Want to build, but don't want to pay Tamiya prices

[B_Man]

Depending on how picky you are with details and electronics you'll probably find an upgraded Taigen and a Tamiya cost around the same by the time you're finished (if you ever really finish a tank, but that's another topic). There is a whole swag of after market bits and pieces available to pimp out Tamiya kits too so they can cost a lot more than just the kit.
I used to buy RTR Heng Longs and upgrade them as budget allowed but found there wasn't much of the original tank left in the end so now I order all the parts separately and build it from there. My last build was a mix of Mato, Tamiya, Schumo, Elmod, Heng Long, and Nick Aguliar resin. It would be well into upgraded Tamiya territory cost wise but I put it together over a couple of years which was easier on my pocket.

[percy1510]

You can get the Taigen Tiger 1 kit from nitrotek. It’s mostly metal and contains everything you need except electronics.you can build B.B. or i.r tank. I paid £185 for the kit recently and have to say that I am very pleased with it. I added an ibu2 pro and a new 4 channel radio so whole tank only costs around £330

[jarndice]

I cannot say it loudly enough to new members of this Forum,

PLEASE PLEASE Avoid "Nitrotek" ,

They are bad news and we have too many unhappy members who will support my plea.

[Raminator]

Depending on how confident you feel, you can convert the Trumpeter 1/16 kits to RC with a little bit of work. They're a lot more reasonably priced than the Tamiya offerings, are very nicely detailed, and match up well with lots of Heng Long and Taigen bits. I've converted a Trumpeter T-34/76 to RC using a Taigen lower hull, and other members have converted the Panzer IV, T-72 and SU-100 kits. You'll get the satisfaction of building something yourself, and it'll be a bit different to everything else that's out on the market. It'll certainly make a pleasant change from the (in my opinion) overdone German big cats that Tamiya and the RTR manufacturers generally stick to.

[Rad_Schuhart]

2S Lipo ..... 7.4V

6 pack NiMh ... 7.2V

Small difference, but as Son of a Gunner said....check whatever you are using is OK for LiPo, as Lipo batteries not only provide a bit more voltage, they can also supply a LOT more current under load, and hold the voltage longer, so not all the electronics are going to like it. I have blown servos designed for 6V running them at 7.4, and some of the cheaper electronics may not be up to the task. They may be OK...they may end up having a shorter working life, or they could go pop right away.

My Clark TK22 board, for example, states it is able to run on 7.2-7.4V, so it's OK with a Lipo. It runs servos with a BEC at 6V, so it's all good. I wouldn't run the stock HL electronics on it though.

Beware, a fully charged lipo has 8.4v

[Ad Lav]

Paying a grand for a Tamiya JS2 is stupid, I’ve never paid that much for one and I have around 14 tanks. Slightly less now as selling most of my collection.

I suppose it depends how serious you are about the hobby, how realistic you want it to be and how deep your pockets are.

[jarndice]

If I cock up a Heng Long PZ4 with an Exacto blade or a pin vice I am annoyed,
If I do the same to a Tamiya PZ4 I am very angry and probably out of pocket for the same price of three Heng Long PZ4s,
So thanks but no thanks I shall continue using Heng Long PZ4 Bodies and continue my search for a Metal hull which actually resembles a PZ4 hull rather than the two different but equally disappointing examples I have so far tried.
I don't know who this Monty Python bloke is but I am certainly on the search for the Grail.