What build kit for 8 year old?

[Ltec]

Is their such thing as a cheap build kit for a 8 year old. I'm preparing for Christmas already incase coronavirus kicks off bad again and can't get anything.
Moneys also tight due to coronavirus, so can you get a kit for say £100 and if so is it any good or what would your minimum be for something a bit better.
If its out of budget I'd be better leaving it till I can afford something more reliable.

 

[cbaker65]

Is their such thing as a cheap build kit for a 8 year old. I'm preparing for Christmas already incase coronavirus kicks off bad again and can't get anything.
Moneys also tight due to coronavirus, so can you get a kit for say £100 and if so is it any good or what would your minimum be for something a bit better.
If its out of budget I'd be better leaving it till I can afford something more reliable.

I would go with the famous Traxxas Stampede with the Grave Digger body or a body that he or she would like!....

 

[tntpoof]

Id say your best bet is to look at a used rc that is still up to date(one you can buy parts for.. maybe you buy the disassemble it slightly then have him build from there... diff can be a pain even for the most experienced rc builder..not sure were you are from so I can give the 100 estimate build project.. a radio (rx tx) might be the over budget with battery and charger.. do you have a 12v dc power supply in the 10 amp range?

 

[Ltec]

I dont know what you mean by 12v 10 amp. I'm from the UK.
Is something like a ecx amp kit rubbish

 

[tntpoof]

12 volt dc power supply to run a dc charger or you can get a ac or ac/dc 1 ..ecx is ok

 

[Tunedfrog]

If it were me, I would get something RTR and mod it. Bottom line RTR rigs are fun for anybody and great for kids. 2wd RTR rigs are pretty reasonable and great for kids to learn with. I still have and use often my Stampede 2wd, its a fun truck.

 

[tntpoof]

there is 1 thing also the traxxas brand offers a training mode of radio..id look into that

 

[hamz9561]

there is 1 thing also the traxxas brand offers a training mode of radio..id look into that

The training mode was a function of the ESC if I remember correctly.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Yes .... sport mode, racing mode, training mode.
I also have a Arrma typhon Mega RTR that I modded to run 3s . Arrma's are very good rigs to learn on..

 

[Rip King MC]

Look into the Arrma Granite Voltage 2WD.

 

[AClegg]

Is their such thing as a cheap build kit for a 8 year old. I'm preparing for Christmas already incase coronavirus kicks off bad again and can't get anything.
Moneys also tight due to coronavirus, so can you get a kit for say £100 and if so is it any good or what would your minimum be for something a bit better.
If its out of budget I'd be better leaving it till I can afford something more reliable.

That would balance out to $130 USD. There are a few a lot of build kits that cost that, but that doesn't include anything else beyond the kit. No radio, motor, ESC, battery, charger, etc... But for a kit, Tamiya also makes a lot of kits at that price.

 

[Rip King MC]

I would say the Tamiya Mudmad is a pretty good option if he/she is more into the buiding part of it than the driving part.

 

[MD6]

I would look at the Tamiya line of rc cars.

 

[Arrmajunk]

I would suggest an Absima AT3.4
Kit around £75. Nice little 1/10 truggy quick enough for an 8 year old first RC, stable thanks to wide arms, Flat like a Buggy means it Fast like a buggy and looks like a truck, 4WD easy to manage .
I bought my Nephew a Tamiya lunch box ,
Last year, I stuffed an 11 double brushed motor in it for him he’s used about 3/4 times .

 

[MD6]

In my opinion having worked with kids for many years. If you can get something like a Tamiya Grasshopper. it would be good. An 8 year old doesn't need a hot motor. It will run for a very long time and can be run on any surface. Stay away from curbs and trees. He will have fun. I don't know if he will enjoy building it. If he gets tired of it you haven't invested a lot of money. If he likes it and wants to race you'll have to move to another car or truck. If doesn't like building or you want to get on then road right away, I would choose a Traxxas Bandit. It's reasonably priced and, as someone mentioned, you can set the speed control in practice mode. But again stay away from things that will break it. Parts are easily available. I like the Bandit for beginners.

 

[ChiefWay81]

I dont know what you mean by 12v 10 amp. I'm from the UK.
Is something like a ecx amp kit rubbish

I know its been a few weeks since you posted this but I wanted to comment since I am going through the same thing. I am new to the world of R/C. I was looking for a kit for me and my Son to build together. He turns 9 years old in November 2020. We are currently in the middle of building the ECX Amp MT kit. He is really enjoying the build and I am enjoying the time spent together. The kit is organized very well with very well written instructions that are easy to follow. Each part and every screw needed for each step is in a separate bag that is labeled well. Every piece is precut. There are no part trees that require you to cut the pieces out. My Son has been able to follow along pretty well. His hands get tired from all the screws and needs help at times. But he is very proud of himself for being able to build most of it himself. Like I said, we are still building this and I am not sure what the quality will be when it is complete, but so far, I couldn't be happier for the price point it sells at.

 

[MD6]

It's great you're doing this project together. A lot of parents would not spend the time. Having worked with kids in a school r/c club I would impart a few words of advice. When you get It running go some place where there are no trees, curbs, posts, etc. to run into. Some kid only know one way to drive and that's fun throttle. I have seen kids in tears when they take their new r/c truck run it into an immovable object and within five or ten minutes all of their hard work is in pieces. Keep up the good work. I hope you two have a great time.

 

[AClegg]

It's great you're doing this project together. A lot of parents would not spend the time. Having worked with kids in a school r/c club I would impart a few words of advice. When you get It running go some place where there are no trees, curbs, posts, etc. to run into. Some kid only know one way to drive and that's fun throttle. I have seen kids in tears when they take their new r/c truck run it into an immovable object and within five or ten minutes all of their hard work is in pieces. Keep up the good work. I hope you two have a great time.

It's good to help your kids. I would highly recommend having them do the actual work. Therefore They will know how to work on it.

As for taking having a newbie drive it... Best place to take them is the Salt Flats. I just turned down the throttle on the remote so they didn't have full throttle. I also geared it as low as I could.

My daughter just got her first RC car yesterday. It's an RB7. I'll be helping her put that one together.

 

[Ltec]

I know its been a few weeks since you posted this but I wanted to comment since I am going through the same thing. I am new to the world of R/C. I was looking for a kit for me and my Son to build together. He turns 9 years old in November 2020. We are currently in the middle of building the ECX Amp MT kit. He is really enjoying the build and I am enjoying the time spent together. The kit is organized very well with very well written instructions that are easy to follow. Each part and every screw needed for each step is in a separate bag that is labeled well. Every piece is precut. There are no part trees that require you to cut the pieces out. My Son has been able to follow along pretty well. His hands get tired from all the screws and needs help at times. But he is very proud of himself for being able to build most of it himself. Like I said, we are still building this and I am not sure what the quality will be when it is complete, but so far, I couldn't be happier for the price point it sells at.

Let me know what you think when you get it going.
My sons still a bit young to appreciate the money for a tamiya so I was gonna leave it thus year but the ecx amp was more in my price range, it seems to have gone up on price too. For me it was about being able to spend time together building it and share the accomplishment of getting it going together.
You look after something a lot better when you put a lot of effort into making it.

 

[ChiefWay81]

It's great you're doing this project together. A lot of parents would not spend the time. Having worked with kids in a school r/c club I would impart a few words of advice. When you get It running go some place where there are no trees, curbs, posts, etc. to run into. Some kid only know one way to drive and that's fun throttle. I have seen kids in tears when they take their new r/c truck run it into an immovable object and within five or ten minutes all of their hard work is in pieces. Keep up the good work. I hope you two have a great time.

Sounds like good advice. I will definitely remember it when we finish building it and take it out for the first time!