Want to get a first crawler. Budget = >$250

[iTz Nicholas72]

I'm not as worried about the cost over time as I'm worried about the initial investment. I've already quit RC before and lost a lot of money and want to make the smallest purchase possible just in case I find crawling isn't for me.

 

[C*H*U*D]

A Losi MRC is as costly as an AX10, in my opinion. Once you get metal diff lockers, beadlocks, better tires/foams, better electronics, etc... you're more or less the same as a 2.2. The 2.2s are tougher and can cover more terrain. Axials are wicked tough and stupid fun.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU BUY.

Diff lockers are really all you need to get, and they're cheap. Beadlocks are easy enough to make with the PVC mod, the tires are fine for goofing around and learning the truck, and I still have my stock electronics.

If you want a good cheap introduction to crawling, the MRC is hard to beat, and a great platform for future upgrades as you see fit. It's also very responsive to many cheap/free mods like 4-linking, limiting your shocks, lowering/trimming your body, siping your tires, etc., etc...

Also you said your buddy has an MRC already...you have instant competition!

 

[rooktakesqueen]

red cat

check out www.redcatracing.com A lot of guys poopoo the RS10 but I actually own one and I'm telling you they aint bad at all...hell, this forum even has an RS10 thread, they're legit trust me. The one and only thing you'll need to do right away is toss the battery that comes with it, it's bad, real bad. The tires are good, but you may want to upgrade those at some point as well. Everything else is darn good for the price and it's a true RTR. Check out the offical thread on this site to see what people have done with them, cool stuff really."thumbsup"