Best RC off roader car for about £400
Discussion
My 13yr is fancying a Arrmar Kraton, went to check one out at the local RC shop and they seem decent, BUT, the latest one was £700 plus battery and charger..
I then reverted to my normal behaviour, i.e. are they on ebay and how much and low and behold a 4s is about £400 with all of the kit as someone else has purchased it all.
I'm therefore tempted to get a used one, accepting it may need some tinkering, I'm good with that. But, are there any other recommendations I should be looking at ? As an aside, I used to build and run Tamiya and Kyoshos back in the 80's, hours of fun !
I then reverted to my normal behaviour, i.e. are they on ebay and how much and low and behold a 4s is about £400 with all of the kit as someone else has purchased it all.
I'm therefore tempted to get a used one, accepting it may need some tinkering, I'm good with that. But, are there any other recommendations I should be looking at ? As an aside, I used to build and run Tamiya and Kyoshos back in the 80's, hours of fun !
£700 Kraton? I'm guessing it was a 6S model. FWIW, modelsport.co.uk have that one on sale for £599 in red. Obviously, the previous caveat re batteries and charger still applies.
I've got a Typhon 6S which was about £530 + batteries, charger, lipo bag. Bonkers fast out of the box. Anything 4S and up generally will be. Even on 3S it will do ~30mph. The biggest issue I've found is finding a space big enough to run it!
I also converted my Hobao Hyper VS to brushless (from nitro), same issue with that, it's bonkers fast (though it is running a 20T pinion).
Arrma 3S models are in your budget but, as you've noted, there are bargains to be had if you look on ebay and facebook marketplace. Also, I seem to recall the 3S range having some issues with weak parts and the like.
Whatever you go for, make sure there's good parts availability. Stuff will break (suspension arms, shock rods, towers, etc) so you don't want to be waiting forever for a part to come into stock just so you can get out and running again.
Traxxas, Arrma, and Hobao are brands that I have experience with and I think the stuff is generally well built. Both my Typhon and Hyper have taken a fair bit of abuse and are still rocking.
Corally is another brand that I've started taking notice of. Mixed bag of reviews but they look pretty decent and parts availabity seems to be decent.
Have a look at some of the models here:
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/electric/models/off-r...
I've got a Typhon 6S which was about £530 + batteries, charger, lipo bag. Bonkers fast out of the box. Anything 4S and up generally will be. Even on 3S it will do ~30mph. The biggest issue I've found is finding a space big enough to run it!
I also converted my Hobao Hyper VS to brushless (from nitro), same issue with that, it's bonkers fast (though it is running a 20T pinion).
Arrma 3S models are in your budget but, as you've noted, there are bargains to be had if you look on ebay and facebook marketplace. Also, I seem to recall the 3S range having some issues with weak parts and the like.
Whatever you go for, make sure there's good parts availability. Stuff will break (suspension arms, shock rods, towers, etc) so you don't want to be waiting forever for a part to come into stock just so you can get out and running again.
Traxxas, Arrma, and Hobao are brands that I have experience with and I think the stuff is generally well built. Both my Typhon and Hyper have taken a fair bit of abuse and are still rocking.
Corally is another brand that I've started taking notice of. Mixed bag of reviews but they look pretty decent and parts availabity seems to be decent.
Have a look at some of the models here:
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/electric/models/off-r...
thanks for the link - that's going to be another few hours of browsing...! Quite like the look of this, maybe better as a starter for him
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/arrma-typhon-...
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/arrma-typhon-...
I would go brushless from the get go....
A good bet is the associated rival MT10.... Run it on a 2s lipo until he has the hang and then go 3s
Very durable and well regarded it will do all the things he wants.
The brushed arrmas are "ok" at best - even with a 2s lipo there not that quick even for a 13yr old
And to go brushless at a later date you have to swap loads of stuff over.....I made this mistake.... Go brushless from the start and limit power with a 2s battery or the transmitter....
I have a 3s typhon and a 3s senton - the buggy is great but if he wants to go off road in the woods etc you need a monster truck or truggy or stadium truck.......
Although being 13 - he probably wants to go to a skate park and smash it up!
A good bet is the associated rival MT10.... Run it on a 2s lipo until he has the hang and then go 3s
Very durable and well regarded it will do all the things he wants.
The brushed arrmas are "ok" at best - even with a 2s lipo there not that quick even for a 13yr old
And to go brushless at a later date you have to swap loads of stuff over.....I made this mistake.... Go brushless from the start and limit power with a 2s battery or the transmitter....
I have a 3s typhon and a 3s senton - the buggy is great but if he wants to go off road in the woods etc you need a monster truck or truggy or stadium truck.......
Although being 13 - he probably wants to go to a skate park and smash it up!
The Associated MT10 is supposed to be very durable. Even the infamous Talbot didn't manage to destroy it!
Also, worth noting that the link I supplied above has a bunch of filters applied so you're viewing:
1:8 & 1:10, off-road, max price of £500, and in stock. If you remove the filters you'll see a lot more models.
Also, worth noting that the link I supplied above has a bunch of filters applied so you're viewing:
1:8 & 1:10, off-road, max price of £500, and in stock. If you remove the filters you'll see a lot more models.
Regarding buying used.....be careful
A lot of these cars are sold as "waterproof" their not! The electronics are (sort of) but the bearings are not....if a car is put away damp the bearings will go very quickly leading to stripped diffs pinions & spurs......this can be costly.
Lots of second hand sales are from inexperienced users so it's worth doing a full strip down bearing inspection, swap and service before use....
A knackered 50p bearing can do £100 of damage to a 3s arrma very quickly.....by the time it's making a clicking noise it's too late!
A lot of these cars are sold as "waterproof" their not! The electronics are (sort of) but the bearings are not....if a car is put away damp the bearings will go very quickly leading to stripped diffs pinions & spurs......this can be costly.
Lots of second hand sales are from inexperienced users so it's worth doing a full strip down bearing inspection, swap and service before use....
A knackered 50p bearing can do £100 of damage to a 3s arrma very quickly.....by the time it's making a clicking noise it's too late!
tafkattn said:
The Associated MT10 is supposed to be very durable. Even the infamous Talbot didn't manage to destroy it!
Also, worth noting that the link I supplied above has a bunch of filters applied so you're viewing:
1:8 & 1:10, off-road, max price of £500, and in stock. If you remove the filters you'll see a lot more models.
Thanks - yes, liking the look of this...https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/associated-rival-mt10-3s-rtr-truck-brushless-446047Also, worth noting that the link I supplied above has a bunch of filters applied so you're viewing:
1:8 & 1:10, off-road, max price of £500, and in stock. If you remove the filters you'll see a lot more models.
shedweller said:
Regarding buying used.....be careful
A lot of these cars are sold as "waterproof" their not! The electronics are (sort of) but the bearings are not....if a car is put away damp the bearings will go very quickly leading to stripped diffs pinions & spurs......this can be costly.
Lots of second hand sales are from inexperienced users so it's worth doing a full strip down bearing inspection, swap and service before use....
A knackered 50p bearing can do £100 of damage to a 3s arrma very quickly.....by the time it's making a clicking noise it's too late!
Yes, I'm tending to agree, maybe go lower cost but new. I've made a similar mistake before with 'mint' mountain bikes...!A lot of these cars are sold as "waterproof" their not! The electronics are (sort of) but the bearings are not....if a car is put away damp the bearings will go very quickly leading to stripped diffs pinions & spurs......this can be costly.
Lots of second hand sales are from inexperienced users so it's worth doing a full strip down bearing inspection, swap and service before use....
A knackered 50p bearing can do £100 of damage to a 3s arrma very quickly.....by the time it's making a clicking noise it's too late!
You need two.....it's more fun with two chasing eachother about..
In the show us your RC thread I did a post about lipos and charging the other day ... Some modern lipos will charge very quickly...I have some 3s 5000mah that will go from storage to full in under 15 minutes
In the show us your RC thread I did a post about lipos and charging the other day ... Some modern lipos will charge very quickly...I have some 3s 5000mah that will go from storage to full in under 15 minutes
Edited by shedweller on Wednesday 17th August 17:44
Team Associated MT10.
Brother had one, they're really rugged, fast and fun. Keep the thing stock standard and never run on 3s and it's amazingly fun.
The biggest thing we had to learn the hard way: Don't use them in crap weather or mud. It will kill anything no matter the cost in short order.
Brother had one, they're really rugged, fast and fun. Keep the thing stock standard and never run on 3s and it's amazingly fun.
The biggest thing we had to learn the hard way: Don't use them in crap weather or mud. It will kill anything no matter the cost in short order.
If arrma gave me a car for free my review would be favourable
I have two of the arrma 3s cars... A senton and a Typhon
They share the same running gear with the only differences being in arms and wheels mostly.
Durability is very good, but they are built to their specs - the second you start upping pinions and power things start to break.
As the above posts really - the hard lesson I learnt was using them in the wet, specifically the outer diff bearings and input shaft bearings - these can fail after moisture ingress and then strip the gears (plastic) - it can cost £50 to sort.... Bearings can be soured cheaply from RCbearings... And should be swapped periodically..
Sometimes arrma parts can be expensive and difficult to source from online retailers but there's lots of folk that break new cars for parts.... Just search arrma breakers and Google spits out a few...
Overall - their good, solid, fast cars but the new pricing does make them a bit "toppy" I feel.
I have also used the arrma warranty on one ESC which died.....it did get replaced after a few hoops were jumped through...
I have two of the arrma 3s cars... A senton and a Typhon
They share the same running gear with the only differences being in arms and wheels mostly.
Durability is very good, but they are built to their specs - the second you start upping pinions and power things start to break.
As the above posts really - the hard lesson I learnt was using them in the wet, specifically the outer diff bearings and input shaft bearings - these can fail after moisture ingress and then strip the gears (plastic) - it can cost £50 to sort.... Bearings can be soured cheaply from RCbearings... And should be swapped periodically..
Sometimes arrma parts can be expensive and difficult to source from online retailers but there's lots of folk that break new cars for parts.... Just search arrma breakers and Google spits out a few...
Overall - their good, solid, fast cars but the new pricing does make them a bit "toppy" I feel.
I have also used the arrma warranty on one ESC which died.....it did get replaced after a few hoops were jumped through...
I am well out of the loop, but second ensuring good spares and solid reliability above all.
Cut my teeth on 2wd 10th scale electric buggies, back when NiMH was new tech, racing a Schumacher Cougar 2 which was lovely, but I'm also has a Mardave Cobra for crashing around the garden and the under engineered ball diff was a total pain. Then bought a Duratrax ST which was a good intro to nitro but parts slightly niche in the UK and the original engine not the best.
Then I got a Hyper7 8th scale buggy maybe 15 years ago, and was absolutely blown away by how well engineered it was, as well as how much more you got with at 8th scale over the 10th scale offerings. Proper tough and a lot of fun.
Cut my teeth on 2wd 10th scale electric buggies, back when NiMH was new tech, racing a Schumacher Cougar 2 which was lovely, but I'm also has a Mardave Cobra for crashing around the garden and the under engineered ball diff was a total pain. Then bought a Duratrax ST which was a good intro to nitro but parts slightly niche in the UK and the original engine not the best.
Then I got a Hyper7 8th scale buggy maybe 15 years ago, and was absolutely blown away by how well engineered it was, as well as how much more you got with at 8th scale over the 10th scale offerings. Proper tough and a lot of fun.
Edited by dhutch on Friday 9th September 19:51
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