How often do you upgrade?

[ekizzle]

It seems like yesterday I was one of the first people to get a T-maxx in my area. I ordered it from my local Hobby shop before it was available to the public. I remeber being excited like a kid at Christmas again! LOL! That was my first nitro model. Then the EK4 came out and I had to have one. So now I have a EK4 with a few more of the bells and whistles added. At that point I felt I had the best of both worlds. The T-maxx was the cutting edge in MT suspension and the EK4 still is the lagest stock motor displacement you can get in a RCMT.

My EK4 is a novelty truck becuase of it's sick power. So I don't see anything that is the same or simular to it. But in the following years many different designs have come along. It seems since the Savage has come along everyone has that same or simular Chassis design. Then there is the Revo! I can see these are superior suspension designs but is it worth $300 plus and going from stock? I simply cannot justify it. I know it would be different if I was racing but just for bashing I can't see it. The guys at the LHS seem to look down on the T-maxx as a throwback. So that makes me ask myself does everybody get a new rig every year or every other for that matter?

:wave:

[BTE214]

Pretty much whenever I get the itch. All my stuff so far has been in different categories 1/10 nitro st, 1/10 electric st, 1/10 elec. tc. So i guess ive done more acquiring than upgrading.

[RespirologyRC]

I like getting a new engine every year :) No RIG NO! Although your talking with regards to the t-maxx. I for one am a T-Maxx fan. I love the lay-out because it's easy to work on. It's a fun truck for bashing, but not for racing. The problem with the t-maxx is you need to dump $$$ into it because of its tendencies. It tends to eat front bulkheads, it tends to break body posts, it tends to strip tranny gears, it tends to smoke the stock spur, and so on. I'm not sure how much stronger the new T-maxx "grey" plastic is, but the older black stuff doesn't work.

About buying a new truck: I still have my maxx, but have since gone through many vehicles. I have tried buggies, mt's, micros, and the latest a truggy. It wasn't until this year that i have settled down, or become "committed", to a specific vehicle. I will never get rid of my maxx but also have a second MT (LST2) that i like. As i become more familiar with the LST2, my fondness for it will grow. One of the nice things about the maxx, is that parts are a plenty. You will never have to worry about not being able to find a specific part because there are sooo many maxx's out there.

[JeffEmbracedDC]

Well, a lot of people in the hobby usually throw down a lot of money because they really enjoy it. That means when they really want to get something new and cool they usually find the money to splurge on it. Even if they sometimes cant afford it (Guilty). There was a percentage - but I don't recall what it is or where to find it. But it said something like 85% of the money spent in the RC Car industry is spent by racers and the rest is spent by bashers. Of course racers get more expensive stuff (higher end cars, batteries, motors, etc) but honestly I think that racers typically go through cars a lot faster than bashers do too. So I guess - to answer your question - I don't think it's odd that you haven't gotten a new car. Especially since it's a t-maxx which may be a bit out of date, but it's still a great truck. Especially for bashing. If I raced (which I don't due to lack of local interest unfortunately) I'm sure I would get at least one "new" car a year weather it be used from ebay, a trade, or a brand new kit. I think that's how most racers are. And, of course it depends on your financial situation. A rich basher will probably have like 6 monster trucks. I know, it's weird. I don't understand it either. For me, two cars of the same class is more than enough. Some people are like "Oh, I have 2 t-maxxes, an LST, an LST2, an Aftershock, a Savage, an MGT, and I just ordered a new muggy from my LHS!".. Anyway, yeah. T-Maxx is still a cool truck no matter what anyone says.

-J

[balang_479]

I think it also depends on how mush you can afford, id love to get a new buggy every season to try it out, but for now ive stuck with my 777 SP2 for nearly 2 years now and still have the same Sirio in it... i would also like a new engine every year, but seemiing as i cant afford it this one will do just fine. I think the same goes with MT, if you cant afford a new one (which is obviusly gonna be better, not necessarily for performance but for maintanace and durability as RC companies learn stuff).... you can always upgrade and update your old MT...

[vaderbxman]

I usually upgrade my rig every 6 months when I get good at driving it. I dropped a 12-turn SV2 motor and metal-geared servo in my Evader ST Pro and had to re-learn how to drive it. :roll2:

I tend to get a whole new ride every year, once I max-out my current ride. The next car on my to-get list is the E-maxx. It's an addicting hobby that i got into about this time last year, and it's been one of my favorite things to do :p

[GHETTOTEACHER]

Updating rigs, well I don't update with a new chassis for about three seasons. I am running a 710 serpent with a 720 back up. I will not run the 720 until I feel its time. My 960, I will just do upgrades to the chassis and replace a motor. No new chassis for a while. Motors, I get a new one every year. I race. I give my money to my favorite charity NOVAROSSI.
I have seen many guys that race go through two or three chassis per season. Buggys and Truggys take a pounding, and they have to be updated due to the constant wear and tear. I'm primarily on road and just go through motors and the occasional front end dammage due to that wall sometimes jumping in front of me.
It all comes to this. $$$$$ . If you race, you will upgrade faster. Bashing, you can have a car/truck for a while. BTW.. I still have my TMaxx too!!

[ElectricThunder]

I'm constantly upgrading transmission components and motor systems in my TT-01 and Rustler. Next up for an upgrade is batteries! My GP3300s are getting tired. :roll2: And then after that, I'm sure I'll want to upgrade the 5800's rotor again to sintered, and then after that I'll probably want to try a different motor on my mamba max. It's a never ending cycle. Then, I'll get an aluminum tranny case for the Rustler. AHHHHHH! MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN! :eek: :D

[suckfish]

Well to be honest I tend to upgrade every two years.. but latley it's been just adding something new every year.. just unloaded my Tmaxx that I spent way too much on bling bling.. Live and Learn

[superbee]

I just got back into the hobby and I want a new MT but in reality I cannot afford it. I learned a very important lesson when I was back in the hobby a few years ago. I killed my credit cards wanting the newest stuff and did I pay the price. Now that my credit cards are paid off and I have the funds with the cash I have, It's time to get back in. So instead of using my credit card to purchase a brand new LST2, I'm going to upgrade my Tmaxx by installing an OS .18 and some other goodies. I hope my past decisions will help other hobbyists to stay out of the credit card game and just enjoy the hobby with what they have or improve what they have.

[SerpentCT4S]

A few years back, I'd rarely buy a new RC. My collection started off as 2 cars and it has grown quite a bit. Since the summer, I've added 7 RC's! I recebtly added a Savage X also. I dont really upgrade to a newer model truck when it comes out, I dont see a point to that. I upgrade all of my trucks all the time. I love this hobby and I enjoy it, so that's where some of my money goes.

[Paradoxmaker]

Well I guess i'm definatly in the minority.

Got my 1st nitro RC in 84, the 2nd in 92 and the 3rd in 06, so I'm averaging 10 years between upgrades.

[GT Freak]

I hope my past decisions will help other hobbyists to stay out of the credit card game and just enjoy the hobby with what they have or improve what they have.

AMEN!! learned the hard way too. :teacher: So now i have 1 mini-t(race that) 2 E-MAXXs (one going to my gf's brother) and 1 18mt. happier then a pig in mud right now. only upgrade when parts break.:teacher:

[Eli the rc guy]

Hmmm... GOING back to the top of this thred. No its not bad to ceep old cars, or havent upgraded... In the last 6 years I've gone threw 2 cars, an old tamiya Stadium Raider and a XXX-S. I still got them, but now I'm selling 1 for an E-maxx.( I think you can figure out wich one)

[awnelson]

Uhhh.. the XXX-S? JK I have bought at least 2 new trucks for the last 6 years, plus a few gadget R/C's in between. I have learned the hard way; never part with the old one and if you are doing projects that require parts from a truck, buy the whole truck because it will end up costing as much as the truck and you will find other uses for the spare parts. I think that the average user of R/C stuff spends about 10% (some more like 20%) of their total income on new purchases each year. As you get older, you tend to specialize your purchases based on your tastes, not on what you can afford. I have bought a lot of stuff that "maybe I can use for something else later" or because "it was a good deal at the time". Spend the money on a new E-Maxx or wait for the "new release" that is inevitable. Don't buy someone else's hand-off just because it was cheap; they are cheap because they need more then what it was worth to the owner to repair them.