A few Nitro Vs. Electric questions.

[Tyrael1986]

Hey guys, I have been shopping for a good RC for quite awhile now. At one point I was planning on buying a T4 then I decided a MGT would be better suited for me and so on. But now here's where I stand. Are the hassles of Nitro worth it? The times when the engine wont start when you want to run it, or the times when it will run good for 1 tank then the next it wont start at all or runs really hot. After taking in consideration for all the pain and suffering I asked myself "is it worth it?" Considering I have a really small income per month, I was thinking... Would a RC10T4 with a 5.5 Brushless suit me just as a MGT would? Short-Medium Grass, Rough-Smooth Dirt, Street. or should I take the chance and go with Nitro? Not much can go wrong with electric... especially brushless. I'm not planning on racing, I just don't want all the hassles I guess. I know that fun has a price, but electric just seems like its a lot more for the buck. Get what I mean? Can you give me your opinions. Right now I have the cash for a FT T4, but It would be next month before I could get a MGT. I would still need fuel, Glow plugs, a starter and all sorts of stuff like that...

[67f100StPro]

Nitro all the way man! Nothing compares to the sound and smell of nitro. Once you figure out the whole tuning thing a nitro can be just as reliable as electric. Plus you can run 2, 3, 4, or more tanks of fuel without even shutting the engine off. Can't do that with electric.

[zakerid]

Nitro is fun but it is a hassle. I love running my nitro trucks but I also enjoy my quiet electrics. It seems to me that electrics are a great way to get started in r/c but you will get a million different responses to your question.
If I had to choose b/t the 2 today, I would go electric.
my.02

[Tyrael1986]

well, I have been in the hobby for coming up on around 10 years or so. But I haven't bought a new car/truck since then. Right now I have a old Associated TQ10 and a Tamiya Blackfoot, and neither can I find parts or hop-ups for anymore. If I run them and break them... I'm SOL. So I want something New that I can depend on to run but if it does break I don't have to freak out.

[InspGadgt]

Hard to say...both have their advantages and disadvantages. I have both nitro and electric cars and my electrics get ran much more often then my nitros.

Nitros:
- Can be fussy to tune
- Noisey
- Fuel and oil combine with dirt for one hell of a mess to clean up
- Needs a fair amount of space to run in
- Sound cooler
- Run longer (with a short pit stop)
- Out of the box faster then electric normally

Electrics:
- Have to charge batteries often
- Have to put in some serious power to be as fast as nitro
- Quiet
- Not so space restrictive
- Cleaner
- Lower CG, typically handles better

[Vato Loco]

-Electrics don't Stall at the start line!
-Electrics don't stall when in a bad flip during a race!
-Electrics aren't Hard to start!
-Electrics are quiet! Early morning runs don't make the neibors mad!
-Electrics can be worked on in the house and you can test run with out stinking up the house;-) A plus for the wife....
-If you plan to run over Pets Electric is more effective! Better hunting;-)
-Watch a Race! More Nitro people get more up set with thier equipment not starting and such than Electric people do. Fun is a factor to this hobby! :eek:
JMO Electic is less problemmatic than nitro!JMO

[Tyrael1986]

-If you plan to run over Pets Electric is more effective! Better hunting;-)

LMFAO!!! That really made my day right there Vato. I watched a few videos today and I will have to say, No offense to you nitro runners out there but a Brushless T4 just looks/seems so much more reliable than a nitro truck. A good brushless motor and a low gear ratio with big tires on a T4 seems it will go anywhere a Nitro truck will, Sure it might get stuck... but atleast it gets there. How long has the T4 been out? Do you think AE may release a T5 anytime soon?

[QUAKE&SHAKE]

Well I too have an old rc10 and blackfoot and other electrics and one nitro vehicle. Guess what the electrics have been gathering dust ever since I went nitro. Electric lost all enjoyment. Yeah my electrics were fast with 10 & 11 turn motors but still not the same power as nitro. Runtime yiphee 6minutes done recharge wait forever do over.Even having 2,3 packs still wind up waiting. You know nitro refuel keep going. Pick the right nitro with a known reliable engine and you can run just 1,2 tanks at a time and put it away I do that all the time. Yeah 1st 5 minutes of running is going to tuning it but pretty much afer that 30,40,50 minutes its having a blast. Electric and nitro will get dirty if ran in dirt. I run my nitro in grass and street a lot and "messy" isnt an issue.
Now ST vs MT. I say MT all the way for the areas you want to run on. MT has the power and clearance advantage by a long shot. Rough dirt a ST will get bounced arond much more than a MT with a great susp like MGT has plus the extra weight helps the MT too. The whole 4wd beats 2wd thing too.
So beings you have electric under your belt know the basics of rc then nitro should be your next step. Its adds so much more to the enjoyment of RC'ing.
Im not against electric altogether I may be getting the mini-LST when it comes out but its to share with my 5yo, though he does like to drive my quake.
You mentioned more fun for the buck. I think nitro has this. A BLFTT4 with 2-3 good packs a new charger (by your post seems like you might not have a nimh charger?) will cost more than rtr MGT w/fuel.

[QUAKE&SHAKE]

-Electrics don't Stall at the start line!
-Electrics don't stall when in a bad flip during a race!
-Electrics aren't Hard to start!
-Watch a Race! More Nitro people get more up set with thier equipment not starting and such than Electric people do. Fun is a factor to this hobby! :eek:
JMO Electic is less problemmatic than nitro!JMO
He's not racing so these are non-issues. Most of these are due to the racers running their vehicles LEAN-TO-THE-LIMIT to try to get that little if any advantage.

[Tyrael1986]

yeah, i understand that quake&shake but i have seen several cases of people only getting 1 gallon through their engines, or in some other cases the engine will run fine for a few tanks then all of a sudden will over heat and never be normal again. tuning and breaking in the nitro isn't really what bothers me. its the fact that once the engine wears out i have to buy a new one. if i get a brushless it will last me at least a year or 2 if i take care of it. not to mention with nitro the constant clean up and disassembling to use after-run oil and such. I just cant picture myself dropping a bunch of my money into something then having it only last for a month. a new engine every 2 months seems expensive when i can get a brushless and use it for at least 6-12 months.

[46u]

I like both but I sure do not know where some get their information! I have 5 nitro engines and some I have for 5 years with gallons run throw them. They all still run great. Yes you have to break them in but you all so on a brush motor have to seat the brushes. I agree they all have their pros and cons.

Does not matter what you run if it is mechanical they all break. The main thing I like about nitro is it is more realistic as there is not to may full size electric race vehicles out there. But as far as top speed unless something has change electric holds the records.

But in the end it is all good.

[scoob]

I prefer electric. Nitro just isn't interesting to me at all, kinda the same way my weedeater doesn't interest me. Just another tiny little 2-cycle engine making whiny noise and to much smoke for it's size. But that's just my opinion. :)

I have a FT T4 with the Novak 6.5 brushless and am very happy with it. It will wheely on command and top out as fast as I want to go(looks like around 40mph). I run an 8000mah lipo and get 25-35 min runtime. I say go for the T4/Novak combo if you want. I think you'll be satisfied.

[QUAKE&SHAKE]

Well I dont know what nitro experience you have but here are a few things.
Adding after run oil takes maybe 2minutes and is really only needed if not running for say over a week at a time. If stopping in the afternoon and running the next day no ARO is needed.
An engine getting just 1 gallon of use or 1 month is WAY OUT of normal and most likely going to be covered under warranty. I would say 5-6 gallons is a good avg. Then a piston sleeve change may be needed not a new engine.
Cleaning the air-filter is something you should do too but takes little time/effort. This depends on how dusty/diry conditions run in. Could be after every run, end of day, after a few days.
Basically everything needed routingly can be done in half the time it takes to charge a pack.

[46u]

I use after run oil after each day of running as the fuel we run is very hygroscopic and all engine manufactures recommend it as well as it is just cheap insurance. I wonder if some that does not get excited about there 2 cycle weed eater if the get off when there washing machine is running. Neither weed eaters nor running washing machines do a thing for me so does this mean I do not like either electric or nitro?

[scoob]

I use after run oil after each day of running as the fuel we run is very hygroscopic and all engine manufactures recommend it as well as it is just cheap insurance. I wonder if some that does not get excited about there 2 cycle weed eater if the get off when there washing machine is running. Neither weed eaters nor running washing machines do a thing for me so does this mean I do not like either electric or nitro?

I just thought I'd throw out a different opinion. There was a lot of Nitro worship earlier in the thread so I wanted to balance it out :) . I knew that'd ruffle some feathers, sorry.

It really is all a matter of OPINION what you prefer and I can see why people like nitro, I just don't. Nothing wrong with that.

And yes..I do like my washing machine more than my weedeater...it starts everytime I press the button. :p

[46u]

I just thought I'd throw out a different opinion. There was a lot of Nitro worship earlier in the thread so I wanted to balance it out :) . I knew that'd ruffle some feathers, sorry.

It really is all a matter of OPINION what you prefer and I can see why people like nitro, I just don't. Nothing wrong with that.

And yes..I do like my washing machine more than my weedeater...it starts everytime I press the button. :p


How does it work when the electricity goes out but does the weed eater still start with out the electricity on? Once again pro and cons sorry I just had to say that.
Like I said I like both. :D :D

[Tyrael1986]

I like both too, It's just I have no experience with Nitro right now, and i'm looking for a new truck. I want something reliable right now. I'm not saying I wont get into nitro later on. This is my first NEW purchase since 1992, I'm sure I will get a MGT or something down the line, but I want something I can play with now without the hassles. I never said I didn't like nitro, just basically I don't want to use my cash right now for something that I don't have cash to repair. I don't have cash right now to afford 2 Nitro engines. Later on I will be able to have trial and error. If I tried nitro right now and had "error" I'm SOL because I cant afford a replacement. Get what I mean?

[46u]

Why do you need two nitro engines? It only takes one to run. The first year I ran nitro I ran one truck on one engine and never had a problem with the engine. Mater of fact I still have the engine 5 years later and steel runs fine. If you go eclectic to do you think the motors last forever look at the post above. Yes brush less last longer but start looking at the price with an ESC. Like I said if it is mechanical sooner or later it will break does not matter if it is electric or nitro. Keep in mind what abuse we put these throw! We are running vehicles at 200 miles and hour or more to scale so something is going to give sooner or later as well as when you hit something. If some one drives a family car like that how long will it hold up? If you are looking for something you will never have to fix or work on you will not find it in this hobby.

Like I said I have both and have to work on both. Right now I do not have anything electric 1/10 or bigger but I am looking right now at getting one. What I am looking at will cost me around $700 with out batteries, radio and charger. I all ready have a radio and charger. I all so have batteries but not for the new vehicle I am looking at build.
Like I said it is all good in the end and I am sure you will have fun with what ever you get.

If you have a charger and batteries yes I think electric will be cheaper for you to start with if you get a RTR.
Good Luck and let us know what you decide.

[Tyrael1986]

Well, I'm looking at a Factory Team T4, then I will get a Novak GTB System for it.

[46u]

This is what I am looking at not counting batteries that will cost about $80 per pack and I all ready have the TX and charger. This is more then I have in my Savage when it is all said in done.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXGZW7&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXJJG0&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXJJG2&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXUZ89&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXGRF0&P=K

[scoob]

How does it work when the electricity goes out but does the weed eater still start with out the electricity on? Once again pro and cons sorry I just had to say that.
Like I said I like both. :D :D

Yes, if the electricity goeas out I'm SOL.

At least I'll have heat in the winter since I have GAS heat...wait a minute, what am I saying. :D

[scoob]

This is what I am looking at not counting batteries that will cost about $80 per pack and I all ready have the TX and charger. This is more then I have in my Savage when it is all said in done.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXGZW7&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXJJG0&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXJJG2&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXUZ89&P=K

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&W=000294237&I=LXGRF0&P=K

That looks great. I have the B4 with the Novak 5800 and it hauls. The little buggy is so light it doesn't need much motor to go.

With the LRP/NEO you should get excellent perfomance. I think you'll be happy with that. I think batteries are overpriced, $80 a pack stinks doesn't it?

If only the Novak and LRP ESCs had a voltage cut-off they'd be perfect. You can get a 4400mah 2s2p lipo (thats a 7.4v 4400mah) at starluckrc.com for $80, of course it would be illeagal to race with in ROAR races. I thought about buying one but I'm scared I'd overdischarge it with only 4400mah to work with. I usually get tired of driving with the 8000mah pack long before it runs out. I got such a deal with the 8000mah Lipo I bought. It was VERY lightly used and I only paid $50 for it. It's $175 new!

[46u]

I am going to have to check more in to Lipo but what I read a while back about them has me concerned. One you have to make sure you do not run them down to fair and two they have been known to blow up and catch fire. The later I have seen happen! That person will never charge Lipo in his vehicle again I bet.

Believe it or not people one of the reasons I want to build this electric buggy is to show some nitro people that what they have is not all that fast.

Electric has come a long way it the past 4 or 5 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tyrael1986]

Overall, i'm looking at a Factory Team T4, Novak GTB 5.5 Brushless System. It should be the equivalent of that B4 you showed. I'm pretty much just looking for a race ready bashing truck. So if I do want to race I can. So I'm looking at about 600-800 cash too. Not cheap.

[46u]

I do not care what you run this is not a cheap hobby but it is a lot of fun and well worth it! Is that Novak the one that will run brush or brush less motors? What sort of battery pack are you going to run?

[Tyrael1986]

I'll be running NiMH packs. Not sure about what brand or anything yet. FYI I know its an expensive hobby and I never said anything about me not liking the hobby because its expensive... So there's no need to holler at me about it being expensive.

[InspGadgt]

I run my nitro in grass and street a lot and "messy" isnt an issue.

To me it is an issue...yes electrics get dirty too when running in the dirt but it cleans up much easier then dirt mixed with the fuel spilled on the chassis and the oil that seeps out of the engine bearings. And all the fuel/oil all over the inside of the body from the pipe when it gets knocked outta whack.

[supernitro_guy1]

Dirt is just gonna part of RC, it shouldnt be something keeping you from buying a car

[desfjr1300]

It sounds like you're set on the t4/brushless combo and I for one think you've made a wise choice. I've never been in a LHS that DOESN'T carry AE parts, so repair-wise you're set, and brushless is about as maintenance free as it gets. I think you'll be happy with that setup-and you won't be spending as much time cleaning as you would with a nitro.
Just make sure you get decent batteries-Good ones make all the difference. (no, they dont HAVE to be matched)

[FreeRideJunkie]

For some reason I always had more problems with electric than nitro... I don't get it.

[trw]

^ same with me, I had to cut my comm more then I had to tune my engine :D

since you've been out of RC for so long (should it be put that way?) I'd say electric is the way to go, its easy, hassle free for the most part, and it will run to its fullest regardless of the weather, and theres nothing that needs to be periodicly replaced on a BL setup, so no additional $$$ spent once everything is bought (thats disregarding repairs, and tires).

dont know why people are moaning about the dirt that gets on a nitro, it does absolutely nothing to the car, for a nitro however, maintainence is a bit different, the air filter does need to be periodicly cleaned requring air filter oil ($5) and glow plugs do need to be replaced every couple of months ($5-7) plus the added cost of fuel ($20-30 a gal.) however a gallon can last you quite a while.

and engines wearing out every 4 months is a load of hogwash, either someone was being biased, was incorrectly informed, or broke their engine in inproperly when they told you that.
the engine in my car is over a year old and still running perfectly.
and when an engine does wear out, all it needs is a new piston and sleeve, break it back in and your off again.

but not to ignore the fact, messing up a nitro engine proves costly compared to messing up a motor.
I know back when I was in electric, if I overheated my motor in my XC Tamiya, all I had to do was cut the comm, change brushes and I was off again, however electric adds the additional risk of overheating the ESC.

this past summer I overheated the engine in my Tamiya TNX and it wont even idle now, ofcourse a piston and sleeve change will fix that, but a piston and sleeve does cost roughly $70+

but if you break in an engine properly and keep it to proper temps, it will give you many hours of excitement and enjoyement.

for me personally, I can vouch that once I tried nitro, electric lost all of its enjoyment (except crawlers, I still drool over those)

as has been said and will be, both have ups and downs, but whatever you chose : its RC, its a toy, and its fun :D

[FreeRideJunkie]

As long as you take care of the motors and aren't always racing them they can last many gallons. (My friend has almost 6 gallons through his OS RG and it still runs pretty strong) I've also given up on the fuel VS batteries arguement. I can buy a gallon for at most $30 and it lasts me a long time. A very nice battery pack that wou will get decent run time out of will cost you easily as much... plus you need to recharge it. I also find that they need to be replaced just as offen as a gallon. (and who is happy with only one battery pack??)

[QUAKE&SHAKE]

^
dont know why people are moaning about the dirt that gets on a nitro, it does absolutely nothing to the car :D

I think its the female members that are concerned about the dirt, no offense ladies:)
Anyways hasnt it always been the dirtier the vehicle the more fun thats been had.

[Gojira]

you should check out an emaxx , electric and goes through anything

[DCLXVI]

The other day I had to stop running because I ran out of juice for my starterbox...how's that for Elec vs. Nitro? :D

I have a Kyosho Inferno 7.5 and it's one of the most fun R/C vehicles I've had...the same could be said about my Tamiya Desert Gator with a 14T motor but the 7.5 runs more consistent and are acually less hasslefree (I'll get a GTB or Neo motor for the DG as soon as possible though, then I'll see what's the most enjoyable choice ;) )

[InspGadgt]

I think its the female members that are concerned about the dirt, no offense ladies:)
Anyways hasnt it always been the dirtier the vehicle the more fun thats been had.

Well I'm no female...but it is not the the dirt that bothers me...it's the dirt mixed with oil and fuel that I prefer not to clean up. I find maintenance on my electric cars to be much easier then on my nitro cars.

[DCLXVI]

I find it's the other way around really, the nitro cars I just remove the servo tray and cover the airfilter with a ballon then I hose it down in the shower...although I refuse to use castor oil so I don't get that much oily residue...

[tanker1983_2005]

I am new to RC but in my opinion its up to you and how much time and effort you are willing to put in to it. But like most hobbies the more work you do you will enjoy it more.

[z-man280]

well, i havent seen anyone else ask, so i guess i will........

1. is the street you are running on open and clear?
2. if you do much running on medium to deep grass, will it be enough to warrant buying a monster over a stadium truck?
3. do you NEED to go, or have the available room where you will run it the most, to go 45-55 m.p.h.?
4. have you ran a nitro before? do you have someone close for tech support?
5. are you comfortable with your rc knowledge to jump up to nitro? ( engine, carb, clutching......how mechanically inclined are you?)

i feel this is something you need to ask yourself first and foremost. we can all offer our advise and opinions, but in the long run, you have to decide where your "comfort level" is with rc. are you ready for nitro?

i own both, and enjoy both. they have thier own pro's and cons to them......but remember, ultimately, you are the one running what you buy, and you know where you are running it.

my dime's worth...........

-Ron

[Maxx42]

I'll be running NiMH packs. Not sure about what brand or anything yet. FYI I know its an expensive hobby and I never said anything about me not liking the hobby because its expensive... So there's no need to holler at me about it being expensive.

If you just want to bash you can get some cheap 3300 nimh 6 cell packs for about $18 a pop. I use 7 and 8 cell versions of the cheap cell packs when I'm bashing around with my Emaxx. Anyone who is seriously into racing will cringe at the site of them in an RC, but for just bashing around they definitely do the job. If you wanted to get serious about racing I wouldn't reccommend them (power drops off a little faster than the expensive cells). I was always a bigger fan of electric RC's over nitro, but I have to admit that there is a much greater selection of quality nitro vehicles to choose from.

[kurrz]

I like bot but, I love my MGT it's easy to tune and break in was easy. It was/ is my first nitro and it's a blast. I've had it since march and have only broken 2 parts, much less than my electrics and fuel lasts longer than you would think. just my 2 cents

[tc3plus18]

I think the maintenance issues that come with a nitro is part of the fun. It's like working on a real car, only smaller, and if you have fun working on a real car, then you'd understand why working on a nitro would be fun. Besides, batteries are for flashlights. ;)

[TBone77]

Plus you can run 2, 3, 4, or more tanks of fuel without even shutting the engine off. Can't do that with electric.

With a brushless, you most certainly can.

(Well, technically you have to shut it off so you can unplug the battery, but that takes 20 seconds)

[TBone77]

A lot of nitro guys seem to be giving out advice based on runtimes and the ability to do repeat runs, all without acknowledging the fact that the OP is going brushless if he chooses electric. I'll admit that I do have a bias toward electric, but the fact that the OP is going brushless makes some of these arguments absolutely moot.

1. You can run for 20+ minutes non-stop with a brushless. With a nitro you have to pit at about 7 or 8 minutes.

2. With a brushless you can run consecutive packs without worrying. Obviously this requires having multiple packs on-hand, but they're cheap these days. I have 3 packs. If you're just bashing, have all three charged and head out. If you choose to race, just charge one pack while another is running.

But please don't get me wrong. Nitro certainly has its advantages. Unfortunately, IMO, some of those advantages are also disadvantages:

1. The sound is a blast for the driver and fellow hobbyists. It's not so fun for your neighboors.

2. The smell is certainly sweet, but it's still carbon monoxide. Get a few nitros running around in a small area, and it will fill the area fast.

3. In any given year, you'd probably spend a little more on batteries than you would on gas. I don't think it would be much. But if you're a neat freak, let me tell you that nitro on your car is an absolute magnet for caked-on crud.

4. Nitro cars are much more realistic, and because of that I do have a fascination for them... but that realism comes for a fee. Clutch bearings and brake pads are consumables. They're cheap, but consumable, and a pain to have to worry about as compared to electric.

5. A nitro's tires, usually, will wear at a much higher rate.

I'm not bashing nitro... again, I have an appreciation for it and am about to get into it, but based on the OP's needs and concerns, it really doesn't sound like it's right for him at this point in time, despite all of our own personal bias and preferences.

[TBone77]

I'll be running NiMH packs. Not sure about what brand or anything yet. FYI I know its an expensive hobby and I never said anything about me not liking the hobby because its expensive... So there's no need to holler at me about it being expensive.

If you want cheap NiMH packs I would suggest CheapBatteryPacks.com. I've purchased 3 or 4 packs from them and been satisfied. I wouldn't race with them, but for bashing they're great. You can get assembled 6-cell packs for < $30.

If you ever decide to race (and I highly recommend you try it at least once), Fusion batteries has some really good prices on packs right now. I think you can get an assembled, matched GP3300 pack for ~ $40.

[TBone77]

For some reason I always had more problems with electric than nitro... I don't get it.

That's a new one...

;)

Certainly the exception, not the rule.

[TBone77]

dont know why people are moaning about the dirt that gets on a nitro, it does absolutely nothing to the car

I think it can come into play for a number of reasons. For starters, some people are simply **** about cleanliness (I am to a degree). I know that I run my cars in dirt, but there's a lot of room between dust on the tires (electric) and a mix of crud and fuel that's caked to every corner of the chassis (nitro). This could be a problem if someone has to store their nitro in their bedroom/den/etc rather than a basement or a garage.

I buy stainless screws for all of my cars so that I can just remove the electronics/engine and hose the thing down... but if someone is in a time crunch and doesn't have the time to do that, they might need to be able to store the vehicle sans fuel all over it.

my 0.02

(sorry about all the replies, folks... just responding as I read through the thread)

[Bigedmond]

I personnally moved to nitro from electric because of the time i spent watchiong races while my batteries charged. When i was younger, i didnt have th money for the 50 dollar a peice batteries. Hell, i spent every last dime i had after 4 month getting a decent tekin charger, and power supply. That, and only being able to have a few batteries made it less fun for me. now i have a few nitros, and i love the fact that i can run for an hour, and not have problems.

But you talk about hassle. I think you have told yourself that nitro is alot of work, and it can be. But once you get your engine dialed in, it takes very little time to tune on the track, and then your off. I mean, you not talking about brain surgery. you should only have to do a max of a 1/4 turn to adjust the engine.

[curmudgeon]

The first question you must answer before deciding gas v. electric is when and where are you going to play. If you play at night in front of your house you must choose electric (noise). If you are going to a park on Sunday afternoon, then the choice is tougher. Are you self disciplined enough to perform the post-run clean up and maintainence. If you don't take care of your nitro car properly it won't run well for long