YHR

Also the Heng Long rotation system and elevation system is way more dependable then Tamiya. Really no issue at all with a Heng long. I had way more trouble with my Tamiya Sherman then I have had with a Heng long set up. Matter of fact i have seen a lot of guys choose the HL setup over a Tamiya when building and customizing, so it is not as black and white as some lead you to believe.

There are two different avenues to travel, and these wars always develop because some will not accept this fact. I do not want to get dragged into a debate about what is best. They are different.

Imnotanace

Also I could get a basic HL with airsoft gun to beat around with later . You never know I may get bitten and need more and more. LOL

Ron

Eggman1965

My Feedback: (3)

YHR,

Good points, but Ithought the Tamiya elevation was faster and more responsive. The HLelevation cycles from up to down etc which takes longer. (Not that it really matters in RCcombat where you have a broad "hit" range.

Mike


Ron,

A souped up airsoft gun is a real trip. For $1.50 and 20 minutes time you can easily double or triple the muzzle velocity of a stock HL airsoft unit. The best airsoft guns are the shorter barreledones like the Panzer III, Panzer IVand KV I. Like Isaid, Iown 5 HL's, mostly box stock.

sevoblast

There is no such thing as 'just one tank', trust me.

cherokee_140

Nice price rundown, but my questions are DO YOU NEED ALL THAT STUFF? I am just two steps ahead of the original poster and that is why I am so intrested in this thread. His original use was :Like metal wheels and tracks suspension,sound ,IR and so on" The tiger I for that price is right at in round numbers $200 with shipping.

Why do I need the hull?
The tracks and metal drive gears are included in the $200 initial price there so wash.
Recoil and flash Given the $30 if you want that stuff.
Elmod...again why, is the running of the PZIII that much different then the Tiger, My III has a nice scale speed, you just have to know how to run the sticks.
The barrel given $30

So you have the thing at your door for $260. For the tiger you have the $575 + in my case $40 in shipping, you are tipping the scales at over $600. or to put it another way it was $615 to my door for the Tamiya or $200 for the PZIII add the extras you are at $260. A full $355 less then the tamiya. Now for the original poster that does not have IR, but that was also not listed in your price list...unless it is part of the Elmod system, but I think that is only for movement of the tank in a more scale manner. I am just not seeing it that is a bit of money.


In the end do your own research on what YOU want to do with your tank. Then make your choices. My PZIII was $96 at my front door. I can run it in a scale enough matter for me, make it move VERY slow. It has run on hard wood floors, carpet, grass, dirt, my gravel driveway no issues at all so far. I have not started to detail it yet as I am having fun running it around. The only change I have made to the tank so far is to cut off the crappy Tamiya battery connector and put a Deans on it, the tamiya plug might be fine for the tank, but everything I own has Deans and I have seen tamiya connectors not take high amps very well.


I have looked at the Tamiya tanks for years, but could not swallow the price. (strange as I can swallow the $300+ for a Baja). This thread seems as good a place as any to get some opinions on why they are so much more.

Imnotanace

My problem is I have to many hobbies RC tugboat, subs,planes ,helis,and trains. as with the others I always try to get what will make me happy and get the best I can afford. I will usually get the cheep one first and then am not happy with it and then will get the one I should have gotten in the first place. I feel iI will try to do the opposite this time as I have saved enough to get ether one.

Ron

Eggman1965

My Feedback: (3)

I wasn't very clear, my bad.

1.)You don't need any of that stuff (It's a fun toy tank after all)
2.) I was trying to do an "equivalent feature" cost analysis for someone who was trying to make their HL into the equivalent of a Tamiya.
3.)I have WAY too much fun withmyHLTiger I withHLI.R. and a TJM"airhard" gun. Irepeat, WAYTOOMUCH FUN!!! It climbs over anything, can shoot nearly 100 feet and will put a hole through a target at 25feet.

Get a $200 metal trackedTiger or whatever and have a blast painting it and modifying it, just enjoythe hobby and the great people in it.

Mike

Imnotanace

Mike could you show and tell the airsoft upgrade if it 's not a secret Or let me know if it is on another post?

I'm trying to talk some freinds in my area to getting a tank and have a little battle, We'll see what they say.

I will have fun no matter what .

Ron

cherokee_140

I see 100% where you are coming from, I fly as well and while I don't see a HL tank to equate to an easy star and a Tamiya to full house warbird I do think that some small steps should be taken. I would not hand a newbe the sticks to my bonanza but I have lent out my easy star on many cases, and I still have fun flying it myself. I don't see the easy star as wasted money, just part of learning the flying part of the hobby. It is now my camera ship.

I don't see it as a waste I see it as part of the learning process.

cherokee_140

I like your post....and as I suggested the differences will depend on their intended use.

For ME (and I am still new) but I see the HL tanks as something I can model and move around the house and yard and look cool doing it. I see it as I can have 5 HL tanks, weather, paint, detail, damage.....and still have money left over. They all will run with the light use I plan....For me I think they are going to be the item that fits the bill.

If there is a tank club in the Kansas City area (I don't know of one) then I would love to try the battles. For something like that I would try what I already have and if that ended up being a step up then perhaps I would look at the "all metal" HL or a Tamiya tank...but when you think you could do 3x "all metal" HL's for the price of one Tamiya....just more stuff to think about.

Imnotanace

Another thing I could do is put the HL on my Christmas list being its cost is less and have one of each to compare. MMMMMMMMMM my gears are grinding

TOYS TOYS TOYS I WANT TOYS LOL!!!
My wife is a great woman and puts up with my hobbies but still throws in her little digs now and then so Ill have to break it to her gently .

Ron

cherokee_140

You just have to train them well...just had my 25yr last week. She thinks I am trained, I think I am trained everyone is happy.

Imnotanace

No training needed we just got along great from day 1 ,thats been 17 yrs maried and 5yrs living together 22 total.
Ron

googlydoogly

The original question asked what would it take to make an HL be comparable with a Tamiya tank, so all of those parts are needed. Metal hulls are needed to prevent hull flexing and potential damage to your tank, especially when using metal tracks. Elmod is needed to make it run and sound like a Tamiya. Driving a Tamiya, or an Elmod-equipped tank is a world's away from driving a stock HL...even if you have proper stick control.

But are they necessary to have fun with your tank? No way. Provided with a non-broken HL tank, you can have fun zipping around the house with these things.

Eggman1965

My Feedback: (3)

HULU,

It was the sound of that darned Tamiya Pershing that finally converted me, so throaty and deep, it made my chest vibrate! When I compared it to the HL Pershing the Tamiya's suspension was much tighter with no play and everything was more refined and detailed. I have a HL Pershing myself and I am determined that it will be my last HL Tank. I am looking forward to painting all my HL's once I decide on an airbrush. I hope to make each one into something better in time.


Mike

YHR

Yes MIke the Plug an play Tamiya electronics and sound are a huge plus. You will spend all of $250 and some programming time to get an El Mod system sounding as good. So very quickly the cost esculates when you decide that is what you want.


Let me just say this. After being on here for three years, it seems like everyone finds what they like in tanks and are very happy to defend their reasoning for why they are of that opinion Bottom line is tanks are fun.

cherokee_140

It is all going to come down to your use, for ME I am not sold on things like a metal hull and flexing and such.

I will end my comments (I hope) on this with..... figure out what you are going to do with the tank and then look at what best fits that use. With me I figured that less then $100 was well worth dipping my toe in the pool.

Tamiya makes some great stuff but you have to admit some of their stuff is just candy I know it is and it is f'en expensive candy

But the folks that think Tamiya is it and all else is just inferior toys that will be just broken in weeks are just drinking the Tamiya Kool-Aid.

googlydoogly

Ah, the name-calling begins, as expected. Feel free to enjoy your HLs. There's nothing really wrong with them. I own a few of them. You shouldn't feel bad about your tanks. No need to be jealous. Feel free to convince yourself that Tamiya tanks aren't all that, because I guess it makes you feel better about just having HLs.

Imnotanace

Now Now I did not start this thread to start a war just different opinions !!! Opinions are like butt@#$% we all have one and don't like others poking them so please be nice!!

Thanks
Ron

danlrc

You said are in to many RC hobbies, have a lot of interests and want to try a tank. Which one? I was in exactly the same boat. I was given an HL Tiger 1 - the very basic model. It's a nice model. Then I bought a Tamiya King Tiger. It's a much nicer kit...as you should expect for less than $100 for an HL vs $500+ for a Tamiya. But as an experienced RC ship modeler (NO previous tank, car, plane experience), I very much appreciate the higher level of quality - in my own opinion - in the Tamiya. Both models can be upgraded for whatever use you intend. Both models have plusses and minuses. The Tamiya has an awesome sound system. I also think the Tamiya is a bit more "heavy duty" than the HL. These are just my opinions based on just two models.
I have the HL in a closet, having used it very little (used it mostly just to design a smoker for tanks). I have the Tamiya mostly built and have run it partly assembled more already than I ever ran the HL. From what you've said in your posts - sounding a lot like my own thoughts - you will likely end up with a mostly unused HL and a very much used Tamiya.
OOB HL is a good start, but I'm guessing Tamiya is more your type....
Here's my KT build thread (no posts for a while, but more coming soon)
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10080455/tm.htm

bigskydude

I might be in the minority but I agree with Cherokee if you have to have Top of the line and price is no object then go Tamiya, but if you have some modeling skills and don't need or plan on doing IR battling, then HL is the way to go(funny how everyone here praises Tamiyas and constantly dog HL's even though the same people own a ton of the HL's as well!). Be careful and don't fall into the "all metal" trap that a lot of guys seem to fall into around here.....not everything on your tank has to be made of metal for it to run good. On One final note I will say Tamiya is not the the best when it comes to rc tanks...if you want the absolute best get a 1/6th armortek.......PERIOD!

YHR

We haven't had a HL Tamiya dust up for months. We were due It is not your fault, you just happened to be here The funny thing is everyone is right, and there in lies the never ending argument.

SyCo_VeNoM

yes there is actually
I got a HL Tiger I, and currently don't plan on a 2nd tank.
I am thinking of making a half track out of spare tank parts, and a RC truck though


To the OP the nice thing about starting with a HL is you can see if you like tanks before investing a ton of cash into a tamiya.
I spent around $140 total on my HL tank (tank included) to get it to the level I like. I think I've ran it 3 times in 2 months.(seeing I bought it mainly for winter use I've not had the urge to run it)

Now if you are going to the tank meets and plan on battling other people the Tamiya is probably the better option.
If just screwing around in the yard HL would work well.


The tank forum is based on war

karel47

not treu look at dave4what he sell most of the tamiya's under the 400$ the older ones like Tiger Iand sherman and like KT is 415$ so the overal quality is at a higher rate then the HL parts .

I have KT's and sherman from tamiya no realy isseu's, use your engeniring skills for those little isseus when come up !!! No need to buy a new one it can be fixed, alone for the MF module wich activate the noises its worth to by a tamiya, HL can not come even close at that for the moment, they uses sherman sounds in their panthers etc ... in the tamiya you you a digital recorded sound from the real thing, the gun sound, motor etc ... think on that for 400$ now some lress some more

thecommander

When all is said and done, and I started with Heng long when they first came out, the Tamiya is the best value for your dollar. The Tamiya tank is far better stock than any other stock tank and will prove very durable and hold its value well. Buy the Tamiya and you will save yourself a bunch of money and time in the long run. I have two Tamiya KTs and two Tamiya custom Jagdtigers, and a few others. Good luck and go Tamiya.

Bob, thecommandernj