Discussion
Evening all.
Sorry but this has probably been covered many times before!!
I've been looking at a R/C vehicle for some time, for me and the 9 year old son, but I'm not sure which option to chose. We're probably going to go for something like a 4x4 rock crawler (or at least something that can do some slow speed off roading). I would prefer electric. I've been recommended an Axial SCX10 Dingo, but have seen various offerings by Tamiya, HPI and many I've never heard of. The Axial is around £350 with all the radio kit, but how do the others compare? Are they all as robust and reliable? I assume I can buy a basic kit then upgrade as I go along. Will parts from one manufacturer fit others? My budget would possibly be up to £350 at a push!!
Cheers
Sorry but this has probably been covered many times before!!
I've been looking at a R/C vehicle for some time, for me and the 9 year old son, but I'm not sure which option to chose. We're probably going to go for something like a 4x4 rock crawler (or at least something that can do some slow speed off roading). I would prefer electric. I've been recommended an Axial SCX10 Dingo, but have seen various offerings by Tamiya, HPI and many I've never heard of. The Axial is around £350 with all the radio kit, but how do the others compare? Are they all as robust and reliable? I assume I can buy a basic kit then upgrade as I go along. Will parts from one manufacturer fit others? My budget would possibly be up to £350 at a push!!
Cheers
Axial seems very well made stuff, you can get spars through CML (UK distributor) so there are a few retailers open to you.
I'm die-hard Tamiya, but appreciate some of their offerings aren't up to scratch with some more modern stuff.
There are a lot of considerations to make, however I would always budget 'at least' £100 for the sundry items you will need. So if you have a budget of £300-350 then look at car kits with a value of £200-250.
There are decisions on batteries too - do you want to go LiPo? Will you use them regularly enough to justify the higher cost of a LiPo charger, safe-storage etc.?
Paint, for polycarbonate, can work out expensive. You can just about get away with 1 tin of paint, but I'd recommend 2 tins personally. Budget £10-15 for this.
Electronics. The Axial kit requires radio gear, ESC (electronic speed controller), motor and servo (for the steering). That could easily run into a lot of money if you want high-spec gear. Hobbyking is cheap, but ensure you buy from the UK warehouse else shipping times are sometimes lengthy and get tangled up in UK customs. Hobbyking also assumes that you know what you want and also contains some really cheap rubbish, so go by forum recommendations.
It's really about how long you think you will be interested for. If it will be an ongoing thing then spending more money makes sense, you will upgrade things over time. If you think it could be a rarely-used toy then I would recommend something ready-to-run. A kit can take a few evenings to complete and will require a technical mindset.
Decide on a car first, then go from there...
I'm die-hard Tamiya, but appreciate some of their offerings aren't up to scratch with some more modern stuff.
There are a lot of considerations to make, however I would always budget 'at least' £100 for the sundry items you will need. So if you have a budget of £300-350 then look at car kits with a value of £200-250.
There are decisions on batteries too - do you want to go LiPo? Will you use them regularly enough to justify the higher cost of a LiPo charger, safe-storage etc.?
Paint, for polycarbonate, can work out expensive. You can just about get away with 1 tin of paint, but I'd recommend 2 tins personally. Budget £10-15 for this.
Electronics. The Axial kit requires radio gear, ESC (electronic speed controller), motor and servo (for the steering). That could easily run into a lot of money if you want high-spec gear. Hobbyking is cheap, but ensure you buy from the UK warehouse else shipping times are sometimes lengthy and get tangled up in UK customs. Hobbyking also assumes that you know what you want and also contains some really cheap rubbish, so go by forum recommendations.
It's really about how long you think you will be interested for. If it will be an ongoing thing then spending more money makes sense, you will upgrade things over time. If you think it could be a rarely-used toy then I would recommend something ready-to-run. A kit can take a few evenings to complete and will require a technical mindset.
Decide on a car first, then go from there...
For that budget, I'd probably be looking at Tamiya. I'd spent the best of a grand on my Axial Wraith by the time I'd got it working (fairly) properly...
Put a fairly slow/ but torquey motor in whatever you buy and you can swap in a faster one later if you like. And be aware that slow speed/rocks tends to eat steering servos (even more so on the wraith with its odd set up), so budget for a strong one if you're going this route.
As well as the comments above, understand that a well used RC will break... sometimes quite often! Take your tools out with you
Have a look at ModelsportUK (for shopping, and its forum for advice) and also AsiaTees for cheap and cheerful parts.
I also used/use AMainHobbies in the USA for a lot of stuff - stupidly cheap P&P, low prices with $ vs £ and, so far, no customs charges (touch wood). If I'd have known I was going to get away with no customs, I'd have ordered a lot more from there!
Put a fairly slow/ but torquey motor in whatever you buy and you can swap in a faster one later if you like. And be aware that slow speed/rocks tends to eat steering servos (even more so on the wraith with its odd set up), so budget for a strong one if you're going this route.
As well as the comments above, understand that a well used RC will break... sometimes quite often! Take your tools out with you
Have a look at ModelsportUK (for shopping, and its forum for advice) and also AsiaTees for cheap and cheerful parts.
I also used/use AMainHobbies in the USA for a lot of stuff - stupidly cheap P&P, low prices with $ vs £ and, so far, no customs charges (touch wood). If I'd have known I was going to get away with no customs, I'd have ordered a lot more from there!
Most tamiyas should have an esc (electronic speed controller) and motor in the kit.
You will need a steering servo, receiver, transmitter, battery and charger.
I like the acomms gear, 2.4ghz is cheap now and virtually unaffected by other frequencies - a radio set will have the transmitter, receiver and servo in it.
Just buy a cheap battery and charger to get started to see if you enjoy it - don't worry with lipos for now, they are amazing and last forever but fiddly and dangerous if not careful. Not to mention expensive!
Have fun - I love building tamiyas, especially the hard body types!
You will need a steering servo, receiver, transmitter, battery and charger.
I like the acomms gear, 2.4ghz is cheap now and virtually unaffected by other frequencies - a radio set will have the transmitter, receiver and servo in it.
Just buy a cheap battery and charger to get started to see if you enjoy it - don't worry with lipos for now, they are amazing and last forever but fiddly and dangerous if not careful. Not to mention expensive!
Have fun - I love building tamiyas, especially the hard body types!
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