Remote controlled boats come in all shapes and sizes. However, the biggest difference among all these boats is what’s inside the hull. The engines that these RC boats have are miniature machines that require a good understanding for you to be able to make the most out of them.

The first type of engine is the electric engine. Electric remote controlled boats have either brushed or the more powerful brushless motors. These electric motors are also less expensive to purchase and operate than fuel-powered engines. These engines also require almost no maintenance, so it’s the perfect engine for novices.

The second type of engine is the nitro engine. Also referred to as the glow engine, it provides a huge boost to speed for RC boats. The nitro engine for boats is different from other nitro engines because it is water cooled, not air cooled. A tube is ran through a cylinder of the engine, and water passes through it to cool down the engine and take the heat back out as the water goes out the other end and back into the lake or river. These engines are also both easy and complicated to upgrade, as the upgrades are ready for improving any and every aspect of the boat’s performance, but the more advanced ones would take a lot of work to install.

The third type of engine is the gasoline engine. These engines are two-stroke engines similar to those used in gardening tools such as weed trimmers and leaf blowers. Gas powered boats are the biggest ones, as the engines are much bigger than the other types of engines. These boats need large spaces to operate properly, so swimming pools are out of the question. They are much more expensive to purchase than nitro powered engines, but the gasoline costs are much cheaper than nitro fuel. In the long run, gasoline engines are less expensive to maintain and operate. These engines are also easier to repair as the parts required are readily available in hardware stores, whereas parts for nitro engines need to be purchased in specialized hobby stores.

Choosing which engine to use for your RC boats is entirely up to the performance you want out of your boat and the time and budget you’re willing to spend on this hobby. However, whichever engine you choose, driving your remote controlled boat would surely give a great sense of satisfaction.