swathdiver

DO NOT BUY NON SMOKE AND SOUND TANKS!!!!!

I've done it, so many of us have done it! Don't do it!

If you come to this forum don't think you're going to save $10 buy buying a non-smoke Heng Long tank. You'll either get frustrated and never enjoy the tank and hobby or like 99% of us, spend another $50-75 to upgrade the electronics.

The only reasons you should even consider one:

1) You see a great deal and are looking for spare parts.

2) You see a great deal and have the parts to make it driveable and more reliable.

3) You want to give one as a gift to someone you don't like.

That's IT.

Remember the motto: Pay Now or Pay Later

You have been warned! Happy Tanking!

ksoc

Add to that if you are planning to gut it and convert it - Tamiya electronics or other after market parts.

swathdiver

See #2

The_Stuff

I agree and I am proof. First tank was a HL pershing non S&S. I ended up buying the S&S upgrade and metal gears/treads/sprockets. Listen to the man!!

YHR

Why Heng Long even bothers with the non S&S is beyond me. I couldn't agree more Swathdiver. This forum, as a service to all future tankers, should have this as a sticky note.

When buying a Heng Long, spring the extra $10 for smoke and sound and then another $10 for some stick on heat sinks.

For all you may have heard about the Heng Long ESC, when it is properly heat sinked you can not find another ESC speed control better for triple the price. It works fine with the stock motors, and as long as you understand that stalled motors draw huge amps, you will be fine. Everybody knows that running your stock big block at 10,000 rpm will cause a failure. The solution is don't do it.

pattoncommander

here's the best use for one.

Panther F

I've always loved real tank cutaways ... especially the King Tiger at the PATTON Museum.

Speaking of Hen Long tank options, are the metal gears really worth the extra cash? Looking at getting a few for the first time.


Jeff

swathdiver

Absolutely essential IMO if you're going to use metal tracks or run heavy off road. The last gear on the shaft that goes out to the sprocket has a nasty habit of splitting on the shaft when encountering too much resistance. With my 504 Tiger a couple months ago, with plastic tracks and running for the first time, it broke 3 sets of those gears running in sugar sand. It probably broke when I tried to pivot or do a sharp turn. Tank would drive fine in forward or reverse, didn't want to turn left. Turned right fine, worked fine up in the air and even with a bit of resistance applied to the tracks when trying to figure it out. Finally after pulling out some more grey hairs, I saw the crack. Replaced it trying to be a cheapskate and it broke again. Thought maybe the shaft was bad, put a whole new shaft and gear on, broke that too! Metal Gears BABY!!!

That was an old non-smoker I bought CHEAP online a few years ago. It had the original plastic gears without the clutch. The clutch probably would have kept it from breaking but after awhile the clutch engages with less and less resistance as it wears down restricting the mobility of the tank. I mean, we want to drive through weeds and small plants right? Driving around them is no fun! Gotta have metal gears for that.

BIGMIG

I think it's a little missleading for some of the new guys to get the impression that metal gear boxes and metal tracks is going to give them a tank that can be run anywhere and over anything with-out breaking something or blowing a board.Don't think this is what HL had in mind for there little $70.00 dollar tank.Have you ever looked what happens in sand when you make a real sharp turn,the tracks will probly have a great deal of sand pushed into the tracks.You might get away with doing this for a while,but sooner or later something is going to give.Even full sized tanks and catterpillars had their share of problems with this,and without proper track tension the problems even became bigger.These toy tanks were not made for what a lot of guys are subjecting them to.
BIGMIG

The Collector1

My Feedback: (2)

But suppose the tank only comes in non smoke form and close to realistic as possible form the factory?

blitzkrieg65

BIgMIg makes some good points! The are not indestructible, but they are much tougher, like BIgMIg pointed out, driving them as if they where a real tank! They are simular to real tanks in how they react to certain terrain and also in the fact that you are/ should be constantly maintenancing them. After a run outside you should always inspect your tank closely! Pull the tracks by hand pinch your finger that feel good, and make sure your dirve spockets roll freely! You eventually get good enough to feel how your gear box should feel, but every once in a while open up the tank inspect the gear box for loose screws, dry or dirt covered gears and excessive dirt. Grease that may have got on your electronics or loose wires from turret movement or from the time you rolled it! If you follow the tips from the guys on this forum on improvements, cooling, breaking in the motors and gears and inspect them, plastic or metal will give you hours of fun and many ideas to improve on your tank!

The Blitz

BIGMIG

Thought I might add a little tid-bit more seeing a lot of new guys will read this post.I have Tanks with both plastic and metal gear boxes.Generaly the plastice one's can be run straight out of the box with no problems,if anything when you open them up the gearbox's are very sloppy and loose.This don't apear to make that much difference because of the weight of the tank is light and they are not turning at high RPM's.They do have a slip clutch that was put in them for a reason,it was to try and protect the components of the tank.For those of use who have now been playing around with these tanks for a while,tearing them apart and making things work right is no big deal.And for the metal gearbox's,yes they are strong for what they cost.But I think most of the guys that have them will all admit that with-out doing some kind of break-in or at the very least re-ajusting and shimming,there is a very good chance that you can have other problems elsewhere because of these being so tight.These tanks were built to work fairly good for the price "stock out of the box".Then all the after market stuff,metal wheels,metal tracks,metal arms(what ever they are called)and then guys say well the plastic gearbox's are just junk.They were made for what they was,not for what you can add-on to them.Like I say I have both,myself the plastic is less of a problem with a stock tank.If you start adding all the extra stuff,then they are probbly a must.If you run them in and around where they were never been meant to run,then don't get on the forum and say what a piece of junk they are because that is not true. BIGMIG


One little second thought==We talk some times what the tank costs,but remember I would guess the actual manufacturer is producing these for under $40.00 dollars per tank.The rest you pay goes to the seller and who ever else is involved.They are a bargin for what we pay,nice looking and tough little guys. BIGMIG

BIGMIG

I think the NON S&S tanks were the first one's to be produced (just guessing here)and there are still a lot of them out there for sale.
Don't think anyone is just going to throw them away.I would also guess that they are mabe not being built any longer.Most of them being sold are to guys who don't know there is any difference in their performance level's.I made the same misstake when I started out,of course now I know better. BIGMIG

The Collector1

My Feedback: (2)

I guess everyone is referring to HL tanks I was referring to my Hobby Engine one

BIGMIG

Ya I was refering to the HL brand---BIGMIG

The Collector1

My Feedback: (2)

Ok your opinion, I was thinking of getting the HL Tiger would that be good one or what do you recommend?

BIGMIG

I can tell you the HL Tiger is a good tank in my opinion,It was one of the first tanks I bought (first one being non-S&S).I have 5 of them,but like all the HL models.I believe I have all of the basic models,don't know if anything can beat them in there price range.A lot of guys here on the forum have them,haven't realy seen any more problems with them on here than any other model.
BIGMIG

Wozwasnt

I don't agree with that.

I've bought three nonSS tanks and have no regrets.

1 - You can get the non SS 's a lot cheaper then the SS versions and by buying the SS upgrade and selling off the non SS bits you end up with a SS tank for less then a factory made SS tank.

2 - My mate also has three non SS tanks and loves them as much as I love my modded Tiger*. He's not bothered about wether it looks and behaves like a real tank, he just wants a toy that whizzes around (looks cool) and can shoot stuff. He wouldn't want to pay the extra for a SS version. He thinks mine is great but he doesn't want to spent that much time/money on a toy.

3 - I can let my nephew play with a non SS tank without worrying about him running into everthing he can.

4 - They make great cheap base units if you want to try out conversions etc without worrying if it goes wrong. If the conversion works then buy an upgrade kit and sell off the unwanted bits.

5 - They are a cheap way of getting into the hobby. I'd seen these HL's a couple of years ago but they were £100 and there was no way I was going to spend that on a toy. I got my first tank last year for £40 and loved it but I could see room for improvement. One thing led to another and I ending up spending over £100 on upgrades alone.

Now I'm building my own Jagdpanther and I've given myself a budjet of £250, something I wouldn't have dreamt of doing before my poor old nonSS Tiger.


Just my thoughts.

*This doesn't mean I take it to bed

BIGMIG

Don't know what you call cheap where you live,or even expensive where you live as far as that goes.But here in the U.S.A. if you buy from the right place,the difference is about 5 to 7 dollars.You can buy S&S boards for these tanks,but I have not seen anyone selling the NON S&S boards.You can't use the S&S boards with the non S&S radio.Why would you want a non S&S tank for that little difference in price if you lived here.????Having the sound feature in itself,forgetting everything else is worth a few dollars.Don't think a S&S HL tank for around $85.00 dollars or less delivered to your home is going to break the bank for most people here.
BIGMIG

I have both and another thing I have found with my non S&S models is they seem to be more prone to dead spots in receiving the signal from the transmitter,stoping and short pauses when in operation.Did not seem to have that problem with my S&S models
of the same tank.Have 3 non S&S models-Panzer III-sno-leopard-Tiger.I assume you must have both S&S and NON S&S,and you can't see the difference.??????Not worth 5 to 7 dollars ?????? BIGMIG [:-][:-][:-]

swathdiver

See my #2

Exactly, non-smokers are "toy like".

That fits perfectly with the saying "Pay Now or Pay Later".

Panther F

Wozwasnt

You're missing the point. I bought and upgraded my non SS tank to SS for less then it would've cost to buy a new SS tank. The £100 was for metal tracks, gearboxes etc which don't come as standard on SS tanks.

So my saying is "Do It Yourself and save money"

A SS Panther is £60 on ebay. You can sometimes pick up a non SS for as little as £20 (I bought 2 for £20 each) a SS upgrade kit is £30 to £40 total cost £50 - £60 but if you then sell the non SS bits you can make £10 - £15. So you can end up with a SS Panther for as little as £35, which is £25 cheaper then the new SS tank.

Also before buying my non SS tank I wouldn't of dreamt of spending £100 on a toy but now I'll spend £250 for one because I know of the enjoyment I get out of them. If it hadn't been for that first non SS tank then I wouldn't have gotten the Tanking bug and I'd still be thinking "£100, I'm not paying that for a toy".

So putting up a bold statement telling people not to buy non SS tanks may put people off from buying tanks at all. Fine, warn them of the problems with non SS tanks and tell them to stretch and buy a SS tank if they can, but you can still have a lot of fun with a non SS tank.

BIGMIG

That might make a lot of sense to you there where you live and what you have to pay for a tank,but here in the U.S. would not be the case.We are also I believe,(I know I am)talking about new tanks.If I have figured out your curency right,when you say 100L in your money is like 200 dollars in our money.You must have missed the fact that we can buy new HL S&S tanks for $63.00 or buy a NON S&S for $56.00 dollars plus shipping.Why would a guy pay forty dollars for a used one with no kind of guarentee,when for 23 dollars more you can have a brand new unused one.Don't know about where you live but it costs me more to fill up my pick-up truck
with gas than the price of a new tank.Thats good for about 250 miles of driving,which here in the states is nothing.My son-in-law drives over 112 miles back and forth to work 5 days a week and thinks nothing of it.I'll say it again,these HL tanks are a bargin.
BIGMIG

P.S. I guess I should have asked what is the cost to you for a new tank at one of your best sorces,might help understand your point a little better.I'm using just a ball-park price from RADINTEC which is one of many sellers of tanks.Do you ever look at any of the prices in the online stores here in the U.S.--I watch and look at a lot of prices of tank stuff that is being sold outside of the U.S. and in our curency allways seems to be what i would call extreamily high priced. BIGMIG

swathdiver

Woz, I thinks that's a lot of fooling around for a first time tanker. Of course, it's just my opinion.

Wozwasnt

I was a first time tanker and some people (like my mate) are perfectly happy with the non SS because all they want is something big that shoots.