tcronin

i ordered a metal Tiger 1 via Amazon from Phoenix model Co.

when it showed up the commanders copula was painted shut and some small metal pieces broken off.

I opened it up and there was a broken wire as well.

i contacted them via amazon and they told me to call their support number.

I called and it was to IMEX model co, so that now seem a bit sketchy to me.

so the person gives me to some support guy and i tell him my issue about the copula and he says oh that's a known issue, just use a razor knife to open it.
then when i tell him the wire is broken he says which one we'll send you a replacement.

I said it was $400 Dollars i expect it to arrive in new condition....

having to escalate through amazon because their giving me the run around.

is there a reputable US vendor people can recommend?

Jeff489

My Feedback: (12)

I buy my new tanks from Gene at Artistic Hobbies. Artistichobbies.com

He's a Taigen dealer.

Nice guy, trustworthy, real brick and mortar hobby shop...and in San Marcos, Texas.

Markocaster

I second Gene at artistic hobbys. I bought the same tank as you, it was ok for a few minutes then the gears went out. Gene fixed it and sent it back in good running condition! Good guy!
The hatches on mine were painted shut too, need a little coaxing to open and a few bits fell off, this is normal, there was a small crack on the lower hull, apparently normal too. These things are so heavy I think small things can go wrong in shipping.
I know what you mean it's a decent amount of $ and you expect new condition, but I just don't think that's possible with these big tanks. Gene set my mind at ease and I am happy with his advice. They are close to you check them out. Artistichobbies.com
once I learned not to stress and just enjoy it , it's been easier,
heck the second time I ran it the wheel suspension arm broke, just the breaks I guess hey they are made in China after all (not a bash on the Chinese, but it is what it is)
cheers Mark

Markocaster

Me again
I think the next Imex tank I get will not be a metal one, I have heard the plastic ones are actually more durable in many cases.
Cheers Mark

tomhugill

Sounds like they where trying to help you.... Sometimes these things happen, it's the nature of the hobby. I'm surprised Eric hasn't replied, he does the tech support at imex and seems to be a very helpful guy!

Markocaster

Tom, i beginning to loose faith in taigen / IMAX got it back with new gears and ran it for about 5 minutes, a suspension arm snapped
ordered a new set from artistic, arrived in next to no time , however look nothing like the originals?? So now have to wait and see if they will work. Just want a. Tank that will run longer than 10 minutes without breaking. Beginning to wish I had only spent $150 for a heng long plastic tank instead of $400+ for a Taigen that breaks ALL the time.? Is this normal?
Or perhaps on the opposite spectrum I should have gone Tamiya?
At this rate I will never get a tank that actually works!!
i would welcome a reply from Eric!

Strato50

That's not normal, no. My Taigen equivalent tanks (built up with Asiatam parts and basically turned into Taigens) have lasted years of rough bashing and smashing with regular maintenance and the occasional repair.. they're good tanks.

FreakyDude

Phoenix Model is Imex. I would be willing to bet it is there way of selling direct to end users instead of losing money to Hobby shops that support them with local inventory, knowledge and support.
Nothing is ever perfect, even the Tamiya kits have issues.

Markocaster

I just want a tank that works for more than 10 minutes, I bought it April 1 and have actually had possession of it about a week or two between sending back and forth. Was told via email I would get a new tank and got the same one back , fixed?...and it ran for a total of 10 minutes the whole time, I bought parts to fix it after it broke the second time and got the wrong parts, so I feel a full refund of just the tank, not the extra parts is fair? I will try again to get a reliable tank, not sold on Taigen, or at least not the metal ones!
I emailed Erik at Taigen also and will see what he says. I hate being he crappy , grumpy customer, I work in retail , but I just want a tank that runs!

tomhugill

I completely sympathise with you, if you buy something new then you expect it to work! Do you have any photos of the swing arms on the tank and those that got sent out?

ausf

I paid $540 for my Tamiya Tiger I 12 years ago. I was driving it yesterday, still works beautifully, even after my sons abusing it, including rolling it off a wall and down concrete steps. It's still all original equipment: tracks, gearboxes, motors and electronics (even the flash unit). I never broke anything in, never cleaned or regreased, just built it, drove it and stored it on it's suspension for 10 years. The only thing I had to do is replace the plastic elevation arm (a few minutes with a couple of pieces of brass and a soldering iron) and twist the torsion bars back because they fatigued after 10 years under load (keep your tanks on blocks!).

rivetcounter

You can’t expect to pay Ford money and receive Audi quality, this forum is full of problems on the Heng Long based tanks, broken wires or wires that are not soldered from new is what you pay for, Tamiya does have problems but as has been testified many times most are running as good as the day they were first built after more than 10 years, the Taigen models are built from poor quality metal don’t expect them to last

Markocaster

Markocaster

I totally get what your saying , but even fords run ok for a little while?
i anticipate repairs but expect more than 10 minutes before needing them twice?

Markocaster

tcronin sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread. Just having similar issues

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Classic brittle fracture due to poor quality metal - you got one from a bad batch I'm afraid

That second picture is of a replacement arm for a Heng Long Tiger, it will not fit an Asiatam/Taigen chassis.

herrmill

Toys will be toys...

Imex-Erik

Hey tcronin,
Ok first I must say it sucks getting something broken, sometimes it happens but we do the best we can to get them fixed. As plenty of people here on the forums will tell you I have no problem getting something repaired or fixed for people. The tanks are airbrushed and sometimes the paint sticks the hatch down. It is easily opened by just using a razor knife to cut the paint. We understand this is a pain and have actually started checking this is fixed before leaving the warehouse. Unfortunately yours was not one of them As for the broken wire I asked you to send me a picture first before I sent a call tag as if it is a wire I have on hand I could of just sent you the wire and saved a week of postage time. I never received your email and instead found this post. I told you I would take care of you and if wish we will replace the item at no cost of course. Once again I must apologize you are having this issue.

Johnmshaw it seems you got a HL arm instead of a Taigen arm. It will be sent out first thing Monday. Also, driving your tank 2 times and something breaking ISN'T normal and you should contact me ASAP. You guys should know I will get you fixed up by now Its been a year now since I have been bothering you guys here and there with stuff.

Imex-Erik

I was late because I have been swamped lately Good stuff though... new products coming very soon, new items, working with new media partners, events (recently RCX my favorite), custom builds for people, and myself... It gets overwhelming sometimes. I eat, breathe, and dream about RC lately haha.

Markocaster

Thanks Erik I will email you/ PM sent also . Cheers

tcronin

Thanks for all the responses.

I wasn't trying to throw you under the bus Eric but, $400 to me is a lot of money.
It should still have a certain level of product quality at that price.

I was also frustrated with trying to return via amazon after talking to you and the response i got
after telling them what you told me.

bobwrgt

I have plenty of RC cars, trucks, helicopters and boats made by the Chinese and have not had anyway near the problems I have had with RC tanks. I just think it's a rather a new market for them and we need a few manufactures with QUALIY CONTROL. It will just take some time for them to get the message that the consumer will not stand for poor quality products.
To end up with 2 working Heng Long tanks I had to get 4 sent and 2 returned. I am happy with the 2 that are working fine. As long as the seller is willing to work things out without additional expense I can invest the time and be happy.
Heng Long might step up their game if there were another maker of ENTRY LEVEL tanks.

ausf

It's really about expectations. When static 1/35 kits retail in the $50 range these days, to expect a 1/16 RC tank with Tx and battery to be a gem out of the box for $100 is unreasonable. A by product of China's growth is wage increase, which means a raise in price or a drop in quality. Unfortunately, businesses across the globe are finding both.

HL is HL, better paint or a pot metal hull is not going to improve it that much. It's 'toy' level, not entry to a hobby. They can be a platform for better things, but in the hands of someone who has some bench time behind them.

When I was kid if I went to the junk store and bought a 79 cent glider I didn't expect it to last too long. If I went to the hobby shop and dropped $8 on a Guillows, I expected more (mainly build time, air time was usually less).

One thing that makes the $600-800 for a Tamiya palatable is if you look at other RC hobbies and wanted a serious contender, whether it's a car, boat or planes, you're going to spend a lot more. Even serious entry isn't cheap. Take helis, a coax is a toy, not an entry to heli. A CP trainer, Tx, etc will cost your some scratch when it's all said and done.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Other "Entry level" manufacturers have come and gone - WSN threw in the towel a while back as a brand, and there have been a lot of other abominations that quickly disappeared...

YHR

The saving grace of Heng Long was the price tag, and the perception that for the price it was a good value. Take that same pig and dress up with options and sell it for $500 and you create a whole new expectation and people have the right to demand more out of it.