kashjeff

I've been wanting to get into nitro rc for awhile now and finally have the time and money to burn. Problem is, I know absolutly NOTHINGabout anything. My RC experience ended about 15 years ago at radio shack.(yes yes laugh if ya gotta) All I'm sure of is that I don't want electric.

1st off should I get an RTRand learn to drive it or get a kit and build it myself? I'm pretty handy with tools and have just enough mecanical smarts to keep my vehicles running.

Is there a model or brand that is inexpensive and good enough to learn with? I've done some research(mostly amazon.com) and found that the good brands that i've heard of like traxxas and losi seem to start at $300+ for the el cheapo models. I really have a problem spending that much all at once for something i know nothing about. To put things in perspective I drive a $600 truck to work everyday.

While surfing this morning i stumbled onto redcatracing.com and found some pretty cheap deals. Volcano and caldera were the two that peaked my interest, especially the price. what do you guys think of these? Are they throw away peices of crap?

Any comments or suggestion are helpful.
Please let me know what ya think.
thanks
Jeff
wooster, ohio

crispyspa

The Volcano is a brushed electric truck.


The Caldera doesn't look too bad. finish watching this video and a whole bunch of related videos will show up...some good, some bad, but you'll have that with any rc vehicle.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-FQeF9dFgQ[/youtube]

LaTuFu

My Feedback: (1)

A couple of questions I would have for you:

Are you on your own? i.e. are there any friends of yours locally that know Nitro and can show you the ropes?
How much time will you have to work on them?

I would suggest reading as much as you can on the web.  Here, rctech.net, ultimaterc.com, beatyourtruck.com, and other RC related sites.  Sponge as much as you can about Nitro tuning, break-in, etc.

As far as the truck you choose, I would suggest a well known, broadly supported brand like Traxxas, HPI, or Losi.  The Traxxas T-Maxx, HPI Savage XL, and Losi LST2/XXL are probably good places to start.  They are well known, good trucks, easy to find parts and support.  Traxxas has its pros and cons, but they are generally a really good company to start with.  They have the best customer service team in the industry.  You can get help with your trucks online or on the 800 number.  Lots of support there.

I would not suggest buying a used Nitro as your first truck.  You will want something new so you can learn from the beginning, and be assured that the truck is in good shape when you begin.

You will need a budget of $800-$900 to get started.  $500-$700 for the truck, and the rest for fuel, glow plugs, spare parts, etc.

Good luck!

Summit is Beast!!!

Why not electric if ya dont mind me asking?

kashjeff

Big thanks to all who replied....!

As of right now i'm pretty well stuck on redcat racing, mostly for the price and availiblity of parts. No way i could see myself dropping $500 to $900 on RC, at least not to start. (HOMICIDAL WIFE) With Amazon prices ranging from $189 to $269. for Caldera and volcano 3.0 nitros I'm comfortable spending that much even if i break it immediately after receiving it.

I have a friend who has an electric, not sure what make/ model but i doubt he's ever taken it apart or done any maintenence.. I'm not shy when it comes to fixing things and Love to upgrade/mod/customize pretty much everything i own so starting with a cheapo wont really bother me. I did a dealer locator search at the traxxas website and found that theres a hobby shop about 10 or 12 miles away and two of them about 30 miles away in opposite directions so I'll be checking out those places before i buy anything.

I have serious motorbreath, I'm addicted to pretty much anything that burns fuel to make power, noise, speed, and smoke. SUMMIT do you have an affection for electrics? What is good and bad about them vs. nitro? What models Do you guys run?

Thanks again to everyone for the discussion.

Jeff
Wooster ohio

LaTuFu

My Feedback: (1)

There are TONS of threads on this site (and other RC sites) that go through the "nitro vs. electric" debate.

It's all really personal preference, and it sounds like you prefer the Nitro.

Nitro has some advantages over electric, but electric also has some advantages over Nitro.  A few years ago, that wasn't the case.  If you really wanted power and speed, you had to go Nitro.  Today, a quality brushless setup in a truck will outperform many Nitros.

The main advantage electric has over nitro is the time and maintenance factor.  You still have to work on electric trucks, but they do not require the same level of ongoing maintenance and care that Nitro does.  You can charge up, plug in, go drive if you want with an electric.  Nitro needs a bit more TLC.

You can't go wrong with either one, especially if you like the idea of tuning, tweaking and wrenching.

Summit is Beast!!!

Well i have a Traxxas Summit now...i had a traxxas rustler nitro when i was 14 and it stayed broken! I beat the H out of my summit and cant seem to break anything lol. But if u like working on stuff maybe a nitro would be better. Me personally would rather be out riding than waiting on parts in the mail to fix something.

mike96

There is nothing wrong with keeping your eye on the craigslist as well. Talk to the hobby shop in your area before you commit to a CL purchase though. Most of the ones in Las Vegas charge a small fee for working on your car but if you askthe ones in your area theymay do you a favor and check a used car over for you before you buy it. They can let you know if there is something seriously wrong with it. Most of the shops here also do consignments, there are a couple ofHPI savage SS's at the one closest to my house right now for $275 a piece, and they look near new.<o></o>

Edit: Probably the best moneyI ever spent on an RC car was my wife’s Kyosho Inferno. Probably the most durable car on the planet, IMO.I witnessed it go full throttle into a curb and the only thingI had to replace was the lt front hinge pin, it bent.I don’t know what kind of plastic they use butI swear it must have come from krypton. Biggest problem with Kyosho though here in America is that parts are hard to come by, so when something does happen to it, it is down for a while.<o></o>

kashjeff

Well.....now you guys have got me thinking.....I REALLYwanna hear an engine running while having fun but "charge and go" sounds like less work/time/money. Plus all of the electrics i've seen so far have been cheaper. I'm gonna spend some time reading some of those "electric vs nitro" threads you talked about and take a few days to think on it. Probably still end up with a nitro but sitting on the money and reading a little won't hurt. (too much) I've also been watching alot of youtube on the subject, it gets me hot and bothered and makes me wanna run out and buy the first one I see.

Thanks again for all of the input. I'll be checking back and conversing regularly.

Jeff
Wooster Ohio

miamibanshee

here in my part you can find  some used tmaxx anywhere between $150.00 to $200.00 on craigslist