Electric advantages

[Ceezer]

I tried searching for an electric vs nitro/gas thread, but didn't turn much of anything up. Other than cost factors, are there any advantages to running electric over fuel? What about the advantages to fuel over electric?

I'm sorry if this has been covered before. If someone knows where I can find that information, I'd appreciate it.

I just can't decide which route I'd rather take first.

[Vato Loco]

*Electric Idles better!
*easier starting.
*No blue Smoke!
*No stalling!
*You can test run in the house if you dare!
*Non flamable!
*Cleaner!
*Quieter!
*smells better!
I'll go nitro/Gas when they develop a working/mass market 1/10 4 cycle motor;-)

[Ceezer]

Thanks, Vato. I assume electrics are only half as fast as nitro/gas, but can the electric ones be made fast? And do they have enough to go over jumps and stuff at the track? The electric one I have now (while I am aware it's nothing compared to some of the better ones) barely even clears the hills, and two of them it won't... :(

[Vato Loco]

Thanks, Vato. I assume electrics are only half as fast as nitro/gas, but can the electric ones be made fast? And do they have enough to go over jumps and stuff at the track? The electric one I have now (while I am aware it's nothing compared to some of the better ones) barely even clears the hills, and two of them it won't... :(
Brushless motor/esc system and lipo batts. will give nitros hell! :eek:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/cmhanson/picsofcmh3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/cmhanson/picsofcmh1.jpg
Yes, Electric can fly when asked too! :eek: :D

[Ceezer]

I'd like to try electric starting out, I think. This is also to help keep costs down while I'm learning. It seems the Rustler is good to start out on, but what about a XMT4?

[gizmoguy303]

It depends on what you want to do with it, and how much money you have.

Nitro has the best bang for your buck. If you are just planning on goofing around in the yard, nitro may be the ticket. However, if you are planning on racing, I would definitely go electric - at least at first. It is much easier to concentrate on your driving and car setup when you aren't worrying about tuning your engine or cleaning the gunk off your chassis. At the club racing level, I would say electric is probably more expensive than nitro (at least on off-road tracks), but it depends on the level of competition you are racing with. At most tracks, electric vehicles are usually faster around the track than the nitros - they are definitely FAST! It just depends on your equipment. Most RTR electrics are pretty slow, but don't let them give you the impression that electrics are slow in comparison to nitros. If you start out with electric, you can build your driving and racing skills until you have the urge to try out nitro racing.

[Ceezer]

Thanks, Gizmo. I do want to try racing, because there is nothing much else to do around here.

I just realized that XMT4 is only 8" long... that seems like it would be too small to do much of anything. Am I just ignorant?

[Vato Loco]

I'd like to try electric starting out, I think. This is also to help keep costs down while I'm learning. It seems the Rustler is good to start out on, but what about a XMT4?
I like the Rusty! There are so many things you can do with it it isn't funny! :eek: This is one example!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/cmhanson/CT5-000.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/cmhanson/CT3-000.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/cmhanson/cad11-000.jpg
This is my Rusty/Pede! I combined the best of both worlds. Traxxas rustler and stampede! The chassis is all lexan made by me! and is power by a Novak SS5800.
No matter what you get or decide on make sure IT IS What You Want! :eek:

[Ceezer]

Wow, that's pretty sweet, Vato.

[Vato Loco]

thank you

[gizmoguy303]

If you are going to be racing, get a good racing kit like the Associated T4 or Team Losi XXX-T MF2. You won't be very competitive with the Rustler. Both the T4 and XXX-T come as kits or RTR's. I would go with a kit and buy good electronics to start out with. It all depends on your budget however.

[2ndGeneration]

If you are going to be racing, get a good racing kit like the Associated T4 or Team Losi XXX-T MF2. You won't be very competitive with the Rustler

This is a fact, neighbor has 2 Rustlers he has purchased in the last month. He is a LONG WAY from keeping up with my 10yr old RC10t's. I'm running out of ideas to speed his rc's up.

Hope this helps

[Katana Man]

Many people overlook one of the most basic advantages of electric. They are much quieter so you can run them in your neighborhood. Let's face it, most of us have neighbors less than a mile away. Gas cars/trucks can be heard for a long ways. If so, PLEASE do not be selfish and rude with a loud gas car or truck. Go electric.

[Silent Scope]

Other than cost factors,

You think electric is cheaper than nitro? Lol.. kids these days

unless you want to run crappy batts.. a nice set of 2 batts is around 50-60.. then a charger.. 50-100.. then the car.. 100-200.. and everything else


yah yah thoes batts are rechargable.. but 50-60 dollars worth of fuel will last you a year

[Vato Loco]

If you plan to race, you can make your rusty more competitive at a slight cost and with some elbow grease! But it can be done! www.ultimatetraxxas.com But not every one likes to have to make it work so go with a shake box truck like A&E or Losi.
Myself JMO so please don't get mad. AE and Losi are super great for the track but are not really made for or intended to hard core bashing and creative tinkering(No Need too)!
As For Nitro! I hate weedeating the yard and anything that reminds me of my weedeater ain't fun!

[Vato Loco]

This is a fact, neighbor has 2 Rustlers he has purchased in the last month. He is a LONG WAY from keeping up with my 10yr old RC10t's. I'm running out of ideas to speed his rc's up.

Hope this helps
Send your neighbor to me, I'll help him fix that problem :) He just needs some guidence. Be a good neighbor and Give him this site address: www.ultimatetraxxas.com He'll catch up quick! :D

[2ndGeneration]

I am a good neighbor, He is a first time player of RC vehicles :D :cool:, The guidence he is in need of at this point is more basic than speed related:

" Ummm, well yeah a 10 turn is faster than a 14 turn, are those rear tires glued to the rims ?"

" Yeah I'll look at that motor again, wow I just put new brushes in it yesterday for you and their gone ! Did you check out the drive train like I mentioned the other day to see if it rolls smooth ?, It WAS all bound up huh, Really so you fixed it then " :eek:

" Yeah I realize you just bought the the thing, but you really should dis-assemble it down to the last screw and clean and re-assemble it, it'll help you to understand the inner-workings of the thing "

You kinda get the point ;) :D

[Neon_Dave]

"unless you want to run crappy batts.. a nice set of 2 batts is around 50-60.. then a charger.. 50-100.. then the car.. 100-200.. and everything else


yah yah thoes batts are rechargable.. but 50-60 dollars worth of fuel will last you a year"

-I agree that electric is expensive, but ONLY when you get serious into racing. High end ESC's and batts, motors, will bring you up to more than $50 each (ESC's for $150+).
Then you would need to lighten your car for racing; aluminum parts, CF chassis, etc. There goes another few hundred.

Batts for electrics are fairly expensive, but then again they last you a long time.

The main thing with electric is once you buy your high end electonics and parts you're set for racing.

In nitro, there are many more factors involved with what kind of preformance you would be getting out of your engine. Also a lot more things that wear out and need replacing ($$$$$). Fuel will also cost you a fair bit.

In the end, both will cost you a ton for parts support, preformance upgrades and tools and supplies. Depending on how deep into racing you plan to go (if at all) that will pretty much give you your estimate on how much your stuff will cost you.


BTW some guys at my track spend about 15,000 a year to support their car (Usually only one!:rolleyes: )

Well, anyways hope this helps.
-Dave

[TRF TT-01]

What? Using $15000 only on one car? That's crazy!

[Neon_Dave]

Yeah thats what I thought too. But hey, you have a fulltime job, you're 30 and have nothing better to spend your money on, why not? Hehe

-Dave

[nicholcgn]

If you are not racing then I would probably do a nitro. Unless I lived in an area where people would get upset about the nitro noise. While I love electric I think a Nitro is an awsome basher. Some of the monster trucks are awsome.

If you are racing then:

The cost analisys of Elctric VS Nitro is not easy. There are to many factors. We talking best? What is actualy needed? How competetive are people at your track. Bottom line is money wise they can be as expensive as you want. (Many hop ups are useless unless you are a top 10% driver.)

This one is faster than that one argument. Once again I say is crap if you race to some extent. Can we be realistic? If the track is tight and small to medium you can not max on either type of car on speed. If it is extremely big then you can bet nitro would probably give you the most speed for the buck. (Both can hit insane speeds. Brushless are nuts.) But speed is irrelevant if you can not put it on the track. I have a set of lipos that give me almot 20 min run on electric. And I can not keep the thing above about 1/2 throttle on 90% of the track.


To me the key is go watch them both. What is being raced at the track. Which one gives you the "chills". Money is less important because if you go nitro and like electric you will not stay with it and the oppisate is true. Talk to the people at the track. Who is the most helpful? It is always nice to have people help you.

Me I like electric. But I can tell you that you are wasting time and money if you love the smell of nitro, like the engines and it makes you want to wet the bed dreaming of it at night. The same is true on the electric side.

I have driven both and I will quit racing before I go to a nitro truck at this point. The only recommendation I will make to anyone is what is their feeling of what they want after they have come to the track for about 1 month and talked with people and watched. The main point should be for you to get into the hobby and enjoy it. Nitro/Electric we need them all. The more people the better the time.

[Neon_Dave]

For any car, the cost can be almost infinite. You just need to set a goal for what you want to acheive with your vehicle and your costs will be determined depending on that.

At my track, the guys who run nitro spend way more money than the electric guys. The kinds of parts that they have may be even double the price of what equipment any of the electric guys have.

Electric and Nitro are really different, both have their pros and cons, you just have to decide which pros / cons you would rather be stuck with.

Both are good IMO, I just like what I have. Unlike some people, I dont have insane amounts of money to spend on either. I just spend enough to enjoy the hobby and be happy with what I have.