Newbee looking for advice

[powdersummit]

Ok first off, I didn't realize the amount of work and money that went into these machines and I must say that you guys kick *****. Ok after doing to some research I'm wanting to get into the sport/hobby. To give you some background, I'm in the machining world particularly in CNC allthough I do work in a manual machine shop while I'm in college. I'm a motorsports junkie and don't have a ton of cash to mod a car or quad or a mtn. sled. But this looks like it could be in my price range and great for my current situation. I've been talking to my local hobbie shop and they suggested the T-Maxx or the Savage but they were more tward the T-Maxx. Ok I like to tinker and modify, fix it till its broken sort. I'd like to build my own aftermarket parts for the most part. I've been searching for racing information but I haven't found much mainly just the thrash and bash stuff and I was wondering about all the rules associated with that or what kind of potential there was for the monster trucks. I'd like to hear what some of you have to say.

Carl

[lerningdriver]

if you are low on cash I would recommend keeping a distance from the t-maxx as its known to be a too harsh of a diet on your wallet. try something like the monster GT from team associated or the savage like you said.

a good place to buy the stuff from is www.towerhobbies.com they have great shipping and prices.

as for racing, you should try 1/8 scale buggies if that's really what you want because monster trucks aren't being raced for the most part. (there are some exceptions though)

I hope that helps.

if you have any more questions dont hesitate to email me at pbrcdude@hotmail.com

o, and welcome to the hobby :cool:

[powdersummit]

Money isn't that big if a deal, I mean yeah I still have to eat but I was looking at under 700 bucks with extras to get started, My LHS quoted me 550 for a starter setup t-maxx which includes everything I need to get started. I know that seems kinda steep but they'll take me out and help me get everything tuned up and running.

[powdersummit]

I'd like to hear what some others have to say

[MaxximumOD]

I myself would recommend the T-Maxx. My reasoning is that everyone who gets into this hobby has to know that there is going to be costs associated with maintenance and upkeep, not to mention hop-up items or just replacing broken stuff. This is definately not a hobby for kids or people on a tight budget.

Anyway, the reason I say get the maxx is there is so many different items to hop it up and really make it unique to yourself, not to mention the outstanding customer service that is unmatched in this hobby. As far as durability issues, or people who say "stay away from the maxx, you'll break too much stuff", I say the maxx is as durable as the driver is good. A wise man once told me a poor craftsman always blames his tools. Sure, things break, I fix or replace them, that's how it goes. But I bet by the time it's said and done I will know more about what things are and how they work than the guy who's truck never breaks.

Just my two cents, sorry for the rambling, T.

[mushroom281]

well all I have to say is DON'T BUY A T-MAXX!!!

they break if you look at them wrong buy a savage or MGT they are waaay more durable and come with a big block already in them

and as far as" I say the maxx is as durable as the driver is good."
you hit the same thing with a maxx and a savage at the same speed the savage will 90% of the time drive away

and there is just as much aftermarket support for the savage as the maxx



NOW I am not going to argue with which one is better but you will waste allot of money if you buy a t maxx

now the whole thing i am stating is that the maxx is a little faster than the 25 but nowhere near as durable

[bob 2]

t maxx all the way!!!!

[Boxxer]

You can pretty much see where this thread will go...

You might wanna ask the shop where the local spot or track is and go watch a few of the trucks and then talk to the owners. It will help you decide what qualities youre looking for(speed, durablity, parts avail, hop ups.... etc.)

We do race monster trucks here, but I dont believe ROAR has any real class going yet. Youll find a mix of 1/10 scale small block trucks running with 1/8 scale big blocks.

At any given offroad track its a sure bet there will be a 1/8 scale buggy class running. So if you really wanna race, that might be something youll wanna check into.


I have 3 Savages in my apartment right now... nuff said.:D

[newracer]

Get what ever truck your local shop supports, if they don't have abny replacement parts for the Savage you will have to order online or have the store order for you and you'll be waiting for parts. Well maybe not because the Savage doesn't break!!! Both trucks are good and each have benefits. With the Maxx you get reverse, electric start, and it is a little cheaper. With the Savage you get a bigger engine, stronger drive train, and a bigger tank. Another big difference that might sway you to the Savage is it is available as a kit. Since you like to build that might be the best for you.

I don't know much about the Monster GT but AE always makes good products.

BTW used to have a Maxx but I sold it to buy a Savage and have not regretted it!!

[rcsavage25]

mushroom do u have a t-maxx? if u dont then shut the f*** up the maxx is a great beginer friendly truck and u can upgrade it 2 be the best truck out there so shut ur mouth if u dont know wut ur talkin about

[GOLDPLATED]

get the tmaxx theres more aftermarket hop up manufactures than i can shake a stick at:D plus the only time you break any thing is when you hiy immovable object but i think there pretty tuff and i bash mine maybe 2-3 wk

[GOLDPLATED]

where do you live
in the mntns

[biker dude 666]

yo cant you buy oine from the manufactuer and save like lots because you dont have the middleman trying ot make money. just a thought and if im wrong somebody correct me.:confused: :)

[powdersummit]

Well it looks like I've hit a touchy subject among the RC crow between the t-maxx and the savage. I'm going to go talk to my hobby shop probably tonight and see what else they have to say.

GOLDPLATED- I guess you could say I live in a mountian area, northern Idaho but there isn't much in the way of potatos up here. :)

[lerningdriver]

to make this clear, I own a maxx and my next door neighboor owns a savage.

maxx is faster
savage is more durable

both have their pros and cons and niether truck is perfect.
end of story

[mushroom281]

rc savage I had a tmaxx so I know first hand how easy they break so go bark up another tree , kept it a month and saw how much I was going to have to spend to make it fast and reliable so I sold it and bought a savage and never looked back

I just want to warn anyone buying a t maxx how easy they are to break and how much you have to spend on them so they don't make the same MISTAKE i did

I did really like the ez start it is great for a beginner, but the rest of the truck was just not what I wanted

[mushroom281]

and lerning driver you are correct that is what I am saying about the maxx and savage and no truck is perfect

I would pick a new truck from the aftermarket support , DURABILITY and ease of getting parts where you live

sorry if I offend you maxx owners but if you own one you know what I am talking about

[rcwheeling]

you just have to love these maxx and savage bashing fourms
i own a tmaxx and love it it takes a hell of a beating and it's a little faster then my other truck the savage witch takes a beating as well so my though is you wont go wrong with either truck

I love both trucks so when im with tmaxx people i can say savage sucks and when im with savage guys a can say tmaxx sucks

nuff said

Lee

[chrisAtmaxx]

mushroom u were sayin how much it wuld cost to make it fast and durrable? well leme ask you how much you had 2 put into ur savage to make it go as fast as a stock t-maxx? and as for the durrability, as we all know the savage is 1/8th scale and the t-maxx is 1/10th correct? and we also know that 1/8 are bigger and more bulky than 1/10th so there fore they are also more durrable. but the t-maxx is deffinatly not a truck that breaks easily under normal conditions. people who are breaking there t-maxx's are people who drive like wack jobs into poles and walls and take them off huge jumps. dont get me wrong the savage is a great truck (my brother has one and so does my friend) but i think the t-maxx is a much better beginer truck and if later on he desides to get into racing hes got one of the best platforms in the industry to start off with. also it is a much easier truck to work on because you dont have to tear apart the whole truck to fix somthing. so it is deffinatly a much more beginer friendly truck.

[shadowghost1]

Buy what you want but dont pay $550.00 for a Tmaxx, I have seen them as low as 349.99 at hobbypeople.net ( it was on sale) but that is way to much for it. The 2.5 can be a little tricky to tune but anyone with half a brain can tune it.

I wish people would grow up and understand that because someone doesnt like the Tmaxx-Savage or so on and they say something bad against it, it doesnt give anyone the right to come out swinging like they made it or something. You bought it at a store and if your name doesnt end with Traxxas, HPI or so on then stop the crying.

[powdersummit]

The 550 isn't just for the T-Maxx setup. It has everything I need to be running that very afternoon and think that might include a tuned pipe. These guys are local too and I like to support the local companies. They will even take the time if I buy from them to help me get everything tuned up and running. Thanks for everyones help. Seems like the difference between T-Maxx and Savage is the difference between Ford and Chevy. Ford is way better in my opinion but thats just me.

Carl

[shadowghost1]

Theres nothing wrong with supporting your hobby shop but still it is a RTR vehicle and even if a tuned pipe is thrown in it still would not be that much. Your talking that they will help you with the set up and so on, well any hobby shop that has a tech bench will do that anyway....thats what thier there for. Hey im not trying to bust your b@!!$ but you could do so much more with your money and its really none of my business so I will stop now. Have a great day and enjoy your truck.

[BLOODforBLOOD]

GET A T MAXX!YOU WILL BE ALOT BETTER OFF!

[leemaxx]

Get either the HPI Savage or the Traxxas T-Maxx. I have owend both and can say they are both great trucks. The Savage is bigger and stronger and Tmaxx is faster and a better racer. It also has a infinent amount of aftermarket support. I now currently have a Tmaxx because I racing. You can't go wrong with either. Good luck and have fun!


Lee

[powdersummit]

Well I'm pretty sure that I'm going to go with the T-Maxx don't mean to offend anyone but I went to the hobby shop today and spent way too much time there talking to the guys and got to test drive their demo which is pretty much stock. I'm impressed at the power and speed. I'm thinking that no matter which way I go I'll have a hell of a lot of fun. Hell we were out in the mall parking lot pulling a shopping cart, not bad for stock. Well thanks for the help everyone. I know I could get it for cheaper someplace else but these guys are cool and if I do buy my truck from them I can get a 10% discount on future parts which will put them even with just about everyone else. Once again thank you for your help.

Carl