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Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
05-21-2008, 01:22 PM
#26
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
All I can say is imagine how that would work irl. Truth is we live in a consumer society where you pay the $$$ and you expect something that is ready-to-go. This is part of the 'postmodern psyche' of the typical consumer. He expects to buy something and it should be ready to go... that's what you paid the money for. Paying money and _then_ getting something that you still have to work on for hours before you can use it is very counter to that thinking. If you're going to have to work to make something, it better be free, or pretty close to free. I'm not saying that's how everybody things, but it's how most people out there today think... in what passes for 'thinking' these days.
Maybe if they were giving away the kits for free, or giving away the kits at a much reduced price it could work. But neither one is very feasible, the kits don't have volume or numbers going for them like the RTRs.
irl there are some industries like luxury furniture where building something yourself is a huge potential savings. There are other things like buying an ESC where even with the markups in the system there is no way I could build my own (for the price paid) and save money over just buying a good one at market prices. If you look at some communities like the amish they will build their own houses and things like that, by hand, without even working power tools. But with RC becoming more and more of the consumer industry as time goes on, kits have been losing ground and who knows how much longer they will be around for at all.
Maybe if they were giving away the kits for free, or giving away the kits at a much reduced price it could work. But neither one is very feasible, the kits don't have volume or numbers going for them like the RTRs.
irl there are some industries like luxury furniture where building something yourself is a huge potential savings. There are other things like buying an ESC where even with the markups in the system there is no way I could build my own (for the price paid) and save money over just buying a good one at market prices. If you look at some communities like the amish they will build their own houses and things like that, by hand, without even working power tools. But with RC becoming more and more of the consumer industry as time goes on, kits have been losing ground and who knows how much longer they will be around for at all.
05-21-2008, 01:29 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
I've built some and I've bought some RTR. Building them didn't really teach me anything that I wouldn't have figured out anyway. I mean when a part breaks on my RTR's I'm not thinking "OH NO I don't know how to repair it because I didn't build it!". I've never had any trouble with the build quality of any RTR I've purchased. Actually I did have a wheel nut fall off 5 mins into my first run on my Stampede, but that's my own fault since I knew I should have checked it but forgot. Other than that I've never had a missing or loose screw or improperly assembled component in any RTR I own. I'm sure all of the big companies have some degree of quality control in their assembly line.
But there is a lot to be said for building your own kit - you can give it more TLC than someone who's going to build 20 kits this week. And you can identify potentially weak components and modify accordingly.
Assembled kits - Almost Ready to Run. They make sense for someone who wants an RTR but doesn't want to use the stock electrics (which are usually marginal at best).
But there is a lot to be said for building your own kit - you can give it more TLC than someone who's going to build 20 kits this week. And you can identify potentially weak components and modify accordingly.
Assembled kits - Almost Ready to Run. They make sense for someone who wants an RTR but doesn't want to use the stock electrics (which are usually marginal at best).
05-21-2008, 01:41 PM
#28
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Holy cow Access, I can't hardly believe that you beleive what you posted! Sure, this society is all about" I want it now and I have no time"! That's why we need hobbies, something to tinker and putz around with, to relax, take your sweet ole' time and have some fun.
And about the Amish, they don't build their own houses(very very few anyway) but a barn raising is a tradition. I know, I live amongst the "plain people".
And about the Amish, they don't build their own houses(very very few anyway) but a barn raising is a tradition. I know, I live amongst the "plain people".
05-21-2008, 01:49 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Access
All I can say is imagine how that would work irl. Truth is we live in a consumer society where you pay the $$$ and you expect something that is ready-to-go. This is part of the 'postmodern psyche' of the typical consumer. He expects to buy something and it should be ready to go... that's what you paid the money for. Paying money and _then_ getting something that you still have to work on for hours before you can use it is very counter to that thinking. If you're going to have to work to make something, it better be free, or pretty close to free. I'm not saying that's how everybody things, but it's how most people out there today think... in what passes for 'thinking' these days.
Maybe if they were giving away the kits for free, or giving away the kits at a much reduced price it could work. But neither one is very feasible, the kits don't have volume or numbers going for them like the RTRs.
irl there are some industries like luxury furniture where building something yourself is a huge potential savings. There are other things like buying an ESC where even with the markups in the system there is no way I could build my own (for the price paid) and save money over just buying a good one at market prices. If you look at some communities like the amish they will build their own houses and things like that, by hand, without even working power tools. But with RC becoming more and more of the consumer industry as time goes on, kits have been losing ground and who knows how much longer they will be around for at all.
All I can say is imagine how that would work irl. Truth is we live in a consumer society where you pay the $$$ and you expect something that is ready-to-go. This is part of the 'postmodern psyche' of the typical consumer. He expects to buy something and it should be ready to go... that's what you paid the money for. Paying money and _then_ getting something that you still have to work on for hours before you can use it is very counter to that thinking. If you're going to have to work to make something, it better be free, or pretty close to free. I'm not saying that's how everybody things, but it's how most people out there today think... in what passes for 'thinking' these days.
Maybe if they were giving away the kits for free, or giving away the kits at a much reduced price it could work. But neither one is very feasible, the kits don't have volume or numbers going for them like the RTRs.
irl there are some industries like luxury furniture where building something yourself is a huge potential savings. There are other things like buying an ESC where even with the markups in the system there is no way I could build my own (for the price paid) and save money over just buying a good one at market prices. If you look at some communities like the amish they will build their own houses and things like that, by hand, without even working power tools. But with RC becoming more and more of the consumer industry as time goes on, kits have been losing ground and who knows how much longer they will be around for at all.
05-21-2008, 01:49 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: slayerphonics
My life is busy enough with out spending days building a kit, when I could be spending that time with my wife and other things, I just rather race and leave the building to the peons.
Go iron my underwear.
ORIGINAL: st_dragn_wagen
assembled kits... wth? i don't even get this concept, its like half assed RTR.
i just have one question for everybody.
at what point did this hobby go from "oh cool! i get to build this thing!" to what seems like a majority of hobbyist sounding like whiny 6 year olds complaining "but i don't wanna build it"
my personal mantra "if i can't build it, i can't buy it"
assembled kits... wth? i don't even get this concept, its like half assed RTR.
i just have one question for everybody.
at what point did this hobby go from "oh cool! i get to build this thing!" to what seems like a majority of hobbyist sounding like whiny 6 year olds complaining "but i don't wanna build it"
my personal mantra "if i can't build it, i can't buy it"
Go iron my underwear.
Just because people build kits doesnt make them peons!
I like building and im deffinetly not a peon.
05-21-2008, 01:54 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
IMO Access makes a good point. Society (American society especially) has always been about convenience and "I want it now" mentality. But that mentality has led to innovation and ingenuity: ATMs, computerized gas pumps, cell phones, PDA's, etc.... all were inventions that were driven by a need for immediate gratification.
People who were intimidated by the thought of having to build the kit can now contribute to the successful economy of our hobby. They make owning a hobbyshop more profitable which is good for us all.
People who were intimidated by the thought of having to build the kit can now contribute to the successful economy of our hobby. They make owning a hobbyshop more profitable which is good for us all.
05-21-2008, 02:02 PM
#32
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Well I gotta be with Slayer on this one.
I love taking my trucks apart and putting them back together, but as for building. I just dont have the time. I get to drive once a week, and no way in hell im gonna spend my Saturdays ( Track Day ), sitting at home and building a new truck.
The only time I can would be after 11PM at night, and by which, im absoloutely beat.
Im extremely for Assembled Kits, like how my CRT .5 Pro came. All the diffs were in, A - Arms attached, but the linkages, shocks, electronics, engine, radio tray, battery box etcc... Were un-assembled. It took me around 2 nights to finish it, on average, an hour a night.
My Hyper came in a similar way, " Race Roller ". No electronics, engine, linkages, radio tray. But the shocks were already built.
In any which ways, when ever I get a new truck, first thing I do is pull the diffs, shocks, and inspect all the screws.
I love taking my trucks apart and putting them back together, but as for building. I just dont have the time. I get to drive once a week, and no way in hell im gonna spend my Saturdays ( Track Day ), sitting at home and building a new truck.
The only time I can would be after 11PM at night, and by which, im absoloutely beat.
Im extremely for Assembled Kits, like how my CRT .5 Pro came. All the diffs were in, A - Arms attached, but the linkages, shocks, electronics, engine, radio tray, battery box etcc... Were un-assembled. It took me around 2 nights to finish it, on average, an hour a night.
My Hyper came in a similar way, " Race Roller ". No electronics, engine, linkages, radio tray. But the shocks were already built.
In any which ways, when ever I get a new truck, first thing I do is pull the diffs, shocks, and inspect all the screws.
05-21-2008, 02:15 PM
#33
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Modern conveniences are swell because they free up our time to enjoy the good things in life. Come on guys...just say it..." I don't like working on things[:'(]"!
Hobby shops are turning into toy stores!
Here's a view across my back yard looking at the landlords empire. He didn't build ANY of it!
Hobby shops are turning into toy stores!
Here's a view across my back yard looking at the landlords empire. He didn't build ANY of it!
05-21-2008, 02:29 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Bluebrew
Modern conveniences are swell because they free up our time to enjoy the good things in life. Come on guys...just say it..." I don't like working on things[:'(]"!0
Modern conveniences are swell because they free up our time to enjoy the good things in life. Come on guys...just say it..." I don't like working on things[:'(]"!0
05-21-2008, 02:38 PM
#36
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Aw heck, in this RTR world I get judged all the time, bet you do too! The LL is a pretty cool guy. When I run my stuff quite often he and some of the youngn's come a runnin' across that field to watch. He just shakes his back and forth and mutters"now don't that beat all"!
05-21-2008, 03:12 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Bluebrew
Holy cow Access, I can't hardly believe that you beleive what you posted! Sure, this society is all about" I want it now and I have no time"! That's why we need hobbies, something to tinker and putz around with, to relax, take your sweet ole' time and have some fun.
Holy cow Access, I can't hardly believe that you beleive what you posted! Sure, this society is all about" I want it now and I have no time"! That's why we need hobbies, something to tinker and putz around with, to relax, take your sweet ole' time and have some fun.
It is what it is, for better of for worse.
I'm one of those people who still builds stuff 'from scratch', like own electronics or woodworking or robots or things, but it's for things that don't exist to the consumer world or can't be bought as ready-sold consumer items (yet). If the thing I wanted was avaliable commercially and it lived up to it (it wasn't junk), I'd buy that and be happy too.
05-21-2008, 06:07 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Bluebrew
Aw heck, in this RTR world I get judged all the time, bet you do too! The LL is a pretty cool guy. When I run my stuff quite often he and some of the youngn's come a runnin' across that field to watch. He just shakes his back and forth and mutters"now don't that beat all"!
Aw heck, in this RTR world I get judged all the time, bet you do too! The LL is a pretty cool guy. When I run my stuff quite often he and some of the youngn's come a runnin' across that field to watch. He just shakes his back and forth and mutters"now don't that beat all"!
05-21-2008, 09:57 PM
#39
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Try asking this question in the airplane forum, I bet you'll get a whole different answer. Airplanes are so finicky, and easy to completely destroy that if you screw up one little thing, it won't fly well. Having said that, I think most would love to build there own plane but don't have the time or money. It takes a whole lot more to do a plane than a car. ARF airplanes are the new big rage atleast at my local field. You can fly in a matter of only hours if you got the rest to complete it.
05-21-2008, 10:09 PM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
I enjoy building my cars and trucks, i will spend the extra money to buy the kit if they have it in the car or truck of my choice. I like to spend time messin with these rc cars and trucks, so anyway i can, i will.
05-22-2008, 12:08 AM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Access
All I can say is imagine how that would work irl. Truth is we live in a consumer society where you pay the $$$ and you expect something that is ready-to-go. This is part of the 'postmodern psyche' of the typical consumer. He expects to buy something and it should be ready to go... that's what you paid the money for. Paying money and _then_ getting something that you still have to work on for hours before you can use it is very counter to that thinking. If you're going to have to work to make something, it better be free, or pretty close to free. I'm not saying that's how everybody things, but it's how most people out there today think... in what passes for 'thinking' these days.
Maybe if they were giving away the kits for free, or giving away the kits at a much reduced price it could work. But neither one is very feasible, the kits don't have volume or numbers going for them like the RTRs.
irl there are some industries like luxury furniture where building something yourself is a huge potential savings. There are other things like buying an ESC where even with the markups in the system there is no way I could build my own (for the price paid) and save money over just buying a good one at market prices. If you look at some communities like the amish they will build their own houses and things like that, by hand, without even working power tools. But with RC becoming more and more of the consumer industry as time goes on, kits have been losing ground and who knows how much longer they will be around for at all.
All I can say is imagine how that would work irl. Truth is we live in a consumer society where you pay the $$$ and you expect something that is ready-to-go. This is part of the 'postmodern psyche' of the typical consumer. He expects to buy something and it should be ready to go... that's what you paid the money for. Paying money and _then_ getting something that you still have to work on for hours before you can use it is very counter to that thinking. If you're going to have to work to make something, it better be free, or pretty close to free. I'm not saying that's how everybody things, but it's how most people out there today think... in what passes for 'thinking' these days.
Maybe if they were giving away the kits for free, or giving away the kits at a much reduced price it could work. But neither one is very feasible, the kits don't have volume or numbers going for them like the RTRs.
irl there are some industries like luxury furniture where building something yourself is a huge potential savings. There are other things like buying an ESC where even with the markups in the system there is no way I could build my own (for the price paid) and save money over just buying a good one at market prices. If you look at some communities like the amish they will build their own houses and things like that, by hand, without even working power tools. But with RC becoming more and more of the consumer industry as time goes on, kits have been losing ground and who knows how much longer they will be around for at all.
05-22-2008, 04:33 AM
#42
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
It's funny because many years ago I had a friend who used to love to run my R/Cs but never bought any of his own. He too used to use the "I don't have time" excuse. No matter how many times I told him how easy it was to build these things he insisted that he didn't have time and even went as far as pointing the finger at me as if I was in the wrong for making time to do something I loved. After what was probably a couple of years of this I finally got him to buy a kit and spent the better part of an afternoon with him building it together. Needless to say he was hooked from that point on. Odd how he suddenly found time to build kits after that, many many many kits. [sm=47_47.gif]
05-22-2008, 04:52 AM
#43
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Have to agree building the kit is the fun part nothing like a few beers,fav tunes on and a tamiya manual lol
Also like said it helps you maintain your car once built and understand any problems you have with them,ive only bought one RTR which was 90% finished,takes the fun away really.
Most kits nowadays have lots of hopups anyway so why restrip a car to fit them when you can do it while building?
.....U gotta love the tamiya manuals how every parts fits the sizes on the manual pure genius mr tam [8D]
Also like said it helps you maintain your car once built and understand any problems you have with them,ive only bought one RTR which was 90% finished,takes the fun away really.
Most kits nowadays have lots of hopups anyway so why restrip a car to fit them when you can do it while building?
.....U gotta love the tamiya manuals how every parts fits the sizes on the manual pure genius mr tam [8D]
05-22-2008, 07:40 AM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
rtr packages are only huge in america, in most countries its more like a tower combo thing than a rtr as you can get the kit, radio, battery and charger all in a package.
this is a classic example of a fat lazy american, something as simple as putting together a rc car takes to much time that we can't be bothered lol.
this is a classic example of a fat lazy american, something as simple as putting together a rc car takes to much time that we can't be bothered lol.
05-22-2008, 08:24 AM
#45
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Longhair
Isn't that the same as saying "I think I will take up jigsaw puzzles as a hobby. Now where can I buy them pre-assembled so I don't have to put them together myself?"
Isn't that the same as saying "I think I will take up jigsaw puzzles as a hobby. Now where can I buy them pre-assembled so I don't have to put them together myself?"
It is a self-perpetuating phenomena and it has eclipsed the kit builders. I don't blame the companies for trying to appeal to the modern consumer. But you have a generation of people brought up on ready-made devices who expect their next toy to be the same.
The funny thing is many RTR's aren't. How much of the time have I found a gear mesh that was totally off, shocks totally mis-adjusted, slipper too tight / loose, transmitter not set up right and ESC in need of calibration. 40% of the people cannot read english past the third-grade level and the rest aren't going to read to the instructions to begin with, they mess up the car and take it back to the hobby shop thinking it must be defective.
05-22-2008, 08:32 AM
#46
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
Wow talk about generalizing a population as fat and lazy,
Put this on for size,
The average vaction time for europeans is 38 days,
Americans 13 days,
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922052.html
With that average 13 days off, most people don't take because when they get back they are so far behind in there work, or they may not have a job when they return, depending on the industry. Myself I havn't taken any vaction time in almost 3 years.
Maybe, just maybe, its honestly because most people are so busy with work, family and other personal agendas, that they honestly just don't have the time to assemble a kit,
Its an ignorant statement to call an entire population fat and lazy over the assembly of a toy car.
Put this on for size,
The average vaction time for europeans is 38 days,
Americans 13 days,
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922052.html
With that average 13 days off, most people don't take because when they get back they are so far behind in there work, or they may not have a job when they return, depending on the industry. Myself I havn't taken any vaction time in almost 3 years.
Maybe, just maybe, its honestly because most people are so busy with work, family and other personal agendas, that they honestly just don't have the time to assemble a kit,
Its an ignorant statement to call an entire population fat and lazy over the assembly of a toy car.
05-22-2008, 08:33 AM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: J.D.T
rtr packages are only huge in america, in most countries its more like a tower combo thing than a rtr as you can get the kit, radio, battery and charger all in a package.
this is a classic example of a fat lazy american, something as simple as putting together a rc car takes to much time that we can't be bothered lol.
rtr packages are only huge in america, in most countries its more like a tower combo thing than a rtr as you can get the kit, radio, battery and charger all in a package.
this is a classic example of a fat lazy american, something as simple as putting together a rc car takes to much time that we can't be bothered lol.
i guess it sort of fits under the "societal ills" of what's wrong with all of us in that we want it now, we want it cheap, and we want it as we want it or we don't want it at all. the rc companies have filled our weaknesses and our wants all in one move by going primarily rtr.
05-22-2008, 08:36 AM
#48
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
come on guys lets cool down over this.
then again if we all don't listen to the fat and lazy comparison, I think he was making a joke of the old expression, all we need to do is listen to all the reports about our population being drastically overweight
then again if we all don't listen to the fat and lazy comparison, I think he was making a joke of the old expression, all we need to do is listen to all the reports about our population being drastically overweight
05-22-2008, 08:38 AM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: Access
40% of the people cannot read english past the third-grade level and the rest aren't going to read to the instructions to begin with, they mess up the car and take it back to the hobby shop thinking it must be defective.
40% of the people cannot read english past the third-grade level and the rest aren't going to read to the instructions to begin with, they mess up the car and take it back to the hobby shop thinking it must be defective.
good points all ^^^
i think the group you're looking is "reading at the 8th grade level". though it's still a problem.
but I do agree with your premise in that people want it done for them instead of them doing it for themselves.
05-22-2008, 09:30 AM
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RE: Unassembled Kits or Assembled Kits
ORIGINAL: number40
good points all ^^^
but I do agree with your premise in that people want it done for them instead of them doing it for themselves.
ORIGINAL: Access
40% of the people cannot read english past the third-grade level and the rest aren't going to read to the instructions to begin with, they mess up the car and take it back to the hobby shop thinking it must be defective.
40% of the people cannot read english past the third-grade level and the rest aren't going to read to the instructions to begin with, they mess up the car and take it back to the hobby shop thinking it must be defective.
good points all ^^^
but I do agree with your premise in that people want it done for them instead of them doing it for themselves.