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Strarter "Fun" RC Car

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mark

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Joined
May 8, 2006
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Woody-ville!
I want to get a "new" RC car. I've had a couple over the years. Started with a couple Radio-Shack specials, then moved into a "cheap" electric 2wd buggy that I beat the living tar out of, then haven't had anything since.

No my son is 3, my daughter is 5 and I'd like something fun to play with.

Nothing "big", nothing expensive (be nice to keep it around $100 +/-), something better than the "RC Cars" that have marginal controls that you can get this time of year at Costco and the like.

Wants:
4wd
Small enough to be used indoors, but also good in the yard, lawn, playground etc.
Full-Function controller (proportional) (which knocks out most of the "cheapy" toy-store models)
Durable (I'm going to let the kids play with it)
Fast enough to be fun, slow enough for the kids.
I don't really seem my self moding it really. So I don't need a huge up-grade path.

Be cool to get a link'd buggy like all the cool kids to play around with in the yard, but some of them are also pretty big so I'm thinking probably 1/10th scale or even smaller.

Without me being too wordy about all that I want, any ideas?
 
Go to a hobby or RC store and talk to them. If you want to save some coin, don't let them talk you into buying and just get info and go home and get it on the internet. Most hobby shops are really cool though and if you get a 'real' RC you will end up back there for parts/accessories. It might just be best to buy it from them in the long run since you will get better support most of the time if you buy from them.

Losi used to make some really cool 1/18th or 1/16th RCs when I was more into it a few years back.

Guys at a good hobby shop or RC store will guide you to exactly what you are looking for alot easier than we will here.

Tower Hobbies is also a good place to look online. Cheap prices, cheap shipping, and good service. At least they were a few years back.
 
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Your not going to find anything above the typical radio shack stuff for around $100 unless you find something used. Usually a 1/3 of the cost is the TX(radio) and you can get a decent radio for around $98.(spectrum Dx3e)

As for a decent built 4x4 the Axial Wraith has been good.
 
Jacob said:
Go to a hobby or RC store and talk to them. If you want to save some coin, don't let them talk you into buying and just get info and go home and get it on the internet. Most hobby shops are really cool though and if you get a 'real' RC you will end up back there for parts/accessories. It might just be best to buy it from them in the long run since you will get better support most of the time if you buy from them.

Losi used to make some really cool 1/18th or 1/16th RCs when I was more into it a few years back.

Guys at a good hobby shop or RC store will guide you to exactly what you are looking for alot easier than we will here.

Tower Hobbies is also a good place to look online. Cheap prices, cheap shipping, and good service. At least they were a few years back.
Click to expand...

I use tower allot as they still have great prices (parts) and the shipping is decent and fast.

Its hard to find anybody "decent" at the hobby stores who want to help vs. help you walk out after spending a bunch of $$.

But there are a few decent ones. The RCH in woodinville and the one in covington is pretty decent. The couple hobby's stores in the downtown Everett area are all about gasser's and little to no help. I know a few guys who go to the Hobby town in redmond and had some luck.
 
I bought the Ol lady a USED Traxxas Stampede ready to run USED on CL for $80 with remote and charger. She didnt like the boring crawlers we play with.

Then I got another USED Stampede in perfect shape. An older one that still had the old mechanical speed control. I got it with a dynomite charger and a remote in running shape for $30.

Then just a week ago I was looking to buy a USED ESC and brushless motor for a boat project. I ended up finding a USED Traxxas Rustler (hopped up Stampede) Brushless VXL with a lipo for $120 on CL. It has a remote and a 5000MAH 3S lipo ($79 battery). The kid wouldnt include his fancy charger tho. Its easily worth 250-300 back on CL.

I ran it and damn its FAST! Im going to leave it complete and get different electric parts/esc for the boat.




My top notch advice is....

Get a Traxxas. They are cheap and NEVER going anywhere. They even stock parts for kits they discontinued back in the early 90s.

Get one USED. Let some one else eat it on the new price.

Get a LIPO battery. Its worth it. Its WAY worth it.

Brushed is fine for normal beating.

The Traxxas Slash, Rustler, Stampede are all based on the same rig just with small differences. Most parts interchange. These are a great family of rigs to get. Get one. Then watch and add another later and so on. Pretty soon all basher rigs use the same parts and wheels and etc.

Just my .02.coming form a cheap guy with 8 rc cars in the living room and 2 boats.
 
The hobby shops ALL dissapoint me except the Covington RCH and 4 seasons RC in Lacey.

Gary at 4 seasons has a normal day job and is more interested in making new friends/racers and helping youth than making a buck.


RCH in Covingtonis still overpriced but has good advice and lots of good parts.

They are all overpriced like the Bike shops. If buying new (and sometimes used) I prefer EBAY.
 
I have ran both brushed and brushless setups and all my rigs now run brushed motors. Only thing you want a brushless for is if you wanna go fast---going slow not your best setup.

All my rigs run 35-45 turn motors with Tekin FXR's and ytou cannot beat the drag brake and adjustable throttle curve. Only downside is you max at a 3 cell lipo.
 
Mark,
As mentioned with your budget your best bet is going to be purchasing some used on craigslist.

If also recommend something Traxxas for your first Rc. They are strong easier to work on and cheap to fix.

Crawlers are getting cheaper but still higher then the price your willing to spend.
 
Cool, some good starter advice. I'm willing to move my limit up a bit if it gets what I want and have no problem with used if the deal, condition and price it right.

Funny part is my old "cheap" 2wd buggy was a Traxxas CAT, inexpensive and bullet proof. My brother and I abused the crap out of it, think I even still have [whats left] of it around. Mid-80's vintage. Sometime it would even whip a buddies "built" (for the time) RC-10.

Course, same buddy now works/manages the Redmond Hobby Town (I think thats the one, I know there are two in Redmond). Been meaning to stop and and chat with him but thought I'd come in armed with a little knowledge first.

Choppy, are the Russlers and Stampede's 2wd? The ones you linked looked like they were. While I wouldn't mind a little go-fast again, right now I'm looking for a 4x4 the kids and I can crawl around the house in.

Wasn't it Losi that made the little mini crawlers for a little while? What were those and just how "small" were they? From some of the pictures I've seen they only looked a little bigger than good old STOMPERS of years past (who remembers those?? Wish they still made them, my boy would LOVE them. Simple, cheap, and damn near bullet proof).
 
Stompers kicked ass. I remember the foam traction tires you could put on them. We used to trade them like baseball cards and had pull-offs and hill climbs. Damn I miss the good simple times.


Honestly the funnest cheapest RC I have ever owned came from Walmart about 6 years ago. They used to sell some cheesy crawlers. One was a Jeep and the other was the Scorpian. They were cheap Chinese junk, but had low crawl range, locked front and rear, decent flex, had their own charger and battery pack and charged fast. The two I bought for me and my son for in the house were only about $20 each. I still have them and they still work. Unfortunately it was one of the more decent things walmart has sold in the last 20 years so they stopped carrying them and I have not seen them anywhere else.

This is it. They were actually so good that when a shipment would come in they would be gone within the hour. I know, if you didn't know about these you think I am crazy, but they work great and were alot of fun.

product_shot.jpg



Edit- HAHA, these worked so good and are so hard to find now, they are going from $65 to $125 on ebay now. I should have bought them all and held to resell now. That is a better return than gold.
 
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Jacob said:
Stompers kicked ass. I remember the foam traction tires you could put on them. We used to trade them like baseball cards and had pull-offs and hill climbs. Damn I miss the good simple times.


Honestly the funnest cheapest RC I have ever owned came from Walmart about 6 years ago. They used to sell some cheesy crawlers. One was a Jeep and the other was the Scorpian. They were cheap Chinese junk, but had low crawl range, locked front and rear, decent flex, had their own charger and battery pack and charged fast. The two I bought for me and my son for in the house were only about $20 each. I still have them and they still work. Unfortunately it was one of the more decent things walmart has sold in the last 20 years so they stopped carrying them and I have not seen them anywhere else.

This is it. They were actually so good that when a shipment would come in they would be gone within the hour. I know, if you didn't know about these you think I am crazy, but they work great and were alot of fun.

product_shot.jpg



Edit- HAHA, these worked so good and are so hard to find now, they are going from $65 to $125 on ebay now. I should have bought them all and held to resell now. That is a better return than gold.
Click to expand...
I remember folks talking about those (would be a couple years ago), threads about people telling others were they found a stash, then they would be gone in no time. Should have gotten in at that time.


Sounds perfect, might even be worth the e-bay price....
 
mark said:
Hee Hee, same thing I just linked too. I think when I searched your ealier post I was finding different "Pro" models of theirs. But it started me on a path.

Why all the upgrades? What was "wrong" with it out of the box?
Click to expand...

Its my comp rig so I build them to hold up. But I only upgraded the drive shafts, the trans gears (because I killed them) and I have some alum inner/outer c's for the front. Wheels were due to I needed more adjustment/something stronger.

Out of the box its a great unit for just toying around with.
 

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