Ok so looking for a lot of help. Last time I owned an r/c car was back in the 80’s had a fox lol. Looking to get into it again with my 10 year old son. We really like the short course. Was leaning towards this
1/10 SENTON 4X4 V3 3S BLX Brushless Short Course Truck RTR, Red. So much has changed not sure what brand stick with this or traxxas slash or losi don’t want to break the bank at first. But what else should I get as far as battery charger tools etc. is this truck to much for beginner. Looking to do it as a Christmas gift to both of us but want to get everything I need also. Oh mainly will be using around house grass pavement etc but we do have a track near by. Amy advise would be great
I know a lot arent going to agree with this, but, this is just my 2 cents. I wouldnt start with a 3S truck that takes LIPO's, especially since you have been away from the hobby so long. LIPO's are a massive learning curve compared to NIMH batteries, NIMH batteries are pretty much plug them in and wait for them to charge, but, with the stock supplied charger, can take as much as 8 hours to charge, but you can get fast chargers for NIMH batteries that will charge them in an hour or so. LIPO's on the other hand, you need a compatible charger, a LIPO fire safe bag, as well as knowing C rating and MAH so that you can correctly set the charger for the LIPO. Figuring that out can at times be very confusing, and, if not done right, can have some major issues. LIPO's have been known to burst and catch fire if charged wrong. If you are absolutely set on a LIPO, be sure to do as much research as you possibly can, so you know exactly what you are going in for.
As for the truck, since it is for a 10 year old just learning, my recommendation would be this one:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/produc...brushed-short-course-truck-rtr/ARA4203V3.html
Its a brushed motor, so it would actually be slower, and therefore better for him to learn on as a new driver. It is just as durable as the 3S version, and would allow him to grow with it as he gets better at operating it, and, in the future, when he starts looking for more speed and power, can be upgraded to fit him as he grows. Just starting out with a truck that is that fast, even though there are ways to slow it down, such as throttle settings on the remote, the speed of a 2S/3S means when, not if, he crashes, the damage is more severe, which then means larger repair bills until he learns to control it. I have 9 and 10 year old boys, and last year we bought them their first, as they put it, real RC trucks, and, even though i have been in the hobby for years, and have taught them how to control a vehicle, i learned the hard way just how much damage a young boy can do to a new RC truck, especially showing off to friends. Another issue i learned the hard way is just how much more a faster truck hurts when you get hit with it.
As for tools, Dynamite RC makes a decent, very reasonably priced starter tool kit that comes with all the necessary tools, and you can add as needed after that. This is the set i have:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/produc...MIw474pNCs7QIVrYpaBR0CtgZUEAQYASABEgJKA_D_BwE I have had it about 6 years, and, although its not one of the better, more expensive sets, it does the job fairly decent. MIP drivers are really good, but, i dont see the extra expense if you arent using them much.
As for batteries, whether you stick with NIMH or LIPO, i recommend the ones from Gen's Ace. These are the NIMH's i get:
https://www.amazon.com/5000NiMH-7-2...nector&qid=1606821785&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-2
They come with Tamiya connectors, so if you dont want to have new connectors soldered on, you can look for them with EC3 connectors, or just get these style adapters:
https://www.amazon.com/OliRC-3pcs-N...rnid=1249177011&rps=1&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-6
