Help me pick a truck

[Breakin2]

I was hoping to buy a truck for Christmas, but with my son being born last Tuesday, I'm having trouble justifying the purchase. Because of this, I'm saving $20 a week for my son to "buy" me a truck for Father's Day. Without price being taken into account, which of these trucks would you most recommend? I'm going to be mostly using it in my backyard (it's pretty big) and possibly racing down the line. Therefore, speed is important.

1. Traxxas T-Maxx
2. Cen - MT2
3. Associated Monster GT
4. HPI Savage 25
5. XTM Racing Mammoth
6. Tamiya TNX
7. Cen - Genesis (I know it's not out yet, but it will be by June)

If you could rank the cars from best to worst, assuming price was no object, I'd REALLY appreciate it. Thanks.

[racer234]

I think you're choice will come down to the T-MAXX, and Savage 25, as those are two of the best monster trucks.
In my opinion I'd rank the trucks like this:

T-MAXX
Savage 25
Associated Monster GT
CEN MT2
Tamiya TNX


XTM, and the CEN I havnet seen at all, so I have no idea how good/bad they are. :)

[ApriliaRacer]

A couple of months ago I went through the process of selecting a truck too.

I didn't consider some of them for different reasons. The CEN is not available at least the one I've seen in the mags. The XTM looks more like a Rock Crawler.

For me it came down to the T-maxx, Savage, and if I waited a week or so, the Associated BFT.

You state bashing for now and maybe racing. If I had that agenda, I'd probably go with the T-Maxx. Lots of hop-ups and mods for racing. Associated has stated that it has the drive-train for a larger engine. So that maybe the way to go, but it'll depend on the racing rules just how big an engine you can go.

Speed of any of them is mostly a function of the size and type of engine. Meaning for bashing they are fast enough IMO. But if you race, you'll probably change that out.

[peeworm]

In my opinion the savage is the way to go for a basher but they dont have the adjustments a racer my want the monster gt has the adjustments and a .21 engine for racing the tmaxx is a good truck but the 2.5 is hard to tune to keep running I own an xtm mammoth and its fast but i still like the savage better the mamoth is a big truck but it has got a pretty good engine so i have almost a gallon run through it and it starts good and runs good i have in an open field out run a savage but the mamoth is just a truggy this all is just my 2 cents and i have not been around any of the other trucks you listed so im not gonna coment on them cause i know nuthing about them

[Breakin2]

Thank you for the opinions so far. It's something I'm going to agonize about until I actually make the purchase.

[that_one_guy]

i think the savage is the best, then maby the mammoth and possibly the cen. i have owned the sav, cen and a tmaxx.

the cen is ok. mine did break alot, stuff like the axles and drive cups and the servos, well the whole radio is bad,

the tmaxx is cool because u can have a whole truck out of nonstock parts, i just didnt like it because it dosnt have that much of a solid feeling chassis structure

i havntdriven the mammoth yet but the lhs has one and the owner has one, he drives it in the parking lot somtimes, i think it is a good truck, huge, it really is a truggy(good thing, buggys are made for extreme durability) and solid suspension/chassis feel and its FAST!!!! plus u could easily put a 2nd tank in that thing on te rear right of the chassis w/ a drill and stuff

now the savage 25. i have the ss but u kno they are the same thing. they will wheelie gurenteed(the maxx wouldnt till i tuned the clutch to dump at a higher rpm) it is indestructable and hpi as supported by most hobby shops and that is one of the most important things(stuff will eventually break)

that is what i think about some of the trucks

[gman123]

I would do a t-maxx.

[gregdemarco]

I'm bumping this post b/c I am going to get one of those trucks for Xmas as well, and would like MORE people's opinions on which one would be the best.

My situation is very similar to the original post.
Money isn't really an option, and I don't plan to do anything serious with the truck but run it around my yard/woods/neighborhood and have a hell of a lot of fun.

[MikeWz]

Greg-I've had the maxx and the MGT and my buddy has the Savage SS. Here's what I've found. The maxx is a great truck, however, if you want to make it a true racer it's going to take a lot of time and money. The 2.5 engine is pretty bad. It's a powerhouse but takes a lot of time to really tune right and even still runs quite hot. The Monster GT is easily race adjustable and is quite nimble despite it's size and weight. YOu can easily drop the sirio .27 in there without any mods if you wanted. It's impossible to break anything on that car (other than the plastic bumpers). The savage is also a great car yet doesn't seem to be quite as nimble. It's a little less expensive but not quite the same truck as the GT. Good luck in whatever you may choose.

[Breakin2]

Is the T-Maxx out of the league of a relative newby to the RC scene? I like to think I'm a pretty smart person, but I am very inexperienced when it comes to nitro-power RC cars. Should I rule out the T-Maxx simply due to my inexperience? Thanks.

[Racer Rob]

Just pick what you like best. For every 10 people that like one, 10 will hate it.

[CK9887]

I would say go with the MGT, Its defiantely more durable than a maxx.

Also my friend has a savage 25 and i like the MGT better becuase of the chasis layout. Everything on the MGT is easier to access. I aslo like the dual starting system on the MGT compared to the savage and maxx where you always have to have a battery on hand for the electric start systems.

The engine is very easy to tune in the MGT and is about the same speed as the Savage .25

The MGT would be about the same price too becuase you would have to buy a 7.2v pack and charger for the maxx and savage.

Hope this helps

[BDCris]

I also recommend the Monster GT. I have a 2.5 T-Maxx and the Monster GT. I have hopped up my Maxx and it is and always be a great truck. But the Monster GT is easier to work on, easier to tune, and 10 times easier to clean. Also when I first got my T-Maxx, and it could have been a fluke, it took me 20 mins to get the engine to fire up the first time. I rolled the Monster GT out of the box, set the needles to the manual recommendations, put in the fuel, attached the glow starter and I kid you not it fired on the 1ST PULL. It stayed running and did not overheat. The reverse in it is also 100 times better than the T-Maxx.

[Janders]

I'd go with the Savage or Tmaxx, simply for reasons of part support from my local hobby store. Check yours, see what parts they carry.

[bjk660rex4]

Well I have a Savage 25 and it was the easiest engine I have ever tuned. I have went through Kyosho's and Traxxas and this engine gave me no probs. Its a great truck and has big shocks for some crazy air!!! And it rides wheelies!! Id go SAVAGE!!!:D

[nitroburner9248]

i would say the maxx..i love the way they are setup...for a newb mayb not but if you have experience, a more complicated truck(maxx,savage,bft, etc.)would suit your needs. I personally like the maxx due to the fact that it is so cutomizeable. Why get a truck that you cant upgrade a thing? I would rather make it the way i want.

[Techspert]

I have the Monster GT and I love it. The best impression I get from it is STABLE. I can go over the rough stuff and it soaks up all the bumps. Very durable. I have yet to break any parts and I have raced on a track against stadium trucks (spanked 'em too! - in stock form). The engine is easy to tune, however, I'm gonna make the jump to a larger .26 WASP engine.

I've owned the 1st version of the T-Maxx but got rid of it when I saw all the trouble people where having with the weak transmission. T-Maxx corrected some of the glitches with the 2nd generation model but I prefer a big block engine over a .15.


The others (T-Maxx/Savage) have the advantage of more aftermarket support, but that's because they've been around for a while. I think they really need the aftermarket hop-ups because the default vehicle is not as durable as it should be...

MGT
Savage
T-maxx

[Breakin2]

I find myself wavering between the T-Maxx, Savage, and Monster GT. Currently, I'm leaning towards the Monster GT, but all 3 of them have been leaders at some point.

Thanks to everyone for the opinions so far.

[MikeWz]

Break-I must HIGHLY recommend the MGT. The stock .21 is an awesome engine for an RTR. The best out of the three you are debating between. The 2.5 in the maxx is horrible to tune and the cooling head definatly sucks the big one. And HPI...well....HPI never did make the best engines out there. The MGT won't out handle the Maxx but definatly outhandles the Savage. As for durablility...definatly #1. This thing is bulletproof. Especially the tranny. Apparantly it can handle a .40 without any mods at all. And it's super smooth. It's hard to tell when it shifts even. There's never any jerking/binding going into reverse and it ALWAYS goes in (as long as you're not moving but that's obvious). I've found the maxx has trouble getting into reverse and somtimes shifting into second. The savage doesn't even have reverse. There are more things I can say about the MGT but my fingers are getting tired and it's late here so I'm out. Good luck!!!

[Jackyl]

but then it might come down to price, as it did with me. so I had to buy something used. and since I didn't see any monster gt's used that were for sale I opted for a used .15 tmaxx for 175shipped. and well it was well worth the money and I thx the person I bought it from.

But if I had the money to buy a new truck say 450.00 then I guess I would be looking at things in this light.

1) Team Associated's Monster Gt
2) HPI Savage SS Kit or RTR
3) Tmaxx 2.5

I put them in that order as after getting my hands on all 3 of these trucks at my lhs I found that it seems like the monster has serious BEEF in construction. and the savage is next in line in that catagory. and then comes the tmaxx but if your a person that likes to keep things simple the tmaxx would be 1st.
Then it comes to POWER wich what I stated before it would be.

Again this is from owning and running my .15 but I was also on a budget when I bought it and if your on a budget then a .15 tmaxx rocks. but if you have the cash look at the one thing that your going to end up looking at after you have the truck broke in and your almost through that first gallon of fuel. POWER, it makes you go faster, it makes you jump higher and it puts a bigger grin on your face.

That is my take on the situation. hopefully it will help you out somewhat?

There is this other truck, Tiger EK4 ? .70 motor? brute force there. but a considerable amount more than any 3 of these trucks and not a starter truck either from what I have gathered.

[Breakin2]

How often do most tracks race MTs? I've been looking on the web at tracks in my area, and it's not too common to see Monster Truck races. Plus, most races are 1/10 scale.

If I get a Monster or Savage, should I rule out the ability to race?

[MikeWz]

Break-there are a few tracks here and there that race monster trucks. None by me do unfortunatly. If you get the MGT or the Savage don't rule out the ability to race. Both do have independant suspension so they will handel good and both can do a good 35MPH.

[379]

i bought a CEN MT2 and i dont regret it(altho i was originally savage bound but only had $300) ive started mine on one pull caught 4ft of air with no damage (it did what 8th scale buggys do it slapped its fat 2.5mm chassis on the slightly snowy ground) great truck no probs mine is 1.09 gallons and running strong it dont wheelie and never will with the stock engine the body can be modded to stay on permanantly infact my only gripoe about the truck is it kept vibrating the body post screws loose even with threadlock no other screw on the truck did it but them i quickly just after gallon 1 simply removed them from the shock toweres reamed a couple of hloes in the hood and bed and use zip ties to hold it on one in the front one in the rear i can start it with the body on and charge rx batts/clean and reoil the air filter thru the proper fender i bet if i tried i could rebuild the thing with the body on its very flexible and quite thin easy to cut for the required holes i recommend u read and keep the manual as it contains instructions for engine and pullstart rebuilds i used to run and like byrons originals but i gained performance in my over rich tune with dynamite blue thunder sport 20% where it was jumping 2ft it was jumping 4ft off the same ramp in the same spot so far the opnly required part i have brocken was a bent shock tower promptly repaired(but weakend) witth a pair of channel locks