Highest quality nitro 4wd rc truck for $600 rtr.

[richiemfmead]

Hey there folks, first post. Need some advice. I'm not really new to nitro rc, I've been around the hobby for a few years and used to own a jato 2.5. I've decided to get back into things. I've always been a traxxas fan and recently saw their revo 3.3 rtr kit. Looks sweet, priced at $550ish. Called a local dealer and he told me he didn't stock them but can get em, but recommends the mgt by team associated due to the 8.0cc motor, all metal gears/drivetrain, and $100 less than the revo. I saw team losi's truck as well which seemed like a quality truck. I know I definitely want 4wd, I'll trade speed for durability, cost isn't a deal breaker. I do like the fact that traxxas and losi offer real time telemetry. I think that's just the cats meow. Back when I originally got into the sport, there were no sensors at all on cars. You monitored head temp with a non contact temp gun. Now you can read it as well as multiple other values straight from your controller. My the times have changed. Any and all input appreciated.

 

[hulkmaxx]

Traxxas is my main brand Revo is a great rig. Can't beat the MGT either though I have two right now.

 

[chaos2767]

I am a Traxxas guy but just got rid of my Losi 8ight T 2.0 and that was over the top! It was a great truggy and seemed bullet proof! Check out the new Losi 8ight T 3.0!

 

[richiemfmead]

The guy at the lhs said that the team assc. Mgt blows the revo out of the water. The revo weighs 10.3 with a (don't quote me) 3.25 cc engine and the mgt weighs 13 but has a 8cc motor. So in theory the mgt should be an absolute nuthouse.

 

[Sixtysixdeuce]

The guy at the lhs said that the team assc. Mgt blows the revo out of the water.

Pretty much. Bigger, stronger, much more powerful. Only place the Revo wins out is handling, at least in stock form. The MGT is more of a typical monster truck with a higher center of gravity and rather squishy suspension. The Revo is closer to a truggy, being wide for it's height. Also, you can slap 1/8 truggy wheels on the Revo and it'll perform that much better; truggy wheels would look stupid on the massive MGT.

If I were choosing between the two, though, I'd definitely go with the MGT 8.0. If I'm buying a monster truck, I want a monster truck. If I'm buying a truggy, I want a truggy. Compromise vehicles tend to do exactly that; sacrifice some of the most important aspects of the two vehicles they're trying to blend. There were 4 Revo's (2 nitro, 2 brushless) running up at the local track last sunday, and me and a buddy were running 1/8 truggies (1 nitro, 2 brushless). The Revo's didn't stand a chance, and neither he or I are competition level drivers by any stretch of the imagination. Just for fun, I was waiting to lap them until I could leave the jump just behind them and fly over them to get ahead.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

First, welcome. I don't have the experience you do but would suggest taking a look at the Savage...it's the cat's pajamas! ;-)

I'll trade speed for durability, cost isn't a deal breaker. I do like the fact that traxxas and losi offer real time telemetry. I think that's just the cats meow.

Did you mean to instead state that you'll trade 'durability for speed'? There are guys with some pretty fast Savages out there...and there are guys with some pretty durable ones out there....I'm aiming for both.;-) If you sincerely meant you'll trade speed over durability why not consider an on-road vehicle? I would think off-road trucks are meant to get down and dirty, and so if it were me I'd want one that can handle going on dirt or something.

Regarding telemetry....one of the biggest wastes of time in this hobby, IMO. I certainly would not trust any of the numbers they output....especially engine temps. Something to consider.

chaos2767 nailed it regarding the Losi 8ight T 3.0 truck. My next truck is going to be the Serpent SE11 TE. I have other ones but this one will be the bees knees. Check out the specs on it.

Suggest just keeping an open mind while focusing specifically what you want to do. I don't have a Traxxas nor the experience a lot of the owners this forum have, so cannot help with that--but there are quite a few Traxxas guys on here that are more than happy to assist with Traxxas-specific questions.

Don't take any wooden nickles. ;-)

 

[richiemfmead]

Yes I definitely meant durability is key. I'm for certain I'm wanting something more like a typical high center monster truck that'll have that extra travel for jumps and rough terrain. Are the mgts upgradeable? I mean how is the aftermarket performance market availabilities with them?

 

[srusinek]

Welcome to the site. You can't go wrong with either Traxxas, HPI, Losi or Team Associated. I would recommend either the Savage xl or the Mgt 8.0 because out of the box they're pretty tough. The xl has an engine that can be finicky to tune and you'll need more than the stock 1200 mah receiver pack if you plan on being out awhile with it. The mgt is very heavy but makes up for it with the torque the 8.0 puts out. Out of the box you're going to want to upgrade the springs to something a little bit more stiffer because of the weight and the stock exhaust is a pos. I've got the mgt 8.0 optional header on mine with a savage xl tuned pipe and it runs very good. All 4 brands should be supported by your local hobby shops. Not to knock Traxxas but from what I've heard on here the tmaxx and revo are great trucks but need some upgrades to make them more durable. I own a first gen tmaxx with some upgrades and it's been a great truck. Good luck with your choice and keep us posted.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

Should have clarified the Savage I have and recommend is the 4.6. One of my neighbors has the XL so have experience with it and like the 4.6 better.

 

[chickenman242]

More parts.support for revo which i would think is key for a beginner because let's face facts, you gonna brake stuff.sure the mgt is gonna be bigger and faster but you are comparing a truck running a big block to a revo which is a small block

 

[hulkmaxx]

More parts.support for revo which i would think is key for a beginner because let's face facts, you gonna brake stuff.sure the mgt is gonna be bigger and faster but you are comparing a truck running a big block to a revo which is a small block

I own both the MGT and the Revo, the Revo is just as dependable as the mgt in stock form. If you want great handling go with the revo. I also own a savage x 4.6 ad the savage xl K5.9 the 5.9 is a big turd compared to even the pro.28 MGT which is the 4.6 truck. The Hpi Savage is tough that's for sure just my personal experience never was impressed with there performance. And the hobby shop is full of it the stock 3.3 revo will stay right with the MGT all day even with a 3.3 small block. If I get decent weather this evening I'll post a vid with my MGT vs my buddies 3.3 revo all stock except a FOC I can barely pull about half a truck length on him at top end.

 

[savage24x]

I own both the MGT and the Revo, the Revo is just as dependable as the mgt in stock form. If you want great handling go with the revo. I also own a savage x 4.6 ad the savage xl K5.9 the 5.9 is a big turd compared to even the pro.28 MGT which is the 4.6 truck. The Hpi Savage is tough that's for sure just my personal experience never was impressed with there performance. And the hobby shop is full of it the stock 3.3 revo will stay right with the MGT all day even with a 3.3 small block. If I get decent weather this evening I'll post a vid with my MGT vs my buddies 3.3 revo all stock except a FOC I can barely pull about half a truck length on him at top end.

Real talk. My savage 5.9 gets outrun any day by my t-MAXX or a buddy's Revo.

 

[hulkmaxx]

Real talk. My savage 5.9 gets outrun any day by my t-MAXX or a buddy's Revo.

The K5.9 puts out a lot of bottom end grunt just not a lot of rpm. My savage X 4.6 is faster than my k5.9 even with the 5.9 having a higher gear combo. The Savage is a great rig though, the XL is my favorite truck to air out the big jumps cause it flies nice and level.

 

[SMaxxin]

All trucks listed are worth buying IMO! It sounds like your LHS sells Associated, that would be a good reason to go with the MGT...It's nice to just walk in and get what you need for repairs without having to wait.

If I wanted an MT for pure durability I would buy a Savage 4.6, or a Revo even though it's not a true MT it can be made to look like one. When you think about big jumps don't worry about a truck bottoming out because it should bottom out on the chassis, any truck that won't bottom out on the chassis will break the suspension! I didn't mention the MGT because I have never owned one.

For a good looking fun to drive truck that is a true MT my favorite is still a T-Maxx!

 

[BillyC74]

I would put the savage as first choice then the mgt second.

 

[chickenman242]

can't beat a maxx kinda like a first love ,everytime someone sells one I seem to buy it lol.
I would suggest running what your lhs supports , we've all been newbies and broken things , I've been doing this for a looong time and still manage to break stuff haha ,I even managed to split a block on my latest t maxx 3.3 lol .Its part of the hobby ,don't expect it to be a cheap one and you will have fun

 

[hamz9561]

I'm a fan of the Revo as I own one. Best handling in the class and great OEM and replacement parts availability. My only complaints against the Savage is that it's built like a tank and handles like it.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

Man....I cannot believe how many people feel that the Savage is so durable. I absolutely LOVE mine, and yes I do have it straight-up beasting now but it took quite a bit of work on my part to determine/test out the common points of failures and how to best mitigate them--least based on what I expect from it and that is to be fast, nimble and above all durable.

Of course I could have very easily thrown a bunch of uneeded aluminum crap on it and called it a day, but 1) metal vs composite is not always a durability upgrade, 2) handling is not a MT's forte but getting my Savage to handle itself on its given terrain was much easier to do than getting it durable. I was shocked at what a freaking wimp it was---that's just the truth. I understand that durable is subjective, and I'm not the type who gets silly and tries to jump over houses (okay, I've jumped over fences) nor run it into a brick wall, etc. However, I do expect it to handle itself off-road at hgh speeds, jumping, flipping, all that great stuff without breaking!

In all candor, when I hear people state how the Savage is built like a brick (and I hear that a LOT)....it makes me nervous as hell to get a Traxxas. I know a LOT of guys who own both and they tell me it's not even a contest and some have told me Traxxas is just a step up from RedCat/Exceed. And you know what? That is fine...ever brand has it's place, but that sucks as I really want a stadium truck. ;-)

When my vehicles break I'm like "Oh, hell no" and do everything I can do ensure it simply never, ever happens again. I mean it drives me insane as I simply can't have it. My Mugen has YET to break a single part (I've only ripped two shock boots and slightly bent a stand-off) and I assure you it's been crashed sideways to Sunday. It took me a month to build because I poured over the design to ensure it would handle ANYTHING...that was time well-spent.l That and the Hyper 7 are freakishly durable and don't expect every vehicle out of the box to be without fauilts

I recommend the Savage merely because I know for a fact you can make it fast, agile, and durable. But if its durability surpasses any other mid-market nitro vehicle....to the OP, I'd stay away from those at all costs. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Spyke_696]

well i was a traxxas guy and only traxxas up untill i got my first hpi car and i know i been posting a few things about it but might i say check out some of their rcs however if you wanna stick with traxxas id say jato or revo mostly in my likings jato3.3 but I'm more of the on road guy and jato does both

 

[HPI-Killer]

I reccomend the 1/10 Team Associated MGT 8.0 MT or step it up with the 1/8 MGT 4.6 MT. I was in total chaos driving my stock 4.6 yesterday pinned WOT off of a 18" tall jump with no remorse and she took it like a BOSS!! On all 4 she lands like a feather on the ground, and when she crashes, she cartwheels super hard and comes out totally 100% unharmed like nothing happened. I was amazed because I have never seen such strength on a stock rig, especially on my huge 1/8 pig!!

Team AE is quickly proving MUCH more durable than HPI & Traxxas, and I used to be mainly Traxxas but not anymore, especially after driving my 3.3 short MAXX maybe 1/4 into my wifes car tire busting the front bulks, hinge pins, shock tower and bent the chassis.... I was totally lost for words on how soft the BIG BAD TMAXX really was...