As Seen On TV

Hey everyone. I've recently gotten the itch to get back into r/c. My electrics have been sitting on the shelf for about 15 years now. I think my latest and greatest was a Clodbuster. When I was deep into it, things like LiPo, Slash, and brushless weren't heard of. I'm looking at all my aged r/c and I'm getting overwhelmed with having to get new LiPo batteries, chargers, the thing that cuts off power preventing the battery getting too low, brushless motors, etc. I have an awesome sandpit I go shooting in about one mile from my house. Its about five acres of sand, rocks, woods, etc. Away from any homes where noise might be an issue. In fact, there's a lot of places like that around here (mountains of New England). I'm just going over a few CL listings and I'm thinking nitro may actually work for me.

Thoughts? Thanks.

SyCo_VeNoM

depends do you like tinkering? if so probably will

Also heed this advice DO NOT BUY USED NITROS FOR YOUR 1ST trust me on this you WILL regret it. Also don't buy cheap ones as in nitro you get what you pay for. Generally the cheaper nitros have harder to tune engines, and are made with cheaper material.

As for used you will find almost every ad says runs great... that is equal to in automotive lies "was driven by a little old lady on sundays to church." then you find the odometer was rolled back 400k, the tranny gears were held together by jb weld, and the engine is toast. But anyways when you buy used nitros always expect to have to replace the engine as always think the prior owner knew less then you as that is the case a good chunk of times. I've bought 5 used nitros, and out of 5 4 of them the engine was completely shot. One the guy said was ran 5 times which I honestly believe due to how little damage was done to the RC, but he completely screwed up the engine cause he ran it so lean it wasn't funny the piston, and sleeve were shot(I paid what I did with that in mind).
My one which was my 1st nitro almost made me quit nitro as I trusted the guy that sold it, and thought I was doing something wrong till a person on these forums helped me out, and helped me diagnose the problem which was the engine.
Now I'm not saying that every used nitro is a lemon, but the grand majority are. Also do not even believe it if they show you start it up as engine issues a lot of times start showing only AFTER it is warmed up to operating temperature like my 1st one which ran great for 5 mins, but once it warmed up it would die, and not restart till it the engine cooled off, and would cut out at the same point after the metal expanded.


Now as for what to look for if you like monster trucks look at the savage X, if you want some lean mean racing machine look at OFNA buggies (these are pretty much as cheap of nitros as I will recommend as they are still quality)

Also look up the nitro tuning series by Squirrelod on youtube it is probably one of the better how to videos I've seen, and is very informative. Actually might want to look it up 1st and see what you will be getting into by going nitro.

Thumbrunner

Hello, glad to be able to give my opinion as well. I started out with a Traxxas Nitro Rustler about 10 yrs ago and enjoyed the product, but to be honest it really wasnt that durable...imo there are nice rtr kits u can get that are out there, just got to look around. I have recently got back into the hobby and purchased a Nitro Tornado s30 from Redcat Racing, alot of people ive seen complain about Redcat are from years ago, i dont much of a problem with my buggy, minor stuff...but for the price $185.00 off Amazon plus shipping came out to $215. I like the build quality and the buggy can move! (2speed) tranny (ajustable shift points) comes with a sh.18 engine which is not to bad, have patience when tuning ☺ the front dogbones are known to come out when steering is turned the whole way but just put a o-ring in the hub, that makes the fit alittle tighter and problem solved. Other than that the servos work ok but there are better ones out there when want to upgrade. All around like the gentlemen said above, those companies are a bigger corporation and the products are a bit beefier, more $. Im fine with the Redcat for now, im a HPI fan so i might pick one up later down the road, if my experience with Redcat stays enjoyable i might even complete the set of all vehicles (street,truck, have the buggy already) but for the price and alittle tweeking its a good by imo...whatever u choose have fun and be patient with nitro, there alot of fun!

Guff15

I'm with Venom, don't buy a used nitro buggy/truck unless you know the person you're buying it from, and know they took care of it. With that said, if you don't mind the maintenance of a nitro then by all means go for it! I was in the same boat as you a few months back.....been out of the hobby for 15+yrs and my last RC purchase was a Clod Buster that I searched high and low to get new (always wanted one when I was a kid). I was told that buying electric now is more money up front but less in the long run, and nitro just the opposite. I can tell you this is true as a gallon of nitro fuel by me is $32 (US), not to mention the extra glow igniter, upgraded receiver battery and the electric starter I bought for my Redcat Backdraft. My nitro cars require more maintenance then the electrics I had. Oil build up from the exhaust makes dirt stick to everything 10x's more and adding after run oil to the engine before putting it up just to name a few.

What Thumb said I totally agree with when it comes to Redcat. Most of the haters are ones that judge simply on either the older Redcat vehicles or they just go along with the majority. I've had some pretty bad crashes with my Backdraft and the only thing I've broken was the servo saver after running into a curb at around 30mph. I did strip the plastic spur gear during my 1st hard bash after break in, but it was replaced by a steel gear and I've had zero problems with it since.

As Seen On TV

Thanks for the replies. I'm not new to tuning and dialing things in. I've built a few full size 4x4s in my time. Right now my hobby consists of what is left of a suzuki samurai, on Toyota axles and 35s. Its not street legal so I have to tow it to private land hours away if I want to wheel. When I do wheel, an average cost of breaking is 'bout $2000. That's about once a month. Its fun and all, but its really frustrating. With the nitro I can still get the speed, customization, sounds, and "feel" of bashing off-road. There's a perfect place a mile away for me to use it too.

Appreciate the input.

teangjivi

it was replaced by a steel gear and I've had zero problems with it since

john01374

Truth be told, Nitro's are a pain in the butt and if you decide that you want to go down that road you really need to have someone to help you that knows exactly what they are doing and how to tune a nitro motor.

I went to Nitro years ago when the run times on batteries were so short. I liked the fact that you could simply fill up and keep going. Problem is those little motors needed to be re-tuned pretty much every time you went out to run due to weather changes. They are also annoying loud and messy but I didn't really have a choice as batteries only lasted about 4 minutes each. All that has changed today. LiPo packs will give you 30+ minutes of run time on a typical rc car or truck. My stock Clod for example runs for almost 40 Mins on a 2S 6500mah. A stock Slash will run about 20-25 mins on a single battery.

Making the jump to LiPo packs really isn't anything major. All you need is to buy a charger that is LiPo capable, the Lipo packs and a Low voltage alarm that plugs into the battery. These alarms are about $3.00 each and you should have one mounted in each car. You also need to do some reading as LiPo batteries do have special handling requirements but nothing that you can't learn with about an hour of reading.

You also don't need to make the jump to Brushless but when you do you'll wish they existed years ago.

I can answer any questions you might have regarding the new technology.

RustyUs

I used to want a nitro powered RC in the worst way...until my buddy talked me into racing again. I bought a Castle Creations Mamba Max ESC/ 5700kv brushless motor combo to race with, and I never got the urge to buy a nitro since. Brushless motors and LiPo batteries will give you all the power and speed you think you can handle...and then some. A part of me still would like to try one (nitro RC) someday only for the smell and sound factor, but then I tell myself what the price of a quart of fuel cost.

Maybe another option would be (since As Seen On Tv likes the Cloudbuster) a gasoline powered Savage XL Octane?

As Seen On TV

Thanks for all the replies. So nitro really is that big of a pain huh? I understand the noise and mess, but I figured with the big ass sandpit down the road from me I'd be fine. Just seems stepping down from a fullsize off road rig that I've dropped tens of thousands into, to a nitro r/c would be an improvement. I work on my rig about five days a week for a few hours at a time. Spending an hour or two a night downstairs tinkering is something I enjoy. I'm just tired of the $500 rebuild and seal kits, $2500 tires, DOM @ $7 a foot (140' of DOM in my cage), and $2000 axles.

I'm just looking at the stash of electric cars and trucks I have now. My latest and greatest is a 2WD Stampede with a 14T motor, Super Rooster ESC, and a 3000MAH NiCd pack. Surprisingly I charged the battery and the truck worked fine. Battery had to be sitting for ten years at least. I was doing fine until the solder holding the wire onto the motor melted off. Tallying up the cost of LiPo batteries, brusless motors, and a LiPo charger or two is adding up quick.

I did find an ad on an HPI Savage:


Kid said it runs great. Tells me he has almost 20 r/c cars and wants to start selling a few off. He's asking $225. I figure I'll hand over $150 and see what happens. If I have to throw $100 at it here or there, fine. Just seems like a jug of nitro fuel and a glow plug igniter seems a lot easier than all the LiPo battery equipment. Or do I totally have this all wrong? Thanks again.

Guff15

If I ever bought a used nitro from a person I didn't know and trust, I'd have them run it until the engine warmed up. That way you could see if it held compression. Otherwise you could get it and the 1st time you run it, it wouldn't stay running once warmed up. Unless you're willing to re sleeve or replace the engine if it's bad. Just my $.02.

As Seen On TV

Oh, I made him aware that when I show up I'll be there for a bit to have it running and warmed up.

Man, now I'm all mixed up whether stick with the electric or switch to nitro. Priced out a few things to fire up the electric stampede I have.

Onyx 245: $120
Onyx 5000MAH 2S 25C LiPo: $45 each (I'd get two)
Castle Creations Motor/ESC: $110

So that's doable. Now, I have an old school 2WD stampede. I'd say 10 - 15 years old. Could I plop the above gear into that? Or am I bound to start roasting driveshafts and gears? I figure I could start off with that setup and scope out a used, newer style 4x4 Stampede or E-Maxx.

But yea, if i got the HPI Savage for under $200 I think I'd doing alright.

john01374

You're on the right track with the Motor and ESC combo. You'll want the 4600KV or the SCT 3600KV setup for your Stampede. You'll also want to get an LVA, LiPo packs and Charger all from Hobby King. Figure $30 each for packs and about $50 for a charger. The LVA's are about $3 each. Honestly you should be in the whole thing for right around $200-$225.

If you take care of your LiPo packs you'll get 250-300 runs out of them before they show signs of dropping off. Compare that to the cost of a bottle of Nitro fuel. Last I looked Nitro was $40 a bottle. That's a about 3 hrs worth of run time or about $12.50 and hour. If you don't take care of your Lipo's you still get 100 runs and the common $30 5200 mah packs will run 20-25 mins each which is about 33 hrs of run time. That less than $1 per hour of run time. We haven't even begun to talk about all the supporting equipment required to run a nitro. The costs are staggering when compared with Brushless LiPo.

And yes... Nitro really is that big of a PITA.

Oh yeah.. The only thing you will need to change on the Old School Pede is the gears in the trans. The new VXL models have steel gears that will take all the power you can throw at them. You can replace gears in the trans for about $15. If you want a complete new VXL trans with bearings I have one if you want to talk. The only other thing you will want to change is to put bearings in the carriers if don't have them already.

As Seen On TV

Ok then. I'll give electric a try then.

I punched in Traxxas in CL and found this:



Traxxas Rustler. Asking $125. Comes with a LiPo, ESC, and radio:




I'll look at that tomorrow, and order an Onyx 245 and two LiPo batteries. I was just going to go through Amazon. I'm a Prime member so shipping is free. Isn't HobbyKing that overseas place that takes awhile for things to get here? Or has that since changed?

As Seen On TV

So apparently HobbyKing has US warehouses now? They do seem a bit cheaper.

If I do pick up that Rustler here is what I'm looking at:

Traxxs Rustler from CL ad: - $100

Turnigy 5000mAh 2S1P 20C Hardcase Pack - $20 (buy two)

IMAX B6 50W 5A Charger/Discharger 1-6 Cells (GENUINE) - $29 (buy two)



To get my old Stampede going I'm looking at:

Turnigy 5000mAh 2S1P 20C Hardcase Pack - $20 (buy two)

IMAX B6 50W 5A Charger/Discharger 1-6 Cells (GENUINE) - $29 (buy two)

Turnigy TrackStar Waterproof 1/10 Brushless Power System 5200KV/80A - $62

Pro-Line Performance Transmission Slash/Stampede - $81



So does any of this make sense. I've just taken a crash course in today's r/c.

SyCo_VeNoM

Stampede 4x4 is ok...

As for nitro being a pain... its a pain only if you want something that you just plug a battery in, and squeeze a trigger with minimal learning (which most the people on these boards want). If you like wrenching, tinkering, and don't mind doing research prior to running it the 1st time its not a pain in the slightest.
I used to get more enjoyment out of running my nitros then the electrics, but stopped running them due to the city pretty much removing places to run them nearby(they are over developing the place like mad)

Jeremy Z

Yes, nitro would work for you. Compared to the hassle you're used to, it would be a piece of cake, especially if you started with a known good engine. If I were starting in fuel-powered RCs nowadays, I'd look into one of the new 1/8 scale two-strokes, so you don't have to pay $30 a gallon for nitro fuel. But electric is better in every way, unless you just really like noise and smoke. (also, you can't tune a nitro car in your basement)

Your old Clodbuster and Stampede are still relevant. Folks do still run NiMHs and brushed motors on trucks like the Clod that are not too power hungry. You can run it on a LiPo battery pack, but you'll definitely need to add a low voltage alarm or a new ESC that has low voltage detection built in. (If you over-discharge LiPos, it ruins them)

I'm awaiting an order for these LiPos from Hobbyking right now. I bought them to go in my old Lunch Box, the crawlers, and my son's Rustler. They're the same size externally as the old NiCd packs, so they'll fit the vintage Tamiyas great.

It'll need a connector to match your ESC. If your trucks have the old translucent Molex connectors, cut them off and fit a modern connector, like Deans or XT60. There's no need to lose power in a high impedance connection these days.

For chargers, the Thunder AC6 is a good one for around $50, but is limited to 50 W. If you ever go 1/8 scale, you'll wish you'd spent more and gotten either a dual charger or one that can be adapted to charge two at a time with a higher power limit. I recommend a minimum of 80 W and 6 A.

I have the Traxxas-branded version of this charger. It's a good one and can charge a pair of 2S, 5000 mAh LiPos in about an hour and a half. (batteries can't be charged in 15 min any more, like the old NiCds could) To charge two at a time, get a series or parallel charge board.

****

After all that, my advice is to buy a new NiCd pack and run what you've got before you spend any serious money. If you find it satisfying, but maybe just want more speed and runtime, then splurge for some new stuff. Like a new 4WD brushless 1/8 scale truck with LiPos. (like a Traxxas Summit or Kyosho Mad Force Kruiser 2.0VE.)

Yeah, that full size wheelin' sounds like a money pit of a hobby that's really frustrating. Fix it up, (maybe even street legal, to have a wider audience) sell it off, and put the money into RC. It hurts me to say that, as I have fond memories in my dad's old Samurai. (street legal hardtop though it was)

As Seen On TV

That's kind of how I entered this. For me, one hour of wheeling is about one month of prep. I'll spend 60+ hours in the garage getting ready for a weekend trip. The trip alone can be 5+ hours away. The cost of fuel, registration, trailers, campers, tow rigs, guaranteed to break parts, trying to get your mangled pile out of the woods back to the trailer; its a freakin' nightmare. Spending an hour in the garage to tune in a motor for a couple weeks is a thousand times easier than what I've gotten myself into right now.

As Seen On TV

To give a better idea of the wheeling I've gotten myself into, this is the type of stuff I'm talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqGAf2v2QKg