Hooben stuff

[tank_me]

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.

[keilau]

RichJohnson , DavidN , thank you for the help.

Hooben sells on Amazon too. But they do not sell the track on Amazon.

[DavidN]

I placed a big order with them before. They are good with me.

[RichJohnson]

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

[keilau]

https://twin-horse.com

The link works and I found the nylon track I want to order. Unfortunately, they do not accept Paypal. Do you know their address or phone number?

[keilau]

Hooben somehow lost its ability to accept PayPal from the US. I bought some parts from them this month and discovered paypall won’t let me send them payment so paid I them with a credit card. You just need to email them and ask for an invoice. Think you can buy the tracks off their site.

I put the nylon track in the cart and went through the check out process almost to the end. I stopped when I cannot use paypal. Too risky to use credit card at any internet site located in China or India. They don't seem to have extra security at their site. The fact that Paypal stopped working with them does not give me a comfort feeling.

[RichJohnson]

Hooben somehow lost its ability to accept PayPal from the US. I bought some parts from them this month and discovered paypall won’t let me send them payment so paid I them with a credit card. You just need to email them and ask for an invoice. Think you can buy the tracks off their site.

[DavidN]

I am interested in buying a nylon track for the Hooben Merkava. But they do not accept Paypal. I email them but they do not respond. Is there any Hooben distributor or reseller?

I do not like the pen pin design of the HL Merkava track which seems to be the only game in town.

https://twin-horse.com

[keilau]

I am interested in buying a nylon track for the Hooben Merkava. But they do not accept Paypal. I email them but they do not respond. Is there any Hooben distributor or reseller?

I do not like the pen pin design of the HL Merkava track which seems to be the only game in town.

[RichJohnson]

I was not aware it was not a true T55 tank and instead a Chicom T59. Good to know.

I have heard the new kits are pretty decent but I do not know first hand.

My other hooben RTR tanks have been maintenace heavy to say the least if not troublesome etc. But I still like them. Yes I like to torture myself.

[Vintage Racer]

Anyone know if there is a good source to see how folks have fixed the many issues this model has? I REGRET the hell out of buying it, even though the T-55 is one of my favorite tanks. I also bought metal tracks for it, I was super disappointed to learn its not really a T-55A, but the NORINCO Type 59 or 69. The engine deck detail with the Hooben model is not T-55A. This make it hard to make it East German and be accurate, which was what I really wanted. I didn't want to scratch build to make it more accurate. There are allot of differences on the two different tanks turret also. Thanks.

https://old.weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/CC05%20-%20Type%2059.html

[Zippersnapper]

This video was the first run after the IBU was put in. Notice the slop in the left track. The drive sprocket was on the verge of falling off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TQ5GL6YhM&t=116s

[Zippersnapper]

Ken, how has your Sherman fared? What MFU did you install? Have you broken any parts, like the idler Rich mentioned?

I'm happy rewiring and replacing internal components, and the tank is one that interests me.

I put the IBU2 Ultimate in....Runs great? to a point & sounds great. Drive sprocket loosend up, had to reattach, but ok. I dont run it very much or often because of all the plastic running gear & suspension, so its a shelf queen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPsXUZN_h5U

[RichJohnson]

I have thought about the Hooben fury idler more since, It might be possible to adapt the mato adjustable idler to the tank but I have not tried that obviously.
Also drilling and bracing it from the inside might also help before it breaks.

[SoCalBobS]

Ken, how has your Sherman fared? What MFU did you install? Have you broken any parts, like the idler Rich mentioned?

I'm happy rewiring and replacing internal components, and the tank is one that interests me.

[Zippersnapper]

Sorry to hear that, pretty sad result from the claim.
The hooben fury is an ok model as is, just don’t drive it in sand or mud and don’t jam the tracks, if you do your likely to break the rear idler off like my son did.
A HL system is about 75 bucks on evilbay,that’s a cheap way to get it goin good. If you want fancy sound well then your gonna have to pony up for an aftermarket board. If I still had the IBU Ultimates here I would hook you up but I sold them to other club mates that wanted to give them a try.

Stanlley has the IBU2 Ultimate in stock.....Order placed. Hope this works out.

[RichJohnson]

Sorry to hear that, pretty sad result from the claim.
The hooben fury is an ok model as is, just don’t drive it in sand or mud and don’t jam the tracks, if you do your likely to break the rear idler off like my son did.
A HL system is about 75 bucks on evilbay,that’s a cheap way to get it goin good. If you want fancy sound well then your gonna have to pony up for an aftermarket board. If I still had the IBU Ultimates here I would hook you up but I sold them to other club mates that wanted to give them a try.

[Zippersnapper]

How did they claim you altered the tank?

In my posts and ramblings about hooben with the two that I own, I have made it very clear that if you desire to have a tank made by hooben, you must throw the electronics away completely and rewire the tank and put in some other system. Even a HL 6.1s would be perfect. The stock system is absolute trash.


I don’t think Hooben is a German company. Others I have talked with tell me the owner’s name is Feng, in China. They have told me personal conversations with him, and his attitude and business model. Had I known those things, I would not have bought the Merkava unseen.

The Fury E8 is a sub par tank model chassis but the upper half I decent if mounted on a Tamiya. So, my suggestion is start saving for a Tamiya full option Sherman to mount it on.

I STAND CORRECTED. Twinhorse must be a Chinese company it would appear. Below is a transcript of my conversation with them:

• Twinhorse model:

We have a registered company in Germany and we have a factory in China

• Me:

I spent $558 on this tank,,,,fixing the sound issure should not cost me a dime

9:50 PM

• Twinhorse model: sorry, we can't help you

9:53 PM

• Twinhorse model

This is what our tank sound like, if you aren't satisfied with the sound, you need to change VCU.


On Hooben FB page, they show them to be in Germany, at least thats the way I interpreted it anyway.

Rich, my iimpulsiveness and lack of doing proper homework (reading ALL of your posts) have caused me a bunch of greif and a hellava lot more money. Lesson learned. Buying a Tamiya lower hull + a new MFU is out of ther question. Im going to have to choke for a new electronics package for sure as it is. When the smoke clears, I'll have $1000 tied up in this POS. Damn near the cost of a brand new Tamiya.

I dont know where or how Hooben came up with the idea that I altered the tank. After being denied my claim, I called Paypal and plead my case again. They denied it....again. It would appear Hooben is making a nice bit of change for Paypal, and thats that.

[Timbo68]

The HL 6.1s has servo control which is necessary for the barrel elevation, and works well in the T-55. I bought mine without the Hooben electronics, so I had to improvise. The only problem I still have is that, with all the stuff crammed in the hull, the turret can jam or lift while rotating, and the pieces provided to prevent the turret tabs from lifting out of the hull don’t fit without some work. I hope I don’t ever need to remove the turret again…

[RichJohnson]

How did they claim you altered the tank?

In my posts and ramblings about hooben with the two that I own, I have made it very clear that if you desire to have a tank made by hooben, you must throw the electronics away completely and rewire the tank and put in some other system. Even a HL 6.1s would be perfect. The stock system is absolute trash.


I don’t think Hooben is a German company. Others I have talked with tell me the owner’s name is Feng, in China. They have told me personal conversations with him, and his attitude and business model. Had I known those things, I would not have bought the Merkava unseen.

The Fury E8 is a sub par tank model chassis but the upper half I decent if mounted on a Tamiya. So, my suggestion is start saving for a Tamiya full option Sherman to mount it on.