What Monster To Choose?

[MrCool]

I need help on what nitro monster is the out of the Revo, T-Maxx 2.5, Mad Force 21, Savage 25, and the Monster GT. Its basically just for jumping around the neighborhood and running it around my land. Not so much for racing. Please help, Ill be buying one soon! :confused:

[T-to-the-MAXX]

i hav a tmaxx 2.5 that i love. keep on breaking **** tho(lovebig jumps) but its all fun

[Sniper5904]

Well i picked up a Savage because at the time (right before the revo release) it was praised for it's high durability and was a great bashing truck. It's lived up to the the claim as the only replacement parts i've had to buy were the ones i lost by accident and a suspension arm because i smashed into a steel pipe on one of the rear wheels.

Can't say i know enough to judge for the other trucks but I know that the T-maxx isn't as fragile as everyone seems to want to describe it as. My buddy has one and we both run our trucks pretty hard and so far i haven't really seen him damage anything except for a spur gear since he didn't set it up correctly.

Either way you can't really go wrong with any of these trucks.

[racer234]

I'm happy to see people like Sniper5904, who own one truck, yet dont say that every other truck out there is crap! I'd recommend a Savage too, its bigger and I feel that it is more suited for driving around your backyard, etc. Another good candidate would be the Monster GT.

[Cotharyus]

Based on my experiences at the track, if you're just bashing, some of the toughest trucks seem to be the Savage and MGT. No matter what you get, check around and make sure you can get parts for it easily. If you're going to order everything online anyhow, then either will be just fine. The Revo does seem to be more of a race bred truck, but I'm not going to steer you away from it for bashing, because I have seen a Revo take some good tumbles and stay in one piece with a few very simple mods.

[fezzy]

If you want a BIG big-block truck, Get a MGT, If you want a monster to have performance and at any point wish to go on a track, Get the Revo. I wouldn't consider any other MT's on the market at the momment other than these two, Every other has problems (Inc the Savage).

[MikeWz]

Okay, based on personal experience so this may not hold true to every truck...so I'm just trying to be fair:

MGT - This is what I'm currently running, after going through a number of different trucks. I don't plan on going back. It's a real solid truck. Its got its weak points just like anything other truck and they seem to be the front bumper and, depending on how much/what kind of bashing you do, the front body mount. The engine is pretty solid and is quite worthy of going against other people for racing. The stock springs were a bit too soft for me though, so I had to change them. FOC is also a very good idea. Capable truck on and off the track (very well balanced). Also it's definitely the easiest truck to work on. The layout is very simply, and everything is well spaced.

T-maxx - Overall not a bad truck, but I had my fair share of problems. The 'skid plates' (bottom of the bumpers) are really what hold in the bulks. I broke the bumper which 'caused the bulks to be able to move, which in turn 'caused the diff to be able to move. This kinda...shall we say "nuked" my diff. This can be avoided however I didn't happen to see it because it was in the middle of my run. I also found the tranny tends to get a bit notchy after you put a fair amount of run time on it and it doesn't hold its shift point too well. Other than that it's a great truck. It's real quick and handles nice. Traxxas also has good customer support

Mad Force - No....just no. The trucks COG is WAY too high and you will be flipping your truck back over more than you actually drive it. The engine is also not too wonderful either. It tends to run hot and doesn't hold a tune reliably. However, I found no durability issues with it, so if you don't mind the lack of handling (it is an MT, so that's usually not such a conern) than you'll be fine.

Savage 25 - This was second only to the MGT. The engine is quite powerful and the truck is definitely a tank. I only had a few problems with it. I found that at about half a tank and below it tended to run lean. My guess is this is because the tank was big enough where there wasn't enough exhaust pressure to push fuel in well enough. The diffs. You NEED to get the spider mod or you WILL nuke your diffs. Even still, the diffs aren't the best (I don't now if it's the metal that the gears are made from...or how they're mounted or what). It's not exactly the most nimble truck out there, although once again this is usually a lesser concern for people wanting an MT. THe reason I needed good handling was because I planned on going to the track every now and then.

Revo - an excellent choice if you plan on simply racing. I ruled it out because of a lower ride height. I needed it to be able to clear some stuff that I could see it wasn't going to. Yes, I know you can upgrade the suspension to makae it have longer travel, but I've read numerous times that it's not terribly good. Tends to make it 'bouncy' and I'm not a fan of bouncy. I also don't particularly care for the 2.5 engine because of my past experience. I found it ran too hot and unreliably..although it is a powerhouse. Some people hate it and some people swear by it.

Mostly...what are you going to be able to get parts for?

[Dan J]

Don't be concerned about ground clearance with the Revo. So far it hasn't met a curb, ditch or anything else that it couldn't handle. If I wanted it taller I'd make it taller by adjusting the shocks. By the way, raising the suspension doesn't make it bouncy. If anything it firms it up a little. As for the 2.5R, I didn't have any issues with it.

dan

[fs454]

Same, no issues here with the 2.5r. IMHO, its the most reliable engine i've owned.

For MTs, I have a Savage with a Wasp 28, T-maxx with a Picco P2, and a stock Revo.

The Revo is by far the coolest looking truck I have. It's a powerhouse out of the box, but I had some durability issues. Both my rear driveshafts and shock ends broke almost right away, but this was due to bubbles in the molding, and Traxxas sent me new parts. Never had problems since, other than a slightly bent turnbuckle. I love this truck, and the 2.5 is amazingly easy to tune IMO. Might get an OS .18TM for xmas.

The Savage 25...It jsut didn't seem to have the power to satisfy me. It's a heavy truck...the stock engine just didnt seem to have the "get up and go" or the speed that my other trucks did, as it was pushing a 12lb truck. I ended up getting a Wasp 28(Yes, it's hard to tune, go with the SH28 if you ever get a new engine for your Savage), and now, it's the most powerful truck i have. Hit the gas, and all of a sudden you've got a 12lb monster roaring loudly down the street. Had no drivetrain troubles with this upgrade either so far, I have done the four spidergear mod in the front diff and am planning on doing the rear as soon as i'm bored enough, heh. Only other gripes is that the braking power isn't really too impressive...but i might just be used to the steel disk on my Revo. The radio box and throttle linkage setup aren't too great either, but arent a huge problem, as the Ofna linkage mod can be done for like $6. Tough as hell. I caught some CB Radio interference, sending it into a curb WOT. All i broke was the front left A Arm and a shock was bent. It really is basically a tank.

The T-maxx...I've had it for a long time, when the 2.5 wore out it's second rebuild, i bought a Picco P2. The front diff blew, and the transmission also died three times so far, and I cant afford a metal gear upgrade right now. I also hate the T-maxxes front and rear end setup with a passion. The way the bulkheads are held on is by a thin piece of plastic(skidplate), along with the bulk being screwed to the chassis on two thin little tabs. It just didnt seem durable, knowing if you hit something hard enough, the whole front end can come flying off. This truck has been good to me though, the stock tranny will definately hold up to a stock engine up to probably the OS .18 with no problems. My dad runs a Hyper 21 8 Port in his and has never broken the tranny.


I'd go with the revo, I always liked the way Traxxas does things. their quality is great. Second, I'd go with the Savage due to its sheer durability.

[badboy2]

savage ,mgt then tmaxx ive had a tmaxx too but didnt like it ..too much breaking

[Maxxcrazy]

It suprises me how little people of this board use the search function. And how I've never seen anyone telling anyone else to use it.

Probibly 1/5 of the threads on this forum are the same exact topic as you posted. It isn't that hard to search, so do it.

I'm not talking to you in particular, but to everyone who has posted a thread titled, 'Which monster truck should i buy???'

[Dan J]

If this was something set in stone, then the search feature would obviously be better than posting a question just because of immediate answers. But, this a question asking for opinions. Opinions change so what someone thought before might have changed.

Anyway, it's just another thread, no big deal.

dan

[mistachubs]

savage i have seen a lot of videos and they are unbreakable......... or the tmaxx both are cool!

[Dan J]

http://www.traxxas.com/ftp/revo_mov/revo_wipeout.wmv
Now that's a crash, and it's on cement. They drove it right off and tried again :)

dan

[ayk_driver]

i have a maxx with the 2.5... the engine is amazing and i luv it... but its a biotch to tune.... and if u decide to change plugs in it... be prepared to spend a good deal of time tuning to the plug.... if u buy he maxx or revo... get mccoy mc59 plugs.... i used those and the truck never died unless it ran dry of fuel....

[Farwar]

My savage has been good to me. It's a really tough truck and I only broke an engine mount from landing upside down off a 6ft jump. My diffs are fine and I have run a gallon and a half through my truck. Can't say much for the other trucks since I chose the savage over them. :p

[MrCool]

Ok I've narrowed it down to the MGT or the 2.5 Maxx. It comes down to durability and price for me. What else would I have to buy for each truck to start running it besides fuel. Do I need a glow starter or what? Overall whats the best deal pound for pound!

[chevy_94]

i would go with the t-maxx 2.5 you don't need a glow plug ignitor it has e-z start(warms up the glow plug and turns the motor over all in one). and you will need a 6 cell batt pack for the e-z start and a charger and get another glow plug (for after break-in) and that should do you for the maxx. i love mine had not one minutes trouble out of it in over nine months except for when my friend ran over my car.

[MikeWz]

Maxx or MGT...hmmmmmm,
Well, the maxx will easily be the faster of the two. If you're looking for all out speed (if that's the case, you're in the wrong category anyhow) than the maxx is it. The 2.5 is definitely a powerhouse. But as I said before, it can be a bit picky. It seems to me that there are good ones and there are bad ones. Some people love them and some hate them. Apparently I must have gotten a bad one or something because it was pretty annoying, even after sealing for any possible airleaks. Also, the skid plate thing (the bottom of the bumpers) is REALLY a bad idea. If you break the bottom of the bumper (not terribly hard to do) than you bulks are free to move. If your bulks are free to move than your diffs are free to move and that = bad. I was also not a fan of the tranny (and I know for a fact that I'm not the only one, there are other people on this board that will and have attested to this fact) that the because it does tend to get notchy, and mine didn't hold the shift point too well. The truck is pretty planted though, especially since they've made the stance wider. You'll also find a huge amount of after market parts. The E-Z start is great too, but than you'll want to buy more than one battery 'cause if you run out at the field (my friends HPI roto start usually does) than you're screwed

The MGT is another awesome truck. It's not quite as quick as the T, but it certainly isn't slow. The TT.21 may not be a powerhouse but it sure is reliable. Actualy, it's not the engine that's terrible, it's the pipe. Get a new pipe and it'll really open it up a lot. I've found this truck to be pretty darn tough. In over a year of hardcore bashing I've managed to break:
1 front lower a-arm, 1 front body post and 1-front bumper. That's really it. The tranny is rock solid. It shifts really smooth and holds it's shift position really well. The biggest selling point for me though was the set-up. It's REALLY easy to work on. The T and the Savage were just too annoying for me to work on. Check out how simple this layout is:

http://www.teamassociated.com/enlarge/mgt_chassis.htm

just a few screws for the tranny, radio tray, engine and fuel tank and the truck is naked. Only takes about 15-20 mins to take the ENTIRE truck apart. And, it's got metal bulks ;)

[badboy2]

id go mgt its the 2nd in durabalilty on monster trucks after the sav imo..and with proper tuning it can beat the tmaxx on the track..it has good handling ..my mgt came 3rd on a race 1st was dominator with os engine and 2nd was dominator with rb engine and mine was tt21

[Oldman]

I purchased at my local hobby shop a Raptor by PRP www.happytimehobby.com. I only spent $336.00 and got a lot of truck for the money. It really is like that of the Savage but has a .27cid engine by Toki.