Vicarious2

Hi,

I’m brand new to the forums here. I want to buy my 12 year old son an rc vehicle for one of his Christmas gifts and I would like some suggestions. I’m new to the hobby, but have done a bit of research before my first post. He’s owned a few radio shack quality rc cars around the $100 range, but I’d like to spend between $180-$300 for him on this purchase. I’m mainly interested in getting him a RTR 1/10 or 1/8 electric and possibly nitro. I can help him with tuning and repairs for the nitro. He will be running it almost 100% of the time in thick grass(up to 7 inches tall) and dirt roads. He has 10 acres of land to run his car on. He’s not interested in a fast car, but rather a car that is geared to push through thick grass and a bit of rough(not really rocky) mostly hard dirt terrain. I know that he will get stuck in the grass from time to time since I'm not getting him a 1/5 baja, so I'm not expecing a tank that can go through anything. Even on flat dirt, he doesn’t need to exceed 20-25 mph. So, what we are looking for is a car that is durable, easy to control, maybe a bit on the heavy side, and is hard to flip at reasonable speeds and moderate terrain. I’m thinking the 4wd monster trucks might be his best bet for his needs but also something with a fairly low center of gravity so it’s not easy to flip, so maybe a stadium truck would be better than a monster truck? I’d rather not get him a kit for his first until I see how much patience he has when making repairs to his first hobby quality vehicle. I’m willing to consider anything even a nitro model. So, mainly a durable, easy to control, stable, and not too fast but geared to be resoably strong in thick grass model.. Any ideas? Also, any recomendations on where to buy online are welcome. Let me know if you have questions for me or Imissed any information.

Thanks in advance!!

rcpowerhorse

As I'm sure will be mentioned, look at what is available locally and has local spare parts support

Vicarious2

Well, He lives in a very small town in Texas and the nearest city doesn't have a hobby shop, so all of his parts will be shipped through the mail which is fine since he doesn't mind waiting between repairs.

rcpowerhorse

Based on that I would recommend a truggy or a truck
7inch grass will be hard on whatever you get though

Vicarious2

Ok, thanks.. Ya, he might have to avoid the tall grass. do you have a recomendation for a model? Preferably something that is geared more for low end torque rather than speed.

mattster1971

I think you will find it hard to get a quality rc in that price range that will move well through 7 inches of grass. I don't see anything under 1/5 scale moving through that easily unless you get a crawler and that's definitely not going to have any speed. If you have an area that would have minimal grass I would opt for a 1/8th Truggy as it will be a little bit more clearance than a buggy but the buggy would be my second choice. Also, your going to pay your top threshold of 300 minimum for an rtr truggy or buggy. Nitro would be my choice over electric but brushless has serious power to push through although you will be paying more for the brushless set up. I would do comparisons at amainhobbies, towerhobbies, rcboca, or nitrohouse.. there are a few more good ones but those would be my top choices.

SyCo_VeNoM

if you are only trying to hit 25ish that should be simple could get something I'd say 10th scale
the 7 inches of grass thing honestly I don't see happening a 5th scale I'd see even having issues with that
honestly if the grass is over 2 inches it will more than likely give issues.

You will need an RC more in the $200 range as I'm sure you have not contemplated needing a battery charger, and extra batteries as RTRs come with the bare minimal in those regards.

In the $200 range there is the wheely king which is a 4wd MT that uhh does as its name implies it is top heavy so it can't turn fast though
ECX has a pile of RTRs for a decent price

Now if that $300 don't include charger and a battery there is the axial ridgecrest which seems ok (just make sure to tighten the screws)

Or if you don't mind helping him build a kit tamiya has a few like the DF-02 (plasma edge) that with a little extra work can be made to be quite resilient the kit costs $130ish, and needs like $50 extra in parts to complete (plus a battery and charger)(and with a $5 home made mod that requires a vice, and a hammer can be made pretty robust). The DF-02 is a buggy, but does fine on dirt, short grass (like 1-2 inches)..


Now nitro the best bet is either the OFNA jammin X1x CR RTR, or the HoBao Hyper 7 which both are around $300 both are 1/8th scale buggies, and both are known for their toughness. Only thing needed is nitro, BUT as you said theres no LHS around this might be a big issue as nitro required hazmet shipping and thus is insanely expensive if you have it shipped(not like its not extremely expensive if you buy it at the hobby shop)

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

In your situation being completely new and having to order everything i would go electric. and if your driving in tall grass i wouldn't recommend a buggy because they're low to the ground. while nothing is going to go threw 7 inches oh grass well at all your best chance is a monster truck but that would cost more than your wanting to spend.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

First off I would say forget about trying to get thru 7 inch,grass. Most RCs are going to have trouble there. I would also.say to.forget about monster truck too since they lack the stability at nearly every speed. For what you were asking for I think a 1/8 buggy would be almost perfect for your son. An 1/8 truggy would be ideal as it offers an excellent blend of offroad capability, agility and stability. But truggies are expensive and I highly doubt you will find one for less than $300 even used. Nitro is cheaper to hereunto and considering your price range that is the direction I would go. Brushless is nice but it can be very expensive to start with since your not buying just the car but the batteries and charger as well.

SyCo_VeNoM

but as I noted shipping costs for nitro would decimate that as he said there is no LHS nearby so I wouldn't go that route

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

Exactly...he'll spend more very quickly going nitro plus the heat in Texas won't make it any easier to run a nitro.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

USPS has now put new limitations on lithium batteries. So shipping batteries is going to get expensive as well. I don't know the specifics but the last time I shipped some RC stuff they asked if there were any lithium batteries inside the package. They told me the government was putting new restriction on the shipment of lithium batteries.

Vicarious2

Thanks for all the replies and useful help. I'm visiting Houston at the moment, so I may check out some of the local hobby shops for your suggestions. I forgot to tell you that the grass is pretty thin, even though it's tall but he will be happy running it on the dirt roads as long as it can get through some of the thinner and shorter plants. It's more of a native Texas grass and not the thick stuff that you see in most yards. So, when the temps are in the high 90's or low 100's, it's too hot to run nitro for an extended amount of time? Icould actually stock up nitro fuel from some of the larger towns that I visti since I usually go to Houston or Austin at least once a month, but the sumers here are brutally hot and may be too much for a nitro engine from what Iread above.

I was also going to point out that it doesn't necessarly have to be a new rc. He will have plenty of new items to open on Christmas, so if I can get him a better buggy/truck by buying used, Imay go that route.

Anyway, you guys are awesome. I'll definitally take your suggestions when I make a purchace.

SyCo_VeNoM

problem with used you can either strike an insanely good deal (these are getting rare) or end up with a lemon, or a RC that needs a ton of work (especially in nitro) that will cost an arm and a leg to fix.

I started with used RC's and honestly how much I spent on the 1st RC I bought to get it operational I could have bought a brand new one for less(there was that much wrong). My 2nd, and 3rd used RC's were steals, the one after that I got ripped, its kinda a coin toss.
I even got one the pics it looked to be in tip top shape if I didn't see a few deep scratches in the pics that the one I got I would have sworn the RC that was sent to me was a completely different RC it was in such poor shape as compared to the pics.

Vicarious2

Ya, I know what you mean, used would definitely be a gamble unless I was to check out some of the used adds while I'm here in Houston and can at least see the thing run before I buy. Seeing it run may not mean much given my limited experience, but it's better than buying something only from pictures. I was going to take another look at the classifieds here on this forum. Do the feedback ratings mean much on this site for an indication of honesty from a seller?

SyCo_VeNoM

thing with nitros even if the engine is shot you can get them to run for a few minutes. Its actually what almost made me quit the hobby right off the bat. The nitro I got would start up after 5-10 mins it would cut out and nothing I did could get it started till it cooled down. Turns out the pinch on the sleeve was shot, and seeing the motor was discontinued I had to fork out $80 for a new engine on a RC I paid $120 for right from the start that ran perfectly. In the next 4 weeks I had to spend $140 in parts that broke due to being brittle(from how it was stored) or were doctored up. A brand new one of the model ran $320, and honestly it still has some of the old parts only reason it didn't break anymore(something gave way EVERY time it ran) was I gave up on it, and stopped running it completely .

Vicarious2

You definitely got me thinking of staying clear of used, especially with nitro, and since I'm a beginner in the hobby.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

Don't be afraid of used stuff. I have owned dozens if different RCs over the years.and I think only 3-4 of them were purchased new. Two days after your son starts running it you will have a used RC and not long after you will have to start replacing the parts he broke anyway. Personally I am not overly concerned about buying used. Sure you run the risk of getting burned, but the risk is slim. The feedback rating system on here and many other sites does help potential buyers get to know the seller ahead of time which is helpful. Avoid Sellers with low or poor ratings and the.risk drops.even further.

Oh and I.have never had any issues running nitro in hot weather. Mind you I don't.live in Texas but once it get over 100 degrees outside im not going to want to be outside anyway! If you go nitro just besure the engine stats below 280 degrees and you will be fine.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Tuning a nitro engine is an art that many people never master. Without a little hand holding and help from a fellow "nitro head", the odds of a beginner picking up the "tuning thing" are very slim, even less for your son. Nitro engines are complex little devils and easy to ruin in a hurry if run lean or not kept clean. A nitro engine will certainly run hot trying to navigate 7 inch tall grass.

Best bet is electric, better still a brushless electric. It will be difficult to find a decent brushless car with batteries and charger for what you want to pay. A car with a brushed motor is possible for $300 with batteries and charger but you may not be happy with the performance. Be very careful if you buy Lipo batteries, they can cause REAL problems if not treated with respect.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

Nitro is too hard. you'll never figure it out.

SyCo_VeNoM

actually the tuning when hotter thing I find the ambient heat don't matter a hell of a lot its the humidity that screws with the tune more. Like I once tuned an engine when it was 75 out with low humidity used it when it was 35 out with low humidity it needed a little adjust ment not much. Tried using it when it was 95 out with well over 90% humidity (seriously could hardly breath that time) I couldn't even get it to fire up let alone tune it.


049flyer he wants 20-25mph a 27t brushed motor in most 1/10ths will do that easy.

DieHarder

Ok, I know exactly what you need....Something I wish I had...A "HPI Savage Flux XS". It's a great truck, 4wd, waterproof, durable, moderate speed, low center of gravity, and sufficiant ground clearance. What's not to like?! I live in simular terrain...tall grass(Maybe only 5") and dirt roads (Everywhere). Funny though how I live on the opposite half of the country and have simular terrain. But I guess it's quite warmer down there.

So here is the link for the Savage Flux XS. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBFNA&P=ML Tower Hobbies is a well respected site and will pretty much ship anywhere in the country. They usually have alot of parts in stock. I do realize that it's a bit over your price range, but I think it'll be well worth it. (I'm starting to wish I was your kid...having my dad buy me an rc. )

DieHarder

Ok, I know exactly what you need....Something I wish I had...A "HPI Savage Flux XS". It's a great truck, 4wd, waterproof, durable, moderate speed, low center of gravity, and sufficiant ground clearance. What's not to like?! I live in simular terrain...tall grass(Maybe only 5") and dirt roads (Everywhere). Funny though how I live on the opposite half of the country and have simular terrain. But I guess it's quite warmer down there.

So here is the link for the Savage Flux XS. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBFNA&P=ML Tower Hobbies is a well respected site and will pretty much ship anywhere in the country. They usually have alot of parts in stock. I do realize that it's a bit over your price range, but I think it'll be well worth it. (I'm starting to wish I was your kid...having my dad buy me an rc. )

Vicarious2

I really like the Savage Flux and it's cool that you gave me a link to a rc supplier but I clicked on the link to the left that says, “accessories needed” and it says I need another $162 worth of items. I’m learning that I’m going to have to spend a lot more than $300 to get a nice car. The grass is actually more like thin weeds, it’s grasses that are native to Texas and not nearly as thick as what you find in most home yards. I would like a 4wd like this buy maybe something not as expensive or powerful as the Savage Flux.

cummins driver

My Feedback: (31)

I think all these would fit you pretty well depending on the category you choose. They will all handle the grass decent and as has been mentioned, thick grass slows down all r/c's quite a bit so its best to avoid it. .

For brushless electric:

Brushless RC10T4.1 - http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXYYD9**&P=7

For Nitro :

Ofna Hyper 7 Nitro - http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXCWHA&P=ML

For Brushed Electric:

Brushed Thunder Tiger Phoenix - http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXAPPL**&P=ML

If you go Brushless Electric, the T4.1 is a good bang for the buck. Brushless motor extremely rarely give out unless they are being misused. The torque is very good and you can easily change the gearing to suit where you are driving. The T4.1 is a truck that has been around in some form for a long time and is proven to be reliable and they handle good. They are extremely simple to work on and cheap to buy parts for.

If you go Brushed, I really think the Thunder Tiger Phoenix is a good deal. It comes with a 2.4 radio and is a remake of the Associated T3 since Thunder Tiger and Associated are partners. The T3 is an older design than the T4.1, but it is still an awesome basher and would easily handle brushless later if you upgraded the motor and esc. The worst thing about brushed is the motors wear much faster and run hotter as well. They have less power than brushless, but are still plenty capable if you take a little care of the motor and try not to run it too hot.

As for nitro, the Ofna Hyper 7 is probably the most durable r/c you will ever buy for $300. Its a real bang for your buck. The stock servo's arent awesome but those can be upgraded later, and it will definately take the abuse of a newcomer. They are fast and reliable.


None of these R/C's are particularly good in grass. But they would be great starters and are very good for the money and they all meet your price range. I think when it comes to R/C its a good idea to start simple and move up. It kind of allows you to learn the workings of an r/c without getting too overwhelmed when you need to fix something. Good luck with your purchase!

Eric