We present a detailed analysis of a sample of radio-detected quasars, obtained by matching together objects from the FIRST (<VIII/71>) survey and the 2dF Quasar Redshift Survey (2dF, <VII/223>). The data set consists of 113 sources, spanning a redshift range 0.35<~z<~2.2, with optical magnitudes 18.25<=bj<=20.85 and radio fluxes S_1.4GHz_>=1mJy. These objects exhibit properties such as redshift and colour distribution in full agreement with those derived for the whole quasar population, suggesting that the mechanism(s) controlling the birth and lifetime of quasars are independent of their level of radio emission. The long-debated question of the radio-loud/radio quiet (RL/RQ) dichotomy is then investigated for the combined FIRST-2dF and FIRST-LBQS (Large Bright Quasar Survey) samples, as they present similar selection criteria.