Ghost@amps1

Hi New wannabe tanker here. Just have a couple questions for now:

I've been into tanks for decades now and finally am going to get a couple. I'm into history so of course I'm thinking of getting the Sherman and the Panzer G Heng Long Pro Versions or maybe the Taigens. I definitely want the metal tracks, gears and sprockets for better durability but I don't know if the Sherman's narrow tracks will cause trouble on rougher ground (treads coming off) or how often sand, rocks and pebbles, etc. will jam up the inter-locking wheels of the Panzer G track/suspension system or cause high-centering issues on it because of it being so low to the ground?
Because of these possible issues, I've been leaning towards purchasing the wider tracked and higher off ground M1A2 Abrams and the Leopard 2A, but these are much heavier tanks than the Panzer G model and Sherman R/C's and would probably cut down the battery time in a major way. Heng Long is cheaper than Taigan but I really like the much more realistic engine and cannon sounds of the Taigen tanks.
IDK which ones to get! Help!!

Kear-Skof

I'd go with what ever you find the most interesting. The Taigens are mostly just heavily upgraded henglongs, usually having nicer suspension and metal parts out of the box, although the electronics are a fair bit better than the older HLs.
As for how they'll handle rougher ground? Well the narrow tracks on the shermans don't make too much difference from what I've found, unless you're running them on like a rock crawling course or something and on the Panther G I've never had too many issues with things stuck between the road wheels, although I've never run it on anything other than course beach sand and hard pack dirt. Oh, and I can't speak for the Taigen version of the Leo, but the Abrams or the Leopard are fairly light as there is a lot of empty space inside them, I think my Abrams weighed less than my Panther G before I put any weights in it.

Anubizz

Hi There , I have Heng long Sherman and King Tiger along with Torro Tiger1 mid and Panzer 4.

Depend where you live and what you looking for the for the RC (BB or IR). if its just for fun driving the tank, go for plastic Heng long first as, then if you really into this hobbies , go to Taigen/Torro or even Tamiya. with small investment of HL plastic version( make sure you get TK6.0 and Steel gearbox version) you can go bonanza with the tank off-roading and learn how to handle the tank and weather or touch up the tank. The beauty about Heng Long its its TK6.0 system, even with giant tank like King Tiger I never crash even once using Tamiya control setup , while I manage to broke my Torro Tiger 1 mud guard already, not to mention you can control all your tank function via controller like smoke , volume, sound , recoil , speed , even control scene from Taigen/HL default to Tamiya .

I play with my HL King Tiger plastic almost for 7 months now until now it held up really well, so far the interlocking suspension and plastic track held really well. Sherman in the other hand great on flat surface area but once you go offload it struggle with sand and high obstacle also it almost impossible to refill the smoke system without opening the tank. if you choose the Pro version please choose the all metal wheel version like King Tiger, T34,T90,Abrams, or Leopard, as for other tank you still can upgrade from the plastic down the line without significant cost different once the plastic track fail.

As far for Torro tank, I am not really impress with their Tiger 1 however Panzer 4 is different beast in terms of their detailing and out of the box weathering, not much I need to do to make it the way I like, you can feel that Tiger is their old line up of tank and Panzer 4 seems recently updated. however like in real tank Panzer 4 suspension is their weakest link.

IF I need to choose 1 again now , I most likely still choose Torro/ Taigen Panzer 4, or maybe Panther F (I am planing to get one). however if I can only choose Heng Long most likely I will choose their T34 Pro edition it tick all the box (easy to maintain wheels( all wheels are metal and rubberize), wide track for offroad, good detail out of the box, easy to fill smoke system, not giant like KT and yet will not struggle with high obstacle, and big battery compartment so you can upgrade to bigger battery, barrel recoil(well it Heng Long *****y recoil,but it still recoil)).

Ghost@amps1

I do like the the historical 'aspect' of these tanks, reading about them, History Channel (etc.) and of course Hollywood movies from a very young age (12 or so). 43 yrs. later and I'm still into WWII tanks, subs and fighters.
You said 'get what you "feel" like". That impacted my decision immensely so I've decided to stick to the Panther G AND the Sherman M1A3 despite what you stated about the off road limitations of the Sherman (just as I thought). Perhaps that's a good thing as in historical reality, the Shermans were 'inferior' to most of the German tanks that it faced in actual combat so in IR 'combat', this might be more realistic on 'rougher terrain.
I'm heavily leaning towards Taigan, mostly because of the engine sound, barrel recoil, and firing/reloading sounds. For me, 'realism' is quite important. I don't think that you can UPGRADE a Heng Long tank transmitter, smoke system, sound/speaker system, cannon firing recoil etc. to Taigen systems and quality. It would probably be very difficult to do and costly?
P.S. I live in Alberta Canada, where almost everything is more expensive!

Kear-Skof

The electronics of an HL can be upgraded to Taigen's but it is quite costly. I find the HLs a little more fun as I'm never too worried about damaging one or cutting into it to make it into something a little different. But if you're looking for something very enjoyable out of the box? The Taigen's usually have it. Being honest? I bought my first tank on a coin flip! it was between a Tiger II and a KV-1. I ordered the Tiger II and now I have uh- 8 other tanks, including another Tiger II and that KV I first had my eye on.

Ghost@amps1

Hello and greetings from Calgary Canada,
Tks for your response . . how'r things going in the wonderful 'land down under' country?

I think I'm going to go for the PANTHER "G" model and then the SHERMAN M1A3, mostly because both of them actually fought in WWII and look pretty cool even though I might have more track problems with the 'inferior' Sherman.vs Panther IR combat scenario, but heh, that should be factored in, not?

For me, other than the historical accuracy scale and major basics, I want, and need, a tank that has, as you said, to control smoke, volume accurate,engine noise, SOUND, barrel recoil.and SPEED. HG doesn't seem up to these requirements - seems like many of the model tanks out there have gears formulated to race cars rather than tanks! So, for a couple hundred dollars extra, I think I'll take the 'middle' ground with Teigan (Torro and Tamiya are costly)
Can you, seriously, without too much difficulty and expense, upgrade H/G 1/16 tank volumes, sound card, barrel recoil, smoke and speed to Taigen quality?


So, and because of these issues, I think I'll lean towards Taigen, (yes, even to start out - a "middle" ground Tank in terms of functions and value).

Kear-Skof

If you're getting a panther G, I would 100% recommend the Taigen, as it has torsion bar suspension where the HL has little torsion springs and although they travel well, they don't always hold weight very well and the spring rates between them are often wildly different. and of course the taigen's have the previously mentioned upgrades.

Ghost@amps1

Wow! You sure like your TIGER'S and to a lesser extent, WWII Soviet tanks; Myself, no - I don't care much for either, mostly because of the overall visual aspect designs (the 'look') - heh, each to their own. If I was Albert Speer transported back to 1942/1943, I'd relocate major resources to the development of the PANTHER,, which of course was originally designed as the answer to the Soviet T-34/85 How could a project like this go wrong? I mean, the Panther F & G models were very 'sleek' looking, (which of course in my opinion, is enough to warrant a great tank build-up). Lol!
I think you're right about the HG vs Taigen. Upgrading would be fun but complicated and expensive.
Tks again for your reply and info shared.
D

Kear-Skof

Oh I like tanks of all shapes n' origins. My collection has been determined mostly by what I can afford and what I can find in stock. as for the 2nd tiger II? I oddly enough found it bundled in with a stug III locally for a very cheap price.

But if you do end up with a Taigen, let us know how you like it!

RichJohnson

Shermans rarely loose tracks. Taigens are very different than henglongs, all metal Vs all plastic. The henglong has a metal bogie now but Taigen is better still.
German tanks throw tracks alot just like the real ones did. It depends on how hard you drive them. The Sherman is a durable reliable model from any maker except hooben. They break easy.
German tanks are finicky and need lots of tlc from my experience.

BcuriousR

If you want to simulate the differences between tanks, (weight, speed, firepower, damage, etc.) you'll need to change out the motherboard in either HL (Heng Long); or Taigen to a more accurate IBU2U, Clark, Elmod or other such board.
BTW: Taigen and Torro are the same, so a price difference seems unlikely, other than the wooden box often included with Torro.

Ghost@amps1

. I thought the Taigen V3 standard electronic system in their tanks already had better engine sounds as well as good cannon firing simulation when you bought them?

Ghost@amps1

You seem to have a collection going there. Would like to see a photo of them on here someday?

Oh yes, I'll post a photo or two of my new Taigen Sherman when I get it next year. Eventually plan on mounting a Go Pro minj camera on it to FPV and record footage. Using one of those would become a new hobby for me in itself but I need some fun things like that to do.

Ghost@amps1

Ok this is the 2nd time I've heard negative things about Hooben so I'll stay away from them 4 sure. Tamiya's are outrageously expensive so won't be getting one of them either so it's down to either Heng Long or Taiken for me. For @ $250 per tank more, I can get all metal Taiken's (almost all, except for the upper hull and their V3 electronics). I would just end up upgrading an HL to steel tracks, idle and drive wheels anyway).

Yours is the first comment I've heard about German WWII tanks throwing their tracks, especially HLs compared to Taigens. It's sort of cool though considering that's what they actually were like during the War so you have more historical reality, but not so much fun it you're an RC tanker! Hopefully Taigen doesn't have that problem so much.
You look at U-tube videos though, say a PantherF or G, compared to a Sherman and their tracks look 'loose' while the Sherman tracks look tight. I'm now wondering if taking a link out the tracks would solve this problem? Appreciate the info..

RichJohnson

Tamiya German tanks tend to loose tracks more than the other brands but the tiger and panter design just loose tracks as they stretch. So do modern tanks with the drive sprocket in the rear unless they have an adjustable and active ilder system. Ala the older non 6.0 Henglong tanks. I cant keep the track on my abrams for more than a few feet till I turn.


Now the Hooben. Go look at the threads recently posted. Just a few days ago around nov 1st or so I posted the final saga of a Hooben EZ 8 that Fsttanks and I got to experiment with. He beat it around pretty good. The wheel axles took lots of wear and he shimmed the idlers with aluminum tubing. I got it and reviewed how best to bash or improve it or do repairs when it breaks. The upper hull is much nicer than henglong in detail and accuracy so I determined it would be best just to move the top over to a tamiya chassis. I put an IBU2 in it and my son battled it in IR battles. A stick got up in the idler and broke the wheel right off. I let it sit for a while determining if I really wanted to put a tamiya chassis under it since I use them to build really nice shermans, much nicer than the hooben ever will look, but I decided to do the conversion last week and posted the pics of it. It came out quite nice although all the paint is mismatched. Its a tad slow for my taste so I moved it up to an 8.4v battery. The tamiya trannys are 59:1, kida a low ratio for my desire. Though Ive been driving an ez8 with old white gear trannys since 1999 and it is faster than the current V3 trannys. But they just died in our last battle in San Diego, the sprocket shaft snapped off.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/136615053@N03/albums
The henglong is still an entry level tank in my opinion but it is a nice tank for fun and use. I bashed one heavily into an A1 76 as my second tank before the taigen became available. I still battle it but had to put taigen bogies on it since I wore them out. The new henglongs have metal if you buy the metal one.
Still, a tamiya sherman performs much better due to track width.
If you can afford it go for a super sherman and buy all the 3d printed parts off shapeways. You can build a beautful tank that is quite impressive.

BcuriousR

They're fine for the price point. I would consider the stock V3 in an airsoft tank. But you mentioned the difference between a Panther G and an M4A3. A board like the IBU2U can simulate the weight, acceleration, turret rotation, damage, etc. of each tank. The IBU2U is completely programable as to how many hits it takes to kill, the rate of fire, and other adjustments you haven't even considered. They are Tamiya compatible, have a stronger amplifier than either HL or Taigen, and can have custom sounds added by the user. You'll pay more for the board, a lot more, but the customizability will address the comparisons you brought up. As other's have mentioned, or you may have discovered, the newest HL are Tamiya compatible, though limited. The Taigen is proprietary and will only work with other Taigen tanks, (without an Mako board). I just mention these things to expand your knowledge or give you things to consider.

RichJohnson

I have IBU2s in all my tanks except for my tamyia EZ8 build which has pershing electronics in it.
That being said, I have to IBU2 Ultimates in a box I will not use.
When IBU changed from the plain2 to the Ultimate they built in a level of inertia that can not be programmed out. I drive all my tanks in IR battles. With the level of inertia that the Ultimate board puts out, I cant drive them and not run into things and other tanks. In my opinion they suck and are not safe to drive a tank that I spend a year building and 500-2k on.
I have gone around and around with the distributor and he now agrees with me mostly, that they need this in the programming and I even had many converstations with the mfr in Italy and he finally said he would change the program firmware and send me an update. That was almost two years ago now and while I bugged him for a year, I gave up.
I wont use the Ultimate model. They suck. I will only use the plan IBU2. Its sad but they killed the best product on the market. I dont care for the clark boards. Just me.
I dont really care for the tamiya systems either lol. Just picky I guess.
I have two IBU2s left and when they are used, I start cannibalizing older builds or try to get some used ones I guess.
And I speak from having 8 or 10 IBU tanks

Ghost@amps1

Maybe it's time for you to finally 'retire' the Hooben Easy8 and the Abrams as well . . . lol. And no custom made 3d printed Shapeway parts for me nor Tamiya for that matter - too rich for my blood at least for now.
The newer Heng Long tanks, even the Pro Versions, don't have an 'active' idler system - all of it's fixed', so cannot be adjusted unless you want to go through the trouble of major upgrading. I'm not sure I can say the same for Taigen however but I doubt they have these features.. . will need further research. At least you can add or take out a track piece from a Taigen though as they like you said, stretch over time - (not sure about HG Pros). They seem loose to begin with anyways. But I've heard nothing but good stuff about the Sherman. It's definitely on my hitlist. Now, to decide. . . Regular or 76mm Sherm?

Ghost@amps1

IBU doesn't sound like a very good system, so I'll try to stay clear of it. Now I'm thinking of Heng Long Pro Versions. You can also update their 6.0 versions to the newer 6.1 Motherboard and Soundcard system, giving you 5 different engine sounds and proportional forward and reverse track movement. Would have to rewire it for a Taigen tank though of course. Hhmmm - H/G seems to have a lot going for it - need to think about this one.

Anubizz

Hi Ghost by the look of it , I thinks you better of with Taigen IR version, Erick from Taigen is a nice guys and sometimes can be seen roaming in this forum, if you really decided to go with Taigen please contact him directly before made a purchase, at least you dont have to pay $200 just for the bloody shipping like me.

If you choose Sherman please get 76mm, my pea shooter Sherman looks so puny compare to my German Cats, and if you choose Panther please get some spare tracking and put some in the turret it look awesome

In my opinion HL TK.6.0+ electronic is superior that Taigen/Torro v3, however in terms of the tank it-self there is no-contest, Taigen/Torro is superior, just be aware that HL Pro version still have crappy plastic upper body and all metal bits are unpainted, they made and design for plastic build in mind.

Ghost@amps1

I think I was emailing Erick from the Florida Taigen warehouse earlier - he was most helpful and I didn't even have to buy anything first unlike most other sites. I can see why you paid $200 in shipping fees now, living in Sydney. He quoted me $60 to Calgary which I thought was quite good.
He confirmed a suspicion I had about whether or not Taigen tanks came standard with barrel recoil (which of course is different from tank recoil) and he confirmed they did, which I really like, so I'm glad about that. He also said that the Heng Long sound systems are somewhat 'backward' in function when the cannon is fired? so I'm convinced now that I'll be getting a TAIGEN next year because of these two things alone.
Ya, I'd like to get extra track pieces and mount them on the turret like in the video link; looks so cool on the Panther G like that. Only I'd rather paint the main tracks and the link pieces in a metal grey color as well as the tow cables, etc. It's a good thing you brought it up as I've been thinking about how lop-sided the different size of the Sherman 75mm VS Panther G tanks, though the Panther G is only about 4 inches longer and not much wider. Hhmmm, It's just that the 76er looks so 'out of place' with that long barrel like that. Idk Not sure yet.
One thing I noticed about Taigen compared to HG, is the turret degree turning. TG has a 360 degree system while HG's are only 320 - what gives here? Is 360 degrees historically accurate do you know?

H2Ohaze

Just to point out, the Taigen Sherman 76 has wider tracks than the Sherman 75, they added "Duckbills" to it. Both have a solid metal chassis, which they share with Taigen's Panzer IV. But you live with no idler track adjustment.

Ghost@amps1

Who makes IBU's?

Ghost@amps1

I didn't know that TAIGEN tanks (metal versions) came with an adjustable idler track. They do?
If they do, it would be quite a handy feature to have.

RichJohnson

IBU is the Italian Battle Unit, made in Italy but only available from RCTank Electronics in the UK.... the old ones the 2 and 2/pro are great but the 2 Ultimate has that horrid inirtia lag i talked about.