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Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
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Brand Preference
HzGud1
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: November 19, 2003
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Armorama: 10 posts
Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 05:10 AM UTC
Hi everyone,
I ususally build Tamiya or Dragon armor but I want to try a new brand and was thinking about Takom. Does anyone have experience with Takom (good or bad) and what other brands do you prefer to build for WW II armor? It is not that I do not like the others, I just want to try something new.
thanks
vettejack
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Florida, United States
Joined: November 23, 2012
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 06:03 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi everyone,
I ususally build Tamiya or Dragon armor but I want to try a new brand and was thinking about Takom. Does anyone have experience with Takom (good or bad) and what other brands do you prefer to build for WW II armor? It is not that I do not like the others, I just want to try something new.
thanks


I go with just about anyone (1/35), with qualifiers being accuracy, crisp molding processes and price. Pretty much any 2 of the 3 will take care of everything I look for in a kit. With that being said, my experience also reveals/shows that just about every manufacturer has their good and 'not-so-good' kit. Takom seems ok for the most part, but has some issues with their M47, as one example. Reading kit reviews here will most certainly become your discriminator when it comes to the actual purchase. With a majority of kits costing what seems to be a $50 average, my expectation must be met that I didn't waste my money on sub-par manufacturing or inaccuracies.
TankManNick
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California, United States
Joined: February 01, 2010
KitMaker: 551 posts
Armorama: 543 posts
Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 07:02 AM UTC
Your question peeked my curiosity. I have built kits from all these manufacturers:

AER
AFV Club
AMT
Academy
Accurate Armour
Airfix
Alan
Amusing Hobby
Armourfast
Aurora
Bronco
Dragon
ESCI
Eastern Express
Emhar
Frog
Fujimi
Grip
Hasegawa
Heller
HobbyCraft
ICM
Imai
Italeri
Macquette
Matchbox
Milicast
Nichimo
Pegasus Models
Revell (US and Germany)
Roco
Takom
Tamiya
Tasca
Testors
Trumpeter
Zvezda

So I'm thinking that in many cases it is who has a kit of what I want to build.

I have enjoyed recent builds from Takom (Chieftain), Bronco (A13), AFV Club (Churchill), Trumpeter (KV1), Italeri (M13/40) and Amusing Hobby (FV215b). None perfect but all good. Dragon Saladin is coming along but many niggling annoyances with this one!
HeavyArty
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 07:23 AM UTC
Generally, Takom is pretty good. Like the others though, I don't go by brand, but by who makes the best model of the vehicle I want to build. Every brand has great kits and dogs.
GulfWarrior
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ARMORAMA
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Texas, United States
Joined: January 05, 2010
KitMaker: 1,051 posts
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 07:39 AM UTC

Quoted Text



I go with just about anyone (1/35), with qualifiers being accuracy, crisp molding processes and price. Pretty much any 2 of the 3 will take care of everything I look for in a kit. With that being said, my experience also reveals/shows that just about every manufacturer has their good and 'not-so-good' kit. Takom seems ok for the most part, but has some issues with their M47, as one example. Reading kit reviews here will most certainly become your discriminator when it comes to the actual purchase. With a majority of kits costing what seems to be a $50 average, my expectation must be met that I didn't waste my money on sub-par manufacturing or inaccuracies.




Not to shamelessly plug our own site; but this is the first place I look when I'm looking for at a particular model. If the reviews and discussions are consistently bad then I may steer clear of a given kit. I certainly don't want to part with too much of my allowance on a crap-kit.

Bodeen
#026
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 08, 2002
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 07:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi everyone,
I ususally build Tamiya or Dragon armor but I want to try a new brand and was thinking about Takom. Does anyone have experience with Takom (good or bad) and what other brands do you prefer to build for WW II armor? It is not that I do not like the others, I just want to try something new.
thanks



The only Takom kit I have built is the PAII Turtle Czech Armored car. It was an OK kit. The molding was good but the fit wasn't quite right.


I really like Meng kits. The molding and fit are good but they, according to most of the reviews I have read, have accuracy issues. I still like them and have some Panthers and King Tigers to build.

Even manufacturers like Roden, from Russia, are producing kits that are far superior to what they were releasing 10 years ago.

I build only 1/35 scale armor and some 1/32 scale planes. I have built WWII Armor and soft skin kits from the following companies:

AFV Club
Tasca
IBG
Amusing Hooby
Cyber Hobby
Pit Road
Fine Molds
Dragon
Tamiya
Mirage-not recommended
Alan-not recommended
Italeri
RPM-not recommended
Academy
Mini Art
ICM
Masterbox
Zvezda
Rye Field Models
Tristar Models
Combat Armor Models
Esci

All of these manufacturers have some redeeming qualities except for the ones I mentioned. They all have faults. Soft molding, fit issues, accuracy issues, individual track links vs rubber band vs dragon styrene tracks. It all depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. Read the reviews on this and other sites. Shop around on E-bay and online hobby shops. Go to your local hobby shop (local for me is 30 miles) and see if they have any deals on what your looking for.


It is all up to you to decide. You have all of the tools you need at your disposal to make a well informed decision.
Kevlar06
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Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 10:11 AM UTC
I'm with John (Vettejack) here-- I go with about anyone depending on accuracy and quality, and have no preference of one over the other. I find TAKOM is usually pretty good though. Where I used to think Dragon was the best, I now "squint my eyes" and take a second look before buying anything from Dragon anymore. Then sometimes if you really want something, you've got to go with "the only game in town" manufacturers too, and that might mean scratchbuilding, kitbashing, or after market, or waiting until somebody else releases it. Lately, many of my kit desires have fallen into that category, and I've had to thin my stash of old dogs to get a newer, better kit.
I also have a price threshold. There are some newer manufactures that come out with a kit "with all the bells and whistles", for really high prices, and I have to evaluate if I need all those "bells and whistles" before buying. Price brings me back to Dragon, and my "squinting" at their kits-- many of their older kits, and all of their new kits seem to have very high price tags, for either poor accuracy or questionable quality (as in DS tracks). So, again, it depends on 1)need; 2)degree of quality; and finally, 3) price in my case. TAKOM, RFM, Tamiya, AFV club, Miniart, Meng, ICM, and Revell Germany seem to be some of the largest "populators" of my stash so far, with a few Italeri, Dragon and Masterbox kits thrown in for good measure.
VR, Russ
Armorsmith
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 09, 2015
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 01:43 PM UTC
Not strictly a brand guy either. I have however built numerous Takom kits and find them relatively easy to build with generally good instructions. My only beef with them is that the sprue attachment points on some parts tend to be rather large requiring extra clean up.
tybugg
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California, United States
Joined: April 28, 2007
KitMaker: 79 posts
Armorama: 53 posts
Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 02:06 PM UTC
I too have built a lot of Tamiya kits. Their fit and simplicity make for enjoyable builds. I am also very impressed with Meng. Lately, I have been building several Takom kits, which are usually good fits, but sometimes a little fiddely( the crane assembly on their Mark I Male drove me nuts). Recently, I tried and IBG kit for the first time. It was their Scammell Pioneer, and I was very impressed. I usually will read reviews of whatever kit I am interested in, before I buy it. If the reviews are good, I'll give it a go. I tend to stay away from kits that are over 800 to a 1000 pieces because they wear me out, but that's just me.
varanusk
Staff MemberManaging Editor
ARMORAMA
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / España
Joined: July 04, 2013
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Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 08:43 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Every brand has great kits and dogs.


That's the point... although you may have preferences, you can not blindly trust any brand.
retiredyank
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Arkansas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2009
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Posted: Friday, November 30, 2018 - 01:26 AM UTC
Takom produces excellent kits. After having built two of their T55's, I am working on some Miniart productions. I'm not too happy, with the figures, but the line of T55's and T54's are quite nice. They aren't shake-n-bakes like Tamiya. However, they don't suffer from Dragon's flawed instructions and somewhat over engineered details.
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
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Posted: Friday, November 30, 2018 - 02:52 AM UTC
I love Mini Art figures! They can't seem to get the pockets right on the M1942 jackets, but then neither can Master Box, which I also love. (I secretly think they're the same company)

I have no brand loyalty at all. And if only one company produces something I want/need, I'll even accept less quality. That's part of the fun, taking a sow's ear...
RobinNilsson
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KITMAKER NETWORK
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Stockholm, Sweden
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Posted: Friday, November 30, 2018 - 02:59 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I love Mini Art figures! They can't seem to get the pockets right on the M1942 jackets, but then neither can Master Box, which I also love. (I secretly think they're the same company)

I have no brand loyalty at all. And if only one company produces something I want/need, I'll even accept less quality. That's part of the fun, taking a sow's ear...


Ringleheim
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Florida, United States
Joined: September 04, 2009
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Posted: Friday, November 30, 2018 - 05:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi everyone,
I ususally build Tamiya or Dragon armor but I want to try a new brand and was thinking about Takom. Does anyone have experience with Takom (good or bad) and what other brands do you prefer to build for WW II armor? It is not that I do not like the others, I just want to try something new.
thanks


I recommend something from Meng. They are a great company. Some kits are better than others, but they are all good.

If you like modern armor, their Bradley IFV is one of the best kits I've ever put together. You can get it with or without full interior.

If you prefer WWII, I did their Königstiger not long ago and that was a very nice kit as well.

HeavyArty
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Posted: Friday, November 30, 2018 - 06:13 AM UTC
The better option is to figure out what vehicle you want to build then ask for opinions on who makes the best detailed, easiest to build, most accurate, etc. of it. The best brand/brand loyalty discussion really serves no purpose.
varanusk
Staff MemberManaging Editor
ARMORAMA
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / España
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Posted: Friday, November 30, 2018 - 11:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Takom produces excellent kits. After having built two of their T55's, I am working on some Miniart productions. I'm not too happy, with the figures, but the line of T55's and T54's are quite nice. They aren't shake-n-bakes like Tamiya. However, they don't suffer from Dragon's flawed instructions and somewhat over engineered details.


Their Flakzwilling 40 on the other hand, although well researched and detailed, has several fitting issues
HzGud1
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: November 19, 2003
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Posted: Saturday, December 01, 2018 - 02:42 PM UTC
Thanks for the advice!
HzGud1
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: November 19, 2003
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Posted: Saturday, December 01, 2018 - 02:46 PM UTC
That makes sense. Amazing how much sensibility goes out the window when you are away from it for awhile.
Thanks!
nikon1
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Kansas, United States
Joined: April 11, 2005
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Posted: Saturday, December 01, 2018 - 03:30 PM UTC
I'm not a brand person either but look for what fits my needs (modern) braille scale, so models are fewer than 1/35. Detail and accuracy areally important. As others have said, each manufacturer has good and bad kits.
Cheers
Charlie
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