The RC hobby: a relatively old pursuit yet somewhat anonymous to the public eye - except for maybe the hefty price tag? In this blog, we look at what the RC hobby really is and how hobby-grade RCs differ from toy-grade RCs.

What is the RC hobby?

When we talk about RC cars or RC planes, some people tend to think of them as children's toys. But did you know that adults - between the ages of 20 to 50 - are actually the biggest consumer of everything RC-related? Shocked? Don't be. To understand this, we must first take a look at what a "hobby" is all about.

A hobby is an activity people do regularly for leisure. An average person will spend almost 5 hours per week pursuing their hobby. For any hobby (such as basketball) that is 5 hours invested in developing new skills and mastering the craft. For an RC hobbyist, that is 5 hours put into building your model, modifying the design, upgrading parts, going to the racetrack, and continuously improving and pushing your vehicle to the limit.

A toy is a toy, you pay for what you get...

A toy-grade RC – as the name implies - is really just a toy. They are meant to be cheap thrills; you buy them for a low price, play a couple of months, and then they break. Compared to a hobby-grade RC, they significantly lack quality and durability. If you were to hard crash your toy-grade vehicle, that's goodbye. A hobby-grade vehicle - in the same crash – will absorb the impact much better and still be functional. If something does break, you can easily find replacement parts and have your baby running again in no time. Finding and replacing parts on a toy grade model is pretty much unheard of - just chuck the damn thing.

At the end of the day don’t they do the same thing?

Yes, they do the same thing but no, they are not the same. Everyone can run; does that make you Usain Bolt? A hobby-grade model will give you much higher performance; greater power and speed, coupled with precision handling. Hobby-grade RCs also come with more control functions (AKA channels) enabling them to make advanced maneuvers that toy-grade RCs can only dream of. Put it this way, a toy grade model is fundamentally restricted within its cheap plastic mold. A hobby-grade model, on the other hand, has unlimited potential and autonomy to do much more - do you still think they are the same?

So why are hobby-grade RCs so expensive?

Hobby Grade RCs are not only built with higher quality materials, but the technologies used are also much more sophisticated. Starting with the transmitter/receiver, the average toy-grade RC car will have a functional range of around 30-50 meters - meaning they can only be played within a confined area. A hobby grade RC car can easily get to 500 meters and up, allowing them to be enjoyed on most terrains.

What's more, a toy grade model will generally use a brushed motor 70% efficiency with alkaline batteries or at best, B-grade LiPo batteries (lower discharge rate). Whereas hobby-grade RCs use brushless motors - 90% efficiency - with high-performace LiPo batteries enabling them to easily reach speeds of up to 70 mph compared to the measly 15 mph of their toy counterparts. Worst of all, the motor, servos, and ESC of a toy-grade RC model normally come as an all-in-one component. If you wanted to make an upgrade, you will have to dismantle the whole thing, replace all the parts and rewire them together – should have just started with a hobby-grade model right?

Ok, hobby-grade RCs are much faster but is that all? How is a hobby-grade RC more fun?

Speed only accounts for 10% (or even less) of the enjoyment. The bulk of the pleasure actually revolves around the potential to modify and upgrade your vehicle. Take an RC plane, you can change out your electric motor for a nitro engine and modify the ailerons to transform your plane into an aerobatic maestro. Or how about adding a set of aluminum shocks absorbers (suspension) and changing out your smooth tires for a set of 4.7-inch heavy duty rims on your RC car to make it an off-track menace - this is what the RC hobby is really about!

A true RC hobbyist is a designer, a craftsman, an engineer, and ultimately, a creator. It is all about building an extension of oneself and expressing yourself on the field. Is there another hobby more rewarding than this?

So, is it really worth it?

When all said and done, are hobby-grade RCs really worth it? If you look at the advantages: better quality, more durable and replaceable parts, high performance, more controls, advanced technology, and unlimited possibilities, then yes, a hobby-grade RC is a no brainer.

If you want to get your hands on a beginner RC model but don't know where to start, you can look at our recommended RC models for beginners here.

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