Help me Please! I'm New! EK4 or T-MAXX?!?!

[Gravedigger]

Hi All,

i'm new to nitro MTs and i'm planning to buy either a T-MAXX or a EK4. The price does not matter to me, what does is that i'm new and i'm afraid the EK4 is goin' to give me problems. The T-MAXX on the other hand (watched some videos) is not as fast and as powerful. I'm a real speed and power crazed kinda of a guy! Is there a engine that could like seriously speed up the T-MAXX, like probably a OS .21 or something? Which engine is best suited? Is the EK4 really that difficult to handle for a beginner, i'm not new to RC but just new to nitro. Hope you guys out there can share your wise and experienced opinion! ;) :confused:

[TimmyRC10T3]

The EK4 is going to be hard for a first time nitro user. It is a complete different class then the T-Maxx. It is cool how it pulls wheelies and has power but that it. It can't climb as well and jump anywhere as good as a T-Maxx. It cost me to begin with and uses a helicoptor motor. The T-Maxx is cheaper and had loads of hop-ups for it. I would have to vote for the T-Maxx. I also consider maybe the Tamiya Terra Crusher if price is not an issue. I hear it is alot better then the Maxx in most catogories. If you can wait to get it wait till the mad force comes out. .21 and a 3-speed.

[Got Speed]

If money is no option then I would have to say the T-Maxx with a .21 conversion. It will cost about $600 for the truck conversion and engine but it is worth every penny. The EK-4 is pretty cool with such a big engine but they have had some serious overheating problems with it and it dosn't handle, climb, or jump as well as the T-Maxx. Plus the T-Maxx has more hopups than probably any other truck!

[Got Speed]

The Thunder Quake looks pretty good but I would have to still go with T-Maxx even though the TQ has alum shock towers and all.

[Gravedigger]

Hey Guys, thanks for the input. I think i should look more into the T-MAXX now. I've also read around that the ofna dominator is a real mean machine! Any idea when this mean machine will be out?

Oh yeah, any articles where i can read up on converting the T_MAXX engine to a .21? Or could you guys advise too.:D

[HammerTime2K4]

To convert your Maxx...you have to get a conversion kit. I don't know of any sites off-hand that have it available, but I'm sure someone else does. It costs like 100 bucks. It gives you a buncha parts to replace so you can drop in a .21. I was thinking of getting one till I saw the price!! Kinda spendy for a 16 w/o a job!
~Cody

[Possumbot]

the terra crusher has a .21 conversation coming out, if its n e good, it might b the best monster truck out right now. Stability, size, speed, handling, and no ungodly offset wheels.

[RC Jack]

The EK does NOT have an overheating problem; it has a drivetrain problem!

Seems the 70 motor is tearing up the gears because of a plastic housing. One solution...after you've already bought an EK, is to KEEP BUYING NEW ONES!! (ACE/Thunder Tiger will like you for that!!) One guy bought 3 sets of gears in ONE MONTH! (at 40-50 bucks a pop!). A lot of people that have an EK "justify" the expense by telling themselves...and others, that ALL monster trucks break. BUT, there isn't a monster truck made today that goes thru gears like the EK, nowhere near it!! If a T-Maxx or a Monster Pirate went thru gears at this rate, people wouldn't buy them!! After all, what fun is it to continuously spend hard earned money replacing the same part week in and week out? Or you could buy another one and use them both as bookends!

It's really too bad, because the premise of the EK is a nice concept!

In light of this, I'd recommend the T-Maxx......and I'm an EK owner(!!).

WAIT!!!! There's a NEW EK lurking on the horizon! This one has a 90 engine! Just think how many sets of gears you'll go thru with this one(!!!).

By the way, ACE/TT "claim" they are working on a fix, but, apparently, the "fix" is, um, classified. Hmmm, whudya make of that? It's really ironic.....you can get information on the 'net to build a nuclear bomb, but, you can't get information from ACE/Thunder Tiger on this alleged fix!

Is this the kind of support you want after spending your money on one of their products?? Sounds like EK4 owners are being strung along.

Support like this gives this hobby a black-eye!

[Got Speed]

Supermaxx makes the ultamite conversion kit but it is spendy-www.unlimitedengineering.com

XTM makes an afordable and from what I can tell it is a high quality kit with everything but engine. It even includes full CVDs!-www.hobbypeople.com

New Era makes many different conversions too-www.neweramodels.com

Hardcore Racing-www.racinghardcore.com

These are the top conversions IMO. There are others but I can't think of them.

I would go for the supermaxx it is worth the money but if it is too much I would definatly go XTM.

[Gravedigger]

Thanks Got Speed! That was seriously a big help.

Rc Jack, i've got a damn clear picture now, of what will happen to me if i get a EK! Sure sounds like you're gonna bury your EK once you get a chance to. :p Thanks for the warning. But really can't help drooling over how powerful and huge the damn thing is!

There's also this Ofna dominator that i'm looking at right now. I heard that this truck really kicks some butt! How does it compare with the T-MAXX and the Nitro Quake. SO MANY CHOICES!!!!! aaarrrgghhh!!!!!:confused:

[Got Speed]

Sure.

The dominator is a nice truck but I like the idea of having two shocks instead of 1 on each wheel. Ofna dosn't have very good parts support either. T-Maxx has just about unlimited parts support. But the dominator is a cool truck.

[RC Jack]

Gravedigger, it may be powerful, but, that power means NOTHING if it's sitting on the shelf waiting for gears......week after week.

[Got Speed]

Originally posted by Gravedigger
Thanks Got Speed! That was seriously a big help.

Rc Jack, i've got a damn clear picture now, of what will happen to me if i get a EK! Sure sounds like you're gonna bury your EK once you get a chance to. :p Thanks for the warning. But really can't help drooling over how powerful and huge the damn thing is!

There's also this Ofna dominator that i'm looking at right now. I heard that this truck really kicks some butt! How does it compare with the T-MAXX and the Nitro Quake. SO MANY CHOICES!!!!! aaarrrgghhh!!!!!:confused:

Do you mean the thunder quake or the nitro quake.

The thunder quake and T-Maxx are much better than the nitro quake.

[RC Jack]

Got Speed, the only major difference between the MP & the Dominator is the Dominator has longer front shocks, lower profile tires/rims and a slipper clutch......which, from what I have heard from owners of the Dominator, does NOT have the slipper. And it wasn't clear as to it's availability, as well. So....

If you already have an MP, just put low profile tires/rims, longer front shocks, and a slipper, besides, it would be cheaper...unless you "just gotta have it".