Originally Posted by
Imex-Erik
The only "needed" item (and this is my opinion, others will differ) is a steel gearbox. This will future proof the tank for any future upgrades and will also give you an improved driving experience. Everything after that is all up to you. The plastic drive wheels and tracks are pretty darn strong and even with rough use you shouldnt have much issue with them. There are also other aftermarket options for the motherboard/control unit, but that is optional as well. The 4:1 speed reduction alone is a large upgrade, it doesnt have to be steel either, we do offer zinc in 4:1 for that tank as well. As for not tinkering.... it is hard with tanks. If you take care of it when you use it then you shouldnt have to tinker much at all, but as with all tracked vehicles you will have to keep an eye on those caterpillar tracks (mainly the tension and guide horns in the middle of the track) and make sure they are ok after each use.
The Tiger 1 is pretty robust. After you set it up the way you want it should be good to go for a while. Be careful though, once the tank hobby bites you it is hard to get out... just a warning
Thanks - The Heng Long Panther I picked up cheap on ebay arrived this morning - I guess part of what I am missing is the double the price difference since you have to replace such a key component in both - the plastics look about the same quality, the books, accessory box look nearly identical... and the tanks themselves seem fairly similar although clearly the Taigen comes with metal gears and a metal bottom plate - I have not looked at either's suspension yet - I still trust I made the right call because I did not see many recommending the Heng Longs - not saying anything other than I clearly don't appreciate the differences to this point at least, I am sure once I use them a bit more I will be able to notice or at least hope I will.