quote:

ORIGINAL: marc s
If I can get pics to upload (RCU not playing ball so far today) then I will just for those doubting dudes.

marcs

quote:

So in my world repair would be the best option

quote:

ORIGINAL: LGM Graphix

Sadly, what still seems to be lost in all of the Hobby King Hoopla, is that we as society are encouraging poor customer service if the price is low. But what happens when all of the LHS's are gone, nobody has inventory locally for the simple things like glue, or any of the other things that you don't think about that you might need immediately to go flying tomorrow? How long will it be before China produces a copy of a Porsche and sells it for only $5000? Will this same society buy those cars and make comments like "Yeah, I'm laid up in the hospital now with tubes running out of me because my copy car had an axel break, who knew plastic wouldn't work, but it's ok because it was only 1/20th the cost of a real porsche.

Part of the problem with the inexpensive HK stuff, is people are willing to say "yes, I know it won't last, or it might show up broken, but it was cheap" and they are happy to have 20 airplanes today instead of having 2 or 3 really nice ones that always work, that you can rely on, like it used to be. I've been in this hobby 30+ years and it amazes me each time I see people go flying with an entire fleet of small electric airplanes, sure, they look different, but how many really fly different enough to be worth dragging all of them out?

I just wanted to comment on the above paragraph..    You mention 2 or 3 really nice planes that always work?  I have several Hobbyking planes that ALWAYS work.. this Spitfire has over 800 flights in the past two years and still flies exactly the same as day 1.. It cost me $69....

I have a hobbyking helicopter that cost $59 and has over 1000 flights.. zero problems.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRaI0t4n5Do

It flies just as nicely as my $700 Gaui from a Hobbyshop..

I have been in this hobby since 1978 and flew those "really nice planes" you are referring to.. I had them for over 20 years.. flying an average of 4-8 flights per week.. eventually i lost interest because I could only afford a few planes and they became boring.. also the mess of glow fuel just annoyed after 20 years....

3 years ago I came back to the hobby and now only fly electrics.. in the past 3 years I have flown more than 20 times the number of flights of the previous 31 yeas.. and it has been the most fun I have had in this hobby..  Charge 20 batteries and fly all day.. no mess no fuss..

I have over 25 different planes and over 15 helicopters, and they all fly Differently.. truly I enjoy each one for its unique character.   I have even fitted them to different radios and set up different stick tension to give varying tactile feedback for each genre..

But also.. flying the planes is no challenge at all now after 34 years... I am not even aware of what I do with the sticks.. I like flying because I enjoy wathing the planes fly around me..

Like a mini air show..  Who wants to go to an airshow and watch the same plane flying all day.. variety is the spice of life..

I'll get off my soap box now... just my opinion and it works for me..  I love this hobby now more than I did as an excitable 14 year old firing up his first glow engine..

I don't know, I ordered once from HK and the 2 batteries I bought were both DOA. That is a 100% failure rate for me. Doesn't mean it is for everyone, or even half of their customers, but for this one customer it was enough to make me realize that, sure, the local hobby shop might cost more, in the case of these batteries the local hobby shop had the exact same turnigy batteries and they were about 40% more than I paid for the ones from HK with the shipping, but had I bought them from the LHS, I could have brought them back and gotten replacement ones. Sure, HK said they'd exchange them, but the return shipping was just a little MORE than the original purchase price meaning my "good deal" would have cost more than the LHS. (I was never given an option of sending a picture, this was a few years ago, they required me to return the batteries).

Thank you for a real world experience.. its pointless saying HK is crap without any real evidence.. sorry to hear you had a 100% failure rate with those batteries.. that is just incredibly bad luck... I have personally bought over 40 different Lipos from HK and only 1 was DOA.. my friend has bought more than 50 and all have been perfect..

I'm not stating that to be a HK basher, but to show that there comes a time when we need to think more long term about our hobby, think about the people locally who TRY to support our hobby. Nobody gets rich owning a hobby store, this thread is proof enough of that, modellers are some of the cheapest SOB's in the world.

Here is another perspective... I started back in this hobby with a Futaba 6EX, and an EDF F-18... This got me hooked.. I bought the HK Spitfire and then bought a Futaba 7C from a local hobbyshop..

This got me further hooked, I bought more models, more RX's from Hobby Shops, more Transmitters..

Basically thanks to Hobbyking.. the local hobby shops in Perth have gained over $6000 from me.. 2 x DX8s, 1 x DX7s, 2 x Futaba 8FGs, 2 x JR 11xs..  Yes, lots of radios.. but I am addicted to this hobby..

Without hobbyking I probably would not have bothered coming back to the hobby... Thanks to Hobbyking the Local Hobby Shops have make lots of extra sales..

Read any of the HK forums about helicopters.. a majority of people, including myself will upgrade critical parts on their HK Helis with genuine parts from a Hobbyshop..

I have 12 HK helicopters.. and that has required 12 receiveds.. 8 are genuine Futaba bought from hobby shops....


But when you go to buy your next airplane, your next battery, whatever, consider that when the LHS closes because they simply get no modeller support anymore, you won't even be able to buy glue to fix your airplane when it shows up damaged in the box, or after you crash it.

I can't agree with this from my own experience.. the HK aircraft all turned up perfectly..  as per my previous post. serveral planes bought at local hobby shops were damaged in the box...

It is just my opinion, so take it for what you will, but for any of you that work, that earn a paycheck, more importantly, that might own a business, how does it make you feel when you lose out on work to asia, or even take asia out of the equation, how do you feel when you've invested large in your job/company, and know you do quality work, but you lose out on jobs because of the backyard guy doing mediocre work, under the table, offering to do jobs for less than your cost. Stings doesn't it, well, when you buy stuff from HK, that is what you're doing to the LHS.

quote:

ORIGINAL: do335a

quote:

ORIGINAL:
Also by way of example re value: they have a trainer which is a virtual clone of a very well known brand but which is better built and with far better fittings than the name brand.
Price? $74 against $229

This is real simple. Kindly show me the evidence of your claim so that I may believe.

Without being specifric as to what planes these are and what hardware they use, your unproved, anecdotal, subjective claim is just that. It needs proof to have validity. It lacks that when hding behind a wall of anonimity.

quote:

ORIGINAL: wallace.tharp
Interesting, I have been told by our club's, MKD, "most knowledgable dude," to never trust the orange rcvrs. As stated by me prior, I love the Turnigh Nanos, 5s, 5000 to be exact. I use a 60L Hacker with them in series and a Castle 120 hv, esc. 22 " pop. Killer power and duration. Mix and match eh? Those batteries are about $78 ea. Tower Hobby's nearest lipo that I have found is about $168. Economic sobriety? Not knocking Tower here at all, I buy lots from them and love their customer service. wallace.tharp

quote:

ORIGINAL: wallace.tharp

quote:

ORIGINAL: RacerPaul15

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sessholvlaru

A few of us at our club have gone so far as to suggest that our LHS stocks up on Hobby King batteries, motors, esc's and such and start re-selling them. I would happily pay $25 for a $15 li-po to support the LHS and not wait for shipping. Our suggestions met with laughter, but the LHS is still claiming poverty.

We all know the LHS's are hurting with all the direct-from-China stuff...why not just ride the wave?

A very good idea! A few of my friends began buying HK components from me when I had extras and were happy to pay a few more dollars for shipping and not having to wait 2 to 4 weeks for shipping to the US!

Also the components such as Orange receivers, Satelite recievers, servos, esc's and such were already tested and if any were N G  I took the burden of chucking them in the bin or sending back for credit.

In fact, I was encouraged to expand my efforts to stock and test parts for my mates and also have been offering them here in the classified section with some small success. Have a bit of a following of repeat buyers and all seem to be happy with the service!

I'm not taliking big time here... but some find it worth paying a few dollars for the guarantee and availability of having components on hand in days not weeks or months.

I have had no problem returning items for credit, yes it takes weeks and weeks for the credit to show but in the long haul you get something back for the 6 dollar item that costed 2 dollars to send back to China.

LHS types would do well to at least stock Lipo's and motors. There are online websites that mark up HK components for resale in the US... PM me for a few links to US vendors of HK components... And truth be told, besides my classifieds here on RCU, I have a website in progress to carry HK products underway. PM me if you are interested in the link as I don't want to be flamed for shameless promotion! LOL! 

Some products such as the new Gyro Stabilizer that HK claims is created in house cannot be found elswhere and have some merit... where else can you get a 3 axis gyro stabilyzer for around $15 plus freight??? ( well freight... t could be a problem).

I agree with previous posts... Foamies, electronic components, lipos and assorted doo dads are a good value from HK, Large items and higher priced stuff... not so much.

Regards
Paul

Interesting, I have been told by our club's, MKD, ''most knowledgable dude,'' to never trust the orange rcvrs. As stated by me prior, I love the Turnigh Nanos, 5s, 5000 to be exact. I use a 60L Hacker with them in series and a Castle 120 hv, esc. 22 '' pop. Killer power and duration. Mix and match eh? Those batteries are about $78 ea. Tower Hobby's nearest lipo that I have found is about $168. Economic sobriety? Not knocking Tower here at all, I buy lots from them and love their customer service. wallace.tharp

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob2160

quote:

ORIGINAL: do335a

quote:

ORIGINAL:
Also by way of example re value: they have a trainer which is a virtual clone of a very well known brand but which is better built and with far better fittings than the name brand.
Price? $74 against $229

This is real simple. Kindly show me the evidence of your claim so that I may believe.

Without being specifric as to what planes these are and what hardware they use, your unproved, anecdotal, subjective claim is just that. It needs proof to have validity. It lacks that when hding behind a wall of anonimity.

This is the Art Tech Spitfire that is sold in a Perth hobby shop for $349 PNP   http://www.art-tech.com/english/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=232

This is the HK Spitfire that sells for $69 - they are EXACTLY the same Product...     http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=11243

$69 vs $349.. sorry.. its a no brainer...

It is an awesome fun little park flyer, mine has over 800 flights and is still going strong..  

quote:

ORIGINAL: flazo

be Ready to send the plane with your own shipping and you will not get that money back!
they might ask you if you want credit and when you have that credit it may not be there anymore.
Hobby Crucks!!! SuckS!!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: topspin

Like anything from Hobby King you have to buy several to get a good one so is it really a deal? 

quote:

ORIGINAL: Seamus OLeprosy

 I went without the wheels.Great plane

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob2160

quote:

ORIGINAL: topspin

Like anything from Hobby King you have to buy several to get a good one so is it really a deal? 

That is quite a generalization. . . Have you bought everything Hobbyking sells.?

Do you have specific examples to support that claim?

my experience is very different..  I have purchased over 400 individual items from HK and only 1 battery was DOA.

that is a 99.75% success rate with Hobbyking and far better than my Hobbyshop experiences which is around 90% good...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob2160

my experience is very different..  I have purchased over 400 individual items from HK and only 1 battery was DOA.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BaldEagel

The problem is we live in a now society, when we want something and go to our local hobby shop they inevitably do not have it in stock, its so much easier to order it online and get it delivered the next day, this is a definitive need in our quest for instant gratification.

Mike