TheProfessor530

Hi, new guy here. I owe my boys a years worth of allowance and they want decent rc vehicles. They have only had toy versions so far. Their ages are 6, 8, and 12 years old and they are decently mature and skilled in their bodies and minds. They are boys and I am sure their will be destruction. They have $120 each coming to them for allowance and probably have another $30-50 each additional saved up, so $450-500 in all for 3 (there may be some dad stretch there as well). We are homesteaders and are handy and like to work on things and build stuff. Getting parts is a big deal. The closest lhs is an hour plus away. Amazon prime is our friend. We live on acreage in the mountains in NE California, so the terrain will be everything from gravel drives, dirt roads, to rocks and forrest off road.


I have been thinking about ECX Amp line. They have good reviews and the price is right.

We have also been looking at used on craigslist and ebay. Ebay has some good prices on used Traxxas Stampedes and Rustlers like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Traxxas-Stam...cAAOSwCGVX6CI6.

We are not afraid of buying off forums either.

Would like a fast charger and some extra batteries too.


What would brand, type (4x4?) , ect you recommend for my boys?

seedygreenute

Hi TheProfessor530 ,
I think you are on the right track by looking at 1/10 scale . The smaller the rc , the more the surface affects it .
A decent charger is a must . It will greatly reduce the time taken to charge batteries . ( you could probably charge 3 or more batteries compared to 1 with the supplied wall charger ) . Maybe even look at a duel charger capable of charging 2 batteries at the same time .
Batteries can be bought over time , Lipo is the way to go .
If you get different cars , I would also look at changing the battery connectors to 1 type , so any battery will fit any car . You could use an adaptor but they end up getting lost .
Hopefully someone who owns an ECX Amp can jump in and tell you about them , all I know is they also come in kit form so you get to put it together yourself .

The Saylors

Good call on the dual charger and going to one type of plug seedy. I use the traxxas plugs mainly because you cant plug them in backwards which is great for the kids (plugging in backwards fries electronics instantly). I started with a nitro but when i moved to electric i got the 2wd slash vxl from traxxas with a dual charger and two 3s lipos and to this day i still love running the truck. If you are gunna run in the rough outdoors then 1/10th scale is prolly the minimum size you should consider due to ground clearance and power, I prefer 1/8th for cost and durability. Traxxas, as well as the other big names (losi, team associated, axial ect.) are also a prime members dream. Pretty much everything in terms of parts is on there and often with the free two day shipping (i utilize this often). 4x4 will usually cost you $100-$200 more on pretty much any vehicle (there are exceptions but they are rare). The cheapest 4x4 i have is a 1/8th team associate 8.2e buggy and that was $500 without extras (currently my favorite car for the dirt track by far, spends more time in the air then on the ground lol) As for as ecx i haven't had one but the reviews do look promising and kits are often a ton of fun to build. One last thing to consider is that most dad's that get hobby level rc vehicles for their kids end up playing with them and wanting their own so you have been warned. Welcome to the forum and the addiction!

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Perfesser! NE California = Modoc County. I'm familiar. Yeah, y'all are out there. Amazon and Mr. UPS are your buddies. I've got cousins up in Surprise Valley. Lovely area.

You're kinda on the ragged edge budget-wise. You can just barely get something good for that. You're on the right track tho. I would highly recommend going to Tower Hobbies dot com and order a catalog. Tower carries just about everybody. Looking online is fine, but having a good paper catalog to drool over is better. Tower has a warehouse in Reno, so parts arrive fast. Oh, lemme also plug A-Main Hobbies, they're in nor-Cal too (Chico?) and ship promptly. Are you in the Warners? I'd suggest something 4x4. It's going to be more capable on rough terrain. Something from Axial, like the Wraith. But that's way outside your per-kid budget at $400. So scratch that. Sorry. The ECX AMP MT is a good beginner truck to get into the hobby with. Simple drive train. Simple maintenance. But it's not going to do much in the way of rock crawling. Blasting around in the dirt (no "lawn") is its forte. And 2wd will teach you to be a better driver.

I highly recommend getting a good IR thermometer, for monitoring motor and speed control (ESC) temps for proper gearing. You're also going to need ancillary things like "Motor Spray" for bearing cleaner, and some bearing lube (SIN lube), as well as a "Dry lubricant" for lubing u-joints that can collect dirt and dust if you use a wet lube. Hopefully you have some hobby-sized tools? Hex- and nut-drivers?

Might wanna look at this too: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-c...ead-first.html

Welcome to the Forum! Pretty friendly bunch... feel free to ask anything.

TheProfessor530

Thanks for the replies. We absolutely love living in rural NE CA (not so much CA politics). We are in the Southern Cascades, but play in the Warners often.

I am leaning towards the ECX Amp line. Does anyone know how the Amp compares to say the ECX Ruckus?

What about buying used on Ebay?

Michael

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

I'd advise against buying used RCs on eBay, at least as first timers. You'd really need to know what you're looking for to be able to ask the right questions. I'd rather see you get something new. With a warranty. But that's just me. You might be ballsier. 😉

I bought a couple identical cars from a guy on another forum, but I kind of "knew" the guy from posting in the same posts and I.M.s. The cars I bought from him were short course truck versions of the mini truggy I already had, so I knew the platform, and 85% of the parts were the same. And we emailed, and he sent detailed pics...so I knew exactly what I was getting. I trusted the guy. Not as easy to do on eBay. Tho you do have eBay to sort of back you up if the deal goes bad.

I was looking at the ruckus and the amp, hard to tell the difference between them by pictures (btw, you want to stay with 1/10 scale, not 1/18) other than it looks like the ruckus has larger wheels. Which could be a good thing for ground clearance. The amp looks like it uses 2.2in wheels and slightly lower chassis, so it would handle better at speed. (Everything is a trade off)

Hey next time you're going to be in the Warners, if you go into Surprise Valley, a little ways down from Fandango is our cousin's place. Stop in to see their Spaza Shop and B&B. Lovely people.

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Mike, ECX has a line of 1/18 scale 4wd for under $120 ea. That I just found out about. I know I said stay away from the 1/18 scale, but I was thinking 2wd. These models are 4wd, which in your area would be much more suitable. There's a buggy ECX01006, a rock crawler ECX01003, a monster truck ECX01000 and a short course truck ECX01001 to choose from. Nice!

If budget is the main concern, I'd get each of the boys one of these. Each model has a different forte' depending on the specific environment they'd want to run in, or have interest in. Check 'em out.

TheProfessor530

I have tried to send some replies, but the site does not seem to like to post them from my phone. So here I go again.

I think we have settled on getting the ECX Amps for all 3 boys. I think they will be a good fit and allow some growth, while keeping costs down. If they ever want to really get into it, they can purchase their own.

Now I just need to decide on batteries and a fast charger. I am pretty sure we are going to stay with the more kid friendly NiMH. I have some older (7-10 years old) higher end gaming CPU power supplies sitting in my shop. I would like to use those if possible to power the charger. Any suggestions for batteries and charger?

We absolutely LOVE the hot springs in Surprise Valley. We go several times a year to get away from the children and have some adult time. We will check out your cousins spot next time we go.

Michael

seedygreenute

https://www.amainhobbies.com/hitec-x...c44232/p449853
I own a Hitec ( not this one ) and have been happy with it .
This has AC and DC inputs and does 2 batteries at once .
For some reason it does not come with a DC input cable .
DC input is just a XT60 connector , 2 wires with alligator clips .

All you need is to solder on some connectors ( EC3 ) to suit the battery plugs .

seedygreenute

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