New to the RC hobby?

 

If you are only just coming into the RC hobby then it can be very daunting, when you look online and see literally thousands and thousands of products from all sorts of brands in all sorts of shapes and sizes, different electronics, different batteries and so on and so on!

We always recommend doing some research before committing to making a purchase of any RC car, the reason is that it can really put you off the hobby if you buy the wrong model to start off with. We have seen this so many times unfortunately where customers will rush in to making an impulse purchase. 

The key things to ask yourself before buying any RC are…

 

• What sort of budget do you have?
• Do you want electric or nitro?
• On road or off road?
• Ready to run or kit form?
• Are spare parts readily available?

 

We are going to look at these questions to try and help you make the right decision on what RC you want to go for!

What sort of budget do you have? 

 

 As you probably know by now the range of RC cars on the market is huge, ranging from £15 all the way to £2000 upwards! Well much like everything else in life you get what you pay for….. Or do you? 

More expensive does not always necessarily mean better when it comes to RC cars, again it is all dependent on what you want to go for. 

One of my own personal favourite RC cars is the Rival MT10, a very reasonably priced model that costs under £400. This has been the most reliable model I have ever owned and really out performs most of its more expensive counterparts. It is also important not to settle for something Just because you can not afford it on the day. If there is a model you really want then we highly recommend saving up, as my colleague Steve always says “ Buy right, Buy once “ and we really believe that with RC that is normally the case. 

Electric or Nitro

 

 

The age old question of nitro or electric! We get asked this question several times a day and that's no joke. As a rule of thumb, Nitro will require a much more hands on approach as it will require constant tuning and there are more variables that require monitoring to keep it healthy. Generally people that buy nitro cars these days are either petrolheads that like to tinker and fine tune carbs and engines or want to learn about engines. They are certainly not suitable for a beginner unless you are prepared to put the effort into learning all about them.

Electric on the other hand is generally quicker, more reliable, less hands on and much easier to maintain! This is why the majority of models we sell are electric these days, with the introduction of brushless electronics and lipo batteries it is easy to get a car doing 50+ MPH with minimal fuss! You will also not annoy your neighbours when running your electric model as they are pretty quiet when compared to nitro.  

On Road or Off Road?

 

 

This is a difficult one, ang for an enthusiast the answer is easy…. Both! Most RC Hobbyist’s will have a selection of RC cars including on and off road, however when you are starting out we understand that this is not really an option. On road models are great for tarmac surfaces such as car parks ETC and with a huge range of chassis, bodyshells and wheels available chances are you can build an on road RC car to match your favourite real car! Due to the limitations on where you can use it however on road is a lot less popular than off road, the great thing with buggies, truggies and trucks is they will work on almost any surface. This makes the off road models more appealing as they can be used over the local football field, on car parks and even on your back garden with much issue. We always recommend thinking about where you plan to use your model and make your decision from that point. After all, if you know a field you want to go and use it on then it would be silly to buy a touring car! 

Ready to run Or Kit Form?

 

 

This is a big thing to consider when looking to enter the wonderful world of RC! With so many RTR models on the market surely that's the obvious choice? Well not always, RTR models are great, we all love them. Simply get it out the box, plug in whatever battery it needs and crack on and have some fun so if that is what you want to do then RTR is the way to go!

 However Kit form models, whilst not having a huge variety, is a very rewarding way to get into the hobby. Not only do you learn about your new model but building them for some people is a huge part of the fun. With brands such as Tamiya and Kyosho you can get a fair price builders kit to suit pretty much any skill level. The major drawback with most kit form models is durability, as most kits are designed for either racing or re-released models from the 80s ( Most of the Tamiya range ) They generally are not as strong as good branded RTR models so take this into account also. 

Are Spare Parts Readily Available? 

 

 

A very very very important thing to consider! Many of the “ Grey import” models available on ebay and Amazon do not have any UK back up for spare parts. We always recommend buying a model that is available from Proper UK retailers. The reason for this is simply that all models that we stock come through established UK suppliers that also bring the spare parts available in the UK. Unfortunately one thing you need to understand is that regardless of whether you spend £100 or £1000 you will at some point break the model. It is part of the hobby unfortunately so ensuring that spare parts are available when required is crucial, otherwise you end up with a broken model that can’t be fixed. Brands such as Traxxas, Arrma, FTX, HPI, Tamiya, Kyosho, Gmade, ETC have great UK parts availability so are worth looking at. 

Still Need Help?

 

 

If you are still unsure or have any questions that you want to ask then feel free to give our sales team a call. We always offer friendly and honest advice and will try to steer you in the right direction and ensure you end up with the perfect model to suit your needs!