What is the #1 thing you hate about Tamiya?

[Pablo68 1049]

My RC car addiction. It's all their fault.

[Champ85 609]

23 hours ago, Vrooom666 said:

Hard shell bodies...   why?  

The Tamiya hard shell bodies are part of what makes a Tamiya.... Tamiya.

[Peter_B 997]

At the minute I'm not liking the fact that I can't find a screw bag with the right combination of screws, washers and nuts that I think I'll need for my project!

Why do they not do a bag of assorted screws, washers, nuts etc.

[Buggyjam 144]

5 minutes ago, Peter_B said:

At the minute I'm not liking the fact that I can't find a screw bag with the right combination of screws, washers and nuts that I think I'll need for my project!

Why do they not do a bag of assorted screws, washers, nuts etc.

You could download the manuals and check out the inventory on the bags.  Maybe one of the tank kits or kits that use a lot of machine screws and nuts? Then check how much online for a spare bag. 

 

[Granddad Stinky 975]

5 minutes ago, Peter_B said:

At the minute I'm not liking the fact that I can't find a screw bag with the right combination of screws, washers and nuts that I think I'll need for my project!

Why do they not do a bag of assorted screws, washers, nuts etc.

You need to look at Kay's Fasteners. kayfast1 on Fleabay.

They do all sorts of small stainless stuff in little baggies, like 20 M3 stainless washers for £1.5 incl postage. They're in UK and have quick delivery. Have a look at the 3mm self tappers with Allen key head!!

[Peter_B 997]

1 minute ago, Buggyjam said:

You could download the manuals and check out the inventory on the bags.  Maybe one of the tank kits or kits that use a lot of machine screws and nuts? Then check how much online for a spare bag. 

 

That's exactly what I've been doing. Best bag I've found so far, that has the screws I think I'll need is a Clodbuster Bag A. But then that doesn't have the nuts or washers. Have found bags of those separately but they're expensive for 10 or so nuts or washers.

@Granddad Stinky I'll give them a look although ideally I'd like the Tamiya spec screws. Possibly it won't matter for this specific project of mounting shocks to my Twin Detonator. But if I was working on another part of the car  and needed an odd screw it would annoy me if it was different to all of the others

 

[Granddad Stinky 975]

I change all the self tappers I can.

OCD stainless!😛😛

[Buggyjam 144]

6 minutes ago, Peter_B said:

That's exactly what I've been doing. Best bag I've found so far, that has the screws I think I'll need is a Clodbuster Bag A. But then that doesn't have the nuts or washers. Have found bags of those separately but they're expensive for 10 or so nuts or washers.

@Granddad Stinky I'll give them a look although ideally I'd like the Tamiya spec screws. Possibly it won't matter for this specific project of mounting shocks to my Twin Detonator. But if I was working on another part of the car  and needed an odd screw it would annoy me if it was different to all of the others

 

Mm. I suspect they split them up for that reason. I take it you're after the bc1 nuts? You'd need A and C bags, unless you're after the flange nuts.

 

A bag is about 6 quid on eBay and C bag about the same. Actually that's not bad given you get 22 BA5s and 46 BC1s. You'd spend more buying decent quality screws and nuts from those online model shops. Beware the bulk ebay Chinese alloy M3s. I'm sure some are good but some are awful and locktite won't touch it. I've made that mistake.

 

Other option is bulk buying M3 nuts and bolts from an engineering supplier outside of the hobby. But they most likely won't be JIS.

[Fuijo 880]

On 04/06/2017 at 6:56 PM, Vrooom666 said:

 

Hard shell bodies...   why?  

 

 

Hard shell bodies are in some ways superior to polycarbonate shells. Sure, for racing and such, the polycarbonate shell will take quite a number of accidents before it becomes unusable. But even after

the very first scratch it will never look like new again whatever you do.

Hard shells on the other hand are always repairable to mint condition as long as you still have all the pieces. Even if you don't, it is possible to rebuild most things from styrene sheet and section.

Although it's a lot of work that you wouldn't want to do before every race, a hard shell is almost never beyond  near-perfect repair.

 

I must say, I don't really understand all the complaints about screws, bearings, bushings and what have you.

Like the Japanese often do with full size cars in their own market is sell a base model that's so base, no other manufacurer would consider releasing it. This is great for people who want

to get the cheapest possible kit because they know they're going to modify almost everything and would prefer to choose their own parts, they might just want a basic chassis to display a special body shell, or

maybe simply because they don't have much money but still want a product that's made in Japan.

 

To cater for people who want a better-than-base chassis, but don't know enough to be happy choosing their own hop-ups, or for people who want a bunch of hop-ups that are very expensive

to buy individually, they do the mid-range kits and the S and R etc versions.

 

And then finally for those that want all the options, there's the high-end kits like TRF.

 

I would have thought that would pretty much cover all the bases. Apparently not.

 

[Peter_B 997]

1 hour ago, Buggyjam said:

Mm. I suspect they split them up for that reason. I take it you're after the bc1 nuts? You'd need A and C bags, unless you're after the flange nuts.

 

A bag is about 6 quid on eBay and C bag about the same. Actually that's not bad given you get 22 BA5s and 46 BC1s. You'd spend more buying decent quality screws and nuts from those online model shops. Beware the bulk ebay Chinese alloy M3s. I'm sure some are good but some are awful and locktite won't touch it. I've made that mistake.

 

Other option is bulk buying M3 nuts and bolts from an engineering supplier outside of the hobby. But they most likely won't be JIS.

I've gone with Clodbuster bags A and C and a separate pack of 3mm lock nuts. That should do the job.

[Buggyjam 144]

40 minutes ago, Fuijo said:

Hard shell bodies are in some ways superior to polycarbonate shells. Sure, for racing and such, the polycarbonate shell will take quite a number of accidents before it becomes unusable. But even after

the very first scratch it will never look like new again whatever you do.

Hard shells on the other hand are always repairable to mint condition as long as you still have all the pieces. Even if you don't, it is possible to rebuild most things from styrene sheet and section.

Although it's a lot of work that you wouldn't want to do before every race, a hard shell is almost never beyond  near-perfect repair.

 

I must say, I don't really understand all the complaints about screws, bearings, bushings and what have you.

Like the Japanese often do with full size cars in their own market is sell a base model that's so base, no other manufacurer would consider releasing it. This is great for people who want

to get the cheapest possible kit because they know they're going to modify almost everything and would prefer to choose their own parts, they might just want a basic chassis to display a special body shell, or

maybe simply because they don't have much money but still want a product that's made in Japan.

 

To cater for people who want a better-than-base chassis, but don't know enough to be happy choosing their own hop-ups, or for people who want a bunch of hop-ups that are very expensive

to buy individually, they do the mid-range kits and the S and R etc versions.

 

And then finally for those that want all the options, there's the high-end kits like TRF.

 

I would have thought that would pretty much cover all the bases. Apparently not.

 

 I see your points. But for me self tappers and bushes are indefensible in new offerings from Tamiya. I get Tamiya have many higher end kits that don't have them, but I believe they all shouldn't have them. In fact their largest output certainly in terms of body designs and kits is based on a chassis that uses them.

The reason you mention about people wanting a cheap car and mod it is actually one reason why I dislike them. Self tappers don't lend themselves to modding very well. Well, you can, but give it time and the holes do suffer. Which is a bit of a downfall for a highly modifiable chassis like the tt02. Self tappers belong on cars such as toys that weren't designed to be pulled apart.  I find it odd that a manufacturer that is known for its builders ethic uses fasteners that are historically associated with objects that aren't really meant to be taken apart. As for the price, I firmly believe they could use nuts and bearings and add all but a tenner onto the box cost and people wouldn't even notice on the overall scheme. Self tappers are just nasty little fasteners in my opinion and a chassis that uses them is not easily converted to bolts.

This is of course just my personal opinion :-). But. Let's keep this in context. Is it a deal breaker? Of course not. I really like Tamiya, it's why I come on here. But being adult about it, spotting constructive criticism in products you are fond of is reaslistic. I know Tamiya monitor this site and I've never staunchly defended Tamiya just for the sake of it. I'm sure they appreciate the feedback, as any manufacturer would.

[markbt73 5316]

The fact that I can't convince anyone else that I need an extra week of vacation and $2000 each year to devote solely to the enjoyment of their products.

[Fuijo 880]

1 hour ago, Buggyjam said:

 I see your points. But for me self tappers and bushes are indefensible in new offerings from Tamiya. I get Tamiya have many higher end kits that don't have them, but I believe they all shouldn't have them. In fact their largest output certainly in terms of body designs and kits is based on a chassis that uses them.

The reason you mention about people wanting a cheap car and mod it is actually one reason why I dislike them. Self tappers don't lend themselves to modding very well. Well, you can, but give it time and the holes do suffer. Which is a bit of a downfall for a highly modifiable chassis like the tt02. Self tappers belong on cars such as toys that weren't designed to be pulled apart.  I find it odd that a manufacturer that is known for its builders ethic uses fasteners that are historically associated with objects that aren't really meant to be taken apart. As for the price, I firmly believe they could use nuts and bearings and add all but a tenner onto the box cost and people wouldn't even notice on the overall scheme. Self tappers are just nasty little fasteners in my opinion and a chassis that uses them is not easily converted to bolts.

This is of course just my personal opinion :-). But. Let's keep this in context. Is it a deal breaker? Of course not. I really like Tamiya, it's why I come on here. But being adult about it, spotting constructive criticism in products you are fond of is reaslistic. I know Tamiya monitor this site and I've never staunchly defended Tamiya just for the sake of it. I'm sure they appreciate the feedback, as any manufacturer would.

It doesn't have to be a high-end kit to not get bushings, just not a basic kit.

You don't have to fit the included self-tappers at all, you can get the fasteners of your choice to build it, but that will cost more.

A tenner here, a tenner there, a tenner someplace else for something someone else thinks should also be included, and before you know it you're back at a mid-range kit.

Great if you can afford it. But maybe not everyone can or wants to.

And let's face it, they're all toys, kind of by defenition given that they're only for entertainment purposes.

 

[Buggyjam 144]

29 minutes ago, Fuijo said:

It doesn't have to be a high-end kit to not get bushings, just not a basic kit.

You don't have to fit the included self-tappers at all, you can get the fasteners of your choice to build it, but that will cost more.

A tenner here, a tenner there, a tenner someplace else for something someone else thinks should also be included, and before you know it you're back at a mid-range kit.

Great if you can afford it. But maybe not everyone can or wants to.

And let's face it, they're all toys, kind of by defenition given that they're only for entertainment purposes.

 

Fair points. I hear your side. This is a small subject that will always divide opinion. We'll have to agree to disagree :-))

 

re toys, yes they are. I mean the kind you find in toys r us. Nikkos etc

[GregM 1109]

I am fine with self tappers and JIS screw heads. I have the right tools at hand and make sure not to overtorque. Self tappers for plastics are not to be confused with wood screws, they have more in common with self tapping metal sheet screws.

Machine screws have their place with threading into metal and strong reinforced plastics (pretapped, mind you). Not so much into softer plastics, since they don't provide enough thread flank surface.

I am also fine with the types of plastic Tamiya provides for their kits. Usually there's a lot of thought behind it. I've learned from AvE (Youtube) that reinforced plastics wear the expensive molds off faster than non-reinforced. I also had read the Master Modeller book by Shunsaku Tamiya, were he goes kneedeep into details about the manufacturing process.

 

 

What I'm not fine is having XB-cars and preassembled gearboxes (e.g. WR-02) full of bushings instead of ball bearings.

[Fuijo 880]

4 hours ago, GregM said:

.................

 

What I'm not fine is having XB-cars and preassembled gearboxes (e.g. WR-02) full of bushings instead of ball bearings.

Oh! I didn't know they did that. Buying a base-kit with eyes open is one thing. Putting them inside a pre-built model, presumably often bought by customers who may not know any better, is something else altogether. Not good.

[MadInventor 3884]

It's not really gripes, more of a wish list

1. It would be nice if they engaged more with their end consumers worldwide. For example LEGO have competitions where people can enter their creative entries, and the at the end winners model get's released.

2. Others have mentioned lack of diversity. I'd still like to see a scale 1/10 6x6 vehicle with a 3 speed box in it, and a 1/10 scale 4wd tractor. There is a known market for scalers / crawlers, so why not try a 4wd tractor for said purpose.

3. Why am I still waiting for a hotshot II re-release  ??

4. Get in bed with HobbyWing and include a rebadged HW 1060 as standard with kits with silver cans so it's easy to run 3S LiPo. This peps up the performance of a vehicle so much for so little cash it seems silly not to. It might also make Tamiya kits seem more attractive to the RTR basher community if they could be faster out of the box

5. The old vintage kits used to have parts bags sorted by content types, now they seem to be organised by assembly stages. I preferred the old system, easier to check if you have all the parts included.

 

 

[StrokerBoy 772]

Not exclusive to Tamiya, but I really hate polycarbonate shells. Cutting them out, masking them, painting them, looking at them when they're done, the lot. Can't really say much more or the forum swear-filter will burst into flames.

[TheMidnight Pumpkin 260]

I hate the video's online showing Tamiya groups racing large amounts of the same kits. There's no Tamiya people where I live! Everyone one here races brushless Traxxas trucks, and the like. I'm the only one into Tamiya's and more specifically I'm into the wheelie kits so I'm completely the odd duck.... I want more Tamiya people local to drive with!

[Saito2 6686]

I'll echo that. It is depressing, in a way, to see a bunch of folks enjoying their Tamiyas together. Nobody seems to remember Tamiya where I live other than an older fellow or hobby clerk here and there. Every hobby shop that's left anywhere near me has entire walls, floor to ceiling, stocked with Traxxas parts. I've decided not to hate on Traxxas itself. Its just changing taste and consumer demand. At least they're keeping RC alive, even if it appears to be on life-support around my area. If I go to a public park to run, people either look at you like you're from Mars or are utterly fascinated like they've never seen an RC car before (and from my experience, maybe they haven't).

[Kingfisher 1171]

I hate those Youtube videos where they have a full RC track in their back yard, because they're not my neighbor.

[No Slack 454]

On ‎6‎-‎6‎-‎2017 at 2:04 PM, MadInventor said:

4. Get in bed with HobbyWing and include a rebadged HW 1060 as standard with kits with silver cans so it's easy to run 3S LiPo. This peps up the performance of a vehicle so much for so little cash it seems silly not to. It might also make Tamiya kits seem more attractive to the RTR basher community if they could be faster out of the box

Kyosho already does it. They sell a Kyosho rebadged HB 1625 ESC.

[gt6++ 29]

It always seems that their servo saver can never be mounted center even when the servo adjustment on the radio is dialed in to 0.

[Peter_B 997]

I'm currently not loving how they don't include any paint in the kit for details.

For example, I've just built a Lunchbox Black Edition. To do it properly you need a little bit of silver for the window trims etc, and a tiny bit of orange for indicators. Which means buying another 2 (at least, there might be other colours I've forgotten about) pots of paint, in order to use a teeny tiny bit, which you might never use again.

The silver might be excusable as there's a bit more silver to paint - still would hardly make a dent in a pot though. But for the orange why not include a little tiny pot in the kit - hey give us tiny tubes of grease, so why not paint?

You also don't know you need those paints until you look in the manual (unless it's on the box somewhere, I've not checked to be honest). If you're buying the kit in a store you could probably pull the manual out of the box to check and get the paints at the same time. But if you're buying online, as most of us seem to these days, you don't know until you've got the box at home. Then, as Tamiya paints aren't widely available (at least not in my area) it means another online order, another wait and potentially further shipping costs.

As it is, because I don't have those paints, don't have anywhere nearby that sells them, and can't be bothered waiting and paying for another delivery, I've not painted those parts.

[moffman 5752]

What's annoying me at the moment is big corporations (ford, oil companies etc) putting a kibosh on using there logos on what could be lucrative for all concerned 😏 they get good advertisement Tamiya gets more revenue and we get better re-re's (ford ranger & Blackfoot)😊