What's cheaper to run, Nitro or Electric?

[centralparkkiller]

IM A NEWBIE TO R/C, IM JUST NOT SURE WHAT TO GET.

[ 07-09-2001: Message edited by: SteveP ]

[SteveP]

I would say at the entry level, it's comparable in cost to go nitro or electric, but electric would be adviseable because it's much more "Plug and Play" than nitro. Nitro has the extra challenge of learning engine tuning on top of the other things you must learn about the car.

[SmokeyNDBandit]

I generally agree with Steve. Electric is the easier way to get up and running.

I have both nitro and electric and I found that at some point the learning curve on both intersect. You have engine tuning and you have motor tuning. You can have a great running nitro car and a great running electric car. You can just as easily have a poor running nitro car and a poor running electric car. You do an engine rebuild and you do a motor rebuild. For the new person either can be perplexing and frustrating.

Since you are new and have no prior experience, you are essentially a "clean slate" and can probably adapt to whatever you get.

[USA-1 Nitro]

I haven't ever had an electric car, and I have had nitro cars since I was 12. I blew my first engine within a week, but I sure learned a lot pulling it apart and seeing what goes on in there, and after that, I read all my engine maluals carefully and haven't had any big engine problems since. As far as price, its not too far from a tie. Then again when I get into something I go in to it too far from the start, but it pays off for me later. Depending on how much you run your cars and how hard you run them, maybe electric is a little bit cheaper, but I would pay htat much more for the added speed and engine sound.

[HoDog16]

I started with electric, which are mutch less matinance and mutch easier to get started with, but because of battery charging, you can only use it like once a month and u lose intrest in r/c almost immediatly! If i had to start all over again, i would definately go with nitro. If you do, just make shure you break it in properly and you might want to try a RTR for your first nitro. I suggest an HPI RS4 Nitro RTR.

[KIWIRCGUY]

Well for me because I live in New Zealand electric is WAY cheaper for me... For a rough idea look at this...

My Tamiya TGX gas car with radio and a few hop ups NZ$1400

Fuel 800mls ( a quart??) NZ$18
OS #8 glow plug NZ$14.80 each!!

HMMM and people wonder why RC isnt that big here in New Zealand. Of course electric isnt that much better now that I think about it.

2000mAh matched packs NZ$100 each
190mm touring car body NZ$55 and up
HPI 23Rs NZ$29 a pair
Dont even want to think what I paid for my Novak Mill.

:eek:

[outsider]

Electric would be the best for first timers. You can get 4 decent stock motors for about the price of a nice nitro engine. But get at least one good battery, a 2400 or 3000. As you get the basics of car maintainance you can use those skills if you want to transition over to nitro. I've been all electric so far but i have been eyeing that HPI nitro 4x4 ST....mmm mmm mmm.