Unboxing: The Maisto R/C Rock Crawler

Another new radio-controlled machine has been added to our growing R/C garage. The Maisto Rock Crawler is a vehicle that I was excited to check out, and was happy that one of my boys picked it as his prize for selling Cub Scout popcorn this year. Not only is this a neat-looking rig, but it should be able to handle some off-road antics when we head outdoors for some R/C adventures.

Initial thoughts:

• For a toy-grade radio-controlled truck, this is built quite well.
• The tires should provide ample grip for crawling over obstacles. They aren't the softest compound that I've seen, but they aren't "hockey puck hard" either. As one of my co-hosts put it, "they're squishy".
• This might be one of the first R/C toy that I've come across that features metal shock rods. The shocks themselves aren't oil-filled, but they offer a good amount of compression and rebound. 
• Overall flex and articulation for this rig is impressive.

For a low-dollar ($25) radio-controlled rock crawler, this is a decent choice for young R/C fans.