Kraton 6 year old with a 6s?

[Saltystevo]

Hey guys I'm looking for some opinions...
I have a kraton v3.

Took my son out to a bash meet and he drove my 6s kraton and my buddies 4s kraton without issues. So hes proven to me that he can now get a big boy RC.

I had some ideas...

1. Get him a outcast or notorious. Use it on 4s and set levels low so it's not dangerous. My idea behind this is the spare parts can be used between both the outcast/notorious and kraton. Maybe wont be as fun since it is heavy and has to be limited so it'll be slower.

2 get him a granite because that what he should have. Lighter in case he does hit something or someone it'll be less lethal. Looks like a good basher from what videos I've seen. Not sure on what model but if I can get the 2wd cheap and buy the transmissions from Jenny's then i can make it the 4wd. Probably the cheaper option. Are parts as available?
Might be more fun since he would be able to drive it at a higher speed without having the heavy weight of a outcast behind it.

I have 3s, 4s and 6s battery... 1 of each. I plan on getting another 6s battery so I can have 2x batteries for the kraton.

What would you guys do?

 

[ColosTommy]

If you are open to alternative suggestions. What about something like the Rival MT10, weighs about the same as a Granite, capable little truck, and you can always turn the power down if you have a decent aftermarket transmitter or run lower voltage if its too fast, then as he grows you can turn the power up.

 

[Saltystevo]

Edited:
my apologies,,, I thought you wrote 410... but now I see it says mt10.

Yeah I'm sure there are alot of little trucks that are good out there. It's more about what it costs, how well its built and what its going to cost to keep with part replacing. Arrma and traxxas are both great.

If you are open to alternate suggestions. What about something like the Rival MT10, weighs about the same as a Granite, capable little truck, and you can always turn the power down if you have a decent aftermarket transmitter or run lower voltage if its too fast, then as he grows you can turn the power up.

 

[palmryde]

My 9 year old grandson started at 5 with a Rustler, then a Granite, then a Big Rock 3s. He at 7 got a typhon 6s we race on 4s. He smokes a lot of young men at the track and sometimes me. They learn very quickly and at these ages + they listen. Great hand eye coordination. I sold the old ones which he has no interest in. He is eye balling my Talion now I say go with the 6s run on 3-4s, a lot more durable over time. Enjoy your time with him

 

[Camaroboy383]

4s outcast v2 in the classifieds right now for very cheap..

 

[Saladshooter]

My 5 year old boy drives my Kraton 6s. I set the TX so it runs at 40-50% of power and use 4s blocks, not my 6s batteries. I also limit him to areas where there is lots of room and not lots of people around but he does pretty good with it. He is always complaining that the ramps I put out for him are too small.

 

[Saltystevo]

4s outcast v2 in the classifieds right now for very cheap..

I saw that. In the long run will it cost more due to part breakages? I feel like the 6s is built with better construction.

 

[Tex Koder]

Hey guys I'm looking for some opinions...
I have a kraton v3.

Took my son out to a bash meet and he drove my 6s kraton and my buddies 4s kraton without issues. So hes proven to me that he can now get a big boy RC.

I had some ideas...

1. Get him a outcast or notorious. Use it on 4s and set levels low so it's not dangerous. My idea behind this is the spare parts can be used between both the outcast/notorious and kraton. Maybe wont be as fun since it is heavy and has to be limited so it'll be slower.

2 get him a granite because that what he should have. Lighter in case he does hit something or someone it'll be less lethal. Looks like a good basher from what videos I've seen. Not sure on what model but if I can get the 2wd cheap and buy the transmissions from Jenny's then i can make it the 4wd. Probably the cheaper option. Are parts as available?
Might be more fun since he would be able to drive it at a higher speed without having the heavy weight of a outcast behind it.

I have 3s, 4s and 6s battery... 1 of each. I plan on getting another 6s battery so I can have 2x batteries for the kraton.

What would you guys do?

If your 6yr old shows interest AND has the aptitude to work the transmitter and control the vehicle well -Consistently..
Along with you Limiting the rig's power >> than Go for it!

Kids learn Fast with Proper Adult Supervision -teaching them the Do's & Don'ts
and they can excel at just about anything..


I was letting my girls drive my Granite when they were 5yr and 3yr , I was/helping control the throttle speed for my youngest at that time -just because her little hand couldn't grip AND reach the trigger well enough...

Now that they are a tad older ,their hands can grip the tx just fine ,however my older daughter (now 9) have kinda lost interest in my rigs ,for now..
But, my younger daughter loves to rip my Kraton 6S (@ 50% power) in an open field.

 

[SrC]

Hey guys I'm looking for some opinions...
I have a kraton v3.

Took my son out to a bash meet and he drove my 6s kraton and my buddies 4s kraton without issues. So hes proven to me that he can now get a big boy RC.

I had some ideas...

1. Get him a outcast or notorious. Use it on 4s and set levels low so it's not dangerous. My idea behind this is the spare parts can be used between both the outcast/notorious and kraton. Maybe wont be as fun since it is heavy and has to be limited so it'll be slower.

2 get him a granite because that what he should have. Lighter in case he does hit something or someone it'll be less lethal. Looks like a good basher from what videos I've seen. Not sure on what model but if I can get the 2wd cheap and buy the transmissions from Jenny's then i can make it the 4wd. Probably the cheaper option. Are parts as available?
Might be more fun since he would be able to drive it at a higher speed without having the heavy weight of a outcast behind it.

I have 3s, 4s and 6s battery... 1 of each. I plan on getting another 6s battery so I can have 2x batteries for the kraton.

What would you guys do?

Me personally, these are too big, heavy and powerful for a child that young. Even if tamed down a bit and on 4s packs. My then 6yo son had to prove himself until he was 10 yo with numerous hours of Wheel time before he got his own 6s Notorious. I did train him on my 6s stuff just before ordering his 6s Noto. for his 10th Birthday. Until then he had many 1/10 Toy grade and then cheaper hobby grade models to learn with. Just me. There is a reason ALL RC brands have a min. 14 yo recommendation, and even at that age, recommending adult supervision.
Now at 14 yo he runs him 6s Infr. to triple digits now, very gracefully. And drives his 6s Noto., which is quite hard to drive BTW, better than I. He rarely breaks stuff. Which is commendable.

 

[Saltystevo]

Me personally, these are too big, heavy and powerful for a child that young. Even if tamed down a bit and on 4s packs. My then 6yo son had to prove himself until he was 10 yo with numerous hours of Wheel time before he got his own 6s Notorious. I did train him on my 6s stuff just before ordering his 6s Noto. for his 10th Birthday. Until then he had many 1/10 Toy grade and then cheaper hobby grade models to learn with. Just me. There is a reason ALL RC brands have a min. 14 yo recommendation, and even at that age, recommending adult supervision.
Now at 14 yo he runs him 6s Infr. to triple digits now, very gracefully. And drives his 6s Noto., which is quite hard to drive BTW, better than I. He rarely breaks stuff. Which is commendable.

So what would you recommend? I'm not going to buy anything that I cant replace parts on easily.

 

[DavefromCA]

Firstly, its great you trust your 6 year old with more then 3s, I do not lol.

Second, we have a Granite and I do not think it's a good basher especially for kids. It is a good jumper, and the ground clearance means we can enjoy some "crawling" at low speeds, but it wheelies and flips onto its back easily.

I'd go for a Senton with stock tires. I have the Typhon, Granite and Senton, and the Senton is the most stable and least likley to flip over so you don't have to go flip it every 5 minutes. Its a great basher that is stable, and doing doughnuts it quite enjoyable. Plus it looks awesome, my kids loved it the second they saw the shell.

I would not convert anything lol, just buy the car you want in the configuration you want, its cheaper...unless you want to work on the car with your kid, it is valuable experience.

 

[SrC]

I completely understand your point.
A Typhon 3s 4x4. perhaps. Smaller and lighter. Run it on 2s packs. In keeping with the Arrma Eco thing. Parts are always available and for cheap at Jenny's RC.com
Skip the Mega versions of any of the 4x4's for sure. Poor durability, electrically and drive train wise with them.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

I've given my 7 year old son controls to my kaiju before (6s capable). I'll run it on 3s and it's about perfect for him. The size lets it get over grass and stick much easier, so you don't need a ton of speed and power like you might on a 1/10 scale in grass or rough dirt. He has been driving since he was 4 though, so i honestly trust him more than some adults that have never driven an RC before...

It all depends on what his long term interests are. For example, my son has lost interest in RC compared to what he used to, so if I had bought him his own 6s truck, it might not have been the best financial decision. A cheaper 3s truck might be a good start, IMO. Something in the $300 range is where I would start. Make it a durable one that doesn't need a bunch of upgrades to start out small.

 

[Saltystevo]

I've given my 7 year old son controls to my kaiju before (6s capable). I'll run it on 3s and it's about perfect for him. The size lets it get over grass and stick much easier, so you don't need a ton of speed and power like you might on a 1/10 scale in grass or rough dirt. He has been driving since he was 4 though, so i honestly trust him more than some adults that have never driven an RC before...

It all depends on what his long term interests are. For example, my son has lost interest in RC compared to what he used to, so if I had bought him his own 6s truck, it might not have been the best financial decision. A cheaper 3s truck might be a good start, IMO. Something in the $300 range is where I would start. Make it a durable one that doesn't need a bunch of upgrades to start out small.

Money wise... I have 6s stuff. I don't have any 2s batteries, so just that alone plus buying the granite new ...
Well I can get a 6s outcast or notorious for probably less
I appreciate all the opinions so far and I agree with all of them. That's what it's a hard call on what is the best financially and fun/safety

 

[Garcbomber]

Mine won't be getting more than a 2S-$200 max RC until he can:

A: Afford it himself
B: Maintain and clean it properly, including fire hazard safety with LiPos.

He's 5 and has no problem driving a 6S, it's the others he has a long way to go with.

 

[Hector_Fisher]

Money wise... I have 6s stuff. I don't have any 2s batteries, so just that alone plus buying the granite new ...
Well I can get a 6s outcast or notorious for probably less
I appreciate all the opinions so far and I agree with all of them. That's what it's a hard call on what is the best financially and fun/safety

I guess i'm confused whether this is a "which is a good beginner RC?" thread, an "am I crazy for wanting to buy my son a 6s truck?" thread, or a "which is a better truck overall?" thread?

You can make almost any RC "safe" thru gearing/lipo voltage selections or rx/tx settings. For example, the radio for the stock 6s Arrma's have a 50/75/100 power limit switch, so if you use that in conjunction with a 3s or 4s pack, that should give you a very wide range of speeds to make sure everyone is safe, including on the 6s trucks. Very worst case if it isn't slow enough (on a 3s pack and 50% power, you might top out around 15 or 20 mph), you can buy a lower kv motor or change gearing and make it even slower.

As far as costs associated with 6s vs 3s trucks: That's really up to you. No one else can tell you how much is the right amount to spend. I think most people tend to shoot for the sub $350 range and 1/10 scale for beginner RC enthusiasts, but that's not to say you shouldn't spend more and start on the 6s truck if you want to. So if you're only worried about safety with a 6s truck (which you can mitigate concerns as per above), and the money side isn't a concern (IE, you want to buy your kid a 6s truck), then i'd say get one. If money is more of a concern, start with a ~$300 1/10 scale with some dirt cheap amazon batteries.

 

[SrC]

Money wise... I have 6s stuff. I don't have any 2s batteries, so just that alone plus buying the granite new ...
Well I can get a 6s outcast or notorious for probably less
I appreciate all the opinions so far and I agree with all of them. That's what it's a hard call on what is the best financially and fun/safety

Buying 2 pairs of 2s lipos is not tragic You can always use them in Pairs to run a larger rig on 4s power down the road. . Unfortunately Lipo's are a priority no matter what. And will always be an expensive part of this RC hobby.

 

[Camaroboy383]

I saw that. In the long run will it cost more due to part breakages? I feel like the 6s is built with better construction.

It's all relative, everything breaks, and will need repair.. impossible to avoid unless shelved for eternity.. remember, a granite 3s, and outcast 4s come from the same roots..

 

[SrC]

I guess i'm confused whether this is a "which is a good beginner RC?" thread, an "am I crazy for wanting to buy my son a 6s truck?" thread, or a "which is a better truck overall?" thread?

You can make almost any RC "safe" thru gearing/lipo voltage selections or rx/tx settings. For example, the radio for the stock 6s Arrma's have a 50/75/100 power limit switch, so if you use that in conjunction with a 3s or 4s pack, that should give you a very wide range of speeds to make sure everyone is safe, including on the 6s trucks. Very worst case if it isn't slow enough (on a 3s pack and 50% power, you might top out around 15 or 20 mph), you can buy a lower kv motor or change gearing and make it even slower.

As far as costs associated with 6s vs 3s trucks: That's really up to you. No one else can tell you how much is the right amount to spend. I think most people tend to shoot for the sub $350 range and 1/10 scale for beginner RC enthusiasts, but that's not to say you shouldn't spend more and start on the 6s truck if you want to. So if you're only worried about safety with a 6s truck (which you can mitigate concerns as per above), and the money side isn't a concern (IE, you want to buy your kid a 6s truck), then i'd say get one. If money is more of a concern, start with a ~$300 1/10 scale with some dirt cheap amazon batteries.

Trust me, making it all too slow, your child will be very upset. What boy doesn't want fast. Once they see it and taste it, it's a wrap. So don't spoil him with that right away. Been there with my son. Would even refuse to RC with me if I didn't put 6s packs and run at 100%. They learn real fast.
Wanting to keep up with your faster ones. My then 6yo son figured out real fast that smaller packs suck, and always turned the radio up to 100%. He wasn't ignorant about that. He was pretty pissed not driving fast, like Dad. If he isn't happy, then you aren't as a parent. Start out with a lighter and safer, yet moderately faster model. Don't give your son a Crawler speed model by any means.
But all kids are different I guess. Just saying. Only Dad knows best. It's you choice in the end. RC needs to always be fun, no matter how you slice it. Buying an age appropriate model is quite subjective. I was always proud of my son when he broke something. He needed to understand they will be fixed. They get all too sad when it happens. Speed and heavier weight models break more easily, and are less safer. Generally speaking. The last thing you want is him to break his Toe or worse. This happens more than you think. To us, even as Adult hobbyists.
And of course the bigger stuff costs a bit more to fix.


>>>
Bottom line is that I wouldn't let my son drive my scale car until he was of age to learn at 16 yo. And yet he is 14 and keeps wanting me to teach him how to drive my SUV. Not happening. Same analogy applies here.

 

[Xash]

Personally i'm getting my son (8) a Gorgon. Should suffice for starters, he likes the looks, it's pretty durable and replacement parts are also no issue.