If you are in the market for an RC monster truck, the first decision you are going to have to make is which grade or level of truck you are going for. No, not all remote control vehicles are created equal. You will need to decide whether you want a toy-grade radio controlled truck, or a hobby grade truck. There are several differences between the two, and ultimately which you should purchase depends on what you are planning to do with your remote control truck.
Long before the RC monster truck was even something you could buy, remote control cars became popular with kids all over the country. These were generally low power battery operated cars with limited speed, limited durability, and very rudimentary steering (three choices: straight ahead, full to the right, and full to the left). The quality of the battery and some of the steering has certainly improved, but the basic function of these toys has not changed too much over the years. If you are getting a toy monster truck for a child, or anyone who plans to just use it for fun as a toy, then toy-grade is probably a good choice for you. It is far more affordable than hobby grade, so you shouldn’t spend the money on hobby grade unless you really plan to use it.
Hobby grade RC monster trucks are made to do more, all around. They are bigger. They go faster. They have much more sensitive steering. They are often more durable. They come in off-road options so you can drive on more than a floor or flat track. They may come with replacement parts, so you can really work on the engine like with a real car. And they can even be powered by fuel (either a nitro blend, or a gasoline blend). And, of course, they cost more.
If you’re buying an RC monster truck that will just be used by a kid for a toy, you don’t need to spend the money on anything more than toy grade (plenty of toy grade models are pretty impressive in themselves). If you’re looking to get into racing and off-roading, then hobby grade may be worth your money.