Hi. I have DML kit #6185 T-34/76 (German Army) but it's missing its tracks. What would be good substitutes? I have a set of M40 tracks from Model Kasten but I think they might be too early. Ideally, I'd like to find an inexpensive replacement set.

Cheers and thanks,

Chris

Kaizen put out a very nice set of T-34 waffle-pattern tracks... It could be applicable to your tank... The Sovs (and those second-manager Germans, too) were not exactly wed to putting the "proper" or "correct" track-sets onto their tanks, so sweating to get the "correct" set for a given time-period of production may not be all that appropriate.

I used the Kaizen tracks on a Tamiya 1943 kit... they were inexpensive off the eBay, easy to clean up (minimal needed!) and assemble, are "operating", and looked very nice on the build.

Just a suggestion!

Bob

German rebuilds (and Soviet ones too) tended to be rather loose in what parts went were. If it wasn't shot up or worn out it was used. Here's a site that might give you some insight on what tracks were used, http://beutepanzer.ru/Beutepanzer/su/t-34/t-34hex/das_reich7.html

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Hi. I have DML kit #6185 T-34/76 (German Army) but it's missing its tracks. What would be good substitutes? I have a set of M40 tracks from Model Kasten but I think they might be too early. Ideally, I'd like to find an inexpensive replacement set.

Cheers and thanks,

Chris

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AFV Club makes a good set of snap together styrene waffle pattern tracks. You may need to sand the center guides a little to fit them between the Dragon drive wheels.

Hi,

the tracks (that should have been included) in your kit (DML #6185) are exactly the same type as the Modelkasten M.40 (SK-37) set. So you can go ahead and use those.

Not only will you save yourself some money you will also be using the most likely type of track. The waffle types came along later.

What Tim said,

You have the right set for the kit.

Dragon kit review:
https://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/dragon/dr6185.htm

Modelkasten tracks (comes in two different boxes):
https://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/mdksk037.htm

The Dragon kit came with styrene "M-40" tracks, so an M-40 track set would be the appropriate thing to replace that original kit set.

The Kaizen set is actually the "M-42" type. It appeared in wide use on T-34 from mid-1942 and later, and could well have been fit onto earlier-production T-34 during refit or over-haul. I'm not sure when the Pz.III cupola started being installed on captured T-34, but I think it likely not until later 1942 or into '43.

I think the Dragon kit may depict a 1941 T-34 rebuilt by the Germans (probably later, in 1942+), so I wouldn't immediately shy away from using the "M-42" track set on one of these. (I will, myself, go dwell upon the many photos of T-34 in German service to get insight into what mods I'll make to that kit when I build it - I have it in my stash (hopefully, as its sealed, it will have its tracks! )). Of course, if you have the MK M-40 set in hand... Hey! That's the fastest and cheapest route to go!

Cheers! Bob