T-Maxx vs. Savage vs. REVO

[Down5Zigen86]

Let me start out by saying hello, haha. I am not a newbie when it comes to rc i have a xxx-s sedan, xxx-nt stadium truck, and a GS Storm Buggy. I am also sure there are other threads like this one but i searched and have not found one yet. i am thinking of getting a Nitro Monster Truck next, but i have no clue which one. That is why I created this thread. I would like to have opinions on the Savage (RTR 25), the T-Maxx (2.5R) and the REVO, both good and bad things that owners of these trucks have found, or just opinions. Thanks a lot everyone.

[HiTempguy]

Let me start out by saying hello, haha. I am not a newbie when it comes to rc i have a xxx-s sedan, xxx-nt stadium truck, and a GS Storm Buggy. I am also sure there are other threads like this one but i searched and have not found one yet. i am thinking of getting a Nitro Monster Truck next, but i have no clue which one. That is why I created this thread. I would like to have opinions on the Savage (RTR 25), the T-Maxx (2.5R) and the REVO, both good and bad things that owners of these trucks have found, or just opinions. Thanks a lot everyone.

I'll just say this: the T-Maxx is NOT as weak as everybody would have you believe if you treat it right. And, its cheaper than the REVO :D

Edit-
Good choice on the 1/8 buggy, I used to own one of those, had the team fioroni option chassis on it.

[ososlow]

I'll just say this: the T-Maxx is NOT as weak as everybody would have you believe if you treat it right. And, its cheaper than the REVO :D
Edit-
Good choice on the 1/8 buggy, I used to own one of those, had the team fioroni option chassis on it.
I will second that. 6 a-arms and 3 bulkheads in 3 years because of running into fences and trees ;)

Whatever you choose you will be happy with. I only own a tmaxx so that is the only one I can give an honest opinion on. I have driven a Savage 25 and that thing was a blast. It spent more time cartwheeling everywhere than it did on its wheels. :D

[Down5Zigen86]

Yeah, im not so sure about the revo. it just looks like the ground clearance is worse (shorter) than the savage or t-maxx, and because the suspension travel is more or so i hear, that it hits the ground more easily. I really wanna hear about the revo though, because its new it is more expensive, and im just wondering if its worth that price tag. also does anyone know if in general the "monster truck" racing class allows 1/10 and 1/8? so its just monster trucks in general, or if it is also broken down into size classes? i know this doesnt apply to all tracks, but im just curious. Thanks again everyone.

[BullyDawg]

I have a revo, they are fast but I have spent more time working on mine than I have driving it. Buy the savage!

[Down5Zigen86]

Why the Savage? Also i just thought of something... Isnt there some sort of wider aluminum bumper to protect the wheels (of both savage and t-maxx) from rolls, trees, fences (haha) etc?

[rc-racer75]

I say base you pick on what you want to do with it. All are great for bashing. I do believe that the REVO is easier to get to race stature than the other two. But like they say everyone thinks the T-Maxx is out. I have a XTM 18 motor in my maxx and flat out it would smoke the Revo. Also the heaviest is the Savage. They are all great trucks.

[Le2005]

The t-maxx is a great truck , great begginer monster truck and over all most modifiable , and can pretty much buy any upgrade part off ebay for half the retail price , and it also is realy easy to break in and tune ( to some people ) , but yeah it is pretty strong many direct fit engines , just dont slam it into a curb at 40 mph it will tear the whole front end apart .

[Dirt King]

I like the REVO the best. It handles really well and just seems to be a more high tech design to me. The savage is good too, but it just doesn't really amp me up as much as the revo.

[wolfy2386]

There really isn't a comparision between the revo and the T-maxx. The Revo is teh T-maxxes sucessor so unless your looking to save money theres no reason to look at the T-maxx. Don't get me wrong its a great truck (I still have mine) but with the revo there isn't much reason to get one. So basically you have a choice between the Revo or savage. Good things have been said about both on these boards so you can't go wrong. I'd say pick the one you like better, your the one driving it.

[Down5Zigen86]

Wow... i really never thought of it like that... thanks wolfy! im just curious tho, is the part availiability for the revo the same, better, or worse than the T-maxx, and Savage? Thanks again.

[kawasakirider]

Apparently all have fairly good parts support i'd take a trip into my lhs and have a look at hat they stock also just curious, Where are you getting a rtr savage at the moment? i am looking for one but tower obbies has none and my lhs don't stock anymonster trucks so where im moving im gunna be buying off the net all the time so part support isn't a big deal for me.

Trent

[wolfy2386]

Since MTs have become so popular I don't think parts will be a problem. The T-maxx was so popular I think you'd be hard pressed to find a place that doesn't carry traxxas parts. It couldn't hurt to call some LHS and ask if they stock a lot of revo parts though. BTW if you decide to order your truck online, ultimatehobbies.com has some great deals on MT's. The revo is $430 with free shipping, but the new savage X isn't listed yet. They may have a price if you call though.

[kawasakirider]

Free shipping from ultimate? does it ship to Australia??

[Down5Zigen86]

I saw that too... idk why tower is out... try google/froogle. i dont have a lhs either so i get all my stuff from the net too.

[kawasakirider]

Sweet btw tower isn't out it says discontinued

[Down5Zigen86]

Thats what i ment. they arent discontinued are they?

[kawasakirider]

I hope not coz i know kits are better quality than rtr but i think they aren't worth there money they cost more than rtr and they don't come with radio or motor so u buy a kit for 100 dollars more than a rtr truck and then your up for another 4 to 500 dollars extra in my case id be up to anything around 700 extra

[badboy2]

man tmaxx shouldnt even be in this discussion its obsolete ;) .. revo and sav are both nice trucks..ill take either one..but savage x would be the best pick..

[Down5Zigen86]

Hmmm. Just thought of the Team Losi LST/LST2... Any thoughts on that? It seems to be really expensive, but i guess it must be good to be the rc car action 2005 truck of the year right?

[mxermadman]

REVO is by far the easiest to work on, and with some RPM controll arms and axel carriers (steering knuckles) it is just about as durable as the Savage. It is more adjustable than the Savage. Put the LT rockers on for WAY MORE ride height and ground clearance than either the Savage or Maxx. It's also more dexterious. Handles better, even after I put super servos on the Savage. The Revo still smokes the Savage as far as raw speed goes after I put 3 speed tranny in the Savage. The list goes on and on. The LST2 isn't much (if at all) better than the Revo and is not even in the same price range. I have owned multiple monster trucks and the revo is just plain the best.

[metalry101]

REVO is by far the easiest to work on, and with some RPM controll arms and axel carriers (steering knuckles) it is just about as durable as the Savage. It is more adjustable than the Savage. Put the LT rockers on for WAY MORE ride height and ground clearance than either the Savage or Maxx. It's also more dexterious. Handles better, even after I put super servos on the Savage. The Revo still smokes the Savage as far as raw speed goes after I put 3 speed tranny in the Savage. The list goes on and on. The LST2 isn't much (if at all) better than the Revo and is not even in the same price range. I have owned multiple monster trucks and the revo is just plain the best.
You like the LT rockers? Why? They KILL the truck. It handles like garbage, it looks like garbage, the jumps and lands like garbage, etc. The LT rockers transform the Revo from a solid overall vehicle to a rig that drives like a Toys'R'Us special. Seriously, the LT rockers are the worst accessory any truck has ever had available. They make aluminum a-arms seem like a good idea.

Anyways...The LST2 would be far and away the best overall truck mentioned in this thread. It'll hang with, if not beat, a Revo on the track (when driven well obviously), and it's big, tough, and ridiculously powerful, so it's a great basher too. It comes with a super kickass radio that you can use to run all of your other vehicles, and the truck itself has more super-cool features than any other out there. Not that I can imagine a situation where you'd need more torque than the stock engine provides, but if you find yourself in that situation, the Hi/Lo range selector is there to give you that option, a feature unique to the LST. Unlike the Savage, it has reverse, always a nifty feature for the basher, but, if you're like me and don't care about reverse, you can rip it out and leave 2 gears in the tranny (two!!!). The 7" tires look cool and grab quite well, and those huge shocks are the greatest things that have ever happened to monster trucks this side of the big block engine. The LST's suspension is hands down the best in all the land. The Savage's suspension soaks up the big stuff like mad, but generally isn't as composed through whoops sections and such. The Revo is the opposite. Unless you put super thick oil in the shocks, the suspension can't control the truck through big bumps and on even the smallest jumps, but it goes through the whoops section and other small bumps like they're not even there. The LST2 can rally through whoops and such at Mach 5 without getting bent out of shape, and then fly 15 feet high and nail the landing without any drama whatsoever. No other truck has that versatility out of the box. A few other things in the LST2's favor...it's stupidly easy to work on and comes with full hex hardware. The LST2 may be the most expensive truck here by a considerable margin, but it's the best truck here. I honestly believe that even though it's the priciest truck on the market, it's still the best truck on the market, and maybe even the best value.

The Revo is great on the track, and is certainly tough enough for bashing, but the engine doesn't have any grunt. Sure it'll run with anything on flat ground, but park a Revo and an LST2 (or Savage X for that matter) at the bottom of a hill and pin the throttle and you'll see what I mean. The LST2 and Savage X will take off up the hill just like they do on flat ground. The Revo will just inch its way up the hill. Once you get that 2.5 wrapped up, it's INSANE, but it doesn't have anywhere near enough torque for using a monster truck as a monster truck, so for that reason, I'd say pick another truck if you bash in tall grass, mud, snow, on hills...basically everywhere but parking lots and race tracks. If you can stick to flat ground and race tracks, the Revo is an awesome truck. It's fast, handles well, is exceedingly tough, and parts support is second to none. One other great thing about the Revo is the hex hardware. The LST and Revo are the only two trucks on the market to come with it from the factory. It may not sound like much, but it's little touches like this that make the difference when you're ripping the truck apart to replace broken parts. Hex hardware is the only way to go, and Traxxas was the first company to include it, and only it, in an RTR monster truck.

If all you want is bashability and don't care much for racing, the Savage X would be the way foward for you. It's insanely tough, has gobs of torque, soaks up landings from huge jumps like they're nothing, looks super badass, and just rocks like nobody's business. Also, with the new 5mm lower engine and transmission positioning, the easy access diffs and general weight loss program, the new Savage X is probably the best Savage platform ever to base a racer from. It's easy to get parts for, but to be honest, unless you flat out can't drive, you'll almost never need any them. It's that tough.

Oh...and as for the T-Maxx. Run. Run away. As fast as you can. It's an antiquated pile of garbage compared to these other three trucks. Sure it can be fun, just like a 1970's Ford pickup can be fun, but that doesn't mean it's any good when compared to modern trucks. If you throw enough money at it, it can be amazing, but stock for stock, there is no worse truck on the market today than the T-Maxx. It's got the same engine problem as a Revo, with none of the durability and wow factor. The chassis is a cluttered nightmare, the shocks blow their caps on any landing from over 6 feet, the arms and bulkheads break when you look at them wrong, when you do break them you'll be spending an hour or more replacing them because the truck is so difficult to work on, etc. That's really only the tip of the iceberg. Let other people live in the past and think that the T-Maxx is still a great truck. Move on and buy a better truck. The T-Maxx has absolutely amazing potential, but that two grand that you'd need to spend to get it to be as good as a Savage or LST would be better spent on buy a Savage, LST, and Revo. Think about it...three trucks for the price of one...and those three stock trucks would still be just as good in almost every aspect, and better in many aspects than the $2,000 Maxx. Trust me on this one...buy something else...anything else.

Oh...and lastly...one other truck you might consider is the Associated MGT. They're tough, the handle fairly well, they're cheap, they're easy to start and tune, they have a crazy torquey engine, and pretty much kick ass. The drawbacks to the MGT are few and far between...but there are some. The shocks aren't much better than the T-Maxx's, meaning you will blow the caps if you try big air with the stock shocks. It's not as tough as a Savage (but probably about the same as the LST2 and Revo, tougher in some areas, weaker in others, about the same overall). It's not real fast. It accelerates hard, very hard, but it runs out of revs at about 35 mph. That's not necessarily a bad thing...monster trucks are supposed to be on rough terrain where top speed isn't too important, but, of course it will see some pavement, and everyone loves speed, and the MGT is on the lower end of the spectrum of top speed in monster trucks. Other than that...it comes with a high torque metal-geared steering servo, reverse, 7" tires, and an overall hugeness that can only be matched by the LST. It's an awesome truck. Don't be fooled by it's T-Maxx on steroids look, it's a much better truck. The suspension design is very similiar, but AE learned from Traxxas' mistakes and as such, it's more durable. Other than the suspension design, the truck is very, very different, and overall, a rock solid monster truck at a low price.

[Down5Zigen86]

Wow, lol i appriciate your opinion man lol. hmmm. Idk now, i was leaning towards the Revo, but since you put it that way :confused: . so now its probably between Revo(429.99) and LST/2(600+arm+leg). Just wondering; by any chance did rc car action or some magazine compare the listed monster trucks? if so can anyone link it please? Thanks.

[metalry101]

This (http://www.teamlosi.com/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1475) is Car Action's review. Take everything with a grain of salt or two...as their reviews aren't usually very helpful, and for some reason they seem to think that everything Traxxas makes is perfect...but ya...it has a lot of good information, and it lets you compare the trucks.

I'm obviously a little biased...but I do own every truck in that article except the Revo, so I do know a thing or two about them, and unlike Car Action, which won't say anything bad for fear or losing advertiser's dollars (or something, I don't know), I'll tell you straight up what's good about each truck and I wont' sugarcoat the bad. Other people on here are the same...but check out that article...it has pretty decent info.

[Down5Zigen86]

I agree with the torque of the revo vs the LST because i saw a video of a jump (dirt/rocks) ramp, then it landed into a steep hill. the revo kind of stopped when it landed (idk it might have been the driver) then bogged up it, but the lst kept on going lol. im just not sure if its worth the extra $$... so metal if you could pick one it would be the LST or lst2 right? thanks. EDIT: Also if you just stiffened the revos suspension a little with springs or shock oil or something wouldnt that increase its ability to take jumps and such? To be honest idk if i like the way the revo looks... almost everyone says its great but i think i would want a stiffer suspension with less travel...i know that it can be done, but to the extent that it could be comparable, repeat, comparable, not exactly like the LST?

[metalry101]

Yes, if you can afford it, the LST2 absolutely rocks. If you have the option of the LST or LST2, take the LST. It's a little more expensive ($50), but it's much more durable, it comes with the reciever pack (something you have to have on a truck with 4 servos), and it's just...well...you're getting a lot more than $50 in upgrades, but you're only paying $50 more.

That said, not everyone can afford the LST2. If you can't, I'd take the MGT. I absolutely love mine. It does everything well, and it's fairly cheap. The other trucks rock too...but my personal choice would be the MGT or TNX.

[Down5Zigen86]

What is the ground clearance for the lst2 anyway... i cant find it anywhere? thanks.

[wolfy2386]

Definitely, theres something like seven spring sets for the 90mm rockers and theres three different 90mm rockers. Theres also a great article on tuning the suspension on the traxxas site. I'm sure its possible to get it to act very similar to the LST suspension. Also I don't think that the LT rockers were designed for handling or jumping. It can handle small jumps and so on but nothing big. I think they're really for extremly rough terrain like rock crawling and so on. For general bashing or racing they're useless.

[mxermadman]

LT is only for rock crawling yeah, wich is alot of what I do. On the track most definately p2 rockers with the next size smaller piston holes, stiffer springs, and heavier shock oil... believe me, I know how to make the truck handle on the race track. I was trying to point out the truck's awe inspiring versatility.

[Down5Zigen86]

So if i did stiffen the suspension it could be a jumping truck correct? because i will be bashing AND racing a lot, so i want it to be able to climb/jump, and race(jumps too of course). So idk which would be better.

[wolfy2386]

Well its all been done before with the Revo. We can sit here and argue which is better but your not going to get a definite answer. Both of them are durable, pretty fast (the LST will definitely be a little faster), great for racing or bashing. Like I said before its your money, your choice.

[Down5Zigen86]

Lol true, i just wanna test drive them both so i know which one i would like better. Ha, i doubt anyone would let me though.

[wolfy2386]

I don't know when you planning on getting your MT. I'm planning on getting a revo within the next two weeks. My friend that I bash with all the time has a LST. The best i can do for you is give you my impressions of each. Of course if your like me theres no way your waitin that long.

[Down5Zigen86]

Lol, thatd be great wolfy, thanks a lot. Does he have a LST2 or just LST? ill haveta wait that long lol, *sigh* unless.... *looks around for stuff to sell*

[wolfy2386]

He has the original LST but besides the engine and tires, most of the parts are simply to strengthen the truck. Also like i said before I'm planning on getting a revo by next weekend but if things don't work out it will be longer. So don't wait on me to make a decision.