boomgreen87

My brother and I are considering purchasing our first hobby grade electric RC vehicle. This vehicle would be primarily used for bashing and just having fun driving it around, nothing competitive. We would prefer that the vehicle be RTR and the price be $200 or less. I know that you will not get the BEST RC for this price, but that is about how much we are able to spend. A brushless motor is also preferred, but this isn't that big of a deal as long as it can reach a pretty decent speed. We would be using this vehicle both on-road and off-road (which will mostly consist of grass and dirt). The scale doesn't really matter as long as it isn't any smaller than 1/18. What vehicle would you suggest for us? (So far we have been looking at the ECX Torment 1/18 and the Dromida DB4.18 1/18)

EDIT: I should also mention that we live in Canada.

nitroexpress

1/18 scale will have a hard time in grass. Even 1/10 will struggle at times.

SyCo_VeNoM

depending on the type of grass a 1/10th could struggle. Generally they seem to do fine up to 1/2 inch after that it all depends on the type of grass, and tyype of vehicle like a 1/10th scale MT(even a 1/12th) would do fine, where a 1/10th scale buggy would get stuck.

Now question what kind of handling do you want? Something that turns fast, and can take corners going close to top speed, or something that would tip over(like a MT) if you go full speed into a turn?

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

The two you mentioned are good as is the 1/10 ECX Torment/Ruckus 2wd.
The 1/18 Torment/Ruckus and Dromida SC/MT are 4wd and the Dromida uses bearings while the ECX has bushings. The Dromida has a large selection of hop-up parts including a brushless upgrade the really makes it fast.
If you are running it on grass it needs to be golf course putting green grass height to run good. The MT;s give you a little more ground clearance than the SC trucks.
The ECX 1/10 scale are good for taller grass but it can't be too high. You can upgrade some of the parts and you can easily drop in a Castle brushless system at any time.

boomgreen87

I know that the smaller models will have a harder time driving off-road, especially in grass, because of the ground clearance. This is why we would like a larger vehicle if possible but this is what we found so far. And as for handling, my brother and I would like a vehicle that can take turns going pretty close to top speed. I would like a vehicle that has the ability to drift if you want it to.

boomgreen87

Would you the Dromida over the ECX, vice versa, or are both about equally as good? And also, for the ECX Torment/Ruckus, would you recommend the 1/10 scale over the 1/18? And what kind of speeds is the 1/10 capable of on a brushed motor (if you know)?

nitroexpress

Bottom line. You probably won't be happy with anything smaller than 1/10. $200 max will be a stretch.

boomgreen87

Alright thanks. Just because I am curious, what vehicle(s) would you recommend?

SyCo_VeNoM

HPI Blitz is $250 RTR brushed $300 brushless on tower but after coupons it would be 270 for the brushless, and 230 for the brushed. I'd save up a bit more, and get the brushless off the bat personally.

Don't know of much for less then that which is RTR that is any good.

You also need to factor in chargers, and batteries as RTRs give the crappiest of both. Chargers, and batteries are the real killers of budgets as chargers can be anywhere from $20-80, and batteries $25-60 a piece

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

I have run all of them. I feel the Dromida is a bit better than the ECX only because of the wheel bearings and hop-up parts otherwise they run the same. Expect about 15mph from each. For the 1/10 2wd expect around 20mph.
It really depends where you will be running them to recommend 1/18 or 1/10.
Here are some reviews that may help you:
http://www.bigsquidrc.com/review-rev...-course-truck/
http://www.bigsquidrc.com/updated-ec...hz-rtr-review/

boomgreen87

Thank you for your suggestion. Where can you find these coupons and for what website(s)?

boomgreen87

Alright, thank you for your help!

Dcuda69

Check the local hobby stores to see what they carry. It will help if need parts/support after purchase. I know Traxxas doesn't get a lot of love on this forum but they are usually available at most local stores and parts are easy to come by. You can pick up a 1/10th 2wd brushed Slash,Rustler,Bandit or Stampede RTR for around $250. All are capable of 25-30 mph. They will come with a NiMH battery and a crappy charger but they will be RTR. You can always upgrade to lipos and brushless power systems. They're pretty tough as is so you'll have fun with them. I have a Slash 4x4 that has been pretty good to me and a LOT of fun. Good luck with your purchase and most of all have fun! It's great hobby!!

boomgreen87

Thanks for your help! We have looked at the Traxxas Slash a little bit and it seems like a pretty good vehicle.

SyCo_VeNoM

http://towerhobbies.com/

http://towerhobbies.com/coupon_codes.html is the list of coupons for their site