model kits which brand to buy ????

[rochie]

Having only recently started building model kits i am wondering who makes the best kits for someone like me who is just improving their skills, but wants a fair degree of detail and accuracy for their money ?
Are there any brands to avoid or less well know brands that are producing great kits ?
I'm mostly thinking WW2 era a/c

 

[Lucky13]

I'm in the same seat Karl, mate... I quite like the Hasegawa and Tamiya kits, haven't tried any Eduard yet, but looking at what's in the boxes, like their "Weekend" packaging, I'm sure that they're worth a shot as well. Then of course you have Accurate Miniatures, Roden, Revell, Monogram, Academy, Italeri....
Many of these swap molds between each other, like you can find Accurate Miniatures B-25's and their IL-2's in Italeri boxing, Revell/Monogram's P-38F I think is an "old" Hasegawa kit... almost forgot Dragon!
I think that you can safely try any of these above, none of them have resin or white metal in them like Classic Airframe, Czech Model and a few others...
Then you also have plenty of eastern brands like Mirage, just to mention one, which is a good (right Wojtek), gives you a reason to brush up on your Polish!
I'm sure that the lads will put a few words in here....but Hasegawa and Tamiya are two safe cards... I'm talking 1/48 now of course! 8)

Edit: You also have ICM, Smer, Alanger, Fujimi....

 

[Thorlifter]

In my limited experience, Tamiya and Hasagawa have the best quality, but typically, they are more expensive. Italeri are also nice quality.

 

[gijive]

As just found out, even within a make, Academy for example , one kit can be great another poor and require far more work and alteration to make it good. I recon best way is to pick a model and then ask the forum before you buy it! Unless like me you have a back log of kits already bought and are working through them!

 

[rochie]

great stuff guy's
I sort of knew about Tamiya and Hasagawa and i've built a few Revell and Academy kits in 1/72 scale, but whilst trawling through online stores saw a lot of other brands, Dragon, Eduard to name a few and know nothing about them, terry has told me Italeri are good and as most of the 1/48 kits i'm now looking at are much of the same price give or take a couple of quid i just want to avoid the turkey's

 

[Amsel]

I love Tamyia and Dragon for my AFV building but Hasegawa is my favorite for warbirds. Great detail and instructions. I am interested in Accurate Minitures.

 

[Lucky13]

One thing that I every so often do is visit these sites, should make you aware of the "turkeys"....

Hyperscale Reviews Index

Modeling Madness Kit Review Index

 

[Catch22]

My list of best brands in order:

Hasegawa
Tamiya
Revell

I've heard Italeri are good too, but I haven't really bought any.

 

[Wurger]

I love Tamyia and Dragon for my AFV building but Hasegawa is my favorite for warbirds. Great detail and instructions. I am interested in Accurate Minitures.

Accurate Minatures kits are available seldom if at all.As memory serves the firm hasn't existed anymore.Tamiya kits are nice and assemble easily.The same can be said about Dragon.Hasegawa makes kits of very good quality, hawever thare are occured mistakes sometimes.Fujimi also makes nice models but these aren't available as easy as other firms ones.ICM makes good models but a putty has to be used quite often.The main advantage of the ICM kits is their price.Revell and Academy kits can be accepted to the class as well.
Italeri is the last one.Their models are different in quality.They are oversized very often and look as not finish or finished hurriedly.There are many mistakes made to the moulds.Tha main plus of these kits is that they are easy available in all the world.

 

[Matt308]

Only build 1/72nd and have only recently got back into it. The Academy models appear to be the best deal for the money. Cheep and nice detail/accuracy. Hasegawa is expensive (about twice as expensive around here), but if money is no object they are very nice. I have bought only one Promodeler kit. And it was priced like Hasegawa, but the detail was extraordinary. In fact, I've never seen a nicer 1/72nd kit. But not sure if that is the norm however. Can go wrong with Italeri either.

 

[Lucky13]

Accurate Minatures kits are available seldom if at all.As memory serves the firm hasn't existed anymore.

What!? http://www.accurate-miniatures.com/

 

[Wurger]

So they have returned !!! I didn't know.

 

[muller]

Not one person has mentioned Airfix, Terry's a big fan of them I hear.

 

[rochie]

Not one person has mentioned Airfix, Terry's a big fan of them I hear.

airfix are the reason i asked the question Muller, you can get Tamiya and Hasegawa 1/48 kits for roughly the same price as airfix and there not 1960's reboxed kits, but just looking at the brands modelhobbies stock had me wondering

 

[Lucky13]

So they have returned !!! I didn't know.

Could be that they were in the same seat as Airfux, Airfox, Airfax.....well, you know...!

 

[muller]

I have only one Airfix kit in the stash Rochie, a 1/48 Spit Vb, I was disgusted when i opened it and saw raised panel lines. It cost me €20! I could have bought a Tamiya Spit for half the price from luckymodel.com. I'll be steering clear of them in future. For practicing and improving your skills, go for Academy, ICM too if you want some filling and sanding experience!

 

[Airframes]

I agree with all so far. You also need to look at price, as I know you have, but, for example, Academy and Revell/Monogram, turn out very nice P47's at almost half the price of the Tamiya offerings. OK, the latter has all the bells and whistles, but the Academy one has lots of options, is cleanly and crisply moulded, and builds and looks beautiful. I built the Revell/Monogram P47 Razorback a few years ago, which I think is available again, or will be soon. It hasn't got separate flaps, or some of the other bits that the Tamiya one has, but it's a very nice model for around a tenner, and has nice touches, such as a good cockpit, very thin and clear canopy, and nicely treaded tyres. Do you pay twice as much for a lot of detail that possibly can't be seen, or half for a more than acceptable kit? As I mentioned in our conversations, the late 70's/early 80's Airfix 1/48th kits were exceptional then, and are still reasonable, by today's standards, now, but not at the stupid price Airfix are asking now - not when you can get a state of the art Tamiya Spit, for instance, for only £2 or so more.
Good idea to pick your type, look at the kits available, then have a look at the sites Lucky potsed, and/ or ask the forum, before deciding on which kit for which type.