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RC car for 10 year old

IHateMyJob2004

IHateMyJob2004

Lifer
Yes, I have a similar BB gun thread going. My son is still getting that but not till X-mas as he would rather get an RC car for his birthday.

I want an entry level hobby car that is electric for him.

From my reading, it seems like a low cost car by Traxxas is the way to go. Do these come with controllers? Or do I buy those separate?

For now, it looks like he is getting this:
http://www.horizonhobby.com/product...sh-4x4-rtr-with-tq-24ghz--mike--47-tra70054d4

Is it a good choice? I quite honestly didn't intend on spending $200 on this. Something over $100 sure. $150 was my target.

I personally don't care if it is a 4WD model I get him or if I get him something faster than most RC cars. This is probably where I need the most advice.
 
What kind of surfaces is he going to be running the vehicle on?

That model comes with everything but 8 AA batteries for the controller. Any model with rtr (ready to run) in the description should come with everything you need.
 
Traxxas isn't a bad brand. I have the MIRV (Mini REVO) which is essentially identical as the 1/16th Slash, but configured for short course racing. Since Best Buy started carrying them, parts are pretty easy to get. I recommend going to your local hobby store for better advice though. Anything below $200 isn't going to be hobby grade.

Look for RTR (ready to run) kits as they'll contain a 2.4ghz radio, batteries, and charger. No assembly required.

Also 4WD models are more fun as backyard bashers than 2WD trucks. They can go more places easier.
 
IHateMyJob2004 said:
I expect this to be driven mostly on grass. Some indoor play is expected but I would hope that it is mostly outside.
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I don't think that truck has the ground clearance to run on grass without overheating the motor. It's also too big and fast for indoors unless you have a huge room. For indoors you need a smallish 1/18th scale model or smaller. It's also a little complicated to work on for first time RCers. Traxxas speed controls do have what they call a learning mode that can reduce the forward and reverse speed by 50%.

I would recommend the Traxxas Stampede 1/10th scale brushed model. It's only 2wd but it should have the ground clearance to run on grass. 2wd's also have less parts so it should be easier to repair and maintain. http://traxxas.com/products/models/electric/36054stampede

FWIW, Towerhobbies has a $20 off $200 coupon on their home page.
 
balloonshark said:
I don't think that truck has the ground clearance to run on grass without overheating the motor. It's also too big and fast for indoors unless you have a huge room. For indoors you need a smallish 1/18th scale model or smaller. It's also a little complicated to work on for first time RCers. Traxxas speed controls do have what they call a learning mode that can reduce the forward and reverse speed by 50%.
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They're fine as long as you're not pushing it flat out through tall grass. However, since the 1/16 Traxxas cars all share a common platform, it's fairly easy to jack up the suspension and convert it to a Summit. I've done it.

That said the Summit might be a better choice for a first 1/16 whip. It's also worth spending the extra money on the brushless VXL motors.
 
I had a drift car that was battery powered and a gasoline powered one and both were pretty nice, even though they were a tad bit expensive.
 
RC cars are great fun, and Traxxas is a reputable brand. I have a Nitro Rustler and plan on getting a Revo in the future...electric this time though, Nitro is far to much work.

A $200 car would be perfect for him to see if he is actually into the hobby. If he does really enjoy it though, your wallet will quickly lose weight.
 
I'd get the Slash VXL or E-Revo brushless

He could get a used Slash rolling chassis for cheap. And then buy a cheap chinese brushless motor system from Hobbyking. Tons of fun.
 
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DaTT said:
RC cars are great fun, and Traxxas is a reputable brand. I have a Nitro Rustler and plan on getting a Revo in the future...electric this time though, Nitro is far to much work.

A $200 car would be perfect for him to see if he is actually into the hobby. If he does really enjoy it though, your wallet will quickly lose weight.
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Nitro is a colossal pain in the arse. Want to get around to converting my 1/8th Savage to electric eventually.

I've got a Sprint 2 and MIRV as well.
 
Brushless is an un-needed expense for someone just entering the hobby car world. Especially someone who's never driven a car before.

Grass is tough for any models that scale - they do much better on dirt / pavement / carpet. That car will be MUCH too fast for your house. We have 4 slash 2x's and they're very durable. My only complaint is performance in tall grass, but the next door neighbor's 4x's work just fine. Stiffen the shocks, go with a large diameter tire, and adjust it for high ground clearance.

It's different than the sport was 20 years ago. It used to be expensive as hell - I remember my first car in 90 - an RC10 with aluminum chassis. It cost a lot more, was slower, had worse range, wasn't water resistant, and replacement parts were expensive. The parts for the slash are dog cheap. You can refit with mostly titanium suspension for under $75.
 
Pulsar said:
Brushless is an un-needed expense for someone just entering the hobby car world. Especially someone who's never driven a car before.

Grass is tough for any models that scale - they do much better on dirt / pavement / carpet. That car will be MUCH too fast for your house. We have 4 slash 2x's and they're very durable. My only complaint is performance in tall grass, but the next door neighbor's 4x's work just fine. Stiffen the shocks, go with a large diameter tire, and adjust it for high ground clearance.

It's different than the sport was 20 years ago. It used to be expensive as hell - I remember my first car in 90 - an RC10 with aluminum chassis. It cost a lot more, was slower, had worse range, wasn't water resistant, and replacement parts were expensive. The parts for the slash are dog cheap. You can refit with mostly titanium suspension for under $75.
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Brushless is so fun though. Couple of years ago I had a TC3 and put in Hobbywing brushless system with supercharged software and 3s LiPo. It had crazy acceleration and speed. I strapped a GPS and it show it hit 80mph.
 
That's a good starter OP. When I was a kid, I had a Tamiya Super Shot and my brother got a Kyosho Turbo Optima (which was the same cost, but much faster/better). Both had full bearings and shock upgrades.

These had to be fully assembled, you needed your own radio electronics, and were much more money (and this was around 1986-87).

It's a lot easier and cheaper to get started now.

Edit: Cool, Tamiya re-released my RC car as the Super Hot Shot http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=58517

$482.00 though 🙁
 
brushless motors aren't just more power, they're also much more durable and less maintenance. brushless, lipo, and 2.4 GHz, welcome to rc in the 21st century...it's way better now!
 
So you want to get your kid a quality toy, something that is durable with replaceable parts. Great idea, same idea I had a year or so ago...and you're going through the same "what to buy" decisions.

Hobby-grade is definitely the way to go. Problem is, when it comes to hobby-grade anything, the only items that people every want to talk about is the high-end stuff. Look at the cpu forums, everybody loves talking about the sexy new haswells, not much talk about lower end stuff. Same thing with R/C cars. There's all this great talk about nitro cars, and 70mph truggys with awesome brushless motors using lipo battery packs...and that's fine and great and totally bitchin'....but a bit more money that you might want to spend for a ten year old's plaything.

You also need to consider that even with a RTR kit, you'll still need to (or you should) spend either at the time of purchase or very soon thereafter a second or third battery pack and a quick charger. Its a sad feeling when you realize how fast those batteries go down and how long it takes the charge the one that came with the car (the only one you have)....trust me on this. So add another $40-70 to the cost.

I considered 1/10th scale cars from Associate Racing, Losi and Traxxas. Ended up going with a RTR Traxxas Bandit XL-5 (brushed motor version). My son has gotten a lot of hours of playtime with it; for your intended purpose, I don't think you can go wrong with something similar.
 
Actually, reading the posts .... upgrading is something I should consider. If I can get a less expensive model and upgrade the tires to be larger that would be great.

When you are talking about tall grass, what do you mean? I think 5" is tall. But my yard is usually under 3" in the front granted the back yard can get taller.

I guess the question would be, what scale? And to have fun, what upgrades? I won't do the motor right off the bat but if the motor gives me headaches, I'd gladly upgrade to a brushless down the road.

Regarding the Traxxxas Stampede, what would the 4WD model be that is the next step up? I'd spend an extra $50 to get 4WD. But not much more. Oh .... just found that the Stampede comes in a 4WD model. Would it be a mistake to get that? Or go with the Slash 4x4 in 1/16?

I think I've learned alot. Might hit up a Hobby shop with my son and let him pick something out.
 
The 1/16th Traxxas cars have diffs that aren't shimmed well from the factory. They are also a pain in the butt to get to. It also takes a ton of parts to make one "bullet proof" and remove the slop from the wheels.

A 2wd Slash or Stampede would be a great first RC. If you just wanted a taste for the hobby you could do it for much less money.

Edit: I believe the brushed 4wd Stampede is $270 after you use $30 off coupon at towerhobbies. Amain hobbies may also have coupons.

Edit 2: The runtime depends on the model and batteries mah rating. A regular hobby charger normally charges in an hour but wall chargers can charge slower.
 
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IHateMyJob2004 said:
What is the charge time and how long does a charge last?
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Depends on battery and charger. Find out the battery you have and look at chargers.

If you have a 3000mAH battery and your charger does 3amps then one hour (3000mAH = 3 amps per hour). I think the high limit has chargers that can do 6 amps at a time. There is debate if quick charging kills batteries quicker.

If you get a wall wart charger it will usually take overnight.

A charge lasting depends on motor. I think we got like 15-20 mins out of our battery packs with hot motors.

With a fast charger, usually rotating three battery packs will keep you having fun.
 
IHateMyJob2004 said:
Actually, reading the posts .... upgrading is something I should consider. If I can get a less expensive model and upgrade the tires to be larger that would be great.

When you are talking about tall grass, what do you mean? I think 5" is tall. But my yard is usually under 3" in the front granted the back yard can get taller.

I guess the question would be, what scale? And to have fun, what upgrades? I won't do the motor right off the bat but if the motor gives me headaches, I'd gladly upgrade to a brushless down the road.

Regarding the Traxxxas Stampede, what would the 4WD model be that is the next step up? I'd spend an extra $50 to get 4WD. But not much more. Oh .... just found that the Stampede comes in a 4WD model. Would it be a mistake to get that? Or go with the Slash 4x4 in 1/16?

I think I've learned alot. Might hit up a Hobby shop with my son and let him pick something out.
Click to expand...

I never raced anything but 1:10. Grass was not an issue. The smaller cars can be played with in the home....a race 1:10 model is far to fast for indoors (and too dangerous even).

Motor upgrades are usually simple.

Traxxas is a great brand for a starter unless he is going to be competing right away. Here is a forum: http://traxxas.com/forums/forum.php?

Back in my day the Tamiya Grasshopper (or Hornet if you wanted to spend a bit more money) was the starter car. It was about $80-100 at the time, however the controller, charger and battery, etc all had to be purchased separately and it was a several hour project to assemble the thing. The Losi RC10 was the dominator at the time.

I was handy even back as a kid so many of my friends ended up dumping their unfinished cars off on me and their parents threw me a few bucks to put them together (got my race money for every weekend for a long time). 🙂

I started technically much younger with a 1:10 Corvette from Radio Shack with the wire antenna sticking high up in the air and a car that was only suitable for flat surfaces. I'd love chasing cats or trying to sneak up on a bird. I was late elementary maybe early middle school then. You could walk pretty much faster than the car could go, but it was fun for me. It ran on D batteries.
 
Your target budget is way too low for anything decent. Kinda depends on how old your boy is. (?) Under 8 years old, perhaps something from Walmart?
Oops, just saw 10 year old. your price STARTS at $300.
 
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