OK, I did my hobby shop check, here's what I found:
Tamiya Mk I $25.95
Academy Mk II (kit #1351) $36.95 includes metal chain/balls & PE
Academy Mk II w/KMT mine roller (kit#1359) $29.99 includes metal chain/balls & PE

Now, I don't know why the one with the mine roller is less, go figure. It looks like that one might be the best deal.

Yes Rob, $7 less and with the mine roller, sounds like a winner to me. Still let us know what you decide, or did you already? lol :-)

No, I didn't. They had the Tamiya M5 and M3 reissues, the USMC Sherman and the Japanese Type 90 on sale. I will sleep on it, my b-day's in a week and I had to give the wife some ideas.

Me too, looks like I can't touch one on eBay for that price, except for a couple of Tamiya Mk I's, but the mine roller one looks good to me. Although I do so hate tanks loaded down with "farm implements".

LOL...farm equipment! Think of all those extra parts for the "spares" box! I can't speak much for the MkII, but their (Academy) MkIII is very nicely detailed, very crisp, no flash, no noticable injector pins, and cool seperate rubber for the road wheels!
After a look around at the major online stores, you're not going to beat that price.

You're a tanker, you have to look at it in a practical sense. Do you want to be the tank that looks different than all the rest? The blade or roller tank? Heck no! You become A#1 target!

.....hehe....

Ah.... quite a "major" discussion you have going on here!

ROFL....

Sorry....couldn't resist.

Jim

Yeah...the major-ity of the discussions are astounding!!

ROFLACGU (ROFL Almost Couldn't Get Up)

Absolutely Rob!! "Never want" to be the one leads the rest, most effective location for farm tractors, especially if yours looks different! Unfortunetly, orders are orders (not all are unfortunate, mind you), just never heard anyone call engineering equipment - farm-implements.LOL


Still, nothing says you have to attach them to the model. (Imagine a dio in which an NCO/TC argues with CO about leading in a farm tractor) hehehehe

Saw a nice Merkava at IPMS Richmond. Might have to try one myself.

Saw a Trumpeter one at another hobby shop, $17 but the drawing on the boxtop didn't look too much like a Merkava. It was done in a panzer gray, strange.