Forget the controllers for now in price. I'm looking for both transmissions and motor sets for sub-$600. Electronics will mostly be donated, so I'm not worrying about that right now.
http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0M-E150.html
Any thoughts on that motor in a ~200:1 ratio transmission (I'm planning on using belts)?
What about the CIM motors that come in the KOP, they are cheap, but do they have the power?