R/C Cars

[Pootattoo]

Hey all!

Been wanting to get into this hobby for a long time,

Definitely want electric, 4wd Off road truck, would like to stay under $400.00.

So far, I like the (T r a x x a s) vehicles because they are waterproof. lol...

Lots of r/c car video insanity on you-tube, It's kinda addicting!

Anyone out there have any advice?

[Diapers4Me]

I have an RC car (not off road). It is a blast, but it isn't cheap, and requires a significant spare parts inventorty and plenty of patience! So if you do buy one, be sure you have a significant amount of money left for parts.

[ddk]

I have tomany r/c cars to count, gas and electric, the traxxas slash is very fun, specialy since it is water proof, but i have had Losi Lst, and a few different truggies. But trust me, its not cheap, if you plan on racing then you better have a deep pocket lol, luckly for me my stepdad does haha! oh and the T-max is a good basher

[Pootattoo]

I have tomany r/c cars to count, gas and electric, the traxxas slash is very fun, specialy since it is water proof, but i have had Losi Lst, and a few different truggies. But trust me, its not cheap, if you plan on racing then you better have a deep pocket lol, luckly for me my stepdad does haha! oh and the T-max is a good basher

Yeah, Not really into the racing aspect, I have a large hilly / wooded back yard that would probably be a lot of fun to beat around in.

Seems like the 1/16th scale summit vxl may be about my speed, though I like the stampede 4x4 too!

Parts availability seem to be pretty plentiful....

Decisions, decisions

[drynot]

I was into R/C trucks there for a while. Got out of electric ones and went to gas. Part of the fun is wrenching on them after playing with them.

Still have a nitro Terra Crusher that I take out every now and again for a quick burn....

[BBB]

I've got a bit of interest in the same.

Right now I've got two Slash 4x4's, an associated SC10, an associated T4, associated NTC3, and a duratrax vendetta sc truck.

Traxxas Slashes are fun and durable, but top heavy and not competent racing vehicles.

SC 10 is 2wd but still fun. Definitely for racing, not bashing. Which is true of most associated's vehicles.

Ofna has some good vehicles right now as well.

I really suggest staying with electrics. Flame outs on Nitro RC cars suck when you're in the middle of playing. Plus with LiPO batteries you can get good long run times.

And support your local hobby shop!

And check out the rctech forums for more good advice.

[Guest]

I used to be into cars, but now I prefer helicopters, and planes.

[:dlb]

I've wanted to get one for years myself.. All kinds of awesome rc stuff out there. Battleships that shoot and sink each other, jets, tanks, subs, you name it.

[wishing for diapers]

I had an electric 4x4 (Big Brute) truck decades ago that I loved. It actually still worked after it got run over by a real car (all the structural parts were broken so it was more dragging itself around).

I picked up a off-road car a few years ago, but don't know what happened to it. The problem I had was that it was about 5 minutes of fun and then a lot of fiddling with the batteries (either swapping them or charging them). My old truck carried the battery where you could get to it without taking the body off first, but the car's body had to come off. It also didn't have the clearance of the old truck so it wasn't as good on rough ground (grass, broken ground, etc..).

As others have said, it's not a cheap hobby. So if you have limited resources, either find a different hobby or be prepared for it to sit idle at times while you need to get replacement parts or want to make upgrades. IIRC my truck plus it's (cheap) remote cost me about $500 new. Over the 4 years I had it, I easily spent another $500 on it (extra batteries, fast chargers, the thing ate axles, gears, and the old mechanical speed controls (probably $300 just in those parts)).

I've thought about getting into gas, but just never have gotten around to it.

[Three Rivers]

RC toys are fun, I have had several over the years. The one thing I didn't like about the electric ones, is they don't last long for play. Gas will run longer, but is a little more expensive up front. It's been several years since I gave up the hobby. But the best to you, they are great to play with.

[BBB]

Run times aren't an issue anymore with electrics.

30 minutes on a good quality LiPO battery with a brushless motor is very doable.

[rusty pins]

Had one 25 years ago that I didn't do much with. It was fun but mostly people competeing with each other in sponsored races. That makes good people turn ugly in a hurry, not somthing I wanted to do much of. I've been flying R/C planes for 30 years and that's a lot of fun! I hear, though, that the traxxas cars and trucks are some of the better ones made now. Used to be the R/C 10 and Tamaya cars.

[BBB]

RC10's were/are made by Associated.... RC10 is a model, like a Taurus is a model of Ford.

Traxxas makes good vehicles... Depending on your purpose.

[diaperkevin]

Love R/C. Just got my first RC truck a few months ago. It is a Savage X 4.6 truck. I have been into RC planes for years, and just bought my first glow helicopter.

[Yvhuce]

I had a few as a kid, but eventually the battery packs wore out and I've long since given up playing with them. I keep the Lamborghini Countach and old Lobo II car around for memoris' sake, though... Plus, they look cool. Though, after watching Mythbusters, I'd like try my hand at an RC-ed real life vehicle...

[rusty pins]

I had a few as a kid, but eventually the battery packs wore out and I've long since given up playing with them. I keep the Lamborghini Countach and old Lobo II car around for memoris' sake, though... Plus, they look cool. Though, after watching Mythbusters, I'd like try my hand at an RC-ed real life vehicle...

Just be careful! Look at how many times Grant rigs a car or bus to operate R/C and crashes into a fence or worse!

[Dubious]

thinking about getting a electric helicopter, but wont be before after christmas, not to big so i can fly indoors (not at home but in a big industry hall)

-20 celsius)(20 below freezing) here now so kinda cold to be outside

[dogpiss]

My dream RC car would be the one I saw on Mythbusters while in Germany a while back. They had rigged a GM "New Look" model transit bus to a steering wheel mounted in the back of a ute of some kind. They seemed to be having a lot of trouble with the rig, but I'd love to get the radio bugs worked out and have a bus that would be half bus half Predator drone. The ultimate RC car! I guess that's what they mean when they say go big or go home.

[Unseendl]

I've just started getting into this hobby myself. Since I have been getting into more and more of the mechanical end of things I wanted to go gas

Right now I've got two Slash 4x4's, an associated SC10, an associated T4, associated NTC3, and a duratrax vendetta sc truck.

Traxxas Slashes are fun and durable, but top heavy and not competent racing vehicles.

SC 10 is 2wd but still fun. Definitely for racing, not bashing. Which is true of most associated's vehicles.

My dad had an electric SC10 years ago and I loved playing with it. I bought an NTC3 from a co-worker of mine and since I am the third owner of the vehicle, I have had to do some MAJOR repairs to the thing. as Diapers4me said:

I have an RC car (not off road). It is a blast, but it isn't cheap, and requires a significant spare parts inventorty and plenty of patience! So if you do buy one, be sure you have a significant amount of money left for parts.

The is the unfortunate side to this hobby, is the money. But when they run, they are endless amounts of fun. Especially if you are mechanically, or competively inclined.

P.S. Now you can be the proof that race car drivers DO wear diapers!

[Pootattoo]

Run times aren't an issue anymore with electrics.

30 minutes on a good quality LiPO battery with a brushless motor is very doable.

The thing with LiPo's though, is that they are highly volatile and dangerous!

Just do a search for a "New Zealand LiPo fire" on YouTube....

There are also a lot of videos of people purposely abusing them

so they catch fire and / or explode!

If you heed all the warnings, and strictly adhere to handling procedures,

you'll be fine.

I for one won't be messing with them (for now) because they scare me.

I hear LiFeP04 batteries are almost as powerful, safer and last longer, but hard to find

because not too many companies are making them ....

Just sayin'

[BBB]

LiPO batteries aren't dangerous. Seriously. I've had 1 pop on me, and it just created lots of smoke. And charred my chassis in the Slash 4x4. Nothing broke, nothing big. It followed a particulary violent crash that caused an internal solder to break and short circuited the cells inside the battery.... Still ran the truck in the A Main that night.

And who ever said there father had an SC10 years ago.... That truck came out in Feb 2009....