geo950

Hey guys,
I'm looking to get my first nitro this week. I looked a lot at the Traxxas sport, which is basically designed for beginners. I like the simplicity, but I feel like in less than a year, when I'm comfortable with nitro, I'll want to upgrade to something better. So now I'm thinking, why not just skip the first step and get something I won't want to upgrade immidiately. My question is, is the Traxxas Nitro Rustler too difficult for a beginner? Is it too hard to tune/break in for someone who never has? Is it too powerful/hard to handle? I've got experience with electrics, but I feel like this is a whole new ball game. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

The_Shark

no, its not too hard, and its a tough truck, however I will say that the EZ start system and the carb is a little irritating.

the top speed is manageable maybe 30, 35 MPH

geo950

The site claims the top speed is 50+. Is that just bull? And what's the flaws with EZ start

The_Shark

absolutely, almost all the speed ratings are way overblown.
the X-01 is true, however you need good batteries and need to upgrade the gearing for that speed, they also fail to mention it is to only be used in short bursts, not run continuously.

the rustler is fast but still pretty tame.

the ez start is fine for a while, but the wires wear out, the motor wears out or gets weak, the one way bearing goes out more, the ez start stick also can burn out. you can remedy this with a pull start for $17

I would suggest you look into a Bullet ST 3.0 very simple, tough, 4wd and beginner friendly (and only $330)

geo950

Thanks for the help man, I appreciate it

j0e331

the rustler was my first nitro and i stil use it to this day. it has its weak points, but overall id say its a good beginner nitro rc. it never gave me problems. always started up pretty good and ran great. the one thing i dont really like about it is unless your in loose terrain, it flips very very easily. other then that, fun car for sure

and no way this thing will go 50+mph on the stock gearing

lilbrett

The Rustler is great for beginners, super easy to work on and can handle some serious abuse with just a few upgrades. I have mine with a Dynamite .19, and beat the crap out of it, it's had all 3 Traxxas engines on it before the Dyn. The only parts I break are shock shafts and blowing shock caps off, I have RPM arms, bumper and shock towers. I'm about to get BB shocks and if they can't handle the jumps I throw it off of, I'll look into the 1/8 shock conversions. If someone is looking at the Sport, they should just pay the difference and get the Rustler, it's a much better truck for the price difference. The Bullet ST/MT looks nice but they were slacking when it came to parts support, for a while it was hard to get replacement parts (no personal exp, just reading on the forums). If the parts are easier to find, I'd really look into the HPI just because of the 4WD and price being so close to the Rustler.

geo950

Well I went to my LHS today, and talked with the guys there for a while about everything. They've convinced me to stay electric, but thanks for the advice.

The_Shark

I got my first nitro at 13 and self taught, its not hard at all, but there is a small learning curve to know when a engine is running right. electric is easier, but I wouldn't say by much.

SLAYERDUDE

You failed to mention that you need an Apple I-device to "unlock the speed" on the X01, gheyest thing any RC company has evar done ITBJHO. (for old times sake)

The RC10GT2 is a great vehicle to start with as well, my first nitro was the original RC10GT black tub, still have it to this day and the original engine still runs.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXPAC9

silvermansteve

My Feedback: (2)

i like both electric and nitro and would be upsset if someone took my nitros away.

tffkap

Iknow this is my first post so I'll just give you some anecdotal information about the Nitro Rustler. My dad and brother have been running them for about 5 years through several gallons of fuel.

Just like any hobby grade car, parts will break and be replaced. Iagree with a previous poster that it does seem to flip more than my Nitro Firestorm. The rustler is flat out faster than the Firestorm, but the Firestorm handles so much better. It really is like night and day. I'm comparing completely stock cars; gearing, suspension, etc.

Just my experience but the ez start system is amazing. Iam jealous everytime a put a band aid in between my fingers from that stupid pull start on the Firestorm. I'm really considering a Roto Start to save my hand. Like I said, they've run through several gallons of fuel and the motors on both of their ez starts have never been replaced. They have a total of 3 of the starting sticks and have replaced 1 of the batteries. They take a standard 6 cell pack.

The engines are still all original and run great. Seem to be pretty easy to tune based on my dad's experience with them.

The old Rustlers had an AMtransmitter, but Ibelieve the new ones come with a 2.4ghz one now.

My $.02, good luck on your purchase!

Riverbluff

Got the nitro rustler for my son for his first rc truck and it has been a great truck. A bit of a learning curve with the nitro engine, but he enjoys that kind of thing. Only issue we had was the slipper clutch was not adjusted properly out of the box and we melted the center of the spur gear during the engine breakin process.

Love the easy start system, so far it has worked great, starting the truck with just a push of a button is great.

V/R
Bill