Cost of RC bashing as a hobby

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I used to ride a road bike (bicycle) and I spent a good 5k + over 10 years. I have a diecast car collection that I've spent about the same on over 20 years. Rc's, easily the same as the other two in just two years. Take it, my learning curve on driving them was too steep for a long time, so the damage totals added up quick. But with the itch to constantly upgrade, replace worn and damaged parts and keep the things running smooth, I'd say this hobby is right up there on overall costs. Factor in new vehicles, which I know will be added, and this hobby is pretty damn expensive. I just enjoy it too much to be worried about it though. Meeting others who have shown me how to attempt moon launches, didn't help either?
 
doesn`t matter... I like it, my sons likes it, we enjoy every run... no matter how much it costs... I love it , they love it. I think that if you stay on a RTR rig it`s comprehensive... if you go on nitro or racing mode it will costs much more and starts to be less comprehensive to spent so much money.My other hobby is playing e guitar and I also craft them and this starts to be quite expensive. The good thing that I can get some money from them by selling them so to have more budget for all the replace parts for my rigs. :ROFLMAO: A lot of spere parts and upgrades....When I was a younger I did Superbike races and believe me if I say that during that period it was easy to spent also more then 1000 dollars for a track day... Fortunately I have now 2 children ( 2 criminals):ROFLMAO: so I had to review my expences....
 
Very nice, so you know what i mean, lol.
I like my protechs more than my microtechs. I never could get into ZT though. Spyderco has something for everyone.
My custom andre thorburn was a grail for me, as well as my custom Olamic. CKF has some nice offerings for midtechs.
So many knives i still need, lol.
Looks like someone needs to open a knife thread here, hah.

I got drawn for a grimsmo three times now, they just werent my flavor.

don't get me started on my fixed blades. Hah


Ive been after one of those for a while.
I had one when he first started out and they were easier to get and less money, but i stupidly sold it.
Im after a certain one, but if you just want any Gough, i bet i can find you one
I’m wanting the green and black one..
 
Very cheap compared to many hobbies. One part like a new new prop on my jet ski is the cost of a whole RC. Full size cars or vehicles are very expensive. I can't think of any other enthusiast hobby that's cheaper, unless maybe your hobby is walking or dumpster diving or collecting bottle caps or something.
 
I would say the cost of RC as a hobby is low to mid range as compared to say;
Fishing and Golf, A good rod and reel (fly, spin or casting) can easily cost $300+ plus lures and if you have a boat (Bust Out Another Thousand) Golf, a good set of clubs $500+ plus greens fees, club membership etc........

So I see RC as pretty cheap hobby :cool: What say you?


So fishing is my job- well I run a offshore fishing charter- for a serious recreational fisherman that chases game fish the cost is very similar to owning nearly the hole Arrma range. Well it is over here lol

I think I have 2 of the worst hobbies/addictions to combine lmao but I wouldn’t have it any other way ?
 
It's not a cheap hobby but there are plenty of more expensive hobbies. Like some have said above, if you enjoy it and it makes you happy then do it. Money is no good to you when your dead.

Still, I do feel a little guilty when I'm spending money on RCs when I could be paying off debt.
 
It's not a cheap hobby but there are plenty of more expensive hobbies. Like some have said above, if you enjoy it and it makes you happy then do it. Money is no good to you when your dead.

Still, I do feel a little guilty when I'm spending money on RCs when I could be paying off debt.
They can’t come get you when your gone.
 
One rig has $2100 invested
Second rig has $1000 invested
Helicopter $500
Drone $300
Third rig is new $400

Supplies and tools $3000
All in past 4 months...
Sounds like you went half with each successive model .. lol

As for 'Cost of RC Bashing as a hobby', The way I see it - I could spend all this on other things like beer .. and what do I have to show for it?
 
Sounds like you went half with each successive model .. lol

As for 'Cost of RC Bashing as a hobby', The way I see it - I could spend all this on other things like beer .. and what do I have to show for it?
Well yeah poop got expensive quick lmao
Plus some how the kraton keeps sweet talking me into more parts ? it's doing it again for another brother lately lol
 
I'm only over a year old in the RC hobby... So I've not invested no were as much as many on here. All hobbies are expensive. I can already see this is a money pit to but, I like it . I have other hobbies, Golf, Gun's, Guitar's, Woodworking, Hunting that i really enjoy and have spent a lot of money on... But let's think about this for a second... What other hobby is there where you spend good hard earned money to buy, upgrade, repair something i'm tearing on a regular basics. I'm not launching my gun's or guitars... Their investments (at least that's what I tell my wife) but, I have launched a couple of golf clubs and rapped a few putters around tree's .... Now I'm up to 3 Arrma Rig's with my eye on a couple more... Expensive Yea, Loving it... Oh hell yea! Peace!
 
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At least you can make money from that hobby too haha. At least I hope you do with all that invested into it. My other hobby, building guns, dwarfs the cost of my RCs too lol
That was my hobby when I first got out of the Army, Bench rest rifle, IDPA & ISPC competition. All my hobbies have required the use of my hands & fabrication. ??
 
I am a very new enthusiast and, to be fair, I got into it only because of my son who wanted a good RC car for Christmas. The problem is that I got severely hooked and I bought a Kraton 6S for me right after I tried my son's Granite.

Concerning the entry price, I have to admit that, coming from mountain biking, I was shocked at how cheap these nice RC cars are. The retail price of my Kraton 6S (without batteries) was about 10% the retail price of the mountain bike I purchased in 2018. Good mtb tires are worth ~100$ (each) these days, good forks are well over 1000$, carbon handlebars >200$, good cassettes costs from 200 to >500$. I destroyed a rim a few months ago and the repair cost was ~300$. If you want to go crazy, it is not that hard to end up with a 12-15k$ top-of-the-line mountain bike. Now that is crazy expensive...

Basically, I find the cost of this hobby can be considered to be quite reasonable unless you buy several RC cars every year, upgrade them to all the aftermarket wonder parts and bash them as hard as possible every time you take it out for a session. (Note that there is nothing wrong with that if you have the $$$, time and passion to do it.)

Personally, I see myself breaking and reparing stuff here and there (of course), but I have to admit I don't have the desire to destroy my RC truck every time I drive it. I will not be attempting multiple backflips on huge jumps to flat landing anytime soon. If I do, I will run out of time to repair my car every week anyway. I purchased a 6S specifically to have the reliability and peace of mind provided by the metal parts (diffs, driveshafts, etc.). We'll see how that goes in the next few months... :p
 
One rig has $2100 invested
Second rig has $1000 invested
Helicopter $500
Drone $300
Third rig is new $400

Supplies and tools $3000
All in past 4 months...
Well added another one lmao $300
 
RC is my first ever hobby, later in school I started building planes and to participate in school competitions.
I competed in powerlifring and I ride road bike as a hobby now.
I lost my mind over performance cars as a young man, I had a good time, but I had 3 very serious accidents and the last one was near death experience(burning in the car). As my child came, I decided to go back to RC hobby, and to stop challenging fate.
Comparing RC to performance cars or powerlifring competing, it is not that expensive, but it is not cheap.
For me, the key is not to wonder and not to make decisions without researching.
Do it right from the start, don't try to save mony on every occasion(some things can't be cheap) and know your hobby. Knowledge is the best weapon against burning money.
 
I fly RC airplanes. I have had to did a number of motors out of the dirt. Not to mention a couple that have flown away, never to be seen again. A number of guys in my club fly helis. They say the average cost of any little crash is $150.
 
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