Do I Buy RTR or build my own

[Wilfnsam]

Just about to buy a 2wd 1/10th buggy and wondering whether I should buy the Associate B4.1 RTR for 209 or build my own.

Can anybody advise, will I get a better car building it myself and if so where is best place to get the kit, speed controller , transmitter/Receiver (wheeled) and motor. If anybody could advise on the best way forward and if best to build my own advise on a set up.

If its best to buy off the shelf has anyone see it cheaper that £209.00

Thanks for your help

[Brewskie]

I'd recommend building yourself so u get to know exactly how the car fits together, will work out better in long run if something breaks or if u get any issues

[Aran]

if your working in a budget of around £200 the team c kits are a good buy.

I personally prefer to buy a kit, you get to build it and chose your own electrics then.

[Wilfnsam]

Originally Posted by Aran

if your working in a budget of around £200 the team c kits are a good buy.

I personally prefer to buy a kit, you get to build it and chose your own electrics then.

Tanks who makes the team C kit

[stumpiey]

Team C are the manufacturer, the also make the kits for ansmann
http://www.s-m-d.co.uk/2wd-electric-kits-c100251.html

[Spoolio]

+1 for the Team C. With an RTR you invariably end up replacing electrics fairly quickly unless you are just using it for bashing in the park, so if you are in this long term it's better to invest in good gear at the start. If you aren't sure if it's going to appeal then maybe a suck it and see RTR might be a good idea I suppose.

[TARTMAN]

RTR is a great way o ge into the hobby cheaply and easily.

If you are on a tight budget, then go RTR, as kit and electrics sperate will be another £100 ish on top.

If you are trying it out and not sure if its going to be long term, go RTR, if you are sure you are in it for the long haul and plan on racing regularly, go Kit/own electrics. As mentioned, they will be better and last longer and will be upgradeable and adjusable........

Happy Racing!!

[hit5005]

Get the b4.1 rtr good car to start with and the motor and esc are good to I've given my motor and esc a hammering and thay still going well had over a year

[Burty248]

I would try and look at the for sale section or have a look on ebay. You can find some good rollers with a lot of spares which you wouldn't get if you got r2r. But it would mean that it would most Likely be a used car, but some you can get really good deals from.

If you only get a roller for about £100 that gives you about an extra £100 to spend on electrics plus you might get the extra spares from buying a roller.

[andylinney]

I'm a big advocate of building a model, it gives you a great understanding of how it works from the outset. Things like setting it up, centering servos etc are those sort of tasks that once you've learnt you'll do them with your eyes closed for evermore. Anything you're not sure of then just ask.

One big hint though if you do decide to build. If you find yourself stuck / frustrated / unsure what to do then don't push on.

Put it down, go and make a brew or watch tv or something else to clear your head and then go back to it.

Frustration = broken bits for certain.

Oh, and save a few quid for decent tools. Good tools make building and maintenance a pleasure.

[chickentikka25]

+1 for going used - you'll get a better car, spares and likely better electronics, just hunt down a good one and be patient. Manuals are usually downloadable.

Don't forget you'll need to factor in:

Batteries and a charger (look at Hobbyking for lipo's, and the iMax B6 charger on eBay)
Tyres appropriate to the track (check in the for sale section or just go buy Schumacher mini spikes for the rear and staggered ribs for the front, pretty standard setup)
Servo - metal gears for resilience, a reasonable speed will help your driving loads

So for RTR you could easily be into £300+ to get running - you'll get a great used car for that, likely a load of spares, and a better setup than the RTR version.

If you pick up just a roller, look at Hobbywing, Hobbyking and Bullistorm for electrics - great kit for next to no money.

[andylinney]

^ that's true, you do get much more for your money when buying used.

Even then, it's a good idea to strip and re-build to ensure there's nothing nasty lurking and that everything is as you'd want it to be.

I've got two secondhand models on their way and the first thing I'll be doing once I've checked they're as described and the electrics are working is taking them to bits, cleaning / greasing / oiling and thread locking as needed before I get them running at anywhere near a decent speed.

That way when I crash it (and I'm sure I will), the repair is an easy one and it's my fault - not some random bloke off a forum / eBay not reading the instructions and using grease instead of thread lock.