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formyboys

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So, I just posted my introduction on the intro page but though I would re-post my question here for more help.

I want to buy my husband (and 5 year old) a nitro powered monster truck for his (husband's) birthday. He has been asking for one for awhile. Where in the world do I start? I want to go 1/8 scale but after that I am clueless when it comes to brands... I have been doing some research, however I prefer opinions from people who use and have knowledge about the trucks.

Need something fast and durable as I am sure it will be crashed. We can assemble or buy RTR. But I want to make sure I get everything they need. Budget under $1,000.00.

Thanks for your help!
Amy
 
my first nitro truck was a Revo 3.3 .. and i liked it so much , i decided to build myself another one ..they are great trucks , easy to work on and parts are easy to get ...i was going to get a cheap brand at first ...so glad i did not ;)

i have red great things on the savage to ..but its more a basher than a racer ... the Revo 3.3 is a good racer and a good basher ;)

hope that helps a bit
 
I just got a Traxxas Nitro Sport RTR and quite frankly the .15 engine (that is routinely belittled) is ballsy enough. It's a 38+ car and that is certainly enough for a beginning driver. I do not see myself getting bored with it in the foreseeable future.

The 3.3 Jato, as an example, is a straight-up machine that will be hard to control for the first time out.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.
-jon
 
She is asking about Monster Trucks which both the Nitro Sport and Jato are not.
 
I would also go with the Revo. It's a great all around truck for off road, dirt track and asphalt. It's well built and very stable, and parts support is second to none.
 
I will always be partial to the Losi LST series. Do you have a hobby shop near you that carrys hobby grade RC vehicles? This will help determine which brand you should get, depending on what brands the shop nearest you carries.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice - to be honest we only have 1-2 hobby shops in the area I planned on making a visit to each of them - just wanted to be armed with some knowledge before I went. Right now it looks like the Revo is my choice. What about replacement parts and their cost? Are the brands comparable in price? And what is the difference in starters?

Thanks again for your help everyone

Amy
 
parts for the revo are easy to get and pretty cheap ...i get all my parts off ebay because i have no hobby shop where i live ....

the revo comes with ez-start (electric start) it can be changed easy ..some people use a pull start or a roto start ..it a matter of choice
 
formyboys said:
Thanks everyone for the advice - to be honest we only have 1-2 hobby shops in the area I planned on making a visit to each of them - just wanted to be armed with some knowledge before I went. Right now it looks like the Revo is my choice. What about replacement parts and their cost? Are the brands comparable in price? And what is the difference in starters?

Thanks again for your help everyone

Amy
Click to expand...

Price is a bit relative depending on whether your "upgrading" or buying stock replacement parts. Stock part to stock part, they are fairly comparable.

One of the first questions I ask someone who's new to the hobby is, where is it going to be ran? Lots of grass (parks, open fields...)? On the street, parking lots, skate parks?

If there's a lot of grass running, I'd go for the platform that stands tallest (albeit a bit more unstable) and more low end torque out of the engine. This would definitely lend itself more to 1/8 scale as they run larger engines (more torque) which can deal with running in taller grass without over heating as easily.

If there's a lot of pavement/skate park running, then getting something that can handle a bit better and take a beating is more proffered. Torque isn't as necessary as the terrain is easy to roll over/through/on.

HPI Savage for more grass running.
Traxxas Revo for more pavement.

The Losi LST XL is a decent blend of both, but in my opinion a bit more fragile. It can be made strong, but I honestly thing out of the box, the other two fair better to a thrashing.

Both will work, but in my honest opinion, that's how I would choose and wish someone would have helped me in that manor as I would have started this hobby 10+ years ago a bit differently. ;)

I have all 3 of the ones I talked about (or a variation of) currently. I spend about 50/50 in skate parks and lawn. I have upgraded my revo to run a big block engine (takes a bit of time and $, but is easy enough) so it does well in the parks and handles well on pavement. So I basically forced it to work for what I wanted. ;)
 
They will be running in mostly grass and dirt. Which brings me to another ? - there is a 5 year old involved and with proper encouragement Dad may hit one. Clean up aside - will the Revolution fair well in water?

Also noticed the Revo is 1:10-Should I be looking at 1:8 since our terrain will be a little rough? Or does that matter for their first machine? I may totally be overthinking all of this but...
 
The Revo is great in rough terrain. As long as you aren't going to try using it as a dedicated rock crawler it will be fine. ll of the electronics are water resistant and will be fine as long as the truck isn't left in the water for long periods of time.

I got a Revo as my first nitro truck and really enjoyed it. I can offer one piece of advice. See if your hobby shop will break in the motor for you. This way the truck will be ready for first time drivers and the motor will last longer,
 
formyboys said:
They will be running in mostly grass and dirt. Which brings me to another ? - there is a 5 year old involved and with proper encouragement Dad may hit one. Clean up aside - will the Revolution fair well in water?

Also noticed the Revo is 1:10-Should I be looking at 1:8 since our terrain will be a little rough? Or does that matter for their first machine? I may totally be overthinking all of this but...
Click to expand...

The Revo may 1/10th scale, but don't be fooled. It's a good size monster truck. Remember scale is based off what is was modelled against. The Savage is slightly bigger than the Revo, but not by a lot really.

I owned a Revo that I used in my front yard and at the track in grass/dirt all the time. It ran just great. So really it's a matter of preference. The Revo and the Savage are both GREAT vehicles. Parts prices are comparable....etc etc etc
 
the general option is either revo or savage. i have owned both and these are the things i would look at.

first is your local shops. When he breaks something you dont want to be down for a week waiting on shipping for a $5 part. almost all hobby shops carry traxxas stuff, and most carry HPI, but you need to verify.

the savage is a tank. its is as tough as a cinder block on wheels but handles like one to. if they just want something to bash around the yard and not worry about breaking the savage is the truck for you.

the revo is pretty tough stock and can be made almost as tough as the savage with a few key upgrades, like different A arms. It sits lower, and has a more advanced suspension so it handles quite a bit better. If you think he ever wants to get into racing (if there is a track close by) the revo is the better choice.

The savage comes with a big block engine but is pretty heavy, the revo comes with the small block 3.3, that puts out decent power for its size. match that with the revos lighter weight and it moves pretty good stock.

the savage is a true monster truck, and handles like one. it will flip over on hard corners and bounce around on rough stuff, but is a blast to drive.

the revo is more geared toward racing but is still a capable basher.

neither truck will do well in wet conditions. the electronics arent designed to take it (i think the revo now may come with water proof servos and radio equipment). the bearings will rust up if you dont clean it after a wet run, and the engine could suck in water causeing problems.

I'm not sure i understand the question about the 5 year old and fairing well in water, but i would keep small kids a very safe distance away. these trucks are heavy, fast, and only do what the driver tells them to. you do not want Jr slipping away and getting clipped by one. These are nothing close to radio shack RC cars, you could break an ankle or leg of a grown man if you got hit with any speed behind it, and at the least your going to end up with a nasty gash.

either truck would make them happy, but look to the future to decide which truck to choose, would he persue racing or is he happy bashing in the yard.

remember in your budget you will need support equipment. a nice battery charger will make it much more enjoyable, you will need after run oil, air filter oil, tools, and spare parts. a glow ignitor, batteries for the radio, a fail safe, the list goes on and on. This is not a cheep hobby to get started in, but once you get over the initial startup, its not to bad.

Good luck, and i hope he realizes how good of a wife he has to help him get into this hobby. 90% of the wives of guys on the board dislike our "little toys".:\
 
The first thing he needs to do after receiving his new truck is hop on this website and research/ask questions. You definitely don't just charge the batteries, add fuel and go. There's a pretty steep learning curve to nitro rc. There's a million stories of people having a bad start, getting frustrated and stepping away from the hobby. Most of these problems are easily overcome with some basic research and experienced help.
 
Wow, you guys really are helping me out with the advice. I really appreciate it and am soaking it in like a sponge. Beason, I just read my post about my 5 year old, he will be standing next to Dad shouting words of encouragement. Those words being "hit that mud hole Dad" (he loves mud) my questions was to make sure the machines could handle a little mud/water in the event his words sunk in and Dad goes nuts and hits one. I am sure after he figures how much clean up/repair is involved he will only do it one time. I know the machines can be dangerous and will always be there to take the proper precautions especially when my lil man is around.

Right now it looks like I am going with the Revo. I plan on visiting my local shop today. While I am there I will see if we have any RC tracks in the area. To my knowledge we don't.

Thanks for the compliment, I try to keep the boys (and mom) happy. I surprised my husband a couple of years ago with a 700 Polaris Ranger LE, this year for Valentine's day we are buying each other paintball guns. So you could say I like to play too...toys are fun especially when it involves the family.

As soon as he gets the machine, I will reveal the forum to him and let him know I have been chatting with you guys and what you have said about breaking in...in the meantime, I will be on here soaking up all of your info.

And yes, I have found that everything we get into is expensive ... I don't think we will get into racing (fingers crossed) just playing and having fun.

And the research continues...
 
Your a rad lady!!!:) As far as the mud goes, all of Traxxas' electrics are water resistant. Electric has come along ways and far outperform nitros when running a brushless/lipo battery setup. This is off topic, but if you want to know a little bit more about modern electric rc's, start a new thread and we can explore those options as well.:)
 
Okay so you just opened up a whole new world - I just checked out the Traxxas monster jam cars ... hmmmm ... keep sending me advice on the Nitro but I am exploring this option as well...starting new thread in the electric section ... you guys are awesome with all of the info.
 
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