cummins driver

My Feedback: (31)

Oh, and for batteries and chargers if you go electric, hobbypartz.com or hobbyking.com have some great batteries and chargers for literally half the price of other places.

Vicarious2

If anyone reading this goes through the used classifieds ads, it's cool if you want to pm me some suggestions of what I might want to buy.

Vicarious2

Thanks for all the info. I'll check out all the links. I figure my son and I will be addicted to rc cars after we start, so it's good to have all this advise.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

I know I suggested you steer away from monster trucks but I think you should buy the HPI Savage I have for sale! Its the best deal you will find on a Savage!LOL!

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

Cummins driver has given you some good suggestions for some.models to look at. I couldn't agree more about the Hyper 7. If i.had to choose one vehicle for your situation that wasnt a truggy it be t be the Ofna Hyper 7. It is one of the best bang for the.buck deals you will find on a new RC. Hey are built.like tanks and handle very well. They will do about 35 mph out of the box and if that's too fast for him it can easily be geared down a bit too. The RC10T4 is a.proven platform that is fairly simple so it would be a good choice for a beginner as well but it's only 2wd.

Vicarious2

Ya, Ithink I'll go with 2wd because the 4wd are going out of my price range for a nice model. I'm leaning toward an electric and I know Cummins driver has suggested 2 electric(one brushed and one brushless) models that Iwill take a closer look at. The reason I'm leaning toward electric is because I won't always be there and I'm not sure he will have the patience to go through the tuning and maintance for a nitro. I would also like a model that will be pretty easy to gear down so it doesn't go as fast and will have more low end power, plus he said he doesn't need a fast car and it will save me on repairs.. lol

Thanks for the help!

MONSTERRUSTLER

I would recommend a Traxxas vehicle. May cost a lil more but definetly worthit. And Traxxas is located in Texas.

DieHarder

When it says acessories needed, it means you need a charger and a battery. Do you already have a charger and a battery? If so, then you won't need those that are listed below truck's details. If you don't have either of those, then you probably want a different charger and battery anyway. Beleive me, there are better prices one better batteries and chargers out there.It's a great truck. You could also pm "cumminspower5.9", he's had one for a while and could tell you all about it. Also (Even though it's 2WD) theres the Duratrax Evader Brushless. That's also a nice truck, but it may not be what your looking for with it being 2WD and all. I think the HPI Savage Flux XS is your best bet.

DieHarder

Oh, almost forgot...heres the link for that Duratrax Evader Brushless. (I have one and love it!)

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXBLNP**&P=ML

You can expect nothing but great things out of this truck. For me, after owning one for 7 years, and being through it end to end, I now have the knowledge of just about everything on it. That's what's great about the Evader, it's easy disassembly and reassembly! I just noticed that you decided to go with 2WD, so I think this is what you want. It is in your price range, tough as a rock (Mine fell off 15ft ramp to the concrete and didn't break a thing. Just a few extra scratches to the body.), it does about 30-35mph stock (it can be geared down), and it should be able plow through 7" wide-spread grass without over heating.

rgburrill

You should check out both Craiglist and eBay (auction only - stay away from the Buy it Now drop shippers).  I know it was many years ago but I got my son a very good 4WD Avante car from a kid who became bored with RC cars for very little money.  It had both off-road tires and gearing and on-road tires and gearing - very fast on-road.  It wouldn't handle 7 inch grass but we had no problems with 3 inch grass or dirt and rock fields.

mattster1971

If your buying used beware, especially nitro. So many variables that could be negative. Wouldn't buy used unless your buying from someone local and you see it perform. Someone who you know where they live! My one experience with used, as someone else had said, resulted in me spending more to fix it than a new one would have cost me. Why electric or nitro, its really personal preference. If you just want to slap a battery on a charger and run then go electric but expect to pay OTA for lipos , brushless and a nice charger. I prefer nitro, love the tuning aspect, the sounds and smells, the sheer force of it not the whirrrrrrr of an electric cylindrical tube. Its more maintenance but that's what a hobby is about isn't it? Finding joy and relaxation in running but also maintaining. Fuel will be an expense but batteries need replacing too.

JohnP2

I agree you should at least consider Nitro. Your son will most likely get more of a "thrill" from it. I have a 12 year old, and he has an OFNA (Hobao)Hyper 7.

I disagree with those that state tuning a nitro engine is like splitting the atom. There is a small learning curve, but that is part of the fun for some people. I do agree it helps to have an adult around to get started with it. 12 year olds have short attention spans and want to just go-go-go. ;-)

Assuming he has access to the Internet, there is PLENTY of help on YouTube that will show him exactly what he needs to do. This is not to dismiss getting him an electric car, but don't be "afraid" of nitro, either. It really comes down to what he wants to do. If you think he would be interested in having a more "realistic" car with a "real engine", then nitro. If you think he's more interested in something a little easier to setup/maintain (i.e. charge and run), then electric.

p.s. I also agree with being careful buying a used nitro. Even if you go an see it in person, unless you really know what to look for you can get scammed easily. This is not to say there aren't honest people selling used nitros, but just like anything you have to be careful.

yakfish

My Feedback: (27)

I like how someone opened up a new account just to post this! LOL!

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

Yeah but you dont have to buy batteries very often and you have buy fuel alot, and he doesnt have to get a lipo either. Im not trying to talk down nitro "i love my nitro rs4" and while tuning isnt like splitting an atom it can be difficult and especially for a 12 year old when his dads not there.

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

HAHA yeah i was wondering who did that.

SyCo_VeNoM

And he said he doesn't have a LHS in the town nearby, so getting the nitro shipped like I believe I said twice before is going to smoke the pocket book.

For a 12 yo unless under adult supervision I'd recommend NiMh's in an electric as lipos need some care when handling. Same with nitro if an adult is present the nitro would be fine, but lets face it kids until they mature a little can do stupid things, and nitro if mishandled is dangerous(like the lipo battery) .


Yes I know the irony of talking about maturing when dealing with RC cars

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Get yourself an infra-red thermometer for monitoring motor temps when running.  Brushless motors are great, but you CAN overheat them if the ambient air / track temp is high.  You want to keep a brushless motor below 150 degrees F.  In your area, you might get away with 160, but nothing over that.  During the summer, you may need to install a smaller pinion gear to keep the motor temps in check.

MONSTERRUSTLER

Haha. I created it to buy a couple thinks i saw. Then I saw this. Traxxas is a great company. I have a Rustler VXL but its $350+ new.

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

Yes my favorite rc ive ever had was a traxxas revo but there are plenty of other companies that are just as good and some better.

Dayaks

Traxxas Stampede. I'd love to suggest the summit but this is more in your price range. Electric not nitro though.

http://traxxas.com/products/models/e...c/3605stampede

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

The stampede is known for being top heavy though.

MONSTERRUSTLER

I did have a Stampede at one time and it flipped alot. But since your probably will mostly be driving on dirt it may not be a problem. Also the Slash is good too.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

A nitro, for an 8yr old?  I don't think so!  Not unless dad is there to do most of the work.
Traxxas is OK cuz here in the states, it's everywhere.  But they're big, and expensive. You won't get a 4x4 in your price range, since you also need all the other "stuff" (batteries, charger, tools, etc).  I'd go with the Duratrax Evader Brushless. A tried-and-true design, easy to work on, and it has the toughness needed for a newby - strong drive-trane, good bumper, and good materials. Very powerful motor system can be "de-tuned" for learning to drive via a $25 "Castle-Link" dongle that allows you to change throttle response. And don't forget the "Stress-Tech Guarantee" that will replace any broken part in the first YEAR of driving.  Good value, that.  Being able to adjust the throttle curve will also allow you to use LiPo batteries which will last longer than NiMh batts on a brushless system.  You'll kill NiMhs pretty quickly with a BL system because they can't deliver the current LiPos can.  You'll just have to educate your son on the proper use of LiPo batteries.  If you still don't want to go LiPo yet, the Evader EXT2 brushed is even cheaper.  Just be sure to buy an Evader Brushless BUMPER to put on the car, it needs a bumper.  Then you can upgrade it to brushless later as his skills improve, only a brushless-model metal diff would be needed.

JohnP2

I believe the OP stated his son was 12, and I can attest that is old enough for a nitro....but dad still does most of the work. ;-)

SyCo_VeNoM

Here is a secret bit of knowledge if you remove shock pre-loads the MT's stop flipping so much


As for being old enough for a nitro like I said earlier if under supervision its all fine and dandy just I wouldn't think its smart to let the kid handle the fuel alone. Hell I let my nephew when he was 9 drive a nitro, but I wouldn't let him touch the fuel, and I had to start it.