New boy on the block

[Sol Broadbent]

So. My boy is all grown up (and in the Navy) and I'm looking for a hobby. One to keep me occupied but not knee deep in repairs and modifications. I am looking at the FTX range and 2 cars are jumping out at me. 

The Dr8 and the Outlaw. Obviously the Dr8 is making more sense, faster, stronger, more durable etc. Evn though it is far more expensive when you factor in the battery and charger. 

But for a new owner, 3s and 6s batteries aside cos that's confusing enough. 

Can anyone offer any reasonable advice on my dilemma? 

I'm in East Yorkshire and will not be racing it, it'll just be a weekend toy that'll go with me in the car and I'll use more on concrete/tarmac and grass of various lengths. Although I do work where there is a decent amount of gravel tracks. 

[Bajadre]

welcome to MSUK Sol both those rc are a good intro into the hobby brother 🙂 mostly gonna depend on your budget if new to rc completey then yes the stronger one will benefit ya as you start to thrash it round more haha the S u mentioned refers to the number of cells in a lipo so the more cells generally the faster the rc though you can under run them too so a 6s car can be ran on 3s,4s etc this the brushless technology we use even the 3s cars wil do 40mph anyway which will be plenty 👍

let us know what budget you have in mind and maybe we can put some other suggestions up too buddy 

[Sol Broadbent]

Cheers bajadre. 

My budget was £2-£300, then I saw the Dr8 for £400 or just under. The they guy said it doesn't come with batteries or a charger. Then he said the 6s are £90 and a charger adds another £50. So the wife is into the £500 mark now for my Xmas present.... 

Just spoke to the guy selling it to.me (a shop in Hull) and he's said it won't run that well on 3s. Not sure what he means by this. 

I'm hoping not to tw@t it too.much but I hear you with the robustness of the Dr8... 

£90 a battery hurts a little, whereas if it can be run on 3s and still get decent speed and run time out of them, at £40ish a pop, I can live with that. To start with anyway. 

[Kyo]

If it helps the DR8 is £322 at appliance electronics with cyber5 voucher code. Thats where I got mine. Plus 60 quid for 2x 3S lipos on amazon, plus charger. Certainly cheaper than 500.

I believe it can be run on 4S too so 2x 2S lipos are cheaper still.

 

[Buggy Malone]

Hi Sol,

 

Your first post made me smile because until 3-weeks ago I was in the exact same position as yourself.

 

My purchase was more impulse related but off I went for a coffee one day and came back with an FTX Outlaw Brushless under my arm, albeit I paid £240 for it and later discovered that week that it was only £193 'posted' from a different retailer. This includes a 2S Lipo and a very simple charger which I've now replaced with an Overlander VSR 6A Mini.

 

I threw my dummy out of the pram today when I broke it for the 6th time (out of 9 runs) but as buggies go it's a great car to learn on; and by learn I mean to drive and to rebuild and repair - the spares are very cheap and easily available which is a big win.

 

For me personally the Outlaw Brushless is quick enough for my level, probably too quick if I'm honest, but around the BMX park and woodlands it is fun-fun-fun.

 

That being said, I did consider the DR8 shorlty after the Outlaw purchase but that's because I was only using my Outlaw in very open spaces and I felt that I needed a bigger and faster car to cover the ground. I then had a rethink and realised that BMX tracks and forests were more my thing so, for me personally, the DR8 was just too big and fast - and big and fast things in tight spaces break quickly!

 

I've now discounted the DR8 for now until I can get to grips with the Outlaw Brushless speed but even if I do decide in the future that speed is more important then at least I can add a further 15-25mph to the Outlaw by adding some simple upgrades (motor, esc, gearing, 3S Lipo batteries etc.

 

As a first buggy the Outlaw Brushless will give you a whole load of thrill time for £193 whereas the DR8 will cost well over twice as much and I doubt you'll get much more fun from its use.

 

Good luck and ask as many questions as you wish albeit my expert field seems to be how to break RC cars :-)

 

All the best,

 

Andrew 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Buggy Malone

[Sol Broadbent]

1 hour ago, Buggy Malone said:

Hi Sol,

 

Your first post made me smile because until 3-weeks ago I was in the exact same position as yourself.

 

My purchase was more impulse related but off I went for a coffee one day and came back with an FTX Outlaw Brushless under my arm, albeit I paid £240 for it and later discovered that week that it was only £193 'posted' from a different retailer. This includes a 2S Lipo and a very simple charger which I've now replaced with an Overlander VSR 6A Mini.

 

I threw my dummy out of the pram today when I broke it for the 6th time (out of 9 runs) but as buggies go it's a great car to learn on; and by learn I mean to drive and to rebuild and repair - the spares are very cheap and easily available which is a big win.

 

For me personally the Outlaw Brushless is quick enough for my level, probably too quick if I'm honest, but around the BMX park and woodlands it is fun-fun-fun.

 

That being said, I did consider the DR8 shorlty after the Outlaw purchase but that's because I was only using my Outlaw in very open spaces and I felt that I needed a bigger and faster car to cover the ground. I then had a rethink and realised that BMX tracks and forests were more my thing so, for me personally, the DR8 was just too big and fast - and big and fast things in tight spaces break quickly!

 

I've now discounted the DR8 for now until I can get to grips with the Outlaw Brushless speed but even if I do decide in the future that speed is more important then at least I can add a further 15-25mph to the Outlaw by adding some simple upgrades (motor, esc, gearing, 3S Lipo batteries etc.

 

As a first buggy the Outlaw Brushless will give you a whole load of thrill time for £193 whereas the DR8 will cost well over twice as much and I doubt you'll get much more fun from its use.

 

Good luck and ask as many questions as you wish albeit my expert field seems to be how to break RC cars 🙂

 

All the best,

 

Andrew 

Well that was an intersting read and a good reality check. May I ask what, if any, bits you wish you would have purchased ready to replace/repair at time of purchasing the car? It will be a Xmas present so when i take it out and should it get broken, i really wanna be able to repair it over the festive period. Also how long a run time to get out of the included battery? Is a bigger battery and better charger(although you mention the charger) a good initial buy.

[wombat]

Hi Sol, welcome to the forum. Sorry for the thread drift but which model shop in Hull do you use, looking for a good local one.

Which part of East Yorkshire are you from, i,m in Bridlington but initially from Hull

Cheers, Ian

[Sol Broadbent]

1 minute ago, wombat said:

Hi Sol, welcome to the forum. Sorry for the thread drift but which model shop in Hull do you use, looking for a good local one.

Which part of East Yorkshire are you from, i,m in Bridlington but initially from Hull

Cheers, Ian

Not sure if it's a good one yet, but they seem helpful and knowledgable. It is called JustKits on Hessle Road. 

[Bajadre]

@ Sol yeah the guy at the shop meant it wont run as fast etc most 6s rc are alot beefier and heavier than 3s ones etc it would still do 30mph i would think 👍and less damage too while your getting the hang of it i run my truggy on 3s at times and find it fun dont get me wrong with alot of space ripping round at 50-60mph on 6s is great fun until you hit something solid haha 🤣 check round on line as prices will vary alot from rc shops to online nowadays most of the fixing parts or replacing is pretty easy if willing to get your hands dirty and the guys on here are awesome for advice too if needed 👍and a warning RCs very addictive HAHA 

have a look at some of the arrma 3s range too my mate had the buggy one and was great fun  for a beginner and ended up buying a 6s arrma outkast once he got the hang of driving them 

[James.S]

Hello mate, welcome to the forum  

[Fly In My Soup]

Neither... ftx are pretty guff...

[Sol Broadbent]

Is there a specific forum for dr8's or Outlaws? 

Thinking of the Dr8 with a 4s battery (well 2) but does anyone have any idea how much run time I'd get out of a 4s? 

[Bajadre]

depends on the mah size sol the more the longer etc 👍

[Redback]

3 hours ago, Sol Broadbent said:

Is there a specific forum for dr8's or Outlaws? 

Thinking of the Dr8 with a 4s battery (well 2) but does anyone have any idea how much run time I'd get out of a 4s? 

 

Hello Welcome, there are so many wonderful tips in these threads.

 

[Buggy Malone]

On 13/12/2021 at 20:55, Sol Broadbent said:

Well that was an intersting read and a good reality check. May I ask what, if any, bits you wish you would have purchased ready to replace/repair at time of purchasing the car? It will be a Xmas present so when i take it out and should it get broken, i really wanna be able to repair it over the festive period. Also how long a run time to get out of the included battery? Is a bigger battery and better charger(although you mention the charger) a good initial buy.

 

There's people far more knowledgeable on here than me but as a newbie I'm probably a good example of how a first time RC'er learns quickly. I've done a load of reading on here and I have to say that the forum members have been fab for help and advice.

 

The only things that I would buy as spares to begin with is the following:

 

1.  FTX6320 - 1 x pair of front lower suspension arms at £4.50

2.  FTX6220 - 1 x front suspension holder at £2.20

 

I wouldn't buy anything else for now as those are the likely breakages when you plough into something hard.

 

I would run the buggy on open ground to begin with (avoid the wet)  to help learn the controls and then gradually work to more demanding ground.

 

Try and avoid BMX tracks to begin with or else your inexperience will destroy your buggy without the neceasry build-up of skill.  I took my Outlaw to the BMX track on Run-6 and 7 so my advice is based on my own experience.

 

I'll be honest with you and say that I'm quite handy with repairs and fabrication so getting into RC has been fab for me inasmuch as I enjoy (most of the time) tinkering with the buggy when it needs repairing and in most cases I have the know-how to fabricate or repair something without buying spares. 

 

Extra batteries: You'll get about 15-22 minutes of fun on a single Brushless Outlaw with a 2S battery before it needs recharging. The Etronix charger (supplied) does the job but it's incredibly slow so expect about 4-hours to recharge the battery, once they've cooled and settled of course. The standard 2S comes as 3250mah but ideally a 4000 or 5000 hard case unit would be better IMO (longer run time). However, this is just my take on things but I would wait until you think you like the hobby before parting with the dosh for the extra batteries and chargers etc. The model shops will only be closed for a few days so worth the wait.

 

Funny enough I was in my local model shop today buying a set of FTX 6320 and there was a guy there handing over £240 for a Brushless Outlaw as a Xmas pressie for his son. I just looked over and thought "that'll be knackered on the first run" :-)

 

Also, when not in use, make sure that you store your Lipo batteries at 3.85v per cell which means charging the battery to a 'storage charge' of 7.7v. This applies to the 2S Lipo which comes with the kit.

 

This is just my advice as a newbie so I'll let the other guys pile-in and add to this if needed.

 

Hope it helps,

 

All the best,

 

Andrew 

[Sol Broadbent]

2 hours ago, Buggy Malone said:

 

There's people far more knowledgeable on here than me but as a newbie I'm probably a good example of how a first time RC'er learns quickly. I've done a load of reading on here and I have to say that the forum members have been fab for help and advice.

 

The only things that I would buy as spares to begin with is the following:

 

1.  FTX6320 - 1 x pair of front lower suspension arms at £4.50

2.  FTX6220 - 1 x front suspension holder at £2.20

 

I wouldn't buy anything else for now as those are the likely breakages when you plough into something hard.

 

I would run the buggy on open ground to begin with (avoid the wet)  to help learn the controls and then gradually work to more demanding ground.

 

Try and avoid BMX tracks to begin with or else your inexperience will destroy your buggy without the neceasry build-up of skill.  I took my Outlaw to the BMX track on Run-6 and 7 so my advice is based on my own experience.

 

I'll be honest with you and say that I'm quite handy with repairs and fabrication so getting into RC has been fab for me inasmuch as I enjoy (most of the time) tinkering with the buggy when it needs repairing and in most cases I have the know-how to fabricate or repair something without buying spares. 

 

Extra batteries: You'll get about 15-22 minutes of fun on a single Brushless Outlaw with a 2S battery before it needs recharging. The Etronix charger (supplied) does the job but it's incredibly slow so expect about 4-hours to recharge the battery, once they've cooled and settled of course. The standard 2S comes as 3250mah but ideally a 4000 or 5000 hard case unit would be better IMO (longer run time). However, this is just my take on things but I would wait until you think you like the hobby before parting with the dosh for the extra batteries and chargers etc. The model shops will only be closed for a few days so worth the wait.

 

Funny enough I was in my local model shop today buying a set of FTX 6320 and there was a guy there handing over £240 for a Brushless Outlaw as a Xmas pressie for his son. I just looked over and thought "that'll be knackered on the first run" 🙂

 

Also, when not in use, make sure that you store your Lipo batteries at 3.85v per cell which means charging the battery to a 'storage charge' of 7.7v. This applies to the 2S Lipo which comes with the kit.

 

This is just my advice as a newbie so I'll let the other guys pile-in and add to this if needed.

 

Hope it helps,

 

All the best,

 

Andrew 

This is exactly what I need. Exactly... 

Although I am flipping between the Outlaw and the Dr8, the Outlaw is a king a lot of sense as a starter cos its cheaper. This will teach me a lot in the ways of control and repairs, which I kinda think I will like, as I'm a home mechanic who doesn't like the cold weather anymore...

The Dr8 is a good deal more expensive and it's something that I may go for if I enjoy the Outlaw. 

Thanks again Andrew. 👍

[Bajadre]

Sol have you seen that stampede 4x4 in sales? traxxas over ftx anyday loads of spares and hopups  and its a great platform for starting your rc adventures tbh 👍

[Buggy Malone]

10 hours ago, Sol Broadbent said:

This is exactly what I need. Exactly... 

Although I am flipping between the Outlaw and the Dr8, the Outlaw is a king a lot of sense as a starter cos its cheaper. This will teach me a lot in the ways of control and repairs, which I kinda think I will like, as I'm a home mechanic who doesn't like the cold weather anymore...

The Dr8 is a good deal more expensive and it's something that I may go for if I enjoy the Outlaw. 

Thanks again Andrew. 👍

 

If you like the DR8 then go for it. In principle it's exactly the same as the Outlaw but slightly bigger (30mm longer) and faster out of the box.

 

You'll still end up having great fun unless you cock-it-up like me and damage it within 3-minutes of its first run.  I was really unhappy to say the least but I've since broken my buggy so many times in the last three weeks that I just pick it up and say "hey-ho, this is just part of the fun".

 

All the best,

 

Andrew

 

 

 

[Kyo]

Not trying to sway you one way or the other as I dont own an Outlaw, but we do own both an FTX Carnage (same range as Outlaw) and a DR8.  In my opinion there is a noticeable difference in quality between the Carnage and DR8, the Carnage is obviously a cheaper build and more fragile compared to the DR8 which is built like a tank.
That said the Carnage is cheap as chips to repair and pretty easy to work.
Both have good points and bad, both are fun to drive!

[Buggy Malone]

2 hours ago, Kyo said:

That said the Carnage is cheap as chips to repair and pretty easy to work.
Both have good points and bad, both are fun to drive!

 

How would you compare the DR8 to the Carnage/Outlaw in terms of costs to repair/run. 

 

[Kyo]

If you look purely at the cost of parts the Carnage is cheaper.  For example we cracked the front diff housing on the Carnage a couple weeks ago and it cost £2.84 to replace that one part, if we had done the same on the DR8 it's £8.08..still cheap but quite a difference.

 

Saying that we seem to break the Carnage every other bash - the DR8 is run nearly every day and we are yet to break anything.  So my own experience so far with these cars is the DR8 has been cheaper to repair/run cos I haven't managed to break it yet 🙂

 

I really shouldn't have said that...im so going to break something expensive on the DR8 next run now!

[Stormbringer]

Yep youve hexed it now lol 

[Buggy Malone]

Sol,

 

I've had a change of heart. If the DR8 is as tough as what @Kyo says it is then go for that mate.

 

This Outlaw of mine is built of cheese so you need something stronger.

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew

[Stormbringer]

At the price of the DR8 youre gettingninto other good brands territory like Hobao VSe 100 amp and Team Associated cars so may be worth a look

[Yrkoon]

35 minutes ago, Stormbringer said:

At the price of the DR8 youre gettingninto other good brands territory like Hobao VSe 100 amp and Team Associated cars so may be worth a look

Yeh and team corally models too, all cars i would pick over ftx any day.