Christmas buggies which one ?

[sportfloor]

I have 2 sons I am going to get buggies for they are 12 and 13 years old. Both have been around and run both electric and nitro and prefer nitro, of course dad does most of the work. We have a couple of moster trucks and an old rustler that they run now but are looking for something a little better. Mostly bashing in the yard and dirt piles but we are going to build a track when the weather allows. I have not been around buggies at all but they seem to be the most bang for the buck and pretty durable. Looking for something RTR in the $ 300 range, I would like to get one of the better buggies but with 4 boys I can't really go much higher. Basically looking for something durable and the most value for the buck. I am mostly looking at the OFNA buggies as they seem decent and get good reviews. It looks like there are about 5 OFNA buggies in that range. Picco, Ultra MBX comp, Hyper 7 TQ black, Ultra LX one, and Ravager. The problem is it seems they have different suspensions ( PBS, C hub) , engines ( .21, .26, .28, force, hyper, picco) , shocks ( threaded, different bore) etc. I don't have any idea which suspension style or engine would be the best but I would probably trade speed for durability. With no buggy experience this is tough. HELP.

 

[CaptainMTM]

From what I've heard talking to some people at a local track OFNA buggies are a great bang for the buck, great for back yard bashing and are relatively durable. They also seem to fit your budget. I don't have a world of experience in rc nitro but for the past few months have been bashing and track racing two buggies HPI and RC8 rs RTR. I also got a chance to test run the Losi 8ight 2.0. HPI has a .18 engine, Losi 8ight has a .21 engine and my RC8 has a .28 engine. I didn't see much difference in performance between the .21 and .28 engines (both have good punch) however the .18 engine was much too weak in acceleration especially on the dirt so stay away from them, it's just much too small to power a 1/8 buggy. That's the only advice I can give you and again I'm not too experienced in the hobby yet but it's what I've seen so far.

 

[iluvmyjato]

if you r willing to go away from the buggys the traxxas jato 3.3 is an extremely durable and extremely fast truck. i hit a curb head on at 45 with mine and nothing broke. its is very easy to tune and easy to run. its a perfect truck for kids.

 

[Metalhead Matt]

Jato's are 2wd and hit 65 mph. I predict your hard earned cash scattered all over the street if you go that route. Ofna buggies are rad. My buddy has an old LX with a .26 on it. It's fast, handles great and is durable. Jatos are definitely not known for their durability.

 

[Scrogg]

The Picco buggy is the best one IMO. The engine is awesome plus it comes with the Jammin Big Bore shocks. They are really tough and right in your price range.
I suggest getting a starter box to help with breakin.

 

[Ofna1]

Do not go with the Jato, I have one and it is great, but you need skill not to crash and damage it. If it is hoped up with RPM stuff it is a little better. I LOVE Ofna buggies, you can beat the crap out of them and they just come back for more.