Hobbytron?
01-12-2015, 11:24 AM
#2
Yes, Hobbytron is dealer of ours 
I would suggest Artistic Hobbies or Immortal Hobbies instead though as they are forum members here and will have MUCH MUCH more knowledge than them. You also get to help the hobby too as these dealers are trusted and can offer a much richer experience too. They might be able to help narrow down what you want and even offer aftermarket options before you even get it
I would suggest Artistic Hobbies or Immortal Hobbies instead though as they are forum members here and will have MUCH MUCH more knowledge than them. You also get to help the hobby too as these dealers are trusted and can offer a much richer experience too. They might be able to help narrow down what you want and even offer aftermarket options before you even get it
01-12-2015, 11:47 AM
#3
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Thanks for the reply Erik. I saw the article about your tanks last month in Rc Car Action, I've been looking to get one since then.
Do you guys do any tank events or meet-ups in Brooksville? I live outside Orlando. I have been into rc stuff all my life and got into scale 4x4 trailing and crawling and your tanks look to be a great addition to my fleet. I'll post some pics and maybe a video when I make up my mind on what model I want and get it in my grubby hands.
Do you guys do any tank events or meet-ups in Brooksville? I live outside Orlando. I have been into rc stuff all my life and got into scale 4x4 trailing and crawling and your tanks look to be a great addition to my fleet. I'll post some pics and maybe a video when I make up my mind on what model I want and get it in my grubby hands.
01-12-2015, 02:51 PM
#4
Thanks for the reply Erik. I saw the article about your tanks last month in Rc Car Action, I've been looking to get one since then.
Do you guys do any tank events or meet-ups in Brooksville? I live outside Orlando. I have been into rc stuff all my life and got into scale 4x4 trailing and crawling and your tanks look to be a great addition to my fleet. I'll post some pics and maybe a video when I make up my mind on what model I want and get it in my grubby hands.
Do you guys do any tank events or meet-ups in Brooksville? I live outside Orlando. I have been into rc stuff all my life and got into scale 4x4 trailing and crawling and your tanks look to be a great addition to my fleet. I'll post some pics and maybe a video when I make up my mind on what model I want and get it in my grubby hands.
I keep pestering bossman to let me make one back there, some time he will eventually give up I'm hoping! There surprisingly aren't too many tankers here in Florida to play with 
01-12-2015, 09:36 PM
#5
I've used Hobbytron because I needed a very basic HL PzIV for a build with lots of scratch-build and aftermarket upgrades. They ship quickly and have online coupon codes. However, as Erik said, they don't know much about the products and don't have any upgrades they could help you with. They're basically a warehouse moving stuff (from my online perspective). If you want help buying your first tank, go with the vendors Erik recommended.
01-14-2015, 08:57 AM
#7
Yea there is nothing bad about them, just if you are going to buy a tank you might as well buy them from someone who is passionate about what they sell. Artistic, Immortal, and ETO (sorry I forgot you Bob!) are great vendors here and can help you BEFORE you buy to make sure you get what is right for you. You would be surprised at some features tanks offer that can change a buying perspective... I'll give a few here:
-The KV1 is one of the most crash resistant tanks we make (due to the design, metal chassis, and short barrel)
-The Tiger 1 is the best tank to start with if you are looking to get into the hobby cheap and upgrade later
-The Torro King Tiger comes in two different colors depending on IR or airsoft
A good dealer will be able to tell you the differences between tanks and the pros/cons of most. They can also offer services like Immortal does that can install things for you. This is why I said to go with them. Nothing against Hobbytron, just if I was a new tanker I would lean towards someone a bit more knowledgeable. A few bucks saved is not always worth it in my opinion!
-The KV1 is one of the most crash resistant tanks we make (due to the design, metal chassis, and short barrel)
-The Tiger 1 is the best tank to start with if you are looking to get into the hobby cheap and upgrade later
-The Torro King Tiger comes in two different colors depending on IR or airsoft
A good dealer will be able to tell you the differences between tanks and the pros/cons of most. They can also offer services like Immortal does that can install things for you. This is why I said to go with them. Nothing against Hobbytron, just if I was a new tanker I would lean towards someone a bit more knowledgeable. A few bucks saved is not always worth it in my opinion!
01-15-2015, 08:18 PM
#8
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I bought my first tank from them last year. They had the best price, back then i thought cheap enough was good enough! Now i know better, but their delivery was extremely fast (but i'm in Calif. too). Since then i've not done business with them at all.
A few months ago they even offered a new king tiger for $90 but i did not buy another! I am kicking myself now for that, you cannot even get the hull parts for that. Still my favorite tank and since then i bought 5 (FIVE) more...still not sure how that all happened but, yes Hobbytron is dependable and occasionally has very good special discounts.
A few months ago they even offered a new king tiger for $90 but i did not buy another! I am kicking myself now for that, you cannot even get the hull parts for that. Still my favorite tank and since then i bought 5 (FIVE) more...still not sure how that all happened but, yes Hobbytron is dependable and occasionally has very good special discounts.
01-16-2015, 10:24 PM
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that'll do for your first one nickz! I thought the KT would be my first and last. Then went on rctankwarfare forum which is a lot of fun and filled with fantastic guys (wouldn't mind a girl hobby tanker but never heard of one). They were invariably kind and helpful no matter how stupid the questions i might have had and many will go out of their way to help you even sending you things you can't find. From England yet!
i have the Mark III it is my little demon, an used and ignored Ebay "rescue" i got for $35, shipped, missing plenty of parts. FIxed it for a while then all hell broke loose on a mini scale in the turret electrics. (i think the tank had sat in someones garage and the solder conections absorbed moisture and went bad. So turet traverse went out, fixed that, so i thought, then elevation, then tried actually rewiring it, even wiring AROUND the 8 pin cable...finally gave up and bought a whole new upper hull from rcparty! It cost me $40 and two months of wait, but the electrics were all new and cost less then all the repairs i tried to make. Now i have 6 tanks total, still nto sure how it all happened, or why my wife puts up with it.
Nickz you may want to upgrade later like many people and you will get lots of advice. To anyone starting the hobby with these HL tanks, it is a fun hobby and much of the fun is re-engineering. They are a value for what you get, and all round better then Tamiya ($1000 for a Tamiya - what i paid for my first car!)and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and if problems develop everything can fixed.
I have only one solid piece of advice for you or anyone thinkking of the hobby, and FWIW here is when i sound like a parrot to anyone who bothers to read my posts. But the bad weakness of these tanks, is the radio system. i believe the Rx's have drove more people from the hobby then anything because of intermittent performance (i got my last Panther G, all acc. installed yet and in like new condition ,for $60 shipped - i believe the crappy radio did it in for the owner!). (I was ready to give up completely til i switched over to 2.4 gig systems. Now i wont own a tank without it.) Because the stock radios are so badly flawed - Be it the soldered tk01 mess or even the Rx18 with the crystals, is in all likelihood, not going to function well for long, or at all. It is how they are and there is but one fix, toss the garbage radio and replace with a better system. The HL 2.4 gig is the cheapest, easiest way to do this. If your radio gives you fits, which mine always have - assuming you DON'T want to just quit the hobby - just upgrade to the 2.4 ghz HL radio system and please do not waste a nickel trying to fix the old system.
You can find this system at Ebay and many other places, however, some of the vendors are a crap shoot and will rip you off by sending you junk items then ignore your complaints. i bought a replacement 2.4 receiver (I'd torched the old one trying to fix the Mk III wiring) from a certain hong kong based ebay seller. The receiver (Rx) that came bad out of box and the fokker then ignored my emails! TPA store at amazon might be a few dollars more, and sometimes out of stock, but they test before they send them out, their customer service is top notch, they return emails within 24 and stand behind their products. If not them, Mato outlet, on ali express, has been very dependable to me, cheap, and they frequently have sales. I have made maybe 20 purchases from mato outlet, Jack Wang is a very good vendor and returns emails, if something is wrong h e'll make it right.
One last piece of advice - treat the transmitter like eggs. If your tank radio acts up, look first to the Tx, 9 times of 10 it's the problem 9if it isn't the actual signal). Tx are horrifyingly delicate, again learned from costly experience. They do not like being dropped and If the Tx gets dropped, 50% chance your tank will act up after that. Also, PLEASE never remove the batteries from the Tx by slapping them out, to change or test batteries, always pry them out...and your Tx will live a long functional life.
i have the Mark III it is my little demon, an used and ignored Ebay "rescue" i got for $35, shipped, missing plenty of parts. FIxed it for a while then all hell broke loose on a mini scale in the turret electrics. (i think the tank had sat in someones garage and the solder conections absorbed moisture and went bad. So turet traverse went out, fixed that, so i thought, then elevation, then tried actually rewiring it, even wiring AROUND the 8 pin cable...finally gave up and bought a whole new upper hull from rcparty! It cost me $40 and two months of wait, but the electrics were all new and cost less then all the repairs i tried to make. Now i have 6 tanks total, still nto sure how it all happened, or why my wife puts up with it.
Nickz you may want to upgrade later like many people and you will get lots of advice. To anyone starting the hobby with these HL tanks, it is a fun hobby and much of the fun is re-engineering. They are a value for what you get, and all round better then Tamiya ($1000 for a Tamiya - what i paid for my first car!)and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and if problems develop everything can fixed.
I have only one solid piece of advice for you or anyone thinkking of the hobby, and FWIW here is when i sound like a parrot to anyone who bothers to read my posts. But the bad weakness of these tanks, is the radio system. i believe the Rx's have drove more people from the hobby then anything because of intermittent performance (i got my last Panther G, all acc. installed yet and in like new condition ,for $60 shipped - i believe the crappy radio did it in for the owner!). (I was ready to give up completely til i switched over to 2.4 gig systems. Now i wont own a tank without it.) Because the stock radios are so badly flawed - Be it the soldered tk01 mess or even the Rx18 with the crystals, is in all likelihood, not going to function well for long, or at all. It is how they are and there is but one fix, toss the garbage radio and replace with a better system. The HL 2.4 gig is the cheapest, easiest way to do this. If your radio gives you fits, which mine always have - assuming you DON'T want to just quit the hobby - just upgrade to the 2.4 ghz HL radio system and please do not waste a nickel trying to fix the old system.
You can find this system at Ebay and many other places, however, some of the vendors are a crap shoot and will rip you off by sending you junk items then ignore your complaints. i bought a replacement 2.4 receiver (I'd torched the old one trying to fix the Mk III wiring) from a certain hong kong based ebay seller. The receiver (Rx) that came bad out of box and the fokker then ignored my emails! TPA store at amazon might be a few dollars more, and sometimes out of stock, but they test before they send them out, their customer service is top notch, they return emails within 24 and stand behind their products. If not them, Mato outlet, on ali express, has been very dependable to me, cheap, and they frequently have sales. I have made maybe 20 purchases from mato outlet, Jack Wang is a very good vendor and returns emails, if something is wrong h e'll make it right.
One last piece of advice - treat the transmitter like eggs. If your tank radio acts up, look first to the Tx, 9 times of 10 it's the problem 9if it isn't the actual signal). Tx are horrifyingly delicate, again learned from costly experience. They do not like being dropped and If the Tx gets dropped, 50% chance your tank will act up after that. Also, PLEASE never remove the batteries from the Tx by slapping them out, to change or test batteries, always pry them out...and your Tx will live a long functional life.
Last edited by Marc780; 01-16-2015 at 10:33 PM.
01-17-2015, 04:16 AM
#11
One last piece of advice - treat the transmitter like eggs. If your tank radio acts up, look first to the Tx, 9 times of 10 it's the problem 9if it isn't the actual signal). Tx are horrifyingly delicate, again learned from costly experience. They do not like being dropped and If the Tx gets dropped, 50% chance your tank will act up after that. Also, PLEASE never remove the batteries from the Tx by slapping them out, to change or test batteries, always pry them out...and your Tx will live a long functional life.
Not that I recommend abuse, just that it happens. Especially in a house with young boys.
Better components and soldering stand up to punishment, but they cost more.
Last edited by ausf; 01-17-2015 at 04:18 AM.
