Son and Pop time Car, suggestions please!

[ChillyWilly]

Hello,

I know jack about this stuff. The best I have ever had was a Nikko Rhino like 10-15 years ago and it was electric. I just bought my son a little cheapy truck this Christmas and was amazed to see it only lasts about 5 minutes (fn POS truck). So I decided to actually buy something decent.

So I guess first off, I am looking for something that he and I can take to the local park, dirt lot and run for a couple of hours. I assume this means no electrics unless I buy a few dozen batteries. This also means I don't need anything that can do 100 mph on ice or whatever the latest and greatest does.

What I absolutely do need and want is something that is built like a tank. Durable both inside and out. Drivetrain that will last a couple of hours every couple of weeks. Something that does not need a complete rebuild after every outting. No special titanium diamond lube/race fuel that costs $500 bucks a gram/ounce. Just a nice durable buggy or truck. I also need a controller and whatever extras that are needed.

So, why am I buggin you guys? Well there is so much info and so many choices I am going nuts. I'ma a simple guy I like choices like good & resonable or crap & cheap or great & expensive. I can't handle all these options and I don't want to research the latest coke/pepsi, intel/amd or bigguns/keister challenge. I am looking for some good (not the best) quality decently priced suggestions.

I know nothing and need everything. I am smart, catch on quick, good with my hands, can handle a dremel, change a timing belt (with some help), etc. so I don't think there will be much issue other than getting the necessary info for my pea size brain (well not pea sized but I have way too many "sleeping" brain cells from my younger days).

Thanks

Jerry

ps I did a search with new help car newbie and various combos of and got up squat so please if your gonna say "use the search" give me the exact phrase to do becase me and search are like water and oil.

[LD3Furious]

It sounds to me like you're most likely going to want an offroad'er. That being said, there are a LOT! of options.The first question is electric vs. nitro??? From your post, it sounds to me as if you're already leaning towards nitro. The main thing here is that while the basic chassis/suspension layouts are the same, on one hand you have electric which you'll want at least 3 battery packs which can get expensive or you can go nitro, but then you'll have to deal with a constant mess and learning to tune an engine.You'll also have to deal with the noise. If you have nice neighbors ( or are quite a ways apart ) then you should be fine. But if your neighbors complain when you mow the lawn, then there could be an issue. But, as you stated, you'll be going to a park area so you should be good to rock. Personally, even despite the mess and tuning, in my opinion, nothing can beat the sound from a real engine :). All that being said...I think I would recomend a buggy or what is known as a truggy. I dunno why, I just have a gut feeling. One thing with monster trucks is that most have a two speed tranny, which is yet another thing you'd have to learn to tune. In reality, they are very easy to work with, but still.
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_48/products_id/9826
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_48/products_id/9754
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_48/products_id/7327
I suggest these buggies because they are Ready To Run (RTR) , which means they all come completely assembled with painted (silkscreened) bodies, a respectible engine, and a very high quality radio system. With ground RCs, there's 3 basic style radio systems. There's AM and FM which for a simple description, compare to your car stereo. With AM, you get fewer channels and it is more suceptible (spell check???) to interference. With FM, there's far more channels available and greater resistance to noise/interference. The Matrix comes with an FM system.The other two offerings, the Losi 8ight and SportWerks Turmoil both come with a more modern system, the Spektrum DX2. Basically, the Spek system operates on 2.4 Ghz. There are no crystals or channels to worry about and glitching/interference is virtually eliminated. Now, there are numerous other RTR buggies available and they are just as good, but they come with AM systems. Truggies- Very simply put, a Truggy is considered to be a Monster Truck but based on a buggy style chassis/suspension with longer arms and bigger tires. There is one that I know of that is RTR and comes with the Spektrum radio system. That is the SportWerks Mayhem ST.
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_48/products_id/7327
Again, there are NUMEROUS! RTR and kit (build it yourself, no engine, no radio equipment ) truggies available. Some may flame me for suggesting the Mayhem. It is not the best handling truggy. Yes, there are others that will get you around a track better. However, I don't think you'll be racing, and I have personal experience with the Mayhem. It is a great basher as far as truggies are concerned. Next up, we have monster trucks...again, many many offerings. They're all RTRs...with one exception, the HPI Savage.The one Im linking to is RTR, but HPI does offer one as a kit.
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_50/products_id/5378
A few others I highly recomend looking into...
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_50/products_id/7328
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_50/products_id/4672
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_50/products_id/6410
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_50/products_id/4135
The Losi LST2 comes with an FM system, all the others are AM. I personally have the Associated MGT and I love it.
WOW!...that took a while, lol...you're correct. There is an intense amount of info out there. Ultimately, you came to a great place to gather your information. There's a lot of great, helpful people on these threads. Yeah, there are some personality conflicts, but for the most part, the folks here are great and very willing to offer tips/advice/help etc etc. Welcome to the forums and the wonderful (and expensive ;)) world of "hobby-grade" RCs. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Many here will be happy to help :):):)

[BTE214]

Well now that you covered 1/8 buggies, I'll give some suggestions for electric as nowhere in the first post did I read that you wanted nitro and for all you smart guys that say he said " i guess that rules out electric" well it doesn't. Before I go on as a disclaimer I run both nitro and electric. I wouldn't bother asking which one is better because this forum will drag on forever. Basicly just pick one as they both have pros and cons. Some electric rtr's for consideration are the stampede, ruslter, E-maxx, xtm E-cellerator, evader, and if you want to get a little racier T3/T4 or xxxt.THe rustler and stampede are really good choices. I usually don't recommend them unless you are just bashing (not racing just driving around). They are easy to maintain, built like tanks, have good parts support, pretty quick in stock form, and have lots of hop-ups. Have a look at these both nitro and electric just in case.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXNJH9**&P=ML electric rustler
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJG49**&P=ML nitro rustler
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJE68**&P=ML nitro stampede
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXNJJ0**&P=MLelectric pede
If you want I can give you links for the other ones i suggested. As far as batteries go you can get a charger for $30 and a battery like this will run for about 10-20 minutes depending on motor/gearing. http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXERB5&P=0 You can get a few of these and run while you charge.
Nitro is faster stock, electric is faster modified. Nitro is less expensive at start but you'll need to buy plugs and fuel every so often. Electric is more expensive to start but less expensive to maintain. And to future posters please dont turn this into a nitro vs electric thread. I know it's tempting but don't.

[TunaCan Charlie]

XL-5 Stampede.

Price is hundreds less than 1/8 buggies. Get a decent charger for $40 and 4 batteries from Radio Shack (the green and orange GP 3300's) for another $100. Just flip the switch, throw it on the ground, and GO!

Agreed that nitro is fun and loud and faster than a stock 'Pede, but then again, electric is nice becasue you don't have to fiddle-and-diddle with shift points and mixture screws and engine warm-up and bump boxes and etc.

[suckfish]

First Welcome to the Forums :wave: their are many choices which really makes it hard. another option do you have a local Hobby shop in your area? nothing like seeing first hand what something looks like.. Also just starting out having a hobby shop that can help you in the upfront learning curve is invavleuable.. We forget that we need to support our local Hobby Shop. Nitro vs Electric they are both equal fun..
Nitro = longer run time, more maintenace
Electric = good run time & are getting better with lipo batteries, less maintenace

[ritchies rc10gt]

you should also see what the local hobby shop stocks parts for.it would suck to go buy a car/truck off the internet only to find out that you cant get parts unless you order them online and wait 2 days to a week to get them plus pay shipping.

most hobby shops stock parts for ofna,traxxas,HPI and losi.myself would stay away from the traxxas nitro trucks/cars.ive never had any luck with thier engines and not much better as far as broken parts.had 2 T-maxxs,could only run them for about 10 minutes before something broke.got rid of them and got an HPI savage.i can run the savage into a fence post,brick wall or whatever else i can find,it will bounce off it and keep on going where a t-maxx would break 2 arms,a bulkhead and a few other pieces.

[awnelson]

I agree with the "shop the local store" mentality because they will only sell what they have parts for. If you don't mind waiting for a few days for new parts by mail, then buy through the internet. If you have problems, don't expect the local store to just jump in and help fix it for free (don't be surprised if there is $50 attached to repairs they do either) and don't be upset when they don't carry the parts that you need to fix it yourself. That being said, buy two inexpensive electric trucks (single battery) and a good dual battery charger; I make the assumption that you would be draining the batteries at about the same rate when you are running together. The HPI Wheelie King comes with battery, charger and radio and is under $200, leaving about $50 or $60 for a charger and two spare batteries with the remaining money. Total spent = $500. Total fun = priceless. You will move on from these vehicles, but for now, they are great starters and can be built into 4W drive and 4W steer if you would like. I know that you think nitro would be fun, but for a few less headaches, I would trade out the little bit longer run times for good quiet, clean fun.

[Chachi_RC]

XL5 Stampede, as mentioned above. Enough said. Great all around fun basher, for a good RTR price.

[skylineTT]

the XL-5 Stampede is a Great Truck. as long as your local hobby shop stocks parts for it. what you need to do is just look around for one, The link im about to post enables you to click on your areas and find all of the shops near your area in your state! http://www.monsterrccentral.com/rctruck/html/dealers/dealerworldmap.htm
if you do buy the XL-5 pede, keep it the way it is and buy some good radio shack GP 3300 battery packs. they are 25 bucks a pop and will last for a good while. when your looking for inexpensive chargers, try looking for the duratrax (<<brand) twin peak or any of the other peak chargers. they are cheap and work well. you will need 8 AA batteries for the controller also. this truck can be bombed and prolly drive off without much harm done(k maybe not but yeah). if you destined for nitro then buy a nice quality monster truck. truggies cost a LOT of money and monster trucks will take a lot of abuse as truggies do. i recommend the Traxxas T-Maxx 3.3, Traxxas Revo 3.3, Traxxas Revo 2.5R, Traxxas Nitro Stampede, Hpi Savage (rtr version), and Team Losi Aftershock or LST-2. they are more expensive but offer great electronics with a massive truck. hope this helps you out.

[z-man280]

I will 3rd the XL-5. I have owned 4 Stampedes, and bottom line, dollar for dollar,....nothing, and i mean nothing, comes close to bash factor and toughness. As Tuna said,...4 GP3300's from Radio Shack wil lyield you about 20 minutes + per pack, so you are close to your 2 hour runtime. Allow it to cool a few minutes between runs.

Also, the XL-5 offers a "trainer" mode ...PERFECT for your little guy. It cuts power to 50%, and gives him a chance to learn how to drive without slamming into things. Follow the manual, allow the slipper clutch to do its job, and that truck will last you both for a very long time with little more than routine maintanence.

oh,...heres a bone stock XL-5....just click on the pic, it will link you to the video.

Ron

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/th_P1070001-1.jpg (http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/z-man280/?action=view&current=P1070001-1.flv)

[Smib]

Depending on your price range, I would suggest either one or two stampedes with two radio shack gp3300s each and a twin peak charger. Maybe three or four batteries if you only get one truck.

[skylineTT]

cool vid there Z-Man

[ChillyWilly]

I hit up a local shop today and felt like I was getting sold so I will check out another one or two this weekend. Spoke with the little one and I am definatly going with an RTR as he was scared off by an instruction manual I showed him in another post. No biggie hes only five so its to be expected. I am really liking buggies over trucks and am still undecided on electric or gas. It seems the biggest deal with nitros is the fiddling so I have another post asking about maintenance. Any suggestions on XL-5 equivilent buggy? Btw thanks for all the good info and suggestions, I really do appreciate it as I know you could be out running your cars rather than posting in my thread. Thanks.

[TunaCan Charlie]

From reading your other thread, it seems you are going nitro anyway. As for an equivalent buggy to an XL-5, that's hard to say. They are very different beasts. A buggy 1/10 scale buggy won't have the ground clearance to run well in grass unless its cut really short, so rule out grassy fields. They are also, by design, more prone to breakage since their shock towers and shocks are exposed.

If you're set on an electric buggy, stay away from the Bandit. It's cheap but not worth it. Better choices are the Associated RC10B4 "Race Spec" RTR buggy, any of the Losi RTR buggies, or the Duratrax Evader RTR buggy.

GO PATS!!!

[ritchies rc10gt]

No biggie hes only five so its to be expected.

one suggestion i am going to make and suggest your follow if you are gonna let your son drive is to get a good radio that you can set the servo end points on.i tried to get my son into RC.he was 5 at the time only thing he knew how to do was go full throttle and straight!i got him and RC18MT RTR.the wife took him out to play with it one day and well i no longer have that car.dont know where it is or where it went.he just went full throttle with it and let it go.

ive since tried to let him drive my trucks.but with my radio i can turn the throttle down so he can only go fast enough to get the truck to move and thats it.this way if he decides to hold it full throttle i can just grab the truck and turn it around till he gets the hang of steering and throttle control

[ChillyWilly]

I's say I am like 75% go on nitro but I need more info. There is only one thing I jump at without thinking and I have'nt seen a buggy with biguns yet so..... ;)

Hey ritchie any suggestions on a radio, is there a type or specific feature and what is the exact jargan I should use to identify this feature?

Thanks

JErry

[savage100]

If you want a big fun monster truck then get either the Team Associated MGT or HPI Savage X. They are fast, will last forever without a break, and just a all around good basher. They have a big block engine too. You will need a glow plug igniter, fuel, and aa batteries. I think with the mgt you need a cordless drill? Correct me if im wrong. And i think that is just about it. If you just plan on driving it without jumping and want something faster for about the same price then the t-maxx 3.3.

[glacierangel]

I will 4th the stampede xl-5.
first of all i think you should get electric, mainly for 2 reasons. 1) Noise! Nitro powered cars are LOUD! 2) i have never owned a nitro powered car, but whenever i see someone driving one, they spend more time making it run then actually driving.
The stampede is durable, upgradeable, and bashable. Stampedes rule! A good review can be found at http://www.ultimatetraxxas.com/reviews/traxxas_rustler_stampede_2006/

[savage100]

I will 4th the stampede xl-5.
first of all i think you should get electric, mainly for 2 reasons. 1) Noise! Nitro powered cars are LOUD! 2) i have never owned a nitro powered car, but whenever i see someone driving one, they spend more time making it run then actually driving.
The stampede is durable, upgradeable, and bashable. Stampedes rule! A good review can be found at http://www.ultimatetraxxas.com/reviews/traxxas_rustler_stampede_2006/
Actually I wouldn't consider them loud. And why would that me a bad thing unless you have cranky neighbors. :mad: I also know from having 2 nitros that i will never get another electric again. Too slow, short run times, not very much power. If you see people messing with their nitro more than running it then they do not take very good care of it. I just do a little maintnence before i put it away like putting after run oil in the engine and it will start right up next time. I thought nitro would be a hassle before i got one but i was way wrong. If you are willing to do a couple minutes of maintence here and there then it will pay off very much. They are much more fun than electric.

[skylineTT]

with the XL-5 pede you can put the ESC to where it only goes 50% as fast as it can so beginners can get used to it. then you can set it for 100% when you get your hands on it.

[hyperstang]

Stampede...all the way!!!!!!

Or this...just got mine today...and RTR

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/TritonDRIFT/hpiking2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/TritonDRIFT/hpiking.jpg

1/12th scale..but about the same size as a stampede. In the "HPI WHEELY KING" thread..one of these are lined up with some twin forces and a stampede..

Up and up with the big boyz!!!

[glacierangel]

Actually I wouldn't consider them loud. And why would that me a bad thing unless you have cranky neighbors.
LOL who doesn't have cranky neighbors? :D
I do see your point though. It does sound nice to just be able to go drive for a few hours... :rolleyes:

[Vato Loco]

Chilly,
My son and I run Traxxas Electric Rustlers, I would go with a Traxxas E-Maxx, E-Stampede, or E-Rustler. When you get a good handle on the hobby then graduate to Nitro!

[Quinton]

I'm a nitro guy BUT electric can be nice when you have kids. I can tune my nitro's very well and very easily but when you're learning it can be very frustrating, especially when you're trying to keep the kids happy.