Coops Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 My boys have been loving the fact that I've got my Mardave up and running with new gear and they've both been actively interested in how it works, so with Christmas looming (yes I know it's still early but with twins you need to plan ahead!) I'm considering getting them an R/C car. So what can you recommend based on: 10 year old boys (twins) with little experience of RC cars (only driving mine under supervision) Ideally buggy, truggy or truck Something that's going to last and withstand some damage from bashing Can be 2WD or 4WD, not real preference Initially not interested in modifying but ability to improve/hop up over time depending on longevity Looking for complete RTR Budget - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pathaleon Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Just before anyone beats me to it. The HPI Firestorm is very good. For your younger lads the standard brushed one would probably be a good place to start. http://www.modelsport.co.uk/hpi-e-firestorm-10t-rtr-2.4ghz/rc-car-products/380330 Bit more expensive than your budget but it's RTR and will survive bashing and crashing better than the brands you mentioned above. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh How Original Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Personally I'd look down the lines of a Losi Mini 8ight. Very fast buggies but you can turn the controls down and gradually build them up. They will take a good beating and are surprisingly capable on rough grounds. Another advantage is replacement/spare LiPos are cheap because they're only 1,800-2,200 depending on what you want to buy, but last a good while of heavy throttle action, if the radios are turned down they'd last easily 30 minutes, I used to typically see 15 minutes from a Gens Ace 1,800 2s, that was obviously everything turned up full and heavy throttle. That would be my first choice, because IF they happened to hit themselves, it's also nice and light. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex97 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Tamiya madbull, very easy to build and maintain. The plastic is very soft so on impact it just flexes then goes back to its original shape. When I first got mine I drove it straight into a curb at full speed and it was fine. The big tires also mean that it's good in slightly longer grass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 ^^ Madbull. You'll get a pair within budget, as Alex noted, they are stupidly durable, simple to build and work on, hop up parts are available and when the kids are ready for more power, can be cheaply upgraded to a quicker brushed set up or brushless. Much as the Firestorm is a great and proven basher, I don't think it fits the bill for the budget. Same with the mini 8ight...tiny parts for little fingers and more limited in terms of off road running: tarmac and hard surfaces are much tougher on an RC than grass... If you look at what people pay for the MB second hand on eBay, they seem to hold money too, should you want to sell on down the line... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOFX Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Avoid the ftx. .I've got the ftx viper. Looks great,but breaks if you fart in it's direction :/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evssv Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Avoid the ftx. .I've got the ftx viper. Looks great,but breaks if you fart in it's direction :/to ture...lol!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitroholic Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Mini8s are brilliant fun. I used to own one. ( note the 'used to' bit ) Trouble is...they are only brilliant fun when you find somewhere they can run. If the grass is short at your local park, then fine. If you have access to areas with open hard packed dirt...again fun. If you have neither of these...the poor thing struggles. Grass more than an inch long just bogs them down. I never had any issues with working on the buggy...but a good toolkit is essential and it is a bit fiddly. Certainly not one for the novice really. I got rid of mine purely due to the limited places I could run it. Firestorm, again, is a great fun truck. I still have mine.... but look at that as something for the next step. the Mavericks have the advantage of being HPI supported, so spares are not a problem. They are beginner models in the main, and should be reliable in brushed form....but upgrade potential will be limited. Having a quick flick through Modelsports current crop, I couldn;t help noticing they are doing brushed Rustlers for 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duo Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Lc racing monster truck or buggy are good for the money. Pick them up from Germany for good price. All rtr and nice brushless motor got mine for 160 euro delivered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Again, smaller scale so the possibility of good bashing area issues.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh How Original Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I found the Mini 8ight ran best on gravel and a loose surface, I had an old concrete works/quarry on my backdoor step practically so it had such a wide range of places to run. The Mini 8ight definitely runs best on something hard though, it doesn't like grass really, although it will run on it, either concrete/tarmac or gravel is your best option, or at least mine ran brillianty on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4rri75 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Don't forget a consideration is the looks of the thing. Will they like them / it? Can you get different coloured shells or a way to distinguish them so it's easier to run them together? Do you have a lipo charger capable of charging all the batteries [soon to be tripled] in a decent time? Having just ended up with a buggy I don't need / want because 'I don't like it now Daddy' I wouldn't want you fall foul of the same issue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evssv Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 y don't u jus happen to be browsing ms or the like and get his attention and see if he points any out or says" can I have that one pls dad..."....then u'll have a rough clue what he likes without actually sayin " i got u one of these son...."... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretch Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) This has been asked a few times before and the recommendations are similar A kidhttp://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/158797-good-starter-for-young-kid/http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/194967-car-for-a-kid/ 3http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/130842-rc-car-for-3-year-old/ 4http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/157091-what-is-the-best-rc-electric-car-for-a-boy-of-4-years-old/ 5http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/194917-what-to-buy-for-5yr-old/http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/175998-best-rc-for-5-year-old/ 5-6http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/174303-rc-car-for-a-5-6-year-old/ 6http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/172008-monster-truck-for-6-year-old-boy/ http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/194802-the-choice-of-a-6-year-old/?hl=year 7http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/191355-rc-for-my-7-year-old/http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/97019-rc-for-a-7-year-old/ 7&9 http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/201808-rc-cars-for-7-9-year-olds/ 8http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/71576-need-a-rc-truck-for-8-year-old/http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/65918-8-year-old-new-to-rc/http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/200783-rc-car-for-an-eight-year-old/ 9 http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/204456-best-starter-rc-car-for-a-9-year-old/ 11 http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/209144-cheapish-decent-mountain-bike-for-11-year-old-boy/ Edited July 2, 2015 by stretch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duo Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 My lc mt runs fine on medium grass with stock nimh not even put lipo in yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Guys two words here " TWO BOYS" problem, give one boy a balloon filled with air and the other a balloon filled with helium all hell will break loose, trust me i had little bro's and two godsons i know what coops is up against. if one has a firestrom the other has to to. to expensive. bang to buck on the money best chrimbo rc outta the box goes to the little mavericks and animus and likes. i mean its ideal for two young lads , truck body - buggy body but chassis stays the same , and what 50-70 quid they can be found for its a bargain. to top up you get each lad an upgrade, the buggy owner gets the truck build parts and body , and the truck owner gets a buggy upgrade this way both boys have a choice they have either a buggy or a truck but are able to convert from one to the other. trust me you wont see them for the rest of xmas day given those. and the battery thats a 4-6hr charge to. you charge it fully for them before its wrapped and its ready to go that happy morning. parts, they are the same, if one shoots a dogbone you know the other will at some point in time. so just double up on parts , both the same speed, so a couple plastic pinions and they can race each other. in this case for dual young lads i do think the micros are the best choice for an xmass gift. not breaking the bank but yet still going to bring a smile to any lads face. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coops Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 Thanks to everyone for your input, thoughts and suggestions. Plenty for me to go at. The consensus appears to be Losi Mini 8ight, Tamiya Mad Bull, Maverick range, and LC Racing. I will do some research and have a look. Boys will also get to look at MS website over the coming weeks/months - I'll just happen to be browsing and let them have a look. Ultimately as they are twins, they both need to have fundamentally the same car, so if one has a Firestorm the other can't have a Mini 8ight! Just won't work like that, hence either 2x the same or something like these Mavericks: all virtually the same, http://www.modelsport.co.uk/maverick-rc-electric-models/rc-car-manufacturers/1163/9900/990010&MSAttributeID[82]=9 (Am actually quite tempted in getting myself a Losi Mini 8ight !!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonysmini Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 You could try a Lunchbox, they are fun and the boys can design their own paint scheme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmini Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 You could try a Lunchbox, they are fun and the boys can design their own paint scheme if you go down this route you could go lunchbox and midnight pumpkin. both are the same car with different shells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B4D TEMP3R 303 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 ftx would be good if you upgrade some parts to alum which wouldn't really cost much or if anything breaks you replace with the alum parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOFX Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) Hi. My ftx viper is too brittle :/ . I keep breaking the roll cage every time I take it out. My hobbyking nitro circus mini monster truck takes a beating. So does the hobby king sandstorm. I've only broken a gear in the mini monster ,& cracked the body. & I've beaten the crap out of the sandstorm with no breakages ,just a few scrapes. The sandstorm is about Edited July 30, 2015 by NOFX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coops Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Thanks again, my attention is drawn to the little 1/18 Maverick range at the minute. Kids have had a look at them online with me and think they are smart. One is keen on RCs but the other not so - turns out this is because of the controller style. Both are used to using mine (sticks) and the one who is unsure doesn't really get on with current (wheel) style of controller. So that's a whole other task (and potential expense) of deciding on wheel or sticks. Could perhaps get myself an ultra cheap wheel type to bind to my car and let them (and me for that matter) try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOFX Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 The hobbyking trigger & wheel are less than a tenner & work well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coops Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 The hobbyking trigger & wheel are less than a tenner & work well Really? Can't see it on the site, do you have a link? Would bind to a Core RC Receiver ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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