new to nitro can’t decide which is better please help

[CodyB]

Hello i am new to nitro rc cars and i see gas powered rc cars, but i don’t know which one is more reliable/better, i would just like to know if anyone could tell me which would be easier to maintain or if there are pros and cons to both

 

[TurboChargedHonda]

I have only owned electric vehicles so far, but I did consider getting an RC with an internal combustion engine (didn't get one since I don't really have a good place to run it, and I don't have the time to maintain it, would love to drive one, though).

Here are a few basic differences between nitro and gas that I came up with:
- Gas cars are usually much more fuel-efficient and gasoline is much cheaper than nitro fuel
- Nitro cars are generally smaller than gas cars
- Gas cars have higher prices due to their larger size

That wasn't really much, but I hope it helped!

 

[monstertruckier15]

Hello i am new to nitro rc cars and i see gas powered rc cars, but i don’t know which one is more reliable/better, i would just like to know if anyone could tell me which would be easier to maintain or if there are pros and cons to both

Nitro has a learning curve and can get just as expensive as a entry level gas car. start at $500
The fuel is more expensive.
gas cars need more room to run and can be louder than nitro. Pump gas is cheap but repair cost is more. start at $500 +

I suggest you go brushless.. Cost is medium but I hate charging batteries. start at $500

 

[johnnydmd]

Nitro isn't nearly as difficult as some make it out to be. There's a few basic concepts you need to learn, and as long as you know how (and what) the factory settings of the needles are, tuning is easy and fun.

Like others said, gas powered is larger scale, and very loud. Nitro is pretty loud too, so you need to find places to run these like ballfields, etc.

 

[monstertruckier15]

Tuning a nitro engine for a noobie is more difficult than tuning a gas engine. Fuel is the biggest problem with tuning and brands are different and weather condition's change. The don't know how to maintain and check the engine condition. All they want to do is run it until something happens and that's when the problems start. Then they start messing with the needles and then it's time for a new engine. Nitro is slowly dying as fuel costs go threw the roof.
brushless is the way to go now.

 

[johnnydmd]

Tuning a nitro engine for a noobie is more difficult than tuning a gas engine. Fuel is the biggest problem with tuning and brands are different and weather condition's change. The don't know how to maintain and check the engine condition. All they want to do is run it until something happens and that's when the problems start. Then they start messing with the needles and then it's time for a new engine. Nitro is slowly dying as fuel costs go threw the roof.
brushless is the way to go now.

Brushless will never give the experience of true racing in miniature. The big money in racing is still 1/8 nitro buggy and on road. That's probably not going to change any time soon. Nitro may be "niche" in comparison to the Tmaxx era, but it's not going away. Still seeing new products every day on REDrc for it.

 

[D3MON]

Nitro is alot of fun, i can't speak on behalf of the Gas trucks, but from what i have seen they seem to be a bit more "tune and forget it" than nitro.
nitro does have a bit more of a learning curve than electric, but once you learn it, it is really easy. just expect to have to learn it, and the biggest thing, is if you have any questions or don't know, ASK, there are no dumb questions.
as long as you are using good fuel, and maintain them as necessary (i.e. gaskets being in good shape, fuel lines good shape, glow plug working properly, air filter cleaned) they should be very consistent for running. also make sure to watch some videos for tuning, JQ has a great tuning video, there is a good one from HPI for the savage (applies to all nitro still though), and a few others.

one of the biggest thing is while still keeping budget in mind, dont cheap out too much, engine quality severely affects ease of use and functionality.

 

[D3MON]

Tuning a nitro engine for a noobie is more difficult than tuning a gas engine. Fuel is the biggest problem with tuning and brands are different and weather condition's change. The don't know how to maintain and check the engine condition. All they want to do is run it until something happens and that's when the problems start. Then they start messing with the needles and then it's time for a new engine. Nitro is slowly dying as fuel costs go threw the roof.
brushless is the way to go now.

nitro really isnt much more expensive than it was around 10-15 years ago, gallons of fuel are still right around 30-40$. but price of fuel is also dependent on country and state even.

 

[monstertruckier15]

nitro really isnt much more expensive than it was around 10-15 years ago, gallons of fuel are still right around 30-40$. but price of fuel is also dependent on country and state even.

Well I've been doing nitro for 35 years and the cost had doubled and the quality has gone down with cheap RTR. Quality does come with a price. I switched to gas along time ago. Since 2000 and to maintain them is far less and they have become more affordable now.

 

[D3MON]

35 years is a lot of room for inflation, especially given the advancements in technology even in just the past 10 years or so. if the cost didnt go up, something would be wrong. i do strongly agree quality does come with a price, while not to say that if its cheap its bad as there are a few exceptions. and definitely agree, i remember when the Baja came out at around 1500$ for the entry, now there are options for around 500$ or so that are still good/decent quality.