I do not consider myself a product tester, but I have seen overwhelming hatred for Nitrorcx and Exceed RC on many forums (including this one), while some complaints are warranted, some appear to be complaints from those who have never owned an Exceed product or think their car company is superior.To me this sounds like the old Ford and Chevy conflict, while there are many who hate a particular car maker because of a bad ownership experience, there are just some who just hate the product and no person could ever convince them to think otherwise.Saying that, I expect there will be the normal rants below my review and everyone has a right to their opinion and without those opinions Forums like this would not exist.

I will break this down this review into (3) categories: impression of the car purchased, parts, and technical support.

First I thought it necessary to give you some information about myself.I have been in the hobby for about 2 years and consider myself a weekend basher.I do not intend to become a professional racer nor do I have deep pockets to purchase any car I want.My first Nitro RC Car was a 1/8 Exceed Razor and while I rate this car a 6 out of 10, it did have its issues, particularly the stock servos, but without this car I would have never learned the ins and outs of how a RC Car works. I decided I was ready for a new RC Buggy and had a budget below $250.00 and I started doing my comparison shopping online.I also went to the Forums and watched several of Squirrel’s video reviews.I have no allegiance with any particular company, but I definitely wanted a 1/8^th scale and a .28 Engine.After I watched Squirrel’s review of the Madfire and Madwarrior (Same kit as Madfire, but a Truggy) I decided to give the Madfire a shot.Using the “rcx10” code I purchased the Madire Racing Edition with shipping for $223.93.The kit arrived at my home in the St. Louis, MO area in about a week.

I opened the box and examined my new Buggy and my first impression of this kit was that it is superior to the Razor in almost every way.The aluminum parts appeared to be anodized and much thicker than the Razor and the plastic parts seemed to be made of better quality materials.As hard as it was not to fuel this baby up and start it, I spent a good amount of time checking all the fasteners, reading the manual and making sure everything was functional.The manual was written as if you had to assemble the kit yourself, so there is extensive information on what makes this car tick and there is useful information on how to get started.I did find a few loose fasteners, but as you see in many Forums and Video reviews you should go over every kit before running it.

Next was engine break-in.I used the 5 tank break-in procedure (1/4 , 1/2, 1/2, 3/4, and Full Throttle).The engine started after priming within 2 pulls and was set from the factory ready for break-in.After the 2^nd tank the Engine really opened up and seemed to really increase in RPMs.

One issue did occur during my 5^th and final break-in the clutch bell end bolt came off.I was lucky as I handed my control over to my Dad and he turned the car over and I could not get to it fast enough to turn it over before engine stalled.I saw a washer on the ground near the car and immediately investigated.While I think this is a serious issue, one that could have been a costly failure, I do not completely blame the manufacturer, as this was the only fastener I did not check for tightness during my initial look over (just my luck).This was a fairly simple repair and I was ready to run within 15 minutes.I was impressed with the overall performance with this Buggy and I have yet to completely tune the engine to its maximum potential.

I always see complaints about availability of Exceed parts, while I know most local hobby stores do not stock them, but according to Squirrel’s review a lots of parts from the Madfire are similar to those on other kits, so if you are in a bind and cannot wait for shipping, there is a possibility that parts could be at your local hobby store.I find most local hobby shops, while offering convenience of stocked products, are often higher priced than online parts, and being a weekend basher I do not mind waiting for my parts to arrive by mail.Nitrorcx.com offers every part for the Madfire, no sales tax, you can use the “rcx10” code to receive 10% off, and they offer $4.95 flat rate parts shipping.Reviewing the parts list prior to my purchase and seeing most replacement parts were well below $10.00 were contributing factors in selecting the Madfire.

I decided to take my Clutch Bell issue discussed above to Nitrorcx.com Support.I decided to use their online chat feature.Their online chat hours are from 9AM to 7PM PST.No one was available until 11:18 AM CST (9:18 PST) and I chatted with “Jack”. I explained the issue to Jack and he did not know which parts I needed replaced.I could see this being very frustrating to call a manufacturer for help and they are unfamiliar with their own product.I had to refer to my manual and once the parts numbers were given, Jack had the parts sent.I received a new set of bearings in 3 days.

I would give this kit 9 out of 10, parts availability as a weekend basher 8 out of 10, and Technical Support 6 out of 10.I hope my review will help you decide whether the Racing Edition Madfire, Madwarrior, or Madbeast may be the right vehicle for you.