DeathWish9

I can certainly see how quickly and easily money can be spent on RC. Upgrades maintenance and mods = $$. Once I know what I'm doing , I'm willing to bet I'll be buying RC tools and equipment often as well.

And yes , I could have had my rig by now. But I'm in no rush. I much prefer to get as educated as possible before dropping nearly a grand on something I'm not very familiar with. And to be honest , I find doing the research and talking to people here on the forums really fun. I like chatting with the guys who have first hand experience. Different thoughts and opinions are helpful.

Sorry Herrsavage , I thought you were asking me that question.

performula

iTrader: (4)

That's the truth. I bought a brand new VW. Somebody said, "You might as well bought a Mercedes." He was talking about repairs, no matter what, it's gonna cost you in repairs.Granted a Bugatti wheel costs $10k, a Viper clamshell at $18k, and so on. You're going to pay somewhere.

Get something brand new. Don't go used.

vintage tone

iTrader: (19)

you sometimes can find a "like new" or close (insert anything here) that is really worth it.
the reputation of the seller here is the most important thing really .

Herrsavage

With race kits used can make sense. You can get spares thrown in, tires, maybe a servo etc, and really save. There's the principle though, and it's not really without risk. Still, buying a kit new with all the bits is just really expensive. I would never pay full price for a new kit..

DeathWish9

I def want brand new. I would much rather deal with a higher price tag and knowing it's brand new than getting a used RC that I'm unsure of just because it's less expensive. But I understand that buying a used rig from a reputable seller (esp a racer who raced a vehicle only once or twice) can get you a good vehicle at a good price.

Rac3rX

You can always do a ground up build, either buying a roller and the motor and electronics you like.. This is the best way to do it. Ebay has many RTR kits parted into rollers.

Or go crazy like me and do a ground up fully custom build out of a mixed bag of aftermarket parts



I must admit, much of what draws me to the Hobby is the customization, the designing your own truck out of aftermarket parts.

DeathWish9

Rac3rx , that looks great. You built that from just a mixed bag of parts from EBay ? You definitely have some skill there. And what does "roller" mean ?

Also , it seems that a good set of quality tools should be purchased soon after (or along with) buying a new RC.

Rac3rX

Thanks

A Roller is a RTR stripped of its engine, electronics, wheels & body. Just the Chassis. You then get the engine, electronics, wheels and body you want.

A Truck like the Savage is modular, you could buy each module.

Most kits are parted up on eBay, shop around though I find deals all over.

The Black truck is a used RTR I bought then modified a bunch. The Silver and Blue truck is built from parts I got from all over the place not just ebay, no kit, ground up built with aftermarket parts. That's a money pit truck, but I just love building it.

Herrsavage

I absolutely recommend getting good tools. Especially if you're going to build a kit..

I highly recommend something similar to the Bosch Ixo and a 2mm and 2.5mm bit for it. I couldn't live in RC without mine. One of the most useful things you can have for RC, and it's even useful around the house as well.

In addition to that you definitely need a decent 2mm and 2.5mm hex driver. The mini drill is only for the basic work, the fine tightening you should do by hand.






(Those bits are non-metric for Losi. You want 2mm and 2.5mm.. Doesn't have to be Hudy either..)

Rac3rX

I should of mentioned the right tools make all the difference. The stuff you get with RTRs will round out quick decent Hex are a must.

DeathWish9

That little Bosch looks perfect for RC work. And 2mm and 2.5mm bits and hex drivers , noted. You guys must have quite a wide assortment of tools after being in RC a for so long.

Another question , you mentioned that the Savage is "modular". What exactly does that mean ? Is modular a pro or con ?

Is the reason for companies not having high end RTR's available (top of the line motor , ESC , servo , radio etc) because of high cost ? Or lack of interest ?

Overdriven

iTrader: (18)

You definitely end up with quite a collection of tools and parts being in rc. Never just throw stuff out. I still have the little Allen wrenches from RTR's and they come in handy as do screws and other parts from vehicles past. Once you get going and you know you're sticking with it a decent set of hex drivers is a must, makes things less of a chore. I frown upon using power drivers with rc because it's easy to be careless and over tighten a screw going into plastic stripping the hole. That's just me though.

Modular may not be the best word for what he was trying to describe, compatible maybe? With rc vehicles you can generally unbolt the whole front and rear suspension from the chassis. You can then bolt this onto a aftermarket or new stock chassis that was designed for that vehicle. A Traxxas Maxx truck is a perfect example of this, unbolt the front and rear bulkheads and swap in a new chassis. The Maxx is also a perfect example of how rc upgrades are generally formulated, different, stronger materials, but all stock mounting points. You can go anywhere from just a few upgrades to a completely aftermarket Maxx and (with very few exceptions) never have a compatibility issue. You can run RPM arms on stock bulkheads or aftermarket, aftermarket bulks with stock arms, etc.

Which leads me to another important note about aftermarket parts. So with a very few notable exceptions, aftermarket parts very rarely alter geometry or mounting points. This means they don't alter the actual performance of the vehicle, just enhance durability and/or appearance. There are some aftermarket chassis for some vehicles that alter the positions of components to change the handling characteristics, RPM does have their true track system that alters rear suspension geometry a bit. But by and large aftermarket parts are for durability and/or appearance. Even aftermarket shocks don't always improve performance, tuning shocks (spring and fluid weights) does that. Aftermarket shocks can be more durable and smoother in their action though.

Overdriven

iTrader: (18)

The biggest reason isn't cost, it's preference and racing. I don't know how prevelent sponsorships are at the local level but some local guys do get some sort of sponsorship. Whether it's actual equipment, a discount, a few bucks for travel expenses or contingency dollars for winning while using a sponsors equipment, they get something. That sponsorship or contingency $ may only be for a certain model of servo too, while there's at least 5 or 6 major players when it comes to servos. So for racers the likelyhood they'll have to swap out whatever servo is included to appease their sponsor (so they can get $ from their sponsor) is quite high.

Then there's preference. Those willing to spend more for the higher end electronics tend to be the experienced hobbyists who have developed their own preferences when it comes to the brands they use and trust. But preferences change too. Back to servos, I used to be a JR guy. I tried one, liked it which led to a couple more. Then I got a used Hitec and have been a Hitec guy ever since.

And of course cost. Put a race kit that's RTR with top of the line electronics on display at a hobby shop with a $1k+ price tag and I'm sure you'll scare a few people out of the store. Hell if people knew how much rc would cost them in broken parts, eventual upgrades and such I'm sure a few wouldn't get into it to begin with.

DeathWish9

That makes sense. It seems just about any hobby these days gets pretty expensive when you get into it and decide to buy the higher quality equipment. In that regard ,I can see the benefit (for me) to start off in RC with a RTR because I can see how I like the hobby. And as I level up , I get better vehicles , better electronics , better radio etc and I'd be able to see and appreciate the difference between entry level and high end.

But I think I want the higher end stuff now. So I'll prob just spend the money and get something "upper class".

Micah78

If you can afford it, go for it. Only reason I've bought several RTR's over the years is I can't afford the high end stuff. When I was younger I didn't make much money. Now I'm married with kids and a mortgage lol! I just run my RTR's till something breaks and then "upgrade" what broke. It spreads the expense out over time. Eventually you will end up with something much better than you started out with. The only "high end" vehicle I have is my RC8T nitro truggy. The plastics do seem stronger on it compared to my MT4. The aluminum pieces are far stronger than the aluminum pieces on my MT4. I bought my RC8T used with servos and an engine for $400 off my local Craigslist. The guy selling it was a local racer that was moving on to the latest and greatest ( a Tekno actually). The truck also came with lots of spare parts. One more aspect of buying RTR. There's something to be said for buying something already assembled. For a lot of people it's easier to take something apart and then put it back together as opposed to starting with a box of pieces and following an instruction manual. Ever since I was a kid I loved taking things apart and putting them back together. I really didn't like putting things together where I had to start with a bunch of pieces and follow a manual.