<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Well I&rsquo;ve been reading and reading some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have decided on getting a tank from Matomart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>An all metal upgraded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not sure which one yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Could use some advice there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>WWll for sure and I like the looks of the German tanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Panzer lll, Panzer IV F2 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>or Tiger?</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">A couple questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How come the tanks matomart sells are 10 speed but the same tanks at other dealers are only 2 speed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What tank is the best out of the box?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">I am currently building a 500 size heli from Hobby King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I have other helis, several planes and trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I know this tank will need maintenance probably right out of the box.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Any advice will be appreciated.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Perry</font></p>

Hi Perry,

Basically, any Heng Long tank that has the option of smoke and sound is 10 speed from any retailer....it's normally a cut and paste description from a non-smoke and sound version. So just rely on the description of Smoke and Sound to determine if it has variable speed.

You're gonna get mixed opinions about best out of the box, but the most common one you'll likely get being at the top of therecommendationsis the Panzer III ausf. L and Panther G/JagdPanther running second (I like to think it's the KV-1 though since I own that one and love it the most out of the Panzer III and Tiger I.)
The Panzer ausf. H isn't exactly the most popular for modeling purposes, but same concept. The one least best out of the box is the Tiger I in my opinion. It's HL's first tank and not designed for hull strength and the later on option of metal tracks and gearbox.

Hope this helps!
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if this is your first expierence with tanks i would propose that will go for a tamiya, while building it you learn how it works to and they run without minor isseu's wich some HL or matotanks will have.

You can buy tamiya stuff for 400$ on dave4what on ebay

lokk at it you won't be disapointed in it

An upgraded mato will cost also 200$ or more so give it a thought

The Panther and Jagd are good tanks. MAtomart has a sale on. You can buy an airsoft version for $69 right now. The iR version allows IR batlting out of the box, but they are not compatible with Tamiya. For me I would spring for the 69 Airsoft, have fun with that for awhile, buy a DBC for IR batlting later which is compatible with Tamiya. (Sorry a DBC is an aftermarket electronic add on that gives you momentum, gets rid of the annoying HL recoil and adds IR batlting capability.)

Tamiya is a good product, and having to build one actually prepares your for the maintenance ahead. Trust me there is always maintenance ahead, and I don't care what brand you have.

Thanks all for the good info. I have some thinking to do.

Perry

Personally I like the KV-1 its a big tank but it can go almost anywhere.  Although its a ugly tank I like it.  Its also reliable  tracks don't slip.  Mato is a pretty good place to buy from alhtough it can be on the more expensive side especially shipping wise.  I just bought a Panzer III from them and they has excellent service.  If you want a cheaper tank you can try raidentech.com  But I must warn you some people have had problems with them and their customer service is bad but the prices are good and free shipping. Hope this helps.

I'm leaning towords the Panzer lll all metal. I plan to paint and weather it. Or since probably won't run it much I should go with the Panzer 4 f2 fro $69?</p>

[quote]ORIGINAL: YHR

The Panther and Jagd are good tanks. MAtomart has a sale on. You can buy an airsoft version for $69 right now.

YHR............
Thanks for the heads up on the Mato sale............I just got another KV-1. I might get another Jagdpanther as well.

Ya made my day!

and took any decision already? Which tank is your prefered one

I think the Panzer 4 f2 for $69 is the way I'll go.  With the 500 apache heli project my hobby money is slim.  This will give me a start for under $100  Thanks for all the help.

Perry</p>

Hello Perry,

I have had a Pershing , Pz3 and 4. The Pz3 has lots of upgrades available and is an excellent runner. I found the Pz4 was harder to upgrade the gear boxes but it too is a good runner.

The KV-1 IMO is on sale now and it is super sturdy and dependable. Lots of room and will climb telephone poles. THere is no proof of this but rumors do exist. lol

I see you chose the Pz4. No worries lots of help here no matter what you choose.

Best of luck and post your tank pics. We would love to see them.

THe metal bearing supports available for all tanks is worth considering. They really make a difference.

Be well,

David

David,

The Pz3 comes with a metal gear box, if i'm reading it right. What's to upgrade? Am I missing something? The only thing I might want in the future would be the metal drive wheels and tracks. Do you know if they are available? $69 seems like to good a deal to pass up. I looked at the KV-1 but I'm more into German tanks than Russian. Is the KV-1 much bigger than the Pz3?

Perry</p>

Oh yeah, a lot bigger. About 5 or so inches longer....the largest WWII tank would be the King Tiger but I guess they discontinued the Mato King Tiger so you'll have to wait for Heng Long to release theirs (when ever that is) or go Tamiya. I think the second largest would be the Panther G at a close tie to the Tiger I. PIII is a baby tank and the PIV is it's bigger brother.

Anyway, there's tons of after market upgrades for these tanks. You can have a look see at Welshdragonmodels.co.uk, Rctankwars.com, Rccommand, RC-Tank-world.com, etc. The Panzer III is one of the three tanksavailablewith an after market metal hull to add morerealismand a vastly improved suspension, the other two would be the Tiger and KV-1. The Tiger I is more of a neccessaty rather than an option if you want trouble free, unless you can make themodificationsrequired on your own.

And Perry, don't forget to check out [link=http://www.etoarmour.com/]ETO ARMOR[/link] as well. Very fast shipping and just about all you will need for your tanks needs.



- Jeff

Are the Mato tanks not all Heng Longs?  The Mato website shows the Pz3 at 46cm long, the Pz4 at 40cm  and the KV-1 at 42cm.  Maybe we are not looking at the same tanks?  Some say Heng Long and some don't.  Now I'm confused, again!

Perry

Most of the tanks are heng longs.  The Sherman is a Mato.  The reason for the lenghts being the way they are is because they include barrel length.  The Pzs have long barrels the kv-1 has no barrel past the front.  Thats why the lengths are the way they are.

Thanks for bringing that to atttention. Now that I've gone Tamiya crazy,I keep forgetting that Bob has stuff for HL's too. Sorry Bob!

Tankmasters right. Barrel length is factored into the total size of the tank. If I recall correctly from the last time I measured my PIII against my KV1, the KV is around 17 inches long and the PIII is roughly 13 inches...this is just hullmeasurement. The Tiger I is wider than the KV-1 and about an inch or two shorter than the KV-1, but if you include the barrel to the Tiger I, it's about 20 inches long. Only way your going to know the actual hull size is if you scale up from areferenceddrawing/model or ask somebody.

The Sturmtiger, Kingtiger, and Sherman is Mato. The T34/85 is WSN Trumpeter. The rest are Heng Longs.
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Me too!

Thanks YHR

I caught this thread at noon hour at the office, I read there at noon sometimes but don't post.

It lead me to check the Mato site and I saw the Panzer IV, one of the tanks on my "short list" was on sale; order has been placed


The cost is actually $89.00 before tax and shipping, but still too good for meto miss.
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Done deal. Thanks everyone. Went with the Pz4 F2. I just liked the way it looks.

Perry</p>