Coolbank Models

[Rubicon99]

Someone on DKLM RC's Facebook alleges he bought one from an importer in Germany. Here's his comment:

"its garbage! Got it from one of the tank dealers in germany which imported a small number and regreted it. The electronics are bad. The plastic is to thin. The roadwheel arms will break easy. The gearbox is the only good thing."

My only caution is if he had unreasonable expectations, like a Tamiya product at Heng Long prices.

Interesting because according to TD the M60 tanks are not even ready to ship. And the fact that he thinks the gearboxes are the only good thing says he has no idea what he is talking about. I am familiar with those gearbox type and they are toy grade junk. If he has one let’s see his photos (?) then I will believe him.

Now I do have it on good authority that a few preproduction M60s are in the hands of some well known “persons” in the tank hobby and they are working on reviews, but have unofficially said not to expect much in value based on initial impressions. But I think we all knew that aways given the stated retail price of around $200.

[Delta_19]

Looking at the pics from dklm it's all henglong or henglong clone electronic parts (I.E turret traverse, smoker, speaker).

Main board is unknown but willing to bet its a cheaper v7 or v6.

Suspension is nice, arms look like crap.

battery for an internal unit is a 3/10 IMO. I have no problem with an internal system but would have preferred a BMS controlled system over just balance leads.

All in all I was excited for this but looks like my earlier claims that is was gonna be worst then some $20 walmart POS are true.

[SoCalBobS]

I think there is a wide range of quality between "perfect" and "sh*tbox POS $20 Walmart" as some have posted. It's not only one or the other. I see compromises as others have, but I'm reserving my opinion until they're in hand. I also recall the early Heng Long products I've owned and see the improvements they've made over the years. Considering that a major part of this hobby is user modification like boards, radios, steel components, gearboxes, batteries, and IR upgrades to name a few, I'm not rushing to judgement.

[RichJohnson]

I recognized the name Gotz. I’ve seen him before and it stands out to me. I suspect he is a troll, especially since he would not elaborate logically as a person with merits would, Shoddy accusations without facts.
I am not excited about the Tongde models at this point. The people I have communicated with whom I cannot name have told me things I find idiotic and sad for tank model to be released at this point in time. I have not decided yet if I will even buy them. I had initially planned to purchase about 4 at the least to mix and match turrets etc to make the models I wanted. However at this point I will probably just buy one to fit my scale L7 gun barrel I’m producing into them for marketing purposes. I have my DKLM m60a3 so I don’t need it and may just buy and build another one eventually as they are quality models like Tamiya. But for now I blew my wad on another Hooben LOL. Yeah I guess I’m a masochist for buying another hooben after the Merkava project.

[SoCalBobS]

Wha'dja get? I think Hooben over reached themselves with bad decisions on the Merkava. So is it a T-55, or another Sherman?

Yeah, I had my suspicions about Gotz too.

[RichJohnson]

Yeah his name hit me and I’ve seen it before and it triggered my BS detector. The TD tanks have enough visual discrepancies combined with the surmised, they don’t need false hype. I try to be objective with my assessment of what I have seen, and what I have been told.

the Merkava is a fragile model, it’s really a bit too large to be 3d resin. It needs more support inside the body and turret. Which I added after breaks occurred. The wheel arms had a fatal flaw of a weak point where they would break. I demanded hooben work with me and they did, providing me 3d files to print new parts. I had those files modified to my design and made them on shapeways and they have performed flawlessly.
their radio is garbage. It malfunctioned and caused the tank to drive backward on my bench after firing and broke the neat stowage baskets when it first got it, which I just made new ones last week in brass finally. I have done other things on and on, still the rear of the top of the turret is sagging a bit. I feel I want to tear it down and heat it up again and raise it back a tad and brace it with steel bars like I did in the hull. But for now I, back to battle ready status with it.

being a fan of the leopard 1, I am currently building 3 more Tamiya tank kits. They are very costly and intensive to build into good reliable models like I did with my expiremental Lepard1A7 project. The a4 welded composite turrets are easy to build up. But I have two urethane round turrets to back date two models and that utter kit being a static design is proving increbily difficult even for me with my experience with urethane turrets having no internal stuff at all.

so along comes hooben offering a leopard 1a5. I communicated with them and know what to expect this time around. Also, they are offering 3d printed metal arms and sprockets upgrade which I opted for as it will solve a major endurance issue. The rest we will see. Should be here in January. Yes it was costly but I like the tank model and don’t think I will build one of those so I figured ide buy it. It’s probably largely a copy of the Tamiya. I’m looking forward to it. To me it’s a quality model that may have some weak points I may have to improve upon but I know I can for sure. Compared to the TD tanks which are toys not models.

[SoCalBobS]

Ohmigosh, I saw that 1a5! I remember that as one of my first Airfix kits. Congratulations, and start a thread when it arrives.

[Rubicon99]

Ohmigosh, I saw that 1a5! I remember that as one of my first Airfix kits. Congratulations, and start a thread when it arrives.

I thought Ruch was crazy when he told me he was buying the Hooben Leopard 1 but after we spoke in depth about it I can see why he is taking the plunge. Seems they actually have been listening to customer and offering the options and upgrades people are asking for all be it at additional cost.

The Hooben Leopard seems to check all the boxes needed to build a decent tank (adjustable idler, bearings in road wheels, metal lower hull, metal suspension arms, metal sprockets and so on) after the stock electronics are ripped out and replaced with something less akin to a toy.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that maybe 😬 this time Hooben has a winner like with their T55 because I would sure like to have a working Leopard 1 in my inventory again.

[SoCalBobS]

I found this site that shows the Centurion in more detail:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2-4G-Centurion-M-K-5_1600551893253.html

[RichJohnson]

He dropped some more photos on the fakebook.

[RichJohnson]

DKLM RC listed 20 preorders on his site yesterday and I missed out. I wasnt aware until too late. So for now, all we can surmise is they are coming and some people will get them maybe by january so we will have to watch out for posts. Did any one here snag a preorder?

[SoCalBobS]

Not me. By the way, anybody have experience on what DKLM charges for shipping for something like that?

[Rubicon99]

Not me. By the way, anybody have experience on what DKLM charges for shipping for something like that?

It’s high but they send most thing via air.

[RichJohnson]

I think shipping on my M60 kit was 100 bucks or so. I just bought a small box from Japan, say transmitter size. It was 120 to ship it via air.

[SoCalBobS]

Yeah, I just checked his site. So $165 for the tank, shipping is by air so total $260ish.

Rubber tires, adjustable idler, front & rear lights, option for metal gearbox in the future.

Interesting to see real details.

[RichJohnson]

Dont hold your breath for the option of the metal gear box in the future.

[SoCalBobS]

Que sera, sera...

[RichJohnson]

Someone I know in Asia got one already.
He tried to fit HL tranys in. They do not fit at all. Here is his assessment photos.
Probably going to have to make a false support base in the bottom of the hull and then drill out and bolt through the bottom of the hull to upgrade the tranys.

[Rubicon99]

Someone I know in Asia got one already.
He tried to fit HL tranys in. They do not fit at all. Here is his assessment photos.
Probably going to have to make a false support base in the bottom of the hull and then drill out and bolt through the bottom of the hull to upgrade the tranys.

Aside from the issues with having to try and install aftermarket gearboxes there is another obvious issue. The longest drive shafts available are 59mm. Even with these the shafts will be to short to achieve proper sprocket to track alinement. I suspect TD saw this during development and it is way they ended up not using a HL style of gearbox and would also not comment officially saying HL style of gearboxes would be directed drop in or easily fit when asked numerous times.

DKLM had this same issue with their first M60 and had to add a lengthening spacer between the shaft and sprocket hub to enable the use of HL/Taigen gearboxes. Even with this the DKLM M60 had track to sprocket issues because the sprockets do not fit as tightly as they should and wobbled.

The solution some end users had to do was to have longer one piece shafts custom made, but this is not an option for the majority of folks that will be wanting to upgrade the gearboxes in the TD M60.

[SoCalBobS]

Wednesday Dec 7th; Just bought an M60A1 w/ERA from DKLM RC. Cost was $175 + $119 shipping. Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants. DKLM lists all three M60's and the Centurion. Go to tank kits, Tongde. At that shipping rate, I'm expecting air freight.

Edit: although DKLM's site indicated a successful purchase, on his Facebook page he mentions the tanks are available for pre-order. I'll update as I hear more.