Good RC car for 12 year old boy (his first)

[IHateMyJob2004]

I might get my 12 year old boy his first RC car. I want something hobby grade. Possibly something that can be upgraded later to make it faster.

I'm looking at $100-$200 for everything (car, radio and 1-2 battery sets). Electric or gas is OK but input on what is best for a 12 year old newbie is appreciated. Hobby grade preferred but for the price I know that might not be reality. Something better than what Toys R us sells would be nice though!

Not sure of style yet ... I asked him. Monster truck or car themed.

What scale? My son would want bigger. Seems 1/10 scale is in my price range. Are brushless motors best?

Brands that are known to be more durable are preferred.

Any good web sites to buy from are also appreciated! is this a good one?
http://www.nitrorcx.com/

EDIT:
Brushless electric is best for entry level from what I read. 1/10 scale or larger to go offroad with it.

Some good advice (a few years old):
http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157127

The Traxxis Stampeded 2WD is $200. The 4x4 is about $300 but that is way over budget even though people recommend 4x4 over 2wd.

 

[bbhaag]

Here's what I had when I was 12. This link goes to a combo kit but you can purchase pieces individually. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=LZ0239&P=ML and here is a Amazon link to just the car. Lots of reviews too. https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-58346-Grasshopper-RC-Car/dp/B000BMVIGM

I loved my little Grasshopper when I was younger. It was a great entry level car. It's a reissue based on the 1984 original so it is outdated but it might help get you looking in the right direction.

 

[Kaido]

Traxxas has a lot of good starter kits. Lots of upgrades available. You can either get a kit or an RTR (ready-to-run, no assembly required). Something like the Bandit buggy would be a pretty good starter rig: ($185)

https://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-24054-1-Bandit-Ready-Race/dp/B00OK3AD9G/

That comes with the RTR buggy, a radio, a battery, and a DC charger. You can upgrade to a wall charger, bigger tires, lipo battery, brushless motor, etc. (read the Amazon comments for ideas) The nice thing is that you can pretty much take it out of the box & play with it, so if it's a Christmas present, he can be playing with it right after it's done charging.

 

[NutBucket]

I like the Traxxas suggestion. Lots of parts, good quality and decent price. I'm partial to Tamiya but the price is definitely higher.

So in short, for the boy a Traxxas will serve him well. And when he breaks it you'll likely spend less than $20 in parts to fix it.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I like a lot of the Traxxas stuff from reading. What stinks is that I want 1/10 scale from what I've read since that is best for grass and what not. But a lot of people also recommend 4x4s. Are there any good 4x4 models for $200? Regarding monster truck vs buggy, I'll ask my son what his preference is.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Oh, thanks for the advice thus far!!!!!!!

I think I understand it a bit more now. The brushed motors are less expensive and slower. And I can later upgrade to the brushless once my son is used to it or "into the hobby" more. I think I have to stick to skill level 1 or 2 for him for now. No 60 mph monsters!!!!

 

[sdifox]

Here's what I had when I was 12. This link goes to a combo kit but you can purchase pieces individually. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=LZ0239&P=ML and here is a Amazon link to just the car. Lots of reviews too. https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-58346-Grasshopper-RC-Car/dp/B000BMVIGM

I loved my little Grasshopper when I was younger. It was a great entry level car. It's a reissue based on the 1984 original so it is outdated but it might help get you looking in the right direction.

I remeber my grasshopper fondly.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

This is the cheapest 4x4 I can find by traxxas:
https://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/67054-1stampede4x4

Entry level 4x4 stampede. My LHS has it for $300. I'll have to debate upping my budget. Thing is, I also have a daughter that wants stuff to. Unless I can convince him to let it be a gift to both of them?

Is 4x4 a must? Or will 2WD do the trick?

 

[sdifox]

This is the cheapest 4x4 I can find by traxxas:
https://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/67054-1stampede4x4

Entry level 4x4 stampede. My LHS has it for $300. I'll have to debate upping my budget. Thing is, I also have a daughter that wants stuff to. Unless I can convince him to let it be a gift to both of them?

Is 4x4 a must? Or will 2WD do the trick?

No need for 4x4 for first car.

 

[NutBucket]

Agreed. He'll have plenty of fun with 2WD.

At his age I had Tyco and Nikko toy store cars. I spent lots of time figuring out how to glue things back together It was fun though since I learned about making strong repairs.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

No need for 4x4 for first car.

OK. I'll get an entry level traxxas and let my son choose the style. There won't be issues with torque causing brunouts in grass .... thus frustration?

 

[NutBucket]

Nope. He'll figure it out. Hell, my 4WD gas car spun all 4 tires on pavement.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Done ...... 2wd traxxas for $200. Body style pending. He'll probably want the buggy.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

What's this TSM thing I read about? These all come with differentials correct? TSM sounds like an electronic traction control of some sort.

Should I consider TSM?

Can one upgrade to TSM?

How long does a battery take to charge? How long is the run time on a charge?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Doesn't the charger plug into the wall? I don't get it.
https://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/24054-1bandit

 

[NutBucket]

Meh, don't worry about it. Simple is good.

IMHO with a 3000mah battery you should get 15-20 minutes of run time. Back in my day we had to make do with 1500mah packs unless you wanted to shell out the big bucks.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Do I need to buy the AC to DC converter? It's only $20 which is no big deal but the traxxas web site is not clear about contents in the box.

If we need another battery, I'll get the big mah model.

 

[bbhaag]

Doesn't the charger plug into the wall? I don't get it.
https://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/24054-1bandit

According to the link the only charger that comes with the unit is intended to be used in your vehicle via the cigarette lighter.

You will need this adapter or similar to make it a wall charging unit. https://traxxas.com/products/parts/2976

 

[Kaido]

What's this TSM thing I read about? These all come with differentials correct? TSM sounds like an electronic traction control of some sort.

Should I consider TSM?

Can one upgrade to TSM?

How long does a battery take to charge? How long is the run time on a charge?

Basically traction control for R/C cars:

https://traxxas.com/products/parts/traxxas-stability-management

You can upgrade anything down the road. My buddy has a Stampede he's sunk over two grand in (special anodized parts, high-end transmitter & receiver, brushless motor, etc.). It's a fun hobby, but like any hobby, once you really get into it, the money starts flying out the window. Plus, you appreciate it more as you build it piece by piece instead of just jumping into a $500+ system right off the bat.

According to the reviews, the included NiMH battery takes about 45 minutes to charge & will last maybe 20 minutes max of average driving (less if he is full throttle & turning constantly).

 

[Kaido]

Do I need to buy the AC to DC converter? It's only $20 which is no big deal but the traxxas web site is not clear about contents in the box.

If we need another battery, I'll get the big mah model.

Buy this charger ($50) if you want to charge from the wall:

https://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-2970-EZ-Peak-Charger-Identification/dp/B00OAFYLJC/

For perspective, $185 is a killer deal on a real R/C car. You're getting a ton of usable parts with it...not the "best of the best" uber-racing parts, but more than enough to start out with. It's important to understand just how easy it is to sink money into an R/C hobby. For example, you can upgrade from the stock 3000mAh NiMH to a beefier 10,000mAh LiPo battery, but that's going to set you back $100 just for the battery alone. A power system with a brushless motor can run another $150. A Spectrum radio & transmitter can ding you another couple hundred bucks. Plus chunkier tires, speed controllers, custom bodies & paint kits, upgraded suspension, a carbon fiber conversion kit, anodized aluminum parts, spare batteries, a toolkit & cleaning kit, etc. It never ends. Starting out with a budget model is a great way to get into it without having to pay through the nose for everything all at once. And that's not even getting into the bigger stuff. Check out this 1/5-scale Losi RTR buggy for a thousand dollars:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/LOS05010

Think of R/C cars like computers...you can spend $1,500 building a really nice gaming rig, or you can start out with a basic $200 budget machine that still does the job & is enough to get you started and let you see if you want to dive into it deeper without making a huge up-front investment. But there's endless parts, models, and options to go with down the road if you do want to dive in!

 

[TwiceOver]

I can't wait till my son gets older so I can get him cool stuff like this...

All the things I didn't have as a kid. Next year will be slot cars.

 

[Kaido]

Also, there are reasons why you don't want to start your kid out with a 60 mph car first:

 

[Kaido]

I can't wait till my son gets older so I can get him cool stuff like this...

All the things I didn't have as a kid. Next year will be slot cars.

I don't know how old your son is, but Maistro makes a really awesome kid-friendly R/C monster truck for $30:

https://www.amazon.com/Maisto-Crawler-Control-Vehicle-Colors/dp/B00Y53XH9O

It has one set speed (reasonably slow, so it's really easy to control), 4WD (with dual motors - climbs up hills & obstacles pretty well), and lasts forever on a set of batteries (takes standard AA batteries...I think the extended length of operating time comes from having a fixed gearbox for speed, no ramping up or down to wear down the batteries). LOTS of fun & you can run up to 3 trucks at a time with the different frequencies.

If you like slot cars, check out the ANKI system:

https://www.amazon.com/Anki-000-00031-Overdrive-Starter-Kit/dp/B00V6951I0/

Pretty slick system:

https://anki.com/en-us/overdrive

Read up on it sometime to see what all the fuss is about, but in a nutshell, think of it as smartphone-controlled slot cars with AI. Here's a good introductory article:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/anki-overdrive-review

Toys are crazy these days. Just nuts. We got some Ozobots last year, which are just awesome...they are basically line-following robots, but you can program them to do stuff like spin around, go backwards, go faster, etc., by using different marker colors. Just get a big roll of newsprint paper & unroll it across your dinner table whenever you want to make a new track. They're on version 2.0 now, even more features!

https://www.amazon.com/Ozobot-Starter-Teaches-Inspires-Creativity/dp/B01M8F2QG5/

 

[Imp]

Cars are for old people... Drones are the shit now and what the cool kids get. Spend $1000 on a drone and see how quickly you can crash it or violate an FAA rule.

 

[TwiceOver]

I don't know how old your son is, but Maistro makes a really awesome kid-friendly R/C monster truck for $30:

https://www.amazon.com/Maisto-Crawler-Control-Vehicle-Colors/dp/B00Y53XH9O

It has one set speed (reasonably slow, so it's really easy to control), 4WD (with dual motors - climbs up hills & obstacles pretty well), and lasts forever on a set of batteries (takes standard AA batteries...I think the extended length of operating time comes from having a fixed gearbox for speed, no ramping up or down to wear down the batteries). LOTS of fun & you can run up to 3 trucks at a time with the different frequencies.

If you like slot cars, check out the ANKI system:

https://www.amazon.com/Anki-000-00031-Overdrive-Starter-Kit/dp/B00V6951I0/

Pretty slick system:

https://anki.com/en-us/overdrive

Read up on it sometime to see what all the fuss is about, but in a nutshell, think of it as smartphone-controlled slot cars with AI. Here's a good introductory article:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/anki-overdrive-review

Toys are crazy these days. Just nuts. We got some Ozobots last year, which are just awesome...they are basically line-following robots, but you can program them to do stuff like spin around, go backwards, go faster, etc., by using different marker colors. Just get a big roll of newsprint paper & unroll it across your dinner table whenever you want to make a new track. They're on version 2.0 now, even more features!

https://www.amazon.com/Ozobot-Starter-Teaches-Inspires-Creativity/dp/B01M8F2QG5/

So do you just sit around all day obsessing over various products? I swear, if anyone is looking for a recommendation you're there with excellent info. LOL

Anyway, he's 6 so giving him a smart phone is not really a great deal yet. But thanks for the info. He's barely finding his way around the PS4 controller playing Lego games right now.

Anyway, didn't mean to derail your thread OP.