The world of remote controlled vehicles can provide you with tons of fun for hours on end, which is why RC vehicles have become so popular, not just among kids, but adults as well. But getting into the RC world can be difficult for some, because there are just so many toys to choose from, and choosing the right model is crucial to enjoying the hobby. With that said, if RC vehicles have just piqued your interest, and you’re looking to buying your first ride, there are a couple of important things to know.

The first thing to do when looking through all the different models available in an online RC car shop is deciding on the type of RC vehicle you want to drive. You have several available options, including RC cars, RC trucks, Buggies, and Truggies. RC cars are for flat surface racing, trucks are for off-roading, while buggies and truggies are a weird combination of the two, allowing you to enjoy a bit of both on and off-road terrain.

Regardless of which type you end up picking, when browsing the products of your favorite RC car shop, you’ll find models that feature electric and nitro motors. Electric motors are cheaper, cleaner, better for driving in enclosed areas, require less maintenance, and they allow you to drive your vehicle faster. However, they have limited run times, can be quite expensive, especially brushless motors, and you need to wait for the batteries to recharge.

Nitro motors, on the other hand, have longer run times, sound great, but due to the exhaust that comes as a result of burning the fuel you shouldn’t use them in areas with poor ventilation. Furthermore, the RC model will probably be more expensive to buy, and nitro RC vehicles are more complex, as more things can go wrong with them. Nitro motors aren’t recommended for beginners for these couple of reasons.

RC cars that come with electric motors use batteries. Sometimes, the battery comes with the vehicle itself, other times, you’ll have to buy your own batteries, and that leaves you with two choices – Ni-MH and LiPo batteries. LiPo batteries are more expensive, but they’re considered the batteries of the future. So if you can afford them, definitely consider getting a pair of LiPo batteries. However, Ni-Mh batteries aren’t necessarily worse. They’re safer and cheaper, meaning you don’t have to maintain them as well as LiPo batteries. The mAh specifications found on both types of batteries represent their capacity, you want as higher mAh batteries as your budget allows