TheTwig

dammit I still can't get my hands on one - we are now completely sold on the idea of a crawler for the lounge though. My son is already planning routes...

thanks I'll take a look 👍

The SC28 looks great - as do all the Associated ones - but I can't find any stock anywhere... Looks like everyone might have had the same idea during lockdown (imagining of lots of people in their kitchens going dizzy watching cars go round in tiny circles...) Might have to go with a Hooligan if I can't find one, shame as we prefer the buggy/truck look - micro crawler or 1/36 would be great too but can't find either. Understandably there seems to be very poor supply worldwide at the minute - at least where I've looked.

Thanks Nick, I guess up to about £50 is fine (unless better value is just around the corner), just something to help relieve the lockdown blues and drag us away from Forza Horizon 4! Space wise we could fit in a 12ft straight, it's an L-shaped carpeted lounge so we could go right ten feet, then turn and do an inner L back - that would be the max but we could add some wiggles/under furniture, or go through to the smooth floored (smaller) kitchen and back too. We already use an FTX Vantage outdoors so we know what we're doing driving wise etc. cheers

Hi all, My son and I are trying to find something we can use in the house - so speed isn't a priority, but plenty of control and steerability is. The idea is to set up courses, jumps, turns etc around the house/furniture and do time trials or races. We don't mind what kind of vehicle, we'd just be happy to find something that is fun and will last a wee while. I'm sure we'll end up using it outside too, but a small capable lounge monster would be the first priority. We've searched for 1/32 scale but can't find much at all available in the UK, or anything we've ever heard of, so any recommendations would be gratefully received so we can avoid cheap rubbish and get something that will be robust and fun to use. many thanks in advance

cool, I'll work something out with the battery. Yes, the box has arrived thanks - a neighbour brought it over a little while ago. I'm going to let Charlie open it in the morning (we got 2 new kittens today, so it was hard enough getting him to bed without any more excitement). Thanks again, much appreciated

thanks - is there a standard technique for helping the battery stay in place in the buggy? ours seems to have a good half inch of play in it and slides around the battery bay quite freely. before I just stick a lump of blue tac in there, I wondered if the was another way I should do it, in case of heat issues or something... oh, and are there recommended rechargeable AA batteries to use for the Radio handset? It takes 8 so I thin rechargers is going to be the best way. and there's a power connection port on the handset itself - is that usable to recharge them with or do I need to get a whole charging unit that can take eight AAs. Any thoughts? sorry if i should be starting other threads with these other questions - let me know and i will

We're up and running . We headed to a big empty car park today and had a brilliant hour full of fun, after an apprehensive start to the day when he was a bit nervous about even taking it out because its 'too precious'. He spent the first 15 minutes driving it along at walking pace, following it around and repeating "Wow this is awesome!!" (top tip: if you want to avoid damaging your off-road vehicle, simply drive it at 4mph on a smooth flat surface in a straight line with no potential obstacles or hazards within 100m.) After a little encouragement and a decidedly inept 'dad demo', he spent the last 15 minutes drifting it about and doing J-turns with a huge grin on his face, finishing with a 180 to parallel park it next to our bag. Due to popular demand we'll be returning tomorrow. And we didn't break anything.

Yeah we went to the local shop. There are so few around now (as I've only just discovered), so I figured it's good to support them - even for an extra tenner - and of course we may need them to be our friend as we know nowt about what we're doing! I asked about spares and they only had one or two so I guess they'll generally be easier to get online (in bulk, by all accounts). It was of great value to pick them up and go through the merits and differences of each model, and for the magic of going into a shop full of proper toys! My son was very impressed. He spotted the hole for the aerial and popped it through himself and thinks it looks cool. I figured I would wait until/if we snap it off before suggesting an alternative - little thing to learn as we go. Off out for our first run this morning!!!

Done. We went back to the shop after the school run. I made him have a proper look at the Vantage and the Carnage as well as the lady in the shop explaining the differences and he made an informed choice. I know it looks the same as all the others out there, but here's it is. Yes, he took it to bed with him and read the parts book, finding the bits on the car so he could learn their names. He's very thorough!

That would be awesome thank you. I'll pm you my details Had the day off today so I went into my local model shop (when I found it, there aren't many around are there...) and by luck they had the FTX range there so I've now seen and felt a real one. My son is going to love it. I can't wait to get it ordered and before you know it I'll be on here asking about upgraded batteries etc. Lots to explore and learn and enjoy. Those little 1/32 jobbies look like fun - that was what I was after originally, something for indoors that was a bit nippier than the cheap toys and didn't take a ten-point turn to get through a doorway! then we hit the search engines and it went downhill rapidly from there. Might need to throw a couple of those in the basket too... thanks again, I feel like I've won a prize - can't wait to get us out there (although where is possibly another thread subject...)

I'm so grateful for all of your input and advice, appraisals of my suggestions and the fact that you haven't just tried to make me spend more money but instead had the patience to indulge someone who only wants to drop sub-£200 on a buggy - that must be peanuts compared to what some of you have spent in your time. My impatient and wise-beyond-his-years son has said to me tonight: "stop faffing about and get the one I already told you I liked. If you want a different one, just get your own!" Okay he can be a spoiled brat too, but he made a very good point... It made me realise that I was starting to make it about me a little bit, in my search for the perfect RC for me instead of him. I'm definitely getting a Vantage because that's what he chose, a brushed one because he (we) will be able to handle it better at first. We'll get up and running with that, then if and when I want another to join in with him as I mentioned earlier - instead of another Vantage, I can get myself a Firestorm or Ultima or whatever I want . I'd already said we'd probably end up with two, I just hadn't joined the dots on the logic. So I hope you don't feel your words are wasted by me going back to the car I mentioned right at the start, because when I get MINE (hehe) I can go back to my bookmarked list from this thread and half my research is done. Can't believe I didn't think of that earlier, but then I just wanted to get the best value etc. and I do like a bit of research... Fact is I'll get good value by buying the cheaper Vantage out of my original budget and already be on the way towards saving for something a little different for myself. I've enjoyed this introduction to it all, and I look forward to pestering you all again with stupid questions about repairs etc. when I hit my first tree. I've done the right thing in joining this forum and been made very welcome. Thank you.

Blimey, thanks for all the comments - a lot to take in... (special thanks for the offer of spares, very generous) On the face of it, you seem to agree that the Carnage may be slightly more robust of the FTXs - I guess it gets a bit more protection from clearance, bigger tyres, bumper and shell. All slight differences that I can see add up. Could be a goer. I thought I'd be in and out here, seeking validation from the experienced before I jump in and buy the first car I see (the Vantage), but of course these things are always a minefield if you get drawn in, and I've been looking around to see what else there is for the money... probably a bad idea, as all I can go on is the price and nothing else. As a cyclist, when buying a bike on a budget, I would always go for a good frame built up with cheap parts and upgrade hose bits as they broke or wore out to end up a better bike eventually. I just don't know what the RC equivalent of that is... So to throw in a few more cars I can afford, and why I've singled them out... https://www.modelsport.co.uk/kyosho-ulmita-rb6-readyset-ep-2wd/rc-car-products/379261 (heard kyosho are good - a friend's brother is sponsored by them) https://www.modelsport.co.uk/traxxas-rustler-xl-5wp-rtr-2.4ghz-tq-blue-/rc-car-products/387920 (looks like robust fun, possibly a bit too 'monster truck' for my son - can it take a buggy body shell ?) https://www.modelsport.co.uk/losi-mini-8ight-t-rtr-maifield-edition-1-14-4wd-truggy/rc-car-products/396537 (it's a bit smaller, but I don't think I care... we started off looking at Mini-Zs to replace my son's rubbish indoor toy remote cars. I like the sound of the build quality and handling, but it could be a pig to fix for all I know) We think they all look awesome, seen the videos and maybe we should probably just go with the one we think looks the prettiest (unless they all make you scream "NOOOooo!!"). I guess if there is a stand-out jackpot best buy here for performance, robustness, workability or upgradability (me more than my son tbh) then it would be good to know. Sorry for leading you all a merry dance, but I'm guessing you don't really mind the subject matter or you wouldn't be here... it's really great to read all your comments and try and learn something.

I suppose I could always just buy another Vantage and completely disassemble it and rebuild, use it to learn on - I suppose that wouldn't allow for upgrading though. I've just seen the Vandal on hobby king, it seems to be about the same price as the Vantage, but without a battery so there doesn't seem to be anything to be gained really. I suppose that's all getting ahead of ourselves, it was just a neat idea he had. Maybe I'll cost it up for fun so I know what I'm looking at - at least I'll have a price list of spares! - then decide if it's worth it for the fun factor. We could buy a few parts every now and then and add them on. You're right though, it's bound to be more expensive, especially if I include hop ups rather than stock parts which would be the temptation. I could probably have got us a much tastier second buggy by the time I finish, although there's something to be said for sharing spares and keeping both vehicles compatible. I could go round in circles for hours with this I suppose, I need to just buy the thing and stop trying to run before I can walk.

Thanks for the top tips (especially the balloon - so much to learn), it's all good to hear - We're definitely going for the brushed Vantage and putting a toolkit/spares box together with some of the remaining budget. I think it will be a great first dip into it and breaking and fixing will be half of the fun (for me at least). My son has had would could be an almost good idea... Seeing the amount of spares around for this buggy, does that mean EVERY part is available to buy separately ? And does THAT mean we could buy one complete buggy, then slowly build another one from after market stock and upgraded parts over time, using the complete one (and youtube) for reference as we go? We could take bits off and see how they work and assemble - it could be very interesting. If we built one from scratch out of upgraded parts, would it be more cost effective (possibly only just) than buying another RTR and upgrading from there because we don't have the initial outlay, and it would mean we always had a runner, and had one to copy from/refer to as we build the second one. An interesting and appealing idea, but it relies on being to buy every single part I need. If Apple made RCs, there would be one bit that you couldn't buy...

Thanks again for chipping in, Well all things considered, the brushed FTX Vantage seems to be a reasonably priced, easily serviceable and upgradable car, that my son already loves the look of - and that's half the battle. If he loves it, he'll use it and when it breaks he'll want to fix it. I think as a first dip in the water there's not much to lose, so I'm probably going to go that way. Can't really see why not to get the lad what he wants and it's not a massive investment if he loses interest. So my next question would be about spares and tools... obviously it would be better not to have to wait for orders and deliveries every time we have a mishap, so is there a standard or recommended assortment of (regularly broken) spares you guys always have ready? If the budget isn't going to be stretched, maybe I should get more tooled up for impending mechanicals. If I stock up with upgraded parts then we're ready to go (and I'll look like the awesomest ever-prepared dad ever). ...this is very exciting.

Thanks for the replies So, if the Vantage is fragile, is it possible to upgrade it with better parts as I go and eliminate those problems bit by bit? or are the new bits gonna break too ? If upgrades don't work (other than in pure performance terms), would I be better off buying a different, better built buggy from the outset, perhaps still brushed as an upgradable economy (bearing in mind I still don't know what I'm talking about...) to get the best I can for my money. I get the point about better battery performance on a brushless though, so would the throttle limiters I've seen on some controllers (are they just inserts to shorten the lever throw?) be a simple way around the learning curve ? Or do I not worry about it and go brushless... actually, it makes total sense what you say about after market upgrades being better than higher spec stock items which swings me back to brushed, but on as awesome a buggy as I can afford. Ideal for me would be a tough 4wd buggy style rc that could take a knock reliably so we don't need to be careful or be trying to fix it more than we drive it (understanding there will be some damage at some point), be weatherproof, easy to work on, upgrade effectively and a budget of £200.

Hi all, I'm looking for the best way into electric rc cars as a hobby for me and my son (aged 9) to share. We'd be using it on/off-road locally and not racing. Searching through images online for what he likes the look of, he has spotted and loves the FTX Vantage. Coming onto the forum here I see that it's a popular model too, so that possibly eliminates another tedious thread from a beginner asking for recommendations? If my son loves the FTX and it's a respectable vehicle, then I'm happy to go with it. My first thoughts were to get a car we can build together, as an exciting step up from lego and a bit of bonding etc. Is that something you would recommend for beginners, or am I better off getting a ready to run car like the FTX and learning to maintain and upgrade it as we break stuff ? Having a ready runner has obvious appeal... With the FTX Vantage particularly, I see there are two models https://www.modelsport.co.uk/ftx-vantage-1-10-4wd-brushed-buggy-2.4ghz-waterproof/rc-car-products/379131 https://www.modelsport.co.uk/ftx-vantage-1-10-4wd-brushless-buggy-rtr-waterproof/rc-car-products/40388 A few dumb questions if I may: Are there many general build quality differences between the two models, or is it just the difference between the brushed/less motors? ...So would I be right in thinking I could keep the cost and (perhaps more importantly to start with) the speed down by getting the FTX5528 for us initially, then upgrading the motor if/when we are ready, or is that a false economy (or even a possibility)? Cost isn't really a consideration, but I could maybe get two of the cheaper one and we could have double the fun, and if the upgrade paths are there and readily available then we could tinker and end up with two awesome cars anyway - tinker with one at a time so we always have a runner if we are struggling with the mechanical side of things. Or... Would we be better off with something else entirely, building from scratch and learning the hard way - in which case...erm, help. Thanks, if you read this far !

Game Change. My son was talking to his pal from up the street and it transpires he has an RC car already but hasn't used it for ages. He showed him it after school, which is the first proper big fast RC car he's seen - and so now of course he WANTS ONE OF THOSE!!! To my relief, it seems to be a buggy type car, which will be so much better for us to try and break. Typical that I spend weeks trying to talk him round and his mate does it in minutes. I intend to strike while I've got him on side. He still doesn't want stickers tho, but agrees the car is awesome. So, thanks for the advice so far, I'll now do some investigating in the other forums to find out the way from here cheers!

Thanks RCbutcher - that is a big concern about the roads, and I've tried to steer my son towards something that can handle rougher ground, but he knows what he likes, although he knows very little . I blame Forza Horizon 3 for letting him thrash about the countryside in a Lamborghini with the damage turned off!! I might have to work on him... If there was a capable off-roader with a more conventional body shell but better clearance that we could leave the stickers off and paint a classy colour then I would hope that might do the job and would give us so many more options for where and how to run it. That could be quite cool, so long as there was enough of a body to paint (just to be awkward, he doesn't like subarus) He wants to do all the fun stuff, he just doesn't like the look of the stickered-up rally cars and buggies.

Thanks Daveyb84, I can see one those being a hit. I appreciate the recommendation - with my ignorance you can't be sure if you're looking at something cheap and nasty or actual good value. It's just to go hacking around sainsburys car park with, and if it goes well we'll get a second one so we can race each other. First things first though... Cheers, Andy

Hi, I'm dad to a nine year old who is interested in moving on from lego and into something a bit more exciting. We've never tried this before. We haven't a clue where to start, so I thought here is as good a place as any. I'm hoping to pick up tips on an ideal electric starter vehicle we can build together and run, possibly upgrade and fix if it breaks, after far too many fatal crashes with cheaper 'toy' remote cars have proved what a waste of money (and too slow!) they can be. He prefers road-going super cars like ferrari/lambo and we're thinking no bigger than 1/10 scale and sub-£200 all in to begin with. No aspirations to race or anything, we'll just go where it takes us. I'm looking forward to learning the best way forward is and mostly, getting my son away from computer and tv screens!