Best RC Truck Reviews 2023

RC trucks come in different styles and sizes, and with different features. With these differences come differences in prices that can be very wide. As already stated, some of the factors that can affect the price of an RC truck include its size, its motor type, the quality of its build, and more. Simply looking at this, a 1/8th scale RC truck is surely going to cost more than a 1/18th scale of the same truck, built to the same quality. The simple fact that you will use more materials and require more power is only one obvious reason why it should cost more.

From our findings, the price of an RC truck can go as high as $1000. We, however, found that with between $35 and $450, you can get a good RC truck. Merely looking at this price range, you can already tell that their features will be largely different. If you need more features, you will need to pay more.

One thing you should, however, be careful of is cheap RC trucks. Even if you’re on a tight budget, don’t go for an RC truck that won’t offer the satisfaction you paid for. Spend some more to get something that you’ll be happy with.

RC trucks can be a lot of fun, especially if you get the one that’s exactly right for the user. To determine this, you first need to consider some important factors as these factors will help you decide which RC truck is indeed the best for you. Some of the most important factors to consider include:

• Type (electric or nitrate)
• Size
• Assembled or kit
• Drive system
• Type of motor
• Speed
• User

Let’s now discuss these.

Okay, so looking at the construction and design of your new RC truck is important. There's five main things you need to consider.

Type of Truck

The first thing to consider when choosing an RC truck is the type you want. An RC truck can either be electric-powered or nitrate-powered. Making an informed choice of course requires that you understand the difference, pros, and cons of each.

An electric-powered RC truck uses a motor which can be brushless or brushed (more on this later) and is powered by batteries. Nitrate-powered trucks, on the other hand, use combustion engines like your regular truck. They use nitro or gas which burns, driving the truck.

Let’s now look at a few of their pros and cons. The electric-powered RC truck is cleaner, quieter, safer, and easier to manage; it can be run on any RC track, including indoors, and will also cost less to run. The nitrate-powered RC truck is noisier, has by-products resulting from the combustion of gases, cannot be driven indoors because of the combustion of gases, has more risk due to the inflammable gases, requires some time to break-in, needs engine fine-tuning to achieve increased performance, and is more expensive to maintain as you’ll need to continually refill the gas tank.

For the pros of the nitrate-powered RC truck, it’s faster, runs for longer, delivers a more realistic truck feel with its smoke and sound, offers a greater understanding of engine tuning, and is more water-resistant than electric-powered models. However, with regards to speed, a brushless motor can achieve speeds comparable to that achieved of nitro-powered trucks.

Type of Motor

This brings us to the type of motor you want if you’ve decided to go with electric-powered RC trucks. The electric-powered RC truck can have either a brushed motor or a brushless one. Brushless motors are faster than brushed motors, and are also quieter, more efficient, and last longer. Their energy usage also facilitates longer battery life and they are good at dissipating heat. On the converse side, they are more expensive than brushed motors, which is only rational given all the advantages they offer.

Size

Another factor to look at is the size you want. RC trucks are usually modeled after real-life trucks; the model is supposed to be an exact replica of the original truck, with everything scaled down realistically. The sizing of any RC truck is usually given in a ratio of the original. You will find sizing such as 1/10th which means the RC truck’s size is a tenth of the original truck. It can be 1/8th, 1/18th, and so forth with 1/8th being the largest and 1/18th being the smallest. Decide what size you want and go for it.

Ready-to-Drive or Kits

This here is something you want to make sure not to miss. Some RC trucks are sold as ready-to-drive while some are sold as kits. A ready-to-drive truck means the truck is already assembled and ready to drive; a kit means it requires assembly. While kits provide more challenges and the satisfaction of putting together the truck yourself, making upgrades and adjustments you want, it is not something that those new to RC racing should go for. This is something for more-experienced RC hobbyists.

Drive System

Lastly for this segment, you also need to consider the drive system you want. Though most RC trucks have 4-wheel drive systems (written as 4WD), you will find some that have 2-wheel drive systems. The difference between the two is that a 4WD system will be better able to navigate rough terrains than a 2WD system. You can now choose based on your needs.

Understanding a few things about RC trucks will make it easier for you to use one. We have already listed some of these above. If you’re a new user, you should look for an RC truck that’s easy to drive. Do not start with a nitrate-powered truck or with a kit which requires assembly. Your best bet is an electric-powered model with a brushed motor so the speed will not be too much for you to handle. In fact, look for one with speed control or a learning mode so you can learn at much slower speeds before zooming off at top speeds.

It’s also important not to be confused by the sizing system. Always remember that the scaling is based on the actual size of the real truck. If a truck is originally much bigger than another, it may still be bigger even if its scale sizing indicates a smaller size. For example, if a truck is two times bigger than another, but its RC truck model is scaled at 1/10th, the truck that is smaller originally will still have a smaller model even if it’s scaled at 1/8th. Compare scaling between similar vehicles and not between different vehicles.