Electric R/C Off-Road - Getting Started?
 

Hi All,

Similar to another post, Im looking to get into R/C for myself and my 4 year old Son. Im looking at offroad electric r/c's for general recreation, bashing, jumping etc, main areas would be grass, gravel, dirt and cement (ie playing fields, parks etc)

I've been researching on the internet for the past few weeks and even got out to a local track to check it out, and loved it.

My son currently has 2 cheap toy grade r/c's that cant handle anything other than a smooth surface, but are fine for him to learn the basic controls.

For my son im looking for a suitable entry level offroad r/c buggy/truck. Is the Tamiya Tamtech range suitable for this? or perhaps even the Tamiya Neo Falcon ?

For myself im after something with a bit more power, able to handle all of the above things but perhaps with more speed and durability. something that will let me gain experience, but still have enough in it to keep me entertained once i can handle it better.

I was thinking of Something along the lines of the Tamiya Sand Viper, Desert Gator or Rising Storm. or perhaps the Tamiya Dual Hunter. Im looking to spend around AUD $400 - $500 on my car.

In addition id like to be able to run them for 30-60mins (even if it means changing batteries) and i want to build the cars from kit form.

I want to stay with a big brand (Tamiya, Traxxis, Kyosho, Losi)
and im looking at the entry level price range.

Reading on the post i've also noticed a leaning towards traxxis expecially the slash & stampede / rustler.....will these be more suitable?
I prefer the look of the buggies though to be honest. and the Traxxis seem more expensive. Is there a reason Tamiya isnt mentioned much?

Could you suggest particular models for me to be able to compare and consider.

Also im in Sydney, Australia, so any local info, ie best hobby shop to buy from would be appreciated.

Appoligies for the long post, so many questions, so much to learn......exciting !!

Best Regards,

Martin

Welcome to the world of RC's.

My first RC was back in the mid 80's. It was a Tamiya Audi Quattro that my dad bought for me and my brother. It was a lot of fun. Tamiya's are generally durable, but the parts may not be easily available.

The Tamiya Wild Willy may be a fun drive for your son. :nod:

I have both a Traxxas bandit and slash. Both are great vehicles and very fun. The bandit (xl-5 - $160ish USD) is slightly less durable than my slash but a good runner none the less. They offer a VXL bandit (Brushless <$300 USD) for a very reasonable price and you might consider that as well if you like the buggy styling. If you get both know that the transmissions are the same and a lot of parts are interchangeable such as the misc screws that you are going to lose on occasion. Which would simplify keeping parts on hand.

The slash has a great rep for being able to take punishment very well. I can personally vouch for it's robustness.

my .02

Thanks for the replies and for the info, after doing alot of research and reading im leaning more towards an RTR, to get my feet wet. Perhaps sometime down the track i may venture into building a kit.

So with that in mind top contenders are the TRAXXAS cars.
In particular it would be the Slash and the Bandit.

So parts are interchangable between the Slash & Bandit?

Would the VXL be overkill for now? I've seen a few youtube videos where a brushless Slash is flipping over backwards on straight accelleration due to the hugh power.....perhaps its too much for now. Can i always buy a brushless motor down the track and upgrade either of these?

Can other upgrades be done to these two cars aswell?

I must admit i like the water resistant features of these two cars, does that mean its harder to maintain or upgrade? and how would the performance of these two stand up next to each other? im thinking to eventually purchase both, so that i have a buggy, and a truck. which would be even better if they could fairly closely compete with one another.

sorry for so many questions, but this place really seems like a great source of knowledge. I find some shops often have alterior motives behind their advise....

Now these kits come with a radio control, i assume these are good controls, so that means all i really need are the batteries and the charger. for the controller i know it needs AA batteries, but would i definately need to get rechargable? or not really? also with the battery pack is it worth getting LIPO ? or its not really necessary yet?

as far as chargers go, what should i be looking for?

and lastly what power battery will give me a run time of at least 30 mins, preferably longer?

Thanks again for all the info, i really appreciate it.

Martin,
I was in the same boat you were about 4 months ago and have learned a ton from just owning both the cars. Sometimes the hobby shop guys aren't always the greatest help and i've been steered wrong on occasion.

Regarding interchangeable parts:
The shocks are technically different but you can use them on both cars. Stuff like the shoulder screws, motor screws, suspension screws, transmission, shock towers, bulkheads, and the 10turn motor in the bandit xl5 and slash are the same. The screws have a tendancy to back out during normal use and if you don't keep an eye on them after each run you'll end up replacing them occasionally and having to buy one set of screws for both cars is nice IMO.

I couldn't be happier with my slash, the bandit I kinda wish I would have got the VXL (brushless) version out of the box. It really is the better buy.

I upgraded my slash to VXL immediately for 2 reasons. Primarily for engine longevity and runtime (brushless is sealed). I run in the dirt exclusively and the titan motors don't like it when dirt gets inside. I've replaced 3 of the titan motors in my bandit and didn't want to do that with the slash. Even with regular maintenance the titan motor won't last near as long as the brushless setup. The second reason is for speed... it's addicting. As for your wheelie concerns, the brushless setup in my slash (VXL-3s) it does not pull the front end off the ground even with the upgraded tires that I have. Perhaps if I used lipos (lighter batteries) it may make it do that I'm not sure though. Doubt it. The bandit vlx would probably benefit from a wheelie bar since it's lighter and grippier in the back. Upgrading the slash to brushless is as easy as dropping in the vxl speed control/motor kit and connecting all the wires up. It took me about 20 minutes to do the swap. By the way, love the waterproof feature of both cars.

Batteries, just pick yourself up some decent batteries and a charger. I use the Traxxas EZ-Peak charger and some decent 6cell nimh packs. I have 4 packs and they last about 15-20 min in the bandit and more than 30 min in the slash depending on how hard i run it. All the RTRs that we talked about in this thread have the radio (controller) included.

If I were you, I would get the VXL bandit and the slash. Swap the powertrains if your son is going to be using the bandit because the XL5 setup is a little more forgiving (read: slower) if you crash it into a curb. Not to say he's a bad driver but these things happen on occasion!

-Wes

Thanks for the reply Wes

Ok so i think i've worked out what im going to do, for now im going to buy one r/c, and i think it will be the Slash. then assuming i stay interested in r/c (i have a problem of getting in and out of hobbies, so my partner is happy for me to get one, then assuming im still into it a few months down the track, she is very happy for me to really get into it).....so assuming im still into it, then i will buy a bandit.

I think for now i will keep it stock, as its fairly expensive as it it (AUD $500-$600), i think its about an additional AUD $250 for a brushless motor + i need a new ESC dont i?......as for the upgrade to brushless, does it still retain its water proof capabilities? or are these compromised?
The motor replacements in your bandit, over how long a time have you changed 3 motors? and how much do you actually use your bandit? are we talking a couple of sessions? or we're talking months of intense operation?
do you race it? or just bash?

Given that i will keep the Slash standard, would it be of benefit atleast getting LIPO batteries? will this give me much better run times? and slight power increase? or im better just doing as you have and buy a few NiMH batter packs?

Rookie question, but whats a wheelie bar? is that the additional little wheels on a bar attached to the back of the car?

so your suggesting, if i later buy a Bandit VXL, im able to swap the motors over and ESC (so the little one can use the bandit) eventually i can then upgrade both to Brushless?

When it comes to charging your batteries, generally speaking how long does one set take? and can it be charged in a car as well as at home? does it take long?

is there any certain brand or brands of batteries that i should perhaps stick with? i have no idea about r/c batteries, as in what are the big brands, what are the best brands...

any ideas on recommended places to buy from in Australia?

Thanks again for all the info, i really do appreciate it.
Martin

Martin I have some more info re: your questions-Personally I think the Slash is your best bet and I totally agree with Wes re: the VXL. I am not fond of brushed motors mostly because I believe brushless is a better deal. As far as the wheelie bar- I don't have one on either of my 2 Slashes and I am VXL powered w/2s 5250 and 3s 5250 Lipo's. I prefer the 2s though, the 3s is insane power! Quite honestly, I do not need all that power in a Slash. Charging the batteries? It takes me about an hour for a full charge and yes, you can charge from your car. Since I live in the US I am not sure about the availabilty for batteries there but if you check the Tamiya Mini cooper section in the Electric on-road section there are quite a few people from your area- maybe they can suggest somwhere. The VXL now comes as a waterproof combo from tower but as I said I don't know about shipping to where you are. My batt. choice is Maxamps. I get my batts, chargers from there: www.maxamps.com although there are other places and prices, these people have been very good to me. They have a great return/exchange policy. Orion is also a good choice for Lipo batt's. Duratrax is ok for Nimh and they have a good Ice charger. When you look at chargers, be sure you find one that charges both or either.
For the Slash I would recommend upgrading the Ft and Rear bearing carriers, caster blocks with RPM parts. They are cheap yet stonger than original parts. Also pick up some RPM extra pinions. The Traxxas ones wear rather quickly-RPM has those as well. Those are the main upgrades I have done to mine and it is plenty strong and fast.
Best wishes-Eric

Thanks Eric for all the info,

i think im going just get the standard car, ....but in the future im going to consider going brushless.

i have a question regarding batteries...

first is Venom an alright brand?
second what the opinion on these options? given that the car will be standard. what the differences, what sort of run time can i expect with each one, what sort of charge time would i be looking at, what sort of speed increase?

option 1: Venom 20c 5000mah 7.4v 2 cell LiPo TRX - $149
option 2: Venom 15c 3200mah 7.4v 2 cell LiPo - $79
option 3: Venom 5000mah 8.4v NiMh Flat Battery Pack - $89
option 4: LSE 4000mah 7.4v LiPo - $115

above prices are all in aussie dollars



Martin

Asking if "X" brand of battery is good will get you a tread full of debate. Every brand has a few lemons in the pile. You live down under so customer service is an issue with any brand for you but for me it's number one on my list just because any pack can have problems and I want to ba able to talk to someone, not send an e-mail half way around the world.

+1, a brand thats well supported at your LHS or where you plan on buying your purchases is essential...

Buying a product is one thing, getting support for it is another, but both are just as important!!! :nod:

Thanks for the info on the battery brands, i will definately check out the local scene.
any opinions on how the above 4 batteries will perform in the slash?

never had good luck w/Venom stuff. --Probably look at either option 1 or 3 whether it be this brand or some other. You should be able to get 20-25 min run time w/either.Racer1812 and tc3team both make a solid point: customer support.

Thanks Bowl806.

What would be the difference between option 1 and option 3. both 5000mah but one is lipo, does that mean it will go faster? or it will go longer?

Martin- the main diff I have found is the Nimh has more punch at first(actually they are pretty close) but the Lipo keeps the punch longer. In my opinion,the Lipo would be your best bet based on the fact it can be recharged unlimited times a day. I'm certain there are more pros/cons for either but I find the main advantage to the Nimh pack is the weight- a bit heavier than the Lipo. I think I said I run a 2s 5250 in my Slash and it is plenty enough power to either bash or race. I get about 25 min + depending on how hard I drive it. Also I drive a Tamiya Mini Cooper M-03 w/2s 4000 Lipo and it is very fast.

Get your son a Traxxas slash, and for you a Losi XXX-T CR

OvERkill, exxxterrrmination:nod: