Remote

Posted this in another forum, but not getting any replies. Maybe I'll have better luck here. Been into RC for 30+ years. Have them all, (Helis, boats, quads, cars, motorcycles and subs.) but never owned a RC tank. Looked at the Tamiya tanks, but way more than I would like to spend on something I may not enjoy. I've been looking at the Taigen and Heng Long tanks which are more reasonable. My budget is between $200-$300 give or take a few bucks. My concern is the dependability of these tanks. I know things can and will go wrong, but many of the reviews state after a few mins/runs the tanks start to fall apart. Are the tanks that bad as stated in many of the reviews? Granted many of the reviews are a bit old. Has quality changed recently for the better? I'm looking/considering the ones in the link below. Any information/ advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again.....


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SSKRVY/...I30G3PZRYR036G


http://www.amazon.com/Remote-Control...3NEG9FJNVPBNRX


REALLY like the one shown below. I was ready to order this one, but thought I better check with you guys first. Leaning towards the Taigen brand because the support I've read/seen that Erik at Imex provides. Plus Imex is not far from me. (45 min drive.) Is the tank a good buy at $300.00 after shipping?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4j0OCPMH4g

Rufustb

I have Heng Long and Taigen tanks primarily, but am branching out into Tamiya.

When I started I got a Taigen as it was RTR right out of the box and Eric is awesome at providing support. I figured out I enjoyed the hobby after tinkering around with mine. I think as a starter, mess around with tank you can't go wrong with Taigen. Especially if they have something in the scratch and dent sale that you like.

Heng Longs are sort of hit or miss. Mass produced and really a toy grade tank in my opinion. With a lot of TLC you can bring them up to a pretty decent state. With them I feel it is all about how confident you are with your modeling/repair skills. Though they are a great way to learn how to maintain and repair. My nephew purchased a HL Super Pershing on ebay cheap and has had a ton of fun tinkering and fixing the issues it has. It runs real solid now.

Tamiya tanks are full kits. You have to assemble the entire thing, possible purchase a separete battle kit and radio (if you buy a USA kit). For me, I have been doing modeling and miniatures for 30 years+, so it is no stretch for me to work with a kit. This and the price tag though intimidates a lot of people.

As for prices, shop around a ton before you leap and buy something.

Falcon 69

Hi,about last Walker Bulldog tank,this model oversized,looks like a big heavy tank,but in real it was a small,light tank....
If you want to try make a strong,solid model,you must choose a tank with metal lower hull (with torsion bar suspension,metal road whells,idlers,sprokets) made by Taigen,Asiatam,Torro... This is first step for sucsess)))

Max-U52

Hi, and welcome. For a first tank to get your feet wet the M41 from Imex is an excellent choice. I just happen to be working on that very tank this weekend, putting a clark TK-22 in it (an aftermarket multi function unit). Take a look at this M26 Pershing at the link to Imex, and I've also posted the photo so you can see it before you click the link

http://www.imex-model.com/product/CT...86.html?cid=89



that's on the Imex S&D list and it's a real steal. You should call Erik on Monday and see what he can do for you. Be sure to tell him you just joined RCU and tell him Gary/Max sent you. Erik has a soft spot for RCU guys so he takes extra good care of us. Of course, it helps to remember that it's Erik and not Eric.

As an experienced RC guy you'll recognize a lot of the stuff as you start to explore hobby grade tank stuff, and you'll find your prior experience will really serve you well. You probably already have a lot of the gear you'll need if you find that this hobby is for you and you want to go to the next level, and then the level after that. There are a lot of good guys here that are very helpful and they'll always be willing to help. Eventually you'll have to ask all the new tanker questions like, Where do I want to go with this, IR battles or goofin' around with airsoft or both? Do I want to join a club and maybe make the trip to Danville or will I mostly be into the modeling and detailing? Then there's the whole photography aspect, as tanks really lend themselves to very cool pictures and videos. I'd say of all the RC genres tanks are the most suited to still photos (and trucks, too). Aircraft can make for awesome videos, but for stills you'd be amazed at some of the cool shots you can get with these tanks and their accessories. Just take a look at Ryan's stuff (RMDphotograhpy) and you'll see what I mean. I do both IR and airsoft myself and I will freely admit that I'm totally addicted to this hobby. If you look at past threads posted by other guys that have recently joined you'll find the answers to questions you didn't even know you wanted to ask. You'll also find lots of good upgrades and mods that can be done to these tanks, so no matter your RC or modeling level you'll find lots of stuff that will appeal to you and will be a lot of fun. So browse some of the threads and take a look at that pershing and see what ya think.

Again, welcome, and feel free to ask whatever you need to know.

Remote

Wow, Thanks for all the replies. Left for a few mins to start watching Gatchaman, the movie that came in and came back to all the information. This is GREAT. I edit the post to spell Erick correctly. I may have to take a drive up and meet Erik personally. Few of my friends are into RC, but none are into tanks. The hobby of RC tanks never really drew my attention due to the speed of them. Not that I want a fast tank, but they are slow moving and not sure how one goes about enjoying them. I guess I have to pick one up and see what all the fuss is about. I'm the type of person that loves to mod the hell out of RC, started with modding real cars. The only draw back I saw with the M41 is the lack of metal upgrades. Seems to be little available for the tank. Unlike the others such as the Tiger and the Panzer.

Pah co chu puk

Heng Long is like an old Chevy, you will want to tear it down and rebuild it after you drive it a bit but there are lots of aftermarket parts out there. I have several HL tanks and enjoy them a great deal. If you like to upgrade, get a Panther G, lots of parts and good runner.

I have not had a Taigen yet, but I am waiting for the Abrams Erik hinted at a while ago.

I have a Tamiya Leopard. It is fast for a tank. A fun kit, but not much needs upgrades, so ya just build it and play.

The fun can be in building the tank, painting the tank, researching the tank, driving the tank off road... or IR battles with others. I like them all.

Roboticus_Prime

Hello and welcome!

I recently started my fall into RC tanks as well. If you want to read up on my experience with my HL Pershing, feel free to check out my thread on it.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-t...-pershing.html

Fun fact, The M41 and Pershing share some parts in the running gear. You can get the Metal upgrade parts from tankarmy.com

Oh, and you'll only get 5 star ratings for Erik from me!

Remote

Found a full metal Tiger tank for $440.00. (Going way out of budget at this price point.) States its a early version metal edition tank. Were the gear boxes in the early model prone to failure like many reviews suggest? Hate to spend this amount only having to spend another $75.00+ for a replacement gear box.

Max-U52

If you want a full metal Tiger you really have to talk to Erik. He can probably do better than that. I have four Imex Tigers and one HL. The HL is a lot like the one you posted the link to and it's still a great tank, but those Imex full metal jobs are the kind. I guess that's why I have four of them.

If you haven't already, you really need to look at this page

http://www.imex-model.com/category/89/BB-Version.html

The top five tanks are all scratch and dent specials and they'd be perfect for a guy like you, with your experience. He's got a full metal Tiger for $350, and since you're in Florida your shipping should be under 20 bucks. Call him at 1-800-458-5785 and see what he says. I bet a dollar you don't get off the phone without buying a tank.

BubbaJePH

Remote, Welcome to the group from another Rookie. I bought a Heng Long Abrams. I'm in the process of making it better. Waiting for parts. Seeing where you live and where Erik is, you are about an hour away. Might have to do some face to face shopping and education. I've bought some things from Erik and I can tell you IMEX is great to deal with. Fast shipping to Virginia. I'm about three hours from Danville VA. I've been there and saw their set up there before the Tank Bug bit me. I've seen updated videos of Danville's layout and it is much improved from what I saw. I will have to go back, but not soon enough. Maybe when Gary, Max-U52 comes down to Virginia as he has a wealth of information.

Green Amphibian

Remote, welcome. Taigen is an excellent choice for a first tank, but get something that you like. I have an IR Jadgpanther with a TK22 in it and think it is a very good tank. I also have some Tammy's and some scratch builds that I battle with at Danville. Personally, I really enjoy the IR battles.

Herman

Darkearth74

If i may,kv1 in heng long version is cheap and has alot of build options down the road .

Imex-Erik

Hey Remote,
I'm Erik from IMEX/Taigen Tanks. I handle all kinds of stuff here at Taigen and you can reach me at [email protected] or you can call us at the number below. I'm always here to help and I try to frequent the forums as much as possible as well. Give me a call or email and lets see what tank might suit you best ok? Feel free to ask whatever questions you want here too, people are very friendly here and honest.

Remote

-Thanks for all the new replies. Keep them coming...

-Erik, I may just take you up on the offer and give you a call.

-Looking at the motors, I notice that they look to be just your basic can motors with bushings. (I could be wrong.) Has anybody installed motors with bearings? (Not brushless.) Not per say for performance as in speed, but to help make the drive line more efficient? Just a thought after looking at the motors in pics online.

Strato50

Hey Remote, welcome aboard and you've come to (One of..) the right place!

Taigen is a good deal these days. My VERY first tank was a basic HengLong Tiger 1... and after many many upgrades, a metal hull, recoil, opening hatches, eventually a whole new turret and gun... and many dollars later.. I ended up with EXACTLY what Taigen offers in a metal-hulled Tiger 1 today.. albeit 2 years before they existed... and for a lot more money ><

Getting a metal-enhanced tank has pros and cons. Tracks add weight, and tend to lead to other upgrades to deal with it. I have several tanks that I keep plastic tracks on because they run just as well with them.. predominantly any of the Panzer 3-4s have excellent plastic tracks *And metal ones, they are light!*, and my Pershing... her metal tracks are heavyyy.. so I stayed with plastic.

If ever you want to dish out the extra dough, the Taigen & Taigen-style ( rctank.de has a metal torsion bar Panther hull, for example) are simply excellent. They often come with steel-geared gearboxes with bearings and that is essentially the biggest stress point that deals with the extra weight & strain of heavier parts.

Anyhoo, in short, yes the M41 you linked above isn't a bad tank at all. I don't actually own one.. although I've worked on them. They run well!



Motors tend to be basic can brushed, usually all about the same form factor. I've found a few sources of good, higher RPM and higher torque motors that really get the big heavy tanks moving, turning, and driving as well as they ought to. Here's my most recent & recommended motors for getting great performance at a good cost.

Power>>
http://www.robotshop.com/ca/en/baneb...-dc-motor.html CANADA

http://banebots.com/c/MOTOR-BRUSH USA

Speed>>
http://www.robotmarketplace.com/prod...KMOT-1009.html USA

Roboticus_Prime

I recently upgraded the gearboxes in my Pershing from the bushings to the bearings. I'm going to try and get an update on them this weekend.

Remote

Just got off the phone with Erik. Great guy to talk to. VERY knowledgeable/informative on the tanks, but you guys already knew that. He went over different things I should consider when buying a tank. Suggested other tanks/models to check into. Really like the M41, but may go with a Tiger. More "Metal options."

Strato50

Remember, if the metal you're getting isn't in the drive train, it's just weight. A 3 pound Tiger turret looks exactly the same as a plastic one, and they work the same! :P

Shorty54

I agree!, I wish I had a plastic turret on my metal Tiger I. I like my plastic HL Tiger I turret better.

Max-U52

I think I have to agree with this one. I put a metal turret on the S33 Tiger and I'm thinking about going back to the plastic turret. The hull top is starting to sag from the weight so it's either go back to plastic or get with the bracing. Same thing for metal drivers hatches on the T1. I really prefer the plastic hatches so I didn't change them on the S33, just left them plastic, and you can't tell the difference between those and the metal hatches on the full metal Tiger, but they operate better and stay open easier.

Remote

Do they offer the top hull in metal?

Max-U52

The only company I know of that produces metal hull tops is Mato. I have their Panzer III and it really is all metal. Everything except the rubber tires on the roadwheels.

Remote

When its listed as " Metal Chassis" is the complete chassis/tub metal, or just the very bottom? I've seen videos that show a silver bottom. wasn't sure if the complete tub was metal or just the very bottom like a skid plate. The others with a metal turret, is the hull top sagging a common problem? If so, can some type of bracing solve the issue?

Imex-Erik

Thanks!
No, not at this time. Making the uppers in metal does make the tank a bit top heavy and most of our customers prefer to do mods on plastic, so at this time plastic is the choice for upper hulls.
There is an aluminum tub with a plastic tub surrounding it. They are bolted together to make the chassis a lot more rigid. This chassis also has our torsion bar suspension which allows a lot more fine tuning to the suspension if you choose. The turret sag I do not hear often, but for those that do have an issue, a small brace can be attached to the upper hull near the turret ring horizontally via some epoxy or something similar to fix. The flat bar you see in the picture is the front fender brace, you can get another one of these and use it for a brace actually

YHR

1.The biggest single thing you can do to improve the tank out of the box is to get a new set of gears with a lower gear ratio. It will be the best money you ever spend, and you won't regret it. The tank will run better, turn better and behave more like a heavy piece of equipment.

2. My advice is Metal suspension arms, and wheels, only because the metal wheels have rubber tires and in some cases bearings and that is just better.(IMO.) Metal tracks on some tanks make sense because the stock plastic ones are bad. The HL tiger is one example of this.

3.Chances are at some point you will want a better radio, as it will give you more options. Then you can start navigating the minefield of upgrade electronics, which there are a host of now. If you become a collector, I would suggest regardless of what electronics you end up with do yourself and your bank account a favor and look at building an electronics tray that contains the ESC/MFU/sound/IR battling, and receiver. Build your tank to a standard that will allow this tray to be moved around between tanks.,ie all the end point devices just plug into the electronics the same way I would build three sets of trays, German( Maybach), Russian,( Diesel) American( Big Block Ford. ). These three trays can be used in a multiple of tanks, and it seems pointless to me to have 10 or 20 tanks that are all fully equipped with $300 worth of electronics. IF done correctly swapping and installing an Electronics tray will tank no more time then changing a battery, and you will save yourself a pile of money and set up time.

I have close to 30 tanks, and all off them had electronics in them at one point. I then realized what a terrible waste of hobby resources that accounted for. If you have 4 tanks on the shelf ready to go that is probably the most you are ever going to need at one given time. Now I have more then 3 or 4 sets of electronics, but a lot of my tanks are now sitting on the shelf display are empty inside. If I chose to run them I will drop in the electronics and a battery, and then use them. No more tanks sitting on the shelf all stuffed full of expensive electronics.

Cheers