Remote control vehicles are some of most fun toys there is out there. No matter if you are an adult or a kid, there is a remote control car to satisfy your fun appetite.
Now depending on your experience with the RC hobby, finding the best RC car for you can be pretty straightforward or overwhelming considering the sheer amount of RC car brands and models available on the market.
To narrow down your search, Finding the best RC car for you is merely a matter of mixing and matching the following variants to match (your budget) how much you are willing to spend.
- Electric vs nitro model
- 1/16th vs 1/10th vs 1/8th scale
- RC car vs buggy vs truggy
- 2WD vs 4WD
- Brushed vs Brushless (for electric Rc cars only)
- NiMH vs LiPo batteries
Actually, RC cars are not toys. What’s the difference? Let’s look at the life cycle of a toy. First, you buy a toy and your child plays with it for a while. Then it breaks. For sometimes it hangs around broken and then you just throw it away. Then, you buy something else and return to square one.
The RC hobby cars are different. For starters, they aren’t cheap. When it breaks, (and it surely will!) you study the “parts diagram” and figure out what you need to fix it. You order replacement parts (costing, say, $10, $20, $50 or even $120) and install them. Your model is alive again! But probably not for a long time!
You’d better take good care of it; cleaning, oiling, inspecting, etc. But bearings wear anyway; so do gears and car bodies. Eventually, you start replacing older parts. You can also buy some “tuning” parts and enjoy a greater performance or a better look. That whole process of owning can be both expensive and time-consuming.
In case your kid is not interested in reading the schematics and replacing parts, which is almost always the case, all the fixing job will be yours. That’s why it makes sense to only buy quality RC cars.
RC Car Buying Guide: How to narrow down your search
Electric or Nitro
Although equally super fun and exciting when you know what you are doing, nitro RC cars are loud and smelly, which can restrict where you play to less populated areas. Nitro RC vehicles run on special fuel you would need to buy and keep someplace secure. In short, nitro RC cars are definitely for beginners. If you are buying an RC car for kids, an electric model is safer. A good electric RC car will bring as much fun as the nitro model, but without some “issues”.
Size: 1/16 or 1/10 or 1/8 scale
The most popular scale among RC cars for adults is the 1/10th scale while the 1/16th is more popular for RC cars for kids. Smaller size RC cars tend to be cheaper overall and less durable.
RC Car vs buggy vs truggy
2WD vs 4WD transmission
Riding on grass can be problematic with 2WD, and when it comes to winter (if applicable to you) the 4WD is just a must.
Brushed vs brushless motor
A brushed motor is a classic electro-mechanical motor very similar to its 19th-century predecessors. The modern brushless motor includes some electronic circuits. It has fewer moving parts and, consequently, has fewer wear and tear problems. An analogy from the automotive world would be “carburetor” versus “injection” engine. Or simply put, a “dumb” vs a “smart” motor.