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REVIEW
Tamiya M1A2 TUSK
barkingdigger
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#013
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
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Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 06:17 AM UTC
John MacPherson gives us an overview of Tamiya''s TUSK-upgraded M1A2 Abrams tank.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
jwest21
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Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 06:36 AM UTC
Thanks for the review. I have been trying to decide if I want this one or not.
Lateral-G
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Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 07:54 AM UTC
Thanks for the review. I like easy. Others can go with Dragon and Voyager/Legends but I want my modeling to be fun.

Thank you Tamiya!
bulldawg380
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Georgia, United States
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Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 09:58 AM UTC
thanks for the review espeacially since i have the m1a2sep dragon and the legend tuskII kit in the stash waiting to be built after your review i am glad i have the dragon kit but i look foreward to see what AM comes out with for this kit and again thanks for the review
Foxtrot1
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Gauteng, South Africa
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Posted: Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 07:56 PM UTC
Thank you for the review. Now, let's see how long it takes to get to South Africa. Can't wait!
osjohnm
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Western Cape, South Africa
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Posted: Friday, January 18, 2013 - 09:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text

thanks for the review espeacially since i have the m1a2sep dragon and the legend tuskII kit in the stash waiting to be built after your review i am glad i have the dragon kit but i look foreward to see what AM comes out with for this kit and again thanks for the review


I have the Dragon kit and the Legends TUSK I set in the stash too.Think the TUSK I set for the previous Tamiya kit is in there too somewhere.

Now that I have 2x of Tamiya's new kit, the Dragon kit will be built as is out the box as a plain SEP kit.
manicmodeler
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Canada
Joined: February 08, 2009
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Posted: Friday, January 18, 2013 - 04:04 PM UTC
Hobbyeasy is selling it for $48.46. that is the sale price, with shipping the total is $64.00.
tanknick22
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Posted: Saturday, January 19, 2013 - 01:21 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hobbyeasy is selling it for $48.46. that is the sale price, with shipping the total is $64.00.


I got my first one from from hobby search from japan and my second one will be coming from jac hobbies i love this kit way better than that over engineered dragon kit and no photo etch to fiddle with my second one will be built as a base M1A2 sep
osjohnm
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Western Cape, South Africa
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Posted: Sunday, January 20, 2013 - 08:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

my second one will be built as a base M1A2 sep


Nick, are you going to try and use the TUSK I parts from the second kit on a M1A1?

I've been toying with that idea for awhile now. Thinking of using the Tamiya M1A2/1 OIF kit and then swap the side skirts around. I assume that would be the easiest option, although I still need to compare the new skirts with the previous kit.

I can always take the TI phone from one of my legends sets for the extra one that would be needed.
mzaborsk
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Rhode Island, United States
Joined: June 21, 2008
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 02:04 AM UTC
This maybe it. I have never built a moderen tank... What would make this into USMC version.

Michael
hugohuertas
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 03:17 AM UTC
No M1A2 in USMC, Michael, only M1A1´s and no TUSK II.
You have to go with US Army vehicles, to convert this into a M1A1 involves a lot of work mainly on the upper hull back, and to replace APU and smoke grenade dischargers, just to give a couple of examples.
mzaborsk
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Rhode Island, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 05:35 AM UTC
thanks for the reply...any model recomendations for me?
hugohuertas
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 05:57 AM UTC
Tha best M1A1 by far is Dragon´s M1A1 AIM kit
Sometimes its hard to find, but you can find it now at ebay, and in spruebrothers site
You´ll need anyway the USMC smoke grenade dischargers, Blue Force Tracker antenna, and the bustle rack extension.
There´s a very good after market set from Perfect Scale Modellbau for USMC M1´s in Afghanistan and another one for M1´s in Fallujah, but I don´t know how good is this one
Maybe other USMC guys can give you better advice
mzaborsk
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Rhode Island, United States
Joined: June 21, 2008
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 01:00 PM UTC
Hey just spent the time shopping. The orange box dragon 9125 looks like a good value...Any comments


Thank you for your input!
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 01:19 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey just spent the time shopping. The orange box dragon 9125 looks like a good value...Any comments


This is a pretty good version, but is one of Dragon's older Abrams from the early '90s. It is reboxed with their ODS-ear tank crew set as well. It builds up pretty nicely, but is nowhere near the quality of their newer M1A1 AIM (3535) and M1A2 SEP (3536) kits.
windysean
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 03:53 PM UTC
I was struck by the beautiful subject. Fantastic. I agree with the conclusion though, that the price is a shock. I'm glad it appears to be an introductory rate. I've never built modern armor, but this one has me thinking about it.
Also want to mention that the print ad for this (in FSM) mentions an M109A6 Paladin coming out too, from Tamiya/Italeri. Is that a rehashing of the old Italeri kit, or can we assume that Tamiya has given it a full redo? That one's another subject I hope to build some day.
-Sean H.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 04:01 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Also want to mention that the print ad for this (in FSM) mentions an M109A6 Paladin coming out too, from Tamiya/Italeri. Is that a rehashing of the old Italeri kit...


Yes, the Tamiya M109A6 Paladin is a rebox of the Italeri kit (the box even has the Italeri logo on it) with the accessory sprues from their M2A2 ODS Bradley and M1A2 OIF tank kits in them. The basic M109A6 is the exact same Italeri parts as before without and upgrades.


I'll wait for the announced Riich Model and AFV Club ones myself.

Switzersland
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Colorado, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 05:17 AM UTC
What is this after market metal Barrel and track option (s), on this build ?

Tkx
HeavyArty
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Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 05:50 AM UTC
Barrel depot and Voyager both make turned aluminum M256 barrels for it. Bronco does a set of T158LL tracks as well.
Switzersland
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Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 08:06 AM UTC
thanks for the info "Heavy Arty' , Time to go shopping.




HeavyArty
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Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 08:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

thanks for the info "Heavy Arty' , Time to go shopping.






Or you could just get the superior Dragon M1A2 SEP kit and a Legend TUSK set. The Dragon kit is much better detailed and already includes a metal barrel, full PE set, and the T158LL tracks. Even with the TUSK set, you will probaly be at about the same price as the Tamiya kit and all the added update sets to bring it even close to the Dragon kit's level of quality.
Kenaicop
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Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 10:24 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

thanks for the info "Heavy Arty' , Time to go shopping.






Or you could just get the superior Dragon M1A2 SEP kit and a Legend TUSK set. The Dragon kit is much better detailed and already includes a metal barrel, full PE set, and the T158LL tracks. Even with the TUSK set, you will probaly be at about the same price as the Tamiya kit and all the added update sets to bring it even close to the Dragon kit's level of quality.


I would agree. Although I got two of them and love them, the Dragon kit has much better detail with much less scratch building to just get the "basic" detail like the hatches, sponson boxes, bustle rack screens or mesh, periscopes and getting rid of that freaking lip the Tamiya insists on putting around the drivers hatch, What the heck!??
majorchuck
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Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Sunday, April 21, 2013 - 06:33 AM UTC
when tamiya hit 60.00 per release that was it too expensive seams sales are down world wide so them that can afford will payyyyyy.
majorchuck
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Posted: Sunday, April 21, 2013 - 06:35 AM UTC
the dragon kits are super kits and worth 50.00 can. they are both safe in my stash
vonHengest
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Posted: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 06:40 PM UTC
Thanks for the review and insight John. I always get excited when a new Abrams kit comes out, and I was hoping this one would fair better when compared to the Dragon kits. Looks like I'll probably seek out the Legend conversion. Regarding the AM barrels, if I remember correctly, one of them had a fit problem where the resin piece was too short and left a weird gap at each end in the middle of the barrel.
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