Secondly, once you’ve decided whether an electric or a nitro car is best for you, you need to choose between a car that is ready to run right out of the box and a kit that you build from scratch.  Ready to run cars are easier for beginners anxious to get to the race, though the build your own kits give you a better

understanding of how RC’s work since you build it from the insides out.  If you’re not sure, keep in mind that most ready to run kits still include full instructions should you ever want to take apart your RC or replace some of its parts.

Next, you need to decide just where you’ll be driving the car.  Just like you wouldn’t buy a gas guzzling SUV if you live downtown and have a long commute, you’ll want to make sure you buy the RC that suits the kind of driving you’ll be doing.  On-road RC’s are built for speed, so if it’s racing and road running you have in mind, you’ll want to stick to these lighter, faster vehicles.  If you want to practice on rugged terrain and with jumps, the more rugged off-road RC’s are probably best for you.

The last thing to choose is the size and type of RC vehicle you’d like.  The most popular class of vehicles are 1/10th scale, but there are also larger 1/8 scale and smaller mini and micro sized cars.  Plus, the best part is you get to decide just what kind of RC vehicle you’d like best—there are cars, trucks, buggies, boats, planes and even helicopters to choose from.

Electric RC’s

Electric RC cars and trucks are generally considered best for beginners, since even if you choose to build your own car, they tend to be simpler and easier than nitro cars.  They’re also a great deal quieter and run much cleaner, meaning you’re less restricted by where you can run them.  In terms of speed and power, they do have a great deal of pickup, though not as much as the nitro cars.

Electric RC cars use rechargeable battery packs to power their motor and steering, which are usually recharged from a 12-volt car battery or wall socket.  Batteries run for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the type of engine your car has, and charging the battery usually takes 15-30 minutes.  Because of this, it is strongly recommended you have at least two battery packs, to allow for quick replacement of the battery.  This means your car can keep running while the other battery is recharging, giving the car more overall running time.