civicphreak

Why is it that nitro fuel for these RC cars are so expensive (~$25-30) a gallon compared with the normal gas we drive on our real cars?
Will these prices ever go down so that more people can get into the hobby?


How many minutes does a typical .18 engine last on fuel if using it in the normal to slighly above normal speeds?

Hordsak

Because it is a specialty item, and only a select few use it. It's not a commodity, and to be quite frank, because the manufactures can charge that, and they know you'll pay. It probably costs them 1 dollar or so to make a gallon.

jgeck90

some people over in the UK make their own nitro fuel.

Re-Builder

Have you looked at what people pay for water!!

dustin7837

My Feedback: (1)

#1, the USA gets pretty cheap gas compared to a lot of the rest of the world.
#2, RC fuel is not the same as vehicle fuel. RC fuel is mostly methanol, nitromethane, and synthetic or castor oils.
#3, as mentioned above, its a specialty hobby item, so the markup is HUGE!!!!

naynay12

I pay $52 over here(roughly 40us for 4 litres(slightly more then a gallon)

GRANT ED

I mix my own fuel. The expensive bit is the nitro. The nitro cost is about 25 times as much as the methanol for the same amount. Using lower % nitro will reduce the cost per gallon quite a bit.

Nick2618

We might get it cheaper then some places but the reason eurpoe pays 2-5 dollars more a gallon is because their country adds that in much tax.

KillerJato

We actually have cheaper nitro then any where else in the world. But everything in the States have went up in the last 6-8 yrs. 10 yrs ago i can remember paying on several ocassions 89cents for gas. Milk was $1.49 for a gallon not to long ago. Eggs have double. Along with about everything it has doubled or tripled from about 6-8yrs ago. And nitro fuel is no different it will go up just like anything. I can think of two words for the reason things have doubled or tripled in price, GEORGE BUSH. He should of been gone that last election, now we are really paying.

dustin7837

My Feedback: (1)

exactly true. Thats one of the biggest temper raisers in Canada. We have a TON of oil and gas right here, its produced and refined within 100 miles of me and I pay over $5 per gallon.... WTH?!?!
Whereas you guys get it pipelined from Alaska and Alberta and pay $4/gallon ish

Stupied taxes.

46u

My Feedback: (3)

I pay about $15 a gallon for Sidewinder, which I do not like, or Byron. I wish I could get O’Donnell for that price as it is my favorite fuel but my sponsors do not carry it.

Nick2618

LOL 4ish is wrong try 2.75-3.10 has been in that area last couple of months. The current price where live is is 2.88

Jordandarkmagic

I think the fact that nitro fuel is so expensive allows more sales and profit in the electric RC hobby market

dgz69er

Whats even more amazing is people pay for water.

bigbadbowtie

The reason is that Nitromethane is only made in (I believe) 2 places in the world. I know that Angus Chemical is the ONLY pruducer in the US. I believe the other is in Asia??

texaschilidog

Before I make my trip to the FLHS(far local hobby shop)I fill up in Georgia and save sometimes 20cents a gallon.
Its crazy when im 30 miles from florida and when I cross the state line I just laugh,fools!

sloppyG

if they sold it cheaper, they wouldn't make a profit and would go out of business and then you wouldn't have anybody to buy fuel from

DaveG55

Angus is the biggest. They make some 7300 tons/year but there are at least 18 other companies that make it in the US. I didn't realy check world wide.

aer-wubby

$24.99 isn't expensive for me [&:].

DaveG55

It costs a bit more than a $1/gallon to make.
Nitromethane costs $225 for 5 gallons (not counting any hazardious shipping costs)
Methanol is about $3 / gallon and
Castor oil (synthetic) costs is $44 / gallon

If you do the math it turns out to cost about $17/gallon for the materials alone. Then there's the containers, advertising, shipping, retailer markup, etc to add on to that.

I'm sure that the big fuel manufacturers get volume discounts but I'd be surprised if their profits are more than $1 or two/gallon.

Re-Builder

That makes sense. I try to support the local shops with my business and try to only order on line once in a while. But.... I have to go with the best deal for me and if I have to go from shop to shop, I do. One shop sells a gallon of 30% race fuel for $32.00 and another shop sells 30% for $20.99. This is an expensive hobby and some people have more money to spend on it than others. It would make a funny Mastercard commercial, but the fun you get out of these cars and trucks is worth every penny.

narn

Back to gas, i cant believe that you are amazed that you are paying $5 a gallon. Last year it got up to £1 a litre here in the uk.

$5 a gallon is $1.32 a litre, 66p at current ex rates

So you pay 2/3 max of what we pay

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

I don't think fuel is all that expensive. Our LHS charges less than $14.00 for 20% fuel in this area. Under $10.00 for airplane fuel. How much was that last cup of coffee at Starbucks?

If you are paying $25.00 per gallon, my guess is the hobby shop is making over $10.00 per gallon.