alexoren

Hello people,

I am asking for a recommendation for an outdoor RC vehicle for the kids.
They like RC cars but have outgrown the indoor type some time ago.

I'm thinking of something that:
- Can be used both on asphalt and grass.
- Durable (they will crash it into objects)
- Reasonably fast but not too much (they will probably crash it into each other)
- Minimal maintenance.
- Inexpensive (I suspect I'll need at least two)
- Can be purchased in, or shipped to, the Toronto area.

I am not an RC enthusiast so please do not assume any level of knowledge or previous experience.

Thank you,
Alex.

Chris_RC

OK, I have some questions for you.
How much money are you willing to spend on one? You will also need a battery and charger.
How fast do you want to go? Does 20-35 sound good?

annie_himself

Hello, I suggest two Traxxas Rustlers, not the VXL versions. These trucks are amazingly strong for the kids. Look for a LHS in your area, I'm sure there is one in Toronto. How old are your kids?


After the purchase I assume you will too want to join in on the fun.

olydemon

With the Traxxas Xl5 in the Rustler, you can put it in "training mode" and this limits power to 50%. This was really good when my 4 year old wanted to run the car.

Longhair

The most important question: How old are the kids?

brushlessboy16

either way get two rustlers or a rustler and stampede

Rustler- http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXNJH9**&P=7
Stampede- http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXNJJ0**&P=7

pede_187

I say a rustler and a stampede

Chris_RC

When I say does 20-35 sound good it was aimed at the Rustler cause you could put a 2000 mAh NiCad in there and it might go 20, but if you put a Ener-H 4600mAh 7 cell pack it will go 35 I think.

alexoren

Thank you all for the replies.

The kids are 10 , 6.5 and a 3.5 who would insist on joining the fun (and will likely do most of the crashing -- on purpose).

The Traxxas looks interesting.
Seems to be over $200 with batteries, etc. though -- each. Definitely more a "hobby" than a "toy". Will be a hard sell for the wife.

sloppyG

you can get the rustlers for $144 at amainhobbies.com right now

olydemon

Going with Rustler style cars will get to be quite a bit of $$. Besides the cost of the car, You will want at 2-3 batteries per car so that you aren't always waiting to run... maybe even 2 chargers so you can charge quicker. Electrics are fun, untill your batteries are dead and you've gotta wait to charge.

Another option: Check out the Losi micro vehicles. I have 2 of the Micro Desert trucks and my kids love them. (ages, 4 1/2 and almost 2). They are just about 100 bucks each for the whole setup. We use them mostly indoor, but have had fun with them in the gravel driveway too. They have been real durable. You can also get little Lipo batteries for a little more speed and alot more run time. For a little less $ Target also sells a RC car that is between Toy and Hobby grade. Its called Radline. WE have the buggy and its been a fine car for the kids as well.


Another good source of used cars can be Craigslist. I see used electrics go for chap all the time in our area. Often as complete sets too with batteries, chargers, and parts or tools.

Longhair

Given the age range of the kids along with the lack of experience from the whole family (no offence), your best bet would be to go to "The Source By Circuit City" and see what they have as far as remote control trucks go.

I've read some place that they are quite good and take a beating.

rcplayer

if i were you id get them the rc18mt

they come with everything you need.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXKCC2&P=ML

annie_himself

Thats true. An extra battery for both and you could play too.

Specialzed

My Feedback: (2)

If i were you i would just get them some toys, radio shack or sumthin.

annie_himself

Why would you do that? I'm sure the 10 year old doesn't want some cheap toy grade car.

Ripcaster

We got my son the 1/10 Hummer from Radioshed last year as an intro to R/C, and I gotta say that thing was fast and somewhat durable.. It wasn't without it's design flaws though and it got wrecked, and it's hard to get parts for it. It's final breakage a few weeks ago is why I got the Evader EXT (from Hobby Hobby on Mississauga rd., www.hobbyhobby.com). it cost me $119 plus tax, and all it needed to drive it was a battery for the truck (and of course a decent charger so you aren't waiting 5 hours between runs, and 8 AA's for the remote).

Long story short, if you want a cheap initial run, go Radio Shack, though I've seen that not only do their trucks cost as much as the hobby trucks mentioned above but they don't last as long and are hard to get parts for.

If you want a car that's easier to fix and parts are easier to get (and don't cost a lot) then go with a hobby truck. I'm happy as hell with my Evader EXT so far (though I imagine I'm going to get flamed soon).

Either way, the batteries and charger are really what's going to sink into the wallet a bit.

billdee

kit kit kit kit kit kit kit buy them a kit. how can you guys come on this forum and tell this person to get a rtr rc truck. shame on you.

kistner

My Feedback: (10)

Got my kids (5 and 6) used cars off ebay and craigslist. It was a family project putting them together/making them run again, picking out paint and decals. They have a rustler and a lunchbox (and I have a vintage traxxas eagle also from ebay). We crash, race, jump, on the street, in the grass. Both the rustler and the lunchbox have been very durable. Tons of road rash though
cars averaged about 60 each, probably got another 20 in them making them road ready.

Wevie

Our family of trucks (the electric side):

My T4 with MM5700 brushless power
My 14 yr old - highly modified Rustler with CO27 power (He will be going brushless soon)
My 10 yr old - Rustler with MM5700 power
My 4 yr old - Raven with 75 turn lathe motor while he learns to drive. (OK, that didn't take long, so now he needs a new motor)

The Raven is a great value truck. You get a battery and all with it. It's fairly quick and fairly durable to start out with. Tranny gears are plastic, so you might want to keep a set on hand. Of course you can put more motor in it in the future.

This ain't cheap. Not at all. When we bash, I've got three chargers going. One with LiPo's for me and two with 7-cell NiMh for the boys. Everyone has a set of dirt tires (dirthawgs), road tires (roadrage), and track tires (step pins). I spend a lot of time repairing stuff. After run maintenance is time consuming with the brushed motors.

ray3619

the only thing i will add is RPM and others make big plastic bumpers , worth there weight in gold , ray

04DarkShadowGT

A good cheap entry level RC is the Evader EXT. They have them for $99 at www.ultimatehobbies.com

Doesnt get much better than that for the money.

Lunchboxer

Tamiya kits (Lunchbox, Midnight Pumpkin, etc.)... build the trucks with the kids... spend some quality there that way... and learn it the right way!

Unless they don't have the patience.. in that case.. probably just find something that the LHS carries.. ha!

stringcheese

I had a Tamiya Falcon when I was 8. I'm 30 now and glad my parents bought me something that was not just another K-Mart car. Tamiya ready to runs (rtr's) are great starter cars and the only cars left with respectable bumpers. The re-release of these cars is great. They are cheaper then traxxas and, in my opinion, tougher. They will out grow them. They are faster and much more durable then anything you buy off Walmart or Toys 'r' us's shelves. Slower then Traxxas. Not as expensive as traxxas. Still have parts available if something does break. Tons of fun and a lot less maintenence. I'd recomend a ripper or a grasshopper.

With all of this in mind, I'd still recomend buying an Associated Electronics or a Traxxas kit or rtr. They are way more fun. They have the ability to be upgraded to the fullest and could last a lifetime.

I believe investing in your children is the best investment. I believe you should do these six things:

Buy them all Team Associated RC10-B4's or T4's (preferably kits)
Buy the Lipo batteries for $100 each.
Buy 2 of the computerized chargers for $110.
Buy 2.4ghz Spektrum 2 channel radios.
Buy brushless motors and electronic speed controls.
Buy one for yourself.

Then take them to your local racetrack. They will never forget what you did for them. And you never know. They could be the next big factory driver.

stringcheese

As a footnote to my last post. My boys will all have vehicles as stated above as soon as they are old enough.