It’s a guy thing: we want toys that can conquer stuff. That’s just the way it is. There are several routes to get there, and RC rock crawling is one of them.
But what if you know nothing about the hobby and have nomer clue where to start? Well, I aim to help you out a little with this write up. I fully believe that the key is to know a tad about the hobby before you make your first purchase. Let’s look at a few things to keep in mind, both before and after you get your first crawler.
You don’t have to buy new stuff!
Remember, just because an RC crawler is used doesn’t necessarily mean it has a thousand hard miles on it. Folks get into hobbies all the time and lose interest just as quickly. RC cars is but one of those hobbies. Keep your eye on your local Craigslist ads and on eBay for great deals. Most ‘out of the box’ crawlers do quite well, yes, but you can likely purchase a well-built one for the same price if you find the right deal on a used model.
Research, research, research
Yes, the dreaded research monster comes out from under the bed. There are a lot of different RC crawlers out there, and it’s best to know what you’ll want and require from yours before you purchase. Watch YouTube videos, read testimonials, ask in the RC Rock Crawler forum, and, if you know a place where they crawl locally, ask the owners in person what they think. In my opinion, you don’t want to blindly purchase an RC crawler and hope for the best.
Which models have great aftermarket support?
So you find a deal on eBay for a really nice looking crawler that comes with all sorts of aksesories for the eye-widening price of $100. All is fine and well until it breaks and you need to replace a part, or until you want to upgrade something and you realize there is zero aftermarket for the thing. The research you did via the above suggestion will tell you that companies such as Axial and Losi probably have the best parts and upgrade availability. I have a buddy who scored a Redcat RS10 for one heck of a deal, and it’s never quit on him. It’s all in what you want to do with your crawler.