One hell of a predicament!!!!

[edelweiss3945]

no contest m8.... a gentleman will accept a gift with grace.... tamiya ( just upgrade the gear box to a 3:1 ) to get a more realistic speed... but if you decide to really do the business with a leopard tank  leave the gear boxs alone lol

[wibblywobbly]

I think it only fair to say that under no circumstances should you take opportunistic advantage of a lady in her twilight years who has scrimped and saved for her retirement, worked her fingers to the bone to give you a decent upbringing, fed you, clothed you and given you a good education.

The right thing to do would be to explain that you consider Heng Longs to be far too cheap and nasty to merit a place in your life, and that as you have been taught to be the best and expect the best, the Tamiya Tiger would be the only choice that you could make due to the excellent upbringing that you have had.

[vonrundstedt]

I think it only fair to say that under no circumstances should you take opportunistic advantage of a lady in her twilight years who has scrimped and saved for her retirement, worked her fingers to the bone to give you a decent upbringing, fed you, clothed you and given you a good education.

The right thing to do would be to explain that you consider Heng Longs to be far too cheap and nasty to merit a place in your life, and that as you have been taught to be the best and expect the best, the Tamiya Tiger would be the only choice that you could make due to the excellent upbringing that you have had.

LoL i think her reply to that would be, B****cks!!

[tiger205]

simple because, a HL with lots of upgrades can cost nearly as much as a Tamiya, and yet still lack the detail, reliability and sounds of a tamiya.

Haha, just thinking how much 205 cost us over the years  That said Tony always wanted a Tamiya but not for the detailing, just because he wanted to say he owned a Tamiya  He never wanted the Tamiya tiger tho, he wanted the fun & enjoyment factor out of doing the detailing himself, but it all depends on what you are looking for I guess. I know Im biased but I think its pretty fair to say 205 was one of the best detailed HL Tigers out there. So the question is... is what you want something you can take straight out the box and enjoy or something you can modify & remodel & enjoy it that way?

Incidentally Luke, let your mum get you one and dont worry about it. If it was you in your mums position Im sure you'd do the same for one of your kids  & Im sure she wouldnt of offered unless she was 100% serious but I think its real nice that you feel that way 

[sevoblast]

I would go for the Tamiya. You don't have to fool with the transmissions unless you are going in to competition, then you will want a gear down, not the HL trans systems, which won't cut it in a Tam in competition. I know that from personal experience here in this rock garden called home.
If the dear lass wants to buy you a tank, then let her. It will make her happy, and you happy, and that's the name of the game.
Tiger 1 and Sherman are the best runners out of the box. King Tiger is good also, but tracks and idler adjustment need a little work. Panzer 4 is also excellent OTB from what I've heard, as is the new KV, albeit with the KV the idler seems to be a little troublesome...said problem being adressed as we speak in the Daryl's Parts Skunk Works in USA.. Leo, OTB the jury is still out. Some say grand, some say WTF.
You are lucky to have such a Mum. Mine made Attila the Hun look like a fairy queen on a good day, said good days being few and far between, God rest her soul. 

[tankmad]

What a dilema Luke she loves you and wants the best for you let her do this one thing for you  once you have heard a tamiya you will know its for you.
Stevie

[Crispy]

why dont you give her the price's of your preferred HL & Tamiya tanks and let her decide. If she anything like my mum you'll probably me pleasantly surprised and have bits of Tamiya tank scattered all over the living room floor come Boxing day 

Tamiya is worth the extra £££ and will give you many hours of building fun before you get it running. Besides you'll feel like you have achieved something buy building it yourself... I miss that with HL tanks.

[hatakashi]

hehehehe now it's the great time to ask her to get u a 1/8 or even 1/6 rc tank!!

[Dmon1996]

I understand your predicament.

I would suggest going for the Tamiya but suggest that this is would count as your Christmas AND birthday presents together. Or tell her that you'd love a Tamiya but it is too much for her to pay for alone and suggest other family members chip in on your big Christmas present. This works well, as non-tankers have no clue what to get tankers for Christmas. My family does both of these things for the really big ticket items. And if she just goes ahead and gives it to you, your consience is clear and you can just love her even more for spoiling you.

Bear in mind that a gift like this is from your Mom's heart and can never be sold or traded. Therefor, do not worry about resale value.