spoon37

Feb 22 2006, 01:37 PM

How does yours run? I'd be very interested to see how fast it goes being nitro and having a 2 speed gearbox(?) I have been wondering if this is to help it go fast or simply to keep the revs under control - the Blizzard EV as stock goes around walking pace(3-4mph) I expect the nitro to be faster...

wgyure

Dec 25 2006, 06:14 PM

I noticed a lot of pics with aluminum wheels, I've got black plastic ones. (?)

brokenmike

Dec 28 2007, 01:51 PM

I just got my nitro DF-300 the 24th. I got it togeather and drove it.It is about as fast as I can run. It can climb almost anything.I'am still getting it tuned in

Vintabilly

Feb 22 2008, 03:27 PM

First Post! w00t.

Hey there. I just built and put about 10 tanks through my new Nitro Blizzard.  Great fun!  it also has some weird things about it too.. and odd engineering.

1. It loves a very specific track tension. Too loose or tight and it shirks the tracks like a smock.

2. No grip, no fun. But it will "drift" through corners with ease. Bumpy frozen terrain at high speed doesn't feel too great either.

3. I filled the diff with 100k oil when I built it. No wandering so I think it works just fine.

4. That little engine is downright heroic.  I don't think I'd want to go much faster unless I had really smooth surfaces or a snow field.

5. It never ever ever throws a track when driving in reverse. This is my biggest point. It drives better in reverse since the "front" can float over rough stuff with the weight in the "rear".

6. The driven sprocket should be in the back, not the front. It might not be scale but it would be much better for the tracks. When under acceleration the slack in the track is on the bottom. Cut hard when you have traction and it just skates the track off the bogey guides. If the driven sprocket were in the back it would keep the track tight around the rear bogey where the derailing occurs most often during a pivot turn.

7. The velcro to keep the cab on the body is craptastic. I won't use it. I instead epoxied neodymium magnets to four points around the cab.  Easy on and off with no effort to keep them together.  No effect on radio range either.

8. The "suspension" is rediculous for the rear bogey. If you build it as it shows in the manual you end up with a rod that jams itself into the track. wth?  Who designed that?  I flipped the rods to the top and cut up the spring from a paintball gun. This made it a pushrod that seems less likely to pop off the ball when you jump something. Now I have a moving suspension with adjustable position and preload. What a difference on hard ground to keep the rear-most of the tracks off the ground but still have droop and movement when necessary.

9. The brakes are simply excellent.

10. Do the tracks ever stop stretching? I hope so before I run out of adjustment.

11. Did I mention that the engine hasn't burned out a glow plug after almost a dozen tanks of fuel? It also starts on the first pull...generally. :P  But it floods REALLLY fast.  Easy on that primer.

12. It's so quiet that I don't mind beside my neighbor's house at midnight. No I'm not kidding. I like driving it at odd times. Basically my free time is after kiddo goes to bed.  He doesn't hear it outside his room enough to notice.

13. The kit went together flawlessly. That manual is really good.

14. It seems a little delicate for the money. When I compare the maintenance and durability of this model compared to something similar in price like the Kyosho DBX/DST buggy...I get annoyed.  It still seems sturdy though. I'll reflect on this more in about a year.    Less than 1" of snow: buggy  more than 1": Blizzard!

15. Loads of extra room to add just about anything.  I soldered a light system for it and have no lack of space to mount batteries, servos, switches, etc.

16. It's the ug;y-duckling of models and very unique. Even if it isn't jumpable like my Tyco Fasttrax or as durable... I still won't give it up.  It's neat.

Sorry for the long post. I've been reading everything here.

Vintabilly.