First time buying

[Bluelad]

Hi

Im about to buy my son a Midnight Pumpkin and wanted to know what if any  are the essential extras. Looking at a bundle and adding a fast charger.  Do people buy extra battery packs?

Also for the actual build is there any recommended tool kit that people use

I don't spending a bit more to get it right first time but don' want it to get silly.  

Thanks

[TWINSET]

Extra batteries are handy, you'll get around 15-20 minutes run time out of a 3000-3300mah battery and they take about an hour to charge (depending on the charger)

For tool kit, Tamiya include a little socket wrench that'll cover most eventualities, but a decent Philips or JIS tipped screwdriver is vital - JIS are hard to come by, so you may have to try a few philips/pozi bits to find a good fit

If you want to get a JIS tip, try this thread for info https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/84464-jis-screwdrivers/&do=findComment&comment=691316

Other than that, some sprue cutters, a decent knife and some pliers are usually all that's needed

 

Bearings on the truck and a steel pinion for the motor are decent upgrades if the truck's going to get a lot of use although bearings are easier to fit during the build as opposed to later on

 

 

[iluvmud]

6 minutes ago, TWINSET said:

Extra batteries are handy, you'll get around 15-20 minutes run time out of a 3000-3300mah battery and they take about an hour to charge (depending on the charger)

For tool kit, Tamiya include a little socket wrench that'll cover most eventualities, but a decent Philips or JIS tipped screwdriver is vital - JIS are hard to come by, so you may have to try a few philips/pozi bits to find a good fit

If you want to get a JIS tip, try this thread for info https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/84464-jis-screwdrivers/&do=findComment&comment=691316

Other than that, some sprue cutters, a decent knife and some pliers are usually all that's needed

 

Bearings on the truck and a steel pinion for the motor are decent upgrades if the truck's going to get a lot of use although bearings are easier to fit during the build as opposed to later on

 

 

+1

 

dont go crazy on too many mods till he gets the hang of it, these trucks are super top heavy and will tip over easily. Once he gets through that, you can start adding more power and mods to it.

[Juggular]

I also recommend bearings.  They are harder to put in later.  They make your battery last longer and make the RC go a bit faster too.  The vinyl bushings wear out after several hours.  Midnight Pumpkin, Lunch Box, Grasshopper, Hornet, all have the same drivetrain.  You can look for bearing sets for them.  Or you can buy nine 1150 bearings (5x11x4mm: bore, diameter, thickness) and one 850 bearings (5x8x2.5mm). 

  

[Ronnyhotdog]

As someone who has just completed his first build I would urge you to read the instructions very carefully. Some pieces will look identical at first glance, but are actually slightly different and designed for different areas of the car.

 

Another vote for flush side cutters, my god it's almost a religious experience snipping stuff now. So clean, so smooth.

 

[Wooders28]

Nothing to add, but +1 on

Bearings

Side cutter  (flush wire cutters,I got my from maplin that work well) 

Maybe a few small containers to empty the bags into , screw bag A into one etc, makes things a bit easier.

[ALEXKYRIAK]

50 minutes ago, Ronnyhotdog said:

Another vote for flush side cutters, my god it's almost a religious experience snipping stuff now. So clean, so smooth.

 

 So true...! I just recently got the Tamiya craft tools modeller’s sidecutters. Awesome. 

[novicelad]

Get a decent transmitter and receiver with end point adjustments ( so you can slow it down a bit)

[TurnipJF]

+1 to the above. The radios included in bundles are often the cheapest, nastiest, most basic available. You don't need to spend a fortune - just a few quid can make the difference between barely usable rubbish and something worth owning.

 

As for tools, flush cutters are nice, but very neat results can be achieved with a Stanley knife and some care.

 

A Tamiya JIS screwdriver is a great idea, and is easily available on eBay or from many model shops for well under a tenner. This is the one you'll want for the CW-01:

https://wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/157448/?gclid=CjwKCAiA1uHSBRBUEiwAkBCtzX7wiNj7iryQfhkCnx2YsEoJgl4aC-liulqY7nAbz0mM9_r7l0UtxxoCcTcQAvD_BwE

 

No other tools are required - the Allen key and box spanner are supplied in the kit.

 

Rubber sealed bearings from rcbearings.co.uk are a worthwhile purchase, as they will last longer off-road than the metal shielded bearings sold by most other suppliers.

 

The CW-01 comes with a brass pinion that is a lot harder than the soft aluminium pinions supplied with many other Tamiya kits, so you don't need to worry about upgrading that.

 

Multiple batteries and a fast charger are both good ideas. NiMH or LiPo is a decision worth making at the outset, although you can change battery types later if you wish.

 

Cyanoacrylate glue (superglue) is handy for sticking the tyres to the rims, otherwise they will spin, especially if wet. Blue threadlock is useful for keeping the pinion grubscrew from coming undone. Grease is supplied in the kit, and should only be used in the gearbox. Ignore the instructions to grease external surfaces and joints as this just attracts dirt which in turn accelerates wear.

 

And lastly, why not do a build thread? Although not the rarest of models, it is nonetheless interesting to watch a kit go together, and your build might in turn help other newcomers in the future.