Hi all,

I usually hang around in the model building forums but I'm popping over here for advice on getting my 10-year-old into R/C.
R/C planes were my interest in high school and college and I haven't been into the hobby for years. I know lots of changes have come about.

My nephew is into video gaming and sports so this would be his first R/C vehicle and I think I'd rather start him with a car than a plane. What I need advice on is what would be good? I don't want to get him something cheap from WalMart but I don't want the most advanced thing out there either. What do the experts recommend to start out. Something that can handle some bumps and is tough should be good too.

Thanks!

Vince

BTW, he lives in Canada now so will there be frequency issues if I buy it here in the US?

sounds like a good application for anything traxxas

The best thing to do is to see if there is a hobby store around where he lives. If so, check and see what they carry parts for, that way if the car breaks he will not have to order the parts online and pay for the shipping and have to wait.

I dont think that there are and any frequency issues from us to canada.

Hope this helps,

I did some research and found that there is NO frequency issues from USA to Canada
Here is my source:
http://www.fai.org/aeromodelling/frequencies

I would start him out with an electric stadium truck something easy to work on and can go anywhere. I started out with one and it showed me alot. You can find some pretty cheap here in the swap and sell section or ebay I would look for a losi xxx4 or an associated t3 or t4. then go to towerhobbies.com and get a cheap chargrer and some cheap stick packs to start. he dosn't need anything elaborant starting out.as for a speed controler an old novak or a streak will do.

I agree with stone, a used T3 or T4 or a Losi Truck or Buggy would be a great way to go. Some of the used ones on ebay and on these message boards are from racers like myself, who bought the thing, tricked the heck out of it, bought a ton of spares, then bought the new model when it came out end up selling the old one with a ton of spares, which means, DEALS upon DEALS for beginners. I'd also reccomend picking up a good old used novak cyclone ESC on ebay or the boards for $40 or $45 bucks, they are still competitive and are tough. You'd be supprised how competitive you can be on a budget if your patient in looking for deals. It is helpful if you have a local hobby shop that carries parts for the vehicle your driving or is atleast willing to order them in a timely manner.


Have Fun,


Lester24
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If you want something that will survive a first time driver, the Traxxas Rustler or Stampede are probably the best choices. They are nearly bullet proof right out of the box unlike the T4 and XXXT.

If you go with the T4 or XXXT, stock up immediately on front arms, shock towers, front bulkheads, etc...

My oldest is 6 and he races oval Legends with me. You'd be supprised at how fast the video game generation picks up on r/c.

you should get him a tamiya tt01. i am on my first car and being a novice i must say the car is very easy to handle. i had my 12 year old little brother build it for me and he built it in 4 hours. i built my second one in 2. very easy to assemble. you can get one with any body you want for 80 bucks and then get him a futaba controller. stock i spent about 150 on mine and it is great. like i said im very new to the rc scene and i dropped a 17 turn in mine, the stock esc and servos. aluminum driveshaft, tierod steering kit, harder springs, and tires. and spent maybe 50 dollars on all of those upgrades. its a very sturdy car. hard to break parts. i had the 17 turn in it with the stock driveshaft/steering etc. and it flies. havent broken a part on it yet. and i have crashed it many times WITHOUT the urethane bumper. like i said i am very new to the rc world yet easily impress many with my tt01. a very great nivice car with great potential for competition tuneing

you should get him a tamiya tt01. i am on my first car and being a novice i must say the car is very easy to handle. i had my 12 year old little brother build it for me and he built it in 4 hours. i built my second one in 2. very easy to assemble. you can get one with any body you want for 80 bucks and then get him a futaba controller. stock i spent about 150 on mine and it is great. like i said im very new to the rc scene and i dropped a 17 turn in mine, the stock esc and servos. aluminum driveshaft, tierod steering kit, harder springs, and tires. and spent maybe 50 dollars on all of those upgrades. its a very sturdy car. hard to break parts. i had the 17 turn in it with the stock driveshaft/steering etc. and it flies. havent broken a part on it yet. and i have crashed it many times WITHOUT the urethane bumper. like i said i am very new to the rc world yet easily impress many with my tt01. a very great nivice car with great potential for competition tuneing
oh yeah and i forgot to mention. i launch mine off of speed bumps and off my porch. the thing takes one hell of a beating. and just some scratches. not a broken part thus far

A stadium truck is a good way to go. If you think the new racer may want to race, get a vehicle that will work at a local track. Newer isn't necessary, but make sure that whatever parts source (hobby shop/local track/online) has enough stuff to fix the vehicle you get.

1/18 scale works well on smoother surfaces like parking lots, side walks, smooth dirt, astro-turf, carpet, etc. It will handle small jumps on hard surfaces and slightly larger jumps on softer surfaces. This size can be played with in a garage or driveway fairly easily. A lot of the 1/18 offroad kits come as RTR.

1/10 scale works well on bumpier surfaces and is more durable than 1/18 scale. There are many different kits available with a few RTR brushless kit available (Losi/Traxxas). You can find many good used 1/10 scale stadium trucks. Usually most offroad tracks have some type of 1/10 scale truck class.

1/8 scale is the most durable (but anything can break if abused) and can be run virtually anywhere. 1/8 is more expensive. Usually these vehicles have nitro engines. You have a lot of choices including 4wd buggies, truggies, and monster trucks (Traxxas even makes a electric monster truck).

If you are looking for a RTR, Traxxas or Duratrax has a lot of offerings. Losi or Associated are a better choice if you are going to be racing 1/10 scale. And Associated has a very good selection of 1/18 scale vehicles.

A stadium truck is a good way to go. If you think the new racer may want to race, get a vehicle that will work at a local track. Newer isn't necessary, but make sure that whatever parts source (hobby shop/local track/online) has enough stuff to fix the vehicle you get.

1/18 scale works well on smoother surfaces like parking lots, side walks, smooth dirt, astro-turf, carpet, etc. It will handle small jumps on hard surfaces and slightly larger jumps on softer surfaces. This size can be played with in a garage or driveway fairly easily. A lot of the 1/18 offroad kits come as RTR.

1/10 scale works well on bumpier surfaces and is more durable than 1/18 scale. There are many different kits available with a few RTR brushless kit available (Losi/Traxxas). You can find many good used 1/10 scale stadium trucks. Usually most offroad tracks have some type of 1/10 scale truck class.

1/8 scale is the most durable (but anything can break if abused) and can be run virtually anywhere. 1/8 is more expensive. Usually these vehicles have nitro engines. You have a lot of choices including 4wd buggies, truggies, and monster trucks (Traxxas even makes a electric monster truck).

If you are looking for a RTR, Traxxas or Duratrax has a lot of offerings. Losi or Associated are a better choice if you are going to be racing 1/10 scale. And Associated has a very good selection of 1/18 scale vehicles.

Excellent suggestions Indyracer.
Get a truck of some sort.
Least expensive is the Traxxas Rustler or the Duratrax Evader St. There is also the new HPI Wheelie King that is a lot of fun or the Traxxas Stampede.
All I can add to this is get the best you can afford. The newer Traxxas Rustler and Duratrax Evader St vehicles are a step up from what an entry level vehicle used to be. Great performance and a lot of extras in the package. I do not suggest any type of buggy. They have a low ride height that has a hard time even going thru the grass. The same goes for any mini truck or buggy. If he is going to run primarily in the street or at a baseball diamond where there are no obstructions then Mini's or buggies are OK... But
Not just for in the yard.

I would go with Nickle Metal Hydride batteries even though Nicads are cheaper. The capacity is much larger and they will endure abuse much better. Get an AC/DC charger that will charge at least 5 amps.
The Losi and Associated RTR Trucks are fantastic, But a little more pricey.

If you want the best bang for the buck in RC. Get an Emaxx. You will spend a lot more intially. But It will last a LONG time before he outgrows it's performance... if he ever does. They are fast and tough and go just about anywhere. You can find reasonably price used ones on this swap and sell forum as well as other forums and ebay. On Ebay the prices tend to get a little inflated though.
Hope this helps.
Let us know what you get!!!
Dan

Sometimes its good to think ahead a bit though too. For instance, Is there a track nearby where your nephews can race in a rookie class, would you or the parents have time to take them and if you think they are really gonna get into it. If racing sounds like a really good possibillity, then going with a competitive ready to run associated or Losi might be good. I know when I first got started, I bought the first used car I saw and realized quickly that I loved racing and that the current car wasn't gonna cut it. spending a bit extra off the bat for a tougher more competitive rig that is a recent enough chassis to race semi competitively. One thing about traxxas, they are fairly affordable, fairly tough and parts are cheap, so thats good too. Just kind of depends on where you see things going with it. Not trying to complicate your decision, but you know what I'm saying.
Lester24
www.LesODell.com (http://www.lesodell.com/)
sponsored by...
RC4Less
Team Power Push
Web Designer of....
www.SkagitRiverRaceway.com (http://www.skagitriverraceway.com/)
& www.NORARCOVAL.com (http://www.norarcoval.com/)
Track Announcer for Skagit River
Raceway, Dirt Oval and Off Road &
N.O.R.A. Carpet Oval
2006-2007 N.O.R.A. Carpet Committee member

Thanks for the help everyone!