New to subject - best 1/72 quality?

KyleBragger

Hey there. Build aircraft primarily and new to armor. Curious who, from a quality standpoint, has the best 1/72 armor kits right now. Talking in terms of e.g. flash free molding quality, detail, fit, etc. Thanks!

 

This is a loaded question and any answer you get could be useless. Tops are Revell and Dragon, BUT both of these companies have some bad kits in their lines. Revell has reissued some old Matchbox and Hasegawa and some of their first kits were poor (M4A1, StuG IV, T-80).

Dragon's first kits were problem plagued but many are now nice. Some of their DS tracks deteriorated untouched in the box, some did not. Many of their diecast hulls crumbled after time, but many of the kits were reissued without metal hulls.

Now the useless part of the answer also depends on what you like to build. Both of those companies could not be of any interest to you if they don't make the subjects you like.

A better way to ask this question is "what is the best/good (fill in tank model) to get?" Or, "I like building 1/72 scale Shermans, what are my options?"

In other words, look for the subject you want. Dragon may be the answer for one tank, Revell for another and Trumpeter for another. Academy even makes some nice kits, but their range is small and limited to some US kits and some German airfield stuff.

Cool, I appreciate your reply. I didn't ask in terms of best kit for (subject) only because I really don't have any preference one way or another.

Tamiya, of course, offers very high quality kits.  You can't go wrong with that brand.  But I don't know if they offer 1/72 scale.

Cadet Chuck

Tamiya, of course, offers very high quality kits.  You can't go wrong with that brand.  But I don't know if they offer 1/72 scale.

 

They do not, but their 1/48 kits are great. Top quality, if not always the best detailed. Hobby Boss has some 1/48 kits that include photo etch that are really nice.

Another company not mentioned was Zvezda. They also have some really good 1/72 subjects.

Hi KyleBragger,

In my humble opinion these are the top three that best satisfy your concerns.

1. Flyhawk

2. Dragon

3. Revell

If you really want to do some research look into henkofholland. This site contains information of pretty much all 1/72 manufacturers old and new and is updated frequently.

Good luck..

Italeri has a range of 1/72 armour but many are repops of Esci kits from the late 70's - mid 80's. The later Esci kits were among the first wave of kits with link and length tracks and had simplified details to accomodate. Things like doubled  road wheels moulded as a single double-width unit without a space in between and little bumps for guide horn (if present at all).

You are going to get a lot of opinions no matter the subject. The best thing for you is take the chance and choose what you want - not what everyone else tells you.

Better yet, go to scalemates.com and do your own research and decide for yourself.

Yes, Scalemates is an amazing resource. I use it to learn about the kits I've already purchased lol.

I'm always buying kits in the moment.

KyleBragger

Cool, I appreciate your reply. I didn't ask in terms of best kit for (subject) only because I really don't have any preference one way or another.

 

Then I suggest you peruse the reviews at On The Way, a modeling site dedicated to 1/72 sale armor. It is probably the most comprehensive site for all things 1/72 (armor kits, accessories, diorama, etc.). 

http://www.onthewaymodels.com/

You will also find that kits are cross boxed and reboxed. For instance, old Esci kits are now Italeri kits. When Revell started their 1/72 scale line, the exact same kits were released in both Matchbox and Monogram boxes. Trumpeter also reboxes kits by Pit Road and Pegasus.

Use caution when purchasing some kits; kits designed for wargaming usually have more robust engineering and one piece track and suspension units. They are sometimes called "quick build" or "fast build".

I find questions like this kind of odd, especially in 'Braille' scale. There really is no one manufacturer that makes top shelf kits of every piece of armor you could ever want. They all have duds in their lines, besides the gems. 

It's a better question to decide on a subject, and inquire on available kits, and their quality. There may be several that are suitable if you're looking at Shermans, but if you want a 1/72 M103 Heavy Tank, the Dragon kit is your only option in plastic. So it doesn't really matter whether it is 'good' or not (it's not, btw), it's all there is. 

Besides Rob's suggestion of the On The Way website, visit an affiliate of that site, http://henk.fox3000.com too, where there are even more pics and info.