Is this sherman from Italeri any good http://modelwarehouse.safeshopper.com/48/1139.htm?874
Can someone please clue me in on the specs, such as if it fits together well, and if it comes with rubberband tracks or single links. The box looks old, but then again it is just a box.
-NERVRECK-

I can't get that url to work, but Italeri's shermans are basically ok. The M4A1 is good, the Marines tank with the wading gear is better made as an M4A3 rather than an M4A2. Either way you will want to replace the tracks if you can as the kit tracks on both are stiff and awkward to bend around the wheels.

I have not found any thing bout italier but found reviews of Tamiya (url below).

I did purchase one Tamiya and found it as good as the review say so.

Cheers!

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/misc/mannecksherman.htm

I think it's a nice kit......some extra work is needed but I had fun in building mine!

Check this link if you want to go for 100% accuracy

http://www.usarmymodels.com/MANUFACTURERS/Italeri/italeri225.html

This is mine:



Oh and about the tracks: I recommend you get some replacements. I used the kit tracks but they almost got me mad....they're much too stiff

Martin

As mentioned above .. kit is quite good, but look for alternative tracks ... Tamiya vinyl or AFV Club indy (or vinyl also). Tracks are impossible to fit, to paint, and hold closed. Complete rubbish actually. 2 years ago i built the M4A1, the M32 and M7 at the one time and all 3 I broke of idlers etc trying to fit the tracks.
Also there is a step on the barrel that has to be filed away. Good value for the price though!

For a model which is nearly 30 years old, the Italeri Sherman is still very good. It only needs a few changes to make it better.

Like everyone says, change the tracks. Swap them for some more flexible Tamiya ones, preferably from their M4 early which looks okay (and is robust enough to cope with) the Italeri tracks.

Glue the 'working' suspension so it's level. The see-saw action is wrong for a Sherman suspension anyway, the wheels should move independently. Martinnnn ended up doing this with his.

Replace the air filters at the back of the tank. Tamiya's M4A3 105mm has spare ones.

Replace the tools they're awful.

New gun barrel too, Italeri's is based on a tank which may have had the gun disabled before disposal and then repaired.

New antenna base, the Italeri one is for the British 19 set, which is accurate for the post-war Italian Sherman Italeri looked at, but not for a US tank.

Replace or just leave off the turret .50 cal.

Add a bit of texture to the cast hull and turret, but not too much, it deosn't have to look like a ploughed field.

And you can see how well Martinnnn's has turned out

I agree with the concensus that the Italeri Sherman is a pretty good kit. One of my favorite Sherman kits and a joy to build. I also agree that the tracks are very stiff and if you build the bogies to let them be moveable, the stiff tracks will make the first and last bogie rock towards the sprocket and idler wheel.

I would suggest replacing them with any of the commercially available Sherman tracks on the market. Most Sherman modelers probably have an extra set of DML individual tracks that they could spare to a budding Shermanholic.

BTW, I fixed your link. Thanks for the link too. This seller is within the same state as I am. I might have to send some business his way.

Sabot youll like them, good prices I think, Dave, Dan, Martin, Frank, David, and Robin, Thank you all very much for posting Ill order the kit tomorrow.
-NERVRECK-

Good kit, does need some work but for the price you cnnot go wrong. I have 1 in my gallery witn AFV Club tracks and xtra track armour (Polish M4A1). I am in the process of building an M1(Israeli) using this kit as a base. I like it and other manufactures parts can be swapped into it to produce different variants.

For being as old as it is and the relative cheap price it is a great value as a starting point. As others have mentioned, the rubberband tracks are stiff and some minor workings on the barrel are required. However one you cover it up with sandbags and stowage it looks very good.

Easy option to get T51 track is the Academy M36 tank destroyers ... this comes with gluable vinyl track. And has loads of options for your Sherman bits box ..

I actually just completed this kit and had no trouble with the tracks. Maybe I just lucked out. I put them around the sprockets and wheels and them heated them together. If I would have tried to stretch them like tamiya tracks I probably would have had no luck.

HastyP

I'm a newcomer to the forums, and in my opinion the best shermies in the market are both tha Tamya and Dragon ones. The're really nice and easy to build- though Dragon's needs some corrections- and they are very good products once built. Well, at least that's my opinion!