Wannabe RC Tanker. New here, with HL questions.

[Kernel_Clinq]

Hey y'all from Texas! I'm a wannabe RC tanker, and new to HobbySquawk. Got into micro-helis a few years ago, but I'm not very good. I'm tired of flying for 3 minutes between battery changes, breaking parts & waiting weeks for replacements. Ordering from AliExpress and dealing with the manufacturer's resellers has been at times annoying. I've been burned on returns to Banggood sellers in China.

I think tanks are more appropriate for my rural property: lots of wooded trails, small sandy pasture, hardpack gravel road, and flagstone paths around the house. Tanks don't fly away and get stuck in trees (if found at all), and don't care so much about weather. I could even run a tank in the house without fear of hitting the ceiling fan, or knocking lamps off tables.

I've been doing a lot of research on numerous vendor sites, forums, and reddit. For my first tank, I'm on the fence between Heng Long's M26 Pershing and their M41 Walker Bulldog. If it turns out I really like RC Tanking, I might move into a larger more modern/relevant tank like Abrams, Leo2s, Merkava.

Here's a summary of what I *think* is important to me, but I'm seeking your input:

• * I want something I can run right away, runs long, and doesn't require a ton of maintenance & repair. But if something does break, or needs upgrading, parts are available.
• * I'm more of a "buy once, cry once" guy, but I don't want to spend on upgrades up front which will never benefit my needs/wants.
• * I'm not a stickler for scale details (e.g. Pershing gun too short), but I do want the tank to look authentic. I haven't touched model paint for decades, but could pick it back up if I decide to spruce it up later on.
• * Scale MOVEMENT is more important to me. So having a 360-degree turret seems important, but the barrel recoil mod it seems is a bit hokey.
• * I understand metal tracks and running gear adds durability, especially in sand, gravel, concrete. Does the added weight help with scale movement? Like keeping the model more "planted" during neutral steering and a nice forward rocking during heavy braking? (I probably won't wait too long before painting/blueing the tracks)
• * Shooting BBs at beer cans & stuff seems like fun, but less important than good sound & the stuff I mentioned above.
• * IR battling is totally unimportant to me because I'm a lone-wolf. If I get a second tank, and the 1% chance my wife gets interesed after she's done rolling her eyes, then maybe that'll be a thing (LOL)

So given this, what do you experienced folks have to say?

P.S. I'll be posting specific questions about the Pershing and Bulldog in their respective threads.

All the best,

Kernel_Cling, the ironic bumbling Stalag 13 commander.

[Rubicon99]

Hey y'all from Texas! I'm a wannabe RC tanker, and new to HobbySquawk. Got into micro-helis a few years ago, but I'm not very good. I'm tired of flying for 3 minutes between battery changes, breaking parts & waiting weeks for replacements. Ordering from AliExpress and dealing with the manufacturer's resellers has been at times annoying. I've been burned on returns to Banggood sellers in China.

I think tanks are more appropriate for my rural property: lots of wooded trails, small sandy pasture, hardpack gravel road, and flagstone paths around the house. Tanks don't fly away and get stuck in trees (if found at all), and don't care so much about weather. I could even run a tank in the house without fear of hitting the ceiling fan, or knocking lamps off tables.

I've been doing a lot of research on numerous vendor sites, forums, and reddit. For my first tank, I'm on the fence between Heng Long's M26 Pershing and their M41 Walker Bulldog. If it turns out I really like RC Tanking, I might move into a larger more modern/relevant tank like Abrams, Leo2s, Merkava.

Here's a summary of what I *think* is important to me, but I'm seeking your input:

• * I want something I can run right away, runs long, and doesn't require a ton of maintenance & repair. But if something does break, or needs upgrading, parts are available.
• * I'm more of a "buy once, cry once" guy, but I don't want to spend on upgrades up front which will never benefit my needs/wants.
• * I'm not a stickler for scale details (e.g. Pershing gun too short), but I do want the tank to look authentic. I haven't touched model paint for decades, but could pick it back up if I decide to spruce it up later on.
• * Scale MOVEMENT is more important to me. So having a 360-degree turret seems important, but the barrel recoil mod it seems is a bit hokey.
• * I understand metal tracks and running gear adds durability, especially in sand, gravel, concrete. Does the added weight help with scale movement? Like keeping the model more "planted" during neutral steering and a nice forward rocking during heavy braking? (I probably won't wait too long before painting/blueing the tracks)
• * Shooting BBs at beer cans & stuff seems like fun, but less important than good sound & the stuff I mentioned above.
• * IR battling is totally unimportant to me because I'm a lone-wolf. If I get a second tank, and the 1% chance my wife gets interesed after she's done rolling her eyes, then maybe that'll be a thing (LOL)

So given this, what do you experienced folks have to say?

P.S. I'll be posting specific questions about the Pershing and Bulldog in their respective threads.

All the best,

Kernel_Cling, the ironic bumbling Stalag 13 commander.

The simple answer is get the Pershing. It is more reliable overall than the M41.

Scale performance is more accurate with the Pershing yet still a bit fast at full throttle.

Both are even money when it comes to shooting BBs.

Run time can be greatly increased by simply buying a higher capacity battery.

In modern tanks the Merkava is a top choice. HengLong finally got a modern tank right with their Merkava. Runs great, reliable and best detail of any Heng Long tank.

[SoCalBobS]

First off, tanks are like potato chips - you can never stop at just one!
Mindset: most of us love tinkering - maintaining, repairing, upgrading, repainting, etc. It's a big part, maybe majority, of what we do. Look it as a fun thing to do, not an obligation, and you'll increase your fun.
As R99 says, the Pershing is a great tank, one of the most reliable in my inventory.
Heng Long is the best overall company for aftermarket parts support. Many other manufacturers don't have a real CS pipeline, or are single sourced.
The battery that is supplied stock has an about 1800mah capacity. Motion RC sells 3500mah and 7200mah batteries that are the same size.
There is a tradeoff regarding size. The Pershing is a medium size model. Most modern tanks are larger, which can pose its own issues, but not always. Tank hulls are mostly plastic, designed originally for the weight of plastic wheels and tracks. Having metal tracks and wheels can add stress on the hull.

Anyway, welcome to the club, if you buy in.

[Too Many Hobbies]

I have 6 HL tanks ATM. I agree, helis are not fun and suck on a windy day.

Shooting BB's out the tank is way more fun than you realize...lol. (FWIW, My Abrams shoots ridiculously far.)

You can't go wrong with any Heng Long tank. They are amazing. If you get the Leopard or Abrams, you'd be happy to find the battery hatch is on the top which is super convenient. If you like tanks even a little, expect to have several before you know it.

I always ditch the included batteries and use my 1800mah lipos.

For your property also consider RC cars and /or crawlers. (Crawlers are slow/sure footed RC trucks.). Redcat makes a fantastic Scout II Crawler truck.

[MrChef]

Welcome to this forum as welll Kernel Clinq. There's a solid group of knowledgeable tankers here that are already sharing their running and building experience.

I look forward to see you happily tanking with whatever you choose.

[RichJohnson]

I you would like the Pershing Merkava or M60 pro editions. They would run good and hold up well on your property.
and helis are a lot of fun. Start small blade 235 or so. Then work up. I now fly a 1/16 Huey around my tanks at a battle.

If you get into the tanks we are here to help you