For a decent 450 size heli, $600 isn't bad at all! I've got about $850 in my TREX 450 SE v2 not including radio. But it's the best investment I've made in this hobby to date! It is so true that once you bite the bullet and spend the cash on a good heli, the hobby becomes so much more fun! I did my rounds with a Blade CX (which I do love), a Blade CP (wish I never did) and now my TREX 450. Had I just started out on the 450, I would have saved more money in the long run and it wouldn't have taken me over a year to finally have the amount of fun I'm having now with my rex.

Good luck bro!
Skarn