I would like to get some aftermarket tracks for my Tamiya Tiger I early model (it the one with the Tiger I painted in German gray on the cover. I have heard great comments about the Fruil tracks. Are these tracks universal for all models or do you have to get one specifically for the model. I have been looking on a couple of sites but the Fruil box doesn't say anything about which model company there are for.

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I would like to get some aftermarket tracks for my Tamiya Tiger I early model (it the one with the Tiger I painted in German gray on the cover. I have heard great comments about the Fruil tracks. Are these tracks universal for all models or do you have to get one specifically for the model. I have been looking on a couple of sites but the Fruil box doesn't say anything about which model company there are for.

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Ken,

Generally speaking, Fruil tracks will fit any of the different kits. I've used Fruil Panzer Iv tracks on DML, Tamiya and even Academy with no fit issues. I would guess that the Tiger tracks will be the same. What kit do you have?

Steve

Thanks for all of the information. Do you get the copper wiring at you local home improvement store like Home Depot?

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Thanks for all of the information. Do you get the copper wiring at you local home improvement store like Home Depot?

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You can get fine brass and iron wire in the jewelry making section of your local arts and crafts store. If you can't find it and have to ask someone, ask for "beading" wire.

It's usually stocked in the area where they have all the colored beads and whatnots for making bracelets and necklaces. (Actually lots of good model-making supplies and tools in that section.)

They sell it on little spools like sewing thread in many different sizes.

HTH,

Ken,

Fruil's are "generic" in that they're not designed for any particular kit, but in general, they fit most kits on the market of the subject they're designed to enhance.

An alternative, to Fruil tracks are Spade Ace metal tracks. They're considerably cheaper than Fruils and the quaility and detail seems as high or higher. The Spade Ace tracks are also "generic" and will fit most kits of the subject the same way as Fruil.

Not many modelers in the US consider Spade Ace when thinking about metal AM tracks, but they're a viable alternative (and IMO, susperior) to Fruils.

In the US, the only Fruil importer that I'm aware of is Pacific Coast Hobbies. Everyone else who sells Fruils in the US seems to get their tracks from PCH and the mark-ups all seem to be pretty high. Add to that, a lot of Fruil's molds seem to be getting worn and the quality of the track sets has become "spotty," in my opinion.

The last set of Fruils that I tried to use (for the M13/40) assembled with a sideways curve that threw the track alignment out of whack. I replaced these with Spade Ace tracks and was very pleased with the results. The Spade Ace tracks required less clean-up, were just as detailed, and about half the cost as the Fruil tracks.

Now I only consider Fruils for projects that Spade Ace doesn't cover yet. In regards to German WWII armor, Spade Ace has track sets for just about all of those subjects, to include the Tiger I (three different sets: initial, early, and late).

A lot of guys in our local AMPS chapter now use Spade Ace tracks, and we all order them from Hobby Easy.

Hobby Easy::Spade Ace Tracks Page 4

One suggestion that I would make, though, for the Spade Ace tracks would be to use soft brass beading wire for the track pins instead of the wire Spade Ace provides. Their wire is made from hard steel and is very difficult to cut, but other than that, IMO, they're a much better value than Fruils in the US.

Happy Modeling!