Hi All,

I have really only built Tamiya models lately and was wondering how some of the other companies stack up.

Anyone want to throw out their top 5 (or top whatever size) list of model companies and why.

Thanks,
Ghengis

Tamiya is the king, but they get lazy. They toss in a new sprue with an outdated kit and charge $35-40 for it.

Some good armor kit companies are:

Skybow, great soft skins and a nice Bulldog

AFV Club, great kits, selection is growing

DML, newer kits are really good, older ones are hit and miss

Revell of Germany/Italeri, generally decent kits, some are superb (just a few), wide variety of subjects not kitted by others, they skimp on detail here and there

Academy, all grown up and giving Tamiya a run for its money, they made their mark by copying Tamiya kits and selling them for half the price, newer kits are Tamiya quality

Trumpeter, another copier of kits, but they grew up faster and started producing their own good quality kits (not great), they still tend to borrow heavily from other's works

Of course I haven't mentioned any of the Eastern European companies like Zvezda, Alan, Start, RPM, Mirage, CMK, which all have a few good kits. I left out Heller, they never did do a decent armor model. Esci did some nice stuff, but Italeri owns their molds now.

Not in order, and pertaining to figure companies:
Verlinden: Tons of 120MM and larger figures, subjects keep coming. Now where's the GW2 stuff.
Warrirors: Awsome sculpting and nice subjects
SOL: Great detail and sculpting, little clean up, affordable prices, and wide-range of figures.
S&T: Can't beat these figures, top-of-the-line
John Smith Modelbeau/Alpha Images (tie) : Terrific WWI figures from John Smith, and Alpha turns out nice figures and LISTENS to their customers (including through this forum)!!!

For aircraft, the best IMHO is Accurate Miniatures. Some have described their kits as taking the real aircraft and shrinking it down to scale.

Then Tamiya and Hasegawa.

Hi Porkchop.

I have a couple Warrior figures and agree that the detail is excellent. Where do you find S&T figures? Do you have any internet sites for them. I'd be interested in checking them out.

Thanks,
Ghengis

1, AFV Club
2. Academy
3. Tamiya
4.DML
5. Italeri
6. Skybow

I have a soft spot for Italeri, but I also like Tamiya, and DML. I don't get out much and have to say that I haven't built any Skybow, AFV Club or Academy kits yet. The verdict is still out on Hobby Fan, but with a current subject of theirs in motion, I'm not too impressed. Verlinden is ok in my book.

I rate Tamiya and Italeri about equal at the top. Tamiya´s more recent kits are excellent and would be worthy of the title, but they keep on reissueing older kits with bad mistakes and poor parts and figures. Price of the new kits and and most reisuues can be a bit much. I have always liked italeri ..... great subject range and unbeatable price. Some excellent kits can be found in their range also. Dragon are slowly coming up behind with their newer kits, but older kits and their price range are a bit dodgy. They are my #1 for injected figures. Academy were a let down, but after some of their newer kits, I am starting to believe. AFV are quite good, but availability and lack of my experience of them have kept them out of the top flight. Revell have some very interesting subjects as well, and could compare to Italeri a lot. Have only built a few kits from them. Everything else I have only read about and never built anything by so i wont pass judgement!!

Tamiya......;you guys are right, they are indeed getting lazy though with the reissues. They give me one piece track. Newer kits are top notch.

Dragon/DML/Snaghai.......consistent quality & value, although I often prefer to have one piece track.

Academy......working on their Stewart....very nice fit and detail.

Italeri........newer kits are high quality, unique subjects, good value

Fruilmodel for those kick-#@* tracks

Hey WONG:
Check either Red Lancers http://www.redlancers.com or Michaigan Toy Solider Co (don't let the name fool ya) www.michtoy.com

Hi all..

1) Tamiya for their ease of assembly...

2 DML for their great detail and lots of peices.

3 Academy for nice looking kits..(starting my first one now.)

4 Italeri.... I liked the duck but some of the other stuff leaves me cold.

5 Monogram's Pro-Modeler seriers.....

I only rated companys I have personal knowledge of.

Plastic (not in any particular order):
Tamiya - great new kits, decent old kits, I hate the rubber band tracks though
DML - good kits minus some older duds, but they need to work on the ejector pin marks
AFV Club - really nice stuff; their m3a3 really has set the bar
Fine Molds - better than even Tamiya in terms of detail and fit, but most people don't care for their subject matter
Academy - old kits sucked, but the new stuff is pretty good
Tri-Star (well at least their first and only kit so far is great)

Resin (not in any particular order):
Chesapeake Model Designs - the most consistant quality that I've come across
Resicast - great stuff and great customer service
Tiger Model Designs - really nice detailing sets
Tiger Werke - first full kit is superb
Armo - wonderful kits, conversions, and detailing sets

For armor,

Tamiya (new releases, ,not re-pops with an extra sprue..) Leo 2A5 and Type 90 outstanding kits! Easy assembly, clear instructions, relatively well documented and accurate.

DML/Dragon/Shanghai Dragon most of the newest stuff is first rate
plusses individual track links, re-tooling older inaccurate kits (Tamiya-san are you listening), interesting idea with the photo instructions, still needs some tweeking.
downside all german all the time lately.. slowed down their aggressive release schedule

Academy interesting mix of modern subjects, lots of M113 variaints and IDF stuff, new tooling kits have several options in one box (Nam M113) rubberband AND indie links too..
downsides HUGE ejector pin marks inside hatch faces...cruddy figures

AFV Club well molded tiny (almost too tiny) parts, interesting modern releases.
downside expensive!! some not released in US (hummer w Mk19, not impossible to get, just difficult)

Italeri a distant runner up in my book.
so -so soft details, poor assembly/fit, repops of older other mfg kits..
eeennnhhh... leaves me feeling so-so..

Helos

Academy/MRC really needs help with engineering ,assembly sequence, parts breakdown, lack of positive parts lock into place fit, coupled with the sequence has left me with a part that hangs something else up 5 steps later and not knowing it until the glue has dried.

Those #$!@#$!#%^ Blackhawk seats and the instruments on the Kiowa interfere with the canopy..

Still releasing 1/35th helos..

Trumpeter
I've only seen the Hound built up, looks great, lots of parts, well detailed.
Bring on the HIND!

Panda
Finally a Huey D.. simplified parts breakdown (anti-MRC here) but positive fit for most.
some wrong details in the D (scaled up Italeri N?)
But I'm about to finish one and the MRC hueys are still part builts...


1/35th Figures (plastic)
DML/Tristar.. maybe I'm biased, I LIKE late war germans...
monding detail and facial features, seperate heads for ease of resin replacement.
those famous DML weapons.. lots of modern stuff too DML ( we want more!)
Tri star seperate Kar 98 bolts! whoda thunk it...

Tamiya fading fast.. still nicely molded, but not as many or as nice as the others.


Aftermarket

Go back to the pinch links Fruil, or at least send 'handed sets'
Eduard getting better all the time, love the color instructions, love the re-issues. The difference between Scud interior set 1 and the new release is staggering! and very nice barrels. Ditch the PE zimmerit or make it less regular.
Aber , What can I say, PE for the psychotic! love those screens.
Finemolds clear periscopes. yes!
Model Point modern replacement barrels, whoo-hoo! yes! bring the price down...
Karya love those cables..
Archer, you guys rock! love the zimmerit designed idea. Looks great!
Cavalier excellent resin zimmerit!

back to work..

Mike

In no particular order
1: Academy
2:Tamiya
3:Afv club
4:Revell
5:Trumpeter (purely cos they do kits that no one else does but quality varies AS90 = Good kit Challenger II nowhere near as good.
I haven't included DML in the list purely because i have never made one of their kits.
All the Best
Peter

In personal peference: 1) AFV Club (not the biggest range but what they have is imaginative and well-thought out) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (5 piggies)

2) Academy ,they are beginning to show a lot of imagination in their choice of subject, allied vehicles are now getting better coverage (++) (++) (++) (++) (4 piggies)

3) Dragon, though not noted for their devotion to the allied cause I will give them: (++) (++) (++) (3 piggies)

4) Tamiya. Big catalogue, however they are getting frighteningly expensive,some beautiful pieces but still too keen to recycle rather than re-mould. Sorry, Tamiya-San, only
(++) (++) (two little piggies)

5) Italeri. Some signs of imagination in their choice of subjects but not enough, (++) (++) (++) (3 piggies) At least they're cheap enough to kit-bash....

Figures. 1) the creme de la creme has to be Hornet. (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) ( a massive porcine vote there)

2) Ultracast. a lot of brit/commonwealth out there for the discerning modeller. only three little porkers for some variable quality.... (++) (++) (++)

3) Warriors. Some really beautiful pieces but a leetle expensive for my taste. Again 3 porkers. (++) (++) (++)

4) verlinden. Huge range of figures but very variable in quality and creating a monopoly in certain countries. Sorry Francois, only two (++) (++)

Jim

hey jimbrae!only 3 (++) for ultracast??One of the only companies providing little fellas clad in khaki,and i've found their headsets superb and the poses natural and realistic (tank commander in pixiesuit sat in his turret is outstanding!) Resicast have some good figures,but have you seen the heads of their recent paratroops??Definitely a call to Hornet,and i agree with you as to their quality

[quote] I left out Heller, they never did do a decent armor model.[quote]

sorry Sabot but there GMC cargo in 1/35 is not too bad a build. equivalent of Italeri with a lot more detail in the chassis and it has an engine and a seperate bonnet that Tamiya does not have!

But tamiya's newer kits are excellent as are Skybows and I have no complaints about the Italeri DUKW. I am not happy with CMK kits and to be honest apart from one Revell Germany kit (Opel Maultier) I have not built a lot of other manufacturers kits.

:-)

Well heres mine not in any order

for Armor:
AFV Club
Academy
Skybow
Tamiya

Figures:
Verlinden
Hobby Fan
Tamiya
Legend
ADV
Coree

Converesions:
Hobby Fan
Verlinden
Legend

Mike

I have pretty much only built Tamiya, DML, and Academy. And before I give my run-down, I must say that I am not a guy who breaks out the calipers or looks for exact historical likeness. If its close enough, it works for me.

The old Tamiya kits (motorized ones) suck in my opinion. They are okay if you want to put the time and effort into them. The newer stuff is great though.

DML pretty good kits too...the more recent ones anyway. My only qualm is with the multi-peiced indy-links. The ones on the Jagd-Tiger are 6-7 peices for each link. I don't mind the Panther links..great....just tedious..not bad in a quality sense. Nice reasonably priced figure kits. $8 for decent figures is better than $15+ for a pair of great figures.

I like Academy, sure they might copy but, they are cheaper and offer more in the way of interior detail. Even if you don't see it, you still know it is there. Really like the M-10. Need to build a couple more of them. Wish they offered more.

Have tried only one Trumpeter, the big 155mm British Howitzer. Was pleasantly surprised for a $20 kit. I don't normally build Modern stuff, but being in the Air Force and the whole OIF kinda sparked that fire.

As far as AFV Club, haven't tried em yet....looking to, any suggestions on a kit. Was thinking of M3A3??

All the other "smaller" companies are typically too expensive for my taste. While I would love to build a Munitions Panzer for my Karl, the $80 for the conversion kit + cost of the actual Panzer IV kit is way to much for me (my wife would insist on a divorce, or take my WRX away, and I don't want either of those things to happen)

Just my 2 pennies worth

Jason