What is the #1 thing you hate about Tamiya?

[Dirt-540 68]

On 6/3/2017 at 1:39 AM, tamiya_1971 said:

Buying a tree of parts for one part and having 10 of the same trees less that one part. If it breaks that often, offer an upgraded part!

Totally agree with tamiya_1971  Maybe a tree with lots of the same part is a good idea.

My other gripe is new models are rarely cars that I have a passion for in the 1/1 version. And when they do its poly bodies and not ABS... 

Come on Tamiya stop cashing in and start pioneering!

[Saito2 6686]

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[Carrera124 80]

I dislike the poor quality of the lexan bodies. The'll crack even if you look sharp at them, the slightest impact makes them broken.

On the other hand, there are my ECX Torments. Both suffered multiple crash and rollovers. Both bodies have lots of scratches and damaged stickers, but not one single crack.

I wish that Tamiya would use such high-quality lexan as ECX / Horizon Hobby does.

[Fuijo 880]

5 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Heck, I can even deal with fake sponsor decals to cut cost.

 

They're not cutting costs, those would be new costs. You didn't have to pay to give companies free advertising back then.

 

Marketing departments used to be content with their brand-name becoming as familiar as possible to as many people as possible.

These days they're a little more targeted/mercenary (take your pick) and very particular about where their brand is displayed.

 

Tamiya kits were comically expensive in the eighties. Imagine how much extra they would have been if they had to actually pay for all those sponsor decals.

How times change eh? Most people I knew had to wait until they were old enough to earn their own money to buy an RC car, which usually meant they

didn't get one until the age of 13-14 at the earliest. These days people seem happy to spend 500 or so on RC cars, phones, consoles etc for their 5-year-olds.

[Jonathon Gillham 4607]

1 hour ago, Fuijo said:

Tamiya kits were comically expensive in the eighties. Imagine how much extra they would have been if they had to actually pay for all those sponsor decals.

How times change eh? Most people I knew had to wait until they were old enough to earn their own money to buy an RC car, which usually meant they

didn't get one until the age of 13-14 at the earliest. These days people seem happy to spend 500 or so on RC cars, phones, consoles etc for their 5-year-olds.

This is so true, I think that the price is still the same as it was back then. I bought my first 2 cars secondhand, had to sell the first to fund the second, and then I saved so hard to spend about $350 on a package to race, then had to save for a new battery so i had 2 new ones and one old one for race nights. My son is 4 now and is planning his 3rd car. The big difference is I probably earn (at least did until I sold that business to start a new one) about 7 times what my dad did in nominal terms, so the money doesn't really matter like it did. Win for Tamiya if they are still making a profit on their current pricing.

My only gripe is bearings, I pay $1.50 each for them so not a big cost and the service is great, I email him the model and he researches and sends me what i need, but its the timing of getting them to arrive before a kit does. I'm sure with tamiya's volume they would be far cheaper if included, and they really are essential. Oh well, my last car I ballraced in the 90s cost me $120 so at least its now 10s of dollars. That was on top of the $350 package price, how times have changed!

[TheMidnight Pumpkin 260]

9 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

This is so true, I think that the price is still the same as it was back then. I bought my first 2 cars secondhand, had to sell the first to fund the second, and then I saved so hard to spend about $350 on a package to race, then had to save for a new battery so i had 2 new ones and one old one for race nights. My son is 4 now and is planning his 3rd car. The big difference is I probably earn (at least did until I sold that business to start a new one) about 7 times what my dad did in nominal terms, so the money doesn't really matter like it did. Win for Tamiya if they are still making a profit on their current pricing.

My only gripe is bearings, I pay $1.50 each for them so not a big cost and the service is great, I email him the model and he researches and sends me what i need, but its the timing of getting them to arrive before a kit does. I'm sure with tamiya's volume they would be far cheaper if included, and they really are essential. Oh well, my last car I ballraced in the 90s cost me $120 so at least its now 10s of dollars. That was on top of the $350 package price, how times have changed!

I believe they will eventually include the bearings, if we the consumers demand it. Look at the old days of the "arc welder" speed controllers. Everyone hated those, so eventually they upgraded all the kits to have the electronic speed controllers. I believe the crappy plastic bearings are on the way out.

On the price topic, yeah they used to be stupid expensive by comparison. I mean an OG, R10 was the same kind of money. But it gave you a much tougher and faster aluminum platform to begin with. But I believe they solved their problems by moving the manufacturing to China over them being made strictly in Japan. Not to mention all the fan support from guys like us. We buy shelf loads of Tamiya's, where as the regular RC guys * might * own one random Tamiya model. They are doing things right to keep their brand and business going strong. I just wish they would offer all their kits, all the time. I.E. stop discontinuing models! There's some oldies that I wanna buy and I refuse to paid stupid excessive old stock ebay prices for them.

[danb1974 93]

Friction shocks (bearings - there are a few popular sizes like 1150, 1050, 850, get a bunch of each and you're set).

[Hobbimaster 190]

Yes, on ball bearings! I get rubber sealed ones from RPP hobby for .85 each for a 5x11 size, so it should not cost too much more for a set in the kit. Friction shocks should be thing of the past. I cannot see anyone on here asking please re-release friction shocks for a kit from the 80's  Come on Tamiya, modernize the entire line-up! Why did my $100 Lunch box kit have pre-cut decals, but my $200 Top force kit decals have to be cut out, and no masking for the windows either? 

[GregM 1109]

Regarding ball bearings, I don't think they'll become standard for entry level Tamiya cars and re-releases. Rather they are the occasional bonus parts thrown in by the local Tamiya distributors.

The electronic speed controllers we see in our Tamiya R/C kits for a decade now are bonus parts, too. Tamiya customers in Japan don't get any speed controllers at all.

See also the CVA oil damper bonus parts for the DT-03 Neo Fighter Buggy and DT-03 Racing Fighter Buggy. The Japanese DT-03 kits don't have these, if I remember correctly - please correct me if I'm wrong. So I assume these have been added by the distributors by popular demand. I like that!

Why is that? I guess this comes from the mentality of Tamiya's Japanese customer demographic, seeing hopping up your car with option parts as being an exciting and mandatory part of your build. For us though, I think this isn't everybodies cup of tea, and something as elementary - and obligatory - as ball bearings should better be included with the kit, period.

 

So if there's one thing that the local Tamiya distributors could do for their customer base... please make ball bearing bonus parts a common thing, just as it was done with the electronic speed controllers. I personally would even go as far and drop the speed controller in favour of full ball bearing sets and let the customers themselves decide what ESC to use, since you need to buy other radio gear - receiver, transmitter, steering servo, battery - seperately anyway.

[taffer 948]

Yes drop the esc from the kit and create a new version that's at least 15 turn capability! (The teu-302bk was is old now and still expensive)

[Jonathon Gillham 4607]

8 hours ago, taffer said:

Yes drop the esc from the kit and create a new version that's at least 15 turn capability! (The teu-302bk was is old now and still expensive)

Funny you say that, I was really frustrated with the TBLE-02S when i first got it in a kit as I didn't really know what to do, stay brushed but be limited to pretty high turns or try brushless. Brushless was definitely the right choice, you can pick up the motors for reasonable prices from Hobbyking etc. I have since bought a bunch more of them as I think they are great value for money since they can also run a silver can/torque tuned which is plenty for my son. A great all-rounder!

[taffer 948]

Yes but for a re-re I think it looks out of place, a super stock bx, rz or tz looks much nicer (it's also good to have an all black sport tuned  sometimes)

[Jonathon Gillham 4607]

5 minutes ago, taffer said:

Yes but for a re-re I think it looks out of place, a super stock bx, rz or tz looks much nicer (it's also good to have an all black sport tuned  sometimes)

Haha true, my Boomerang looked a bit odd with a bright red trackstar motor sticking out...so I did the decent thing and bought an Ultima RB6.6 to put that motor in and put a torque tuned in the Boomerang...

I did look at the Super Stocks for the rere's but it all sounded too hard since they need maintenance so stayed away from them.

A rebranded programmable esc and brushless motor included would be cool too, so they can be stupid fast out of the box!

[taffer 948]

in my Thundershot, I let the motor cool down between batteries and running time is how long a 3000mah will last and I have done 40hours ish until the brushes needed replacing and the comm cleaning, a little effort for a lot of running! Brushes are cheap as well

[HereBeMonsters 9]

I wish you could get a factory prepared body with the kit, so you still get to build it and know how it all works and fits together, but don't have to faff about with paint and stickers and cutting bodies.

[Cesco 187]

It is already mentioned, but I have the same problem in the Netherlands. Parts.

You just can hardly get any over here and if you do, you pay loads more for them. For 99% I have to buy parts in other countries.

And even that seems to be getting harder and harder. Tamico is my main supplier now, but I always have to plan what I need. They have a lot but not everything on stock. And the shipping costs are kinda high if you only need one part. Seidel doesn't ship abroad anymore. Stella seems to have less and less on stock. Modelsport is sometimes a supplier for me.

Bying from US stores translates often in high shipping costs, long delivery times and change on extra costs once the package hits the border.

Hongkong stores like RCMart are a regular supplier for both my Tamiya and Traxxas cars. Loads of parts available, even tho lots of parts are often sold out. They do have lots of hopup parts. Shipping costs are ok, but further on the same as with the US stores. Often extra costs when crossing the border and it takes at least a month to 6 weeks to get delivered. So a project that could / should be build in a couple of days, now becomes a project of a half year or longer.

At the moment Tamico, RCMart and Ebay is what I realy on for getting my parts. But it is getting harder and harder. Getting kits is just as hard by the way. 

Next to my 10 Tamiya cars I have 5 Traxxas cars. You can buy their kits everywhere. Parts wise, it is ok. Every LHS has just about every part on stock. Only problem I have with this they usualy stock only 1 of each part. But can supply another one usualy within 3-4 days. So way better than Tamiya.

In the old days it was the other way around. Tamiya was just about the only thing available in your LHS and no one heard of Traxxas. 

I can live with all the mentioned flaws that Tamiya might have. But if kits and parts are not available. Then there can be no supporters of Tamiya....... I want te be able to go to my LHS and get all the Tamiya kits and parts I need instantly. 

I'm sure the same is going on in several other countries. The problems over here started when the old distributor stopped their business and the new one is not doing his job right. So Tamiya. Get it sorted and you will increase your fanbase! (And earn more money)

[WillyChang 1814]

27 minutes ago, Cesco said:

At the moment Tamico, RCMart and Ebay is what I realy on for getting my parts. But it is getting harder and harder. Getting kits is just as hard by the way. 

yeah, WHY IS THAT HAPPENING?!?

aren't companies meant to MAKE money by selling us goods?

It's as if our wives have all ganged up to kill off our unmentionable hobby by cutting us off at The Source!

Or have we given them so much money that they thing they're a "luxury" marque now... taking tips from other fancy brands that go "no we wont sell you this expensive item, there's an 8yr waiting list" and "no we won't add you to the end of the waiting list unless you already own several of our existing products from new"  

[Wooders28 4723]

On 7/8/2017 at 10:40 PM, Jonathon Gillham said:

This is so true, I think that the price is still the same as it was back then.

I wish you could get a MB for £87 now! (Ok, inflation would put it around the £260 mark 😮!?!)

My 1988 copy of Radio Race Car:-

Bearing set price then for the boomerang £29 (would be £90ish now!), just paid a tenner delivered, bearings should be included in all the kits, but guessing the plastic bushes are still cheaper.

[Jonathon Gillham 4607]

20 minutes ago, Wooders28 said:

I wish you could get a MB for £87 now! (Ok, inflation would put it around the £260 mark 😮!?!)

My 1988 copy of Radio Race Car:-

Bearing set price then for the boomerang £29 (would be £90ish now!), just paid a tenner delivered, bearings should be included in all the kits, but guessing the plastic bushes are still cheaper.

Thats cool you've still got that, wish I had some of the old catalogues! The bearings dost that here, it was ridiculous! 

[moffman 5752]

33 minutes ago, Wooders28 said:

I wish you could get a MB for £87 now! (Ok, inflation would put it around the £260 mark 😮!?!)

My 1988 copy of Radio Race Car:-

Bearing set price then for the boomerang £29 (would be £90ish now!), just paid a tenner delivered, bearings should be included in all the kits, but guessing the plastic bushes are still cheaper.

OMG look at the p&p charge! £3 for deals😄 I know if you spend over £100 you get free p&p but you wouldn't care if it still was them prices! I asked for a Saturday delivery (because work etc) and on top of the normal p&p it was an extra £12! So much for private companies making the mail service cheaper!

[Prescient 671]

3 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

I wish you could get a MB for £87 now! (Ok, inflation would put it around the £260 mark 😮!?!)

My 1988 copy of Radio Race Car

That is awesome.

The strict inflation calculators don't reflect the change to disposable income and living standards etc. £87 at today's prices (£260) still doesn't seem like that much, especially when compared to mobile phones, TVs, spend on coffees, snacks, clothing & other typical disposable income goods.

In the 80s, disposable income was less available and £87 was a considerable amount of money and the full deal package on one of these + extra battery being about a typical monthly mortgage payment. An RC kit then really was a once a year thing if lucky, not like the once a month or even twice a week these days

Cost of the electronics and ball racers though, I forgot how unobtainable those things were for the average person.

[Wooders28 4723]

4 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

Thats cool you've still got that, wish I had some of the old catalogues!

I've a few old magazines, it was one I found when I was clearing out my loft when I moved house, needless to say, I kept it. Most of it is cut up though, I used to cut the car's out and stick them on my bedroom wall, same with the tamiya catalogues! 😕

[Wooders28 4723]

1 hour ago, Prescient said:

In the 80s, disposable income was less available and £87 was a considerable amount of money and the full deal package on one of these + extra battery being about a typical monthly mortgage payment.

I found a newspaper in the loft in my new house,(apparently it's a thing to leave a newspaper in the loft when you finish building a house?) from 87, and the price of a new microwave or TV's/VCR's is the 1/3 of the price as a year old car!?! 

It's no wonder I got a tamiya frog for Christmas and then I had to buy the radio gear! 🙄

 

[moffman 5752]

6 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

I've a few old magazines, it was one I found when I was clearing out my loft when I moved house, needless to say, I kept it. Most of it is cut up though, I used to cut the car's out and stick them on my bedroom wall, same with the tamiya catalogues! 😕

Thing is you could look through those magazines for hours because of a lot more hobby shops and they printed everything they had and prices in the advert and no www. Rubbish! I've always had a subscription to a RC car magazine can't beat the magazine through the door and the smell of print! 

[Peter_B 997]

36 minutes ago, moffman said:

Thing is you could look through those magazines for hours because of a lot more hobby shops and they printed everything they had and prices in the advert and no www. Rubbish! I've always had a subscription to a RC car magazine can't beat the magazine through the door and the smell of print! 

Are there any magazines any more? I haven't found any sign of any.

First one I ever bought, when I first got into RC as a kid, was the Nissan King Cab edition of RCMC.