AmishWarlord

My Feedback: (5)

I just got my Tower Hobbies 2010 Catalog in. I though it was a flyer. It is only 240 pages. I have a 1991 one I found in the garage it has 288 pages and I remember it being cut down a lot from the 1980's catalogs. The new catalog only has 4 pages of airplane accessories.

Grampaw

Shucks! And I've just about gotten to the last pages of my 2004 Catalog! So now what do I do?

AmishWarlord

My Feedback: (5)

The Tower catalog was always toted as being the "bible" of RC. It's looking more like a hand out track these days. Not that it ever was the "bible" not having Sig and a bunch of other companies. I wonder if there would be a market for real RC airplane "bible". I'm thinking about a huge 800 page monster like the old Sears Catalog with every RC airplane manufacturer and all their products listed.

rcmiket

Call them and ask for your other 40 pages. I never look at the thing I just go the the site.
Mike

rendezvous944

Inflation and the recession have put a grip on it. I now have to use the internet to look for what I want.

rcmiket

Pricing is always higher in the catalog also.
Mike

TFF

There use to be a "bible" printed in the 70s-80s that had every product known in it; it was about 600 pages; I think RCM published it? The tower and Sig catalogs were the meat and potatoes; Tower was more mechanical, Sig more design. I have not seen a Sig in years and Tower is now a tabloid for their own products.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I love my Tower catalogs! Gives me something to do while on the throne.

By your photo, the new catalog is much wider than the old one. That's where the extra pages of product went.

earlwb

It is my understanding that Tower is part of a larger company that distributes RC and hobby stuff.
But as such they can only sell those items their own company supports.
So that leaves out things from the other companies outside of their own sphere.
For example you don't see them selling SAITO engines, as those are sold via Horizon Hobbies et cetera.
That would conflict with their selling of OS engines and so on.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Tower Hobbies is owned by Hobbico. Hobbico distributes OS engines.

Satio engines are distributed by Horizon Hobby.

For Tower to sell Saito engines it would be like a GM Dealership selling a Ford car.

However, Tower Hobbies does stock and sell many brands that aren't owned by Hobbico. One that jumps to mind immediately is Airtronics radios. If you go to Tower's website you will see on the left side of the home page "Shop By Brand". If you look through the manufacturers that Tower carries, many of which are not owned by Hobbico.

Ken

carrellh

They should stop printing catalogs and lower prices by a few cents.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

No way Jose! [:@]

sigflyer

My Feedback: (5)

Remember when Tower and Sig catalogs were the reference manuals of the day?....Before internet orders were heard of....Ahhhh the memories

dude7422

onehundred and one uses for a old tower catalog 1st .T.P. 2ND Fire starter on cold winter nite 3rd paint tasking

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

Tower is a Division of Hobbico, as is Great Planes Distributing. One company, selling to you, and to your local hobby shop......

Great Planes is the exclusive distributor of OS, Futaba and quite a few other brands in the US. If any one wants to sell these brands, they need to purchase from GP. GP is self proclaimed the "world's largest hobby distributor" and as such, they could sell anything they wanted to, if they so desired.

http://www.gpmd.com/product.html

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

Actually, including our own products, it's 9 pages of Airplane Accessories. Please be aware that the catalog can no longer be exhaustive. The great, great majority of orders are via the web, so the catalog is a supplement to the website. That's why the catalog is smaller than previous years. The largest catalogs were from about 1979 through the 1990's, and had 288 pages. However, in those days, the orders came in by phone and regular mail...the pre-internet days.

If you know what you want, or have even a vague idea, the search function can easily help you find things. It's just about the best search function you'll find anywhere on the web. ...Any you'll find more products and product info that can be put into any catalog. The Tower Hobbies website has a wealth of information that's as up-to-date as is humanly possible.

c550

My Feedback: (16)

I too remember when the Tower catolog carried everything under the sun, Now it is mostly a showcase for great Planes brand stuff. I think that it is actually a good thing. If an enterprising local hobby shop were to stock the items that Tower no longer does he could do well. I do still like the catolog, but I remember when the aircraft accessories pages whent on and on with cool stuff.

Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

You're forgetting that in 1991 they were also pretty much the sole importer of Kyosho. That cut the catolog down ALOT when they did away with that product line. It also made me lose interest in getting the catalog. I still remember drooling over the new Kyosho offerings each year that big book arrived in the fall....Etude and Duet planes, Blizzard snowcat cars...I even have an old Vanning I got for xmas from Tower back in 86. R/C stuff reigned in a way it never will again back in those days.

Big_Bird

My Feedback: (1)

The catalog that I miss is the ACE catalog of the old days. It had lots of small parts and pieces that were hard to find anywhere else.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I have not placed an order with Tower via US Mail in decades. It is now all via point and click. I don't even call on the phone. The computer handles it all. But I still LOVE getting my Tower catalog. The PC can never replace holding that nice catalog in my hands and thumbing through the pages.

The only thing Tower should do about the catalog, is update the photos of the Holocek's and the order take. I think those pics are from 1980 or something! hahaha

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I myself order very little from Tower but when I do I still like to order by phone, it's nice to speak with a real person. I do however use there catalog a lot when I'm walking students through items needed for the hobby. Tower doesn't have a lot for me but someone new to the hobby can pretty much buy everything needed in one place. Even if it isn't anything like it was way back when it still has a lot of good stuff. I think I open up my 09 catalog at least once a week. I go on line for the in depth search though, then call them with the numbers. Speaking to a real person is still nice and Tower does have some nice folks answering the phone. Not always but most the time!!

hambama

Got mine in the mail today, yea nobody wants to step on anybodys toes........ Cannot buy Hanger9 from them and I emailed O.S last nite to get a suggestion on a engine for a 25%arf cub- Why? because I like O.S, and I am familiar w/ O.S somewhat and engine tech support emailed me this am and said unfortantly they could notsuggest a engine(4stroke) for a plane that they had not tested there engines on, Its my fault that they do not sell Hanger9 or a O.S will not fit a Hanger9 product?

AmishWarlord

My Feedback: (5)

According to the catalog 1/4 scale cubs do not exist. Also, I'm sure buried deep in the text of your engine warranty is the clause that if you mount the engine on a experiential RC airplane rather than the distributors "Horizon's" recommenced planes it will void your warranty. LOL

rcmiket

Hanger 9 is distributed by Horizon that's why Tower can't sell them just as Horizon does not carry Great Planes. It like walking into a Chevy dealer and wanting a Ford. As far as OS not having a engine for your Cub They have every size you can imagine. Just what are you looking for? A 1/4 scale Cub will fly on any number of OS engines 2 and 4 stroke.
Mike

TFF

I would say Tower has 70% of the hobby Horizon about 15% and the rest independents. Wanting Tower to recommend something Horizon would be like asking the CEO of GM to recommend a Ford. The industry has changed from a catalog based hobby shop to something more like a car dealership where the product producer controls the store. Big business took over and the Hobby Lobbys, SIGs and Hobby Peoples were about 10 years behind when they figured out the new way things were going. It is nice to get the catalogs, but before the internet, they were where you found the new products; now they are 6 months old when the catalog is out so it does not have the same excitement.