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Thread: How much would you say it costs to get started crawling?

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Old 01-05-2009, 12:07 AM   #1
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Default How much would you say it costs to get started crawling?

Sorry if this is a dumb question that's been asked before. It's been almost 20 years since I last owned an RC car. I'm lurking a lot and reading everything I can. lol

I'm looking to get started with a crawler and I'm trying to get a good idea of how much everything will cost.

I'm leaning towards an AX10 kit or ARTR right now ($250 ish)

it's the rest of the equipment I'm not too sure on.

I really have no idea what's "good" and things like radio's really vary in price.

So how much would you say it's gonna cost for a good radio, reciever, ESC, motor, battery, charger, etc..?

thanks.
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Old 01-05-2009, 12:20 AM   #2
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$500-1000 really depends how sick you are.
i'm a real sick bastard, and its ok
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Old 01-05-2009, 02:18 AM   #3
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You are correct in leaning towards the Axial ARTR, you can keep cost down by buying cheap and nasty 2-channel radio gear which will be OK but you'd be better in the long run paying a bit extra for 3 to 4-channel radio gear so in the future you can add Dig for competition use, or add 4 wheel steering for fun/bashing. The 2.4 wireless radio gear is excellent, no glitching, but is expensive. I'd recommend a HiTorque servo too....TowerPro MG995 are cheap, but prone to sudden failure. HiTec do some nice servos.

Last edited by WolverineX; 01-05-2009 at 02:23 AM.
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Old 01-05-2009, 04:16 AM   #4
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$250 ARTR Axial
$120 Tekin FXR and 55t lathe motor (http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Tekin-Cra...2-p-16933.html)
$50 2 channel radio
$25 Battery (http://www.tcscrawlers.com/TCS-Crawl...r-p-16679.html)
$5 split battery mount(http://www.tcscrawlers.com/ON-SALE-1...h-p-16524.html)
$50 Charger (http://www.tcscrawlers.com/MRC-SUPER...R-p-16374.html)
$30 HS645MG servo

$430 is all it takes to start

Last edited by renoirbud; 01-05-2009 at 04:19 AM.
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Old 01-05-2009, 05:37 AM   #5
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i was in the same boat as you r now, i have been out of the loop since 1985 and had to start from scratch....so far i'm at bout 2,000 bucks, but i didn't go the cheap 450.00 route to where i would need to spend more money to upgrade things like a better charger and such....here's a link to my build....

finally started build............

i joined here and read others builds, did searches, asked questions and found out what others were having troubles with and what they replaced from stock ax10 kits....if i was gonna change these things out i might as well start without them....if you look at any of the scorpion kits the tires, wheels, shocks, chassis plates and almost everything in the axles were replaced....so out of a kit 75% was not used in the long run....i did a cost tally of what would be replaced and compaired to buying a kit it was just a little more money going that route then if i bought a kit then bought all the hop-ups i would be buying anyway....read my build and see if thats a route you might think is good in your situation, i had the money to buy what i did so i wouldn't need to upgrade from buying cheaper stuff money wise....other words i did my homework and bought a charger that if i went lipo i didn't need a new one.............bob

....
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Old 01-05-2009, 10:16 AM   #6
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your looking around 500.00 plus to get going. most depends on what ammenities you buy, it ok servo, or GOOD servo, Ok radio or GOOD radio ok ESC GOOD ESC ect...



kit 250.00
good servo for steering 50 to 110 Hitech 645 is good at 45.00, Hitec 5955tg, JR Z9100T Excellent servos at 110.00

good radio setup 100 - 300 (if you can afford it buy a good radio now, personally i suggest a Nomadio React, 250ish)

ESC/Motor. here you can spend a little wiht a tazer esc at 30.00 and a 20.00 motor, or you can spend a bit more and go with a Novak Rooster Crawler ESC/55T combo around 105.00, or you can get froggy and jump on a CC Mamba Max ESC (130.00) and get say a HH Motor, at 40.00 or even a Novak Goat setup at 200.00

then you ll need a few other things
Charger and battery (another good spot NOT to scrimp out on)
some tools, maybe a set of rims/foams/tires to change things up ect...
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Old 01-05-2009, 02:28 PM   #7
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Thanks for the help guys.

$500 - $600 I think I can manage with my tax return.. any more than that will probably make my girl pretty mad, lol.

Plus I'm just getting back into RC and don't know how "into" it I'll be...

Bob I've seen your build thread, and while you're gonna have a sweet truck when you're done, that's more than I can afford to do all at once. I see why you wanted to start with all those good parts and have a pretty bullet proof rig, but I'm probably gonna start with a mostly stock kit and add upgrades and mods a little at a time. It'll spread the cost out, and for me the tweaking/wrenching is half the fun.

I would definetly want to start with good equipment (radio, ESC, motor, charger, etc.) as I wouldn't want to buy those things twice. For other things like axle parts, chassis bits, wheels, shocks, dig, etc. I'll add those things when/as needed.

I've toyed with the idea of getting an RTR because it's the least initial investment, and upgrading from there, but I feel like I would want to replace half the parts right away....

The ARTR seems like the best setup to start with (bent links, better tires, rear axle lockout, etc.) but the kit seems the most apealing as I would enjoy building the rig myself and learning how everything works along the way....

From what you guys are saying, a good radio is probably gonna be the most costly item other than the kit... I don't really know much about the current radio tech other than 2.4 is the thing to get and you need 3 channels for a dig setup, lol.

RC has gotten a lot more advanced since I last had a car, we had mechanical speed controls and radio's only came in 1 flavor...

hmmm.. guess I'm gonna need a soldering iron and some tools also...
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Old 01-05-2009, 03:17 PM   #8
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^^^^^^ plus $20 rcc member fee ^^^^^^
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Old 01-05-2009, 03:49 PM   #9
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I just spent ~$535 for my setup:

2.4 GHz Spektrum radio = $155
Venom Creeper = $220
Trinity ESC & 55 turn brushed motor & Hitec MG servo = $160
====================
Total = $535 plus shipping

I already have lipo's, battery charger, wire, & Dean's connectors, so that part of the expense was already taken care of (thank goodness).

I haven't seen a review of this crawler yet - I reckon this is because it's new and it just started shipping - hope it's not a piece of junk.
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Old 01-05-2009, 06:08 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by renoirbud View Post
$250 ARTR Axial
$120 Tekin FXR and 55t lathe motor (http://www.tcscrawlers.com/Tekin-Cra...2-p-16933.html)
$50 2 channel radio
$25 Battery (http://www.tcscrawlers.com/TCS-Crawl...r-p-16679.html)
$5 split battery mount(http://www.tcscrawlers.com/ON-SALE-1...h-p-16524.html)
$50 Charger (http://www.tcscrawlers.com/MRC-SUPER...R-p-16374.html)
$30 HS645MG servo

$430 is all it takes to start
^^^^^ equals $530


i got my son an artr for xmas. but i went the cheaper way out...

$230 axial artr from tcs
$36 moped v16r esc from cpe
$30 tq3 radio from ebay
$25 battery from tcs
$30 hitec 645mg servo from lhs
$5 split battery mount from tcs
$15 integy 55t from tcs

$421 total
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Old 01-05-2009, 06:47 PM   #11
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or you can buy a losi mrc rtr for $240. you might need to upgrade electronics a little bit later though
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Old 01-05-2009, 07:06 PM   #12
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Its like owning a Jeep, Just empty ever pocket!!!
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Old 01-06-2009, 02:12 PM   #13
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There is a huge difference between what you need and what you will want. I started with a scorpion RTR. The downside of the RTR is you will end up replacing the vast majority of the parts and spending more money than if you pieced your truck together. The upside is you get to start crawling right away, you will of course be addicted and find yourself at the hobby shop soon. You also get to really experience the difference between the performance of your original parts vs. the upgrades. Crawling with the RTR will help you prioritize your upgrades based on need vs. cost. You can also use all your old stock parts as a back up plan in case something breaks on you. It'll be appreciated if someone breaks a part and you have something that can get them by for the day. I've probably put about $650 in my truck with more to go. Your addiction may be more or less severe.
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Old 01-06-2009, 11:40 PM   #14
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I've only bought one rc new, against some freindly advice, and regretted it. Sure, I got to drive it right away with minimal initial wrench time, but soon I was breaking and tweaking and upgrading it to a point that was just stupid. Besides, the resale value is crap. If you decide you don't like it or want it, you'll never get back anything near what you've put into it.

I've yet to buy another off the shelf.

There are so many good deals out there on parts that it doesn't make sense to pay full retail for something you may not keep in the long run. Hell, even if you do keep it for a long time, why pay more than you have to?

My current Maxx based solid axle crawler was build with 95% used parts. In all, not including the charger/batteries, I probably have less than $200 into the truck itself as it sits right now. Lots of time invested though...lol.

If memory serves me, here's what I've spent (used unless noted):

~Maxx sized beadlocks with Badlands - $25
~Emaxx ESC/Transmission - $10 (package deal)
~Axle shafts, differentials, carriers, shocks/springs, misc hardware/odds & ends - $40 (just a small part of a huge used parts lot)
~Misc items from the hardware store - $40
~55t motor (new) - $15
~Body - $15 (new, closeout @ LHS)
~Servo - $35
~Tx/rx - $10
~Wheel weights - $4

I have several rc's, so there are a few parts that found their way over to the crawler, but nothing major (a driveshaft or two, an extra set of shocks). I've been running the same 4 battery packs and charger for over a year now which were also initially bought for a previous car, but I doubt I've gotten more than $100 invested in that stuff.

You can still go cheap and build a capable rig if you're willing to invest the time. Most of the parts lots I picked up ended up getting resold after I picked out what I wanted, so you can recoup some green if you do it right.

Find a local rc club and get freindly, and keep an eye out on the classifieds here. Good deals are abundant.

Last edited by Duuuuuuuude; 01-07-2009 at 06:26 AM.
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Old 01-07-2009, 02:22 AM   #15
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Why not Losi Mini Rock Crawler - it's 239.- $ and RTR

And when you still like the hobby you can give it to gf. and buy or build something cool, like new 1/10 losi or kyosho rf, etc.
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Old 01-07-2009, 06:49 AM   #16
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thing about he lose mini. if you want ot go OUTSIDE and play, you may as well start off with the Axial. the losi is MINI for a reason. for us here in Michigan, its a way to play inthe livingroom on some books when its crappy out like it is today. lol
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Old 01-07-2009, 07:43 AM   #17
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i just got my AX-10 kit and i have a two way radio and reciver and a 55T novak motor and an AI Runner series ESC and spent about 520$ but oher than that i have done alot more to it.
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Old 01-07-2009, 10:38 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigB_117 View Post
Sorry if this is a dumb question that's been asked before. It's been almost 20 years since I last owned an RC car. I'm lurking a lot and reading everything I can. lol

I'm looking to get started with a crawler and I'm trying to get a good idea of how much everything will cost.
Not a dumb question at all bro. But I do have a dumb answer for you...

If you buy a rig and drive it once on the rocks, YOU WILL BE HOOKED! And therefore your question becomes a moot point and you will spend everything you have on what your girl will call a "TOY TRUCK" . If I could I would spend evry dime I had in this crap and drive my Tamiya hilft to work, live in a house made out of Tamiya boxes, and the wife and kids would all eat top ramen noodles (without water).

My suggestion is get the best that YOU can afford that will last you a while cuz your gonna be here for a long time!!! I would hold off on the Creeper as the after market support is just not there yet. Go with the AX10 it is inexpensive and a fairly good crawler out of the box. I would get the ARTR version if you can afford it and get the rest of your gear separate. if you can wait, wait for the Losi comp crawler. Good luck brotha!!!
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Old 01-07-2009, 05:23 PM   #19
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Thanks for the help everyone

I'm gonna go watch a local comp on Sunday, and then once my tax return gets here I'll be using that to get setup with a rig.

I'm still leaning towards the AX10 kit because I think building it would be really fun, but the ARTR does look like the best deal....

The Losi MRC is a cool little truck but I worry that I would outgrow it too fast and want to move to a 2.2... plus I could get an AX10 RTR for around the same price. Though I have no idea which is the "better" truck.

Edit:

That new Losi Comp Crawler that someone suggested waiting for looks like it's gonna be a really nice truck. Do you guys think it will have the same support and following that the Axial truck has had?

Last edited by BigB_117; 01-07-2009 at 05:31 PM.
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Old 01-07-2009, 07:10 PM   #20
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Quote:
And when you still like the hobby you can give it to gf.
Since I don't have a g/f, I guess this means it's okay for me to get one?

Wonder what the wife will say about this.

Happy crawlin',

AR
;)
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