Need some help with choosing the right boat for ME

[Visual Perfection]

Hey guys,

First off I know one of these boats is faster stock and can handle 6s lipos versus the other handling 4s lipos...I also know they are not entirely the same class of boat, but this isn't about which boat is the best boat, rather it is about which boat is BEST FOR ME....I am here for your help and love this hobby since I have recently got into it, so we have all been a beginner at one time, so please read what I have to say before you give me your thoughts.

I am new to R/C and decided to get in to boats about a month ago. I own the new Proboat Shockwave 26 Brushless and I love the boat. It does 26mph on a single NiMH battery pack with an octura y535 prop and has been a perfect first fast electric boat for ME.


Anyways on to my questions..

I have a B-day comming up..(so this is a gift from my better half to me, meaning less expensive doesn't hurt) anyways she has asked me what i would like, as she wants to get me something I really want...so since she has it good being diamonds aren't mans best friend I want to continue to feed my R/C addiction some more lol

I have narrowed it down to the Proboat Formula Fastech, or the new Traxxas Titan...plain and simple these are the two boats that I personally really like and want to know which will be best suited for ME.

Here is my scenario:

- I have NiMH batteries that I plan to run in whichever boat I get for the time being.

- I already have a boat that can run on 2s lipos, so IF I do purchase lipos down the road, I will ONLY be purchasing 2s lipos to save money by being able to run them in my current boat and whichever boat I get. So whichever boat I get one day might be run on 4s lipos.

- I don't have a HUGE area to run right next to my house...my current place is just fine for 30mph boats..

- I do like to run my boats when I go out on the gulf in the Real boat..so something that can handle the chop well is a plus, and this is when I will have plenty of space and can enjoy 35+ mph when it is smooth.

- I don't race, I sport boat by myself or with one other person on occasion and that is plenty of fun for me.

-My Birthday is July 11th - Fastech is available NOW and she can wrap it and give it to me on my B-day...Titan is estimated to be available end of July if that holds true.


The New Traxxas Titan has me interested being it has a 2.4ghz radio, it is a 36" hull, (compared to the smaller 26" fastech) and has a great design and layout..and of course because it is the newest best thing and it has that gotta have it factor.....BUT I have always liked the looks of the fastech and it is still a boat that has a great motor, will be able to run 4s lipos if I ever do get them and I think it is a great boat that can be had for $250.

Also if she is giving it to me as a gift and can get the fastech for $250 vs the Titan for $325 (after my towerhobbies discount codes) obviously spending less has its benefits and with the fastech I think I also have the options and ability to be able to personally tinker with the boat and tweak it to 40mph if I can.. As that is some of the fun in this hobby to me..I am sure the Titan will be the same way shortly down the road after plenty of people have them and share their experiences

They are both calling my name, And while they may not be the same class of boat I like them both...so lets hear everyones thoughts on which boat you think is BETTER for ME (Not the better boat)

Thanks guys, and sorry for the long post!

[Karfrik]

if you wanna stay using your set of 2S lipos then tell her to get you the Fastech.Thats my humble opinion,lets other chime in......good luck and happy birthday in advance!!!,...........Al

[BHChieftain]

My son runs the proboat fastech--I really like this as a starter boat. The hull is very stable and it has a kick butt, bullet proof motor in it. I also really like the fixed driveline and rudder setup (vs. steerable drive system). ESC is lipo ready.

Downside is taping the hatch-- the boat is meant to replicate the actual Fastech, and while the hatch looks great, it is a bit of a pain to tape. Even with all the taping I do, I'm not confident it is waterproof (I don't really know because my son has yet to capsize it!). Since I'm not sure I can waterproof the boat if it *does* capsize, I have been reluctant to upgrade to lipos and a larger prop for my son-- it is running on nimhs and a smaller x442 prop right now and is rock solid, but is probably at 30mph or slower (with lipos and 642 it will run much faster).

Any RTR boat will have its share of issues, for the fastech it is a weak strut bracket which will eventually crack. They are easily replaced, and you can make your own stronger one out of an "L" bracket. My son's just broke a few weeks ago after running it for about 5 months.

If you end up getting this boat, read the proboat fastech threads about how to modify the turn fins-- makes a huge difference in the boat handling.

I wouldn't let the reciver/radio sway you too much on the choice of boat. If you are running by yourself, the old school AM radios work just fine. I did eventually upgrade my son's radio to a spektrum, but that was really because we started to get more boats and I wanted 1 radio with model memory. Choose the boat you want based on the actual boat, not the radio which you can easily swap out later.

All that being said, if you really want speed and maximum ability to "tweak" the boat, you should also check out the Aquacraft SV (a newer model is coming out soon). Not as stable, but it is faster, and the hatch is easy to seal up. My friend just hit over 42MPH on that boat yesterday! You *will* capsize this boat, but you'll have fun doing it, and it seals up nice and tight so as long as you have your rescue rig ready no big deal. It is also possible to build a flood chamber into this boat.

The Titan look like a pretty cool boat-- but for me I like to keep my boats 25-30". But I have to say Traxxas provides AWESOME customer support. We have a Traxxas Blast (our first boat, now the rescue boat), and they are very responsive and stand behind their products. I had an overheating issue when the boat was out of warranty (the early model did not come with water cooling installed), and they fixed it for free, and when I submerged the boat and burnt out the ESC they fixed that too...

Happy boating!

Chief

[Diesel6401]

My vote goes for the Titan. You are currently running NIMH and the Titan comes with 2 7 cell batteries and a charger which is rare for a RTR boat. So that's a extra set of batteries for you. Both boats can handle 4s, 5s and even 6s. With the fastech you will have to buy the program card which is another $19.

[Visual Perfection]

Thanks for the comments guys... Still on the fence

So any more comments are welcome

[jamespl]

What about the new proboat miss geico. I quite fancy one of these. Its got the same motor and esc as the forumla but it looks a lot better plus you car run it on 2 2slipos.

[Visual Perfection]

Looks are all about personal preference...I don't personally care for cat's...maybe one day i will own one, but right now I like the Deep Vee look better.. just me though.

Lots of great boats on the market and comming out, but these two boats are the two that I am really interested in.

[tomstoys2]

Hey Nick,
Yes, in the end it is all about personal preference.
I have a Fastech and really like it. It handles a lite chop pretty well, but I'm sure the Traxxas Titan will handle better as it is 10" longer.
We run our boat quite often from our "Pleasure Boat" and the smaller size makes it easy to transport.

Another factor like you said is the Fastech is in stock now. Like all new boats, release dates almost always get pushed out or have limited supply. For me we only have 3-4 months of good boating weather so waiting around for a boat to be released would be dificult. If the Titan was already shipping it might be a tougher decision if it were me.

Here is a couple videos of my stock Fastech. Most of the time I still running the stock plastic/carbon prop it came with as my son drives it most of the time.

http://www.youtube.com/user/tomstoys3#p/u/2/yk_ZeeosWV8

http://www.youtube.com/user/tomstoys3#p/u/18/K_RtDHFzKF0

http://www.youtube.com/user/tomstoys3#p/u/19/_iYmPq1bVxk

Hope it helps.

Tom

[Brushless55]

My vote goes for the Titan. You are currently running NIMH and the Titan comes with 2 7 cell batteries and a charger which is rare for a RTR boat. So that's a extra set of batteries for you. Both boats can handle 4s, 5s and even 6s. With the fastech you will have to buy the program card which is another $19.

Titan!
get the one you think looks the best and go for it
no one person can make up your mind for you with this much though about it

[tomstoys2]

Good point, I keep forgetting it comes with 2 NIMH's.

[dana]

I like the Titan as well, mainly because it is Traxxas and everything i have ever owned from them has been tough as NAILS! plus two extra packs...nice...

[Visual Perfection]

Thanks for the input guys... She ended up ordering the Fastech for me today from OSE as it was on sale for $249, which was a great price and I rather her spend less as money isn't overly abundant right now anyways..but she is excited to give it to me and not have to wait for a few months after my B-day...now I just have to wait impatiently for my B-day to actually get here being I am not allowed to see it till then lol

I appreciate the help and I agree the Titan is a great boat...if it were out and being shipped right now too the end result may have been different, but in the end I am happy still so it's all good!

Just means when my addiction needs another boat down the road, and there is money burning a hole in my pocket a titan might then also have to be added to my lineup lol.


I have another thread in the proboat section with some questions on this boat that would be great to find out...especially since I now know I will be getting the boat. Thanks!

[Brushless55]

[Rumdog]

You'll like it! It is a very fun boat to run!

[Brushless55]

I should have placed a bet to what boat you would get
I knew it would be the Fastech