Beginners need buying advice

[Jerold]

I would stay away from Traxxas, they are not known for durability, main reason hobby shops promote them so much is because they make a ton of money on replacement parts and upgrades

I disagree. Traxxas tough is a real thing but like anything else they have limits. I have two Traxxas cars and I hardly ever have to fix them. I have no problem throwing my TRX off a wall or jumping the Slash.

Everything breaks at some point. Buy what you like and drive it properly. Drivers are the problem, not the cars.

The thing that I look for is support and replacement parts. Traxxas, Axial, Arrama and Team Associated all seem to have tons of aftermarket and replacement parts. They usually aren't hard to get via mail order.

Maybe you can order from the UK or EU? I'm sure they have lots of support and are close by. EU might be easier?

 

[Krakentuned RC]

Traxxas. With you being in Tunisia, parts availability will be better. They're also easier to work on. I'd also go with their XL-5 or BL-2S line up. Rally 4x4, Slash 2WD/4x4, Rustler 2WD/4x4 are all great starters and durable. Since your budget is healthy, buy TWO of the exact same car. Use one car until it breaks and then use the other until parts arrive for the first. There is nothing wrong with the Traxxas chargers or batteries. Propriety lends to its ease of use. I use non-Traxxas batteries but have used their chargers because they're really quite simple. As others have already made mention, please, EDUCATE YOURSELF ON PROPER LIPO CARE/USE.

 

[Jerold]

Traxxas. With you being in Tunisia, parts availability will be better. They're also easier to work on. I'd also go with their XL-5 or BL-2S line up. Rally 4x4, Slash 2WD/4x4, Rustler 2WD/4x4 are all great starters and durable. Since your budget is healthy, buy TWO of the exact same car. Use one car until it breaks and then use the other until parts arrive for the first. There is nothing wrong with the Traxxas chargers or batteries. Propriety lends to its ease of use. I use non-Traxxas batteries but have used their chargers because they're really quite simple. As others have already made mention, please, EDUCATE YOURSELF ON PROPER LIPO CARE/USE.

Solid advice!

The Traxxas batteries are probably not Traxxas designed, but they must adhere to a Traxxas spec. i.e. they are rebranded but have quality control standards and they are tested to that.

Note that Traxxas batteries can only be charged from Traxxas chargers. Make sure that what ever charger you get aligns with your battery expectations.

A lot of the Amazon, eBay batteries are questionable and there is no guaranteed source or performance. There are a handful of actual manufacturers of the LiPo Cells and they sell them to others to "make batteries". Some of the smaller places buy what's cheapest. Stick to a name brand they "tend" to perform better.

With any LiPo, you have the danger of fire. So you need to watch them when you are charging or discharging. If you see them puff, they get how, start to smoke or if you smell something shut it down. Never run it below 3.0V or over 4.2V. Don't charge faster than the recommend current/charge rate.

Always store them in a storage state (~3.7V), inside a flame proof container, away from heat (35+° C) and check them often.

Don't be worried about asking questions, there are a lot of people more than willing to help.

 

[Positron Design]

I am a newbie too.
I have learned the most from YouTube, especially the < AJJAMStudios > channel
He does videos like Differentials 101, RC Maintenance, Care of Li-Po Batteries, etc. I learned that I was making many mistakes.
Plus, His tough car reviews are judged honestly by 4 criteria.
1. Is it fun?
2. Is it durable?
3. Is it worth the money?
4. How does it compare to other cars in it's class?

I bought my Team Associated Pro 4: SC10 truck from AMain Hobbies (USA) on Christmas.
They are the biggest hobby store in the world, I am sure they can ship to you.
AJJAM said my truck was a good bargain and can be upgraded to very high performance... or I could spend more on a car with the upgrades included in the kit that a hobbyist will up buying later anyways. Kind of like "Buy cheap, and you will buy twice". True... but I am having fun driving the excellent out-of-the-box RTR for a while and upgrading it as I go. I picked Team Associated because I raced and won with them before, and knew the replacement parts are easy to find.

My #1 tip for picking your first R/C car is:
What happens when it breaks? Can you get parts? Can you be a mini-mechanic and fix it yourself?
Remember that wrenching on your car after you accidentally smash it into 100 pieces is supposed to be part of the fun!

If you prefer a British YouTube channel (with links to European hobby stores), I like < Tomley RC >
He is a funny guy and does good reviews of RC cars from China and around the world that I have never heard of.