Not all ARFs are created equal but these days the better ones are pretty good. There are still a lot of the cheap craps out there but for the most part they aren't too bad. I do recall seeing my first one. It looked really good on the ground but on the second flight it self destructed in flight. They have come a long way. If it wasn't for ARFs almost none of the guys I fly with would be flying at all.
I'm just heading out now to the wood shop to start cutting a couple of kits. The Bridi Dirty Birdi. It has a heavy parts count and I see no way to even try to lump it in with an ARF in any way. I fail to understand that statement unless you mean when it's near completion and I glue in the stabs like I would an ARF??