Anyone in to RC cars? Good model for a beginner?

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Get that bad boy fixed up!

Got a control arm for a Tamiya King Cab? It's got a hopped up brushless motor too. It's not the fastest but its decent, kinda like my classic car.. Oh it has 2.4GHz transmitted and controller too.

I'd let you have it but it is a memory marker for my life as i near the halfway point of mine... i would take it out of the bag if it would see use.......

 

[JHZR2]

Traxxas Stampede is probably one of the best beginner RC.

I'm not trying to sell you on Traxxas but nobody does RC better for the casual RC hobbyist and the Stampede ticks all the boxes for a 9 year old and parents.

It large enough to use anywhere. 1/10 monster trucks are king bashers. Anything smaller (smaller than 1/10 or 1/10 buggies, short course, or stadium trucks) and you'll have trouble on grass until you get into big power brushless motors.

It's fast enough to jump stuff and have fun. It's slow enough to be controllable.

It's durable. Bash it hard enough and you'll break it, sure, but the combination of slower speeds and durability makes that pretty rare. Electronics are also waterproof and warrantied.

Parts are available. This is key. Most inexpensive RC you'll find are gonna be one-off Chinese junk. Where do you find a control arm when it breaks? With a Traxxas, you go on Amazon and a new one shows up tomorrow (maybe you buy a stronger one because everyone sells hop-up parts for them too).

That is exactly what we ended up with...

And did bust a control arm and spindle part after about three days and an attempt at a curb jump. Hobby store knew exactly what the part was, and had a replacement from a different material composition that they recommended.

It's amazing how much longer modern LiPo batteries last, especially on a vehicle that doesn't tax them too much. You'd probably get bored of driving it before the battery alarm goes off.

I need to look into that now. The truck we got has only a car charger for the cigarette lighter... Seems like a silly way to go, except that it forces the buyer to spend more... Ours came with an 8.4V NiMH 3000mAh. The controller on the truck can be set up for NiMH or with an overdischarge protection to enable use of LiPO. So Im kind of interested in getting one, but again, dont want a modding money pit. I can get another NiMH for $25-30...

 

[road_rascal]

That is exactly what we ended up with...

And did bust a control arm and spindle part after about three days and an attempt at a curb jump. Hobby store knew exactly what the part was, and had a replacement from a different material composition that they recommended.



I need to look into that now. The truck we got has only a car charger for the cigarette lighter... Seems like a silly way to go, except that it forces the buyer to spend more... Ours came with an 8.4V NiMH 3000mAh. The controller on the truck can be set up for NiMH or with an overdischarge protection to enable use of LiPO. So Im kind of interested in getting one, but again, dont want a modding money pit. I can get another NiMH for $25-30...

If you end up liking this hobby you can get a decent charger for around $100, and will charge the batteries in less than an hour. Do some research on LiPO batteries as they can be somewhat dangerous. Do not store them fully charged and don't over discharge them. The Stampede is an awesome truck!

 

[JHZR2]

If you end up liking this hobby you can get a decent charger for around $100, and will charge the batteries in less than an hour. Do some research on LiPO batteries as they can be somewhat dangerous. Do not store them fully charged and don't over discharge them. The Stampede is an awesome truck!

Yes, very aware of Li-ion safety issues…. NiMH seems to work well enough for now. Not trying to do 80 MPH down the street…