thinking of getting either Savage 25 RTR or Revo RTR as first RC

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hooah

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hey, like the title says, i'm completely new to this and have narrowed it down to either Traxxas Revo or the Savage 25 as my first RC truck.

I will be using it purely for bashing in woods, grass and some street (for jumps) so i'm thinking that the Savage would be a better bet especially since its cheaper then the Revo so i'd have some money left over for suspension mods or whatever.

i've been reading up on both for problem area's, etc...but anyone have any input? also how are these with waterproofing for some snow running or light mud?

i know both are tough as hell so i think they will suit me well. the pic below is what i'd like to build a savage up to but with red hummer SUT body.
 

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Nothing comes water proofed you have to plasti-dip the servo and balllon the reciver. Do a serch on waterproofing in genral nitro talk you will get good results. I would go with the savge personally because that is what i run and has been around for a while. Look at you lhs and see what parts are stocked. I have herd only good things about both. And i would wait awhile and save your money before yyou do hopups. Things WILL break and you will need money to fix it.



oh ya. Welcome to rcnt.
 
I would get the Savage SS. The experience you gain with building the truck will help you fix it when it breaks. Plus building it is half the fun!

Good luck!
 
I sencond that ^

Building kits are a gerat way to learn about your R/C so you'll know what to get when you break it. If you decide to go SS, you'll need to purchase a radio.

As for Revo vs. Savage, it depends on what driving terrain you have. The Revo is more of a racing truck and it is small-block powered, the savage is one of the bigger of R/Cs and would be better suited for roupher terrain.
 
thanks for the replies. i'll look into the SS, but its more expensive building it up that way, but would be more fun yes.

for waterproofing i was gonna run some marine silicone to cover the box holding electronics, etc but i have to look into that more also. i'd like to be able to run in snow and some mud, so thats something i'm definately gonna do.

my terrain would be better suited to the Savage no doubt, but the revo also looks like bigtime fun and its faster more nimble for jumps etc while still having 4" ground clearance.

seen revo at $439 in stock with free shipping at ultimatehobbies.com
seen 25 RTR at $369 in stock with free shipping at ultimatehobbies.com
and the SS is $299.95 also in stock with free shipping at ultimatehobbies.com

adding a controller is what is gonna kill the SS price. correct me if i'm wrong but the SS has pull-start as well
 
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I would really think this thing out. It would be well worth your while to get the SS since you can get a high torque steering servo and a radio that you want. Nitro cars is a very expensive hobby and in the long run the cost difference would be negligible considering you can build a better car with the SS. If the cost of the controller is the deal breaker, check ebay, I've seen nice 3 channels for around $50.

Also, not to bash the REVO, (it is probably the most technologically advanced truck available) but I would be weary of a car with so much proprietary electronics. If something ever breaks it could cost you alot of down time.

Good luck!
 
www.hobbypeople.net has Airtronics MX-As for 60 bux! They come with one standard servo so you can order that and a HS-645, of an X-17 5 servo for steering and have a kick ass radio on your savage.
 
thanks for the suggestion diesel, i'll look on ebay...can you guys recommend a few good controllers and servo's that would match up well for the savage (i'm still leaning towards it) with a price totalling $100. that would bring the SS price up to $399 with controller and servo, but i'd be saving money since i wouldn't need the batteries for the roto start.

no battery saves $43 alone, so that would go right towards the controller. also what is the stock controller like, is it good or would another one from ebay be better. stock Savage ones are on there for $20-$30 right now for "MINT USED ONLY ONCE HPI TF-4 3 CHANNEL RADIO WITH HPI RF-2 AM 27MHZ 4 CHANNEL RECEIVER. THIS ALSO COMES WITH THE CRYSTALS CHANNEL 3."

please remember i'm completely new at this, so recommend exact parts so i can look them up. i would need a radio with reciever and two servo's right. do both need to be high torque?
 
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That is a good controller has it has a dual rate steering. For the steering servo about a Hitec 645MG (metal gears) with about 133oz torque @ 6 volts, and Hitec 425 with about 52oz torque @ 6 volts for a throttle/break servo. Even the stock servo's that come with the 25 are good until you want to upgrade them. The steering servo is about 85oz @ 6 volts and throttle/break is about 47oz @ 6 volts, SF-2 and SF-1.
 
If you want to save money, dont buy from ultimate hobbies, this is what you do. Go to towerhobbies.com and you will see the SS for 319.95. They have a 30 off coupon for purchases in that range. Add shipping for 5.95. Tower has tracking too.

I dont think you can get the controller and servos for 100 unless you really go AM and skimp on shipping.
 
speed wise and handling wise stock vs stock, the revo has an advantage over the savage right? December issue of rcdriver has a revo review, they hit 41.4MPH. Revo is 9.4lbs, Savage is 11.2lbs.

also what kind of noticeable difference will a very high powered steering servo and a high powered throttle/brake servo make on performance?

what difference will a $50 controller (3 channel - 3rd for reverse module) vs stock make?

i'm still having a hard time choosing one over the other, i'm really liking the jumping, handling of the revo but i also like the look of the slightly modified and all around slighlty tougher savage. savage 25 RTR with reverse and glow ignitor is same price as revo which already has reverse and dosen't need an ignitor. so price isn't a factor either. The SS would still be slightly more expensive the 25 RTR, but would have strong servos and a $50 radio. this even includes the discount at tower. but tower is out of stock of revo's.
 
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I also recomend the Hitec 645 servo for steering, that's what I run on my rig with the OFNA servo saver kit and full ball bearings. The steering is very smooth and turning is much tighter vs stock.

When you compare top speed between the two please realize these guys are probably running very lean which is not good for the engine. When you are first starting out it will take you awhile to learn how to get your engine tuned and learn to drive anyway so don't worry too much about top speed. There is always going to be someone out there with a hotter motor than you so learn the basics like driving and tuning first.
 
hooah said:
speed wise and handling wise stock vs stock, the revo has an advantage over the savage right? December issue of rcdriver has a revo review, they hit 41.4MPH. Revo is 9.4lbs, Savage is 11.2lbs.
Yes, but, the savage can handle bigger bumps and jumps than the Revo can. The Revo can out handle the savage any day, but the savage is like its name, it pretty much doesn't break and its big-block powerd for more torque and wheelies.
 
SOmeone told me that the Savage is more durable but the Revo was better at racing. I'm in the same dilemma, although I wont be buying this Feb or March next year.

For the controller, you can also consider the new hitec aggressor, its not the top of the line, but its FM and you can get them cheap and stay closer to budget. I also suggest the 645 mg for steering and the 625 for throttle made by Hitec.
 
AC48 said:
Yes, but, the savage can handle bigger bumps and jumps than the Revo can. The Revo can out handle the savage any day, but the savage is like its name, it pretty much doesn't break and its big-block powerd for more torque and wheelies.


I wouldn't say the savage can handle bigger bumps and jumps. What I think you meant to say is it can handle bigger crash landings:)

Mr T
 
finally decided. I'm going with the Savage SS.

what does a servo saver do exactly and is it worth getting right away?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=49215&item=5923728174&rd=1&ssPageName=WD1V

depending on what radio i go with and if it has servo's i'll be buying Hitec 645MG steering and 625MG throttle/brake. remote control will be an ebay thing and if i don't find one i like then i'll just pick up the one that comes with the 25 RTR for now. so here is everything i'll be picking up (servo's may change again depending on radio)

-Savage SS Truck
-Hi-Tec 5645MG Steering Servo (Ultra high-torque)
-Hi-Tec 625MG Throttle/brake Servo
-Servo saver??? (what is a good one)
-Mc-Coy MC-8 glow plug (back-up)
-Radio Controller 3 channel (TF-4 off ebay if I can’t find/afford a decent one)
-Duratrax Infared Temp Guage (for tuning in around 240F)
-Duratrax 250cc fuel bottle
-Hobbico after run oil 2oz
-Duratrax Fuel 20% 3 quarts (enough for break in - some winter fun)
-Glow plug ignitor
-Dubro In-line fuel filter – blue
-Duratrax air filter oil
-12xNiMH rechargable batteries for remote (8) and reciever(4)

oh, thanks for the help and i'll be looking to you guys for help once i get this thing as well, there are some very knowledegable people here, thats forsure :)

in the end i'm going with the savage since it seems tougher then the revo and for the terrain i'll be using it on, thats a bonus for a rookie like me. plus seems alittle easier to mod/requires less mods, its been out there longer so its tried and tested versus traxxas still working the bugs out with the revo.
 
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If you can spring for it get the OFNA servo saver kit with bearings and an aluminum servo arm from OFNA. Should be about another $30 for everything from tower. Also, if you can spring for a 5 cell Nimh receiver pack that will help you steer much better, the high torque servos take alot of juice. Tower has em for about $15. Also, go ahead and get what you need for the 4 spider mod, two crossbars from Ofna and two sets of spider gears from HPI and some diff oil. I'm running 5000 WT front and rear with good results. I only bash with my truck so this is what workd well for me. Check the threads in the savage forum, you can get more reccomendations on diff oil weights.

Hope this helps and congrats on your decision. You will have lots of fun with this truck!
 
since the 645MG and 625MG are the same price, should i go with the high-torque 645 for the throttle/brake servo as well? same price, higher torque....i'm all about overkill, hehe.

the 5 cell NiMH pack is a good idea for the reciever, i'll go with rechargable NiMH batteries in the controller and the 5 cell in the reciever.

i'm gonna leave the diff alone for now (unless its inexpensive), i just can't afford much more stuff thats why i decided against wheels/rims even though i love how they look, especially outback TXT's with Big Joe's

The servo saver is what i'll look into with an aluminum arm (OFNA).
 
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You probably want to stick to the 625 that should me more than enough to get to your brake arms and acceleration will be slightly better.

Send us pics when you start building of course. Dont forget to get paint and locktite and your oil/fluids.
 
The diff mod is pretty cheap, I think total cost is around $20 for everything, it will make your diff much tougher and give you more power when a wheel is lifted off the ground. Not absolutely required but recommended, plus it's easier to do when the kit is in pieces. There are excellent instructions in the TIPS section of RCNT and a sticky at the top of this forum.

Later on after you have tuned your engine you can think about getting a motor saver type air filter. It sucks in more air and provides 3 stage filtration. They usually sell for around $22.
 
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