Does Tom do custom paint jobs/upgrades?Also, is there an IR variant of the Panther G? Third and final question, on Tom's site, some are labeled as AirSoft RC or AirSoft RC battle tank. Is there a difference between the two?
ORIGINAL: thecommander
ORIGINAL: jlee104
Is there any difference between performance and/or looks?
Which would you personally select?
Note:
Whichever I'm getting, it will be the matomart version (super IR version with metal upgrades), so there may also be a difference there.
Both are good runners for Heng Long. I presume Tamiya is out of your budget at this time. As mentioned for H L IR battle the Panther G is the only choice. The M26 can be IR'ed is you are so inclined. But is is custom work. The Panther G (not the Pantiger) would be my choice since it can be painted in and endless variety of camo patterns. The M26 is rarely done in anyting but olive drab. The OD just gets boring. It is all up to you. As for who to buy from, the choice was always simple here on RCU...Phil at RC tankwars. Unfortunaley he recently passed away and we all miss him. He could work miracles with tanks and was very concerned with customer satisfaction. He tested each HL tank which NO OTHER retailer ever did. He also did custom modifications, paintwork and upgrades. Joe (Yellowshaker) and Mike (ETO) are stepping up filing the void for the quality custom work at J & M Armor Creations.
Their site is here:
http://armorcreations.weebly.com/ Joe and Mike are vastly experienced and can work wonders on RC tanks.
The best route for the stock Heng Long tanks is Tom in Lancaster, PA as Dirty mentioned. He and I have been in communication and I know he tests each tank before it leaves his shop to make sure you will not be disapointed. That is very rare in the entry level tank vendor group. That is what will propel him to the top for HL tanks. You never want to ship a tank back to Mato or whomever (BTW- you pay for the costs). Most just send you the parts and tell you go fix it yourself. Of the 60 or so I have bought it has happened about 6 times. The RC tank sellers reputation is more important than the purchase price. This is true whether you are buying a HL, or a new built or used Tamiya. Spend the extra few dollars and get the full metal upgrade he offers. He may prove to be the best distrbutor since he is also very concerned with customer satisfaction like our dear buddy Phil was. I doubt we will ever meet anyone of Phil's caliber.... but at least we have some viable alternatives in Joe and Mike. And now Tom for the HL segment.
BTW... Tom acutally has a working phone number and speaks English. He will answer any questions and provide tech help over the phone to his H L tank customers.
Here is his link:
http://www.yourrcstore.com/
We just want to make sure you get what you want and receive what you are paying for from the best vendors. Good luck, Bob