Trumpeter 1/35 Abrams vs. DML 1/35 Abrams

To the untrained eye, the models I am about to show you have no real differences- other than the color of the plastic. I found my $20 solution at Trains and Lanes- I needed a secondary abrams kit to complement some of the missing suspension joints and wheels I am missing. For the fun of it, I took pictures of both kits; let's look at the difference in quality, shall we?

Here is Dragon's M1A1 Abram's Kit. I heard positive things about this kit a year and a half ago. I saw it on sale for $30, so I picked it up. Man, was I in for a wake up call.



Yikes! this thing is really complicated! If it looks complicated, it is! This is a bit much for me, let alone a novice!

Both kits are from China, but one is of higher quality. Can you spot which tank is better? It's the gray one, from Dragon. If you notice, some parts were not molded on the dragon model, and the pieces fit together a lot better than the secondary kit.



Here is what I really wanted from the Trumpeter kit- the rubber tracks. The Dragon kit contained plastic tracks, and I hate putting those together. The Trumpeter model also had some decent quality suspension parts and some good wheels, which is why I bought it. Otherwise, I would pass over the Trumpeter model- it is OK, but it isn't sophisticated.



Dragon was kind enough to give you a metallic, turned barrel! Usually kits have you fit two halves of a barrel together, leaving you the arduous task of sanding everything perfectly. This metal barrel combined with all of the decals and photo etching will make this kit shine above the competition. I want this tank done by July 4th, but I know that is a stretch. This should be fun!