mgt 8.0 or lst2

[model70]

i am just starting out in the whole rc thing and am going to get a nitro monster truck. only problem being i am torn between the mgt8.0 and the losi lst2. just looking for some advise/opions on which one to pick. my brother and his freind just bought the lst2 works great. very impressed with it. but do you dare to be differant and get the mgt8.0. cant wait to here your feedback.

[Monsterbrad]

Well I can say that I have had them both.
I did not have the MGT 8.0 but I did mod one of the originals up.
The thing about the MGT is the shocks but they can be replaced with the something better.
The new truck's engine from what I have been reading is very fast but if you look at the truck is very strong.
I pounded the one that I had for about a year here in Pa and I was traveling to COlumbus ohio then so it went down there with me.
I had tons of fun with that truck and it will take a serious beating there is no doubt about that.
The radio equiptment is not that great but it is on par with the rtr stuff for today.
The MGT has a very good tranny with the 2 speed concealed to the elements which is great.
The steering is ok and the stock tires are not that great.
I am sure I missed something about that truck but I have to say if I were to buy another Nitro I would get the MGT and try it.
Now in saying all that !!!
I have a LST-2 (well LST converted to LST-2)
My truck has the 427 ported motor in it and it rips.
It has been raced against a forward only truck and they run the same.
For the most part out of the box the truck is a beast the shocks are awesome and the steering is awesome also for a while till the stock servo savers get weak then you will have to change them to either the stockers or some Kimborough black ones and some modding.
In comparison if you are going to bash the heck out of the truck buy the MGT.
If you are looking for a little better handleing and maybe a little bit weaker on the bashing level then get the LST.
Either way you are about to dump a bunch of $ on a super truck.
In the end it is personal preference and the look that you want.
I love the big shocks and the way the LST just looks.
but the new MGT is also sweet looking also.
I personally would like to see the LST-2 vs MGT8.0
THAT would be awesome testing :D
Good luck with you decision

[Cotharyus]

Call me biased, but I don't think the MGT gets nearly the respect it deserves. That said, Monsterbrad's review is fair. But personally, I'd still give the nod to the MGT - there's a lot you can do to it for little or no cost to greatly improve handling beyond what it is stock if it's a serious issue.

[ericem]

Ya the main issue with the Monster GT is the tires. Once you get some nice truggy wheels on it, it does a great job, and makes the truck lighter therefore more durable. I love mine. I am still with the .21 I have many gallons I lost count I am sure approaching 10 gallons. Everything is original except 1 hub. I had a LST2. I found it to be high maintenance and I wasn't a big fan of the exposed 2 speed.

[Monsterbrad]

Well as I can see the usual things are being said about both trucks.
They both have there positive things and negative things.
It's all personal preference

[Milkbone]

I bought a Savage X and a MGT at the same time. the Savage stripped a spur gear yesterday. This has been its only broken part so far, save antenna covers. The MGT 8.0 has broken the following; 4 shocks, 6 body posts, front shock tower, servo and saver on steering, the guard plate on the same side, bellcrank, turnbuckel bent, both front hubs, front bumper, fuel tank and the rear bumper wont stay on. The rear bumper gets ripped off from constant wheelies and the screw heads get ground off by asphault. The other stuff got broke from typical back yard hump jumping. The same damn hump the Savage hits full throttle. Associated products are made in China, regaurdless of other peoples opinions, China makes cheap products. The Savage was made in Japan and is twice the truck. If the Losi is made in Japan, you realy don't have to look any further. If it is made in China, find another truck. I have been thinking of selling my MGT 8.0 and buying another Savage, I am just afraid of getting a negative feedback on Ebay....People will want to say the Savage is not bashed as hard, not true. It acually gets hit a lot harder. My son drives the Savage as well as me. I am afraid to let him drive hte MGT cause it is so brittle.The Savage has 5 or 6 more days bashing on it due to the MGT being broken all the time. The Savage also gets 2.5 times the fuel milage. 1 tank in it = 2.5 in the MGT. The only good thing about the MGT is its lowend. It will not turn in full throttle, it lifts the front with ease. Last problemI have been having is with the engine. When I try to start it, MGT, sometimes the shaft will spin freely, like the crank isn't offering any resistance. The shaft is turning fine as well as the recess the shaft connects to. The motor does not hit at all yet the shaft is a spinning freely with no resistance. Why?

[Chevy-SS]

Well, I gotta pipe in here. The MGT is a great truck and I have raced it for five years almost. The only thing I did not like was that it required quite a few modifications to be a truly race worthy truck. For bashing, I found it to be quite sufficient. But for racing, I literally spent three years developing and contriving subtle improvements that improved the durability and the race worthiness of the vehicle. As I said, these improvements were subtle and not even visible to many people, however I did see an improvement in my lap times as I introduced the modifications.

If I was buying a new truck today, it would be a somewhat difficult decision between the MGT and or the LST2. In my opinion, the MGT is a great general purpose struck. It is very easy to maintain and repair. It is also fairly durable. However, I do think there are a number of things that Associated has ignored over the years. One thing that comes immediately to my mind is the crappy 6 mm stub axles that Associated continues to use, much to my chagrin.

Last year, I switched to racing a LST2, and I am very happy with that decision. The LST2 in my opinion is a superior racer to the MGT. The large flat bottoms chassis of the LST2 soaks up hard landings much better than the MGT, making it much less susceptible to flipping over. Also, the front and rear skid plates of the MGT would distort on hard landings, and thus cause problems, which was another one of my major complaints about the MGT.

So in summary, I agree with much of what Monsterbrad said. There are positive and negative things about both trucks. I guess what I'm trying to say is if I was buying a basher, I might be more tempted to buy the MGT. But if I was buying a racer, then I would definitely be more tempted to buy the LST2.

Good luck in your decision.