Redcat Racing Avalanche XTR Monster Truck Nitro with 2.4GHz Radio (1/8 Scale), Green/Flame, Green/Black

Great truck so far. Just broke it in and it's a blast to drive! It's loud and so, so fast.. I would definitely not recommend this for anyone below 12 years old.I give 4 stars because there seems to be a design flaw in the battery box (that powers the servos on the truck). For whatever reason the wires coming out the top of the box were stripped a half inch and nearly touching. I was concerned this might cause loss of control so I contacted Amazon and they sent me a whole replacement truck. Unfortunately the new box had the same issue, just not quite as bad. I decided I didn't want to wait another two days for a replacement and just electrical taped it. Works fine, but I'm looking for a replacement.Breaking this beast in was a chore. The instructions say factory needle settings should be fine, but I couldn't get it to idle through the first tank to save my life. The piston was super tight in the sleeve and made the cord difficult to pull - I have several new blisters as a result. However, adjusting the needles a bit and getting through the first couple tanks, it now starts on the first pull.There's also no holes in the body for the glow igniter, nor a vent or anything for the top of the head. The body mounts raise, I assume this is why.The included instructions are good enough to get you running, but don't quite fill in all the gaps. They were written for all of their nitro vehicles and don't get into any specifics e.g. raising the body mounts, what % nitro to use, should I cut the windshield out so the head can breathe, etc. They have a small troubleshooting section, but all of my help with tuning has come from RC forums and youtube videos. I also had to discover that you're supposed to leave the air filter cap on this way - the previous nitro I had was just a pair of sponges in a boot so the cap threw me. I wish that the instructions had filled me in; they make a lot of assumptions about your skill level.It also came with a small bag of plastic parts that I didn't recognize. After some googling, I discovered that they're actually 'bushes' and they seem to fit between the joints on the truck itself. I assume this is for the vibrations, but I'm only guessing.Overall, I'm pleased with this truck so far. Haven't done much bashing yet, but I've run it through my yard and it's impressive. Have rolled it over a time or two already and it didn't seem to mind one bit. All in all, not a lot to complain about - most of it is my own lack of skill here. Based on all that, I would definitely recommend.EDIT, changing to 3 stars:After break-in, I've run a tank and a half through it before it needed repair. I checked the gear mesh before doing anything with this truck, per the instructions and it was fine. It appears that it unseated itself after a tank and a half and has burned up my clutch. It makes this awful squeal when just turning the gears, presumably because the mesh isn't aligned anymore. It also turns the wheels when I pull the start cord and won't idle anymore unless it's on a box -then dies as soon as the wheels touch the ground. Which is why I'm assuming the clutch is now bad. I haven't had a chance to take it apart and see yet, but it's definitely not running. I'd probably still recommend this truck, but it's definitely disheartening that it only 'survived' a single full tank before breaking - and further to that, I only ran it around my back yard. I didn't do any jumps or anything crazy, just WOT a few times back and forth. Guess it's a good truck if you want something to work on.

Mine broke before we ever really got to drive it. Have been out of the nitro hobby for years, decided to try Redcat - have bought 3 in the last month and their all junk. Tornado buggy, caldera 3.0 and this avalanche xtr. Amazon let me return the Tornado so I bought the Avalanche. Had a very difficult time getting the .28 engine to run, carb settings were way way off. 4th tank of fuel - and the pull start string broke. Seller says I can't return because it's used (have had less than a week). Anyone looking to get into this hobby - I would recommend hpi or losi. You will quickly end up with more money invested in redcat (upgraded parts are expensive) than what you could by a higher quality RC car to start with. I don't want to knock the red Redcat brand - but my experience has not been good. You get what you pay for.

Runs very well super fast but cheap servos And receiver Had to order parts and ive only been through 6 tanks great truck just be ready to replace a few things

I love my avalanche!!!! Iv had mine a long time and iv customized it the way i like it. Other than the cheap clutch shoes and cheap servos, this is a well designed truck. If you dont mind doing a few mods than you wont regret buying this.