Been watching this thread, thought I'd throw my hat in the ring (yeah, yeah, cool Eddie Rickenbacker reference)

Hmm.. Honestly, I can't give you a good opinion on a good starter tank.. I can. I posted the video above. Get the $100 tank, maybe even the $80 Pershing, and see if it blows your wig back. If you look at it and think, I bet I could improve this, or paint that, or weather this, and she needs an antenna, and I bet I could make that part work better, and those lights are kinda cheesy, I bet I could do better ... you're a natural born RC Tanker and this will NOT be your last tank. Then you can look at something of better quality. If you look at it and play with it for three or four days and it goes on the shelf, you're not out hundreds of smackers. It varies.. I found that this hobby is not a one size fits all kinda thing.. In my first foray into the hobby, I went with a full metal Tiger 1 with upgrades.. Then wound up having to put $300 into it to get what it should have been to start with.. Now, it's perfect.. I started with a $109 Jagdpanther, put $600 into it, now it's perfect, so I feel ya. But not everybody starts out like that.. Some people love the Sherman tank offerings, while some of us like the Tiger 1.. I guess I like the tiger 1 because everybody and anybody makes that version of tank that I have seen.. Seems highly popular to get aftermarket parts for just about anything you would like to do with it.. It's kinda hard to go wrong with a Tiger 1.. In my case, I went with something "ready to run" that was already painted.. Only because of a disability which precludes my ability to actually build a model and paint it.. I have only one arm and hand.. So for me, it would have been a non-starter.. For someone like you, the skies the limit.. You could build and detail the tank the way you want it.. A true custom build to suit your desires..

I do know that Tamiya is considered the gold standard in many ways.. And many years ago, I had Tamiya race cars that were superb.. Ran like a Swiss watch.. In today's market when it comes to tanks, we have many "Johnny come lately's" with offerings that are nicely detailed in their own right.. And of course, they all have their own pro's and cons.. I've heard the Tamiya's come with great electronics, This is debatable. When first introduced they were state of the art but now are a bit dated. Their battle system is still the global club standard. yet can come with less than stellar details on a few things.. Such as a piece of rope for a tow chain.. But have no first hand knowledge of this myself.. I have no Tamiya tanks.. So I'll leave that to more experienced folks on here than myself..

Heng Long is a cheaper version of tank that can be upgraded in many respects to be a very nice tank from what I've seen.. And there are those here that have done one hell of a job with them on the detail and electronics.. Truly magnificent work.. Then you have Taigen.. Who is billed as being "all metal" This is not accurate. No where at the Taigen website does it say "All Metal" but the tanks are divided into "Plastic Edition" and "Metal Edition". Only Mato claims "All Metal" and they are, except for the tires on the roadwheels. "Metal Edition" means it has many metal upgrades. Kind of a jargon thing, I guess, but this is a hobby with a steep learning curve, and you're hearing that from one that's let the magic smoke out more than once. but is not the truth.. Yes, there is a lot of metal in it.. But by no means is it "All" metal.. And from a certain standpoint, I can understand this from an engineering standpoint..

Taigen is a very nicely detailed tank in it's own right.. The fit and finish in my opinion is top rated.. From a cosmetic standpoint, it is truly an amazing piece of work.. I do love the high detail and quality of those details on my Taigen Tiger 1.. It has great road wheels and a good set of tracks to it.. The issue I had with it, was the electronics package that I felt could use some serious work.. It's long been known in the hobby that the "stock electronics" aren't the greatest, and nobody uses them for serious battling. Again, a learning curve thing. They definitely could use work, and they're slowly getting there. A big problem is making everything compatible for the Great Unwashed, the main source of income. The main reason Taigen is considered superior is the chassis. Even the $200 plastic edition Tiger One has the good chassis with the metal tub and torsion bar suspension. That's something you can work with. Like building a house, start with a good foundation. The P3, P4, T-34 and Sherman metal chassis are also top quality. I found numerous issues I won't go into here.. But, after replacing all the guts with aftermarket electronics, the tank is top notch.. Honestly, the tank I bought, should come with this electronics package installed already.. However, I'm sure due to money, is the reason they don't..

Also, it highly depends on the budget your working with Sir.. Hear, Hear. Well said. If you have the money, anything can be done for the right price..

Taigen is a good tank, so long as you know what your getting into right up front.. If you go with a metal version of the tiger 1, you'll be okay.. So long as you replace the electronics with something a bit better.. You have Clark, El-Mod, and of course the IBU setup.. Any of these are far superior in quality than "most" factory systems..

Again, you must remember that the factory set up is designed to get you going only in most cases.. I have found that most companies ask for good components, but a factory may run out of something, and substitute a slightly "off spec" part to compensate.. This happens more than most people realize.. And of course, the company doesn't realize this in most cases.. So you can't really blame them for it..

I found the IBU system to be a great system with first rate electronics.. With a great distributor named Ian Judge. No cheap stuff on the board.. There were places they could have gone cheap, but didn't.. So there's that.. And I think it would be an excellent addition to damn near any tank you buy.. You also have the Clark T60, which again, is a nice offering in it's own right..

If it was my money, I would go with a nice Tiger 1 from Taigen or Tamiya.. Stick an IBU-2 Pro in it with a good Flysky i6 radio in it, and you should be good to go.. I'd do this second, once I was sure I was in for keeps.

Taigen is a good tank from an engineering standpoint.. It's just the electronics I have an issue with.. However, please understand I'm a perfectionist in the extreme.. Remember, you're buying a toy. If you want a hobby grade tank, it takes work. That's why they call it "Hobby" Grade, it's a hobby, and hobbies involve that labor of love.

I'm coming from 3 degrees in the computer sciences and electronics from MIT.. I worked as a Hollywood actor and stunt man for 25 years to work my way through college.. So I take my education very seriously.. I'm honest about my criticism, but also on my praises.. I'm a guy who gets off on talking "string theory" and Quantum Physics" with others in my field.. So tanks are not my native language.. But I'm learning fast.. :P

Now that I've expounded on my opinion more than you needed.. And probably bored you to tears, I'll let you get some opinion's from others here that have been in the hobby far longer than I..

Whatever you decide, research before you dive in.. You'll find various opinions all over the boards.. Take what you learn, and apply it to your purchase, and you'll be a happier person for it in the end with whatever you decide.. I agree on the research part, and still recommend the cheap tank to start. If you become an avid RC Tanker, you'll never be sorry you bought it and you'll make it better, and if you decide RC Tanks aren't for you you'll never be sorry you didn't spend hundreds of dollars for your first tank. But when you're seriously hooked and REALLY want to spend some money, then we'll talk about 1/6 scale ...

But above all else, enjoy the hobby.. That's what it's all about ultimately..

We now return you to your regularly scheduled commercial break.

And that's my 2 cents, hope all or part was helpful.