This is a frequently asked question, what's the best for someone who'd like to begin in R/C?. A kit or a RTR? Some say it's better to start with a kit so you'll be ready for racing in the future and it is more economic on long term. Some others say that it is better to start with a RTR just to make sure you'll like the hobby and it's cheaper.

How much cheaper? Who's right? Both are right. If your budget is unlimited, a kit could be a good option. On another hand, if you are on a budget then a RTR could be the avenue. It is all about the amount of money you have and you wish to invest in the hobby. To find out the real costs of a kit compared to a RTR, I picked two popular buggies from Team Associated, the RC8 Factory Team and the RC8RS Ready-to-Run.

I have tried to keep costs low and to select the most common components found on the market. All prices are from the major online stores in USA.

 

Item	RTR	Kit	Item selected
Vehicle	560	480	Team Associated RC8RS   Team Associated RC8 Factory Team
Radio and Receiver	Included	200	Futaba 3PM 2.4Ghz with receiver
Steering and throttle servos	Included	194	Ace R/C DS1015 Super Torque Digital Servo (97$/unit)
Receiver pack	27	27	Team Associated 6V 1600mAh NiMH Hump
Tires	Included	36	Pro-Line Bow Tie M2 1/8 Buggy Tires with Molded Foams (18$/pair). Wheels are included with the kit
Fuel bottle	Included	12	Ofna 750cc Bottle Aluminum Spout
Glow starter	Included	15	Racers Edge 1800mAh Glow Starter
Battery pack for the Spin-Start	27	Not required	Team Associated Wolfpack 6C 7.2V 3600mAh
Starer box	Not required	98	OFNA Truggy Starter Starter Box
12v gell cell for the starter box	Not required	30	Racers Edge 12V 7AH gell cell battery
12v charger for the gel cell	Not required	12	Racers Edge 12V Gel Cell AC Battery Charger
Charger for humppack and battery pack	50	50	DuraTrax Onyx 210 AC/DC Peak Charger w/LCD
Air filter oil	6	6	Team Associated filter oil
Engine	Included	300	O.S. Max 21VZ-B V-Spec-T (P) Engine
Header	Included	20	Team Associated Non-Stick Header (Black)
Tuned Pipe	Included	48	Team Associated Non-Stick Muffler (Black)
Paint	Not required	6	Pactra Polycarb 3oz
Batteries for the transmitter	29	29	Duracell - Rechargeable AA Batteries (4-Pack x 2)
Fuel	35	35	Byron Gen2 30% 1 gallon
Total	734$	1598$

 

 

 

Conclusion

As you can see, a kit is more expensive than a RTR vehicle. In fact, the kit is more than twice the price of its RTR equivalent. Of course the components I installed in my "dream" kit are better quality than those found in the RTR but it doesn't mean the RTR can't be fun or raced. Don't be surprised to see RTR vehicles having success on a race track. Today's RTRs are faster than before, handle better, are better built and share almost all the same parts as their equivalent kits.

The electronics and engine included in RTRs can be qualified as "basic" but they have the advantage of being user friendly. You better have a less powerful basic engine that is easy to tune and that runs flawlessly without flaming out than a 500$ engine that you're unable to tune correctly! You'll spend more time to get familiar with your vehicle rather than wrecking or getting frustrated because you can't make your kit run as you wish.

If you are new to R/C and you wish to enjoy every dollar invested in the hobby, go with a RTR. This is the best way to begin into R/C.