far as the front - I can see what you mean about it maybe being superior with the shocked front end. I noticed that too. I haven't had much trouble with the front end at all though I did bend the steering cup and just bent it right back and it's been fine. I haven't broken anything on the ofna's either though so I guess so far I've been to easy on em!

As far as your temps and it dying I have found these should run at least 260 also. I was running mine and it would hit 280-285. I think that was it's !QUOT!racing!QUOT! temp and I backed it off a bit but I don't think you should run these lower than 260 or 270. The Hyper 7 I have on the other hand seems to operate best at about 220 230 so far. So having experience with both I wouldn't worry about it too much

As far as it dying when it hits proper temps you might want to try a new plug. What do you have in there now?

trpastor

Oh, and I wanted to give a report. So far the Hyper 7 is a pretty good car. Compared to the Himoto it is noticeably slower. It has the .21 8 port "race" engine in it, but it's still only a .21 to a .27 so I don't think it's really fair. It Seems to handle better BUT i put the 945MG servo in the hyper 21 and the Himoto only has the 645MG. Also I noticed that the steering range in my Himoto is less. I don't know if this is becuase of the servo and or radio, OR if this is a weakness in the design of the steering that takes away possible range from the servo. I'm guessing the servo and radio may have a big part in it but I'm too lazy to take them out and swap them just to see. Sorry

The Himoto gets up and going very quickly and may also be harder to control becuase of that (steering aside). Driving something that goes 0-40 in 4 secs vs in 6 secs (abstract numbers here) is obviously going to require greater skill.

Overall I like them both. The Himoto has things I like (Light, fast, springy, screaming) and the ofna does too (feels beefier and easier to handle but probably becuase it's slower). I haven't broken much on either so they seem to handle and hold up the same so far.

Bottom line both are very good cars but the Himoto/Redcat you can probably get into for less to start