help with the purchase a beginners tank

[malc]

well hello to all......as you might have guessed i'm new to the world of rc tanks. i'd like advice as to which tank to purchase. i have a very limited budget due to other hobbies and like to build. i thought about the smaller tamiya models or maybe a ready built heng long.... is it, i think. any advice or experience would be most gratefully received. as i said i like to build.....many thanks for any help

[forgebear]

hi malc welcome to the forum
well tanks heng long tanks are a good bet but they come ready made the one to get would be the tiger 1 smoke and sound with the new rx18 board in it then you can take it apart and the are so many metal upgrades to put on it you will spend a lot of money over the time to build it but in the end you will have a tank that is as good or better that some over tanks out on the market today sound you can go elmod or buy a DMD from tamiya there are lots of choices out there for you or you can buy a tamiya tank make it play with it and put it on your shelf i think the heng long tanks have a lot more going for them if you want to challenge your modeling skills
hope this helps some dave

[malc]

why thanks for the quick response and advice..... so tell me, are parts and spares, upgrades also, available for the heng long. if so, where from? plastic tracks or metal? is it worth the extra cash? i see they are available, complete for not much more than£100??????

[forgebear]

hi. yep. you can do tracks, sprockets, idlers, front hatches, head lights, track holders, photo etch grilles, metal cupola. for the more advanced modeller you can upgrade to a tamiya metal barrel and recoil system. there are several vendors on the forum and a number on ebay. it's worth surfing around pricing things up and seeing what's out there. probably worth doing tracks, sprockets and idlers first and metal gearboxes and suspension before moving onto the smaller pieces like hatches. the tiger is the tank that has the most upgrades available i think. go and have a look in the show off section and also heng long builds and you can see the various mods that have been done. cheers dave

[Saxondog]

Hello malc,I agree with Dave about the Tiger.It was my first Tank a year ago and has kept my interest as I built it into the Tank I wanted.I chose the Asiatam lower hull and built from that.Many of my mods are unique,and that part was the most enjoyable.The RX18 mfu is a solid component and is flexible as well.As Dave has mentioned their are many different systems you can install to acquire the functions you want.Best Of Luck,Blake P.S.I have added a few pictures of Tiger parts

[971wright]

Hi Malc I would recommend the PanzerIII or Stug III they are great runners out of the box ,Can be upgraded in stages to suit budget ,the standard hull can be replaced for a metal hull ,but even the standard hull is pretty good ,First mod would be the gearboxes which make it even better to drive,My Grandson drove a Panzer3 for three days at Bovington meeting and the only thing he broke was external bits ,bit of battle damage.This tank only had metal tracks&suspension .When he has a go with my Tiger1 he has the tracks of in five mins its the way he drives them.So it all depends what you want .
If you want to go to meeting you will need to fit a I.R. battle system then a Tamiya is the easyest way because they have all the electronics inside.But it is posible to fit after market boards inside a Heng Long.


regards pete

[malc]

good day. thanks for the advice from you all. being new to tanks, these mods and upgrades you mention, for example the hull, can they be purchased off the shelf? i've built rc cars and there's a lot of upgrades available for each individual make. if so, do any of you have any web sites. i'm in sunny blackpool in the uk. also, the panzerill and stug III, are they heng long tanks. the heng long attracts me because of price. i also build and launch model rockets which eats the cash like any hobby.....thanks, malc.

[xrad]

I recommend a Panzer III for first build. Plenty of aftermarket parts from many dealers which are cheaper than the Tiger parts. You can learn all about the electronics and mechanical aspects and then move on to bigger and better tanks like King Tiger, Tiger or Jagdpanther.

If you are only planning to build one, I would then choose the Tiger.

[Saxondog]

Hello Malc,their is a section of recommended vendors on this forum.If you need further links just ask.Being in the UK their are vendors that also offer a discount to forum members.Which ever Tank you chose you will have support here for any questions or links you may require.Good luck with your first tank,Blake