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Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

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Old 07-24-2007, 06:33 PM
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rob feature
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Default Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

I'm just getting back into RC after a long break. It's been close to 15 years since I was playing with cars and I can only assume that quite a bit has changed. I was hoping to solicit some opinions on choosing a car to get me back into it. I don't really have the time to build one, so was planning to buy a used kit...shooting for car, radio and battery(ies). Could anyone suggest a well-built, tough, nicely-suspended car in the 500 dollar range? I may spend more, but I don't want to get ridicudous with it. But at the same time, I want something that's gonna take a thrashing and keep coming back. 4wd wouldn't hurt either.

Thanks in advance!



Old 07-24-2007, 06:39 PM
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wfdfiremedic
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

Are you looking for a 4wd off-road buggy, or a touring car?
Old 07-24-2007, 06:44 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

I don't know what type of car you want. But, if you want a tough truck, I might recommend the E-Savage. The Savage is nitro, and is one tough truck, and I think the E-Savage is every bit as tough as the nitro version. You won't be going to fast with it, but you'll certainly be going off-road with it.

-Ziggy
Old 07-24-2007, 06:46 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

stampede vxl...$300 for the truck and somethin like 200 for the batery. the only bad thing is that its 2wd
Old 07-24-2007, 06:48 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

ok...just read the title of the post.. I have only owned one 4wd buggy...kysoho lazer zx-5. It was a great buggy and I actually picked it up used as well. If you search the classifieds here and other sites, you can find some nice deals. I wouldn't shoot for the cheapest car you can find though. After looking at the pics of the cars for a while you can begin to tell how they were maintained and the level of knowledge in RC the seller has. I am not a 4wd buggy racer, so I am not going to recommend any particular brand. However, IMO you can't really go wrong with a losi, kyosho, mrc academy sv2 pro, or J-concepts bj4 etc. Hot bodies has also just released a new buggy. All have plus and minuses etc. One major factor you should look into is parts availability at your lhs. Some shops don't carry particular manufacturers and waiting on parts can be a pain.
Old 07-24-2007, 06:54 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=305195

for example
Old 07-24-2007, 07:01 PM
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rob feature
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?


ORIGINAL: Ziggmiester

I don't know what type of car you want. But, if you want a tough truck, I might recommend the E-Savage. The Savage is nitro, and is one tough truck, and I think the E-Savage is every bit as tough as the nitro version. You won't be going to fast with it, but you'll certainly be going off-road with it.

-Ziggy
I guess I could have been a little more specific. I'm not really looking for a monster truck, but more of a buggy with plenty of suspension travel and good speed.

I'm not really looking to get out cheap...I want a good one...figured I'd be getting close to something decent in the $500 range. Or is that just a pipe dream?

Old 07-24-2007, 09:42 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

If I were you...I would go straight for the XXX-4. I don't own one, but I trust Losi. They make great products. It's 330 new. So, if you want to go used, that'll knock more off the price. But, the 330 is the chassis only. So you need the ESC, radio, motor, and some other stuff. If you go decent stuff, I bet you'll be able to hit your 500 dollar mark.

In fact, there is [link=http://cgi.ebay.com/Losi-XXX-4-Buggy-RTR-XXX4-Not-RC10-B4_W0QQitemZ160140092027QQihZ006QQcategoryZ49217QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem]this[/link]

Don't know how much this will go for, but it comes with everything but the battery charger. And it comes with an FM radio system, which is always a plus over a an AM radio system.

Keep it in your watch list.

-Ziggy
Old 07-24-2007, 09:50 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

Haha...now that I look at the last guys link...I would watch that too. That ESC has no motor limit to allow for upgrades later, rather then the 13 limit the ESC has in my link to the one on ebay. You just have to buy more stuff with the one on RCU, but it might also end up being cheaper...the one on ebay still has 3 days left. Plus, the one on RCU is new, which is always nice to have a brand new vehicle that no one has used yet.

-Ziggy
Old 07-24-2007, 10:15 PM
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rob feature
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

Cool, thanks for the replies so far. After shopping around for a while, I've got my eye on the Losi xxx-t 2wd version. Good buggy?

Old 07-25-2007, 12:35 AM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

4wd would suit better. Since I prefer Tamiya over anything else, I'd suggest the TRF501X, found at about 480 I suppose new, but it's a kit. There have been a few used ones RTR on ebay I've seen go for the same price. If you don't like the TRF, losi is nice too.

stampede vxl...$300 for the truck and somethin like 200 for the batery. the only bad thing is that its 2wd
Sorry, but the only thing good there is the battery. And he's looking for a good vehicle around 400 dollars, not a beginner's basher (still junk, really).
Old 07-25-2007, 09:26 AM
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Shompola
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

2WD? Bandit VXL maybe as long as you can accept the somewhat ugly body design of it. There have been very little impressions of it but it seems to be a very worthy buggy atleast from one RC magazine. But I suggest you to wait until the hype has cooled down a bit and see if it lives up to those hypes. Hopefully we will also see less of "it is junk" opinions (see above post of mine for a good example of it) from immature people who haven't even seen or tried them, because it somehow invalidates their expensive rc car purchases.
Old 07-25-2007, 11:10 AM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

Yeah, but basically it's just a regular ol' Bandit with more bearings and some upgraded parts. I've used/owned the Pede and Bandit (almost the same thing, btw) and from lesser bashing than my other (cheaper) vehicles more parts broke. It's just not practical if you could get something race spec for about the same price. I'm not talking about the "new" B/L system, but the chassis in general. It's also a bit of a pain to work on, seriously, if I can get the tranny out of my Highlift out faster than the tranny in the Bandit, something is wrong.
Old 07-25-2007, 11:31 AM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

I say get an Academy SBV2 pro... You can set it up for around $500 and everything will be brand new. These buggies are sick. I own the older V1 model and have driven the V2 pro a few times. I love mine, but the new V2's are so nice!

Specs:
http://www.modelrectifier.com/search...ew.asp?ID=7743

buy it here:
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/c...ns&pn=ACD15103
Old 07-25-2007, 11:41 AM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

you could buy a e-maxx for 350.00 new.
Old 07-25-2007, 12:37 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?


ORIGINAL: pvt_pile

I say get an Academy SBV2 pro... You can set it up for around $500 and everything will be brand new. These buggies are sick. I own the older V1 model and have driven the V2 pro a few times. I love mine, but the new V2's are so nice!

Specs:
http://www.modelrectifier.com/search...ew.asp?ID=7743

buy it here:
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/c...ns&pn=ACD15103
Best advice so far.
Old 07-25-2007, 02:53 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

ORIGINAL: gofastkid

you could buy a e-maxx for 350.00 new.
You can buy a new e-maxx for WAY less than $350. www.ultimatehobbies.com has them for $279.95 with free shipping.
Old 07-25-2007, 03:41 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

But I mean the starter kit with the battery's and charger.
Old 07-25-2007, 05:16 PM
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rob feature
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

That Academy looks pretty cool. However, I don't have the time to build a kit and that thing just hit the shelves...I never buy a product that's brand new to the market. I've built a few in the past and it's very time-consuming. That and I've decided to go with 2wd for now for ease of maintenance and simplicity. Plus donuts are kinda fun. I think I'll save my 4wd craving for something big and liquid-powered. That'll be a while though.

I've actually been trying to get a hold of the guy selling [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=304382]this[/link] one. It seems to be exactly what I'm looking for...especially the extra cells. I've read good things about the car. Price is right. I also seem to have made the impression that I WANTED to spend 500 bucks. I'm willing to go into that range to get what I'm looking for, but if I can get it for 300, I wont be rushing off to the hobby store to bling it out with the extra 200...If anything I'd probably buy another setup...maybe street. I used to have a Parma Pro Panther that was oodles of fun to drive on tennis courts...never said I was sticking with just 1
Old 07-25-2007, 05:41 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?


ORIGINAL: rob feature

That Academy looks pretty cool. However, I don't have the time to build a kit and that thing just hit the shelves...I never buy a product that's brand new to the market. I've built a few in the past and it's very time-consuming. That and I've decided to go with 2wd for now for ease of maintenance and simplicity. Plus donuts are kinda fun. I think I'll save my 4wd craving for something big and liquid-powered. That'll be a while though.

I've actually been trying to get a hold of the guy selling [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=304382]this[/link] one. It seems to be exactly what I'm looking for...especially the extra cells. I've read good things about the car. Price is right. I also seem to have made the impression that I WANTED to spend 500 bucks. I'm willing to go into that range to get what I'm looking for, but if I can get it for 300, I wont be rushing off to the hobby store to bling it out with the extra 200...If anything I'd probably buy another setup...maybe street. I used to have a Parma Pro Panther that was oodles of fun to drive on tennis courts...never said I was sticking with just 1
The Academy isn't that new. Plus there is a RTR version.

The Losi is a great truck for you. There is also a BL RTR version out now. All for around $330, a good IB4200 pack and you will be set for long runtimes.
Old 07-25-2007, 05:43 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

You can find used sv2 pros as well that are already assembled. I own a Mf2, and yes it is a great truck. You may also want to check the losi xxx-t with brushless rtr if you desire to go brand new. It is a decent truck with some decent electronics. You would need to buy batteries and a charger however.
Old 07-26-2007, 08:18 AM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?


ORIGINAL: annie_himself


ORIGINAL: rob feature

That Academy looks pretty cool. However, I don't have the time to build a kit and that thing just hit the shelves...I never buy a product that's brand new to the market. I've built a few in the past and it's very time-consuming. That and I've decided to go with 2wd for now for ease of maintenance and simplicity. Plus donuts are kinda fun. I think I'll save my 4wd craving for something big and liquid-powered. That'll be a while though.

I've actually been trying to get a hold of the guy selling [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=304382]this[/link] one. It seems to be exactly what I'm looking for...especially the extra cells. I've read good things about the car. Price is right. I also seem to have made the impression that I WANTED to spend 500 bucks. I'm willing to go into that range to get what I'm looking for, but if I can get it for 300, I wont be rushing off to the hobby store to bling it out with the extra 200...If anything I'd probably buy another setup...maybe street. I used to have a Parma Pro Panther that was oodles of fun to drive on tennis courts...never said I was sticking with just 1
The Academy isn't that new. Plus there is a RTR version.

The Losi is a great truck for you. There is also a BL RTR version out now. All for around $330, a good IB4200 pack and you will be set for long runtimes.
Correct, the V2 Pro buggy has been out since March 2007, the original v2 buggy was out for about 2yrs now. The V2 Pro is super adjustable and probably one of the most durable 4wd cars on the market. Steel outdrives are available now for it too. Your best bet is to contact www.stormerhobbies.com or www.amainhobbies.com. Many many other hobby dealers are signing up with us as well in order to stock our line of vehicles. Have you see the CAD drawings of our 2wd car yet? Maybe you want to wait for that?? Hope this helps in your decision making process.

Old 07-26-2007, 10:19 AM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?


ORIGINAL: Davey G


ORIGINAL: annie_himself


ORIGINAL: rob feature

That Academy looks pretty cool. However, I don't have the time to build a kit and that thing just hit the shelves...I never buy a product that's brand new to the market. I've built a few in the past and it's very time-consuming. That and I've decided to go with 2wd for now for ease of maintenance and simplicity. Plus donuts are kinda fun. I think I'll save my 4wd craving for something big and liquid-powered. That'll be a while though.

I've actually been trying to get a hold of the guy selling [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=304382]this[/link] one. It seems to be exactly what I'm looking for...especially the extra cells. I've read good things about the car. Price is right. I also seem to have made the impression that I WANTED to spend 500 bucks. I'm willing to go into that range to get what I'm looking for, but if I can get it for 300, I wont be rushing off to the hobby store to bling it out with the extra 200...If anything I'd probably buy another setup...maybe street. I used to have a Parma Pro Panther that was oodles of fun to drive on tennis courts...never said I was sticking with just 1
The Academy isn't that new. Plus there is a RTR version.

The Losi is a great truck for you. There is also a BL RTR version out now. All for around $330, a good IB4200 pack and you will be set for long runtimes.
Correct, the V2 Pro buggy has been out since March 2007, the original v2 buggy was out for about 2yrs now. The V2 Pro is super adjustable and probably one of the most durable 4wd cars on the market. Steel outdrives are available now for it too. Your best bet is to contact www.stormerhobbies.com or www.amainhobbies.com. Many many other hobby dealers are signing up with us as well in order to stock our line of vehicles. Have you see the CAD drawings of our 2wd car yet? Maybe you want to wait for that?? Hope this helps in your decision making process.

Does that mean it's soon?

Old 07-27-2007, 09:28 AM
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Davey G
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

The name of the 2wd buggy has been chosen, any guesses??
Old 07-27-2007, 05:15 PM
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Default RE: Best electric offroad for 500 bucks?

I'd get a truggy if you whant something with a lot of susension and good handeling. What do I know though I don't own one yet, I have read alot about them though and plan on getting one after I get my boat. (Super V 27 BL. or Nitro Miss Vegas Hydrostream)


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