Wow, that’s stunning.
I’m just waiting until the boy’s older so I can blame him for buying this stuff.
Thanks for all the background help, I'm in the process of picking an RC car for 7 year old daughters Christmas.
Currently thinking that a FTX Surge MT might be the right choice for some mild offroad fun, but wondered if any of you had an opinion on whether a buggy or crawler would have the most attention holding ability.
I guess the faster buggy would be fun, but will need to mark out a track and build a jump or two as I'm not sure I see the appeal if just doing doughnuts around a patch off gravel (unless I get one too).
A crawler would need a bit more skill, and give her the chance to practice but I'm wondering if the slow speed might not be very exciting?
As it's a bit of an experiment I'm limiting budget to around £100 so no recommending Traxxas Nitro!
I’ve got Mini Sims a FTX Bugsta for Christmas, I hope this is the right choice. I’ll find out in 6 weeks 😀
Got my then 6yr old an FTX outlaw last Xmas. We’ve had some fun with it, but probably too big/fast if I’m honest. He’s doing a bit better with it now, but we’ve had a new motor and several suspension parts this year. I’ll let him have the new shell when the crashes become less frequent 😂
Just to chuck a question in here - do yous experienced folks think the FTX Outback 2 would be a good first crawler?
I've been playing today. Our work event overlooks a pond next to Southampton parkway.
Some folk out sailing (I discovered) Dragon Force 68 boats. After a wee chat, I was offered a go. What fun little things! Sprightly in the breeze.
FTX Outback 2 would be a good first crawler?
Simple answer; yes, absolutely.
Slightly more complicated answer; yes, but be aware of the limitations of it being a ‘scaler’ rather than an out and out crawler.
be aware of the limitations of it being a ‘scaler’ rather than an out and out crawler.
Ah, now, you see, I really wanted to avoid going down the rabbit hole too far (this is my ‘third age of RC’, and don’t want to get obsessive about it like I did with previous 2 ‘ages’)
But, at about the same price (150quid), is there a better RTR crawler package you would recommend? Ideally I don’t want something too wee, so 1/10th, 1/12th, seems about right.
Happy for input!
big_scot_nanny
Subscriber
Just to chuck a question in here – do yous experienced folks think the FTX Outback 2 would be a good first crawler?
Yeeeees. But not the best. For one thing, this is essentially the same truck with better tyres and a slightly longer wheelbase (so more body compatibility, and a bit better at steeps)
There's assorted "outback 3s" like the RGT EX86110, Outback Fury, which are more expensive but also have a bunch of upgrades... All pretty closely related, same factory but different spec. It gets pretty hard to tell which is best tbh, there's so much choice it's pretty confusing
This isn't completely stock- I'd added cheap metal axles and wheels and a lipo battery, but here's my Rock Cruiser (RGT Bowler). Edinburgh folks'll probably recognise the trail, andthe precipice it fell off 🙂 Still drove home
The Maverick Scout is a great crawler for that price.
Love mine, managed to avoid expensive upgrades so far!
I'm trying really hard to resist the temptation to ask Santa for a re-issue Egress now they've come down a bit!
Egress is lovely 🙂 Do it! DOOO EEEEEET...
I recently got a coyote SCA-Le crawler truck...
Soooo much fun, and under £200 for a r2r kit.. I've stuck my spektrum rc gear in it.. And decorated the truck in a redneck style!
Will pop up pictures...
All in all, a great fun truck...!
DrP
What's a cheapish crawler you have to build yourself? Not interested in R2R, and I'll probably get bored of driving it fairly quickly - most of the fun (for me!) is in the building.
Are you after a scale crawler kit or comp crawler style kit?
I'm on the verge of a personal purchase for Christmas and pondering whether i need Tamiya tools or if the random assortment of cross/flats/allens that i've built up over the years suffice? I've heard that they're an unusual shape of crosshead so better to go with Tamiya?
If it has to be Tamiya then there seems to be two kits - does anyone know the difference or make a recommendation? Ta!
£19
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/tamiya-builders-8-piece-screw-driver-set/rc-car-products/388188
£28.50
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/tamiya-r-c-tool-set/rc-car-products/386323
You don’t have to have a special screwdriver but it makes things easier as they don’t use a a Phillips or pozidive head. The heads are actually JIS so any JIS driver should work as well as a tamiya branded one. I think you can buy tamiya drivers separately for about £4 each.
Yeah, get a JIS screwdriver. I didn't bother when I did my Neo Fighter (didn't actually realise I would need to get a different screwdriver) and some of the screws were a real bugger to get in. I put it down to self-tapping into hard plastic, but when I realised and actually used the correct tool it was loads easier.
Are you after a scale crawler kit or comp crawler style kit?
Dunno! I suppose realistic(ish) would be more entertaining to build, but not really that bothered.
Thanks for that, is there a particular size that's useful? I've googled a bit and it seems JIS screwdrivers are quite expensive anyway - any cheap options?
Loughan
Member
Thanks for that, is there a particular size that’s useful? I’ve googled a bit and it seems JIS screwdrivers are quite expensive anyway – any cheap options?
To be honest, I am not sure where mine came from. It might have been 'borrowed' from an old workplace. I was trawling through random toolboxes for a better screwdriver, found this particular one & it worked perfectly. It also fits Shimamo mech L-H screws really well.
I'm just guessing, but something like this would probably be right:
I would go for a number 2 and number 1 tamiya Phillips driver, these will be JIS so will fit the screws correctly. The no2 is for 3mm-5mm screws and the no1 is for 2-2.6mm screws. If I was only going to buy one it would be the no2. They should be available for around £4-5 each. Which kit are you going to treat yourself to?
Mogrim- Personally I would go for a scaler if it’s the build that really interests you. You can pick up a cariama sca-1e kit for around £200 but I have heard there are going to be some offers over the next couple of days on their retail site and by email if you sign up.
@demonracer, thanks! If i've spent a tenner on those i might as well go and throw a few more bob and get the kit
I'm looking at the Rally Beetle, lots of others are tempting but have to settle on one...
Ah great choice! I have the Suzuki jimny variant of the MF01X chassis ,i’m Sure you will have great fun building, running and tinkering with it!
I’ve you’ve not already made the purchase you would probably get away with just the no2 as I can only think of 6 smaller screws that hold the diffs together on that chassis. If you have already then it’s always nice to have the right tool for the job!
P.s. don’t forget a bearing set for it, rubber sealed are best if your going to run it in the dirt. Rcbearings are good for these.
Egress is lovely 🙂 Do it! DOOO EEEEEET…
Yes, yes they are. Back in the early 2000's I went through a vintage Tamiya collecting phase and had about five Egress at one point including a new built one.
Personally I would go for a scaler if it’s the build that really interests you.
Cheers @demonracer, I'll have a nosey.
Thanks to those offering advice, we got a good deal on an FTX Mauler with a nice big 2S LiPo thrown in.
Will report back once my son has stopped playing with it after X-mas and I can have a go 🙂
Mauler is awesome value especially with a lipo stuck in it- it'll break driveshafts, so you might want to lay in a spare set, but that's a pretty minor issue considering what it can do.
thanks Northwind - good to know, might get a couple of those right off the bat. Hopefully I won't go through things as fast as I used to when bashing my Traxxas E-Maxx though.
Excited to get going with it, hope my son is too 🙂
Time for a new one - your advice appreciated!
Loving the Lunchbox and the Maverick Scout, both getting plenty of abuse.
The Plasma Edge TT-02B buggy not so much.
I find it's lack of ground clearance limits it's use.
Sooo, something a bit different?
Not too pricey and I'd like to build it.
Fancy a Tamiya 2CV Rally purely for the looks....
.... but again, the ground clearance is going to limit use.
Monster Beetles look cool, but they're a bit fragile and need a lot of looking after.
Wild Willy would be a shoe in, but perhaps a bit too similar to the Lunchbox.
Current contenders are the Blitzer Beetle, King Yellow 6×6 or the GF-01 four wheel drive Toyota.......
....🙂
Help me out here.
Any more suggestions?
Needs to be;
Fun.
Kit build.
Not too fragile.
Decent ground clearance.
Under £200 for the kit.
Not a crawler.
All ideas much appreciated!
Nice, good value but I'm not feeling it with the looks.
I do like the Associted Trophy Rat....
....good looking, brushless, everything included so good value.
Not a kit, but I could always take it apart and put it together again. 🙂
@big_scott_nanny - I'm looking at a Mauler as well - do you mind me asking where you bought it from? Loads of places seem to do a LiPo upgrade which seems sensible - has yours got a brushed or brushless motor?
If you aren't fussed about a kit there are loads of great options.
I would prefer a kit, tbh.
I've looked at loads of RTR's and it's easy to get carried away.
Considering I have the most fun with the Lunchbox, I'm not convinced I need anything too extreme.
A HoBao buggy is absolutely indestructible, but would be £400 with a battery.
Would I have any more fun than with a much cheaper Tamiya?
I'd like to find out but it's an big gamble.
The Arrma and Traxxas stuff looks incredible, but again, a bit spendy for something fast and reliable.
They do loads of colour ways.
Cheap but very strong, I have been launching my torment off of all sorts of stuff.
@siwhite I'm not in the UK, so bought it through a local store here in CH. Soz!
It is brushed, but the ESC has a Deans connector and is LiPo ready, so I ordered a whacking big 2S 7000mah battery to avoid faffing about changing batteries too often. Should last for about an hour I reckon.
For my son. Yes. Only for my son.
Ahem.
@Rusty-spanner-2
I'm new to all this so pinch of salt but... I have bought a Beetle Rally which is on the MF01x chassis - would that give the level of off road ability you're looking for but not the 'monster truck' level
Very possibly. 🙂
I might have a drive over to Modelsport tomorrow.
Cheers all!
Very possibly. 🙂
I might have a drive over to Modelsport tomorrow.
Cheers all!
lucky you living so close! i can't start build until Christmas day... well probably February before i actually get time!
siwhite
Subscriber
has yours got a brushed or brushless motor?
I am not bigscottbnanny, but, brushless on crawlers is expensive, you can't really fit the cheap sensorless ones unless you want a basher. But I stuck a 27T axial motor I had lying around in mine and with the lipo added it kind of unleashed the beast. (and also, because I was using the stock radio and ESC, it had no manners at all- 100% engine braking, 100% fast start so it'd skid and powerslide on demand, great fun.
I had an Axial Bomber at the same time which basically covers the same bases but costs, what, twice as much at least? And tbf it wasn't as much fun. Better maybe but much less laughs.
Soooo....
I had a serious think about it, weighed it all up and decided I needed a new cartridge for the turntable much more than I need a fourth RC car.
Depending on how much I spend, I might still go for the 2CV though....🙂
This time last year I had one.
Now I'm up to
*counts*
ten. Jesus. 0_o
...not including the Comical Hornet I've bought for my daughter 😉
Had a few weeks off work, been a busy year...
So managed to get around to actually finishing this re-release Frog (which I got back in 2006)...
Is there any value in vintage Tamiya rc?
A) Highly upgraded Top Force
B) Upgraded Toyota Hilux monster racer
C) Toyota Celica gt4
D) 1st gen Wild Willy
E) 20 plus Parma body shells
F) 100's spare parts including complete cars
Rally 2CV looks amazing.
I'm farting with excitement about this...
Well, it's my birthday today and I'm now the owner of a Plasma Edge II!
RC gear, batteries, charger and bearing kit included.
I've already ordered the alu propshaft bits... and been looking at colour options. Fluro pink and black?
Rally 2CV looks amazing.
I’m farting with excitement about this…
You utter utter B*******! I DID NOT need to see that 😀
3days on after playing with the FTX mauler - its great fun! It’s a very well put together bit of kit, the controller is rather low rent but it works fine.
Crawling itself turns out to be great fun. Much more enjoyable than simple bashing.
The slow, careful, approach to difficult routes is extremely satisfying, love the engine braking that holds the car on difficult sections to allow you to consider the way through.
In West of Scotland for Christmas, rather relieved that the machine is waterproof 😳😀💨💦
So two BSD storm prime RC cars turned up for Christmas. Surviving well with the curbs and crashes. So what do I need to upgrade first? We also have traxxas bandit, so id like to get them up to a similar level. On the storms I’ve noticed the steering is quite slow and when the battery gets low you have to lift off the power before they steer, so would a new steering thing sorry this? Then batteries? Fast charger? Ta
Stronger steering servo will see you right. Look for metal gears and high torque ratings. Savox are one of many trustworthy makes, but there’s lots out there.
The bugsta was going down a storm until it ingested a piece of gravel in the gears. Tomorrow I need to buy some suitable screw drivers.
Anyone know of a mod to reduce the chance of this happening again?
Anyone know of a mod to reduce the chance of this happening again?
I’m new to this but from internet wanderings I’ve seen people installing gravel plates. Either 3D printed or cut from a sheet of metal.
Ta, I will look into those.
I sort-of wish I hadn't found this thread, it's going to get expensive for me, I think. Long story, followed by some n00b questions follow...
My son asked for a remote control car for Christmas, a tiny (25cm) Audi R8 he'd seen in the Argos catalogue for £10. I knew it would be pants, but given that it was the one he really wanted, and for £10, we bought it anyway. He was absolutely delighted with it - days later saying it was his favourite Christmas present ever - and he loved racing it round the house and discovered he could throw it into reverse when it was turning on the kitchen tiles and do handbrake turn -style skids.
Of course, the gearbox wore out within about three hours (the AA batteries outlived the gearbox!) and he was heartbroken. Fortunately Argos was open on boxing day and exchanged it without any question. The replacement car doesn't seem to be as fast, but less torque means the gearbox has survived, so far, at the expensive of skiddy drifty turns not being nearly as possible.
He's loved playing with it and racing it around, and learned to control it quickly. I had mates with Tamiya cars when I was about 12, and always wanted one but never owned one myself. I'm now toying with the idea of buying something bigger for us both to play with - we live near a big park so although our garden is tiny, there's a huge area to race around.
My question is, basically, where should I start? Having read through this thread, I'm happy to build from a kit but I'm wary of something that's too all-in-one and doesn't have a separate ESC. That said, we're unlikely to be taking it up to full speed for quite some time, and there are going to be quite a few crashes so something durable / rebuildable / serviceable would be best. I know very little about the specs of radio gear - is there much difference between AM and 2.4Ghz (presumably digital) range and reliability?
I'm quite tempted by the ECX AMP monster truck kit,
[url] https://www.modelsport.co.uk/ecx-amp-mt-1-10-2wd-monster-truck-kit/rc-car-products/399005 [/url], £135 feels like an OK price to get started, but are there better options for the money and / or is this the RC equivalent of buying a mountain bike for £300 from Decathlon, i.e. I'll be able to play with it but I'll discover its limitations very quickly and it won't be worth anything once I've used it for a while?
Edit: could someone also explain in basic terms what the difference between brushed and brushless motors is? And where you put the bearings in a "bearing upgrade"? (Do some of these kits really ship with the wheels running only on bushings? Or is it a suspension / gear box bearing upgrade?)
I can't comment on that ECX one. I got the boy a Tamiya Rising Fighter after he broke his previous RC car (£40 Nikko thingy). He's got on fairly well with it but I think he would have been better with a Truggy thing like that ECX as they seem a bit more robust.
I got myself a Tamiya Blackfoot a few years back which was fun but due to the weight of the bodyshell it would tip over at the drop of a hat which now means it's quite battered. I need to fix it but annoyingly I need to buy some of the full parts sprues just to get a couple of small parts.
re: bearing upgrades yes cars do ship with just plastic bushings for wheels. Bearing usually replace these and take a bit of the drag out of the drivetrain and last a lot longer. Someone that knows a lot more than me will explain about brushless motors, all I know is that you get MOAR POWER!
A real shame non of you seem to be looking at racing your cars. There was a brilliant series me and my son used to take part in with our M05’s. It was so much fun racing the older models against newer. That was the beauty, it wasn’t really down to who had the most money, it was down to dark arts of setup where even a little dap of superglue on the outer rim of a tyre made massive differences.
I moved onto X-ray T4 but packed it all in after a couple of races. Still have a box with everything needed, including chargers, Lipo bag, setting wheels, tools etc. Even just the steering unit cost me £70 (I’ve forgotten all the fancy names). I have offered it for sale a few times but tbh if there was a kid on here who was keen to race I would happily give it to him for a donation to mountain rescue. There will be hundreds of pounds worth.
Of course, now I'm also looking at used Mad Bulls on eBay and wondering if I should just get something cheap and used, take it apart, clean it, put it back together, play with it 'til it breaks and then fix / upgrade...!
The EXC AMP looks a fair bit like the FTX Surge MT I got my daughter for Christmas, and she has loved it (as have grandfather, mother and daughters friends)!
The Surge seems pretty tough as has survived some decent impacts, and I definitely think that this type of 4WD Truck is great as can slide around on the tarmac and then bash some molehills to death as required (and as ours did on Christmas afternoon).
Got a second battery back to ensure that the run time matched attention span.
As a Christmas present then ready to run was the right choice, but I'm thinking we need a kit next.
@Pierre depending on where you are I may be willing to let my Blackfoot go for not a lot. Think postage would be a no-no due to size/weight.
could someone also explain in basic terms what the difference between brushed and brushless motors is?
brushless motors have no brushes (obvious), but, they do have three power wires (not two)
generally, they are a more powerful, for the same physical size brushed (because no brushes, and more magnet/coils)
the special speed controller uses the extra wire to sense what the motor is doing and apply power appropriately
brushless motor needs a brushless controller
brushed motor needs a brushed controller
Is there any value in vintage Tamiya rc?
A) Highly upgraded Top Force
B) Upgraded Toyota Hilux monster racer
C) Toyota Celica gt4
D) 1st gen Wild Willy
E) 20 plus Parma body shells
F) 100’s spare parts including complete cars
Depends what you mean by value but decent condition examples can sell for quite a bit. Top Force, Hilux and Willy would do well on ebay, as would the Celica if the right buyers show up. Tamiyaclub.com used to be the font of all knowledge but I've not been on for ages.
Might be interested in the Hilux BTW 😉
the special speed controller uses the extra wire to sense what the motor is doing and apply power appropriately
Close but not quite. Brushless motors are effectively three phase motors. The speed controller puts power into each of the cables in turn, at varying impulse speed, to control the rpm.
I think...
good catch... I meant:
the special speed controller uses all three wires to sense what the motor is doing and apply power appropriately
they are three phase motors, yes (well, kind of, standard three phase AC wouldn't work very well to drive one)
@northernmatt I'm in That London, which I'm guessing from your username is not very local...
Yeah bit of a trek, in the shed it goes
A new build begins..
Chassis built up @ Christmas time. Had been meaning to start on the body and today's weather dictated its start.
3 hours later the lexan is trimmed, sanded and drilled.
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I'm determined to finish this, before Friday!
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Oh Shit ! They’ve released a KG !
Top job Merak. Is that sprayed in reverse order from the inside or as normal?
edit: actually it’s obvious - as normal.
I’m determined to finish this, before Friday
Noice!
Just found out the local rc car club has a tamiya class, very tempted to dust of mine and give them a damn good thrashing
I'm dying to build one of these even though I know it would just sit on a shelf when it was finished. I can't imagine going out to do laps of B&Q car park after hours on my own.
Still, I'll probably do an Impreza or a Delta at some point. It's a shame there's no current Michelin Pilot Cosworth as that's the one I really wanted as a kid.
I love a rally car me.
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Anyone doing some Tamiya or other R/C stuff during the lockdown?
I'm just about to start a Kyosho Tomahawk. Just finished a Rough Rider.
I finished assembling my scx10 kit. Then took it apart because there's something horribly wrong with the front diff. Kind of lost enthusiasm at that point but I've got a body waiting to fit to it so I should get my finger out
I've got a Buggy Champ body shell to fit on my Super Fighter's DT02 chassis. It'll work, it just needs a bit of cutting and shutting here and there.
I got a doorok from tiny4x4. They're an arse to build because of the size, but excellent for playing with during the lockdown 😁. Tiny4x4 have the best customer service I've ever seen too. Worth a look if your into rc.
Got a loads of bits of Tamiya r/c cars that must be well over 25 years old, a Manta Ray, couple of Rough Rider chassis's, and load of bits for Midnight Pumpkin and Grasshopper, plus a few other bits and pieces. May get them out under lockdown and see about getting them running again.
