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Recommendations?


Ghost808

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Hi all,

 

New and not sure if there is a special place for requests like this, but here goes...

 

I'm looking at getting a new RC car, preferably a truggy. (though I'm open to other off-road types) Not looking to race or anything. Just looking for a tough knockaround that is fast and fun and can handle some muck. And maybe something with good spares/upgrade access. Top budget is £200, so i might be asking a lot here?

 

I've been trawling youtube videos for days, and seeing a lot of varying opinions on the same cars. Also not 100% sure who to trust. As some seem they might be getting kickbacks for positive reviews. I'm totally lost now!

I've seen a lot about WLToys buggies, but is it mostly hype?

 

Anyone got hands-on experience of a particularly great budget car they can recommend?

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Have you tried all of these cars? Any recommendations on particular cars? Are you recommending these purely because they are at the right price point, or are they particularly good examples of cars at this price?

 

The Traxxas Rustler is a nice looking truggy. Anyone have experience of that particular car?

 

Thanks again.

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The Traxxas suggested up there is probably the most well known, longest lived and best supported in terms of parts, upgrades etc. It's got everything you need in the box, but it's a brushed motor with NiMh batteries.

What that means is that, whilst it is very easy to upgrade to brushless and make it a lot faster...the battery, motor, ESC and charger will all be replaced. It's an old design.....but tough as old boots. I have a Stampede, the 2WD monster truck version of basically the same platform. It's been upgraded, messed with and hammered for years. Personally...I hate Traxxas and their money grabbing....and personally think a design this old should not be this pricey..... but....If you want a truck that you can still be hammering years from now, when then that's it. Over time, you will want better servos, brushless motor, new ESC and of course, LiPo batteries and charger.....but the basic car can handle a LOT more power. Mine has had the full works, and the only thing I notice is drive shafts don;t last as long.

 

The Strada is a decent budget truck, and gives you quite a lot in terms of bang for your buck. Not as tough as the Rustler, but it is brushless, so will have more speed. It comes with a battery...but it's a NiMh pack...so expect cogging and performance dropoff. Run times will improve with LiPo, but you would need battery and charger to suit...which again will push the budget up a little.

 

The Kyosho and Losi probably offer less in terms of value for money. The Losi is smaller.....and the Kyosho needs battery and charger....so final price will be well above the £200 by the time you run that one.

 

The Corally and Team Associated I don;t know...Corally does look interesting, but check for spares support etc. Thats key to long life and enjoyment of your new truck.

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3 hours ago, Ghost808 said:

Have you tried all of these cars? Any recommendations on particular cars? Are you recommending these purely because they are at the right price point, or are they particularly good examples of cars at this price?

 

The Traxxas Rustler is a nice looking truggy. Anyone have experience of that particular car?

 

Thanks again.

 

I've got a Rustler and I think it's a good buy at that price. Gets you going and has plenty of room to upgrade, but also Traxxas cars sell reasonably well secondhand if you have a change of heart. 

 

 

I put lots of links there because lots of cars meet your initial needs. I don't like to only recommend 1 or two choices without giving more context.

 

As Nitroholic said the Maverick is also a good option but its different, only you can say whether you want a durable but slower 2wd car or a faster 4wd that's a bit more fragile. Personally I'd say get the Rustler but maybe you see yourself being quite careful with your car. 

 

Similarly some people really like the smaller RCs because you can drive them in an average UK garden. 1/10th cars  need to be taken to a park or other larger space. Have a think where you'll use the car. 

 

The Kyosho is more of scale vehicle rather than performance but that might appeal if you want something more realistic. 

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Id personally going for 2nd hand at that budget. I dont think £200 is enough to comfortably enter this hobby:

 

The Rustler is a great platform In My Opinion…. But theyre very old and I do think theyre overpriced for what they are. There is a massive range of upgrades avaliable, mines pretty much got everything possible, and its great, but its expensive for a 2WD. I think you should look at a 4wd if possible. 

 

However, If you can get one cheap, Id go for it, because parts etc are easy to obtain, upgrades are unlimited and it can basically be made into any spec over time. 
 

Heres mine:

 

 

Edited by Kpowell911
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22 hours ago, Yrkoon said:

your budget seems really tight do you have any batteries chargers already?

Sorry. Totally missed your comment (I'm on mobile and it got hidden by an ad)

 

Not really. I have a really old slow charger from a 90's tamiya truck somewhere, but not even sure it would work anymore.

The only others I have are USB type slow chargers. 

So long as the car has a bat and some basic way to charge, I could always buy a better charging system and extra bats at a later date.

 

I'm not expecting anything utterly bulletproof or groundbreaking. Just something that isn't going to die after a few months and something that has access to spares/upgrades.

 

I just don't fully trust all the youtube hype for these cheaper cars (£80 - £120). I bought a "budget" car based on these videos and it turned out to be pretty poor and died super fast from basic, careful use. I've got it going again, but I doubt it'll last.

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Thanks all. Lot's to think about and look at. 

 

Just to answer a few points, and I should have specified before. 4x4 would be ideal. I used to have a 2wd and it was a nightmare for getting beached on clumps of grass, sticks, etc. Great fun on dusty tracks and tarmac, but for all round terrain, it was tough going.

 

Also I fully expect to break the car at some stage and don't mind buying parts, here and there, so a slightly "weaker" car, that is fast and fun, is no problem. I'm not bad on the controls, so hopefully won't total it immediately! 😆

 

Size likewise isn't a concern. I like small cars for their agility and portability and I like the big cars for their strength, and ability to manage larger obstacles. Thankfully I live next to a decent wild Park, so transport isn't a problem.

 

Sadly I've been racing around the last couple of days, chasing my toddler who just discovered tantrums, so apologies for the slow response and not looking over the specs of the linked cars thoroughly yet. I'll take a proper look at everything tomorrow.

 

Thanks again, guys.

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1 hour ago, Ghost808 said:

 

I'm not expecting anything utterly bulletproof or groundbreaking. Just something that isn't going to die after a few months and something that has access to spares/upgrades.

 


That does sound like the Rustler. Aim for a used XL5 and try and budget for an 80w charger (£40ish) and a 5000mah Lipo (£20is). That will keep you from getting bored from long charge times. 
 

Just saw your update. As I say, 2WD isnt what Id recommend, but its what your budget allows. Maybe look at an FTX Carnage?

Edited by Kpowell911
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On 23/04/2022 at 23:00, Kpowell911 said:

Just saw your update. As I say, 2WD isnt what Id recommend, but its what your budget allows. Maybe look at an FTX Carnage?

The carnage does look pretty good, and the price is just right.

It also lead me onto another FTX. The FTX Outlaw brushless. Love the desert buggy style, though it's design doesn't look the toughest. Seems to have lots of upgrade potential though. Anyone had experience with these? I've seen polarized opinions on this one. It's either tough as steel or soft as jelly, depending on who you ask.

 

And thanks Lorrylemming and Nitroholic for the list and breakdown, respectively. I'm weighing up a couple on that list too.

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