RC_Heli

My son and I think its time to step up to a 1/8th scale nitro truggy. We have been running our 1/16th brushless e-revos for awhile now and its definitely time for something bigger. The only problem is that there is to many truggys on the market to pick from and the only company that I have had experience with is Associated. I have never owned a model from ofna, Mugen or O'Donnell and from what I have gathered, they are all good companies. I haven't decided if I should build a kit or buy RTR to save some money and upgrade as we go (I know this will be more expensive in the long run but its a lot cheaper now). I have put a small list of the models I have been looking at below but if there is any others I might have missed, let me know. Our plan is to maybe race in the future at our local track, nothing real serious, just a few friends paying for track time. Also, if there is any news of a new "next generation" 1/8th model coming out that I should wait for, please let me know. I see that a lot of the current RTRs available still have AM or FM radios......Why? 2.4ghz spread spectrum technology has been around way to long for these companies to justify the AM radios they include in their $600 RTRs..... But anyways, I'm just rambling on. Let me know what you think; thoughts, opinions, experience?
Thanks!

Associated 1/8 RC8T RS RTR




Associated 1/8 RC8T FT Truggy Championship Edition Kit




Ofna 1/8 Jammin X2 Truggy RTR




Ofna 1/8 Jammin X2 Pro Truggy Kit




Mugen 1/8 MBX6T Truggy Kit




O'Donnell 1/8 Z01-T Off-Road Truggy Kit




TowerHobbies doesn't sell Losi so I had to go to HorizonHobby for info,
This truggy might be out of price range anyways...[X(] $699.99 []
1/8 8IGHT-T 2.0 4WD Truggy Race Roller by Losi




8IGHT-T 2.0 4WD RTR by Losi

dominicevans

note: all of the pro kits are going to be more than $700 when completed

the losi is mainly for racing

if your going for rtr the jammin would be my choice then the losi

if kit mugen then jammin then associated then the losi

just my opinion from what I have seen

jmaxey51

you forgot one, the hotbodies D8T!!!! i have always been against HB until i just bought one to see and man they are amazing. i have driven all the truggies you listed but the OD and IMO the HB blows them all away. i almost bought a Mugen because i was going to get a somewhat sponsorship with them but decided to try HB instead and im very happy with my decision. its extremely durable, way more than i thought, i almost got two kits because i thought i was going to break stuff constantly but im running mine BOX STOCK with the exception of the aluminum servo horn for steering and have yet to replace a part except one bearing in the rear diff case. wins come extremely easy now. i had a jammin X2 and won alot with it a good bit too but they were hard to get it. but my first race with HB with the same crowd that i always race with (which i usually barely got a top three with those drivers) i won the race by two laps. i highly recommend looking into them. they are 325ish for the pro kit and worth every penny.

HerrSavage

I would recommend an 8T 2.0 RTR for your son, and an 8T 2.0 kit for you. The RTR will have your starter box, and with the kit you can get a more race-oriented(i.e. fuel-friendly..) race engine.

Losi, IMO, just has great value-for-money. Especially with the RTR, where, as I mentioned, you'll have the starterbox AND a good radio. The engine is good too IMO - will be fast as hell.., but thirsty on fuel.

So the Losis, paired that way, would be a neat compromise between going with just kits or just RTR's.. One of each, and for starters you can just share the starterbox..

As an engine for the kit, there are more and more great budget racing engines around - Go GXR 5-port, Alpha Z or S 852, Jammin JPX 21, Werks B5, etc.. Keep an eye out on e-bay, etc.. and you can find some decent servos, tires, whatever else you need...

Chris79

If youhavn't ruled outused stuff, check the for sale section ofwww.rctech.net orthe forums of the biggestRC race club near you. Chances are if you buy forma dedicated racer the stuff is very well taken careof, and can be hadfor lessthan half the price of new and may include spare parts.

RC_Heli

How close in size is a 1/8 truggy compared to a Revo? Can a Revo be converted to a decent truggy?
I bought a Revo when they first came out (before the 3.3 model) and it was a great basher. Wow, that was like 5 years ago or something.
I can't believe its been that long already.

I think I might be getting the Associated RC8T ultimate combo off towerhobbies since they offer a payment plain.
Is there any other websites that offer a payment plan like tower?

I would to love to get the Losi 8ight-T 2.0 RTR but I would have to save up some cash for a couple months before I could drop nearly a 1,000 bucks.
Even though its an RTR, there is always extras that are needed, like 2 3600mah NiMh packs for the starter box, and those cost like $40 each.

K_B

The Revo is a monster truck. Size is similar as is the look, but that's it. It is no competition for a truggy. And they are generally only raced in the Monster Truck class, so if you plan on racing, make sure the track has a class for them or if they'll let you run with the truggies.

The Revo is a maintenance nightmare compared to a truggy. There's so much extra stuff to go wrong. A truggy has a very simple drivetrain with no actual transmission to deal with like the Revo. I've worked on one Revo and I won't go near 'em with a ten foot pole any more. They're just a pain to maintain.

HerrSavage

The RC8T is an awesome truck as well, no doubt(I race the kit version..) Especially if you're really on the fence about plunging into racing. I hated hearing things like this earlier in my RC days, but I'm afraid I don't know how else to put it - if you want to get into racing, IT AIN'T CHEAP. Never will be, period. For real, consistent racing, you'll need a startbox at some point. And probably a 2.4GhZ radio. The Losi is more painful at the beginning financially, but over time it's probably cheaper. That said, I understand how expensive it is all up front. So get the RC8T - it's an awesome truck too. Good for bashing, and later an easy - but not necessarily cheap(21 engine, pipe, clutch, starterbox with batteries, tires, etc...) transition to racing.

mattozx6rr

1 - Xray
2 - Mugen
3- AE
4- kyosho.....big bucks!!!! over priced.
5- jammin
6- losi
7- HB

Just my opinion. Cost of ownership is what you need to be looking at versus initial cost. they are all expensive initially with the exception of the jammin and the HB that are less expensive. The quality of the initial investment can and generally will save you money in the long run. Your driving style, capabilities and maintenance habits will determine how often you replace broken or worn parts. Xray and mugen will take more brute punishment than the others imo. the difference is the xray parts are sometimes hard to get and a little on the expensive side, the mugen parts are easy to get and priced middle of the road. BothXray and Mugenare pretty expensive initially but will cost less in the long run if proper maintenance is kept up.

Buying used is a great place to start and is how I was able to get into this great hobby. I have yet to purchase a truggy that was not owned by someone else and have had great luck so far. The side bonus is they usually come with the spare parts you will probably need to carry to the races with you, shortens the learning curve a bit

Chris79

Ialso had a first gen. Revo. Now Idrive a D8T truggy and must say there is NO! comparison. Don't waste your money trying to compete with the Revo.

Ihighly recommend the OFNA blue truggy starter box http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...8&I=LXRLU1&P=K
Its a little pricey but it is very nice and easy to adjust to different models. Ihave the 12V gel cell battery in it http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL370&P=Mand only have to charge it like once a month.

RC_Heli

Thanks for the advice on the starter box, I can't believe that brick of a battery fits in it, most be heavy too! I have two in my field box so I know heavy things can get with them.

@ mattozx6rr

Xray's entire line is nice but my LHS doesn't support it. However, they do support Ofna, AE, Losi, and probable a few more. [link=http://www.rchover.com/category-s/877.htm](My local hobby shop and track info)[/link]
So now its down to those 3 models: Jammin X2, RC8T, or 8ight-T, and I'm leaning towards the RC8T RTR or the 8ight-T RTR.
More towards the 8ight-T because of the DX3S radio, but if I can't afford it right away, then the RC8T from towerhobbies with the payment plan...

RC_Heli

This is probable what I am going to do if I can't afford the Losi 8ight-T RTR.

jmaxey51

the jammin X2 CRT is great and very durable. ran jammin till a few months ago, still have one collecting dust actually lol the X2 is fun to drive and i did extremely well with it but now i switch to HB and love them even more. but its all driver preference. also i dont have the RTRs i only get pro kits. the RC8T RTR has major shock issues, i see them break to much to the point you have to buy the ones off the pro kit, which aint cheap/

RC_Heli

I don't believe the Jammin or HB are RTR.

I did consider the Hot Bodies Truggy but again, it comes down to local support. It does appear to be a decent and affordable truck though.

jmaxey51

yeah the jammin X2 pro kit is 400 i think now and is great. i dont really worry about local support but i guess its nice when starting out. never had it nice enough that it was close to my house, the closest one to my house when i started was 40 min now i have one 10 min from my house but they sell mugen and i still went with HB because of the price and im happy i did. after my first race with it i got a sponsorship and getting more as the weeks going by now lol. but i was almost as fast on my jammin but my average lap went WAY down once i went with hotbodies. but if you go with a jammin the setup is easy on it. and easy to drive. but the RC8T is also a very solid truggy too.

Chris79

It doesn't matter what brand you get. 1/8IS NOTCHEAP!

When Istarted my D8T build, Ifigured on $1000 or less. Now I bet i'm easily at or over $1500. With all the extra stuff. Clutch parts, tools, glues, oils, spare parts, batteries, extra bearings, skidplates, transponder.

Be prepared, it adds up fast.

jmaxey51

^^^^^^^^
you must buy all the most expensive stuff, im under 1000 with everything new. but i have no spare parts, basically because i havent found a weak point yet. except for the servo saver, but figured out that problem so its no longer a weak point.

Chris79

Ireally don't have too much in spare parts. But I did just get a case of fuel, there goes another $100 lol. What can I say, i'm a sucker for a shiny new package.

Tried out the Ascendancy 4-shoe clutch today and its pretty nice. Very easy to change springs.

bhcvc

All the ones listed and mentioned are good. I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of them, so get the one you can afford to purchase and maintain. My personal preference are the O'Donnell, Mugen, and Associated. The HB D8T is the best bang for the buck IMO (lowest cost, and extremely competitive as it's a very recent design). For the OD, wait for the Z01T-SG to come out. Losi's handle well, but I don't like how some things are designed (had a 8ight-T before and sold it pretty quickly). I also didn't like how quickly and how much slop builds in the plastics. It also uses SAE hardware while all the others use metric. Not a big deal perhaps, but for me, I didn't want to purchase another set of tools since all my other RCs use metric.
Also, if you like brushless, ALL of these can easily be converted to electric/brushless.