Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Hi all,

I am new to hobby-grade RC vehicles and am looking to purchase one for my son and am looking for recommendations. The following are my criteria:
- Electric
- 4 wheel drive is preferable but not required
- 30 to 50 mph range?
- 1/8 to 1/10 scale
- Waterproof
- Used for both on and off road. Probably more off road, grassy areas
- Son is a beginner but a fast learner so nothing too basic
- A brand that is easy to find replacement parts for
- I've never worked on an RC car but I'm relatively technical and don't mind working on it myself
- Goal is to keep it under $400
- We like a bunch of cars from Traxxas and HPI. Staying away from Red Cat as I hear finding replacement parts can be difficult, and that the quality is not the same as a Traxxas or HPI

What are some other criteria that I should be focused on? Any recommendations on vehicles?

Thank you!
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RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Ofna LX2E.<div>HPI Savage XS.</div><div>Axial EXO Terra Buggy.</div>

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

im guessing as your new you'll need a charger and battery's aswell that will limit your options on cars in the 10/ 8th scales from the bigger brands

there this savage xs its more like a 1/11th scale i had one myself and didnt like it but many people love it. and a lipo charger and lipo and its within your budget
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...-w-24GHz-Radio
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...rger-6S-5A-50W
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...-ROAR-Approved
finial price being $377.97 and it leaves alittle room left for a good hex set

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Of I chose between that stuff, I'd get the LX2E. That's why it's next on my list. ;)

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

yeah the lx2e is the best of the list you gave but if his budget is 400 for everything no way he can get the lx2e

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Thanks for all the replies so far. I found the LX2E at Tower Hobbies for $349.99 (http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXBWUV&amp;P=7). Looks like I would need to buy a couple of Lipo batteries for it. It doesn't say anthing about being waterproof, do you know if it is?

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

no the lx2e is not waterproof to my knowledge

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

No, the LX2e is not waterproof, but this isn't that kind of buggy to be ramming thru puddles and stuff like that. If you want to be running in that, the Flux XS or Traxxas summit is your options. The :X2e is still a friggin' beast though.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

traxxas slash 4x4 does meet most criteria.
waterproof
4wd
1/10 (but close to most 1/8)
fairly durable
30mph out of box. faster with a lipo battery
ESC has a 50% mode. can help son get use to truck, then turn it up to full power.
Easy to get parts.

Driveshafts are a weak point. Upgrades availible. Just a bit higher than you price range I think.

Not a ton of RTR's come waterproof.

Axial exo rtr is just over $300, leaving money for batts/charger. Look up video reviews. Its awsome in many ways but does have a few drawbacks.

Redcat caldera 10e. I know you said no redcat, but its 4wd/brushless and pretty durable. Parts are availible all over the web. If you have a local hobby shop, see if they carry redcat stuff. If they do, consider the redcat. If they dont, then just know if you need parts you will have to wait for shipping. Cost of the RTR is $200ish, leaving money for lipos/charger and spares/upgrades.

Ofna lxe kit is a good deal. Just have to do research to pick out the right gear to go into it.

If 2wd is ok, grab a thunder tiger phoenix XT. 2wd brushless buggy for $200. Its a rebranding of the team associated T3 stadium truck. Will do 30mph out of the box...but it comes under geared. Gear it up and 40mph on a 2s lipo is easy. Wheely poping power as well. I have the buggy version. Good sturdy rig for the money. I have 20 lipo packs run threw mine (about 10 hours worth) and only broken 2 parts in that time.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

The Red Cat Caldera looks interesting. I'm not completely opposed to that brand, would definitely appreciate more thoughts on it. What do you think about the Caldera XB 10E? Or is the Traxxas Slash really significantly a better product and worth double the cost?

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

first i'll give you a tip, waterproof should not be a requirement. reason? you can achieve the same (or even better) results with a tube of silicone glue (a common name brand is shoo goo). just apply a bead around all seams and fill any openings.

now a question, is RTR mandatory or are you willing to look at kits? if a kit is acceptable you will have a few more options. i'll save recommendations until you answer so i dont fill up the page with models you have zero interest in.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

I'm open to a kit but would definitely need help on recommendations for all the pieces I'd need.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

well, 3 cheap kits that spring to mind are all tamiya's, the df02, the dt02 and the lunchbox. all 3 come with a basic motor and speed control so all you need is a battery, charger radio system and servo. none of these are quite what you'd call quick but they are plenty fast for a beginner. when more speed is desired all 3 can take the power of brushless and they are cheap enough that your budget could actually swing 2! many dads here will tell you to get 2 because you will be fighting your son for the controller.

the [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXTDR5&P=7]df02[/link] has gone up in price recently but is still the cheapest 4wd i know of. i personally have owned 2. they have no real issue with brushelss other than the normal hickups. stock, it'll do 15-20 depending on the battery which is actually faster than it sounds.

the [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMVP3&P=7]dt02[/link] comes in a few different forms but the one in the link is more or less the top model. from what i've seen, it's a very simple build.

then there's the classic [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKSG2&P=7]lunchbox[/link]. it was originally released in the 80's then re-released several years ago. it's a fairly simple design but that just means there is less to break. it's rear end is shared with several other models (mostly buggies) that may be of interest as well.

as i said, all 3 come with esc's and motors so all that's needed is a battery, charger, servo and radio system.



if that seems overwhelming, [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCYBG**&P=0]BAM![/link] [link=http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html]shizam![/link]

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Those be one of my favorite RC's(and most reliable) currently own 2. One is brushless, other is brushed. Only issue I really had with mine was breaking the chassis from a mild hit, but there is a workaround to make that part stronger then hell for under $5 in parts. My nephew also has one that I did the mod to he's broken his stampede a few times, but not the DF-02 :D


Ofna Nexx 10SC http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXBAVN&P=7 one nice vehicle I have its predecessors (it shares a pile of parts so the durability is about par). Only parts I ever broke on its predecessors were C-hubs, and knuckles, but the nexx10 don't even have those as it runs pillow balls (its only difference) so the weakness is gone ;)
Only thing is you will need a separate ESC, motor, servo, and radio. But that will set you back about another $140ish if you buy hobbywing esc, and motor, flysky basic radio, and a decent servo

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

All,

Thanks so much for all the replies and recommendations. I appreciate the help you've given to this newbie. I've taken it all into consideration and have decided to go with the Traxxas Slash 4x4. Tower Hobbies had it for a decent price ($412.99) with a $50 coupon (brought it to $362.99). Bought a new Traxxas 7.4v 4200 mAh 2 cell 25C Lipo battery off eBay for $35 so I was able to keep it right within budget. Now I'm wondering if I should have bought two because I think my son will have a hard time wresting the remote from my hands.

Thanks again and I'm looking forward to staying a part of this fun hobby!

Dave<br type="_moz" />

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Did you buy the traxxas slash yet? If not, I have a really good coupon, will save you $100 off a $400-499 order from towerhobbies
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RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Availability vs Cost. Always an issue. Traxxas is ALWAYS more available locally than anything else. Unfortunately, you pay for it. But that's cool, as long as you're happy with your decision!

The only thing I would recommend is your choice of LiPo. You're new to this, so I'll keep it simple: The LiPo battery you got is rated at a 30C discharge rate. For a Slash 4x4, I'd have gotten a 50C. Put simply, a 50C LiPo is not going to get as warm as a 30C LiPo in a big truck like a Slash 4x4. This is because the higher C-rated pack can deliver more amperage easier, so it doesn't get as hot. In all things electronic, heat is a bad thing. That 50C pack is going to have a longer useful lifetime than the 30C. You'll also notice a little more mid-range punch.

Also, get yourself an IR temp gun to monitor your motor, ESC and battery temps during runs. A motor that is too hot is over geared. What is too hot? On a brushed motor, 140 is too hot. On a brushless motor, 140-150 is normal operating temp, over 160 is getting too hot. Selecting a pinion gear with one or two fewer teeth will lower the motor temp at the expense of top speed. Start poking around the Slash forums for more info.

Oh, and as far as waterproof is concerned. Iwas told that, even tho Traxxas bills their waterproof systems as such, Iam told they aren't, really. So Iwouldn't go will-nilly running your new truck thru puddles. But you should at least be protected well enough that the occasional splash, or a little wet grass, shouldn't cause you any issues. And if you're running on grass, REALLY keep an eye on your motor temps.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

As far as motor temps go, I now go by the rule that if you can't touch it for 3 seconds, its too hot (brushless).

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Duratrax 835E
http://www.rceasy.com/wp-content/blo...5/dtxd78xx.jpg
http://www.rceasy.com/wp-content/blo...uggy-RTR-3.jpg

16mm threaded big bore shocks, hobbywing electronics 1 year warranty on plastic parts. $400.00 RTR

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

That motor looks a tad small for that size vehicle IMO

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Why do ya say that, Syco?  Kinda hard to tell from the pics, but looks pretty standard to me.  But then, I'm not an 8th-scale guy.

Hobbywing makes the Onyx motor systems?? Really!?  That makes me REALLY want one of these, now.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Onyx motor is 40x74 which is pretty much the standard for 1/8 buggies. The Onyx systems are rebadged Hobbywing so they will take a beating on and off the track lol.

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Well I just meant in the pic it looked a tad small, not that it is too small. Might just be the angle the picture is taken at that makes it look so. Maybe its just the rock guard throwing me off as I'm not used to looking at them in person on BL models(my 1/8th scale truggy lacks one).

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

Not all Onyx systems are rebadged HobbyWings. This one is a rebadged Caste combo for example, but yes some are.

http://www.rcplanet.com/DuraTrax_1_1...20-0090-00.htm

RE: Recommendations: RC electric car/buggy/truck with $400 budget and following criteria
 

that's not an onyx system, that's called element. i wounder who makes their sensored stuff...