I'd like to get one for my son but I'm looking to maybe buy one from a hobby store rather than Toys R Us. I want something that can drive on dirt, zip along pretty good but also take a bit of punishment.
Any information on the things/brands/battery types to look for or stay away from would be greatly appreciated!
yah - I've been looking at their website and it's whole new world to me. I'm hoping to go in with some ideas so I don't buy something they want out of the store
check out www.hobbyking.com or www.horizonhobby.com just bought an rc boat and they had tons of selection plus parts and upgrades to support them and cheaper prices then what i found around town. even if you dont buy from them, it will help give you a better idea of what to look for and what features/speeds certain motors and batteries will allow for
The Following User Says Thank You to MG153 For This Useful Post:
Go for a brushless truck. Brushless are easier to maintain than a nitro based one. If you don't have any issues taking care of an engine, feel free and grab a nitro one.
As for brands I have always had good luck with HPI, but they aren't the cheapest brand.
The Following User Says Thank You to spetch For This Useful Post:
Get a brushless Traxxas Slash 4x4. The most versatile RC and (important) tons of parts at PM, FS or Action Hobbies. My kids have a few, Traxxas, HPI and TA and the Slash gets the most use. It is also very tough. Look at Future Shop for best deals, I saw one for $389.
Parts supply and ease of repairs are very important as all these trucks break a lot while bashing. Traxxas RCs are waterproof as well.
For yourself, get a HPI Savage Flux HP. Monster of all monsters :-)
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Get a brushless Traxxas Slash 4x4. The most versatile RC and (important) tons of parts at PM, FS or Action Hobbies. My kids have a few, Traxxas, HPI and TA and the Slash gets the most use. It is also very tough. Look at Future Shop for best deals, I saw one for $389.
Parts supply and ease of repairs are very important as all these trucks break a lot while bashing. Traxxas RCs are waterproof as well.
For yourself, get a HPI Savage Flux HP. Monster of all monsters :-)
wiked, can't wait for my little guy to get big enough to relive my youth with him!
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A dirt bicycle course (or something like that) is being built near my kid's school, I think I may get some dirt-compatible RC vehicle to race around it, seems like fun.
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Get a brushless Traxxas, they have a few similar models, Stampede/Nitro/etc (all vary on off road abilitiles, layout), basically exactly what you're asking for. Run you $250 to $400 all in depending on model/upgrades. Go like the dickens. Modelland and PM hobby locally will have plenty to choose from. Plus online communities for them is huge and parts are available easily for the inevitable breakages.
The Following User Says Thank You to Ducay For This Useful Post:
My advice is to buy something that a local store stocks parts for, even if you buy the actual kit online (although you should really support local hobby shops - its a niche hobby overall, and they deserve your support).
R/C cars break, and you really want to be able to get replacement parts in a timely fashion. It's heartbreaking to be out of commision your first hour of fun on a weekend with no recourse for repair until next week when a part arrives.
You should also keep track of what you break, and get used to buying the replacement part in pairs, trust me
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The Following User Says Thank You to sclitheroe For This Useful Post:
Action Hobby have tons of parts in stock. PM is super busy and quite often are out of the most frequently broken parts.
We have three different Traxxas models. They all have unique characteristics. The Stampede does great wheelies, the Rustler is fun to drive fast and do doughnuts and the Slash 4X4 is really fast but doesn't do doughnuts as well because of the 4X4. I would make sure you get Lipo Batteries. They make the cars go way faster than the NiMH batteries and have longer run times as well.
One other thing to consider is getting a model that can be modified. The Rustler has very few options for configuring the suspension, the Stampede more and the Slash a ton of options. If you want to make a custom body some models have very few body styles available if at all.
We've had a lot of fun with these vehicles, even in winter.
I was thinking of getting something for my son, he is still a bit too young to maneuver well enough (4.5). He can sit on YouTube all day watching RC car videos.
PM scottmisfits on here. I'll let him know that someone is going to send him a message. He used to work at PM in their RC section, races RC cars, both fuel and electric and can answer all of your questions.
The Following User Says Thank You to GrrlGoalie33 For This Useful Post:
When I was a young'un, me and the neighbour kids all bought models from Radio Shack. They definitely weren't the cream of the crop but they were pretty good for just playing around on the street. My nephews bought a couple of cars from The Source a few weeks ago, and they bought the biggest pieces of junk ever known to the RC world. Very disappointing.
So, is it possible to get something for the kids who just want to zip the cars around on the driveway/street/sidewalk that won't be a hunk of junk without spending hundreds of dollars?
When I was a young'un, me and the neighbour kids all bought models from Radio Shack. They definitely weren't the cream of the crop but they were pretty good for just playing around on the street. My nephews bought a couple of cars from The Source a few weeks ago, and they bought the biggest pieces of junk ever known to the RC world. Very disappointing.
So, is it possible to get something for the kids who just want to zip the cars around on the driveway/street/sidewalk that won't be a hunk of junk without spending hundreds of dollars?
It should be. The price of the technology behind this stuff has really dropped lately. I remember when I was a kid, I ended up with one of those huge piece of crap ones from RadioShack. It had a range of about 20 feet, was really slow, and ate batteries like nothing else....
Remote Controlled Cars
