9 RC Products That Look Gimmicky But Are Actually Useful
If you’ve been in the RC hobby long enough, you’ve probably seen a new gadget or two and thought, “Seriously? Who needs that?”
Trust me, I’ve thought the same thing. RC is full of tools, gadgets and accessories that seem completely unnecessary – right up until you actually use one. Then somehow that ridiculous little gizmo earns a permanent spot in your toolbox.
So, I went looking for RC products that have a definite gimmick factor but actually serve a useful purpose. Here are 9 RC products that might make you roll your eyes at first but could have you wondering how you ever got along without them.
1. Electric Air Duster / Mini Blower
At first glance, this looks like one more rechargeable gadget destined to live in a drawer. Then you blast an afternoon’s worth of dirt, dust and tiny pieces of track debris out of your ride in about 30 seconds and, suddenly, it’s the greatest invention since brushless motors and LiPo batteries. Even better, there are no cans of compressed air to keep buying.
Gimmick Factor: Medium
Actually Useful: 10/10
Search Mini Blowers: www.amainhobbies.com
2. Magnetic Parts Tray
It’s a metal dish with a magnet in it. Revolutionary? Not exactly. But the first time it prevents a tiny screw, shim or body clip from launching itself into another dimension, you’ll understand. RC screws have an incredible ability to disappear the moment they hit the floor. A magnetic tray gives them fewer opportunities to escape.
Gimmick Factor: Medium
Actually Useful: 8/10
Search Magnetic Parts Trays: www.amainhobbies.com
3. Rechargeable Electric Screwdriver
Real RC mechanics turn every screw by hand, right? Sure, until you have 18 screws to remove from the bottom of an 1/8 scale chassis. A small electric screwdriver with a good set of hex bits can make teardown (and re-assembly) much faster. Use it to remove screws and run them back in, then do the final tightening by hand. Your wrist will thank you.
Gimmick Factor: Medium
Actually Useful: 10/10
Search Portable Electric Screwdrivers: www.amazon.com
Search Hex Bits: www.amainhobbies.com
4. Digital Ride Height Gauge
For decades, RC racers somehow survived with perfectly ordinary manual ride-height gauges. Then somebody apparently decided we needed batteries and a digital display. Overkill? Absolutely. But if you’re chasing precise, repeatable setup measurements, seeing the exact number on a screen is awfully convenient. It also makes adjusting ride height feel much more scientific than “Yeah, that looks about right.”
Gimmick Factor: High
Actually Useful: 8/10
Search Digital Ride Height Gauges: www.amainhobbies.com
5. Infrared Temperature Gun
Nothing says serious RC hobbyist quite like pointing a temp gun at a tiny electric motor. It might look excessive, but temperature is one of the easiest ways to tell whether your gearing or setup is making your electronics work too hard. A quick check after a run can potentially save your motor or ESC, both of which cost considerably more than the actual temperature gun.
Gimmick Factor: High
Actually Useful: 8/10
Search Temp Guns: www.amainhobbies.com
6. RC Setup Wheels
Take off your perfectly good wheels and tires and replace them with flat plastic or aluminum discs. Makes perfect sense, right? Actually, it does. Setup wheels remove tire inconsistencies when checking your suspension geometry. They may make your race car look like it’s ready for a speed run, but they provide a consistent reference for accurate setup measurements.
Gimmick Factor: High
Actually Useful: 10/10
Search Setup Wheels: www.amainhobbies.com
7. Digital Camber Gauge
Apparently, at some point, looking at the tiny lines on a regular camber gauge became too much work. Enter the digital camber gauge. Joking aside, being able to quickly see small changes can make suspension setup easier and more repeatable. For racers who obsess over half-degree adjustments (you know who you are), it’s surprisingly handy.
Gimmick Factor: High
Actually Useful: 8/10
Search Digital Camber Gauges: www.amainhobbies.com
8. RC Car Carrying Backpack
A backpack specifically for an RC car sounds a little excessive when you can simply carry the car by the front or rear bumpers. Then you try walking half a mile to your bashing spot while carrying the vehicle, radio, batteries, tools, water and everything else you decided was “essential.” A proper RC backpack frees up your hands and makes getting to remote crawling or bashing spots considerably easier.
Gimmick Factor: Medium
Actually Useful: 10/10
Search RC Backpacks: www.amainhobbies.com
9. LiPo Battery Cell Checker / Voltage Alarm
It’s tiny, inexpensive and looks like the kind of electronic gadget that arrives with instructions printed in a font visible only through a microscope. But plug it into your LiPo’s balance connector and you can quickly check total voltage and individual cell voltages – in seconds! Some versions (voltage alarm) can also warn you when voltage gets too low. It’s one of those little tools you don’t think you need until you’re standing at the track wondering which of your six batteries is actually charged.
Gimmick Factor: Low
Actually Useful: 10/10
Search LiPo Checkers: www.amainhobbies.com
Not every RC gadget deserves a spot in your toolbox. Some really are solutions looking for problems, but every once in a while, something that looks completely unnecessary turns out to be surprisingly useful.
And that’s half the fun of this hobby. There’s always another tool, gadget or accessory promising to make our RC lives a little easier and, apparently, we’re going to keep buying them.
