Scott Cameron provides an In-Box Review of Tamiya's 1/35 German Fuel Drum Set.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

No offence,but WHY discuss such an ancient kit.

1-It's still available
2-It's still useful
3-It hasn't been reviewed before

I can think of more reasons if needed

Good to see one of the older Tamiya kits reviewed.

Nice review, I particularly enjoyed the brief history on the Jerrycan. I really never gave it's development much thought before, so have learnt something new today

Just one comment though, the "Gas" reference had me for a second, before I realised you were talking about "Fuel" or petrol, and not a vaporous substance I disagree that the absence of PE is a negative, when you take the age of the kit (1980's?) into account.

Overall good review though

Tom:

"Why review such an old kit?" Surely since the kit is still in circulation it deserves a review? Some of us are interested in reviews of the older kits. How about thanking Scott taking the time to write the review?

Rudi

Thanks Rudi, it was an 'American' moment on my part :-)

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Tom, it may be an old kit, but it is still a pretty good set of jerrycans and fuel drums. I agree with Rudi and James on your question. I also thought it would be a good thing to contribute to a great modeling site that I owe a lot of my building/finishing strategies to.

Rudi, I also found the history of the jerrycan quite interesting, especially how something so seemingly ordinary could have had so much development effort put into it. Here is a link that has some more interesting info if you like.

As for the PE, I was comparing it a little to the DML and Tasca offerings which both include it, so I thought I should have noted the lack of it.

Scott

Those drums on the box look more like German drums than the ones I have. It's refreshing to see someone review one of the older kits, Many Thanks
Joe

While an ancient kit you can improve it quite easily with the two PE sets from Voyager currently available.

http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=PE%20A160

http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=PE%20A161

The result is fuel drums and jerry cans that are superior to the excellent Tasca ones. They're a $#%7ing pain in the #$% to build (the spout comes in 3 parts and requires a plastic neck), but the results are excellent.

As to the lettering, you'd need a microscope to read it, so that doesn't bother me on the cans. The Voyager ends for the drums will correct that problem (I believe Aber has a similar PE set out, but I've never seen anyone have it in-stock).

I was about to say, the drums are hardly accurate, just generic drums. You need the PE end caps to make a true Wehrmacht drum. Or lots of patience and a set of PE letters (!).

Doesn't Italeri make a set of Jerrycans that has gotten good reviews? I heard that for the same price they are better than the Tamiya set.

Here's the Aber set:
http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=ABR-35A114

And some images of the drums, articles, etc:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/message/1185618810/link+and+pictures

For a kit that actually came out in 1995 , it's not bad.
It's Tamiya's original Fuel Drums and Jerry Cans set that came out in the 1970's that's truly awful.




The Italeri set is older, circa 1970's, and is still good a good basic set.
You get some bits and pieces to make stowage racks but you don't get any fuel drums .
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi

whilst it is, certainly in todays terms, an old kit I think it's important to draw modellers attention to these, if only to warn them off buying the older set which can still be seen doing the rounds on ebay and such like.

I have both the older set and the new set. I purchased the older set many years ago and when I returned to modelling recently I dug them out but gave up halfway through detailing them as I soon realised they were very poor representations. Please don't buy the old set they only have two handles instead of the distinctive three of the actual can, and the new set has corrected this.

The older set is distinguished by the fact you get buckets with it .

The new Tamiya set, as mentioned does not reproduce the distinctive centre wield seam which is achieved by PE inserts in the Tasca/Bego set and most of the Dragon ones included in their kits.

I wish I'd had known about the Voyager etc kits before assembling mine. I ended up buying some of the Tasca/Bego jerrycan sets as well, so I now have enough cans to fuel a Panzer Division !

If you want Fuel drums as well then you'll want the Tamiya kit but I'd always suggest investing in the PE to add that finishing detail. The distinctive centre wield in my opinion has to be included to make it a real jerrycan.

If you want to see more about the jerrycan and the variations follow this link to an amazingly detailed site.

Jerrycan - all you ever wanted to know and more...

Alan

Hi

By the way if you are interested Hannants in the UK have the Tasco/Bego jerrycans on offer at half price whilst stocks last.. http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=TAS35002

Alan