Stoopid newbie question #1, #2.

[Dayle Frame]

I have a Tamiya M4 105 in my sights and I had a couple of questions before I jumped in.

1. What do metal tracks add to the equation? Do they add to the realistic sound she makes when moving? Are they more durable and require less maintenance? Is the extra moving mass an issue that I need to account for?

2. Tower Hobbies has this critter at $579 USD but it’s not available until mid January. I see it on eBay from dealers in Hong Kong. Never having purchased from the other side of the globe, are these dealers kosher and can I trust them to deal fairly?

Thanks in advance for the help and Happy New Year,
Dayle

[tomhugill]

First off, excellent first tank choice. The Sherman's an excellent runner out the box and has plenty of detail parts and upgrades to keep the most ardent modeller happy.

In my opinion for the Sherman the metal tracks don't offer anything and will cause more wear on the running gear due to the extra mass. The tamiya plastic tracks are excellent and most people stick with them, unless your modelling a version with a different pattern of track.

I'm not sure if they have stock but banzai hobbies were very competitive on price and because they're Japanese domestic kit they come with all the gear to get them running, battery, charger and most importantly a nice futaba (rebranded as tamiya) 4 channel 2.4ghz radio with self centering left stick and analogue trims.

Failing that for domestic USA you can't beat the aaf museum for tamiya tanks.

[jarndice]

Hi Dayle. A belated welcome to the Forum .
When you change a plastic component for a metal one in the drivetrain you find yourself in the claws of the law of diminishing returns,
Metal tracks demand Metal Sprockets and metal idlers and of course metal wheels, if you have nylon gearboxes you will need to change them for a pair of metal gearboxes, The weight of the Tank will reduce the life of the battery between charges,
A plastic tracked Tank especially if you plan to fight with it is no bad thing,

Buying a Tamiya easy 8 should not of itself present a problem,
I am surprised that you feel it necessary to buy from outside the USA,
There are some very good American dealers selling Tamiya Tanks such as the "AAF Museum"
But if that is your choice then try to discover the Bona fides of the dealer,
A cheap Tank could turn into a very expensive problem, Just think for a moment what costs you would incur if after a failing of your Tank the dealer insisted you return it to them for repair,
You can say goodbye to any savings in a "Cheap" deal straight away.
And don't forget Europe,
http://www.axels-modellbau-shop.de/
is a Tamiya dealer which from personal experience is trustworthy, The Sherman E8 is out of stock but if you put in an order it should not take long before it was on its way to you.
One very important warning about buying from a dealer in the EU.
They are obliged by law to charge Value added Tax (At 19 %) BUT this does not apply to customers in the USA, Unfortunately some dealers in the EU automatically include it unless you remind them that you are not in the EU and VAT does not apply to you.
The removal of VAT should make a lot of the pain of postage disappear.
Shaun.

[Dayle Frame]

Great feedback.......I’d never heard of the AAF Museum. And it’s just up the road from my brothers place in Durham, NC. A visit will be in order. They have the Tamiya 56014 for $500 and it’s in stock.

#3. The other option I see for these critters are the sealed ball bearing wheels. What do these bring to the table? Do these reduce friction on the running gear so the unit moves more freely?

Dayle

[Dayle Frame]

I am surprised that you feel it necessary to buy from outside the USA.....

Shaun.

It’s not that I wanted to......but when I did a google search for the product, not all that many US retailers were listed. I’m on a serious learning curve with this purchase. Once I realized I was in waaaaay over my neck, I decided to find a forum to help save me angst and resources (time and money). I landed here and it’s been a wealth of information.

I’ll take the next few weeks and find the best deal for the item and pull the trigger for my bday (1/21).

Thanks again for all the insight.

Dayle

[BarryC]

Dayle,

Here is a link to Omni Models in the US, 105MM Sherman $549.00 with Free Shipping. I have purchased numerous items from them including 3 different Tamiya RC Tanks but not the Sherman. Never had a issue of any sort.

https://www.omnimodels.com/cgi-bin/woi0 ... MC0614&P=0

Currently O/S with available in Jan.

Barry

[tomhugill]

Hi Dayle. A belated welcome to the Forum .
When you change a plastic component for a metal one in the drivetrain you find yourself in the claws of the law of diminishing returns,
Metal tracks demand Metal Sprockets and metal idlers and of course metal wheels, if you have nylon gearboxes you will need to change them for a pair of metal gearboxes, The weight of the Tank will reduce the life of the battery between charges,
A plastic tracked Tank especially if you plan to fight with it is no bad thing,

Buying a Tamiya easy 8 should not of itself present a problem,
I am surprised that you feel it necessary to buy from outside the USA,
There are some very good American dealers selling Tamiya Tanks such as the "AAF Museum"
But if that is your choice then try to discover the Bona fides of the dealer,
A cheap Tank could turn into a very expensive problem, Just think for a moment what costs you would incur if after a failing of your Tank the dealer insisted you return it to them for repair,
You can say goodbye to any savings in a "Cheap" deal straight away.
And don't forget Europe,
http://www.axels-modellbau-shop.de/
is a Tamiya dealer which from personal experience is trustworthy, The Sherman E8 is out of stock but if you put in an order it should not take long before it was on its way to you.
One very important warning about buying from a dealer in the EU.
They are obliged by law to charge Value added Tax (At 19 %) BUT this does not apply to customers in the USA, Unfortunately some dealers in the EU automatically include it unless you remind them that you are not in the EU and VAT does not apply to you.
The removal of VAT should make a lot of the pain of postage disappear.
Shaun.

Hi Shaun, tamiya do an m4 105mm, no body currently does and off the shelf easy 8. (A taigen upper and tamiya chassis would do one and nick Aguilar does a conversion).

[tomhugill]

Great feedback.......I’d never heard of the AAF Museum. And it’s just up the road from my brothers place in Durham, NC. A visit will be in order. They have the Tamiya 56014 for $500 and it’s in stock.

#3. The other option I see for these critters are the sealed ball bearing wheels. What do these bring to the table? Do these reduce friction on the running gear so the unit moves more freely?

Dayle

Personally I'd stick to the oilite (sp?) Bushes tamiya supply. You won't really gain much through bearings and the money is probably better spent on a gearbox brace from Daryll turner or dklm.

[jarndice]

Tom Thanks for that,
I was just looking at a couple of aftermarket M4 105 turrets for the Tamiya Sherman on "AXELs" Site,
Not to pricy for a unique 1/16 Tamiya M4.
As always I bow to your superior knowledge of all matters Tamiya.
Shaun.

[tomhugill]

Tom Thanks for that,
I was just looking at a couple of aftermarket M4 105 turrets for the Tamiya Sherman on "AXELs" Site,
Not to pricy for a unique 1/16 Tamiya M4.
As always I bow to your superior knowledge of all matters Tamiya.
Shaun.

The detail on them is fantastic! He did a t23 turret to do the easy 8 which was spectacular sadly oop