RCnoobDad5

So I'm new to the forum as you can see and very new to the RC world. My son has a cheap RC car his uncle bought him for Christmas. I'm not sure the name. It's quick, has all the do-dad's that I see more RC's have, just not high quality I'm sure. It's battery powered, fun for him on flat surface. I'm looking for something for him for off-road. Not climbing anything huge, just grass and dirt. I have a hill as a back yard with dirt and grass, so more or less looking for something for him back there. I dont want top of the line but I dont want the wal-mart special either. He's going to be 9 this year, so handling wont be his strong suit, so maybe some durability, but overall a fun beginner RC for my son and me. Suggestions? Very much appreciate the help.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Welcome!
A couple questions first: Do you live near a hobby shop? If so, pay a visit. Look around. Ask questions.
Do you plan to buy local, or online? How much are you willing to spend? Realize you will need ancillary gear too: tools, battery charger, lubes......

Electric is dead easy, but there are a few things you should know. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries are the standard now. Although Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMh) packs are still around, they should only be used in BRUSHED (old-style) motor systems, not modern Brushless systems. They just can't deliver the amps. Brushless motors essentially never wear out and are much more powerful than the old type with carbon brushes and a commutator that wear out. Here's the short story on LiPo care: 1) ALWAYS use a LiPo charger, NEVER anything meant for NiCd/NiMh. 2) Never leave a LiPo fully charged, it will shorten its useful life and lessen its capacity. Use Storage Mode on your charger to charge the lipo to 3.80V/cell, its "resting voltage. 3) Use only high-current connectors like Traxxas or Deans or bullets, NEVER Tamiya Molex connectors. 4) NEVER deplete a Lipo below 3.0V per cell, it will damage it. ALWAYS engage the LVC (Low-Voltage Cutoff) in the ESC which will stop the car when the voltage drops to 3.2V/cell. 5) Buy a good charger. Here's one for less than $60 that I use, love it: http://www.hobbypartz.com/73p-ac680-accharger.html

M'kay, that said....How deep is your grass? Most RCs do not like running in thick grass, too much drag and it heats things up. Try to stick to dirt. Get an Infra-Red "no-touch" thermometer to monitor motor/ESC temps. Brushless motors are great, but not indestructible. Do not let the motor get over 180 degrees F. 150F or less nominal running temp is fine.

I'd suggest something 2wd to start. Less complicated drive train than a 4wd. So it will seem less intimidating to work on. 2wd is as simple as it gets. If you have an LHS (local hobby store) they certainly carry Traxxas. Probably Associated and Losi, maybe ECX, Duratrax.... I would suggest something in the Stadium Truck class. Buggies look cool, but don't do well on anything but flat surface due to low ground clearance. And also, the shock towers are just right out there no protection of even a lexan body in case of a rollover. Traxxas Rustler EC-5 (brushed) or VXL (brushless), Associated T4.1 are stadium trucks. I started with a Duratrax Evader, one of the least expensive STs out there. Not without it's issues (all cars have their issues). The steering servo is not easy to deal with on the Evader. Funky placement and design. But other than that it's about the same as any other 2wd stadium truck. What ever you get, go to T-Bone Racing or RPM and get a set of bumpers for it. Really good bumpers will save your butt more than anything except by just not hitting anything. Which you WILL do. We use small safety cones and cheap sleeping pad foam to place around the base of the trees my track is laid out around. Saved us many times.

You may find doing research that the most popular RC platform is the Short Course Truck. (re: Traxxas Slash) Short Course racing is huge, eclipsed only by buggies. Both 2- and 4wd. But that's mostly for racing on prepped tracks. Buggies don't make good bashers until you get into the 8th-scale size, then we're talkin' serious money. Even 10th-scale short course trucks are on the large side at 21in long. Stadium trucks are a little smaller, don't take up as much bench space.

I'll say one thing about Traxxas: the nice thing is, most of their models have a "training mode" for the radio system where you can cut the car's power to 50% so you don't have to worry so much when you hand the control of your new RC to the inexperienced neighbor kid. Nice feature, that.

Hope that gives you some stuff to chew on.... C'mon back with more questions when ready.

RCnoobDad5

First off thanks for the quick response and such detail for a noob like me. I really appriciate your time. Yes I have two hobby RC shops near me. One is mostly planes, but has some car stuff, the other is everything, but a little further away. I prefer to buy in person in a shop to support local business, make a personal connect and have a resource in person.

The car my son has now is a Dromida SC 4.18. It's quick and does a lot of what he wants it to do, but it stays at his grandpas b.c they drive them every Sunday together with his uncle who has some nice RC's. Basically I was looking to get one for his birthday and to play around the house. We have a pretty flat, smooth cemete street we live on, but seeing as he's 8, I'm worried about other cars. So I was thinking something for the back yard. Our grass is about 2.5-3" tall and some paths the dogs made with is now just dirt. There's also a local indoor track near us as well. It would be nice to get something I can upgrade overtime for better handling, speed, durability, etc. Currently his is broken. Needs a new drive shaft and arm that attaches the body to the tire (I'm very new, don't know the name). Ya he got excited, went full throttle and wham into a rock. But he's had it since Christmas and this is the first time something has broken, so that's pretty good.

Im looking to spend around $200 (according to the wife). But realistically I'm probably $300. Again thanks for all the help. I'm not sure which companies are the best or top of the line. I see traxxas a lot, but I also see them in Walmart. I'm not opposed to one company over another, but I know you get what you pay for.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Ah! The Dromida! Sure. Do you know that is Revell, the old plastic model company's entry into the hobby-grade RC market? I'll have to ask my LHS if they ever got the supply of spare parts they were promised before xmas. Not a bad set of cars for the price. Good entry price. Good enough to give one a sense of whether the hobby is for them or not, but being kinda small, somewhat limited. Hard to work on. And if spares are hard to come by...it's going to be of limited use, as you've found out. But providing you can get parts for it, you're good for a while.

If you want to keep the price down, starting with a brushed model RTR (Ready To Run) is the best way to go, and upgrade to brushless later, when you/he learns to drive better and not hit stuff, as much. I'd still recommend getting LiPo. That way you don't have to convert later. Check to be sure, but most modern brushed motor systems have an LVC you can enable if you're running LiPo.

Who is best? Debatable. My advice is to buy something that excites you and that is within your budget. Which IS possible. Traxxas is everywhere because of their agressive marketing department and store-friendly supply agreements. Can't fault 'em for that. Are their platforms better than one by another company of the same type? Also debatable. They tend to be more expensive and not necessarily the toughest. But because they are everywhere, there are lots of aftermarket parts by many companies that CAN make them pretty darn tough. Associated and Losi also fall in that category as far as aftermarket support, but are considered more serious race-centric brands, along with Durango. Some might add OFNA. There are a slew of others. Pick up a copy of RC Car Action magazine.

Like I said, I got an Evader for $169 new. Brushed model. Seemed fast when I started! Then I got a SEVEN cell NiMh pack...woah!! But eventually I went brushless. Learned a whole lot. FInally got the car to a really good place where it was really fast, drivable, and reliable. Perfect. It took time, but it wasn't hard, especially when you have a place like this to come to for help! Each upgrade, you find something that breaks, is a weak point, and you figure out or learn how to replace it with something better that makes it reliable. Like learning about using music wire (thin but solid metal rod) instead of rolled spring pins in the axle ends that drive the wheels, because the old spring pins can't handle the brushless power.

Hey, we were all noobs once, man. So ask away, that's why we're here. And sure, talk with the hobby shop guys (hopefully you have good ones, and not the snooty ones like the Simpson's Comic Book Guy) , and they can talk with you about what parts they stock for what models. But like I said, I'd really consider a Stadium Truck. Simple as they get. and the least expensive as long as it's brushed. Going brushless later only means upgrading the ESC and motor combo.

Hang out here and read.... post....ask.....it's a great hobby for you two. Do realize however, if you guys do really enjoy it, this will not be the last $200 you spend. Just try to make the wife realize: it's like a woodworking hobby, you need materials and tools to work with, some of which are consumable. Cripes, a set of tires and wheels for my truggy is almost $50! I can go thru a couple sets a year. But the cool thing is once you do get your ride to where you can bash it and not break it, at least you're not replacing broken parts, just worn out ones. (Bumpers!)

Welcome to the addiction.

RCnoobDad5

I think that's my wife's problem... ANOTHER hobby. I already build and race pinewood derby cars (adult races only), because my son is a scout and I love doing that. I also hunt, fish, golf, play paintball and now maybe this. So ya the hobby money really does add up. I need to condense the hobbies to a few. I may be in trouble with this one since http://www.rcraceway1.com/ is literally 10min away. Just trying to find his nitch. Baseball cards, lego's, pokemon cards... None of it stuck. Maybe this one will thanks again for the help. Is there a learners guide to all the lingo, classes, type of cars, etc? I'm a little lost.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

Post reserved for guide to terms.... Stay tuned....

Aight, here it comes. Please don't mind the "teh"s. This goddamn keyboard sucks.
Novice class; Basiclly the starting class for all racers, young or old. Any 1/10 car is normally allowed, sometimes 1/8th, too.
2WD Short Course/Short Course Buggy; Short course buggies like the XXX-SCB and short course trucks like the Slash. A good choice after novice, even though ti may be competitive.

I saw on your site, Mod 2WD CORR; that is pretty much short course with a specified motor.

4x4 SC/CORR; The next-to-most competitive class, with trucks like the OFNA Nexx10SC and Slash 4WD. It is heated racing, but a lot of fun. start out on something 2WD though, until he learns throttle control.

1/10 2WD Buggy; This class is buggies like the Team Associated B-series and Losi 22B. This class is a really good class to learn car control, as these buggies are small and light.

Stadium Truck; Trucks like the Team Associated T-series and Losi 22T. These cars are essentially stretched and bigger buggies.

Alrightie, on to the technical terms.

ESC; The electronic speed control of the vehicle, either brushless or brushed. It takes in the battery power and controls the motor.
Receiver, or RX; The little box your transmitter (controller) connects to in order to give throttle and steering commands.
Servo; The little box near the front that steers the front end.
Battery; Well, y'know...

Okay, on to the real parts of the car...
Spur gear; teh bigger gear that is connected to the car.
Pinion gear; gear connected to the motor, the smaller one.
Slipper clutch; the little nut on the spur gear shaft that lets the drivetrain slip.
Differential; it takes in the power from the spur gear and transmits it to the wheels in a different orientation.
Diff case; The plastic or metal that holds the gear workings.
A-Arms; the arms on the lower part on all 4 sides.
Caster blocks/camber blocks; The thing that pivots to hold the wheel hub up.
Tie rod; the rod that connects the caster block/wheel hub to the chassis.
Ball cap; the small ball and cap system that snaps into place and breaks under stress to prevent other damages.
Driveshaft; the piece of plastic or metal that drives the wheel on the hub. It is connected to the differential.
Chassis; Yeah, kinda self explanatory.
Shock towers; the thing that the shocks connect to from the arms.
Body post; the small thing that holds on the body with clips.
Servo spleen/arm; connected onto the servo to output force in a direction.
Bumper; Yeah....
Body; Yeah....
Skid plate; It protects the bottom driveshafts and other bottom parts of the chassis from dirt, dust, debris, and scrapes.

That is teh basics. Any more questions; PM me.

SyCo_VeNoM

If he likes monster trucks the HPI Wheely king is an ok buy just note that it is a monster truck, and likes to pop wheelies (hence why its the Wheely King )

Wheels are pretty big, and its relatively light, plus its 4wd so depending on the grass it should have no issue driving over it. Its somewhere around $200ish(I got mine for $174 a few years back)

Now if you don't mind $350 http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBWEP&P=ML would be better. My nephews love to drive mine. Just note these are not speed machines, and are meant more for realistic truck looks.

If you want him to run at a track disregard this as vehicles for backyards, and driving around for fun on the street are way different then what you use on a track. To race the minimum to get in, and be competitive is pretty high as you have to conform to certain rules unless its a bring what you own type race that lets almost anything in.

RCnoobDad5

Well I tried to support local business. Went to my LHS, asked the gentleman at the counter for some help finding an A-Arm and dog bone (drive shaft) for my son Dromida. He paused for about 10seconds, then looked at me like I was crazy. Never heard of that truck, never seen it and didnt really offer me any advise or help. So I smiled, said thanks, bought some RC magazines, a screw driver and went on my way. Got on vortexhobbies.com and found everything I needed in 10 seconds. After taking apart the broken pieces I found a hinge pin was missing as well, so bought that too. She'll be all fixed up and ready for him to drive Friday. Little disappointed in my LHS. That place has been there for years, thought I would of at least got some help as to where to find what I was looking for. I mean, I'm obvious I'm new at this as I look over the parts list to tell the guy what I need on my phone.

So I've narrowed down what route I'm going to go with him. We're going to stick with a brushed car for now, but going to get a LiPo battery. Going to order that Thunder AC680 charger based off the recommendation I was given. Now just need to find a truck/car for him. I hear ppl use the word "Truggy", is this a Truck/buggy? Anyway, i was looking at the 1/10-Scale Evader EXT or EXT2, Torment 1/10 2WD SCT, or Dominus 10SC. Opinions?

SyCo_VeNoM

Well in their defense they stock, and sell things their distributor has. I've also never heard of Dromida either (actually had to look them up), and looking they pretty much only have 1 chassis with 3 different bodies, and 3 different bumpers slapped on it calling them different models.
Example about the distribution if they use Horizon Hobby as their distributor they wouldn't have access to them even as Horizon doesn't stock them, but if they used towerhobbies as a distributor they would as Tower carries the brand.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

If he digs the short course truck look and feel, I'd go with the Torment or the Dominus, if ya think parts are reasonably easy to get. Course, I have a soft spot for the Evader. (EXT2.4 is the one ya wanna get, if you do) Tower Hobbies has loads of parts for it. It's the most inexpensive car in its class. With a few well-chosen parts, it can be made damn solid, even after going brushless. My only beef with the Evader is the placement of the steering servo and steering linkage.

I'm not too surprised by the reaction of your LHS guy, if he doesn't carry Dromida. (Despite the fact that he certainly could have ordered them) And LHS owners wonder why they're loosing business, when they have attitudes like that. Duh? Still, it's nice to have a LHS nearby for those "crap, I just need this" moments. So you're lucky there. I try to give my LHS some business, for things they tend to have in stock like tires, lubes, screws, tools, etc. But stuff specific to my car? The place I bought it online has a great parts catalog, so there ya go.

A truggy is essentially a 4wd buggy with a stadium truck type body, with the stipulation that it has three differentials: one in the center and one at each end. My OFNA Hyper 10TT is a truggy. I got it because I was looking for a 4wd 3-diff platform, but didn't want to get something as large as a 4X4 Slash (no center diff) or an 8th-scale buggy. Both rather large. And as I've said, a buggy has its front shock tower just right out in front waiting to get hung up (or bent) on anything if the car gets inverted. A truggy body at least covers the thing with a lexan body, so it slides. The Hyper is about the same size as my Evader. And, I even use the same motor systems in both of those cars!

cumquat

you wont be disappointed with the evader. in stock form you wont break many parts and if you do, there is a 1 year warranty on all plastic parts. when he is ready for more power, the gear box can take brushless with little issue and if you do encounter problems, there are metal gears available.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

In STOCK form? I would disagree. The Evader must at least have some kind of front bumper on it. The bumper from the (discontinued) brushless model is OK, but would be better if it had an RPM or T-Bone bumper. One solid hit on a tree without one and you'll likely break the front bulkhead/chassis hinge. Bumpers on the evader is a must.

Going brushless with it....my buddy still manages somehow to run the stock plastic diff, but I kept stripping them. Was glad when the brushless model came out with a METAL diff gear that you can still get. However, even THAT required an upgrade mod eventually: music wire pins for the diff outdrive cups, so they wouldn't break. And music wire pins for the wheel drive pins. Love my Evaders now that they're truly solid. Hard to beat the entry price.

cumquat

i ran the stock diff too. and i was running a full 540 60 amp system. the diff only stripped because the idler got sharpened by the top shaft.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

AHH!!!! <light bulb> That I will have to look into! Good observation.

supa truck

Hi, I'm new here and to the hobby, but I recently went through what you're contemplating. Hehe, well, I got the truck for myself.

First off, if going electric, you'll probably want at least one extra battery. Most kits only come with one and that will last around 10mins. If you are running this in grass with hills, the strain will shorten the run time of the battery.
A new battery will run you approx. $40-$50

Second, you will probably want a faster charger. The one that comes with most $200ish kits takes 8-10hrs to charge one 7.2v, 1800ma battery.
You can get a cheap fast charger for around $20-$40.
However, a good smart charger that will charge a variety of battery types and voltages quickly will run approx. $100. "preferred"

So, you're looking at $60-$150 on top of the price of the vehicle, just about from the start.

Next, My terrain is very similar to yours, grass with hills. My solution was a 4x4 truck. The trucks have bigger tires which will go through the grass better and more wheels pulling means better climbing and movement period.

You'll probably want to consider the motor next: Brushed or Brushless. Brushed pros: They're cheaper. Cons: They are more limited when it comes to battery types and voltages. They have to cleaned and the brushes replaced from time to time.
Brushless pros: They are more durable, faster, more powerful and maintenance free. They also are more compatible with different battery types and voltages. Cons: They are more expensive.

Brushless setups on the same model type of vehicle will cost approx. $100 more than the brushed counterpart.

I ended up getting a Redcat Racing Volcano EPX 4x4 (brushed) for $130 off Ebay (It was basically the cheapest I could find). Its a little on the slow side, which makes it a little easier to control, but won't please you at the track. Also, its slower speed keeps it from breaking due to collisions. It handles the terrain of grass, hills, gravel, and dirt fairly well. Problem is, "sigh, as always", I immediately wanted more. More speed, more power... I honestly wish I had went with the Volcano EPX Pro (brushless) from the start (It was $200).
My mortar and brick hobby store guru told me that Redcat racing has very poor customer service (They don't carry the brand). This might be something to consider before going with the Redcat label. They do have a comprehensive website and parts are a plenty on Ebay.

All in all, It's been entertaining to mess with, but, I do wish I had went with the brushless setup from the start.
If you do decide to get into the hobby, be careful of going bottom end for the sake of price. You'll probably want more and that quite soon. I'm pretty sure you and your boy will have loads of fun with the hobby.

The_Shark

To supra, redcat is OK, but today there is so many high quality cars you can get from LHS, if you want something more, I would recommend a Losi XXX-SCT, comes with a lipo battery, brushless system, fully water proof, spektrum radio, and really nice threaded aluminum shocks with Ti shock shafts for $329.

Parts are available, the truck is capable of racing and is plenty tough.

A note about 4x4- just because its 4x4 doesn't mean its good through grass, nothing is good in grass except for a big and powerful monster truck or truggy.

If there is anything I learned about this hobby- going for the cheapest usually costs you more money and frustration.

The_Shark

Forgot, to the OP I would recommend ECX products if you want the lowest prices but still want a decent truck.

RCnoobDad5

I actually settled for a Traxxas Slash VXL 2WD Brushless for myself. Parts are very easy to get at my LHS, durable, fast, great service and I got a pretty good deal on it. Will it beat an SC10 or XXX-SCT? No, but this is just my first truck As for my son. I was looking at ECX for him. Probably the 2WD SCT or maybe a stadium truck. He still has some learning to do on his Dromida for now and his birthday isn't for another 4 months. If he gets into SCT's and racing... Who knows, maybe we'll both get a TLR or Team Associated SCT for Xmas as well Really starting to love this hobby.

supa truck

The Shark makes some good points. That's part of what I was trying to get across. Right now, I'm more money into making my toy Lipo compatible than if I had bought the stock Lipo model and I haven't even bought the Lipo battery yet. Anyway, I don't really suggest that RCnoobdad5 should travel my path, but, maybe learn from it.
The only thing that might interest RCnoobdad5 in my model is the fact that it's cheap and slow. For a 9yr old, this means it should be easier to handle and bumping off stuff shouldn't hurt it and if they both get bored with it, your only out about $200 I'm pretty sure both you and your son will want more fairly quickly though..
My straight up suggestion is that RCnoobdad5 get a truck or truggy with big tires for the grass and a brushless system with a Lipo battery for less maintenance and better performance. However, from what research I've done, I don't think RCnoobdad5 will be able to do this cheaper than $350....and that doesn't include the extra battery pack or better performing charger.
The Shark makes another good point, make sure your system is waterproof. Wet grass could be expensive otherwise. Most models are waterproof nowadays, though, so this shouldn't be a problem.

supa truck

yeah, I had more fun with it than I expected, figured you would enjoy it.