[Espeefan]

Points well taken, from both sides of the fence, but you really should consider what you get for the money. Compare the costs and then take a look at the model. See what they are capable of, and how they are built. It goes without saying that a model should be more robust, and built to last, if it's main frame is laser cut out of steel, vs. stamped aluminum sheet metal. When you get down to the nitty gritty details, the difference becomes really apparent. Maybe none of us will ever work our models as hard as Joe, but it's still nice to know that you could, if you wanted. More importantly, if it survives under Joe's brutal use, it should last some of us who run them more gently, a life time, and that's important. If you are dropping that much coin on a RC model, you will want to be sure that your purchase is a good one. If I am not mistaken, the Vario excavator is really not that much more expensive then Wedico's excavator, but the Vario is something like 5 times the machine. I'm just saying it pays to carefully research things so you can make a good, educated decision. It is, after all, a lot of money to put up for a big boy's toy!