hi all,

i have just joined this forum and this is my first post. i am interested in getting into RC offroading. i saw my friends Thundertiger MTA-4. its tons of fun and is really cool. however i do not have the funds to buy the MTA-4.

i have shortlisted 2 other nitro trucks that are cheaper. how are these vehicles? can you suggest anything better?

1) Redcat Racing Vortex SS
2) Traxxas Stampede

also, can anyone suggest any good stores to buy RC equips (delhi/NCR)? i know only of 1 store. Modelart in saket. thanks for the support. hope to join you soon on the track!

tc,

Anirban

Get anything else apart from the redcat. Traxxas is ages ahead. If you are on a serious low budget, check out some cheap TT models.

There is one hobby store run by Manish in Delhi. Check the list of stores.

i see,

thanks for the heads up. i considered the redcat because a hobby site shows this product as a combo. everything inclusive in ~ 17k.

can you give me any good suggestions sub 20k?

thanks.

p.s

you have an HPI Baja??? awesome! 

First, what are you planning to do with the car, race or bash, nitro or electric? Each has its pros and cons. If you are not sure, please research.

For racing on your low budget, you can get a TT EB4 S3, very tough and 2006 ROAR champion, but old generation, Bashing for that budget, not sure. Stampede is good, but check on prices. I guess you can get a Rustler or something for about 20K

Yeah.The stampede is for lots of bashing.The rustler is more of a speed demon.You can take a look at the traxxas mini e revo too.These options are good if you are not racing.

I personally would steer a newbie away from nitro.But it looks like your friend can help you.

I found myself in this dilemma a few months ago and I am happy that I bit the bullet and got the slash 4x4.

@iamahuman-

the slash seems nice. how much did you get it for?. i spoke to traxxas and they are suggesting the new slayer in nitro along with the t-max. but frankly, those are out of my budget...

I got my slash for  :Rs:25,000 + taxes(something like 14 % VAT).I just love mine.Did you tell the guys at traxxas that you are a beginner?It is commonly suggested that a newbie goes in with electric.And either way,electric is faster than nitro once you get lipos.The slayer is a good car.If you can't get it,get the slash.If its not in your budget,look at the mini e revo vxl.Avoid the mini slash.

But will you be racing?If you will be,the merv vxl will have trouble racing the bigger cars.If you will just be playing around,get the merv vxl.

And like Ajo said,do some research before you make your move.

yes, i spoke to a guy called jolly.

i told him that i want 4x4. he straight away suggested the t-max.

my usage us basically going to be playing around at the locat park, take it along on a short trip out of town to play around, or some racing at meets.

do you think the slayer would suffice? also, are there any hidden issues in nitro? why would one suggest electric? i dont want the rc car to be a toy. it has to be serious enough to keep me interested. plus minor mods would be in order later.

thanks

The only issue with Nitro is tuning and maintainence which newbies and many times long term users struggle with. But trust me, there is nothing fun like Nitro. 1/8 Electric cars will not feel like toys as long as you use decent batteries. Only lipos.

For pure playing around, a Tmaxx is good, if you have the budget. I wouldnt suggest the Slayer. Tmaxx will surely keep you interested for some time and can mod it too.

The engine has good power, but is not very tune friendly. Has a mind of it own, needles dont react after some time.... Used Traxxas engines can be replaced for a new one for peanuts. Will only suggest a better engine for serious use.

i see. i have tried out a TT sparrowhawk xxt. it was cool. but i have some facination towards the nitro motors. the sound, smoke, etc  . hence my choice.

i want an honest opinion of all the pro rc guys here. is there any significant difference between traxxas and hpi? i have done some research on the net and the idea i got is:

Traxxas is
1) slightly cheaper
2) more beginner friendly
3) tougher to tune

HPI is
1) more durable
2) easier to tune
3) slightly better offroad

What say? i wanna make sure i go for the right brand.

your observations are right.One more thing about traxxas is that their parts are very cheap.Get the T-Maxx then.It will be a good basher but won't beat a revo 3.3 in a race.

Kapil is a good guy.Very helpful.

@Shutterx

It is difficult to generalize and compare two brands.
What you can really compare is two models
That would help you in choosing your car

Cheers

Both brands are equally good and best thing is they have lots of support, spares and upgrades abroad. I would go car by car only. For racing, choose the Revo. For bashing, Savage 4.6.

For a lower budget, you have Tmaxx, but not sure what you can get in HPI. Traxxas is very focused on bashers and newbies. They have the best RTR package you can ask for, all included except fuel, radio battery.

Why dont you look at a Truggy? You can bash it and also race when you want to. A well tuned and setup 1/8 Truggy will beat any truck on reliability, handling and speed. Truggies have 3 diffs that help them to hold the ground better.

I've always had this question.What do truggies and buggies do without a slipper clutch?(Or is it integrated with the center diff?)

hmm..

still not sure of what to buy. i am considering the hpi pulse 4.6, hpi bullet mt/st, the traxxas slayer and the hpi trophy 4.6 truggy!

so far, after much youtubing and researching, the best deal seems to be the pulse

what say folks? as always, your advice is needed

Yeah.the pulse seems good.Do some research on online forums about it.But it will be more of a racer(the buggy).I would say,go with the truggy as Ajo has already suggested.

yes. the truggy does seem interesting. but is it available here in india? i spoke to hpi but they never mentioned it.

hmm......I guess it is.I know a guy with a pulse.I'll ask and tell you.

sure, thanks. both of these seem great. i feel my choice will be either the truggy or the pulse. both seem great and more or less fit my budget.

the pulse comes in 2 versions.The buggy or the truggy.

If you are looking for a monster truck:

For bashing: HPI Savage X
For racing: Traxxas Revo 3.3

The T-Maxx is also a good option. It comes in a little lower than the Savage X price point.

If you are looking at HPI Nitro Options:

trophy Truggy 4.6 - needs shock cap upgrade. Extremely competitive out of the box.
HPI Pulse 4.6 - Needs no upgrades, great performance for the price, also consider TT s3 pro.
HPI Bullet st or mt - great for regular use.

I guess it all comes down to the budget and what you want to use the car for.

@siddharth -

thanks for the advice. i have checked out all of these. online. the savage, revo and trophy are out of my budget. and the best deal seem... the pulse. most prolly will go for this one. only need a clear idea of price.....

cheers

i got the t-maxx 3.3 last week its fabulous

@fmanavalan -

great stuff. how much was it for total? did you buy it from a retailer in thrissur itself?

it cost 33, got it from jayanth bangalore

This is what I think: As far as I know slippers are used to minimise the effects of brutal power on the transmission. Buggies and truggies dont have transmissions. The center diff take the load.

Most so called super reliable Monster trucks have "PLASTIC" transmission gears. Maybe it cost them lesser to have a slipper than have metal gears.

I read some good reviews about trophy. But HPI seriously needs to give a better package considering they are focusing on the RTR crowd. Hope they learn from Traxxas.

TT EB4 S3 is good option, about 18K. Tough Buggy, decent 2.4 Radio, cheap and easily available spares. I hate the pull start. If you want to use a starter box, you need to use a bigger flywheel.

man. i never though id have such a tough time deciding on a dam rc car!

but i seem to like the pulse most at the moment. however, i hear that its pretty new and hence part availability in india could be fishy... hmmm. decisions decisions.

@Shutter: The pulse shares a lot of parts with other HPI buggy/truggy models so spares will not really be an issue unless its an odd one.

@Ajo: HPI for some reason dont seem to understand the concept of RTR till date. The least they can do is offer a 2.4ghz radio with all the models. But i think they have got the message, all their cars will now sport 2.4ghz thru the range.

Tmaxx and revo use plastic gears inside the transmission, Savages use metal ones. As AJo said the slipper clutch is primarily used to absorb most of the shock and not pass it down to the gearbox.

yes slipper clutches are on superbikes as well... so that even if you downshift at a high rpm, the clutch will engage automatically to prevent the rear wheel from locking... lowers stress on the gearbox and provides stability.

@sid. so youd suggest the pulse? i hear this thing has common parts with the hotbodies d8... as i recall.

The pulse is a great car. It does share parts with the D8, Trophy 3.5, Vorza and the stadium 2 sport. the engine etc is common with the savage x, hellfire.

well. thats the reason i wanna buy one. but the pricing is crazy. iam just not getting any good 1/8 scale in my budget.

whats your budget?

well my budget is at max 27-28k and that will be stretching it. after lots of research and advice, i guess ill have to shift from hpi to thundertiger. the TT EB4 S3 and ST-1 have caught my attention... cheap and best!

cheers

You can Pick up the Traxxas Tmaxx. It is well within you bugdet and it is one of the best in its class.
what more you can be assured of the Traxxas quality and support.

well.. for some reason, i dont want an MT.  iam considering a buggy or truggy. anyways. i dont have many areas for bashing... hence street + sand + mild offroading. hence my decisions..

Dude, Electric  vehical
Slash 4x4 Brushless For Rs:-25k Baja Truck
E-maxx Rs:- 25k Monster Truck
E-revo Vxl Brushless Rs:- 18.5k

Nitro
T-maxx 3.3 Rs:- 29k    Monster Truck
Jato 3.3 Rs:- 24k       Does 50+Mph  stadium Truck
Nitro 4tec Rs;- 25k   Does 70+mph  Car

I personally have the T-Maxx 3.3 with Alu Bulkheads

Man you live in noida people meet there almost every weekends plenty of places for bashing.

avoid the jato(not the gratest) and nitro 4-Tec(too fast for a newbie).If you want to,get the slash or stick with TT.

@ magarwal1

yes. i am going to attend meets this saturday and sunday. do you join them as well? id like to see as many RCs as possible

@iamahuman.

thanks for the info, but iam interested in a truggy or buggy. really liked the pulse 4.6. but its too costly. other than that. i can only think of thundertiger...

Mann, buy anything from TT, go for a S50 or MTA4, but dont buy their buggies, they dont last even a week, engines sucks, underpowered, and crap.
Plus their new addition to line EB4 S3 is another one of that junk, No spares anywhere, shock towers break like bitch, chock caps,even aluminum ones bend, CVD's bend, its all crap. Radio failed in first week. Tried binding receiver to new spektrum, didn't binded.
Mine didnt even lasted even a month, had to upgrade it with AE parts and finally made it good by additional 12k., and hankfully sold it now.
Not worth the value.
Plus its a new model, theres no one who has much experience to share with,thus if the spikes in your neck you are gone man.

Buy any HPI, you would be happy.

Also the suspenson arms come off like hell, even if you flip your car twice or thrice the turn buckles get disturbed.
Tires are another bad thing, not suitable for concrete or asphalt.
Tuning is hard,but if you take help from someone who had owned it before,he may help you


I have one friend who is also crying with his EB4, he wills to sell it.

If you want he can give it to you for 13 k,did only 10 tanks.all stock.PM me if interested

Heres some pics of this THING !

[Admin Note] Language does not necessarily increase the "coolness" factor

^^Woah man, watch the language   
Personally, even I wouldn't suggest a TT product, even though I have heard some good reviews about it myself.

Just go with the vehicle whose dealer has lots of spare parts.. Trust me, you're gonna need them..
Although, this shouldn't COMPLETELY affect your decision..

the issue is that... id really like an hpi, but the issue is budget. and if iam paying 24-25k for an RC car. it better be 1/8! and there is nothing like this in traxxas or hpi other than the tmax. and i dont want an MT. hence looks like i will have to manage with the TT... plus model art at saket seem to have lots of spares. iam going to check it out and see. plus i spoke to some other people as well... many of them say that the eb4 an the st1 are pretty good.

yes, i am a picky customer.

Dude,get a slash 4x4 and be done with it.It was probably the best spent 25k of my life.You can't get anything better for the price.Even I wanted a buggy or truggy but couldn't get a 4wd vehicle a such a budget.So what if its a short course truck,you'll love it.If you're bashing very hard,go aluminium.This sort of explains why I spent upto 6 months making my decision.Traxxas India is helpful and they carry spares.
(I have become a guy who converts newbies to 'slash 4x4 guys' and electric guys )

OR

If you want HPI badly,get an E-Firestorm.I believe the flux version is within your budget.Its 2wd,but 2wd helps you to be a better driver.

Oh and MeanMachines,please do mind your language.

@iamahuman -

lol i have checked out the slash on youtube. but i MUST have nitro. prolly because i am a petrol head since birth.

for the next rc car (when i have the money) ill go for an electric rock crawler...

Your choice, but dont rely on that damn modelart, they say they have spares on call and once you reach saket, they sy, sorry sir, we dont have them, might be someone just bought them away.

Ask Arpit, he's the TT guy,had TT cars

i am going to model art in the evening today to check the vehicle plus availability of spares. and even if i get into trouble with spares later, i think i would manage something else.

as it happens, Ajo has a TT truggy. and he never spoke of spare availability issues.

anyways. nothing is final till i make the payment.

Yup.Take care of your car and it won't die out on you.Don't do anything crazy and do what is reasonable(though the idea of 'reasonable' changes from person to person )

Ajo always buys TT spares from thundertiger4u.com ,not from India. He has stated this before

Why dont you try an Ofna Hyper 7 TQ Pro

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXRUS1&P=0

Its best quality, real cheap

yup. already did. spoke to him. he is suggesting the TT buggy or truggy. first choice would already be savage... but its out of budget.

@himank -

i took a look at it. but i have no idea of spare parts and even tuning. since i am buying for the first time, i think i should go for a brand where i can go to the store (model art) for support.

Ofna has no support here.TT has something.Don't get ofna now.

Ofna used to have.. Not sure about now..
Bombay RC used to stock Ofna/Jammin (same company under diff. names)

Not sure what they're upto now.. I tried getting on touch, but the no. was invalid..

Man TT support is also crap,only modelart is there which is more like just a showroom

btw. what happened to thundertider4u.com? the site is under maintenance. how long has it been so?

Does anybody know the price for the Slayer 3.3 4X4 Nitro Baja Truck.
Buy this Baja truck if you want nitro.

I buy from where the stuff is available based on cost, shipping time etc. I buy from Rotor singapore, Modelart, Amain etc. I Thundertiger4u is closed since Towerhobbies is now distributor of TT products in US. What I hear is TT has brought Hobbico which owns Tower.


Bombay RC is RIP


Please do not generalize. Have you heard of Rotor Hobby Chennai? One of the best stocked hobby stores in the country today. Main dealer for TT products.


Whats this Nitro Baja truck?

He's misunderstood a 'baja truck' and a 'short course truck'.A baja truck is more like a buggy(R/C example being the Baja 5B)and a short course truck is what looks like the slash,only 10 times bigger.

Ya, but still there are no spares i could find on rotor india

It has been the same from atleast 3 months.
Correct me if wrong.

Cutting short,

They buyer's not interested in Monster trucks
He likes buggies but nitro
He wants it cheap and 1/8th
He is a beginer so wants easy to drive and maintain car
He is expecting good spares availability
His another concern is quality

My Suggestion-
Dont go just for looks,buy something which is durable so that you dont have to fish for spares always
Buy TT,but only tomahawk or S28/50, since there spares are no problem in india,yet quality will be an issue
If HPI, buy savage X if in your budget or pulse. Savage will be better due to durability and easy to drive factor.
If  Traxxas, nothing other than Revo 3.3

Seeing your budget, either buy a monster truck or a stadium truck. Buggies wont be able to handle the beginner haarrasment though would be a lil easy to drive.


In short,
If budget allows, Revo 3.3, otherwise savage 4.6

You will love both till the last tank of their life.....Cheers!!

He has clearly said that he doesnt want MT and Savage is above budget. So why keep talking about revo and savage?

Rotor has many spares and upgrades for the S50, the widely sold car in Chennai. He will have EB4 spares shortly since we pushed him to start selling them. Feel free to call and ask.

Spares for the TT ST-1 was never an issue since I havent broke much. The only thing I can remember is a shock rod that I broke when I hit another car head on at the RCINC race in 2009. I replaced the servo saver, beacuse it was becoming tight. I could have repaired it though.

Like I have mentioned ST-1 is the best car from TT. Based on the EB4 S3, its hell of a car though its a few generations old. I have several spares like arms, shocks, drive shafts, toe plates etc. I dont think they will be used anytime soon unless anything crazy happens.

Avoid tomahawks series.... worst quality I have seen after tempo. Will suggest it for a child only.

Savage and EB4 are closely priced, 22k and 25k.
Ya, believe me, 25 k is max for a tower savage

he does NOT want a monster truck.As Ajo has said,go with the ST-1.

If you want speed,get a slash 4x4 and get a lipo and charger for it.(I believe a petrol head is fueled by speed )

He did not want a electric either

I wanted to convince him.As I stated earlier,I want to convert people to electric.

Since you dont want monster trucks, electric cars and you need to stay within a budget of 30K.

Stay away from tomahawk series, Slayer.

Your options are

HPI Pulse 4.6 or truggy 4.6
TT Eb4 or ST1

All the above cars have spares support, its up to you to choose what you like best.

lol... so much discussion over what i want! i feel important!

thanks for the support folks. but i think i should stop researching, bite the bullet and just end it. as they say, too much research gets you confused.

cheers.

Yeah.I busted my brain after 8 months of research and when I got the call from jayanth that my car had arrived,it was the best moment.All I said was ,"Good".Even better was when I saw it and ran it for the first time.

Hope you get your car as quickly as possible and join us.

hi folks. i have finally booked my first real RC car! its a savage x 4.6... finally done and dusted! getting my hands on her on friday. saturday will be for running in....

thanks for all the advice and support folks. everyone i spoke to suggested this vehicle. and i decided to not go for the buggy because lot of experienced folks suggested that i go for something slower and more robust for a first car.... hence the savage!

Try your hand at Hongnor Jammin.. Jammin X1X buggy or Jammin X2 CRT truggy.. They might fit your budget.. I drive these cars and they are very tough built. Never broke any part and replacement parts are also cheaper.. You can read some great reviews on lots of forums..

whee can i buy them, BTW is jammin=Ofna...?

sort of.From ofna's website,you are directed to the jammin SCRT.But Ofna has their own SCT.They do have some connection,not sure what it is.

another brand i was checking... GS racing. i sw the vids on youtube... their buggies are insanely fast screamers... anyone have GS buggies?

http://www.rcdhamaka.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=82_84&zenid=v4oeujhabp3kvugfm6qr1hgic6

All sold out, but they said that they'll be getting more stock soon.

GS buggies are being sold by this person call Murarie in Coimbatore.. He is a part of RCINDIA as well..

Any reason for choosing a monster truck when you decided against it initially?

OFNA distributes HONG NOR and HOBAO in the US under their name. Jammin is designed in the US and made in Taiwan by HONG NOR.

So they are basically the same right?

No. Different manufacturers, same US distributor. All HOBAOs are branded OFNA and all HONG NORs are branded Jammin.

hi folks. its finally over. i got my Savage x 4.6 today. did 4 tanks running in (with slow driving on 3rd and 4th tank.... plus one small wheelie )

@ ajo. i asked around. spoke to many pro folks incl you and general response i got was... "go for the savage... its sturdy enough for a beginner...."

once again, thanks to all the folks at rci for the support. was a tough decision.... but the bullet is big, money is spent, the

 damage is done... and i got the savage!

cheers!

congrats.


Pictures and videos please.

What dont you try for thundertiger stadium trucks,they come very cheap and if you are really intrested in hpi or traxxas then always consider traxxas,they have wonderfull performance and there spare parts are readily available and cheap,even iam planning to buy traxxass tmax.
Regards
9873265565

Why dont you try for thundertiger stadium trucks,they come very cheap and if you are really intrested in hpi or traxxas then always consider traxxas,they have wonderfull performance and there spare parts are readily available and cheap,even iam planning to buy traxxass tmax.
Regards
9873265565

@meanmachines

i decided to go for the savage at the last moment... even though it was considerably more expensive... but its very robust and is great for a new user...

for my next car... (when i have the money ) ill go for a stadium truck... love those things