Nitro 1/16 scale off-road buggy - any good?

Altoid

Hi,

Saw this and am tempted :

http://www.boyztoys.ie/index.php?subj=itemdetails&id=162

Is this a bad idea? Seems like a good price for a small fun buggy?

I did a quick look around for a review but could only find matches on e-bay that didn't say anything about the buggy itself.

Anyone know anything about these guys?

Thanks,
Altoid

projectgtr

doesnt look to bad first one ive seen actually, seems to run a rs4 3 type drive train which is very reliable thats the most i could reall comment on it. in my own opinion i would save alittle more and go for a hpi savage just for the pedigree, toughness and ease of parts. not to mention there are a lot of people with them so you could get alot of support.

i have to say im a bit biased towards the savage as an owner my self, but the best thing to do is check your local area or club and see what the guys are running.

this truck seems nice, but i just think with a little more savin you will have a lot more fun and alot less hastle with a different truck.

hope ive been of some help

sorry about boyztoys its where i learned to race back when they had a track, decent bunch of guys, prices a little higher than id like(as i shop online) but good by irish standards. i dont have a bad word sales or support wise to say about them.

Altoid

Thanks for the reply.

Not sure if I want to spend too much on this (how much is a savage anyway?).

This seemed like a fun little buggy to zip around with as I don't have a lot of time to build/repair/upgrade etc.

Do people race in this scale?

Thanks,
Altoid.

T-Maxx

I was actually surprised at the price (especially since it's them crowd). It look's well built and at the price I think it's not a bad buy at all. However, beware of the hidden costs (forget about the fuel & battery sales talk - you'll eventually end up with a pit box full of spares, tools and gizmos...:o ).

Also you'd want to make sure that they carry sufficient spares (and will continue to do so in the future). If you're not familiar with nitro rc's, I'd recommend you take someone who is with you to check it out and take it for a spin before you buy.

Similar to ProjectGTR being biased towards the Savage, I'm biased towards the Traxxas T-Maxx.:D Either of these 2 trucks would serve you well and they both have a huge aftermarket support network with 000's of hop-ups, etc.

(BTW the HPI Savage is at least 3x the price.)

Now, drumroll as Coolwings enters the arena...:D

coolwings

T-Maxx wrote:

....Now, drumroll as Coolwings enters the arena...:D

Hi T-Maxx

My only direct knowledge is from a conversation with a seller, 12 months ago, that I didn't follow up on, just holding and inspecting it and starting it in my hand.

Remember in a small car outdoors - ground clearance .........

Having a connection to a competitor of Boyz Toyz it would be wrong of me to give personal opinion of the cars - would be considered unfair - poss against Boards rules too.

T-Maxx

I agree, 18mm ground clearance is laughable for a mini MT, but then again a 1:18 prolly wouldn't be too good at off-roading in any case.

Having a connection to a competitor of Boyz Toyz it would be wrong of me to give personal opinion of the cars - would be considered unfair - poss against Boards rules too.

Dang! But your ethos must be admired though!

(I was honestly looking forward to hearing your opinion.)

Altoid

Hi,

Thanks for the info - a Savage is really beyond my budget, though would be nice.

I couldn't justify such a purchase and I wouldnt be able to use it much as it looks like it would need a lot of space.

This one looked small enough for use on rough roads and short grass which is the sort of thing I'd be after.

I have some RC experience - my brother had an old 1:8 scale Yankee off-roader. When it worked it was great, and I had an old Kyosho Scorpion years ago that was good fun, but the speed controller was a mess.

Please do give any opinions.

projectgtr

hey altoid
you could also try pick up a 2nd hand mt2 less $$$ than the savage, a dream to work on and other than meshing gears its bulletproof, not as much clearance as a savage and not as tough but a good buy for the terrain and budjet your looking at, and again parts are easy to find, ill see if i can find any alla ebay or buyandsell for ya and ill post back

projectgtr

sorry forgot to mention the rush evo
ok you lose the 4wd but you gain in power and ground clearance

heres one new but there are bargains to be had if you know your way around one, not far off your original price

http://cgi.ebay.ie/HPI-Nitro-Rush-Evo-RotoStart-less-R-C_W0QQitemZ260096551015QQihZ016QQcategoryZ19168QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

tallus

The rush evo is nice alright, I sold one last friday to a friend. Just bear in mind that you get what you pay for Altoid. The front end on the rush evo is pretty weak but spares and hop ups are easy to come by. It's a nifty little truck tho.
If I was going to get a 1/16th scale anything It would only be for on road, as stated in one of the earlier posts here there's not much clearance on something that small.

T-Maxx

Have you considered another electric or are you sold on a nitro?

Altoid

Hi again,

Thanks for all the info and advice.

I'm kinda pushing the budget a bit already so I can't go much further. Not so much not having more money - more justufucation or I could spend it on something else I need around the house as opposed to a 'toy'.

This seemed like a nice enclosed package - ready to run and there is a list of spares on the site.

I'm mainly thinking of running it on a rough road (a country road) so clearance isn't too much of an issue - but the roads are too messy for an on-road car so I wouldn't have anywhere to use one.

I've never owned a nitro car so I like the idea of it - but I have had electrics before and have no problem with them either - and an easier reverse helps.

Any more thoughts appreciated and if I do get it (weeks away) I'll post a review.

- Altoid.