I’m a bit new to this, but very eager to get into the hobby. My main question is this:
Who makes the best WWII tank model kits?
I’ve seen a few from Tamiya that look quite good, but I’m wondering if there are any companies out there that make better quality ones, or perhaps similar quality with lower price.
I am a beginner in the realm of tank modeling, but I have some experience with building and painting other manner of miniatures.
If it helps narrow it down, I do like American and German armors more than the rest.
For ease of assembly, you can’t go wrong with Tamiya. Problems that you’ll encounter with their products are fittings for electric motors and such, and on the Shermans, some have open spaces above the tracks in the sponsons which have to be blanked over with sheet styrene (an easy fix).
AFV Club’s tanks are nice as well and have one piece rubber tracks which can be a plus if you don’t like to do individual links. Academy’s models are easy to assemble and some have interiors (check accuracy with the Stuart!). I also found some shape problems with the M18 and would go with AFV Club if you want a Hellcat.
This question gets asked every week…and gets the same answers every week. what is “best” depends on what you want. Do you want a kit that goes together easy? That is accurate? That has the most detail? It all depends on the subject. Kit A of of the subject might be the easiest to build. Kit B it of the same subject might me more detailed but harder to build. Kit Cit of the same subject might be more accurate. Rarely do you get all 3 in the same kit. All manufacturers have decent kits as well as terrible ones. It depends on the kit. You will get better answers if you pick a particular subject then ask a more specific question.
Definitely narrow down to subject matter. Sometimes there are multiples of the same subject out, with the pros and cons listed above. Sometimes there is only one game in town on that subject in that scale so the choice is made for you.
Asuka (formerly Tasca) is likely best bet for Sherman tank family, though Tamiya of late has come out with some nice American subjects.
For German, you will have to ask about specific vehicles, or look up reviews. David Byrden has kept a pretty up to date list on Tiger I kits, offering suggested fixes:
Some good advice from the others. As far as German armour goes, on average, and as Rob says, you can’t make a generlisation as all companies have good and bad, i would suggest dragon and AFV club for detail. But with Dragon especilaly, be prepared for some headbanging as some of their instructions can be confuseing and they have lots of unused parts. Its hard to go wrong with Tamiya. Generally not as detailed, they will ahve one part where Dragon wil have 5 or 6, but much easier to build and still look good.
Fair enough, I tried to narrow it down a bit more from previous broad questions I’ve seen before, but obviously not enough so.
After some thought, I’ve decided that I’d like to start with a StuG, and being the person that I am, I’d like something a bit more challenging, so something with more detail is preferred.