str8jailbird

I am seriously looking at the Rampage MT for my next 1/5 scale. I did, however, just read the reviews on the FG Hurricane. It looks sweet but it is based on the Smartech Titan. I know that FG is great stuff and they changed a lot of the problem parts/geometries from the Titan. I am looking for a basher though. Whatever I get will be seeing some air time and I know at the Rampages weight this creates some lower level altitudes . I also looked and marked the upgrades that the Rampage needs to be basherized; gears, steering servo, engine/exhaust. Just need some input from some owners for comparison.

hellya

Its not a FG hurricane ...both vehicles are Smartech...the hurricane is just a modded titan.

kidd

i think it's nutech?

scarletboa

My Feedback: (1)

hpi bajas and the baja clones along with the fg monsters are all great bashers.

str8jailbird

Thanks hellya but I thought that I already stated that. I know it's a Smarrtech Titan that FG modded and supposedly fixed everything that was wrong with the Titan. All they did was slap their name on it.

str8jailbird

Thanks scar, I already have a modded 5B SS that I built but I was looking for a 4X4 monster truck now. Probably just going to get the Rampage because I can't find anything from the owners of the Hurricane. Not a good sign for the Hurricane and what I did find for the Titan was all bad.

mooman007uk

It's not FG modelsport who makes the cars that have modded the hurricane it's the store fgsupply.com who special ordered modded titans to their spec. I don't believe Fg would ever put their name on a clone.
If it's any help a few members here who already own fg's and/or mcd's have bought rampages and are raving about them, cheap to buy, need a few relatively cheap upgrades to make them very tough and parts are readily available there is a forum just for the redcat rampage..just google it. I pick my rampage MT up tomorrow[8D]

Foxy

To be completely honest with you, base don what I've seen, I would wait to see how much the Nutech Thunderbolt 2 will cost. It's a hugely improved version of the Smartech Thunderbolt, which was already a slightly improved version of the titan. I honestly don't know how much I'm supposed to be sharing, but it has some very attractive features.

I have an FG monster, and a Smartech Thunderbolt. I love both cars, but lets not pretend here, the 'FG' (as in FG Modellsport) is by far the superior design and car. Between the two you mention, the Smartech Hurricane and the Redcat Rampage, it's a pretty tough choice, they're both pretty good for the money and they both need some extra cash thrown at them to be 'great'. If you made me choose, I'd probably say Redcat, simply because it has the better aftermarket.

mooman007uk

Yep he thunderbolt is nice too...i was looking at C5, thunderbolt or rampage, I decided i wanted an MT though and in US and here in BC Canada rampage parts are easy to get.
And just to add...how many different choices there are now compared to just a year ago for 1/5 4x4, from the cheap to expensive there has been an explosion. awesome!

str8jailbird

Thanks folks. Yeah I was leaning towards the Rampage MT but just wanted to see what the hubbub was on the Hurricane. I have a "wish list" saved on innovative hobby's website that already had the upgrades I found that the Rampage would need (steering servo, gears etc). After it was all said and done with the final on it is less than $1500.00 so it will still be less than what I have in my 5b SS as it stands now! Yep, thinking new toy in January!!!!! Redcat Rampage MT here I come!

hellya

Nutech is made by smartech.....The hurricane was not modded by FG....more like a FG dealer ...Angel shark is the name on here


Get the Rampage MT from www.rampagehopups.com .......right along with all the hopups you need at the best price!!!

I own both .....almost..... a smartech thunderbolt (which I cant get hopups for )...and a Rampage MT which has alot of part support

sheograth

Personally I'd take the Hurricane C5 over the Rampage - I've yet to see high quality work out of Himoto.

hellya

Are you talking about this buggy Foxy...this is the New Nutech/smartech Thunderbolt

Foxy

Yep, that's the one. I guess they've announced it then. I've been very out of touch with the current market for a few months, but I keep getting updates from Chris at Nutech, with pics etc.

clubin

The customer support from Redcat is great. After sales service is a big thing, Redcat realy cares. Some of the other manufacturers don't!

str8jailbird

Already have a buggy, now I want a 4X4. Here's a few of my "current" running version. Integy front brake kit and chrome DDM rear Dominator. Yep, that pipe makes it a wheelie machine, gonna go thru a lot of tires with it especially after the ESP 30.5 head kit comes in.

ausrcnut

Out of all you folks that own a Rampage, Smartech, Nutech, FG... which of the vehicles is Bash-Superior for build and performance out of the box....?  Im hearing that the Rampage is good for the price, yet still needs strengthening, and that others are just overpriced. But basically out of the box quality, what do you think is recommended...? Im basically looking for (the Losi XXL or MGT8.0) of the 1/5 scale scene..?

Regards.

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

Nutech is pretty tough especially now that they come with V2 plastic Diff housings, stronger drive/diff cups, and so on. The Rampage XT/XB line is better than the old Rampage TT/MT/DuneRunner. Honestly if you have the money (since you mentioned FG) then go buy a Hurrax Yuckon. Very tough and it is the BIGGEST 1/5th scale on the market. Side by side with an FG MT it makes the fg look 1/8th scale.

RAMTech-HBF-LSF

Always interesting Sherv. The good thing is people can read all of your posts and realize you have no idea what you are talking about.

Foxy

Wow, this thread back from the dead.

The good things about Nutech and Redcat are that they listen to the community and make improvements. They are interested in solving the issues with their cars and stand behind their products. Both have now been in the market long enough and are well established enough to have evolved naturally to a point where they are bashable out of the box with minimum expenditure. Both are good cars, I favor the Nutech for two reasons; 1) Nutech are their own OEM (original equipment manufacturer), they are not rebadgers, and the Thunderbolt line (including all the cars based on that chassis) is their own original design, based on the proven 1/8th buggy chassis and drivetrain layout. 2) I was involved in the development of the TB1/2 for a while, so I have a fondness of it. I also wrote the RCU review of it.

These comments need to be tempered by the fact that I have not owned a Redcat, so I am unable to directly compare. Redcat are better supported in the US, mostly thanks to Rob (the poster above) and his network of sites and his hopup store. Nutech hopups are out there, you just have to look a bit harder. IIRC Vertigo were carrying a bunch of stuff for them, I assume that continues to be the case. You can also talk to and order from Nutech directly (which given your location in Oz, might make the Nutech even more attractive).

FG are a typical German company, long on tradition and simplicity, short on product evolution (their chassis is basically unchanged for 15 years or more, even the 4wd system is basically a bolt on to the original chassis) and flair. They mainly make on-road race cars, so their off road line sometimes seems neglected, but they are very solid bashers. The ARTRs (they just need radio gear installing) have a few issues out of the box, like all 1/5th RTRs, and a few hopups can be expected to be bought at the same time as the car (such as alloy rear upper arms, spur carrier and motor mounts), however, they are usually supplied with Zenoah engines, which is a big bonus. It's like buying a 1/8th MT/buggy with a Novarossi/RB engine in it.

MCD are overpriced for what they are, but are very good 4wd vehicles.

Hurrax I have no experience with, but I gather they are very good and priced about right (ie Good=Expensive).

HPI only has one car (5b) in 3 or 4 different forms, I've owned and upgraded one extensively, and to be honest, I wasn't very impressed, it was eventually sold. They are like all HPI models, middle of the road RTRs that can be made better with a few upgrades, but will never be top of their class.


Bottom line, if I was looking for the MGT/Savage/Losi buggy of the 1/5th world, I'd go for the Nutech MT/Thunderbolt, mainly due to its very familiar 1/8th buggy chassis layout. It's cake to work on, takes a beating and a half and is priced right. That familar chassis layout is a great great thing in my personal opinion and the car has a lot of alloy parts on it as standard (photos show stock car out of the box). Here's a couple of pics of the Thunderbolt 2 as it was out of the box 2 years ago, and a video of me pounding on my FG MT (2wd, rear wheel drive version) and Thunderbolt I (which while was available for general sale, is more like the prototype of the Thunderbolt II, a much improved version of the car). Neither car incurred any damage at all in this video, despite some very alarming flexing in some spots lol.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il2VMtpdCuE[/youtube]

bbuzzard

My Feedback: (5)

Bwahahaha!!!!

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

A certain someone who owns a redcat forum and baja forum seems to ban people with negative comments about those products and board sponsors for some reason from time to time. Hmmm

Foxy

Alright that's enough.

Sherv, I've edited your post. If you're willing to say precisely what it is you don't like about Redcats, that's fine. Just saying 'they're terrible' is not constructive or helpful. Other posts have been edited deleted where appropriate based on that.