Beginners need buying advice

[Jonazid]

As I said, I am a beginner. I am from Sweden, but live in Tunisia. There are no RC shops in this country, everything has to be imported privately. That's why I need your knowledge. I have recently tried to learn a little about RC cars, I am now 40 years old. Haven't driven since I was a teenager.

I still don't understand all the classes of cars.

What the hell should I buy? I looked at the Traxxas Sledge, but I think it's a lot of money. But at the same time, I want to buy something durable. Will probably drive mostly on dirt roads and in sand. If something breaks, I have to buy from Europe. Which means I have to buy, fix so it comes with transports going down. Of course, everything can break, but yes, I'd rather invest in quality than cheap.

Sorry for all the text not meant to ramble.

I'm looking for help finding something fun and sustainable. Maximum budget should be around 1000 pounds. But then it has to be with batteries and chargers and everything.

I am also open to cheaper. Preferably models that are outside the UK if there is no really honest person that I can send money to who can send it to me with one of the trucks that come from England. I am gullible, but not easily deceived. Best regards Jonathan

 

[Tunedfrog]

Welcome in @Jonazid , first of all, what terrain are you planning on running your rigs?
That will make a big difference for us to give you recommendations. 1000 pounds is a pretty good
budget. That's 1,259.00 and some change in the US.
If you went with 1/10 scale, that would get you into a nice system including charger.
There is several different directions you can go with the cars.
Buggies, truggies "part buggy, part truck, monster trucks, trail crawlers, rock bouncers, it all depends on what you are interested in.
Arrma, Traxxas, Losi, Kyosho, are a few good ones but there is a bunch.
Some good crawlers are Axial, Traxxas TRX4 series, Redcat crawler's are a decent brand that has gotten better over the years.
One thing I will definitely recommend is READ UP ON LIPO'S if you go with Lipo batteries. "VERY IMPORTANT".
Brushless systems in bashers are far better than brushed motors however in crawlers you can find some really good brushed motors.
A lot off these guys including me have a collection of the little 1/24 scale crawlers, they are a ton of fun.

One more thing I highly recommend you do is, research, make sure there is available parts to what ever rig you choose.
No parts ? No rig. It's that simple.

Again welcome in and to the best hobby ever. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. That's why we are here.

 

[bill_delong]

I would stay away from Traxxas, they are not known for durability, main reason hobby shops promote them so much is because they make a ton of money on replacement parts and upgrades.

I would recommend a race grade kit that already includes all the upgrades you need.

First thing is to decide which class you want to get. I would encourage you to consider a 1/8 buggy which will tend to be one of the most durable classes and will be more likely to offer lower long term maintenance costs provided you regularly maintain the kit.

Of all the mail order options out there, I would put Caster toward the top of the list of RTR's on the market, I used to be a team driver with Caster but am no longer affiliated with them, but I honestly believe there is no RTR on the planet better than it right now, here's my build/review thread which goes over the ins and outs of the car and what upgrades to consider:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4322447-BUILD-REVIEW-Caster-ETO821

Not sure if the US Distributor that I have linked in the thread will deliver to Tunisia, but here's the OEM who offers the kit version here:
http://www.casterracing.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=394_465&product_id=2472


My #2 pick for you would be HongNor where the X3S used to be an 80% pre-built kit, basically you just need to install the electronics, but I would contact them the be sure they are still doing that:
http://www.rc-willpower.com/Cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=145_462&product_id=41456

Once you decide on a car, then I'd be happy to help you select your electronics.

Good Luck and welcome to RCTalk!

 

[Jonazid]

Welcome in @Jonazid , first of all, what terrain are you planning on running your rigs?
That will make a big difference for us to give you recommendations. 1000 pounds is a pretty good
budget. That's 1,259.00 and some change in the US.
If you went with 1/10 scale, that would get you into a nice system including charger.
There is several different directions you can go with the cars.
Buggies, truggies "part buggy, part truck, monster trucks, trail crawlers, rock bouncers, it all depends on what you are interested in.
Arrma, Traxxas, Losi, Kyosho, are a few good ones but there is a bunch.
Some good crawlers are Axial, Traxxas TRX4 series, Redcat crawler's are a decent brand that has gotten better over the years.
One thing I will definitely recommend is READ UP ON LIPO'S if you go with Lipo batteries. "VERY IMPORTANT".
Brushless systems in bashers are far better than brushed motors however in crawlers you can find some really good brushed motors.
A lot off these guys including me have a collection of the little 1/24 scale crawlers, they are a ton of fun.

One more thing I highly recommend you do is, research, make sure there is available parts to what ever rig you choose.
No parts ? No rig. It's that simple.

Again welcome in and to the best hobby ever. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. That's why we are here.

I was planning to do gravel and beach. We have a dirt road outside and countryside/mountains close by. There is no parts in this country, so need to get that when i travel to europe or ask a friend to bring. I started reading about Batteries. S3-4 S6. I dont know if i should get all in one car. Or maybe in 2. I simple dont know how much a good car cost. I like the Sledge model. Or that type. Also i found like a Pickup truck for pavement, i think it did like 65mph from the box. That was kinda intresting to. I looked at alot of videos online. I'm abit all over the place. Like a good all around car. Like the idea of drifting.

I would stay away from Traxxas, they are not known for durability, main reason hobby shops promote them so much is because they make a ton of money on replacement parts and upgrades.

I would recommend a race grade kit that already includes all the upgrades you need.

First thing is to decide which class you want to get. I would encourage you to consider a 1/8 buggy which will tend to be one of the most durable classes and will be more likely to offer lower long term maintenance costs provided you regularly maintain the kit.

Of all the mail order options out there, I would put Caster toward the top of the list of RTR's on the market, I used to be a team driver with Caster but am no longer affiliated with them, but I honestly believe there is no RTR on the planet better than it right now, here's my build/review thread which goes over the ins and outs of the car and what upgrades to consider:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4322447-BUILD-REVIEW-Caster-ETO821

Not sure if the US Distributor that I have linked in the thread will deliver to Tunisia, but here's the OEM who offers the kit version here:
http://www.casterracing.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=394_465&product_id=2472


My #2 pick for you would be HongNor where the X3S used to be an 80% pre-built kit, basically you just need to install the electronics, but I would contact them the be sure they are still doing that:
http://www.rc-willpower.com/Cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=145_462&product_id=41456

Once you decide on a car, then I'd be happy to help you select your electronics.

Good Luck and welcome to RCTalk!

I will look up everything you said. I don´t want to risk sending anything here coz its alot of curruption. Things go missing. I don´t need the biggest. I just want to start having some fun. Maybe i get some cheaper things, and i prefer as most ready to drive as possible. Thanks for your advice.

I found a site that seem to import to swe. They can get these brands. Traxxas, Team Corally, ARRMA, HPI Racing, Xray, Tamiya, Maverick, FTX, Tekno RC, Xpress, Element RC, GMade, HoBao, LaTrax and Yokomo.

 

[ZaneC]

The Traxxas 2WD series are the perfect starter cars. Just be sure to get the ones with the batteries!

 

[Lumikko]

For dirt roads and sand, ensure that the drivetrain is enclosed. Many race cars (even the ”off-road” ones) today have exposed pinions and spur gears under the body and nothing really stops small rocks and grains of sand from getting into the gears.

 

[bill_delong]

I found a site that seem to import to swe. They can get these brands. Traxxas, Team Corally, ARRMA, HPI Racing, Xray, Tamiya, Maverick, FTX, Tekno RC, Xpress, Element RC, GMade, HoBao, LaTrax and Yokomo.

Of this list of brands to consider, I would only buy one of these:
1) TEKNO --> MT410 is the king of bashers, it's a kit but the quality is the best of these brands
2) HoBao --> MTE-Plus will not be as durable as TEKNO, but will take a reasonable beating and it's available as a RTR
3) ARRMA --> Notorious will be comparable to HoBao, splitting hairs to say which one is better
4) HPI Racing --> Savage X Flux V2 - very solid design for a RTR also splitting hairs with HoBao and ARRMA

I personally would build a TEKNO kit which will give me peace of mind knowing how everything is assembled to make maintenance easier. Most RTR's come with questionable electronics where a new servo and radio are typically the first upgrades you have to make, why buy twice?

I would stay away from anything that is 1/10, they are made with lower quality plastics and will break frequently, you'll spend more time waiting for parts to arrive than you will spend driving the car.

Good Luck!

 

[easy rider]

I own a lot of Traxxas vehicles. And, I don’t abuse them but, I do run the heck out them. They’ll last and last as long as any other brand.


The sledge is a great RC car Yes, armma makes them faster. But, the differentials are half the size so, they are going to break long before the Traxxas diffs do on the sledge.


The truth is every vehicle has its strong and weak points. And, the truth is that a Traxxas sledge will be as durable as anything you can buy. Just go over the bolts occasionally. You should do that on any RC vehicle as well.

Lots of great vehicles made by other brands too. So, you have lots of options to choose from. But, don’t shy from that sledge. Once owning it you’ll be glad you did. It’s as fun as any RC vehicle made to just drive around. Especially on dirt and sand.

 

[Jamr]

I would add to watch a lot of youtube videos on the different types of RCing. They will give you insights to the world that are not conveyed to you in any forum. on top of that, you will see what kind of driving you actually enjoy and others you will not.
One kind of car can not do everything great, so pick your category wisely, then get yourself a car that is good in that category, have fun with it and if you need to, pick another category to do later on, then go that route.
Here are some popular categories.
Bashing Street
Bashing Dirt
Drag Racing
Track Racing
Crawling
Speed Runs
I would also add, ask yourself if you want to use one controller for all of your cars or different controllers, one for each car, becase you know you are gonna get a second car...
In the beginning, get some good batteries, charger, controller and a good set of tools to work on your cars.
It is expensive at first but once you have the above mentioned items, you only need to get a receiver, and maybe batteries for each new car you get.

 

[bill_delong]

I'm seeing more than one person recommend Traxxas and there's more information you should know about this brand, they make all of their electronics incompatible with any other brand which will force you to pay more money for more expensive chargers and batteries that are not any higher quality than budget brands. I see far too often when people complain and want to upgrade to higher quality but can't, here's a couple quick examples:

EZ-Peak Plus Dual OVERHEATING​

Traxxas Live ID charger plug-in issues​

The bigger issue I have with Traxxas is their attempt to monopolize the industry and are widely known for being a "Patent Troll":

• Why I have chosen to Boycott Traxxas

The recommendation for the Sledge will be comparable in durability to ARRMA, HoBao and HPI, though none of these brands can hold a candle to TEKNO. The biggest concern is that the Sledge is grossly overpriced for what you get. You are not paying more money for a better product, you are paying for the marketing that Traxxas pumps into the industry where Hobby Shops prefer to sell vehicles that break, more info here:

https://www.rogershobbycenter.com/f.../two-problems-ecx-has-to-fix-now-opinion.html

 

[easy rider]

I feel compelled to address the last comment. Because I sense demeanor in it.

As in all things, people have their preferences. I was talking Traxxas sledge because the OP said he was looking at it. And as in all talks concerning Traxxas, there are guys like you who don’t like them. And use that as a basis to steer others away.


There are lots of choices. You’ve got to buy esc and such in sone if armmas stuff. Rolling chassis for $500. No thanks. But, nobody goes off on that. Just Traxxas because they make their own supporting gear. FWIW, you can easily run other batteries in any Traxxas vehicles. Far more people do versus running Traxxas batteries. You know this. So just be honest with the OP.

I’m not a Traxxas fanboy. It’s what I get the most of at my local shop. And, I’m not saying it’s the best. I’m saying they make a good car. Could it be better? Absolutely. But every other brand has the same idea of after market support. And, a Traxxas sledge is a good value when comparing the competition. That’s not brand loyalty. That’s the truth.

 

[Tunedfrog]

I quit another forum because of the brand slamming BS.

 

[Lumikko]

There’s a fine line between fanboys of one brand slamming another brand that they don’t like, and informing other people in the community about questionable actions of a company.

In my opinion, Traxxas stuff isn’t fragile or overpriced compared to other brands in general. The proprietary batteries and chargers can be circumvented with adapters. Were it not for their frill lawsuits against competing brands, I would definitely consider buying Traxxas. As the situation is, I won’t buy even a bag of screws with their name on it.

When you are informed, you can decide whether these things matter to you. I have exactly zero beef with other rc hobbyists who run Traxxas vehicles. Boycotting them is a personal choice, I let other people know about it, but I won’t twist anyone’s arm to make the same choice.

 

[easy rider]

It’s a toy. A matchbox car for adults. Loyalty is something for friends and family. Not makers of toys. This is just my opinion but, it’s how I feel about it.

It isn’t a fine line either. It’s quite the opposite. It’s pretty easy to tell who’s just informing someone and who’s got a bias.

 

[Lumikko]

It isn’t a fine line either. It’s quite the opposite. It’s pretty easy to tell who’s just informing someone and who’s got a bias.

What I meant by fine line wasn’t that it’s unclear. I agree that the difference is easy to make.

My point is there’s only so much you can say without slipping into a biased rant instead of neutral informing. And since the people spreading the word are people who also boycott Traxxas, the tone is going to be negative by default.

I try to avoid making mountains out of molehills and clearly state that I don’t look down on others who disagree. What the company does is a matter of facts but whether or not to buy their products is entirely subjective.

I resigned from brand wars 30 years ago when I got poop for driving a Jrx Pro while everyone else in my local scene had RC10s. These are toys (though back then I took it very seriously) but I weigh carefully where I put my money. I also avoid stuff made in China as far as I reasonably can.

I’ve derailed this topic too much already so I’ll leave this be now. I think the OP got the message.

 

[RustyUs]

...One more thing I highly recommend you do is, research, make sure there is available parts to what ever rig you choose.
No parts ? No rig. It's that simple.

Again welcome in and to the best hobby ever. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. That's why we are here.

It really is that simple. I don't think there's any terribly bad hobby grade RCs out there. It's all about knowing your expectations, and the limitations of "the machine" you're controlling, or trying to control .

Lots of good stuff going on in this thread. I could go on, and on about kit vs RTR; build vs instant gratification; worthless RTR electronics; what I think is better, but it's pretty much covered already. Just be thankful for the www information overload that's available to you.

 

[bill_delong]

My point is there’s only so much you can say without slipping into a biased rant instead of neutral informing.

I couldn't have said it better, for some reason people take things personally when they've invested into a brand.

At the end of the day, we are all consumers and the OP has asked for key information that I've shared so they can make an informed decision.

I will whole heartedly admit my bias after Traxxas personally cost me thousands of dollars. After Traxxas sued HPI who used to be #1 brand in the world at that time, several race classes were eliminated because they were dependent on spec tires distributed exclusively from HPI. I foolishly jumped onto the "Spec Slash" bandwagon not realizing at the time that Traxxas had literally stole all that market share from HPI, I would actually become a Traxxas Fanboi myself:

• Spec Slash Tuning and Setup Guide

Over the years I became wise as I saw the politics behind Traxxas and what they were doing to the industry, the final straw for me was when they went after Hobbico which killed off another key brand of tires I was financially tied to, at that point I sold all my Traxxas equipment and began to boycott the brand.

You'll never see me make any personal insults to an individual, I will continue to support anyone who already owns a Traxxas product to help them overcome the plethora of design flaws Traxxas intentionally keeps so they can bilk more money from their consumers.

It's only on threads like this one where a new consumer wants to make an educated decision that I will share my personal experience to the best of my ability to state the facts.

 

[9x19]

On a scale from Christsmas presentee to sponsored racer, I suspect most of us here are in the upper half.

There are lots more RC buyers who will never find this place, nor join. They are the RTR market, and it is a competitive place. So, yeah most companies include basic electronic parts. Folks like us want/need better, but the bigger share of the market just doesn't.

I have yet to have a Traxxas radio or receiver fail. Servos, sure, but they do take a good bit more abuse.
The same goes for Associated, Aarma, and Losi...

There are many reasons for Traxxas' success and only a very few of them are related to patent defense.
They sell a wide variety of models that work, right out of the box, and have a very good reputation for support, both parts and advice.

I own a number of different brands and the entry level stuff is pretty much of the same quality.
Buy what you like, if it falls short of your expectations, there are almost always paths to correct or better it.

 

[easy rider]

What I meant by fine line wasn’t that it’s unclear. I agree that the difference is easy to make.

My point is there’s only so much you can say without slipping into a biased rant instead of neutral informing. And since the people spreading the word are people who also boycott Traxxas, the tone is going to be negative by default.

I try to avoid making mountains out of molehills and clearly state that I don’t look down on others who disagree. What the company does is a matter of facts but whether or not to buy their products is entirely subjective.

I resigned from brand wars 30 years ago when I got poop for driving a Jrx Pro while everyone else in my local scene had RC10s. These are toys (though back then I took it very seriously) but I weigh carefully where I put my money. I also avoid stuff made in China as far as I reasonably can.

I’ve derailed this topic too much already so I’ll leave this be now. I think the OP got the message.

I 100% agree.

 

[Jonazid]

Here will come a lot in swenglish. Bad gramma. I was thinking of that today about batteries. I would like to invest in good charger and also good batteries. But i hope to use them for more then one car. I will start with one car. I dont have to max out my budget. I'm fine with simple car to begin with. I'm not gonna send it in any skate parks. Drive and slide and maybe small jumps. I will read alot in here. Its just so many options, and its hard when I'm new. And I'm gonna send it over Europe down to North Africa I'm thinking of buying spare parts right away. Atlest things that brake easy. Would suck to have to go to Italy just to get parts. Thanks for all advice. Maybe i just try and buy some random stuff. Both cheap and maybe more expensive as i lern.