ORIGINAL: rcnitrohead
Mouse- there are good reasons why I discourage people from buying them.
1. Most of them are built cheap with low quality materials.
2. Parts availability SUCKS.
3. Good luck getting anything done at the lhs, they will laugh at you....
You are right, I haven't owned one and never will unless they become mainstream and start releasing good products with good parts support.
The guy that runs the LHS i spend the most money at calls Exceed/HiMoto/Redcat "internet cars", because that's the only way you can get them or their parts...
I would suggest picking a mainstream monster truck....Savage, LST2, Aftershock, something like that, Then hit CraigsList and Ebay and find a reasonable used one, preferably with a decent radio....Then using Ebay and your LHS, rebuild it with a few stock parts and appropriate upgrade parts into a fun RC truck....Just remember.....no hobby is cheap....if it takes you a while to save up $$$ for parts or upgrades....no problem....It'll make the finished truck worth that much more to you....
PS....Lots of so-called "upgrade" or hop-up parts are just shiny junk....Once you pick a truck, come back on here and ask what upgrades are good, and which are just to make the truck shiny....