Hello, I'm brand new to rc tanking; I'm also new to this forum so I'm not sure if this post is in the right section. I've been interested in getting into this hobby for a few years now and now that I have money to spend I've done some reading to decide where to start. I'm interested in getting a 1/24 or 1/16 scale model. I don't have any rc tank clubs near me so I'll just be doing this by myself. I've been told that the new Heng Long 6.0 models are a decent way to get started. For years I've wanted to get a 1/24 model from VsTank, but supplies of those have mostly dried up. I don't want to spend over $250 initially on a tank. Should I try to find an old VsTank model or buy a Heng Long, or find another brand? Any advice you have is thoroughly appreciated. And please let me know if this post fits the forum's guidelines. Thank you.

If $250 is your budget, you can get a mostly plastic Heng Long or Taigen tank and it will be a good gateway drug into R/C tanks.

Take a look at www.taigentanks.com their guy in charge of the tank sales and service, Erik is a big supporter of this site and provides fantastic customer service should you need any help or have any problems with what you buy.

Thank you for the response!

Also check out Motion RC they are now carrying Heng Long 6.0 tanks, at some of the most competitive price and are based in the US with fast free shipping too.

First of all welcome to the Forumand you sure are in the right place,
For $250 a Heng Long 1/16 Tiger 1 with the latest electronic fit Version 6.0 is within your price range,
You will meet resistance by a group of people who know Heng Long products from way back when and have not accepted that the latest product is as well equipped and as well built as its Taigen rival although you will get no argument from me when the two companies products are placed against the Tamiya 1./16 kits.
No contest the Tamiya Tank is the Cadillac versus the Toyota.
Indeed the RTR Heng Long and Taigen 1/16 products attract not only the frugal but the impatient who do not care to build a $900 tank when they can get a Tank that is 1/2 the price of the Tamiya and it runs straight out of the box.
Enjoy this place and read everything then make up your own mind.

Hi, I am in pretty same situation. I had a Heng Long pseudo Panther 1:16 plastic airsoft model as first shot. I did realize what I bought after I open the box... Is stupefying to find that the producer mixed the Tiger with Panther...but do not forget, they advertise all of these tanks as toys for +14. So, after a sum of years, I decided to make my own tank using an upgraded metal model as base. I missed some logic steps and now I learn how to put all in place to work. In my world we say "Better is the enemy of good!" and this happened to me, I did not like the original electronics, I took them out from the tank but the new ones have troubles and now I have a no working tank which wait me to focus on it.
First, be sure you are satisfied with the out of box tank behavior. YouTube has a lot of short movies and you can compare all of them. Look on videos and decide what you want from your tank. You will understand why so many of us modify the electronics. If you decide to modify it, be sure you know what you want and how to do it. I bought things and I discovered after that I need to learn a lot of things to put them on work properly. A Heng Long station have 6 channels-commands for the tank. A Taranis X9D station have maximum 32 channels and all programmable individually, in fact is a computer which need to be programmed too. A Tank Command Board TCB is a minicomputer also. The sound cards are programmable, leaving you the possibility to choose what sound and when shall be issued. Is not easy but I really prefer this to the pub customer variant for my life...
These models are the toys for big guys and the correspondence with reality is very important for guys like me. And the decisions comes easy after. So I wish you this one to be just the first step in a better way to spend your time and money!