What Nitro off-roader for 1st timer?
Discussion
sort of, except the nitro cars are noisy, smelly, very fiddly to tune correctly. I suspect you wanted one when you were younger because they were the fastest and best at the time, which of course is not true now. I was the same and bought a nitro, ran it twice and switched to electric - so much easier!
Noisier and smellier are not really negatives, this is pistonheads after all.
Even maintenance isnt any different as the chassis are the same. However, tuning the engine is the hard part.
If it starts ok, you will have more fun for longer, as you just top up the fuel. But is it starts being a bu**** then it can be very frustrating.
The thing is it is an itch that needs to be scratched.
Ansmann are a good cheap company, have a look at http://www.modelsport.co.uk/ansmann-racing-virus-3... (1/8 scale so a lot of truck for your money). That will be a fairly cheap way to get your first taste of nitro. Way under the £200 barrier and use that extra money for some rechargables and fuel.
Even maintenance isnt any different as the chassis are the same. However, tuning the engine is the hard part.
If it starts ok, you will have more fun for longer, as you just top up the fuel. But is it starts being a bu**** then it can be very frustrating.
The thing is it is an itch that needs to be scratched.
Ansmann are a good cheap company, have a look at http://www.modelsport.co.uk/ansmann-racing-virus-3... (1/8 scale so a lot of truck for your money). That will be a fairly cheap way to get your first taste of nitro. Way under the £200 barrier and use that extra money for some rechargables and fuel.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hpi-bullet-mt-/261247206...
That's cheap
I'm looking at a hpi Savage at the moment. Raced electric 1/8ths years ago but always had nitro for thrashing over parks
That's cheap
I'm looking at a hpi Savage at the moment. Raced electric 1/8ths years ago but always had nitro for thrashing over parks
I had a HPI Savage 25 (1/8th) for a few years, it was a great truck, went like stink, handled great and once run in was a reliable beast, once the engine was running it wouldn’t stop unless it was starved of fuel or the glow plug went, the drivetrain was solid as a rock (once I had replaced the stock 2 gear diffs with the later model 4 gear diffs) and it would take an unbelievable amount of punishment (I mean hitting curbs at full speed kind of punishment and only breaking small cheap to replace parts). However, it was noisy, maintenance intensive, your hands, hair etc. (especially if you are doing tuning work) stink for days and take several washes to clear. These days they also aren’t that fast in comparison to their electrical brethren. I bought it because at the time electric models in that class didn’t exist and those that did kinda sucked, they weren’t as fast and the battery life was dire.
I also had a GV models Rambo buggy (1/6th), with a 0.46cu/in “big block” nitro engine, it was fast and rather “bad ass” but it was a complete nightmare to get started, it was easy to keep the engine running after I forked out £30 for an extra-large (400cc iirc) fuel tank which helped stabilise the fuel supply. It also went through 25% nitro fuel like nothing else, and that stuff is expensive.
I sold it and bought a Traxxas Slash 4x4 (double your budget so I am not going to suggest it as an option) brushless electric car, and the difference is quite remarkable. I realise it’s a considerably newer model (it was 8 years between the Savage 25 and the Slash purchase) but the Slash seriously impressed me and as a petrol head I should want a noisy little engine to power my models. A 5000mAh 3s 25/30c LiPo lasts around 40 minutes for general bashing (you get between 12 to 30 minutes out of the stock 8.4v 4200mAh NiMh), though I imagine under race conditions you can empty that LiPo quite a bit quicker
I’ll never go back to nitro models now, electric ones are far more fun because they are just easier, total plug and play, they cost a little more for the initial setup (RTR model plus a decent fast charger and a couple of extra battery packs) but if you use it lots that extra cost is soon made up for by the time you have gone through your first couple of gallons of 25%
However, if you do want a nitro model you can't go far wrong with HPI imho, they are good quality models and spares are easy to get hold of, I can’t say about any other companies because I have no experience with them (except the GV Rambo) I imagine the Traxxas nitro models will be fine as well but I have only used their electric ones.
I also had a GV models Rambo buggy (1/6th), with a 0.46cu/in “big block” nitro engine, it was fast and rather “bad ass” but it was a complete nightmare to get started, it was easy to keep the engine running after I forked out £30 for an extra-large (400cc iirc) fuel tank which helped stabilise the fuel supply. It also went through 25% nitro fuel like nothing else, and that stuff is expensive.
I sold it and bought a Traxxas Slash 4x4 (double your budget so I am not going to suggest it as an option) brushless electric car, and the difference is quite remarkable. I realise it’s a considerably newer model (it was 8 years between the Savage 25 and the Slash purchase) but the Slash seriously impressed me and as a petrol head I should want a noisy little engine to power my models. A 5000mAh 3s 25/30c LiPo lasts around 40 minutes for general bashing (you get between 12 to 30 minutes out of the stock 8.4v 4200mAh NiMh), though I imagine under race conditions you can empty that LiPo quite a bit quicker
I’ll never go back to nitro models now, electric ones are far more fun because they are just easier, total plug and play, they cost a little more for the initial setup (RTR model plus a decent fast charger and a couple of extra battery packs) but if you use it lots that extra cost is soon made up for by the time you have gone through your first couple of gallons of 25%
However, if you do want a nitro model you can't go far wrong with HPI imho, they are good quality models and spares are easy to get hold of, I can’t say about any other companies because I have no experience with them (except the GV Rambo) I imagine the Traxxas nitro models will be fine as well but I have only used their electric ones.
The_Jackal said:
Ansmann are a good cheap company, have a look at http://www.modelsport.co.uk/ansmann-racing-virus-3... (1/8 scale so a lot of truck for your money). That will be a fairly cheap way to get your first taste of nitro. Way under the £200 barrier and use that extra money for some rechargables and fuel.
backwoodsman said:
Excuse me if I appear stupid, but the way I read that advert the car is £335 by the time you add an engine radio gear etc...
You're not stupid, it is indeed £335 if you need an engine, radio etc. ... but they do a deal at £299Not a good suggestion really.
If it's just for 'playing' then a Kyosho or Thunder Tiger are good beginners choices:
http://www.modelsport.co.uk/kyosho-dbx-2.0-buggy-r...
http://www.modelsport.co.uk/thunder-tiger-tomahawk...
for example.
OP - Don't be put off Nitro if that's what you want, they're great fun.
Edited by sgrimshaw on Tuesday 16th July 23:07
Edited by sgrimshaw on Tuesday 16th July 23:10
I'd go with an HPI Savage X 4.6 - just bought a used one off a local Facebook car group for not much cash...
Came with all radio gear, tuned exhaust, air filter upgrade and three speed gearbox upgrade.
Bought a roto start, glow plug stick and fuel online and been running it for a couple of days.
Worlds away from my last play with r/c stuff, fast enough for me and makes enough noise that my 8y/o son thinks its the coolest thing ever... (Isn't that what being a Dad is about?)
No doubt there are faster electric stuff out there, but IMHO playing with a nitro car brings out the big kid in all blokes, and is the only type of r/c car that other 'grown-ups' will come over, chat and coo over ;-)
Very impressed with the Savage - robust, easy to run, loads of support forums out there, and bargain spares...
Came with all radio gear, tuned exhaust, air filter upgrade and three speed gearbox upgrade.
Bought a roto start, glow plug stick and fuel online and been running it for a couple of days.
Worlds away from my last play with r/c stuff, fast enough for me and makes enough noise that my 8y/o son thinks its the coolest thing ever... (Isn't that what being a Dad is about?)
No doubt there are faster electric stuff out there, but IMHO playing with a nitro car brings out the big kid in all blokes, and is the only type of r/c car that other 'grown-ups' will come over, chat and coo over ;-)
Very impressed with the Savage - robust, easy to run, loads of support forums out there, and bargain spares...
I'd recommend the HPI Bullet, as my WR8 3.0 is basically a narrow track bullet with a rally body on it.
Pretty reliable, but I've had some small failures, a couple of wheel bearings went so I've replaced them with rubber sealed items. I broke a front wheel upright too, but that was after a fairly spectacular series of rolls without the body on...
I don't agree with the whole negativity about Nitro, my old tamiya nitro was exactly as you describe, always out of tune, hard to start but the HPI RTR has been completely different. Starts first (or second) pull, always solid idle and has never 'lost' it's tune, it's run in the wet, scorching hot etc all without needing the carb looking at. Really impressed to be honest.
This thread has reminded me to order some air filter oil and a missing exh. mani bolt which I lost and get it back out there!!
Pretty reliable, but I've had some small failures, a couple of wheel bearings went so I've replaced them with rubber sealed items. I broke a front wheel upright too, but that was after a fairly spectacular series of rolls without the body on...
I don't agree with the whole negativity about Nitro, my old tamiya nitro was exactly as you describe, always out of tune, hard to start but the HPI RTR has been completely different. Starts first (or second) pull, always solid idle and has never 'lost' it's tune, it's run in the wet, scorching hot etc all without needing the carb looking at. Really impressed to be honest.
This thread has reminded me to order some air filter oil and a missing exh. mani bolt which I lost and get it back out there!!
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