I too got into tanking when HL had just started and yes, I bought a Tiger 1 and a pantiger. Ran them in the garden for a few years trouble free and had fun with them.It was only when I joined this forum that I really discovered the errors in the models and got the taste for improving them. This is when I also discovered how badly the tanks were engineered. Anyway, HL have improved a lot over the years and offer the potential for upgrading at a budget. I have all the tanks HL have produced so far and they will all get upgraded at some point. More recently, As finances have allowed, I have dipped my toes into the Tamiya and Taigen offerings and am very impressed with the quality difference over HL. The tamiya is tops in my book - no question, but the Taigens are excellent too,being available in a partially or fully built style.
For me, and with regard to new guys, this is how it works:
1) If you want a high quality,detailed and accurate rc tank kit that you build with minimal upgrading and you can take the financial hit,then Tamiya is the route - newbie or not.
The only caveat here is that it helps if one is of a practical nature to cope with the build,painting and setting up process.
2) If you are interested in RC tanks, have no desire to upgrade anything and don't care about detail inaccuracies and just want to play,then pick a HL tank and enjoy running it.
You may get quality issues and need to do some rework but help is available either at the vendor on on this forum. It's a bit of a risk but hey - it's a tank - bound to break
down occasionally.
3) If you are a hobbyist and like to start off with a cheap model of low quality and accuracy and build it into something wonderful, then again HL is a good route with all the
upgrades and options out their for improvements - marvellous really and getting better.
4) The Taigen option is a mix of all three above - The cost of a ready built Taigen tank is getting on par with Tamiya but the quality is good with very useful improvements over
the HL offerings. The Tiger 1 kit they produced (and I have ) is excellent and would recommend this.
Of course one has to consider the metal v plastic route and airsoft or IR which really comes down to personal choice, finances and what you want to do with the model.
Bottom line is the RC tank model world has evolved greatly in recent years for the better and is no longer a simple choice. I think 'If in doubt ask' applies.
Cheers
CaptB