Hi, not an RC tank owner yet, but thinking about one, so will have a ton of questions in the future!
I'm an Englishman abroad - now living in France. Currently my/our RC activity is crawling/scale, running Traxxas TRX4's and TR-4Ms.
I'm probably looking at a 1/16th, and Heng Long seem to be good? But, I'm open to suggestions. And I see I'd probably need to decide on metal or plastic gears (I favour metal) and s=the same for tracks - I favour plastic there. So, any thoughts most welcome!
The Heng Longs tend to be a great value for the money (I have many). Toro and Mato are a step up in price and parts (although, I own neither). Tamiya tends to be the upper end of the pay scale (I have four but only half of those are out of the box builds).
As to which tank to get that is up to you for your personal favorite. Most of my tanks use the plastic running gear. But you being from the crawler crowd, metal is a good idea. When searching the metal drive trains are generally noted in the ads, sometimes referred to as "Pro" edition.
Good luck with your search and welcome aboard!
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
The latest Heng Long Tanks are very good value especially the electronics,
Beware of the Heng Long Pot metal Gearboxes,And if you like accuracy avoid the HL Panzer 4, Torros iteration is superior.And do beware of anyone offering you a cheap HL Panther it probably will not be what you expect.
The Hl Tiger 1 has the broadest aftermarket spares and upgrades available and the HL Abrams and Challengers really are very large models for the amount of money you would spend,
I never thought I would say this but their electronics are very close to some of the better known aftermarket control boards,
Do not disregard Hayas Centurion which might seem expensve although there is a choice between RTR and a cheaper DIY Kit but again it is big and well detailed and in comparison to Tamiya's Centurion it is a gift.
Thanks for the welcome and, for the advice! A few things to think about for sure! But next time I'll do things right and ask the questions in the General Discussion section!
Hello, new member from France , Welcome to this great Forum, here is a link to a website, in Germany, where there is excellent advice and impeccable after-sales service...moreover, he speaks French, personally I I would say, prefer a tank with chassis, metal, wheels and metal tracks, will be easier for possible modifications. The all-metal is in Zamac, very difficult material to work, drill, etc. The Taigen are very good bills. https://www.rctank.de/
SJITRX4 wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 4:33 pm
Thanks for the welcome and, for the advice! A few things to think about for sure! But next time I'll do things right and ask the questions in the General Discussion section!
Actually, you did it quite well, an introduction and a question. You'll not bring on any wrath that way.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
SJITRX4 wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 4:33 pm
Thanks for the welcome and, for the advice! A few things to think about for sure! But next time I'll do things right and ask the questions in the General Discussion section!
Actually, you did it quite well, an introduction and a question. You'll not bring on any wrath that way.
Thanks! I like your avatar - we have the full painting, bought at the Le Mans Classic a few years ago
You already have RC experience so your learning curve should be rather flat and smooth.
There are many others here that know a Lot more than I do that can help and share. But since I'm relatively new to this I'll share some tips I've learned recently-
1. Budget, the range is huge from $100. to $1,000. USD and higher.
2. RTR (Ready To Run) or Kit (Build and run), skill levels, tools, time and effort applied.
3. Brands, Heng Long, Tamiya, Torro/Taigen are your bigger companies with many offerings, Tamiya are strictly Kits brand new and Not RTR.
4. Model, Many different models of tanks are offered from World War I, World War II to Cold War to Modern MBT's, US Sherman, German Tiger I, Russian T-72, UK Challenger, US M1A2 Abrams, Etc.
5. Version of each model, IE "Upgrades". The Big 3 Companies above offer different levels of each model. Metal, Tracks,Wheels, Steel Gearboxes, Etc. The initial investment should be considered as to what you want immediately and if it is worth it to you now as a package or do you want to upgrade down the road. Often as example an "Upgraded or Professional" version of a Heng Long Tank will be less money overall than if bought separately, but not always, some good deals can be found but research the vendors.
6. Upgrades, This is where it gets cool for enthusiasts who like to tinker and modify. This is also potentially endless and quite a rabbit hole so do your research diligently because there are many people who have done a lot before us who we have the benefit of learning from and not wasting, money, time and effort.
Heng Long-
has become for many the "de facto" entry into the RC tank world. They offer affordable tanks that can be upgraded or modified with both Heng Long branded offered parts as well as a host of other branded parts. Just be sure to educate yourself as to what you may Want or Need. Some stuff is worth it, some stuff is not necessary, some stuff is preference and some stuff just doesn't work or needs to be modified to work or fit. Referring again to Motors, Tracks, Guns, MFU's, Recoil Systems, Smoke Systems, Servos, Lights, Flash, Sound, Etc. The list can be endless.
Torro/Taigen-
offer different quality and models than Heng Long, their lowers are metal with Torsion Bar Suspension as opposed to the Spring Swing Arm Suspension on most of the Heng Long offerings. In the US Torro is branded Taigen but we can get both. Fully Upgraded Metal Versions are what is offered here and what I have. So initially a Torro/Taigen would be a "full option or Pro" version with all the bells and whistles of a Heng Long and then some with a nicer painted finish. They offer Either BB shooting or IR battle versions not both like Heng Long. The BB is what it is, Their IR now offers an add on to allow them to be compatible with Heng Long Battle Systems. Torro EU offers different levels of each model from Kit form, to assembled without paint/finish to nicely painted and finished RTR.
Tamiya-
offers different levels of their Kits. I have no experience with them yet but Tamiya is held in high regards by many. They use their own proprietary IR battle system. Their quality is generally better and more accurate than other brands.
7. Intended use, will you use it primarily indoors, outdoors, what kind of indoor/outdoor terrain? Will you use it alone or with friends? will you want to use the IR battle system with friends, join a club, start a club? For IR use you'll want to think of compatibility between tanks.
8. Personalization, RTR tanks are just that out of the box BUT where many of us end up painting, repainting, refinishing, weathering, modifying, adding parts, Do It Yourself modeling Etc. It's another addictive part of this hobby.
If that's Not enough guess what THERE'S SO MUCH MORE!!!
From Different MFU's, to scratch builds, to 3D printing, to almost whatever your heart desires or what you could think up. Check out the Builds section of this forum for many different builds. Check out the Show Off section for more examples. Check out Tank Of the Month for the best of the best.
I hope that's a good beginning. I will leave lots of room for the more experienced to share or elaborate. Be smart and research first, ask questions, get your tank, have fun and enjoy.
Thanks! I like your avatar - we have the full painting, bought at the Le Mans Classic a few years ago
Years ago I owned both of those '68s. The Ford was a GT but only the 302/auto/AC (I was hoping for the wife to drive it, but she was not car oriented and thought it drove like a truck). The Dodge was a non R/T but was a 440 car.
"Don't believe everything you see on the internet" - George S. Patton
Wow! You hit the jackpot with your question, and I applaud the thorough answers you received. I favor and have quite a few of the Torro/Taigen tanks because of their quality "out of the box" (although at a higher price). Yet I have some HengLong, too, especially because newer HengLong 1/16 RC models representing contemporary AFVs have decent sound for modern tanks (not so for WWII HengLong tanks) and the speed control is a bit better than Torro/Taigen. The Mato and Hooben brands are best avoided by the inexperienced because they present serious quality problems and require lots of work.
Hello, new member from France , Welcome to this great Forum, here is a link to a website, in Germany, where there is excellent advice and impeccable after-sales service...moreover, he speaks French, personally I I would say, prefer a tank with chassis, metal, wheels and metal tracks, will be easier for possible modifications. The all-metal is in Zamac, very difficult material to work, drill, etc. The Taigen are very good bills.
