Beginner could use help
 

Hello all,

My son and I are getting into this sport and having a lot of fun. Time to start buying machines... We like running at this outdoor sand track with jumps etc. looking at low profile 4x4s, electric. Recommendations? I do not mind doing a little building if I'll get more bang for the buck.

Thanks!

What scale are you interested in... 1/10 or 1/8?


"Bang for the buck" is a relative term... while you can get into the hobby a lot cheaper with a RTR, there are tons of hidden expenses where you will end up buying twice if you get an RTR and may end up spending more money than if you would've bought a race grade kit in the first place. More info here:

Which 1/10 4WD SCT is best?


I realize your'e probably not interested in the SCT class, but many of the brands discussed on that thread will be universally compared across other classes they support.


If you're looking for a 1/10 buggy, then I would highly recommend PR Racing kits, in fact you can get a really good deal on the older 401LW which is forward compatible with all the Type R parts if you wanted to upgrade it:

• BUILD/REVIEW: PR Racing 401LW
  
• BUILD/REVIEW: PR Racing 401R
  

If you're looking for a 1/8 buggy, then I would consider ARRMA for decent entry level which can keeps initial costs down and will need minimal upgrades, a higher quality RTR would be Serpent, but if I were to build a 1/8 kit for myself today, I would build a TEKNO.

Thank you!
 

Thank you so much. Ill make a few decisions and repost how it goes. I really appreciate all the information.

By "sand track" are you referring to an actual RC track that's run by a local hobby shop, or just a local sand pit? The reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to understand if you're looking to get into sanctioned racing, or if you're just looking to play. If you're interested in getting into racing, I'd suggest that you stick with a brand that the hobby shop running the races stocks parts for, so that when you break on race night, you've got parts available immediately. Additionally, the "house" brand is usually one that's run by the majority of racers, which means you'll have a lot of people right away who can provide a wealth of advice. Once you get your feet underneath you, then it's safe to move on to whatever brands you think may give you the best advantage, but until then, it's best to stick with the brand that you can get parts & support for on race night.

When I hear "Sand Track" this is what I envision, this is a homemade track on a sandy beach that I made while on week long vacation with the family:

I bought a serpent 1/8 buggy (811be) a few years ago and it was competitive out of the box. Yes there was upgrades live cvd driveshafts that made a huge improvement but I couldn't complain for what I got new out of the box. It was lighter than the Arrma and handled better. An esc/motor upgrade made the buggy vastly quicker. Serpent parts are harder to get but I performed many somersaults in that buggy and only broke the rear wing. I just recently started racing again, I went to the track a couple weeks before I bought my vehicle just so I could see what other people were running. Having people with similar setups and possibly spare parts you can buy from is always a great benefit as well.

+1 running similar stuff makes life a lot simpler. No guessing on setup. Parts are available.

arrma is the answer. i have literally 15 different cars/trucks, and the arrma is the most fun

assuming you arent looking to race competitively