Traxxas Nitro Rustler Review

Out-of-the-box, without upgrades or modifications, the 1:10 Traxxas Rustler 2.5 Nitro Stadium Truck is a force to be reckoned with. Sporting the most powerful engine designed by Traxxas, 4 wheel independent suspension, high torque off the line, and precise steering; not many stock vehicles out there will upstage the Rustler come race day. Worth much more than the price tag. A definite bargain. And a few simple upgrades make it even more fun to own.Although the Rustler is Ready-to-Run, there are still some essential extras you'll need immediately or very soon after purchase including: Batteries for the Controller 7.2 volt Battery Pack (for included electric starter) Nitro Fuel After-Burn Oil 7.2 volt Battery Pack Charger

These items are not included and must be purchased separately, also having a couple of extra glow plugs and a can of compressed air on-hand doesn't hurt either.

Assembly is a breeze. Pre-assembled and ready to run out of the box this beast is itching to tear up turf. All you really need to do is apply the included decals in any way you wish (design freedom), prepare the antenna, glue the tires, insert the batteries in the controller and the receiver terminal which is located on the back, fill the fuel tank with your choice of Nitro Fuel (20% is what I use), start 'er up and go. OK, as you can see "Ready-to-Run" doesn't mean just take it out of the box and go.

With the stock tires, gluing the tires down is a must. This can be done with super glue or glue recommended by your local hobby shop. Be careful though to not get it on the foam inserts as it will eat straight through them.

When breaking in the Traxxas Nitro Rustler RC truck, for your own sake and for the sake of your wallet do not give it full throttle immediately. Take the time and effort to break in the engine; this also gives you the opportunity to learn how this vehicle responds and to adjust the steering and idle speed according to your own personal preferences. Patience is the keyword here. I know it’s hard to not start racing immediately but the truck and your bank account will thank you for waiting.

Drive in circles and do some straight aways at about a quarter throttle for about 10 minutes, then do short spurts of speed equal to about one third throttle for another five minutes or so. Remember, this thing is fast and it is very easy to either lose control and crash, or destroy the engine if you do not properly break it in. The whole process should take about 30 - 60 minutes, but it doesn’t hurt to go a little longer. You only have to do this once. When the engine is set and properly broken in it will run at optimum performance.

At as little as a third of the throttle this vicious vehicle will spin and pop wheelies without effort. On-road use is not what the Rustler was built for, but if you must, ease into the speed. Lucky for me this RC truck was built very strong. I have personally flipped it over a few times and half of those were within a couple of hours after breaking it in for the first time.

Get the Rustler off-road and now you're talking. After breaking it in and getting use to the vehicles attitude; (yes, it does have an attitude) taking it off-road is the next step to showing its full potential. Off-road handling is a lot better than on-road handling. The suspension system is durable and easily absorbs whatever the terrain throws at it. Jumps, hills, mud, dirt, rocks, grass; this nitro-powered monster will chew it up and spit it out... literally. You learn to dodge flying objects quickly if you don’t already know how. The torque is amazing. With all the room in the park that I have access to, I still haven’t been able to get it to maximum speed, but who cares! Fast, light and durable; the Traxxas Nitro Rustler RC truck owns the off-road track.