[sharpshot71]

We are looking to get a nitro boat. Where do you buy nitro. We have found plenty of boats online, but what kind of place do you buy the nitro? Chain stores, hobby stores, wal-mart?? I live in Minnesota if that matters. I know many people on here have nitro RC vehicles.

Anybody have any suggestions for a Nitro boat, good sites?
What is the range on any of these boats, One i saw only had a cruising time of 5 min. This is for my uncle who will be cruising it around on his pond. I think he would enjoy a nitro boat, but would a battery powered boat be more practicle? He isnt the kind of person would would want to be tinkering with it the whole time, he would want to drive it and put it away.

Thanks

_________________
'71 Mustang Convertible,302, needs some work
Hopefully soon to come-'73 Coupe, 351C, T-5.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: sharpshot71 on 5/23/06 5:58am ]</font>

 

[BLstangin]

Where abouts in minnesota. My brother has a nitro t-maxx, he gets his fuel from Don's Hobby, it's in Mankato. I know most hobby shops that sell the things have the fuel for them.

 

[wildosvt01_OLD]

Your run time will depend on the size of your fuel tank. 75CC is usually 5 or so minutes depending on how hard your running it and carb settings.


to very good sites:

towerhobbies.com

rccaraction.com

 

[sharpshot71]

I live in the lonsdale Northfield area, about an hour or so from Mankato. How much maintnance is there involved with Nitro vehicles? I know he wouldnt like something that he constantly has to be messing with, he would like something he can put fuel in, or plug in and go with. Nitro stuff is awesome, but im thinking that the battery stuff would be more practicel for him, i might look into a nitro car.

 

[ford4v429]

Red max will custom mix whatever you want and ship 4 gallon cases to your house...used to run it in my heli, but went back to coolpower as it stayed cleaner...

 

[ShotRod64]

It was cheaper for us to order it from tower hobbies online than it was to go to the local hobby shop. Of course I was also ordering parts for my car i kinda crashed into the curb. Oops. That's why I don't want a plane.

 

[BLstangin]

My brothers went through 2 motors, then he stepped up to the race engine and hasn't had a trouble since, of course this is in his truck which he beats the heck out of. But with those nitro engines you should ALWAYS run them out of fuel as the nitro is very corrosive to the carb and whole system, and then squirt wd40 in the cylinder after every time your done with it for a while. But they sure are cool, my brothers will flip over backwards if you snap the throttle to hard!

 

[rancheroo]

Sharpshot, you ask how much maintenance would be involved. I have a nitro powered Team Associated GT10, kinda like a staduim truck. With me for every 10 minutes of drive time, I spend an hour dicking with it. This isn't counting all the times I ran it into brick mail boxes or truck tires at 40 mph. Gas powered RC vehicles are HIGH maintenance. Folks love them, but don't let them get away with telling you that you put gas in them and go. The first thing I did to mine (after I rubbed all of the skin off of the side of my middle finger) was break the pull starter. After I jury rigged a 1/4 inch drive socket to my electric drill, I could start it & get it about 200 feet down the street before it died. I'd have to send one of the neighborhood kids down the road to get it.I'm not saying that they're not fun & that they can't run well, but you have to mess with them constantly. Plus up there in the arctic circle, you might have to wait until August to be able to swim out there to get the boat when it quits - & it will.

Rick

 

[ford4v429]

just reread your whole post- I'd say if just starting out especially , get electric. the gas boats are capable of incredible speed, and that means one hit its over. a place we used to ride 4 wheelers had a big lake they raced on, they had to be running at least 60mph...cross one wake wrong and poof-20 feet in the air, get the rowboat out.I think electrics still go 25-30, and thats still plenty fast to break stuff.

 

[ChicoB]

I ran nitromethane in rc planes before I got into fords. There's virtually no maintenance in 2 stroke nitro engines. You might have to replace glow plugs every 50 hours or so, but that takes 15 seconds to do. for such small engines, they are fantastic! I have run a .40 k&b all-out for over 10 minutes with 15% nitro literally trying to tear the wings off of the plane. Never did tear the wings, but went fast as all hell. I would be more worried about the prop drive in the boat (I have no experience in rc boats - but I have seen wooden plane props disintegrate) than the engine itself. just have fun with it, give it hell.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ChicoB on 5/23/06 1:23pm ]</font>

 

[sharpshot71]

If it was for me i think i would no doubt go with the nitro. I would love it and enjoy dicking with it. But it is a present for my 50 some year old uncle who would want to drive it and put it away and never do any work on it. If it needed work, he wouldnt really know what to do. I would like a nitro monster truck, but right now i dont really have the money for it. I think we will have to go electric for this gift.

 

[ford4v429]

as far as maintenance, a good motor will run a long time. My trainer has o little OS .46 4 cycle, gotta have at least 3~400 hours on that plane- and I got the engine used! For power the Rossi's and YS rock. I have a little quickie 500 with a piped Rossi .45 that puts out 2.2 hp(plus put a pipe on it!) in a 4 pound plane, thats movin...flutter limits speed runs, but takeoff is about 2 feet

Stay simple, go with big name motor, they seem to be more consistent quality wise- but I had a saito twin opposed 4 cycle .90 that was balky as heck, sounded cool when it ran, but it stalled a bunch. got so fed uo with it, pulled the cams out and ground the base circle down (by hand!) to get some more valve lift/less overlap, and it ran geat for about a month before plane got broke...it liked a 16x8 prop best...still hope to rebuild that someday, but I havent even been out in almost a year now...my sons itchin to get the trainer back up, but I think its about time to replace it- weve had so much fun with it, think its about time to hang it up before crashing it...