Grasshopper Or Hornet For My Nephew's First R/c?

[reenmachine 0]

My nephew will be staying with us for a week in June and he is eager to get into R/C. He is 12, about to turn 13 and very bright. I will guide him through building a simple kit (Tamiya of course), the way I got started at the same age, and the plan was to go Grasshopper due to its simplicity and the fact that that's what I started with. Also, it's so basic that there are lots of immediate opportunities to teach about hop-ups (540 motor, bearings, etc.).

However, I'm considering the Hornet instead as the Grasshopper may be so painfully slow with the 380 that we'd want to change it out on day 1. Yes, it would take longer to build due to the body and oil shocks (I don't want to delay the boy's gratification too much) but it would probably be much more fun to drive right away. It doesn't help that the 18t pinion needed to put a 540 in the 'hopper seems to be completely unavailable right now.

I am really only considering these two due to simplicity and durability. I know I could get him a Sand Viper or something for similar money, but I want to keep it simple.

What's your opinion? What do you feel is the ideal first kit for a boy? Something else altogether?

[dimblum 1]

My nephew will be staying with us for a week in June and he is eager to get into R/C. He is 12, about to turn 13 and very bright. I will guide him through building a simple kit (Tamiya of course), the way I got started at the same age, and the plan was to go Grasshopper due to its simplicity and the fact that that's what I started with. Also, it's so basic that there are lots of immediate opportunities to teach about hop-ups (540 motor, bearings, etc.).

However, I'm considering the Hornet instead as the Grasshopper may be so painfully slow with the 380 that we'd want to change it out on day 1. Yes, it would take longer to build due to the body and oil shocks (I don't want to delay the boy's gratification too much) but it would probably be much more fun to drive right away. It doesn't help that the 18t pinion needed to put a 540 in the 'hopper seems to be completely unavailable right now.

I am really only considering these two due to simplicity and durability. I know I could get him a Sand Viper or something for similar money, but I want to keep it simple.

What's your opinion? What do you feel is the ideal first kit for a boy? Something else altogether?

Having started with a GrassHopper myself, I would always favor this car as anyones 'first RC'. An 18T pinion gear should be pretty easy to get online. Then again, it all depends on how soon your nephew is going to arrive and if one shipped would arrive on time.

I think the main factor would be - hard plastic body over polycarbonate body. The re-re GrassHopper body could be finished faster since no cutting is involved and the decal sheet is pre-cut. The Hornet would take a little longer and the decals would require cutting.

I must admit that the Hornet handles better out of the box since the rear gearbox can sway and the oil filled shocks make for better handling, but I have always preferred the looks of a GrassHopper

Dan

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

You cant go wrong with either cars. The Hornet would be the one of choice for me though, its already got the 540 and better rear susp. He can also choose the color he would like the body and that would be another way for him truely feel the build is all his. But either way he is getting a fun, rock solid runner for a first RC, I wish I had an uncle like you when I was 13. lol

[taliesin 260]

I want some different uncles.

[B.M.T. 127]

^

[kchx2 0]

Hi,

IMHO, i think if your nephew is 12-13 years old, a Hornet or a Grasshopper may already seem too simple for him.

I recalled that when I was in primary 3 (when I was 8), my elder brother (at that time 10) took me to attend a birthday party of one of his classmates. At that time the R/C hobby was so popular among the kids, and many boys who attended the party took with them R/C cars. The cars they drove were.... Hotshot, Boomerang, Bigwig, Rocky, Optima!

It was the first time I encountered R/C cars that one need to assemble bits by bits, I was so fascinated. A year later, by virtue of good examination results, my parents bought us a Hotshot II, and we constructed it entirely by ourselves. The chassis was complicated, but it was great fun and challenging.

I think a boy of 7-8 years old can already construct a Hornet or a Grasshopper himself (maybe the painting need the help of an adult). For a boy of 12-13, if he reads the manual carefully and is bright enough, he can master the construction of a 4WD buggy. If the car is too simple he may get bored soon. So I'd suggest you get a Dark Impact, a Gravel Hound or a Baja King for him. Or why not a Wild Willy 2, the gearbox is pre-assembled, and he may love the handsome look of the big-head Willy.

Or if he doesn't want to meddle with those paints (me too, I felt troubled with the paints ), maybe you can get a touring car with a pre-painted body.

[HereBeMonsters 9]

I found the Hornet too slow for me when I was 10-12, compared to all my friends running Technigold-ed Manta Rays and Parma-d Monster Beetles.

[Origineelreclamebord 45]

I have never driven one, but they seem like reliable cars, allthough I think there are chassis out there that are more suitable for modifying. There just was a time where I wanted more performance out of my TL01, and although it's not the car with the most hopups available, it's amazingly easy to modify for offroad use for example. And superbly reliable.

And maybe you know/can get to know what he would like better: RWD, FWD or 4WD, and on-road or off-road (I'd take off-road in any way, it's always easier to make an offroad car onroad capable later on, but it's not always the other way around).

Maybe the Wild Dagger chassis based cars is something to think of? 4WD, It proved surprisingly strong when I had one, lexan shell (I never even cracked it, only some dents), parts are still available (and will be because they 'recently' released new cars based on the same chassis), 4WD, easy to drive, you could make it a crawler-ish car and even an onroad-like truck.

The disadvantages of the Wild Dagger as I got it though, were the price, that it didn't have an ESC, the poor tamiya shocks and it's two motor design needs very good batteries to run for a decent amount of time.

[Lonestar 1]

Hi

First you're a good uncle

then, i second some of the above... for a 12 or 13 y.o. male teen, the GH/Hornet might be a bit mechanically simplistic... additionally, I also think a car with bigger wheels (not necessarily T-maxx size ) sometimes is a better all-round choice for a beginner's car as it allows the user to run on less than perfect terrains. Especially remember that the "real" ground clearance of a GH/Hornet is particularly lame due to the rear gearbox / solid axle design which drags around.

Last but not least, I also like to recommend cars with transmission slippers for bashers... these cars spend a lot of time being "jumped" by their reckless drivers, and the poor transmissions typically are the first to fuse off after a series of tough landings

Don't get me wrong, I love both the GH and Hornet (I have both) but to me they are a vintage RC enthusiast's choice, not a 2008 modeller's one. But then again, it's YOUR nephew and not mine

Have fun!

Paul

[bakaguyjean 7]

I think the Grasshopper would be better as it is stronger with the hard shell body. I jumped mine all the time on the curbs that were on our street and it would clear the side walk on the other side. I even drove it down a strom drain fished it out and still kept going.

If you go with the Grasshopper i can send you a 18T pinion for it, I dont know when your Nephew will be there but it wouldnt take long with airmail.

[vanpeebles 26]

Give him a real treat and get a Clod!

[civilguy 1]

First I'd like to second the notion that you are a fantastic uncle.

I work with engineers on a daily basis-- these are people that design (and over-design) all day long. Several of them can't run a ratchet. Many people on this post are assuming that your nephew has been exposed to the use of tools. There is a good chance this is not the case and, as a caring uncle, want to introduce your nephew to the hobby in an approachable format (i.e. Hornet or GH). If that is the case, then those are perfectly acceptable (and reasonably priced-- that's probably a big factor too) alternatives.

On the other hand if your nephew is a model builder or is already handy with tools, then I would agree to get him something a little more advanced. I'm not going to throw out suggestions as that is your choice to make, given your time and budget constraints.

Either way have fun with it. It doesn't matter what you're building so much as you are spending time with a kid who's at an age when those shared moments start to become few and far between.

Good luck!

[qatmix 794]

Last Xmas I also got my nephew his first Tamiya. I went for the Grasshopper for many of the reasons mentioned above. The shell is strong, the 380 motor is fast enough to begin with and the car is almost indestructable (He has done a good job of testing it to its limits). Since having the car he has upgraded to ball bearings, we changed the wheels to Brat wheels (Was the best hop-up in the olden days and still is today, the car is ace with Brat wheels) and now I've just upgraded him to a 540. The car handles great, he loves it and he is seeing and more importantly understaning the difference that these changes have made... He is progressing well in his knowledge and his skill.

The Hornet will take much longer to make due to the shell, it will lose the spots in a flash, I'd go for the hopper.

[yamita 0]

I have to agree that 12-13 years is not young at all. That's freshman in high school. At that age, they start thinking about 1/1 cars, so i think a tt01 would be good with a shell of the car he likes. who didnt have a poster of a supercar in their bedroom?

[Shodog 1835]

Go for the hornet. Let him run the stock 540 and then get him a nice 23T motor. In addition, pick up a couple of extra sets of rear tires, you'll wear them out easily.

[RCH_Blackfoot 0]

I have to agree that 12-13 years is not young at all. That's freshman in high school. At that age, they start thinking about 1/1 cars, so i think a tt01 would be good with a shell of the car he likes. who didnt have a poster of a supercar in their bedroom?

12-13 years here in the states is 6th grade, going into 7th. If he is a respectable kid, then he would and should be pleased with getting a Nikko toy grade RC. My younger son is going to be 14, he has a 1/8 Ofna Nitro and loves the Hornet I bought him, infact he runs it more then the nitro. Simplicity is sometimes better then complexity. My oldest boy is 15 going on 16 and he is the same way with his Super Hornet, he runs that more then his 1/8 Ofna Buggy as well. I know I dont run my LST2 as much since I got my Frog, Humvee M1025 and Clod, the wife had me sell her Hyper 7 Nitro Buggy and get her the Blackfoot Extreme.

He is your nephew and it's your coin, buy what you think he would like. If he is like 90% of the kids getting their first RC, it doesnt matter what it is, as long as they can have fun in the dirt with it! Hopper or Hornet, cant go wrong with either, Heck even a Lunchbox or Pumpkin would be a sweet gift for a kid.

[Luke_87 0]

In addition, pick up a couple of extra sets of rear tires, you'll wear them out easily.

Hornet was my first electric 'kit' love it to pieces, i think its a great starter kit,

and if you want the tyres to last longer try running the grass hopper tyres they fit on the hornets 3 piece rims no problem,

Luke

[markbt73 5316]

I'm kinda liking the big-tire idea, maybe a Lunchbox or a Blackfoot Xtreme. Both are 2WD and still pretty simple. They'll go more places than a Hornet, and they do wheelies. Or, if you can find one, how about a Mad Bull?

I have a nephew who's turning 12 in October; I was thinking along the same lines for a birthday or Xmas gift for him. He has a little Radio Shack Jeep that we got him last year, and he is quickly outgrowing it.

[Eddystone 1]

I'm thinking you might have the right idea considering the Sand Viper ( Or Desert Gator - both are basically the same car ). They are only a few dollars more than a Hornet but are a leap ahead technologically. The suspension is far superior and there are more hop-ups available - plus I believe they come with ball bearings as standard so there's a saving there towards the extra cost. Don't get me wrong, I love the Hornet - it was my first car and I still enjoy running it now, but times have moved on and better is available for the same money.

[reenmachine 0]

First I'd like to second the notion that you are a fantastic uncle.

I work with engineers on a daily basis-- these are people that design (and over-design) all day long. Several of them can't run a ratchet. Many people on this post are assuming that your nephew has been exposed to the use of tools. There is a good chance this is not the case and, as a caring uncle, want to introduce your nephew to the hobby in an approachable format (i.e. Hornet or GH). If that is the case, then those are perfectly acceptable (and reasonably priced-- that's probably a big factor too) alternatives.

On the other hand if your nephew is a model builder or is already handy with tools, then I would agree to get him something a little more advanced. I'm not going to throw out suggestions as that is your choice to make, given your time and budget constraints.

Either way have fun with it. It doesn't matter what you're building so much as you are spending time with a kid who's at an age when those shared moments start to become few and far between.

Good luck!

Wow! Thanks for all the replies so far. Civilguy pretty much hits the nail on the head. He's a very bright boy but hasn't been exposed to model building or anything of the like -- it's all been sports and video games. He is constantly pumping me for details about my R/C addiction though and is very eager to get into it. So, it's less about the specific car and its performance characteristics and more about a smooth, fun introduction to the hobby. After he plays with this car for a while he'll discover on his own whether he prefers on- or off-road, trucks or buggys, 2wd or 4. I just want to lay the foundation.

I think since bakaguyjean can source the 18t pinion for me I'm going to go for the 'hopper. He'll be here for 9 days and I plan on taking a good bit of time off to spend with him, so I'll also have ball bearings, a 540 (have a heap of them), and maybe a few other hop-ups on hand for later in the week. It'll be box-stock Grasshopper to start with though.

Cheers, and thanks for all of the support and input!

[Skysaxon 1]

Just a simple question - have you thought about a ReReFrog or Brat? They are as simple to build - maybe a bit more expensive - but so much more fun to drive. I run my ReReBrat now on a 11Turn motor and it is still going strong. No probs with the diff. or the driveshafts and it allways puts a smile on my face when i overtake much younger touringcars on our track.

I think the best way to start is with one of these cars and have all the hop up options for later. And be sure with a Brat/Frog he will stay in the hobby.

With a flipping over slow going grasshopper I dont now.

[reenmachine 0]

I went with the 'hopper! It's here along with everything else needed.

I have two 18T pinions thanks to bakaguyjean and civilguy. Thanks to you both! It's great to be part of a community like this.

He arrives this weekend and I'll post up pics of the build

Cheers!

[Hibernaculum 933]

Good choice

Some say the Grasshopper is too slow. However many started off with R/C cars far slower than that, and still had a lot of fun when they were under 13.

Speed isn't everything. I remember crawling my Tandy truck around at about 2km/h in the sand when I was not much younger than 13, and just loving the idea of having a working toy car that went anywhere - through puddles, over bricks, snow etc.

Maybe kids who start off with some of today's really fast buggies become a bit desensitized to the simple charms of running model cars, and they burn out too quickly because they've got little appreciation for realism and less to aspire to in terms of speed.

cheers,

H.

[qatmix 794]

He will love it. 380's are plenty fast enough for a 1st car, and he will get much longer running times with it so he can learn the nuiances of driving.

[reenmachine 0]

Well, the jury is in and the Grasshopper was the perfect choice after all! I gave it to him Sunday, we worked on it a couple of evenings, and he finished it up this morning (Tuesday). He built it entirely by himself while I sat next to him at the bench rebuilding my TA-05. I checked his work after each step and there were only a couple of places where he had slipped up, and they were things that wouldn't have really affected the function of the car (Uncle Pete is picky about those steering rod lengths!)

The only decal he didn't apply was the driver name as he preferred to write his own name on with a fine-tip sharpie. Tonight I'm going to make him paint the driver figure in the name of tradition and to build some character!

The 380 is much peppier than I thought it would be and it's perfect for him to learn how to control the car. The 3300 nimh pack I gave him lasts forever with it too. I gave him some old street slicks I had around to run on the pavement to learn the car and get a feel for the controls, which he instantly mastered (darn these kids and their catlike reflexes!). We set up a small plywood ramp too. The car is screaming to me for oil dampers, but it doesn't make a lick of difference to him. In a bit we're headed for the track to introduce him to dirt bashing!

Provided it survives that, I have a 540 and full ball bearings for tomorrow's project. Thanks again to bakaguyjean and civilguy for the 18t pinions!

After his first pack's worth of running he was hooked and I see the first signs of addiction. He says he'd like an on-road car as well and he's eying the TT-01 Enzo Ferrari at the LHS...

I've been taking pics and I'll post them up when I get the chance.

Cheers, we're off to the track! I may be close to having my DT-02 sorted too so that's the other mission.