What issues can I expect from Hobby King?

[murankar]

I will soon be ordering from hobby king. I have seen their Facebook wall and it seems that a lot of people have issues with them. So I guess I want to know is what issues can I expect to have from them? I want to know before I order, just in case I need to readjust where I order from. It appears they are just as bad as Best Buy for customer service. Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[Tony]

Don't order ANY of their electronics. They are cheap for a reason. The batteries are okay as is the OrangeRx for the Spektrum Tx, but the ESC's are pure crap. If you order from hong kong, then if your part is bad, it will cost more to ship it back than it would to just get another one. Sad fact, but true.

 

[murankar]

I am re-planning my purchasing due to the bad reviews. I did find a great starter kit from hobbypartz. It is the Detrum 450 Heli upgrade kit. The only thing in this kit I would have to order is the tail servo. I am so excited to get started.

 

[Tony]

In all reality, you could use that servo on the tail. If you were to order the Dynam E-Razor 450, that is the servo that would be on the tail. It's not worth a crap, but it would work lol. The gyro is a decent one, and I know nothing about that motor and ESC, but never had any issues out of the ones that I had in my Razor. I would still suggest the MG90S servos on the cyclic, and the best servo you can afford on the tail.

 

[murankar]

Thanks, I will still follow your advise. I am trying to move everything I can from hobby king to avoid any issues. I want this to be enjoyable hobby and not a dental visit (LOL).

 

[Keith]

I got well over 100 orders with Hobby King and no issues to speak of... Over the the next month is a bad time for obvious reasons... If you choose anything just look below at customer reviews, then make your decision... There is no way I could have got so much enjoyment without HKs prices... If money is no problem then pay two or three times their price at the LHS...

 

[murankar]

I am trying to get everything I need for this build. I mean everything tools, glue and any parts. I am basically starting from scratch and need to also build a supply. I think I may give them a chance and see how it works out. I am still skeptical based on some the findings on their facebook page. Three of the major components are out of stock and have been for some time now. Anyhow I have been burning my brain trying to figure out the best tail setup. I think I am set on the assan ga 250 and this was a peice of work to find. Now the servo is kicking my back side. Any Ideas?

 

[Tony]

When you say you need to build a supply, do you mean a 12v power supply? If so, you can make your own out of an old computer power supply. Just takes some bullet connectors, a resistor, and some soldering.

As for the tail servo, the DS520 is one of the best you can get, and it's from Align.

 

[RandyDSok]

Ordering from HobbyKing or many of the other cheap deal companies ( even those here in the USA ) has always been a bit of a gamble. The reason their prices are so low is typically because the quality control doesn't exist and customer support is often almost non-existant. The majority of the time you will probably get a working product but when you don't... getting an exchange will take a lot of time or as mentioned, shipping will exceed the cost of just replacing it with another order.

Don't get me wrong... some of the products they carry are ok when they work... For example at HK... the Plush series, the Mystery as well as the HK BlueSeries ESCs are actually rebranded HobbyWing ESC's which are a respectable product. Others are as Tony mentioned... not worth your trouble. In Radio TX's... the Turnigy 9X is popular, it is actually a rebranded FrSky transmitter and many people use them... The trouble with them is you may or may not get a good working unit... if they work, I hear good reviews in general though. Their motors have a very spotty reputation as do their servos... some are fair but there are a lot of failures reported as well.

Now on the subject of LHS's and sourcing from quality hobbyshops in general. Yes you will pay more... good customer support comes with an added cost. Buying from a LHS probably has the highest mark up because they don't deal in high volumes and they will often provide an "over the counter swap" on defective items. In addition, you can usually walk into a LHS and get most of your questions answered, all of this does add up to higher costs but it is nice to have those services. So check out your LHS and see if they are helpful or not ( not all are good ), if they seem to be good... use them when you can you won't regret it and then you'll have a source to go quickly pick up a part if you need it immediately... if you don't, they will go out of business and that will limit your choices.

Buy quality components over the more economical ones... Tony and I'll go round and round on this subject much of the time, but I feel that staying with top brands often has many advantages such as you just know it will work and if there is a problem... the company will stand behind it...

The Align servo's that were mentioned are actually a rebranded Savox SH-1357 .... fyi. I see a lot of people have ok results with the MG90s but I also hear later that they develop a lot of slop over time and they don't always center as well as higher quality brands will. The reason they develop slop is because they don't use a top bearing, they just use the nylon case for a bearing. The reason they have centering issues is from the cheaper quality potentiameter... sometimes they are ok, sometimes they aren't.

Quality servo's will always have decent quality pot's in them... this is why you don't hear about centering issues with them like you do on cheaper ones. Even the higher quality servo's can develop slop in them if they aren't using a top bearing... An excellent example would be the Hitec HS-55's vs the HS-45HB's.... the 45's have a bearing and the 55's don't. So if the servo is going to work hard... make certain it has a top bearing. If accuracy is important, stay with a quality brand so you know it has a good quality pot in it.

Motors are another area that is highly debated. Cheap motors are often will have over rated specs... they will claim to provide more watts at higher amp ratings than they are really built for. This results in them burning out sooner than what a good one will. Cheaper motors often have shafts that are using softer metals so they bend easier, their bearings are not top notch ( decreasing efficiency and increasing heat issues ) and will have a lower power to weight ratio than a good quality motor.

Using a heavier motor will also have an impact on the flight performance of the model... Weight is a big factor in heli's but also plays an important role in airplanes... Both fly more finicky when they are heavier than when they are lighter. A decrease/increase in model weight will also affect the flight time you have for a particular battery.

 

[zapster]

Yeah i never had any ordering issues other than what tony said about there ESCs that are junk.what you do learn is when you order one of there helis get all the spare parts you will need and more for when you crash, Booms,Tail and Main blade grips,blades,landing gear,skid tubes,linkage kit.all this will be a fraction of the price compared to getting them at a hobby shop i just got burned at the hobby shop near me for a 450 tail assembly 44.00 ouch !!! Hobby King 12.00.i have enough spare 450 stuff that i gonna build a regularHK 450ccpm all metal from the USA Warehouse and every thing else i need electronic from hobbyparts and or XHeli.I advise all other to do the same the zapster has spoken.lol

 

[murankar]

Thanks for the valuable information. I found a few things last night while I was researching for the tail. Tony I did see the ds 520's on a site for $39.99, I hope that it is the real deal. Does any one know of a site or place that sells the Assan Ga-250. I found one or two last night are there others. My next purchase is going to include the Thunder AC6 Smart LiPo Balance Charger, that should take care of any power issues I may have. rdsok: I am glade to have help like this. I feel like a person trying to buy a computer for the first time. I will still be cautious of HK, I won't buy stuff that I need to just work. It's bad enough I am in the R.O.K. I do not want to have to deal with returns while I am here if at all possible. Now the FrySky Tx, Any one have any input on it, I know that the Turnigy is based on it. What I guess I am asking is Is the FrySky just as good as lets say DX6i? I am considering that controller over the Turnigy (if it ever comes off back order). I am also going to stick with the 90S servos for now. As a student I think they will hold up untill I get home, where I can take advantage of LHS's and free shipping. Zapster once I get the kit assembled I will be gathering the stuff needed for a field box, yes extree parts, Lots of them. I can just imagine whats going to happen when I finally maiden. I am going to get a cherry pie from the commissary for that day. For now my parts list is so jacked that the only thing that is accurate is the stuff I have ordered. Tony at the end of the period of instruction I would love to advertise this site. I would love to use your logo in place of the Align Logo on the canopy. Anyhow I need to get ready for work, Another day, another .35 cents.

 

[Tony]

Why in the hell would I disagree with name brands being better?!i have said time and time again if you can afford it, go for it. Don't put words in my mouth.

 

[coolgabsi]

Flysky tx from hobbypartz is a good starter tx. Programming is done only through computer.. Which is easy, but not as easy as having a LCD screen to do the programming there and then. I have used it on both helis and planes. Works good

Compared to dx6i... I would say.. You get what you way for. Dx6i feels more soft and ergonomic to use. Beautiful tx... But comes with a price.. And that's just on thing.., then there is a LCD screen. Model memory. All that.. In theory flysky has "infinite model memory" because all models are saved on computer and you can load the needed thru the laptop or something when ever... But you know when you are flying three models, you will need a laptop with you there ...

If you are interested in that hobbypartz 6channel one, I have one barely used literally brand new.. With cables and everything included and 3rx's I am willing to sell it has everything you'll need... . PM me and we can work out something cheaper than market.. Let me know..

Gaba

 

[murankar]

I was looking at the 9ch. I like the fact that I would not be tethered to my laptop if I need to make some adjustments. I do like the fact that the pc would give you unlimited model storage in theory. I am trying to stick to a budget but I am willing to go over/under if I really have to. I do not have a set final price but I do want to stay well under the cost of an RTF t-rex 450. My main goal with this project is not so much the cost but the experience of building my own. I think that is worth it's weight in gold, one visit to the LHS and you could be out $150 plus parts. Don't get me wrong though I think it is silly to buy a part at $150 when there maybe a $20 part that is just as good. I will save the really good parts for when I do not crash as much, because I will crash a lot. Learning curve I guess. My plan is to buy the TX/Rx sometime in February; because if I get it now all I will want to do is tinker with it and I may screw something up in the process.

Thanks a million for the help and patients with me.

 

[cweeks0515]

Thanks, I will still follow your advise. I am trying to move everything I can from hobby king to avoid any issues. I want this to be enjoyable hobby and not a dental visit (LOL).

-My experiences have been mixed. But my latest is a very frustrating experience.
-This was a RTF solo pro 180 (not at all a beginner heli or a diy program)
-The tx/rx was not documented properly but I got all of the programming off the web from some guy in Australia!
-tx/rx initially bound fine but when first hover attempt a violent crash was the result -- and the unit would not bind after that!
-USA warehouse was the fob point and I was issued a rma for the return.
-They are now "holding" the unit pending the return of a batt compartment for the tx -- complete b s and simply a delaying tactic.
-I dont think they have the know how to service anything stateside -- and are unwilling to issue replacements -- and are basically frauds!
-The customer service folks (if you can get one) will tell you anything to get off the chat line -- with no follow thru.

The ARF kits are probably ok -- but as stated previously their electronics is s---.

HTH.

 

[murankar]

I just placed my first order with HK. Right now they are having a high influx of business and things are taking longer to ship. I did talk to CS on live chat last night and they seemed to be on it. Will see in a few weeks how this plays out.

 

[Tony]

they always take forever to ship, and to get the item to you. Just the nature of the beast when you are dealing with ANYTHING in Hong Kong

 

[Squizzy]

Depends on what you used for freight/transport, though to be fair.

My first order of 'bits' took almost a month but I only paid $2 something (I live in Australia) - I should say it was from Hong Kong, as the Aussie warehouse wasn't really set up then.

I've since ordered twice more and they arrived in 3-4 days. I paid more for it but it seemed to work.

Now though, I tend to order from domestic hobby shops more so than overseas ones. Regardless of my good experiences with HK, you can't beat talking to someone who, "speaka da same language".

Best of luck with your build, Matey.

 

[murankar]

Thanks, I ordered just a couple things, the EL panel for the th9x, a life4 battery for the th9x and two 1.5 mm hex head drivers. The drives I will need the most but can improvise till then, just need to file my old ones. I also think all of that will ship from Honk Kong also. My order was about $25 USD after shipping so I think it is the standard shipping rates. Will see what happens, at least it was not hundreds of dollars of stuff.