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A Tale of Three Jeeps

a build story by Stefan Halter
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Conclusion and Controversy: Which One Should You Get?
There was some discussion in the build log as to which kit would be the best, would give you “the most bang for the money”. One thing was clear: only one vote went to DML, the general consensus being that the DML kit offered no advantage over the other two except if one wants to model exactly that armored bazooka version. Add to that the highest price of the three, and the decision should be clear. Another consensus was that the Tamiya kit still holds up well comparing to the more than 15 years younger kits, is the easiest to build and the cheapest to get. However, considering all the extras one gets with the Bronco kit (including three different armament versions, trailer and three figures), the price is not too bad. As always, the recommendation is to shop around to find the best price.

I tried to make an assessment of the three kits, comparing some aspects and giving 0-2 points:
My personal recommendation
If you’re looking for a basic Jeep and are prepared to scratch some details: Tamiya If you’re looking for some additions, such as a trailer (or a 37mm AT gun) or any of the particular armament versions: Bronco If you’re looking for the most detailed: Bronco If you’re looking for a Bazooka armed armored Jeep and are prepared for some scratch building to get a fully accurate build: DML

Reviews
DML Armored Jeep with Bazookas Live links

Bronco 4x4 GPW with trailer Live links
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About the Author

About Stefan Halter (Dangeroo)
FROM: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

I'll build just about anything military related that gets my interest, though most of it is 1/35 scale WWII Allied.


Comments

Bizarre
Great feature, Stefan. No surprise that Bronco kit is the best, but I am a bit surprised that Dragon is THAT bad!
AUG 23, 2013 - 12:00 AM
Dangeroo
Thanks guys! Don't get me wrong, it's not THAT bad, it just doesn't offer any advantage over the other two.
AUG 23, 2013 - 12:16 AM
multibank17pdr
Great work Stefan !! Very Nice finished Models and very, very interesting comparison test... Especially as I am -slowly- building two tamiya jeeps in order To "up date" them with a Nice résine set from Legend, and a bronco jeep is on Its Way to me via air mail... BRAVO and once again congratulations.
AUG 23, 2013 - 10:00 AM
bill_c
Wow, this is simply one of the best features we've had on Armorama in some time! GREAT work, Stefan. Terrific detail, superb layout of the build, and some excellent information that will make picking kits much easier for most of us. Thanks!
AUG 24, 2013 - 03:25 AM
DT61
Great article and thanks for putting it all together for us.
AUG 24, 2013 - 01:46 PM
dogfish7
Excellent comparisons on all 3! Had been contemplating buying the DML, but now my money would be better spent on Bronco.
AUG 25, 2013 - 08:50 PM
3passa
Very good comparison, thanks for the work Stefan! Great to see the parts next to each other, in many cases that explains more than many words. Very thorough article on my favorite subject! I have the Tamiya one, and the next is going to be Bronco... Cheers Alex
SEP 06, 2013 - 08:44 AM
Cobrahistorian
Awesome article Stefan! I'm going to be picking up a Bronco kit in the near future and I've got a 1:1 scale 42 GPW in my garage right now. My question though is how does the old Italeri kit compare? I know that the three kits reviewed here are far newer and incorporate a lot of better mold making technology since the Italeri showed up two decades ago. Thanks! Jon
SEP 06, 2013 - 11:29 AM
Dangeroo
Thank you for the nice comments, gentlemen! I am glad to have been of help. Jon, can't really say about the Italeri kit. I only built the commandocar long time ago and as I remember it wasn't a bad kit, but not as good as Tamiya. With a bit of TLC I'm sure it can be brought up to speed and versions of it are still widely available and for good prices too. Cheers! Stefan
SEP 07, 2013 - 02:52 AM
AlanL
Hi Stefan, A very informative article and 3 great results. You put a lot of time and effort into the comparison which will be of great benefit to many. Congrats on a fine article. Al
OCT 11, 2013 - 07:13 AM
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Copyright ©2021 by Stefan Halter. Images and/or videos also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. The views and opinions expressed herein are solely the views and opinions of the authors and/or contributors to this Web site and do not necessarily represent the views and/or opinions of Armorama, KitMaker Network, or Silver Star Enterrpises. All rights reserved. Originally published on: 2013-08-22 23:40:59. Unique Reads: 34433