First RC car... recommendations please!
Discussion
Hello all...
My son would like a remote control car for his 11th birthday. I have no idea what's a good idea as the last time I had one, at a similar age, it was a Midnight Pumpkin. I used it out of the box and didn't change or upgrade anything before I got bored of it!
There is every chance it will be a fleeting interest so I don't really want to start down the modifying route until I know if he wants to make it more of a hobby.
He would like a 'truggy' I think, a pick-up bodied type. Budget is £200-250max for everything including controller and batteries.
Can anyone recommend something suitable, please?
Thanks!
My son would like a remote control car for his 11th birthday. I have no idea what's a good idea as the last time I had one, at a similar age, it was a Midnight Pumpkin. I used it out of the box and didn't change or upgrade anything before I got bored of it!
There is every chance it will be a fleeting interest so I don't really want to start down the modifying route until I know if he wants to make it more of a hobby.
He would like a 'truggy' I think, a pick-up bodied type. Budget is £200-250max for everything including controller and batteries.
Can anyone recommend something suitable, please?
Thanks!
Thanks for the replies everyone.
The FTX Tracer looks good. I had a look at the Modelsport website and there's a brushless version as well which has a bit more speed and isn't a lot more expensive. Apparently oil filled shocks are a must have upgrade and they're only a tenner. Youtube has plenty of vids on it and it looks pretty durable? Seems to take plenty of knocks anyway.
That model comes with a LiPo battery... something I know nothing about! What's the crack with these then? They're not as idiot-proof as Li-ion, and require a charging bag in case they explode?! Am I better off with a special charger over and above the usb-thing that comes with it? How long is a charge likely to last? Should I buy 2, or more, batteries?
Thanks again!
The FTX Tracer looks good. I had a look at the Modelsport website and there's a brushless version as well which has a bit more speed and isn't a lot more expensive. Apparently oil filled shocks are a must have upgrade and they're only a tenner. Youtube has plenty of vids on it and it looks pretty durable? Seems to take plenty of knocks anyway.
That model comes with a LiPo battery... something I know nothing about! What's the crack with these then? They're not as idiot-proof as Li-ion, and require a charging bag in case they explode?! Am I better off with a special charger over and above the usb-thing that comes with it? How long is a charge likely to last? Should I buy 2, or more, batteries?
Thanks again!
Cheers. I've bought a Tracer! Went for the cheaper brushed version with lion batteries to start with. There doesn't seem much in it between that and the brushless/lipo, and I'm sure it'll do to start with. A went for a couple of extra battery packs as well, and a decent charger. The only upgrade I've gone for is the oil filled shocks!
I bought these ones...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404149559462
I have no comparison but they seem really good and certainly don't appear to leak, but they've only had one outing. They come with quite stiff springs, which I suppose are good for jumps etc. You have the option to dismantle them (easy) and swap the springs from the standard shocks to the oil dampers, they are the same size. Seems like a good compromise so I did this before it went out the first time. Worked well but it did bottom out on some higher jumps so maybe the stiffer springs they came with would be better. I can't help think they would be over-damped on rough ground.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404149559462
I have no comparison but they seem really good and certainly don't appear to leak, but they've only had one outing. They come with quite stiff springs, which I suppose are good for jumps etc. You have the option to dismantle them (easy) and swap the springs from the standard shocks to the oil dampers, they are the same size. Seems like a good compromise so I did this before it went out the first time. Worked well but it did bottom out on some higher jumps so maybe the stiffer springs they came with would be better. I can't help think they would be over-damped on rough ground.
Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff