Best buggy or truck under $500?
09-09-2016, 03:23 PM
#1
Best buggy or truck under $500?
Hey all,
I'm getting back in to the hobby and I'm looking to spend around $500 to start. Does anyone have any suggestions on a kit (plus electronics) or a RTR setup that will cost around $500?
I'll be running it on the track in the rookie class to start (run what you've got). Then possibly moving on to 2wd NR 17.5 buggy or stadium truck 13.5 depending on which setup I can afford. I'm open to buying used.
Any advice on a complete setup (esc, transmitter, motor, batteries, etc) would be greatly appreciated.
I'm getting back in to the hobby and I'm looking to spend around $500 to start. Does anyone have any suggestions on a kit (plus electronics) or a RTR setup that will cost around $500?
I'll be running it on the track in the rookie class to start (run what you've got). Then possibly moving on to 2wd NR 17.5 buggy or stadium truck 13.5 depending on which setup I can afford. I'm open to buying used.
Any advice on a complete setup (esc, transmitter, motor, batteries, etc) would be greatly appreciated.
09-10-2016, 03:32 PM
#2
Things to not cheap out on in the beginning are
Radio
Tools
Kit
Get a good radio. It may eat up 200 dollars that you have to spend but if you want something that you can really grow with it makes sense rather than buying 2-3 cheap radios over the years, especially if you plan to race.
Spend 20-30 dollars on good quality tools. I like MIP drivers. They wear very well and are cheaper than the comparable hudy tools. You will also need a 5.5 and 7mm nut driver, for those you don't need a super quality tool because the tolerances are much lower. I use some generic tamiya nut drivers from their craft tools set, but any brand will functions about the same.
With the remaining money I would try to find a used kit with electronics that somebody is parting with. You should be able to get a used b5m with full electronics and maybe a battery or two with the money left after tools and radio. If you don't have a charger look for a basic 4 button charger, such as the hitec x1. They are a little over 50 new, but should be a little cheaper used.
If this doesn't really seem feasable... there are several race kits with Rtr versions, but you will spend much more in the long run swapping out parts and electronics.
Radio
Tools
Kit
Get a good radio. It may eat up 200 dollars that you have to spend but if you want something that you can really grow with it makes sense rather than buying 2-3 cheap radios over the years, especially if you plan to race.
Spend 20-30 dollars on good quality tools. I like MIP drivers. They wear very well and are cheaper than the comparable hudy tools. You will also need a 5.5 and 7mm nut driver, for those you don't need a super quality tool because the tolerances are much lower. I use some generic tamiya nut drivers from their craft tools set, but any brand will functions about the same.
With the remaining money I would try to find a used kit with electronics that somebody is parting with. You should be able to get a used b5m with full electronics and maybe a battery or two with the money left after tools and radio. If you don't have a charger look for a basic 4 button charger, such as the hitec x1. They are a little over 50 new, but should be a little cheaper used.
If this doesn't really seem feasable... there are several race kits with Rtr versions, but you will spend much more in the long run swapping out parts and electronics.
09-10-2016, 03:59 PM
#3
Tech Master
iTrader: (13)
Airtronics MX-V (or Sanwa MX-V) $100
Hobbywing Just Stock Club Spec ESC $38
Fantom 100C/4000mah shorty pack x 2 $60 each
Fantom FR-1 17.5 $87
Hitech X2 charger $100
MIP drivers x 2 $15 each
This is $475 without a car, tires, wheels, spares. Take it from someone who has tried to cheap out on things in the past. Buying quality items up front will save you aggravation (and sometimes money) in the long run.
Hobbywing Just Stock Club Spec ESC $38
Fantom 100C/4000mah shorty pack x 2 $60 each
Fantom FR-1 17.5 $87
Hitech X2 charger $100
MIP drivers x 2 $15 each
This is $475 without a car, tires, wheels, spares. Take it from someone who has tried to cheap out on things in the past. Buying quality items up front will save you aggravation (and sometimes money) in the long run.
09-11-2016, 08:51 AM
#4
Tech Regular
I like the B5M lite, if you can find one on closeout somewhere. I own one and it's great, even though it's outdated. It was the flavor of the month last year. I also like the Yokomo YZ2, but for super high grip carpet only.
Make sure you are buying something that has parts support at the track or you will be setting yourself up for failure.
No RTR if you want to race. They come with cheap mod motors only, so they are not legal for stock class.
Hobbywing Juststock esc with a Dynamite 17.5 or similar for cheap or a 24K 17.5 for fast.
Any 4600mah shorty battery with more than 65 C rating.
A Futaba or Airtronics in the $120~260 range and your good to go.
Make sure you are buying something that has parts support at the track or you will be setting yourself up for failure.
No RTR if you want to race. They come with cheap mod motors only, so they are not legal for stock class.
Hobbywing Juststock esc with a Dynamite 17.5 or similar for cheap or a 24K 17.5 for fast.
Any 4600mah shorty battery with more than 65 C rating.
A Futaba or Airtronics in the $120~260 range and your good to go.
09-11-2016, 01:06 PM
#5
R/C Tech Elite Member
iTrader: (123)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Living in Paradise! Not really...
Posts: 1,257
Trader Rating: 123 (100%+)
Disclaimer: I do not know the seller of the car in the link posted. It is for example purposes only.
Here is a guy selling a used B5m (Green one) with some of the nice upgrades installed for a good price. He can also provide you with a brand name esc and motor for a total of $230-$250 for a quality used buggy.
That leaves you another @ $250 for a servo, transmitter/receiver, battery, charger, and tires.
New Sanwa TX/RX posted above - $100
New Protek 100SS servo - $50
New Turnigy Nano-tech 4200 shorty pack $40
New Hitech X1 +AC charger $60
Plus or minus $250
Even though Associated came out with a B6, the B5m will still be faster than you are for a very long time. (faster than me, too
)
At the end of the day, get what will last. Don't skimp, even if you have to increase your budget a little bit. It will save you money in the long run.
Here is a guy selling a used B5m (Green one) with some of the nice upgrades installed for a good price. He can also provide you with a brand name esc and motor for a total of $230-$250 for a quality used buggy.
That leaves you another @ $250 for a servo, transmitter/receiver, battery, charger, and tires.
New Sanwa TX/RX posted above - $100
New Protek 100SS servo - $50
New Turnigy Nano-tech 4200 shorty pack $40
New Hitech X1 +AC charger $60
Plus or minus $250
Even though Associated came out with a B6, the B5m will still be faster than you are for a very long time. (faster than me, too
)At the end of the day, get what will last. Don't skimp, even if you have to increase your budget a little bit. It will save you money in the long run.
09-14-2016, 08:13 PM
#7
People aren't gonna like this but if you're just starting out the trackstar electronics work well enough. Hobbyking sells them and you can get a motor / esc combo for around 100$. I've had them in my b4.2 for a while now. They still work great. It's a good option cause if you're like me and most others getting in the hobby it allows you to experiment And if you decide the hobby isn't for you then you're not out as much money. The downside is that eventually you will want to upgrade. Getting a good setup will cost quite a bit. Here are some of the cars I have and my view on them as well as the class I race them in:
AE RC10 B4.2 2wd stock
This was my first 2wd buggy. Easy to setup and drive. Shocks definitly need an upgrade Or rebuild eventually as they tend to leak.
Losi 22 mid motor G1 2wd stock and mod
I have sank more money in this thing than I care to admit. I finally am getting close to finding a good setup for my track but it is very sensitive to changes. It's probably me tbh. I still love the car. It's built well and has great parts support.
Xray XB4 2015 4wd Stock
My favorite buggy. This thing flies and is rock solid. It does not break easily and is easy to setup and drive.
Tekno SCT410 4wd Mod sct
At my track these races tend to get rough. The pretty much 8th scale buggys on a 10th scale track make for some of the most abrasive races. It's all in fun but if you are worried about damage don't run this class. If there is a spec slash class that would be better. That being said. This thing hauls! Haven't broken anything either.
Losi 8ight 3.0
Pretty much the same thing as the 22 but I'm new to 8th scale so I just need practice.
Electronics:
For a good cheap radio the flysky gt3b/c is decent. I reccomend the c as it is a little better. I personally use the it4s and its great for the money. Even has a little touch screen!
For the esc hobbyking sells the trackstar 120a. Never had issues and it works fine. I personally use the speed passion reventon pro 1.1 for racing along with trinity short stack motors. They are a bit more smooth.
One thing I will say is that if you go cheap and decide to stay in the hobby you will eventually upgrade. I bought a lot of cheap stuff. Though it all worked fine most of it is in a drawer for one reason or the other.
EBay is a great place to find rollers as well as here. The seller bdel1894 regularly has rollers priced very well.
I hope I was able to help in some form or fashion!
AE RC10 B4.2 2wd stock
This was my first 2wd buggy. Easy to setup and drive. Shocks definitly need an upgrade Or rebuild eventually as they tend to leak.
Losi 22 mid motor G1 2wd stock and mod
I have sank more money in this thing than I care to admit. I finally am getting close to finding a good setup for my track but it is very sensitive to changes. It's probably me tbh. I still love the car. It's built well and has great parts support.
Xray XB4 2015 4wd Stock
My favorite buggy. This thing flies and is rock solid. It does not break easily and is easy to setup and drive.
Tekno SCT410 4wd Mod sct
At my track these races tend to get rough. The pretty much 8th scale buggys on a 10th scale track make for some of the most abrasive races. It's all in fun but if you are worried about damage don't run this class. If there is a spec slash class that would be better. That being said. This thing hauls! Haven't broken anything either.
Losi 8ight 3.0
Pretty much the same thing as the 22 but I'm new to 8th scale so I just need practice.
Electronics:
For a good cheap radio the flysky gt3b/c is decent. I reccomend the c as it is a little better. I personally use the it4s and its great for the money. Even has a little touch screen!
For the esc hobbyking sells the trackstar 120a. Never had issues and it works fine. I personally use the speed passion reventon pro 1.1 for racing along with trinity short stack motors. They are a bit more smooth.
One thing I will say is that if you go cheap and decide to stay in the hobby you will eventually upgrade. I bought a lot of cheap stuff. Though it all worked fine most of it is in a drawer for one reason or the other.
EBay is a great place to find rollers as well as here. The seller bdel1894 regularly has rollers priced very well.
I hope I was able to help in some form or fashion!
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