Batteries
Battery selection for your vehicle is VERY important. Getting the correct power level and capacity is key to maximize the amount of fun. The batteries below I all have personal experience with and recommend. BUT - it is impossible for me to list a recommended battery for EVERY vehicle. Here is a guide on things to consider when choosing a battery:
One key part of battery selection is the connector. I HIGHLY recommend learning how to solder for this hobby. It is really easy and relatively cheap. It will save you from using sketchy adapters that may cause you much larger issues. Here is a guide to soldering battery connectors:
3S small crawler battery
RC crawling does not take a lot of power - a small battery can go for MILES. I have found these ~2000mah, 3S batteries are just about right to fit the MOST RC crawlers on the market. The 3-lipo cells give the trucks enough punch to get over obstacles, while the 2000mah capacity keep the trucks running long.
GensAce
Ovonic
2S shorty lipo for drift
In RC drifting, weight - and where it is on the chassis - matters. I like to keep my batteries small and lightweight for the most versatility for placement. Also - many chassis will only accept the "LCG" or short-shorty batteries. When I combine those goals with the fact that a single battery can last over 1 hour, here are the batteries I recommend. Note: many of these are listed as LIHV. That is great - they have the capability to be charged to an even higher voltage. Honestly - I never do that. I treat them as started LIPO batteries.
GensAce
Maclan
Cayote
3S big battery for bashing
When bashing, I like big batteries to give me a long run time. The larger the "mah" number, the longer the battery will last.
GensAce
Ovonic
4S big battery for bashing
Bigger trucks means bigger power! This is the category I struggle with the most. Getting a good quality 4S lipo that doesn't cost the same as a whole truck is hard! What has worked for me so far: