Jump to content
Grumpy pants

Which kit for a 10 Year Old?

Recommended Posts

I’m thinking about introducing my nephew to Tamiya as he is an outdoors type kid who loves his RC’s, scooters, BMX’s that kind of stuff.

It needs to be robust, low maintenance and fun.

I have been thinking Madbull, Lunchbox or Midnight Pumpkin.

The MB is probably the most robust and useable, but always strikes me as a bit challenged on it looks and maybe for younger kids.

The LB is a firm favourite with me, but would the lack of steering and wheelies get boring for a 10 YO?

The MP is the same as above but perhaps a little more interesting in the eyes of a kid, who doesn’t love a shiny pick up right? 

Have missed an alternative model?

My feelings about the GH and Hornet and are maybe not enough ground clearance and the DT03 the front of the chassis breaking- not set in stone so happy to hear your thoughts.

Looking to be budget conscious as setting up initially is best part of £200 when starting from scratch. 
 

Thank you

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi @Grumpy pants

I had a lunchbox at the age of 11 but I did always find it fun and I still have it and use it now. the reasons why I found it so fun was because it was fast it was capable of wheelies and it would also go over rough terrain. the steering is a bit of a problem but its a white knuckle driving experience on road I have had it on two wheels loads of times which is another reason why its fun they are bullet proof even the shells are hard to break. just after I got mine I crashed it into a sticky outie slab with a point on it which just so happened to be the height of the windscreen and bonnet the body had a minor scratch and the glass had a massive hole in it but the original shell is still in good condition after 9 years of abuse. Also if you do decide to go for a lunchbox I will be selling a brand new one that looks like it was never used it is unboxed and has no controller but has all radio gear if you are interested.

The Mb is more interesting to look at and dose seem to handle a bit better than a LB.  

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I would have a look at any of the Comic series: Grasshopper, Hornet or Avante. The are an easy but interesting build and they are an absolute hoot to drive. Add a hopped-up motor if you want speed, but they are total fun out of the box as-is. If he's into racing though, this might not be the best choice.

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I started my son with a TT02B, they are pretty bulletproof. Ride height isn't great but the 4wd makes up for that to some extent. The MantaRay would be a good option for a 4wd buggy as it has better ground clearance.

I find the LB really disappointing, the Monster Beetle is a far better car, but costs a lot. The WT01 may be a good option if you want a monster truck?

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the LB / MP option is good as they can go just about anywhere - car park , woods , garden wherever you want to go , no real limits , GH etc not so easy . You can weigh down the front of LB / MP to cut down the wheelies or remove for weight for goofy fun - choices . Wibbly wobbly stock steering is all part of the fun for kids . M/Bull is another good option if your nephew prefers the buggy look

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This might not be the best place to say this but Traxxas do some great out of the box ready to go buggies. Stuff that can even handle some ruff treatment. The only reason that I mentioned this is, I don't think I had the skills to build one at 10 years old. That said I must admit though, I haven't had a go of any of the other kits mentioned by everyone else. Will you be helping said youngster to build it?

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Madbull gets my vote. Easy to build and run. Can take hotter motors/lipos for bonkers fun. Doesn’t spend half it’s life on its roof like the LB. body is also cheap and can be painted by youngsters 

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Throw in the GF01 in the choices... wheelies, front/backward rollovers, multi terrain... it is a capable chassis and tough... but with the short wheelbase, it is prone to tipping over during highspeed and sudden change of direction... but i dont see that much of a problem but more of a teaching factor... 

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My daughter started her first RC drive last year with the CC-01 with a 27t motor. I'm surprised I didn't even have to teach her about orientation when the car is facing her. She now drives the FF-03RR and LRP S10 too, both powered by 21t motor. She's now 11. ;)

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Doc Hollywood said:

Hi @Grumpy pants

I had a lunchbox at the age of 11 but I did always find it fun and I still have it and use it now. the reasons why I found it so fun was because it was fast it was capable of wheelies and it would also go over rough terrain. the steering is a bit of a problem but its a white knuckle driving experience on road I have had it on two wheels loads of times which is another reason why its fun they are bullet proof even the shells are hard to break. just after I got mine I crashed it into a sticky outie slab with a point on it which just so happened to be the height of the windscreen and bonnet the body had a minor scratch and the glass had a massive hole in it but the original shell is still in good condition after 9 years of abuse. Also if you do decide to go for a lunchbox I will be selling a brand new one that looks like it was never used it is unboxed and has no controller but has all radio gear if you are interested.

The Mb is more interesting to look at and dose seem to handle a bit better than a LB.  

The LB is my favourite Tamiya, bonkers fun and great value.
The ground clearance works well too, robust and cheap to fix. 
It is a great choice but I thought the putting back on its wheels might get a bit tedious for a kid, I’ll ask his mum.

Thanks for offer as well, I’m going to go with a kit as it makes it much more interesting and he can build it with his dad 👍 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, c64orinoco said:

I would have a look at any of the Comic series: Grasshopper, Hornet or Avante. The are an easy but interesting build and they are an absolute hoot to drive. Add a hopped-up motor if you want speed, but they are total fun out of the box as-is. If he's into racing though, this might not be the best choice.

This is a great shout, especially as you have a choice of characters to choose from, nicely specced and fun. 

I have a NIB kit in my wardrobe I bought months ago which could be gifted. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

I started my son with a TT02B, they are pretty bulletproof. Ride height isn't great but the 4wd makes up for that to some extent. The MantaRay would be a good option for a 4wd buggy as it has better ground clearance.

I find the LB really disappointing, the Monster Beetle is a far better car, but costs a lot. The WT01 may be a good option if you want a monster truck?

These are great options JG, my concern would be the ground clearance TBH.

The MB is more monster truck with great ground clearance and it looks the part, but the gearbox is a bit of a pain.

The WT01 is a great idea, it has the looks, ground clearance and they are pretty much bullet proof. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, KEV THE REV said:

I think the LB / MP option is good as they can go just about anywhere - car park , woods , garden wherever you want to go , no real limits , GH etc not so easy . You can weigh down the front of LB / MP to cut down the wheelies or remove for weight for goofy fun - choices . Wibbly wobbly stock steering is all part of the fun for kids . M/Bull is another good option if your nephew prefers the buggy look

Thanks Kev, sage words.

I like the MP chrome as it removes the need to paint anything, I suspect the only weak point are the body mounts. 
 

I’m leaning towards the MB as it covers most bases, robust, cheap to buy and fix, kit form, ground clearance, no painting required. Personally I think it’s a bit ugly but is a good lead into buggy’s later. 

The WT01 was a good shout as well. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, DayRider said:

This might not be the best place to say this but Traxxas do some great out of the box ready to go buggies. Stuff that can even handle some ruff treatment. The only reason that I mentioned this is, I don't think I had the skills to build one at 10 years old. That said I must admit though, I haven't had a go of any of the other kits mentioned by everyone else. Will you be helping said youngster to build it?

That’s a great idea, all feedback is welcomed as far as I’m concerned.

The idea is to get my nephew and his dad to build it as adds a really good dimension for involvement and maintenance. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My daughters all started with RC cars at aged 10-11 and they started with thundershots (simply because I already had loads of them). To be honest kids have very good reaction times and can learn to handle anything after a short time (probably more so than an adult) so I'd say go with pretty much anything as long as there is readily available and cheap replacement parts for them.

Also start them off with driving the car/truck etc on a large flat open bit of grass or car park etc so no risk of hitting anything while they learn. They tend to get easily disheartened if they break the car after just a short time, even though it is easily repaired.  

My youngest daughter actually prefers my crawler as she is not keen on going fast and potentially crashing, she just enjoys driving slowly over obstacles.

While the grasshoper/hornet type buggies are tempting to buy for a child because they are rugged,  the problem is they become a bit boring after a while if the kids want to race their friends who have more modern buggies and their grasshopper/hornets can't easily be upgraded to similar levels of performance. So in that regard I would agree with Jonathon Gillham above, a more modern chassis that can be bought relatively cheaply, reasonably rugged but low powered in stock form but can be upgraded to higher performance as the kids skills grow.

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
21 hours ago, Busdriver said:

Madbull gets my vote. Easy to build and run. Can take hotter motors/lipos for bonkers fun. Doesn’t spend half it’s life on its roof like the LB. body is also cheap and can be painted by youngsters 

Thanks BD, it’s not my thing but then it’s not for me and it does tick all the boxes 💥

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

whichever kit you end up buying I would suggest that you find out which are the most commonly broken parts and maybe get a couple of spare. The kids will inevitably crash while learning and nothing worse than having to tell them you need to order parts so they can't use it again for a week or two.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, burakol said:

Throw in the GF01 in the choices... wheelies, front/backward rollovers, multi terrain... it is a capable chassis and tough... but with the short wheelbase, it is prone to tipping over during highspeed and sudden change of direction... but i dont see that much of a problem but more of a teaching factor... 

Another cracking suggestion  burakol. 

We used to have one about 6 years ago and for a short while it was really entertaining- but ultimately I lost interest in it as it spent most of its time upside down and so it was sold on pretty quickly. 

You are absolutely right though about the teaching and kids pick things up super quick.


 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
59 minutes ago, Nicadraus said:

My daughter started her first RC drive last year with the CC-01 with a 27t motor. I'm surprised I didn't even have to teach her about orientation when the car is facing her. She now drives the FF-03RR and LRP S10 too, both powered by 21t motor. She's now 11. ;)

That’s quality!

I have 4 daughters and they cut their teeth on Blackfoots, Blitzer Beetles, Lunchboxes and WW2‘S but they had all lost interest by the time they got to 11 or 12 😳

I’d be delighted to share my hobby with them if they took a renewed interest. 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

ooh, one more thought,. If this will be their first kit they probably won't have any spare screws or nuts in their house so might be worth putting together a little bag of spare wheelnuts, body clips, wheel hexes and the usual range of Tamiya self tappers. I mention this because often if it is their first kit they may not have tightened up the nuts properly etc and when driving around a field the wheel nuts or shock mounts come off or they roll and lose a clip. Handy to have a a little bag of them spare so the car can be up and running again in a few minutes.

EDIT: I bought bright fluorescent yellow body clips for my kids cars, far easier to find if they lose them in the garden. :-)

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
15 minutes ago, Grumpy pants said:

That’s quality!

I have 4 daughters and they cut their teeth on Blackfoots, Blitzer Beetles, Lunchboxes and WW2‘S but they had all lost interest by the time they got to 11 or 12 😳

I’d be delighted to share my hobby with them if they took a renewed interest. 

They probably said they'd go back to the hobby with their boyfriends along. Hahaha! :lol:

  • Haha 4

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 minutes ago, mud4fun said:

ooh, one more thought,. If this will be their first kit they probably won't have any spare screws or nuts in their house so might be worth putting together a little bag of spare wheelnuts, body clips, wheel hexes and the usual range of Tamiya self tappers. I mention this because often if it is their first kit they may not have tightened up the nuts properly etc and when driving around a field the wheel nuts or shock mounts come off or they roll and lose a clip. Handy to have a a little bag of them spare so the car can be up and running again in a few minutes.

EDIT: I bought bright fluorescent yellow body clips for my kids cars, far easier to find if they lose them in the garden. :-)

This has to be the best advice. Over the years you build up your spare parts, but it must be said how handy it is to have some at the start

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Comical, hands down. Modern design, a good drive, cartoon proportions kids love, fun build for you and if you go Avante 4wd for easy driving.

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I would say lb or comical avante. 

Lunchie is iconic and you can just paint the shell over and over again. Lot to be said for a hard shell! Ok the steering is rubbish but it's still a hoot!

Comical avante I have just built one of these and it's super fun.  All the wheelie antics of a lb but with the bonus of a really tight turning circle and 4wd. Shell comes ready painted though and is a lexan shell so no changing colours. 

Buggies are great but the wheelie factor keeps my kids entertained and they are lessnlike to get stuck on all the time.

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A lot of good advice here and plenty of great choices. Just to add to the discussion, I would consider the Hornet.

-It's  cheap

-looks gorgeous, and realistic

-almost bulletproof

-easy to handle but also challenging, in a good way

-plenty of spares available

-easy build, easy maintenance, no matter the abuse (sometimes I'm still amazed at how mine is still in one piece, in great shape actually, after all it went through)

-doesn't go anywhere, but pretty close: despite the 2wd and all the limitations of its design, you'll be surprised at how many types of surface it can handle. It's very adaptable

-it's a Tamiya icon in the looks and in the way ot drives, it's got its own character which elevates it beyond the mere concept of entry level buggy

 

So my vote is for the black ******! 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...