One hundred million dollars….. Yeah I love Austin Powers lol.
This is a great question and one that deserves some spotlight. I classify how much an RC car will cost into a few categories and then I will explain the true cost of the rc car, batteries and chargers
Micro cars up to 6 inches in length start at $80 and go up to $300 depending on pedigree of the car. These vehicles are mainly used indoors and are robust and fun some examples are Kyosho Mini Z models, Team associated 28th scale cars and Axial SCX24 trucks
Small cars up to 12 inches in length are typically around $150 – $250 dollars , most have four wheel drive and are RTR {ready to run} meaning everything is included. These cars can sometimes go through short grass and are suited to both indoor and outdoor fun. Some great examples are the Traxxas 1/16 Revo, Ecx mini Torment and Maverick ION series of cars
Standard or 1/10 scale cars are the size that is most popular and have an average length of approximately 20 inches. The price range for these cars is $200 to $800 with the average being $400. Brushed standard power cars are typically $250 for a four wheel drive model and $500 for a high performance brushless model. The Arrma Senton, Redcat Blackout, Redcat Volcano, Traxxas Rustler, Traxxas Slash are 5 great examples of Standard sized reliable cars
Oversize 1/8 scale cars average around $700 and are great for larger areas and experienced users. The Arrma Kraton, Traxxas E-REVO and Redcat Kaiju are 3 examples of 1/8 scale trucks that are popular and fun to drive.
Large Scale 1/5 trucks are where things really start to vary. Electric vehicles like the Traxxas X-maxx and the Arrma Kraton 8s are the most popular and costaround $1300. The Losi 5ive gas trucks are approx $2000.
The 3 Outliers
There are 3 extra considerations to make when calculating the cost of your new Car.
1} Cost of Batteries and Chargers
2} Tools to help you enjoy the hobby
3} Cost of Reliabilty
1} Cost of batteries and Chargers
Most micro and mini vehicles come with both batteries and chargers however an extra battery is always fun and will cost around $30 on average and $50 for a fast charger
Standard sized cars 1/10 that come with NIMH {traditional} batteries are best accompanied by a spare battery and 1 hour fast charger the budget for both is around $100.
Standard sized cars with Brushless power systems usually require LIPO {lithium polymer} batteries and often do not come with batteries. Most batteries are $80 and chargers you should budget $100 for a good quality Balance/Storage charger.
1/8 scale cars usually require 2 batteries to run at a time meaning you might want 4 batteries to have some extended fun time. Batteries on average are $100 per battery… so $200 to $400 would be a great start. Dual batteries mean dual output chargers. Most great quality dual chargers are around $150 and charge 2 at a time.
Large Scale 1/5 vehicles require 2 large batteries and a high power dual charger. Traxxas offer bundles around $600 and we custom build packages around $500 with more robust batteries and Heavy duty dual charger.
2} Tools to help you enjoy the hobby
A set of great quality tools makes this hobby sooooo much better. We wll have an article later on tool quality and what to look for specifically. $60 – $120 is a great budget for a lifetime tool set, also consider some thread lock and adhesive tape $20 for both, a work stand for $30 and a small toolbox to help keep you organized. Plano fishing boxes or a small metal tool box from your local tool shop would be very useful
3} Cost of Reliabilty
This is always a touchy subject. I cannot express how important it is to trust your local shop to give you the right safe hobby gear. BUY THE PROPER EQUIPMENT ONCE!!! Our number one goal is to give you the proper information and help keep you going in the hobby for decades. We will help you pick the right stuff that will last you for years to come. This means you will enjoy your gear more, tell more people about it {hence getting more new hobbyists involved} and you will spend your hard earned cash ONCE!!! We see hundreds of blown electronics, stripped screws and blown tires because the wrong gear was purchased. We will help you avoid that pain and get you the right gear the first time. We love the hobby and love hobbyists. Thank you for reading our article on “How much does an RC Car cost” if you have suggestions for more articles, shoot us an email. Thanks and happy hobbying from all of us at Chris’s House
