ThEoNeS911

Only had a kit.. but soon to be had one kit and have one RTR.

Planning on selling my DF03ra for a Brushless Traxxas 1/16 E-Revo, then with b-day monah get a TT01 ot TB-02/03

DaveG55

I have both.
I've built everything but a heli from a kit at one time or another.
I do like RTR's though and don't really understand the bashing of them.
Heck, when I started in this hobby there were not even real kits being sold. You went and bought a set of paper plans, bought your own raw materials and supplies and fabricated every part. You could buy engines already made but people often bought radio kits and assembled them as well.
Nobody seems to be lamenting those times...

cobra26

Excellent point on the radios! Can anyone say "Heathkit"? I remember building my first Heathkit radio that used rubber band-powered escapements! There was NO SUCH THING as a "servo"! Point is, I DON'T miss those radio kits at all - love the "ready-to-go" radios...

Access

In the 70's and early 80's, Heathkit typically offered a significant savings (over the consumer price) or different features that you generally could not get in a consumer item of that type.

My only big beef with RTRs is that many of the RTRs I got weren't really "Ready to Run". Air in the shocks, improperly set up for general running (positive camber, rear toe-out), 2 steering servos that were fighting each other, slipper assembled wrong, etc. If companies are going to go the RTR route, they ought to at least check and test every vehicle out before it's boxed, and also swap out those manuals for a 20-minute 'training DVD'.

The same goes for other items. If I build it myself, I know exactly what I am getting and I know it's going to work. Too much of the time in the consumer world, you end up paying $49.95 for something that turns out to be junk, ie. a LiPo balancer that is nothing more than 3 matched resistors, not even a clamp type circuit.

SAVAGEJIM

Damn straight! And I cannot agree more.

Kits for me are the way to go; RTRs always have something that I simply do not like, be it the engine might be crap, or the radio and electronics.

With a kit, you do not have to worry about wasted money on components that would be otherwise wasted.
I would even settle for a roller, but I still prefer a kit even over that because if I want to slap on upgrades, I dont even have to screw in the stock pieces, I simply add the upgrades as I am building the RC.

Traxxas4fun

My Feedback: (3)

1 rtr
1 kit

sparky 25

I`ve had 5 kits and 9 rtr`s there is probably more but i can`t remember,

my first real hobby grade rc was a kyosho sand master nitro buggy kit,

then i got a kyosho madforce kit and after a while i came across a mint condition kyosho usa1 nitro truck kit,

tamiya txt-1 kit, hpi savage xss kit,

after that i had a long line of rtr`s,

the first rtr i got was a kyosho gigacrusher,

i then went for a hobao monster pirate,
aquacraft nitro hammer boat,
kyosho mini-z madforce,
cen gst 7.7,
hpi e10 drift car,
cen mg16 truck,
associated mgt 4.6 and the latest addition has been a 1/5 km baja.

my brother has had just as many rc`s as me, but he has mostly stuck with the kits and alot of tamiya stuff,

Druss

I'm not sure about that. The brushless erevo comes with a good mamba monster motor/esc and a 2.4ghz radio, the only really thing to change electronics wise is the steering servo or if you want to use your own 2.4ghz radio. I also think the 8ight 2.0 RTR w/ DX3S and starter box is a great deal. Not saying it's better than the kit... just that it's not bad for a RTR.

Ttam Says Blarg

I own a kit. The DB-01. Its a pretty sick little buggy that I know like the back of my hand. I have taken it apart so many times. I enjoyed the kit because it was challenging to build as my first kit and I had a lot of problems but I just figured it out. Building kits is fun.

suburban_hooligan

4 kits
0 RTR's
3 used. 2 of which got totally torn down and rebuilt before they were run. the third has never been run. and all 3 started out as kits.

i will never own an RTR or pre built RC. i was born by the kit. ill die by the kit. if i can't open the box and see bags of parts and an unpainted body i have zero interest in that car/truck. if i buy used i make sure the car/truck im buying was a kit and not an RTR before i buy. im that hardcore about it

Argess

All RTRs will become "kits" if you own them long enough. Repairs, mods, maintenance....all require some dissasembly, so you'll get to know your vehicle one way or another.

I like RTRs except that if you get enough of them, you have way to many "cheap" transmitters cluttering up space. With kits, you can buy one good radio and then just receivers and servos for additional kits.

I find kits are fun to put together, but I realize that's not for everyone.

One feeling of satisfaction is modifying your RTR and have better performance as the result. If you start with a kit and put the best stuff in first, then where's the fun in upgrading?

Instant gratification......good thing for someone new in the hobby. As the interest builds, the desire for a kit may also build.

For the "kit snobs", I don't feel being able to build a kit puts you in the MENSA category of RC. But if you really feel it does, then at least be humble enough not to chastise others on their RTR purchase.

Sidenote on snobbery....I am a Nitro snob.....I don't feel electric is as much of a hobby. Easy to use gas engines (Baja 5B) fall in close to the same category. I like the challenge of nitro engines. A lot of learning, and once you have them down pat, you realize you havn't even started on things like porting, etc. Lots of potential for a long term challenge with Nitro. I guess we all have our faults due to our opinions.....LOL.

EDIT: reading so far into this thread, I forgot the original question and fell into the "which is better" trap. I have both kits and RTRs, but RTRs predominate. All but one RTR are modified, some heavily modified.

kaiser01

+1

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

I built my Associated B4 and we all know the Losi Micros are RTR.

Additionally, I don't view the kits vs. RTRs debate like it's a contest of which is better. This is a hobby, not a contest. There are great kits as well as RTRs. If you have the skills, time and tools necessary to do so then challenge yourself with a kit. I agree that RTRs on the other hand offer instant gratification; especially for someone who is new to the hobby.

Something I don't see very often if at all in the RC terra firma category is "Almost Ready to Run" like they do with planes. It sounds like a decent idea if someone wants a Revo for example, yet wants to use their nice 2.4ghz radio they already own or wants to install a different combination of motors and ESCs. Like a pre-assembled rolling chassis minus electronics and engines.

Druss

I believe that more and more companies will follow the e-flite example of BND (bind and drive) for those that already have spektrum remotes. Traxxas and Losi are two companies that already use spektrum remotes with their RC's so BND just makes sense for the future.

gelbschnee

I have had 2 RTRs, an electric stampede many years ago, and a Duratrax Maximum ST a little less than many years ago. At the time I bought the rtrs, I was younger and had little experience or capability with electronics, and handyness in general, so I think that the RTRs were a good start. That duratrax engine though...that was quite the learning experience. Recently I got back into the hobby and picked up an sc10 kit. I knew what parts and pieces I needed, and it really wasn't much of a problem setting it up. I *personally* think that building a kit is more rewarding, as well as putting in the components that you picked out yourself. It adds a touch of personality to your creation.

DaveG55

Thank You for that statement!!!!!!
Too many people want to turn the whole RC thing into a "mine is better than yours" debate and lose sight of the fact that these are really nothing more than fancy toys and that the goal is to have fun. If fun for you is building, great, but that does not diminish the fun someone else may have from simply plugging and playing.

Anomie

Please keep the offensive remarks and/or profanity out of the thread.

For myself, I prefer kits. Assembling is part of the fun (and many here will say that is all I do anymore!) and results in my knowing where to find problems later.

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

I do apologize. In hindsight I suppose my comment was a bit strong.

In regard to the thread, lately I've been looking into a Traxxas Summit which is apparently only available as a RTR. It boasts way too many cool features for me to care whether it's a RTR or a kit. You cannot tell me that there are RTR vehicles out there that you would not own because they are already built for you. Now, I do agree that building a kit for yourself is highly rewarding and allows you to get to know the inner workings of your vehicle. On the other hand if it has what you want, and satisfies that inner-child craving for new toys, (we're all adults here and Dave is right these are just fancy toys) then get it! Any RC can be customized and made to be your own unique ride.

OvalRacer99

Currently i have 2 RTR's and 6 kits. Those have been the only RTR's I have owned in 20 years of playing with these, otherwise, it has been all kits and I prefer kits. The newer RTR's are loking better since the manufacturers are starting to include better radio and electronic gear in them.

supertib

I have nothing against the idea of RTR's, and in fact I think they do a great job getting people into the hobby.... However at this stag for me there is nothing offered RTR that I am interested in.. there is no RTR built that can handle what I do with my vehicles....If I took a RTR and ran it like I do my current Mugen kit I would completely destroy it in a day..... I am at the stage where I am running top of the line gear and pushing the envelope of performance... No RTR is built to do what I do with my kits, so for me a RTR makes no sense....... RTR's are usually put together with many compromises to keep the costs lower, those compromises may work well for someone starting out, but if your like me and push the envelope the RTR's just wont cut it....I buy only top level kits such as my Mugen MBX5T Prospec, the reason is these higher level kits are built with much higher grade components then the RTR's... The kits not only perform better they also last much better and hold up to abuse much better........ Yes going the kit route does cost more, but you do get what you pay for...and IMO many times the kit route actually gives you more true value for your dollar then a RTR would.........IMO with a RTR you are paying for components you wouldn't normally purchase, and are missing many of the upgrade components that you are likely going to need anyways...

Argess

.............................................I need a drink of water...................

riann

only kit. frankly, i prefer assembly model rather than driving rc.
but those 1/20 or 1/24 don't offer enough moving parts. and they are too fragile.
remote controlling is really bonus to me