Hello friends this is my first post and I am from Delhi... I own Kyosho Ultima electric buggy , One Nikko Electric Truck , HSP Racing Nitro Car.. now I am planning to buy good nitro truck ;-) I am confused with Traxx / Thunder Tiger & HPI )

My main requirements

1) Spare parts availability  
2) On Road / Offraod and a bit and racing also ( I would prefer powerful machine with wheelies )
3) Reliable - I need a reliable piece of machine dont want to waste more time in maintenance than fun! I am ready to pay some extra for this.

Budget around 20-25 K


Other than this -- I am facing difficulty in getting parts for HSP racing in delhi ? I also need some parts of kyosho where I can buy ? Either Online / or Offline in delhi.

Thanks Guys..
WIll surely come in some meet @ Delhi soon.
AK
 

Well, for Kyosho, you could contact these guys in Bangalore..
www.yourhobbyshop.com

Spare parts wouldn't be a problem with either of the 3 brands..
Obviously, any car that can go offroad can go onroad !

For reliability, I suggest you go with Traxxas or HPI.. I really like their cars..
For your budget, Traxxas has the T-Maxx.. Revo 3.3 is outta your budget, but its a REALLY good car.. Probably both of them can do wheelies!

Even the Savage 4.6 is worth considering.. That does wheelies NO PROBLEM!  

But, if your on a tight budget, even TT is a good choice.. Though I don't really like their cars cuz they're not that reliable.. Atleast the BX2 I had wasn't..

On the other hand, electrics will fill ALL your criteria! I know that your looking for Nitro, but Gandhar(iamahuman) and I are trying to convert more and more people to Electrics!   

Only HPI ... call me on 9811963278.... for further details

HPI all they way....

Arpit

@ Divyam  @ Divay @ traxxrc Thanks a lot for your inputs... But I want to enjoy more and dont want to end up buying and waiting for spares. I need a sturdy and reliable fun machine.

HPI is most durable and spares are available at delhi by authorised HPI dealer, rcracinghobbies

Then HPI and Traxxas are the ways to go...

If you want less time tuning and more time running, I would suggest electrics.. Little on the cheaper side and just as much fun..
But, that's really your choice..

For extreme durability hpi is best, otherwise trx is pretty decent for a beginner,and cheap as well

Divyam,thanks for saving me the effort of typing out the advantages of electrics.

Now,onto MTs,HPI and Traxxas are very good.As has been suggested,both will have a  good amount of support.For 25k,I think its hard to get a savage but Arpit is the guy to talk to for that.He's had a savage and he might be able to get you a deal.

But if you're open to suggestions,take a look at electrics in this range.They provide lots of power on lipos.I would suggest the traxxas E revo vxl.It will be a good basher and fun to race though I should warn you,its not meant to race but if you bash it,you'll be left grinning like an ape by the time you are done.


Also,for on-road driving,get a  set of proline on-road tires for your off-roader.Off road tires are crap on roads and they will be torn to shreds in a while.

@ Gandhar , Thanks for your suggestions but actually I am playing with an electric vehicle since a long time  and I am use to it.. I also want to explore more on nitro part and this is the reason I want to go on nitro..
give me some more input about Traxxas as you own one..

Availability of parts and frequency of breakdown.. and having a two sets of rubber -- good idea!

Well,I have been good to my slash but almost all traxxas vehicles(all the ones sold in India) are quite durable.They can take some serious abuse.My slash has been going strong.How about getting another electric?

Since Kapil(the dealer for Traxxas in India)is based in Delhi,you should have no problems with logistical support.HPI is very reputed too.Traxxas is more for the basher and is completely RTR(minus fuel and oils in nitro).

I kindly disagree...trx is more for racer, hpi more for basher

Well, with the HB brand under its belt, you can't say HPI is not for racing..
Traxxas seems to do both..

Actually, both seem to do both! A brand for racing is Team Associated..

Traxxas is more inclined towards the basher and you can see that in most of their cars and partly in their flagship model,The revo and E revo.They are both racers and bashers.But the rest of their cars are for bashers.

This looks like a HPI glorification thread without any justification. I dislike excessive hyping or bashing any brand without proper basis.

Statements like only HPI is durable etc etc does not add any value to the forum. Do not generalize a brand saying all TTs are useless. Are all HPIs and Traxxas best in the class? Makes sense to take up a specific model of the brand and rip it apart to see the pros and cons.

For example, Savage is the best monster truck in the market for bashing, reliability etc. Revo is best for racing, RTR package, easy of use etc. This is the constructive feedback we must offer to advice seekers. Not like TT is all crap and HPI and Traxxas are the best. To do that one must have atleast owned/used the brands and models concerned or minimum must have done some reading online.

To answer your queries:

1) Spare parts availability

No brand has 100% spares support in India. Most dealers only stock commonly broken parts for the most commonly sold cars. I will not depend on any Indian dealer for all spares currently. The present volumes just does not justify stocking all the spares for all models.

2) On Road / Offraod and a bit and racing also ( I would prefer powerful machine with wheelies )

I would suggest a monster truck since your use seems to be more bashing and less racing. Also suggest a Truggy since you can do considerable bashing and great racing. Get a set of onroad tyres, say Proline road rage or similar for tarmac.
Even my electric car can wheelie on high traction surface. So no big deal about it. A well tuned nitro and tighter slipper setting can wheelie.

3) Reliable - I need a reliable piece of machine dont want to waste more time in maintenance than fun! I am ready to pay some extra for this.
Be advised that all nitro cars need a certain amount of maintainance. You can skip it, but your car will not run reliable next time. Electrics are fun that way. Get a fast 1/8 electric if you hate maintaining.

4. Budget around 20-25 K

25K is really a tight budget for a nitro monster truck. I got a savage from Tower Hobbies for 26K shipped via UPS and customs paid. I had a discount coupon from Tower. Revo currently sells for approx 32K in India. Savage, I assume may be more.


5. Other than this -- I am facing difficulty in getting parts for HSP racing in delhi ? I also need some parts of kyosho where I can buy ? Either Online / or Offline in delhi.
Dont waste your time with HSP. Jacks hobbies in HYD has some useless kits. Not sure about spares. HSP is not a brand you want to spend time and effort on. Leave it and move on.

Kyosho, yes. Send me a PM with part nos. I will try to help.

I totally agree with Ajo on the brand glorification.Very well said .I hope I didn't glorify Traxxas too much.(No sarcasm at all and I am NOT pointing a finger at anybody ).

So looking at you requirements overall,get a savage with some street tires and you should be able to enjoy bashing.If you want to race and bash,TT is a good choice too.Traxxas will be good but only their electrics will fit your budget.So,go out and make a decision and if you're stuck on TT,go ahead and ask all the questions you have.(Not that you can't ask questions about anything else ).

@mail4ajo thanks a lot for your help mate.. Now this is what i call an unbiased view ;-) I will be posting the problem which I am facing with my kyosho buggy in new thread for help from pros on this forum.

+1 Ajo 

@all of those who wrote one liners recommending a brand without reasoning:

Advised not to blindly recommend brand names without understanding what the user needs.
If you really need to give ur piece of mind give it in and unbiased manner

This forum needs to educate newbies and be a place for them to make a learned decision and not decision based on somebody's biased views.

@agent47:

You can go in for a Tmaxx 3.3
It suits your budget(25k) , Need ( wheelies /bashing / little racing ) , spares parts are available and it is very much durable.

Or

If you have a higher budget

Traxxas revo 3.3 / Hpi savage

Both have support in India

TT can be looked at when you have very tight budget constraints, which i don't think is your case

Cheers

The T-Maxx fits 25K??I never knew that.I thought it was somewhere near 30k.

@iamhuman: it is close to the 30k mark. But if you buy any other car, you need to spend a good 3-4k on accessories which comes loaded in a tmax. so its almost the same for an end user.
Also when you are buying a car you should have a margin of about +_ 10%. Mostly + 
The user has a requirement of wheelie, Bit of racing , spares availability.
What can be better than the wheelie king tmax itself?
yeah he has to push his budget a little more. But i think that will be worth given the brand / quality.
End of the day, for a couple of thousand bucks, i think you should not make a compromise, considering the amount you are spending.

Cheers

That's true..
No point in having a BL motor if you're gonna use NiMH batteries with it..

Go for the T-Maxx.. From what I've seen in vids and read in reviews, it looks like the Maxx can take quite a beating!   

guys any comment on sledge hammer s 50 this one..

http://www.rcskyhobby.com/products.php?prd_id=33&main_page=products

You can try the T-Maxx or the sledgehammer.I have not read much about the sledgehammer but with whatever I read,it seemed fine.Its a rebadged model of the Team Associated MGT.

Infact AE MGT is the rebranded S50, small differences. TT doesnt sell S50 and S28(cheaper version with 4.6cc) in the US.

TMaxx should work for you. Although I only have personal experience with its big bro, the Revo 3.3, heard the car is decent. But extreme bashing will need upgrades. I love the Traxxas RTR packages which the TT doesnt have. I wasnt impressed with the tuning ease of the engine. Needle changes takes time to respond and doesnt respond after a point. Killer low end (read WHEELIES) and nice high end. Rev happy and quite fuel efficient. I like the gear shifting smoothness too unlike the S50 which was bit grumpy.

The S50 engine is huge, fuel guzzler. Low end torque is great. Lots of hops up from the MGT series. Spares cheap and available at Rotor (also have hopups) and Modelart.  Very heavy car due to many metal parts, not exactly a 1/8. Reliable enough for the cost. New version has some upgrades like a 17mm hex wheel etc. Was a pain on the original car that I had.

Hope the above helps.

Oh,didn't know that it was the other way round.Thanks for correcting me Ajo


@agent47:So,I guess you will have made a choice then?

You are also correct, AE designed it, TT makes it since they own AE

Yeah more or less with sledge hammer s50 , as mail4ajo said parts availability is good and heavy with metal parts this is all what i need!! and as I am petrol/nitro head and dont mind having my hands dirty i think i can go with it BTw 8.5 cc is huge torque to handle!!

If you have decided on getting a TT look at the S28 instead of the S50. It is a better choice since the engine is a lot more responsive, better effeciency, easier to tune and longer lasting.

If you still want to consider other brands look at the HPI Savage, Traxxas Tmaxx and Revo as they way more superior to the TT mosters in almost every aspect. Im Ajo will also agree. Savage is the best basher with complete spares, hop up support in india, tmaxx great for price, revo is a good racer.

All the above cars in my opinion are superior to the TT monster trucks.

Sid, I second that. S28 is a better choice. But starting the engine is a pain with that damn pullstart which you will break soon. Get a Drill start. I have one lying around.

There is nothing like the Traxxas RTR packages in the market, simply superb. Savage, toughest MT in town...period.

TTs, I would suggest if you are on a tight budget or need the local LHS support. I know of so many people who buy TTS only because their LHS gives good support for the brand.

I have been reading this thread and second Ajo's words about reliability. Also I am not sure if many people know that Thunder Tiger (TT) actually owns Team Associated... TT's Phoenix ST II is actually Team Associated RC10T3. Now TA has launched RC10T4.1 in US.

I have been using TT Phoenix ST II for nearly a year now and I see a lot of reliability in it. Lot of adjustment possibility too in suspension settings.

My two cents

TT owns AE but not really sure that they make them as well since TT's are made in Taiwan or somewhere like that.

But man, you cant compare a phoenix and a T4. T4 rtr stock hits 30mph out of the box. Phoenix hardly hits 23mph.
Plus phoenix had a lot of issues with, front shocks being the biggest disappointment.
A lot of thing depend on how you drive the car.

IMO, TT is good for money, but no where close to AE quality

BTW AE's B4 costs $190 while Phoenix bx costs $110, do i need to say more....

I think they just look the same. I doubt if the parts are same. I also think RC10 is made in the US compared to phoenix in taiwan.

Ya TT factory is in Taiwan, though they seem to have a new factory now

hi Agent,

i am also very new to the forum and RC in general.

as it happens, i just made my first RC purchase last week. but i had done lot of detailed research regarding the brands and spoke to many of the pro folks here in RCI. here are some of my findings.

TT - if you want an MT, stay away from TT. as it happens, they make far better buggies and truggies than MTs. (read AE).

trassas - as far as traxxas goes. they have pretty good cars but the TMax is not one of them. if its gotta be traxxas, it might as well be the Revo 3.3....

HPI - i myself bought the savage 4.6.... i also had a budget similar to yours but then extended it to 30k for this lil devil. i have really done some crazy stuff with it but it doesnt bat an eyelid. hence i can vouch for the savage.

my original plan was to go for a buggy. i had planned for the HPI pulse, traxxas slayer (truck), GS Racing CL-1, etc. but since i was a beginner, some of the folks suggested the MT. since they are more durable and will crash it several times and not be bothered.

all other info other than my savage experience is from other folks and online research. hope it helped


cheers