My RC tank brothers have already said most of it. Heng Longs are good quality RC toys. Tamiya are the highest in quality RC models. I have never seen a complete running used Tamiya RC tank ever sell for less that half of it purchase price. They hold their value very well... where the H L tanks do not. All Heng Long/Mato(Mattoro) tank repairs and mods are "learn as you go" without any manuals or instructions. Tamiya gives you everything you need including spare parts, tools, lube/loctite, PLUS color plate/poster of the tank, a users manual and a build manual. Bandai and Hooben tanks are a far distant second and third place...did I say FAR. WSN/Wasan T34 & Tiger I are better than most HL but not by much. Taigen is a upscale HL and the new kid on the block....results are mixed thus far. DBU, ElMod, SLU & CLarka re allupcoming batle units but they cannot match Tamiya in value, warranty and resale appeal.

If you decide to get serious and are a quality and reliability oriented tanker, enjoy the H L but don't sink a bunch of money in them. You will never get it back. Buy a Tamiya either new or used. Most good built used ones go for the $400 to $700 price range. A new inthe box Sherman kit can be had for $480 and most others in the $650 to $800 range. A 4 ch radio and battle unit will also be needed. There are good deals out there but be sure to buy from a reputable seller. Be sure to look at shipping costs since these kit are big and heavy. Some want $80 to $150 for shipping.

I wish you were nearby I would invite you to a NEAD event to try a few of my Tamiya & HL modified tanks in IR battle. I have several Tam-Longs and Ta-matos with many hours of work poured into them.