View attachment 136764Thanks for the advice this far, that’s appreciated.
I just bought this charger, assuming it’s suitable to do a storage charge?
The boy is 6. I have a couple of those air hogs that him and his 2 year old brother use indoors and a Mario carrera, but thought my older boy was probably ready for a step up.
Sorry this is long winded, but hopefully it helps.
That car is a bit fast for a 6 year old, but my son was 6 when I stepped him up to buggies capable of similar speeds. He had the benefit of a big open field to play in though and has been driving RC cars since he was 2. It takes them awhile to learn control as fast as these RC's are today.
That charger will do storage mode. If you're unfamiliar with the hobby grade chargers, it is advisable to watch some videos on LiPo charging, care, and storage.
And to answer your other question about a better alternative car, what is your budget? There are lots of choices, but it depends on your budget.
There are lots of different styles of RC cars. Rock crawlers, SCT (short course trucks), buggies, truggies (buggy/truck hybrids), monster trucks, on-road racers, drift cars, etc.
There are 4wd and 2wd cars. The 4wd are easier to control, especially for younger kiddos. 2wd cars are tricky sometimes depending on the terrain and speed of the vehicle. My son is just now at 9 years old starting to learn throttle control.
Another thing to consider is scale of the vehicle. The bigger they are, the easier they are to drive. But also, the easier to break in some cases. My suggested scale would be a 1/18-1/12 scale, and try to find one that has a variable throttle adjustment, or D/R (dual rate) knob for the throttle. D/R allows you to adjust the maximum throttle of the vehicle. Some have a switch that gives you options like 50%, 75%, and 100% throttle. The D/R knob is better because you can slowly work up as your son gains experience.
As for durability:
The rock crawlers are probably the least likely to take damage. Most will only go a few miles an hour, and you get your enjoyment navigating the obstacles you try to climb with them. These will all be 4wd.
Drift cars would be a great option as well. But for a 6 year old, it will take some practice to be able to drive them. Probably a few years too early for these yet. Due to their lack of grip and low momentum though, they rarely take damage in a crash. These can be had in 2wd and 4wd versions.
On-road cars and SCT benefit from usually having a lexan body protecting the wheels to some extent, and therefore it is a bit harder to break suspension components. But just as you have seen, curbs make an exception to that at high speeds with this style of RC as well. The difference between on-road and SCT is the SCT likes to fly through the air over long sweeping jumps. These all come in 2wd and 4wd versions.
Buggies and Truggies would probably be next here. They are generally lightweight racers, meant for tracks, or open field racing (great at baseball diamonds!). But their open wheeled design leaves the suspension arms vulnerable to impact damage. The truggies will be more susceptible due to the added weight of the bigger tires. But like the SCT, these guys love long sweeping jumps. You can get 2wd and 4wd versions here.
Next up is the king of bashers. The monster trucks. These guys are fun on any terrain. They love jumps, and the higher the better. But these will get broke if you go to extremes because of their speeds and weight. These can also be had in 2wd or 4wd versions.
