Blade and Walkera make hobby grade beginner helis; most of Nine Eagles newest models are, also. WL Toys is working hard trying to move out of the hobby area. The differences are not obvious, since they are largely in the quality and workmanship of the electronics and the chose of materials used. Avoid aluminum and fake carbon fiber if possible.

Thanks for the info Balr14. I've looked at a few "explanations" but never got a clear understanding. It seems to me the line between toy and hobby grade has blurred a bit from days past. For my meager understanding, I consider all 3 or less channel r/c's as toys and 4+ as hobby grade.

Be careful with brands that have little or no parts support. I don't know much about MJX but I suspect you will find it very difficult to get parts. Take a look at my Roadmap for learning RC helicopters as a hobby.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1829340

I suggest Blade as a good brand to start with. They are not perfect but have great customer support and parts are very easy to get either at your LHS or online.

Get a small coax to start but plan to fly indoors. Big coax's are too big for indoors but will not fly well outdoors. Blade mCX2 is my suggested starting point. Read my Roadmap.

Thanks for the input rhodesengr. I started with the Blade CX2 and stepped up to the 120sr a few months ago. The LHS in my area seem to only carry Blade and Align products. Before I make the jump to CP's I want to get a feel for other brands.

Most hobby stores only carry Blade and Align. Blade for BNF's and RTF's and Align for kits. There are lots of other quality brands (Gaui, Compass, Synergy, Mikado, SAB, and more) but most are kits and very few even have a 450 size. Mostly 500 and up. If you want to jump right to a 450 and not build (my recommendation) go with the Blade 450X. If you are ready to build then go with an Align FBL model. But per my roadmap, I think most people should start with a micro. There are only two brands in the mico CP's worth considering Blade and Walkera. You can see the walkera's at wowhobbies.com. I have not tried a Walkera, but most threads that compare them, Blade comes out ahead. Walkera has there own radio brand that only works with their stuff. If you stick with Blade models and Spektrum radios, you will be solidly in the mainstream.

Not quite ready to build or CP's yet, but it is my plan to go with a micro cp first. I'd much rather repair a micro than a 450 size helicopter...