Hooben stuff

[Zippersnapper]

Sureshot, Amen. Twinhorse is actually Hooben. A German company. They are built & sold in China however. I too tried to file a claim with Paypal because I proved that they sold a defective product after admitting they had an issue with the VCU. The Chinese company whom I bought it from, claimed I had "Altered" the tank-total horse****.. Paypal took the side of the Chinese "Hooben" and denied my claim, so Im out $558. When I questioned "German" Hooben on thier website about the horrible sound I was told "If your that concerned about the sound, you need to replace the VCU". perfectly clear they dont give a crap. Hooben SUX....plain and simple. Avoid them like a bad case of Covid.

[tank_me]

I have two Hooben tanks - the T55A and the ZTZ-99A. The T55A can make a nice tank. The ZTZ-99A looks decent enough, but wouldn't recommend it - too fragile. I've heard the Elephant takes a lot of work to make it work right and since the Tiger P is the same lower I would say it is probably in the same boat. Both their Maus and E100 are overpriced IMO.

[Sureshot]

Who will be first to take the bait???? 😁

I ordered a Cromwell from Hooben back in January. After 3 months of excuses why the tank was not built I gave up. Thank goodness I had paid using PayPal so was able to file a claim and get my money back. Everything from covid to Chinese new year to the war in Ukraine.
I have a T55 kit that I bought from a friend and it looks pretty nice. Probably build it this fall using a Heng Long 6.1s system.
I see Twin Horse sells Hooben on Amazon. That would be the only place I would buy one due to Amazon's great return policy. But from what I hear about the quality not improving I think I will pass.
It's really too bad because Hooben has some nice subjects not available elsewhere.

Steve

[SoCalBobS]

Hooben's WW1 British Mk 4, the "Rhomboid" tank.

Speaking of Hooben being tantalizing but disappointing, they have another product in the works. Apparently going to have a metal chassis & metal gearboxes, supposedly two operating turrets. A "static" version, as they sell some of their other tanks, may have potential. Somebody else's quality electronics, and the fact that this tank has no suspension per se to break, could be acceptable. Here are some photos from their Facebook account. We'll see.

[RichJohnson]

The hooben system is junk. The one in my Merkava malfunctioned and caused it to run backward on my bench and broke part of the tank.

Throw away the electronics, And remove all the wire harnesses when you replace it. The plugs hooben uses are a different size.

buy a henglong system and a henglong wiring pack for the tank and solder all the new wires in place or buy a new taigen system if you like them.

for aftermarket, I’m afraid I cannot recommend Clark any more, I have seen too many varying failures now with his products.

the IBU2 Ultimate is good but has some inertia built into it even when you set it to 0 it’s still there. If your just driving and not battling you may like the board. Rc tank electronics in Uk is a good dealer for them. Excellent sounds, and you can mix and match all manner of sounds from other tank sound sets that are included.

[Zippersnapper]

I relaize this thread is quite old, but felt the need to chime in. Recently took delivery of the Easy 8 Sherman myself, having a uncontrollable impulse for a Fury HVSS. I have chatted with Rich Johnson on this topic and allot of light was shed (Thank you sir). I have also read another residents expert, Rubicon's input as well.

My first reaction to the Hooben was disgust at the quality, especailly the sound system. I did contact Hooben via Townhorse Model in Germany. German designed, Chinese made and sold, shipped from South Korea. Scratched my head on that part. I paid $550 for the Ultimate version, all weathered & stowage attached. The bright lime green jacketed tank commander was another head scratcher. After doing more research (way too late, I might add) I found out why this brand gets allot of hate-well deserved hate. Its light & flimsy, and once again the sound is a complete joke. Chatting with the Chinese seller on FB, I was told Hooben knew thay had an issue with the VCU, but couldnt get the chips to fix it due to covid-yet they continued to sell the tank with the sound issue. Townhorse Models (Germany Hooben) refuses to do anyting about it. So much for help from a fellow Kraut.

I dont do tank battles, and I wont be driving the snot out of it so the other shortcomings hopefully wont come into play. What I do insist on, is realism at the very least. This tank is actually pretty decent in look's, ......but that sound. My God....at idle the enging sound is in a hiccup, stuttering sound loop. I have a video of it on my YT channel-Kenneth Rich, if anyone cares to hear it. It's as if the sound enginner didnt understand how to use a simple sound editing program. Not knowing jack s*it , Im throwing more money after bad. I went out and bought a Flysky 10 channel Trans & receiver with the understanding I will have to swap out the whole electronics for an aftermarket one. Clark, IBU, etc. Then I read horror stories about those brands.....which now leads me to Beier. I'm super pissed at the thought of having to spend ANOTHER $250 just to get this tank in order. All I want is respectible sound. My Taigen Sherman has a great sound-Ford GAA V8-perfect...love it. Of couse Taigen, wont mix in with Henglong (I have a 6.1s Henglong MFU coming from China, waiting to pass through US customs as I type). Another $55 spent.

Hours and hours spent looking for an electronic RC tank genius to show how to add the Taigen sound into either the Hooben or a Henglong MFU. No luck of course. So now it looks like the big $$$ spend on another electronics package must happen... Now my Big problem- I cant afford to screw this up. Electronics is not my speciality. Sure, I have tools, and I can solder & make up JST plugs and all, but thats about it. I have yet to see a dumbed down wiring diagram on what to hook up, to what. I have all the stock diagrams PDF'ed for Taigen, Henglong & Hooben but I'm too simple minded to figure it out. A $250 aftermarket MFU going up in smoke is too terrifying to think about. I'm having great difficulty in pulling that trigger.

[RichJohnson]

I would like to build on what Rubicon has said about Hooben.
he and I worked over a Fury Ez8 Sherman pretty good which I now have and use in IR battles. It now resides on top of a Tamiya chassis. The top half is well and accurately detailed but the bottom was weak without bearing wheels and with Phillips screw heads showing all over in the suspension. It ran in a few battles fine after some hard test driving until a small stick went up into the idler and snapped it right off. That would not happen to a henglong taigen or a Tamiya, The plastic the Fury was made from was weaker than that of henglong. There was no good way to fix it so I trashed the chassis and put it on a Tamiya,

Hooben has bad rap what is well deserved. Their elephant kit is very detailed and nice looking but has bad trannys and the gun system needs to be reworked. My friend that built one was only able to get it to work with aftermarket trannys from ETO Armor, and li think different sprockets too.

I have seen two T55 kits and have always been tempted to buy one as they are very Tamiya-esk and have nice trannys. Not turn key models for sure but quite nice and I have not heard anything bad about the current production model kit of it, which is available at a good price from DKLM.

The new stuff that is coming out we will have to wait and see but it seems Hooben has upgraded their chassis and wheels with bushings that can be popped out and replaced with bearings on some of their tanks like the ZTZ they produce based on reviews and photos recently posted on RCU.

We are all hoping that the Cromwell and Merkava have bushing wheels and decent chassis.
I have pre ordered the Merkava to be a guinea pig for everyone as I would like this tank, I can’t have all Shermans..... I will post a review when it comes in in June if that date holds true. I’m not too worried based in what I have seen so far but I also have the skills to go total mad scientist on it and solve whatever it needs but I know many just don’t have the tools or skills necessary to completely rebuild an RTR tank.
So if your interested but leery, be patient and I will tell all when it arrives.

Overall, Hoobens tanks have had very little continuity to date. What worked well in one tank was not carried over to another tank. The Elephant, the T55 and the Fury Sherman are all very different nearly totally different models based on totally different principals. The trannys in the Fury were very nice, I saved them but being a proprietary shaft size.... who knows what I’ll do with them. Hooben definitely sank the Titanic with their poor effort on the Fury, just sad because if they had followed what they did on the T55 it would have been a winner.
I have seen things I liked show up in photo releases of the new stuff coming and things I didn’t like. So we will just have to wait and see, but.... I highly suspect they have not made the same massive mistake they made with the Fury tank they made. These new ones seem on the surface to be in the right direction.

So just wait and see till this summer and I will post the review of the Merk when it shows up.

[Rubicon99]

It's been a while, but it's nearly done. I've found useful advice online and have sorted out the turret functions eventually. It took a lot of modification, and I had to add some brass plate under the 'breech' to ensure that the recoil did not jam as the barrel returned. The 6.1S has worked perfectly, with one small exception - the recoil servo operated backwards, but a small servo reverser unit solved that - much easier than re-wiring. I had most of the wiring necessary, and lots of JST plugs. I've managed to squeeze into the hull an exhaust smoker, a barrel smoker and a muzzle flash, plus a small cooling fan. I cut down an HL speaker and used Velcro so that I could move the components around to get some sort of fit, and so it looks a bit untidy. There isn't room for an NiMh battery so I've a smallish 2s LiPo in there. The hull is secured with magnets on L-shaped brackets mounted out of sight on the hull in four places, with a small length of brass rod in the upper front screw pillars ensuring that the alignment is correct. I've added a co-axial machine gun with LED and an IR transmtter - difficult due to the location of the main gun mounts - plus a socket and magnet for an HL IR receiver. I've sprayed it with desert yellow and dark green camo, weathered down with a coating of sand yellow deposits for a generic dusty Middle Eastern look.
And it runs...! I've read comments saying that there are too many defects for the price, which is probably true, but if you're reasonably handy with a mini-drill, and have a good toolkit plus lots of M2/M3 nuts and bolts, and a good stock of silicone and brass tubing etc. (plus a good supply of LEDs), then it's a very satisfying, if a little frustrating, build. The plastic kit assembly bits I found a bit dull, but the wiring and finishing was great fun - and I now have a very nice T-55 (or, as I fitted the turret vent supplied, it's probably really a T54!). I'm attaching some pics (the PE mesh over the engine vents was not included, but is a worthwhile improvement) and I'm interested to hear from anyone else who has tried this build.

The current Hooben T55 is one of their better tanks and is more or less on par with Tamiya quality. It’s a fun build because one has so many options for a paint scheme being that the T55 was and is still used all over the world.

You really went all in with smoke, not many people add smoke to the T55, I did not on mine but then I don’t like the smoke effect on any of my tanks. The HL 6.1 systems is a good call for the T55. Does everything you need it to do with only a few minor exceptions. I am planning to swap mine over to a 6.1 later this summer.

Can’t wait to see some “in the field” photos of your T55.

[Timbo68]

Keep us posted, Timbo! Especially regarding mating the HL 6.1S with the Hooben components.

It's been a while, but it's nearly done. I've found useful advice online and have sorted out the turret functions eventually. It took a lot of modification, and I had to add some brass plate under the 'breech' to ensure that the recoil did not jam as the barrel returned. The 6.1S has worked perfectly, with one small exception - the recoil servo operated backwards, but a small servo reverser unit solved that - much easier than re-wiring. I had most of the wiring necessary, and lots of JST plugs. I've managed to squeeze into the hull an exhaust smoker, a barrel smoker and a muzzle flash, plus a small cooling fan. I cut down an HL speaker and used Velcro so that I could move the components around to get some sort of fit, and so it looks a bit untidy. There isn't room for an NiMh battery so I've a smallish 2s LiPo in there. The hull is secured with magnets on L-shaped brackets mounted out of sight on the hull in four places, with a small length of brass rod in the upper front screw pillars ensuring that the alignment is correct. I've added a co-axial machine gun with LED and an IR transmtter - difficult due to the location of the main gun mounts - plus a socket and magnet for an HL IR receiver. I've sprayed it with desert yellow and dark green camo, weathered down with a coating of sand yellow deposits for a generic dusty Middle Eastern look.
And it runs...! I've read comments saying that there are too many defects for the price, which is probably true, but if you're reasonably handy with a mini-drill, and have a good toolkit plus lots of M2/M3 nuts and bolts, and a good stock of silicone and brass tubing etc. (plus a good supply of LEDs), then it's a very satisfying, if a little frustrating, build. The plastic kit assembly bits I found a bit dull, but the wiring and finishing was great fun - and I now have a very nice T-55 (or, as I fitted the turret vent supplied, it's probably really a T54!). I'm attaching some pics (the PE mesh over the engine vents was not included, but is a worthwhile improvement) and I'm interested to hear from anyone else who has tried this build.

[dai phan]

Dai, congratulations on your successes. I am happy for you and your ventures. You have been an important part of this forum. You have purchased many tanks and your trials and tribulations have been windows for me to understand different dynamics of our Heng Long offerings and Taigen. I look forward to your continued participation and insights. I would encourage you to continue your activity. I agree, Rubicon 99 is a great resource also to this forum. Thanks to you, Rubicon and others who share your frustrations and solutions. You will keep this hobby alive and well.

Please I ain't no fashion mogul. Just a humble public servant. I am going to hold off on Hooben because I do not have the understanding and skills as of yet to modify things. I just want reliable tanks out of box. Dai

[Broffermoon]

I am a fashion and oil mogul so money is like water ! Let's hear from Rubicon99 ! Dai

Dai, congratulations on your successes. I am happy for you and your ventures. You have been an important part of this forum. You have purchased many tanks and your trials and tribulations have been windows for me to understand different dynamics of our Heng Long offerings and Taigen. I look forward to your continued participation and insights. I would encourage you to continue your activity. I agree, Rubicon 99 is a great resource also to this forum. Thanks to you, Rubicon and others who share your frustrations and solutions. You will keep this hobby alive and well.

[SoCalBobS]

Keep us posted, Timbo! Especially regarding mating the HL 6.1S with the Hooben components.

[Timbo68]

I've bought and 'fettled' some Heng Long tanks over the 'lockdowns', and I took the plunge recently and, although I already have a T-72, I have started building the Hooben T-55. It's quite a challenge, but not as bad as I had read on line. So far, I've completed the lower hull and suspension, which, while fiddly, was not too bad. I'd read of issues with the fitting of the motors/gearboxes and aligning the drive shafts, but I found that with a bit of care, this was OK. The instructions are poor - for example, the part on assembling the tracks is missing altogether, and the detailed view of the shock absorber is the wrong way round. The version I have is one with a brass insert and a ball bearing race in each road wheel (which need some modification to allow the fitting of a retaining circlip) and the idler, with needle roller support bearings set into the plastic axle covers. The plastic moulding seems to be quite good also. I've added a Henntec track adjuster, and with that, the steel motor plate, and an aluminium plate I had made screwed under the hull (which provides some protection) the hull is adequately stiffened. I'm looking at the turret assembly with some trepidation, but it's been great fun so far. I have a Heng Long 6.1S MCU as the controller - I've used them before, and they provide everything I need including, for example, a recoil servo output. There's a very useful article at http://www.modelersite.com/en/112919...-both-versions (you have to pay a small sum to download it), which I have found to be almost essential. I bought mine (without electrics apart from motors) from rctank.de (who I can recommend), and I'm sure it's the latest version. I'm trying to source some metal tracks (I just like them!).

I'll try to report back when I've fitted the turret and electrics. I'd be very interested if anyone else here has built one.

[Rubicon99]

Do you know a reliable supplier for those or the best place to pick one up? I've always wanted one of those to do a T-55AM conversion, and if the kits now are much better it'd be a lot of fun to pick one up. Especially given how many spare electronic boards I have around now lol, dealing with that particular problem isn't an issue at all.

Amazon and EBay have a bunch. All are about the same price range on either sight. There are a few kit levels. I would forgo the level with electronics as you will be throwing them away.

[fuchstraumer]

The best tank Hooben produces is their reworked “new” T55. It largely comes as a kit but I have seen it as an RTR tank. The Hooben T55s are actually even in quality to the majority of the Tamiya WWII era type tank kits and there are a number of aftermarket companies making upgrades and spare parts.

I would buy another one if HL was not making the T72. Though not the same tank, they are close enough in resemblance to scratch that itch so to speak.

Do you know a reliable supplier for those or the best place to pick one up? I've always wanted one of those to do a T-55AM conversion, and if the kits now are much better it'd be a lot of fun to pick one up. Especially given how many spare electronic boards I have around now lol, dealing with that particular problem isn't an issue at all.

[Rubicon99]

The best tank Hooben produces is their reworked “new” T55. It largely comes as a kit but I have seen it as an RTR tank. The Hooben T55s are actually even in quality to the majority of the Tamiya WWII era type tank kits and there are a number of aftermarket companies making upgrades and spare parts.

I would buy another one if HL was not making the T72. Though not the same tank, they are close enough in resemblance to scratch that itch so to speak.

[Vaseline]

The other consideration is on the Elefant specifically, it was designed with elevation, traverse and recoil in mind (the stock system is crap it binds and sticks like mad), My plan is to eventually convert it to use stock Henglong parts with a 6.1S board and retrofit it to take HL or Taigen tracks, assuming I get to it at all. TLDR, my experience with Hooben has just been a headache from first opening the box

[fuchstraumer]

Other thing stopping me is from whjat I gather the only company that manufactured metal tracks went out of buiness, and its almost impossible to find replacement plastics

argh, this I didn't consider. it's the same thing that's held me back from the Tamiya Sheridan. I imagine on some of the models there's engineering you can do to fit a new (potentially inaccurate) sprocket to get some replacement metal tracks on there, but still. Making me feel like Heng Long has us spoiled wrt parts availability.

[Vaseline]

I bought one of the Elephants from ETO when they first started importing into the US, Ive taken it out of the box...fiddled with it for an hour or so a bit and promptly stuck it back in the box. Ive done that about 4 times since I got it the only thing Ive really managed to do in all this time is completely replace all the hardware+ eclips that came with the suspension system. They use proprietary transmission units withbrass gears and tiny axle shafts, they use a hub held onto the axle with a grub screw to attach the drive sprocket. Thats kind of whats stopping me from just building it, if the drive system grenades then Ill have to figure out how or if I can engineer a HL system to replace it. Outwardly however the casting details are beautiful. Other thing stopping me is from whjat I gather the only company that manufactured metal tracks went out of buiness, and its almost impossible to find replacement plastics

[fuchstraumer]

Yeah with Hooben you just gotta go in ready to put some work in - especially when it comes to spare parts.

I'll probably eventually pick up a Cromwell. A Merkava would be nice but I'll see what we hear about the quality of that tank first, and I'll wait to see if the (highly unsubstantiated) rumors about a Heng Long Merkava hold any water. The suspension system has me interested in Hooben's Merkava, at least. Heng Long just does the same setup on all their tanks for suspension since it's probably way cheaper to produce, so if we get something a little more unique that'll definitely interest me more

I will for sure be waiting at the least for a chance to fix up my 3D printer before chancing it with Hooben though, because if parts break or need modification (and it seems likely they will) I'd rather have that as an option for fabrication then just trying to rough it by hand.