Present for seven year old.
03-26-2018, 01:30 AM
#1
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Present for seven year old.
Hi all,
My my son is asking for an rc car for his birthday. I've been searching but it's so hard to keep up with what's new and what's old, not to mention if one brand is a no go or a bargain. I would love to get him a car but i am struggling with what's the right choice. I would like to build a kit with him as I think it's important to see how it all goes together. However kits seem to be few and far between these days. It will be mainly used for bashing on grass so needs to contend with that.
From my own research it would seem a 1/8 size will be better for grass but I don't want to intimidate him. I have had cars since I was a kid along with planes, helis and gliders so I'm not worried about helping him and I have all the ancillary equipment, charger, tools, etc. It has to be electric as nitro is too much and too noisy. I'm thinking brushed or at least only a moderate brushless set up to keep the speeds down in the beginning.
I live in north scotland with no local model shops near me so spares support needs to be good on the internet.
And of course I don't want to break the bank as he's only seven!
Can anyone recomend a brand or model that might tick some of those boxes?
Cheers
My my son is asking for an rc car for his birthday. I've been searching but it's so hard to keep up with what's new and what's old, not to mention if one brand is a no go or a bargain. I would love to get him a car but i am struggling with what's the right choice. I would like to build a kit with him as I think it's important to see how it all goes together. However kits seem to be few and far between these days. It will be mainly used for bashing on grass so needs to contend with that.
From my own research it would seem a 1/8 size will be better for grass but I don't want to intimidate him. I have had cars since I was a kid along with planes, helis and gliders so I'm not worried about helping him and I have all the ancillary equipment, charger, tools, etc. It has to be electric as nitro is too much and too noisy. I'm thinking brushed or at least only a moderate brushless set up to keep the speeds down in the beginning.
I live in north scotland with no local model shops near me so spares support needs to be good on the internet.
And of course I don't want to break the bank as he's only seven!
Can anyone recomend a brand or model that might tick some of those boxes?
Cheers
03-26-2018, 03:12 AM
#2
Depending on the thickness of grass, you might get away with a 1/10 scale. In general, 1/8 scale RCs are more durable, but that comes with a higher price tag.
Some RTR RC platforms come with ESCs that will allow the power to be cut in half, and thus lowering speeds for beginners. If purchasing separate components, you will definitely want a radio with throttle end point adjustments (EPA). EPA controls will let you to have a more powerful motor installed, but still let you limit top end of the motor.
Finding a kit poses a problem a lot of times, and a lot depends on the budget.
Budget? Let's start there as others come to chime in.
Some RTR RC platforms come with ESCs that will allow the power to be cut in half, and thus lowering speeds for beginners. If purchasing separate components, you will definitely want a radio with throttle end point adjustments (EPA). EPA controls will let you to have a more powerful motor installed, but still let you limit top end of the motor.
Finding a kit poses a problem a lot of times, and a lot depends on the budget.
Budget? Let's start there as others come to chime in.
03-26-2018, 06:13 PM
#3
As far as kits go, a halfway decent entry level would be the ECX Amp which is offered as a BTD:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/1-10-am...kit-p-ecx03034
It's nothing over the top fancy, and no where near as durable as a 1/8 buggy, but could be a decent entry level for a 7 y/o.
I tend to agree that a 1/8 buggy, truggy or monster truck would be ideal if you want to get something relatively "bullet proof" but you'll spend considerably more money. That said if money was no object, I would get any of the following Tekno kits as my personal preference:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/sct4103...te-kit-tkr5507
https://www.horizonhobby.com/mt4103-...ck-kit-tkr5603
https://www.horizonhobby.com/eb484-1...gy-kit-tkr8000
https://www.horizonhobby.com/et483-4...kit%29-tkr5602
Each of these kits share many common parts where the SCT410, MT410 and EB48 all share the same chassis and center drive line components.
The SCT410 and MT410 share the same bumpers and body mounts.
The SCT410 has slightly shorter arms and uses 12mm hex wheels where all other kits use 17mm hexes.
The MT410 shares the same arms with the ET48
The ET48 has a stretched out chassis and offers the best stability of the group.
Tekno kits are very easy to build, but you'll want to watch all these build tip videos first:
https://www.teknorc.com/vehicle-setu...nd-build-tips/
If I was gonna build a kit with my son today, I'd go with the MT410 and run it on 2S (significantly reduced power), here's a video clip to see what the capabilities are:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/1-10-am...kit-p-ecx03034
It's nothing over the top fancy, and no where near as durable as a 1/8 buggy, but could be a decent entry level for a 7 y/o.
I tend to agree that a 1/8 buggy, truggy or monster truck would be ideal if you want to get something relatively "bullet proof" but you'll spend considerably more money. That said if money was no object, I would get any of the following Tekno kits as my personal preference:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/sct4103...te-kit-tkr5507
https://www.horizonhobby.com/mt4103-...ck-kit-tkr5603
https://www.horizonhobby.com/eb484-1...gy-kit-tkr8000
https://www.horizonhobby.com/et483-4...kit%29-tkr5602
Each of these kits share many common parts where the SCT410, MT410 and EB48 all share the same chassis and center drive line components.
The SCT410 and MT410 share the same bumpers and body mounts.
The SCT410 has slightly shorter arms and uses 12mm hex wheels where all other kits use 17mm hexes.
The MT410 shares the same arms with the ET48
The ET48 has a stretched out chassis and offers the best stability of the group.
Tekno kits are very easy to build, but you'll want to watch all these build tip videos first:
https://www.teknorc.com/vehicle-setu...nd-build-tips/
If I was gonna build a kit with my son today, I'd go with the MT410 and run it on 2S (significantly reduced power), here's a video clip to see what the capabilities are:
03-27-2018, 06:03 AM
#4
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Go talk to your LHS. See what brand of replacement parts they carry. You don't want to buy Brand A when parts are only available locally for Brand B. 7 year olds are sometimes not the best at waiting on parts to ship from wherever. I'm in the same boat as you and I've decided to go with a 2wd Slash, because of parts availability and they'll take a beating.
03-27-2018, 10:06 AM
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Go talk to your LHS. See what brand of replacement parts they carry. You don't want to buy Brand A when parts are only available locally for Brand B. 7 year olds are sometimes not the best at waiting on parts to ship from wherever. I'm in the same boat as you and I've decided to go with a 2wd Slash, because of parts availability and they'll take a beating.
03-27-2018, 02:15 PM
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