Hi newbie here. Looking to back into military modelling - tanks mostly.

Which is 'best ' kits to buy. Tamiya, Airfix, Revell ? What length will a for example a 1/35 Chieftain be

thanks (silly Qs I know but we all start somewhere !)

Welcome aboard!
There is no single answer to the question about best kit.
IF the one and only kit for a specific subject is produced by a company which only make half-bad kits then it is by definition the "best" (since it is the only) kit of that subject. If you ask about it you might get the answer to run away from it and build something else.
If there are many manufacturers of kits for a specific subject then we can get into details about that specific subject. The love/hate of individual track links (I love them and hate rubber band tracks but everyone has their own opinion ) can be a critical factor in this type of "beauty contest".
Some kits may be easier to build while others are real pains BUT have better detailing and accuracy.
So, the answer is: Ask about a specific subject and you will get an answer.

Size of 1/35 Chieftain: Almost 10.5 cm wide, the hull is almost 21.5 cm long, the barrel sticks out almost 7 cm behind the hull when the turret is turned to the rear and approximately 9 cm with the gun facing forward. Total length with gun straight ahead is almost 31 cm. Height to top of commanders MG is 8.5 cm.
Measured on the old, and slightly confused, Tamiya kit.
Get one of the Takom kits since they are better. It has indy link tracks so if this is an issue for you you may want to consider another kit.

The best place to get answers about tanks and afv's is in the Armor/AFV forum:
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewforum&forum_id=5&page=1

If you ask about a specific subject in this forum I may decide to move your post to a forum where your chances of getting a good answer are better.
The Modeling in General is mostly for questions like 'Should I assemble or paint first?'.
Asking for the number of links in the track on the right hand side of a Pz IV is definitely over in Armor/AFV and the length of the rotor blades of a helicopter goes to rotary wings.
Most members check more than one forum but the chances of a quick answer are better if the question is asked in the suitable forum.

Cheers / Robin

Edit: and there is a specific forum for posting introductions
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewforum&forum_id=33&page=1
/ Robin

I can't tell you all the good kits as there are a lot of good kits from many manufacturers: Meng, Takom, Trumpeter, Border Models, Rye Field, AFV Club, Dragon. But one model line you should avoid is Dragon Black Label. Search the site for black label and prepare to be horrified, the forums have a lot of info on them. If you got your hands on one it might make give up the hobby again.

Tamiya will always have good kits, easy to build.

Look around have fun and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Welcome back to the fold first of all.

I would suggest starting on something by Tamiya to get a reasonable model without much in the way of issues and can be had reasonably cheaply to start getting your skills back together.

A 1/35th scale chieftain will be about 10 inches.

Welcome, John! Lots to be learned from the conversations. Looking forward to seeing your work in the future.

Asking a room full of modelers 'which is the best kit' is a great way to start a rumble!

That said, I have to echo Darren's recommendation. For anyone getting started, Tamiya kits are consistently high quality and an excellent compromise of detail and ease of assembly.

Welcome to the hobby.
I started out my scalemodelling with kits off Revell.
They were at that time availlable at local toy stores.
There I was discovering in time that I wanted to build World War II kits.
What size the models have, is displayed on the box I believe.
They most off the time display it in millimeters.
And what do I prefer? I like Tamiya, they have good kits and don't have that much problems when building.

Must say in advance, I'm again active on this forum afters some months off inactiveness, so if it looks a bit meassy what I'm typing, forgive me. Like you said, everyone has to start somewhere.

Thanks folks. Another Q. Where to buy?? Ebay or city based specialist model shop. Re price

Welcome aboard! Your question really depends on “what” and “where” you’re buying. There are many specialist craftsman kits (Resin, Photo Etch [PE] and out of production kits [OOP] that can fetch high prices on both Ebay and at local shops. Even some of the newer releases can get expensive regardless of where you buy. I’m not sure what the import cost and taxes are for the U.K., but even here in the States, on-line purchases are incurring additional tax and postage fees which can drive up the price, so sometimes, the Local Hobby Shop (LHS) can be a better deal, depending on how far away they are. Bottom line: Shop around.

And remember, by their nature, all kits are by their nature “limited run” (although many are more “limited run” than others) so if you really want something, be aware you may not be able to get it in the future, although this seems to apply more to aircraft and ship kits than armor, it can still apply with some manufacturers, especially the smaller Asian or East European based manufacturers. good luck, and have fun!
VR, Russ

If you ask me, it depends on where you live.
Like the others say, you have to look around what is best option for you.
I'm buying my modelling stuff exclusively online, because there is no modelling shop in my area that are close enough to go to.
If this is also the case in your situation, I would suggest to look online for a good modelling webshop.
I don't know how it is organized in the UK? But here in the Netherlands, I believe it is always good to look at how long an modelling shop already exists.
And look on internet for reviews, to get an indication where you can best buy.
You could look on Shamrock Maastricht. They do international sales if I'm correct. Or Modelbouw Krikke, if you are interested.

Have fun with your future projects. And don't hesitate to ask more questions.