Which monster truck is better

[BigP713]

is the monster pirate better than the t-maxx? Which do u guys prefer?

Thanks

[Skribble]

I think this topic has been posted. :rolleyes:

[joecoolman]

Definitely the T-maxx man. In my opinion there's no contest. Other than power, the t-maxx wins in every category. 4 inches of total clearance, 3.4 inches of total shock travel, 2 oil filled shocks per wheel which turns out to be a total of 8! shocks, thats almost unheard of in a stock vehicle. And its RTR, for a good price of aroun 370 to 390 depending on where you look. To get the MP RTR its like 400 something, come on! See my point? Not to mention it tops out at 35 miles per hour
:D

[rcjeff]

Um, not. The MP is like $500 some. TMaxx is better in my opinion. Only thing mp has is power over it.(and price) TMaxx also has a **** load of hopups.

[Chief]

Actually you can get the MP and a hyper 21 for 260 right now. And, yes the tmax does have 8 shocks but they are set up differently they are softer so there has to be two each wheel. The bottom line is it doesent matter how many shocks it has or the ground clearence! The MP Never bottoms out! IT Jumps great! IT WONT FLIP!! AND you dont have to put any more money into it to be competitive! Hummmm let me see? MORE POWER? MORE SPEED? ALOT QUICKER? DOESENT FLIP? CHEAPER? ummm I think i will stick with my monster pirate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And oh yeah if you really want to compare buy the MP kit only for 200 bucks and get a really good motor and you can break the 50 MPH barrier! Thats only almost twice as fast as the TMAX! MY Pirate has an O-1 motor in it which has 2.5 hp and 43000 RPM. It keeps up with my inferno MP7.5 in the straight ways!! not to mention all the other 1/8th buggies at my local track! Anyway it is a loaded question and everyone will start arguing now im sure. Bottom line is Race my pirate and i gaurantee that it will blow any tmax out of the water, on the track, bashing, or jumping, it doesent matter what.

[TRXboy]

Cheif, you forgot to mention the fact that the Picco 0-1 motor is more then a Monster pirate with out an engine. Let me drop a $250 motor into the T-maxx, I'll show you how fast it can go.

[Chief]

Yep your right but the problem with that is you cant DROP a 250 dollar motor into a tmax without spending another 500 to a 1000 dollars so it will handle the motor without breaking now can you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now What?

[Mt killer]

I have both trucks. I think the MP would be my choice if I absolutly have to choose. The Stock T flips to easy and everybody has one. You can buy a stock MP and it is perfectly balanced. Then if you like it and you want even more power and speed then you can drop the cash on a hot motor. I got a Picco G-1 and I also went with the metal two speed set up. It is the fastest truck at the track!! no doubt. Depending on what clutch bell I'm running and I can do torque wheelies as well. Not like a Ek4 but I can pull the front up and ride them across the yard.

[guver]

I am trying to decide on which truck to buy and think I have it narrowed down to the Terra-crusher or the Thunderquake. It looks like you get more for your money. I have not owned any r-c equipment ever and I dont have any bias towards a particular brand. PS Anyone know where to get info/specs. on an Ofna dominater? or the Kyosho gigaforce?

[joecoolman]

Both trucks are good, but I would go with the TQ. The Terra Crusher is too much like a T-maxx, its almost an exact copy, exept not as good. The only thing better about the TC against a tmaxx is the TC has an .18 compared to the tmaxx's .15. But it has less shock travel, bigger wheels whick isn't necessarily better. But anyways I would go with the TQ. And you could try www.ofna.com, not sure if they have the dominator though. As for the Gigaforce, I have no Idea.

[Mt killer]

I would go with the TQ because of the flex parts. Plus the TQ is my second favorite out right now. The EK4 is my first choice of all monster trucks out. it is just raw power!! The TQ is great and reliable the EK4 is for a more advanced hobbyist

[Nitro Power Kid]

Tmaxxes are decent trucks with great suspension but are terribly under powered. You don't need to throw a hot engine in a MP, the stock Hyper21 makes 2.1 hp, the TRX Pro makes .6 hp.
Yes, the RTR MPs are pricey but places were blowing out the 80% kits w/motor in the last 3 months. I got an MP w/engine Futaba PH radio, 133 oz Hitec steering servo, fuel bottle and glow starter for $299 at ultimatehobbies. Big deal---build the shocks,paint the body, save $200---easy math for me. There are many new upgrades for the MP---aluminum arms and bulks to 2-speeds if you want to be like a Tmaxxer and dump money or you can do simple upgrades to the clutch and shocks that cost you nothing. If I were you I would wait a few weeks until the Ofna Dominator comes out-- it is an upgraded MP with different rims and tires, long shocks on all 4 corners, a standard 2-speed and a slipper clutch. .21 are the way to go, buy a truck that is meant for one or spend $300-$500 upgrading your drive train, tranny,and chassis to handle one.
Nitro Power Kid's dad

[Chief]

All I can Say is AMEN! You hit the nail on the head!

[wlcohen]

Originally posted by joecoolman
Both trucks are good, but I would go with the TQ. The Terra Crusher is too much like a T-maxx, its almost an exact copy, exept not as good. The only thing better about the TC against a tmaxx is the TC has an .18 compared to the tmaxx's .15. But it has less shock travel, bigger wheels whick isn't necessarily better.

hmmm--

it is more than just a bigger engine:
- bigger in physical size
-wider and more stable
-better tranny
-better everything

Tamiya vastly improved on what Traxxas created!

The Crusher Rocks, you my friend must be "smoking the drapes"

[extremetmaxxer]

you know i cant figure out whitch one is the best you have lets see:

ek4
thunderquake
terracrusher
t-maxx
monster pirate
usa-1

out of all of these its hard to pick one

if really looked into them and there all not up to my par i could go as far as saying crap that need at least 200 bucks worth of upgrades to be kinda good! each one has its flaws

lets take the t-maxx. plastics .15 trx(can be ported) not to durable with a .21 and lots to break

ek-4 its over powered the front suspention needs alot of improvment buggy based and engines are giving probs

thunderquake slow even with the .21 its duratrax! and its another kinda buggy based although taken farther than the mp or ek4

terra crusher needs .21 tamiya parts are hard to get. plastics nto avalible yet

usa-1 simple as this its old!

monster pirate its based of a lack luster buggy big meats(imo ugly) needs 2 speed and a way better suspention

so as you see there is no clear winner

now if you have alot of money here is what you do build a supermaxx! of course these cost an unglodly sum of money but are worth it!

what id really like to do is take and ek4 raise the chassis so its more truckish add a sm widetrac and lower the body some what oh and find a way to get rid of the two foot long rear bumper

now i know ive probally pissed off ever mt owner here but i to have owend and driven and herd about all of these and you guys will have to agree on most of it! hey i bashed a maxx and look at my name! lol i should be ready to kick me in the butt!

by the way the best so far what ive found is the supermaxx but thats only for a few

[Mt killer]

I have to say yes the stock motor is decent but to unlock the full potential of the MP you should get yourself a hot motor once you out grow the stocker. I love my T-maxx but it isn't the truck that my MP is. The only problem I have with the Terra machine is that it is a Tamiya product. I find that they do not have the service to back the product like Traxxas. if you want a bigger power plant is there room to drop a Hot .21 in it? if not then why should we settle for a .18 I mean the EK4 has a .70 in it and we all know that everyone will be gunning for that kinda power in the near future. I think some one will attempt it with a compact motor that puts out the same power. I just cannot be put in the same boat as the T-maxx where I have to drop hundreds of bucks on a .21 just to get more power. This is why I would go against any thing with less then a .21 in it. Monster trucks are all about raw crazy power. Unless you have a .70 you will need the option to improve the motor. Just my honest opinion.

[JEEL]

Both are good. I first purchased my MP and then my T-Maxx. The T is easier to start and run, with less breakage to boot! However, the MP is super quick, load, big and powerful. To be honest I love them both, but I would go with the T unless you are experienced enough for the MP. Remeber, the MP is a converted 1/8 scale buggy=more complicated. Also, unless your local shop carries Ofna parts, you won't be running when parts break.

[TwistedMaXX013]

An MP couldn't go 50 if it was tied behind my car, and you definately can't get it with the Hyper .21 for $260. If you do get it for that, don't tell any cops about it.

[RCtinkerman]

Joecoolman, you should really get the facts before you just start putting out bad info to people seeking guidance. The "T" and "TC" are two completely different trucks.

[Nitro Power Kid]

Maybe you can't now but you could for about 4 months at the end of 2001. ace-hobbies, nitrohouse, and several other catalog and web stores had the MP 80% assembled kit w/Hyper 21 for $260. If you read my previous post you will notice I got this kit with radio, 133 oz steering servo and other goodies for $299. If you were reading this monster truck forum back in Oct-Dec lots of guys jumped on this deal. ace-hobbies just sold 8 of these on Ebay new in the box for a "buy it now" price of $279 last week. Unfortunately Ofna has stopped distribution of the kit and only sells the RTR. You can get this RTR at ace-hobbies for under $400- Ofna is prepping for the release of the new MP/Dominator.
By the way if you doubt the quickness of the MP vs Tmaxx just compare the graphs in the MP vs Tmaxx shootout in the Nov. RCCA. Sure the top speeds are relatively close except after 3 seconds in the drag race, the MP is 50 feet ahead. Top speed in any monster truck isn't that critical, they don't handle for crap at high speeds, what's more fun is how quick they get to top speed.
Nitro Power Kid's dad

[draggerman11]

Yep, NKDD is right, powerwise, it is all about torque. Although top speed is great for hitting those killer jumps we all like to do.

Having an overall best truck just isn't possible. They all have their faults, wether it be power, suspension, or durability. Pick the one that best suits you, and you'll have the most fun.

[Grant Tokumi]

Make sure you check for adequate (lots of) spare parts at the local hobby store. No matter what you get, you will break. I think we can all agree to that. If you're thinking of going MP, make sure you can find the spare parts. Let me say that again. Make sure you can find the spare parts. One more time. OK nuff. Makes me suspicious if OFNA is quickly trying to rid their inventory, especially for a new line of MT. Reminds me of another hot thread couple days ago where the term being thrown around is: "planned obsolesence (sp?)". I don't think you want your NEW truck to fall victim to that.

[Nitro Power Kid]

Actually the Dominator is an MP with some mods, suspension and drive train, with some cosmetics also. All three LHS's within 40 miles of me have a wall of Ofna parts, equal to or more than Traxxas stuff. Versions of the MP are sold worldwide, the likelyhood of a shortage of parts is highly unlikely and the MP hasn't been around that long. I'm sure they went to the RTR version to expand their marketability vs the other RTR trucks.
nitro power kid's dad

[Grant Tokumi]

BigP713,

Hopefully you can say the same thing as Nitro Power Kid' dad when you check out your LHS. Thats the kind of parts support you will want for whichever kit you decide to get.

[UP2NOGD]

I bought the EK4 sent the engine off for defects -- haven't got it back together yet --actually I bought the MP for $269.00 w/o radio and yanked the radio out of my Ek4:D :D My question to you guys with MP's -- I am not real up to snuff with the suspension game??? What would the recommendations be for upgrading the suspension on the MP -- this is really a fun truck to beat around!

[Nitro Power Kid]

What most guys do is get rid of the short front shocks. Two ways to do it- some guys do a home made mod by adapting a MP rear tower to the front, others including me, buy a Ti tall front tower made by a couple of MP owners called Smash and Bash Racing. SABR makes a bunch of strong Ti plates and other mods for the MP. The tall tower ($32 plus $3.50 shipping) allows the longer rear shocks to be used in the front, more travel, truck can now bottom out which means you can do huge jumps without breaking arms and bulks (as easily). I bought 2 sets of Ofna Hyper 7 Pro buggy rear shocks for $35 a pair at ace-hobbies, so I run long shocks on all 4 corners. Some guys buy Kyosho or Mugen rear shocks although these are more expensive. A cheap shock mod is to drill out the hole in the shock shaft disk to 1/16 and use something other than the stock oil. This improves the stock shock considerably. In short, it may not quite be Tmaxx suspension but you can make a huge difference with out spending a fortune.
Nitro Power Kid's dad