Hooben stuff

[keilau]

What does Hooben mean with the statement in the gear description There are also large ones that can match 550 and 775.?

Hooben makes 1/10 scale RC tanks.

https://www.hooben-shop.com/collections/spare-parts/products/hooben-scale-1-10-new-released-cnc-gearbox-all-metal-closed-fit-all-hooben-tanks

The 550 and 775 are motor size designations. They are the next 2 sizes up from the 380 series motor used on 1/16 scale RC tanks.

https://www.mabuchi-motor.com/product/

[quitcherbitchen]

What does Hooben mean with the statement in the gear description There are also large ones that can match 550 and 775.?

[keilau]

This is the CS track. I have a set and sprockets for it. It's great looking well made track. BUT it does not run well on my HL Merkava. The sprockets have a wobble that is not drive shaft related. This causes them to not mess well with the tracks and makes the entire use of the CS tracks a step backwards in running performance. I would not recommend them at this time.

Rubicon99 , thank you for sharing your experience. My plan A is still using the Hooben nylon track and sprocket on the HL Merkava. I understand that the Hooben sprocket is NOT a drop in fit to a HL motor shaft. But the adaptation seems to be feasible. The Hooben sprocket is in the hands of the local USPS office and should be delivered today.

I really like the look and construction of the Hooben nylon track. If I failed modifying the Hooben sprocket or breaked it, my plan B may be to purchase a Hooben CNC gearbox and the Hooben sprocket for the HL Merkava. Hopefully, my plan A works.

https://www.hooben-shop.com/collections/spare-parts/products/hooben-scale-1-16-all-metal-closed-cnc-gearbox-fit-all-hooben-tanks-or-hl-tank

[tank_me]

Any luck from Hooben. I need parts as well for my T-55. Does anyone know if the CNC 1/16 hooben transmission upgrade is any good?

It looks like a copy of the HL version which I have several installed in my tanks. If it is a copy, it is a good gearbox. It probably uses the dual flatted shaft instead of the D shaft HL uses. I do not personally own a Hooben version though.

[Rubicon99]

Rich, do you have a link to that Canshou metal track for Merkava MK3 seller?

This is the CS track. I have a set and sprockets for it. It's great looking well made track. BUT it does not run well on my HL Merkava. The sprockets have a wobble that is not drive shaft related. This causes them to not mess well with the tracks and makes the entire use of the CS tracks a step backwards in running performance. I would not recommend them at this time.

Before blackening.


After blackening.

[keilau]

CS makes that new metal track for the Merk3. That only runs on their sprocket but they market it for the HL merkava 4.

Rich, do you have a link to that Canshou metal track for Merkava MK3 seller?

[RichJohnson]

CS makes that new metal track for the Merk3. That only runs on their sprocket but they market it for the HL merkava 4.

[keilau]

Hooben has a reputation of not communicating.
I was a bit surprised you were able to get spare track.
I have a feeling the backspace of the sprocket will not be the same as the henglong as I know the hooben transmissons are different and on the sherman the sprocket did not swap with a tamiya sherman due to the shaft length but I dont remember which direction it was, in or out.
You should just stick with the henglong track. I have spare track for my hooben but I might think about taking you up on getting yours eventually just to have it maybe.

Hooben finally shipped my order of nylon sprockets after 4 weeks. The package is in the hand of their US shipping agent. Hopefully, I shall see it before the end of the week.

I cannot tolerate the open pin design of the HL track. For Merkava, HL and Hooben are the only game in town. Mato, Taigen and Torro have nothing for Merkava.

[quitcherbitchen]

Any luck from Hooben. I need parts as well for my T-55. Does anyone know if the CNC 1/16 hooben transmission upgrade is any good?

[RichJohnson]

Hooben has a reputation of not communicating.
I was a bit surprised you were able to get spare track.
I have a feeling the backspace of the sprocket will not be the same as the henglong as I know the hooben transmissons are different and on the sherman the sprocket did not swap with a tamiya sherman due to the shaft length but I dont remember which direction it was, in or out.
You should just stick with the henglong track. I have spare track for my hooben but I might think about taking you up on getting yours eventually just to have it maybe.

[Rubicon99]

I don't have a FB account. (Yes, I live in the 20th century.) And Hooben does not respond to email questions.

One of many reasons people don't like to buy from them. I have seen the lack of CS first hand.

[keilau]

I contact hooben through facebook messenger.
And while the likely dont celebrate christmas they may have shut down over the last week or two since alot of the world does.

I don't have a FB account. (Yes, I live in the 20th century.) And Hooben does not respond to email questions.

[RichJohnson]

I contact hooben through facebook messenger.
And while the likely dont celebrate christmas they may have shut down over the last week or two since alot of the world does.

[keilau]

I have not had any luck getting hold of the Hooben sprocket for Merkava. If you are a Hooben tank owner, what is the best chance of obtaining Hooben spare parts?

Do you have any interest in getting a spare pair of Hooben Merkava nylon tracks? I paid $85 for it.

[keilau]

The HL sprocket teeth fits into the Hooben track holes alright. But the tank axial length of each individual track piece is 11.25mm for the Hooben. The Heng Long track piece is a narrower 9.55mm which is what the HL sprocket designed for. The Hooben track will not wrap around the Heng Long sprocket properly.

I have emailed twin-horse.com about getting the Hooben sprocket, but have not heard back yet.

[keilau]

I got an email from twin-horse.com to send the Paypal for the nylon track to a third party. It sounds like a sister business of them and legit. I sent the payment yesterday and am waiting to hear from them. The Hooben nylon track is priced at $85 and does not have the HL track's open pin problem.

[keilau]

Hooben is unable to use PayPal in the US now for some reason. Their PayPal refuses to let me send them money is days the country they are in is restricted from receiving money from my country.

Hooben sells on Amazon. I would have no reluctance ordering if they sell the nylon track on Amazon.

Many of the business in the Far East are not capable of protecting their credit card database, thus causing problems for the buyer. If Hooben resolves the problem with Paypal, that would be great.

[RichJohnson]

Hooben is unable to use PayPal in the US now for some reason. Their PayPal refuses to let me send them money is days the country they are in is restricted from receiving money from my country.

[keilau]

They are in mainland China. You have to just email them and they can send you a link to pay with a credit card.

I can pay either one of them with a credit card at their website. Due to bad experience in the past, I am determined not to directly use credit card with businesses based in the far east. I have emailed Hooben and twin-horse to request them to send me Paypal invoice, but they did not respond.

I understand that Amazon, e-bay and Paypal all charge the seller significant fee that will be passed to the buyer. It is the premium I am willing to pay for the security. The credit card company has security protection too, but their investigation is inefficient. It takes months to recover lost money.

[keilau]

Not sure the track will even fit with the HL sprockets. I know when I bought my ZTZ-99A from Hooben, the track was narrower than the HL ZTZ counterpart. I thought I could upgrade it with HL sprockets, but since the track was too narrow the sprockets from HL were too wide. So wide in fact that they wouldn't fit under the Hooben track skirts so I ended up having to keep the Hooben track and sprockets.

Hooben marches to their own beat.

Based on RichJohnson experience with the Hooben and HL Merkava, I see a good chance that the Hooben nylon track may work on the HL Merkava. I am interested in the Merkava track only.