David:

Welcome to the forum! I have a 1/8 King Tiger from RC Armory (photos are with winter camo). [link]http://www.rcarmory.com[/link] There are only a few others in the forum with the larger scale tanks.

My investment in the 1/8 KT was around $2500. There are additional options but it max's out with shipping to under $3000. The tracks, drive sprockets, and idler wheels are metal. The hull and turret consist of a PVC type material (designed with strength yet lighter than metal). It uses two 12V batteries, a Vantec ESC, two industrial motors with chain drive, etc. Very well engineered and built. Check out rcarmory's web site for details.

I've had nothing but fun with it.

There is the 1/6 scale M5 Stuart that you can find on eBay for around $125. It has good potential but needs upgrades to its ESC and other components -- lots of forum discussions on how to do this. The biggest difference is that most parts are plastic (relatively thin but OK if you don't bash it around too much). I also have a Stuart but it doesn't compare to the 1/8 KT in quality.

Other large scale tanks are available, and very good ones, such as, the Armortek products. These are built by our British friends, who do outstanding work with its engineering and manufacturing (from what I've read and discussed with others who own them). However, they are relatively expensive -- somewhere around $7500 for a 1/6 scale Tiger I shipped to the US. Also, see Model Works (also British) -- they make what appears to be a very nice steel and brass Tiger 1. There is also the Russian made 1/6, 1/8, and 1/4 scale tanks -- they rely on fiberglass hulls and turrets but everything else is cast metals, which may be OK.

It all depends on how much you're willing to invest. (Or, like me, can sneak it past she-who-must-be-obeyed.)

Handling these beasts is another consideration. My 1/8 KT weighs around 65 lbs, which isn't too bad. I've constructed a ramp and work trolley, and just take it very slow when maneuvering onto/off of the trolley.

Once you're hooked, it doesn't matter which scale you have, it becomes a very interesting and fun hobby.

Cheers...