helidreamer-RCU

Does anybody know whether the NItro St-15 is any good

airwethead

Good for what?

helidreamer-RCU

I mean if it's has good performance, good steering, good for the price. You know what I mean?

dagass

If you're considering the ST-15 because money is an issue, you'd be better off hanging on to your money until you can afford something else.

I have an HPI NMT and my Brother has an HPI Rush. I bought an ST-15 for my Father in law and also one for my brother in law as Christmas gifts because they wanted to drive with me and my brother.

I can tell you from running with them on the weekends that they are nowhere close in performance and driveability when compared to the NMT, Rush, RC10GT or the Losi. Our trucks soak up the bumps and jumps while the ST-15 flips and rolls. I believe that it is an inferior truck and that it should only be considered if you simply cannot afford anything else.

I know the opinion sounds harsh, however I've driven it a few times and when compared to the other trucks that cost a little bit more, it simply isn't worth saving $50.00 to $75.00 over. Just my .02 cents.

airwethead

I would have to agree. Save your pennies for something a little better. For $100 dollars more there are a whole bunch of trucks that will give you your moneys worth. Spend a little more and get an RC10GT or Losi XXX-NT sport. The Losi comes with a really good radio for an RTR, and both have parts readily available for when (not if) you break something.

dagass

Airwethead brings up a good point about part availability. When you break something on an HPI, Losi or RC10GT, you simply run down to your LHS and 9 times out of 10, they have the replacement part on the shelf. For the ST-15, you gotta order it form Tower and wait for it to show up.

RCaeroguy

My Feedback: (4)

The ST-15 looks a lot like the Duratrax ST-15. Is it the same truck with some Tower modification. I think Tower even recommends Duratrax replacement parts.

helidreamer-RCU

WOw, thanks alot. Judging from your opinions the Nitro St-15 is obssolete compared to other trucks. What about the Rustler, is it a good choice.

dagass

The Rustler is a good truck with a great motor. With the 2.5, it reaches speeds of around 50 mph. If you're looking to buy a truck and you're not sure which way to go, you should probably first define how it will be used.

If you're looking to race competitively, you'll probably want to go with either an RC10GT or a Losi XXX-NT. They seem to dominate in the stadium truck class.

If you're just looking for a good all around basher or weekend warrior, you may want to consider the Rustler, HPI Rush or HPI NMT. With the Rustler, all that extra power will help you through the tough spots and it's flat out fast. The Rush is a ton of fun and it's practically indestructible and the NMT has stadium truck agility while its 4WD gives you the go anywhere ability of the Monster trucks.

helidreamer-RCU

Thanks everybody, I have decided to get the Rustler. But I won't get it till June anyway. So your all welcome to recommend some other trucks if you'd like.

joelacrane

I have an St-15. It runs fairly well, no real engine trouble so far... I put RC10gt arms and dogbones on it and now it really rocks! It handles the bumps better. Heres what i have added so far:
Duratrax tuned pipe set (TONS more power! WAY faster!)
Proline tires (The stock tires SUCK!)
Duratrax fuel filter
RC10gt arms and dogbones (Handles better)
traxxas turnbuckles and tie rods

Im not sure how much money i have sunk into it so far, but i'll bet it is more than an RC10GT Plus!

helidreamer-RCU

So a few hop-ups will make it pretty good right Thanks for the info!

joelacrane

Welcome! If you end up buying one sometime PM me and i'll give you the part numbers...

helidreamer-RCU

Thanks. When I was just thinking about the Rustler and St-15. My doorbell rang and my wife's uncle (is a physician = not poor) came in and handed me an St-15 because of something I did for him. Well I was surprised. I took it for a drive and broke it in all in one day! So you can give me the parts numbers if you want to. I still am thinking about the Rustler though....

joelacrane

Cool! I'll see if i can get those part numbers today.

joelacrane

And remember: There NOTHING wrong with 2 RC cars!

dagass

You can drop $220.00 on the ST-15 RTR combo from tower and dump $100.00 worth of upgrades into it and it still won't be the truck that the Rustler is.

The times I've driven the ST-15, I couldn't help but feel that I was driving a Radio Shack R/C with a nitro engine stuffed into it. The only good thing I can say about the ST-15 is that it is affordable. To me, it just doesn't make sense to buy an ST-15 and spend money upgrading it in the hopes that you can make it as good as a Rustler (when you can spend the same overall $$ and get a Rustler RTR).

I still believe that the money that I put out on the two ST-15 kits for my father in law and my brother in law was well spent as it allowed them to take part in our fun. On the other hand, I do see that they get frustrated quite easily because of the limitations of the ST-15.

helidreamer-RCU

Thanks Joelacrane . I think you are right too dagass. But hey, I got the truck for free, so hey I could still get the rustler

joelacrane

I agree. I wish could get a Rustler or an RC10gt, but i dont have any money. Dagass, did that truck have a tuned pipe on it? The tuned pipe just makes all the difference in the world! The ST-15 is great to start off with, and good for a little backyard racing - but thats about it...

helidreamer-RCU

I don't have much money either. But if my wife's uncle wants to get me a rustler, I'm not complaining.

dagass

Joelacrane,

You nailed it on the head. The ST-15 is definitely a backyard racer. The ones I bought for the inlaws did not have a tuned pipe. They had the stock pipe that you would expect to see on an R/C plane.

I think that the ST-15 is plenty quick in stock form, the problem is that it's pretty difficult to get it to hook up and handle well with the components it comes with. The suspension and tires are a complete mess! They are also notoriuos for having problems with the motor (I believe that Tower has addressed this though).

I guess it's hard for me to be objective because my NMT and my brothers Rush run away from the ST-15 and can go places that the ST-15 can't. All that being said, if you're on a budget and don't mind chasing after the truck to turn it over, the ST-15 is definitely a deal. And if you can get one for free like Helidreamer, all the better.

helidreamer-RCU

lol

joelacrane

Ain't that pipe just messed up? That tuned pipe really helped alot. It has SOOO much more power now. And i think i just about have the suspension fixed. The back sits kinda low so i gotta drill some holes in the shock tower. It handles so much nicer now!

Yes, Tower did fix the motor. I have heard horror stories of the engine litterally falling in half! I haven't had ANY big problems with my motor.

Helidreamer, Ill try to get those part numbers on sunday ok?

dagass

When I saw the pipe that came on those things, I nearly fell out of my chair. I spent the next half hour looking wings and a propeller.

I'm glad that Tower decided to do something about the motor. I always found it odd that they would make a motor case that came in two pieces and was held together by a couple screws that fell out when you sneezed.

It also appears that Tower might have tried to up the power ante a little by putting a bigger carb in the newer RTR's. At the very least, Tower seems to be listening to customer complaints and working to bring the ST-15 up to par with the rest of the trucks out there.

helidreamer-RCU

Thanks Joelacrane, I can't wait till Sunday and drilling some holes in the shock towers will make the car perform better? cool.

Likewise Dagass, Likewise.