ASK Cubby – More Questions, More Non-sense

“How much??????

Cubby,

I started looking for my first rc car three weeks ago. What I have not found is roughly how much do I need to spend to get a true hobby grade car? If I buy a $99 car will it be hobby grade or just an expensive toy? How fast is a $99 car?

Thanks,

Darren J.”

Cubby- Yo hey there Darren, thanks for reading BigSquidRC and for writing in. If you would, shoot me your snail mail for a sticker pack.

OK, not such an easy question ya have there. First, what does “hobby grade” even mean? Well, I think “hobby grade” means a car/truck/buggy that is easy to get spare parts for, as well as being easy to upgrade. Plus, I feel that “hobby grade” means faster than toy store cars, so IMO that means 25 mph or faster for a 10th scaler.

IMO, yes, you can absolutely get a “hobby grade” rc vehicle at the $99 price point. However, it won’t be very large. For example, the $99 1/18th scale 4wd ECX Ruckus Monster Truck (top speed 21 mph) is fully hobby grade in my opinion. You can easily get parts, you can easily bolt in more power, it feels quick out of the box, etc. However, it is only 1/18th scale.

The vast majority of our hobby is 1/10th scale. To get into a “hobby grade” 1/10th scaler you will be closer to the $199-$249 price point. There you will find long time bashing favorites like the Traxxas Stampede, ARRMA Granite Mega, etc. While 1/18th scale is a blast and quite affordable, 1/10th scalers are much larger, enough bigger in fact, that they make getting over rough ground outdoors much easier. IMO that is the reason most people bash with 1/10th (or larger) sized vehicles outdoors.

Thanks for writing in and shoot me another email with some pics of whatever new truck that you end up buying.

“New RC Vehicle

Hello, I’m looking for a new rc vehicle after not liking the ground clearance on the hoonicorn, I’m thinking an hpi WR8 Flux or an Arrma Notorious, which do you recommend? I have an hpi bullet st, and I love it. Also, said bullet st can’t wheelie anymore, I think I had to replace the esc, could that be the reason?

Thanks,
Matthew G.”

Cubby- Heyyyy now Matty, thanks for the email. If you email me your home addy, we will get you one of our totally bash-worthy sticker packs.

So ya, the HPI Hoonicorn is a blast on-road, but you don’t want to point it down your local rock crawling course. LOL. You have suggested a rally style car like the HPI WR8 Flux (which is an awesome blast) as well as the ARRMA Notorious. Between those two, the Notorious will have more ground clearance, and is much better suited to off-road, jumping, and stunting. Oh ya, and while your Bullet ST can’t wheelie anymore, the Notorious is an absolute beast at it. So ya, if you can’t tell already, I would highly recommend the Notorious for your ongoing basher needs over the WR8. Why? Simply because it is more capable for wheelies and big jumps.

Why won’t your old Bullet ST wheelie? Good question, and it could be a bunch of different things. Guessing off the top of my head here- diff issue, slipper issue, spur issue, driveshaft issue, wheel hex issue, etc. Hold your truck down on the table and hit the gas slightly. Look (and listen) to see where your broken/slipping part is located. And while it might be the speedo, I would suspect a bunch of other things first.

There ya go and there ya are. Go fast and break lots of parts my friend.

Have an unanswerable question? Need an unreadable answer? Have a deep, burning, rant that you just have to get off your chest? Email me- thecubreportrc at gmail dot com.