Great

the first one did not work at all had to send it back and the second one the track broke off.

I bought this for myself as a Christmas present so I could play with my son who also got an RC tank (different model though).

This tank had a few issues, mostly to do with the remote control unit.

First of all, the antenna for the remote control unit would not thread into place. I removed the back cover from the remote control unit and discovered why - the threaded connector on the circuit board was slightly off-center, resulting in the threaded hole being obscured by a plastic support brace. With the back cover removed I was able to re-position the circuit board enough to thread the antenna into place, and then I replaced the back cover of the unit. Problem 1 solved.

The second problem was that the remote control unit takes 6 AA batteries in 3 rows of 2. Each pair of batteries is separated by a plastic dividing wall with a slot in it. The nose of one AA battery is supposed to poke through that slot and touch the tail of its mate. Unfortunately the nose on my Duracell batteries was not long enough to reach through the divider and touch the tail of the other battery. If all the pairs of batteries do not touch then no circuit is completed and the remote control unit does not power on. Probably the best fix would be to take some needle-nose pliers and break/snap off the dividers so that the batteries could touch each other, but in case I had to send the unit back instead I placed a pea-sized flattened wad of aluminum foil between the batteries to bridge the gap. This worked, and now the remote control unit does power on. Problem 2 solved.

These were the two major show-stopping problems with the tank. Someone without mechanical skills probably would have returned it at this point as broken.

The tank itself had some minor issues in that a couple of the decorative "accessories" that are supposed to snap into place on the body of the tank do not stay snapped in place - their pegs are too small for the holes they are to snap into. I will probably remedy this with some Super Glue.

Another moderate issue was that the rear idler wheels did not spin freely or at all when the tank was under power. This did not seem to hinder the tank going forward but caused a noticeable drag on the tank when attempting reverse. I gave each wheel a very tiny shot of silicone lubricant and now the tank drives slick and all the wheels turn freely.

A very small detail is that the tank commander figurine is not painted as shown on the box and in the online picture. I build scale models and so have model paint to paint the figurine if I wanted to, but I probably will not bother as you have to remove the figurine in order to load BBs - it's easier to simply leave the figurine out.

Another very small detail is that there is no separate control for up and down elevation control of the tank barrel. There is one barrel elevation control and it will depress the barrel to its maximum and then start on its upward track until its maximum and then back down again. So if you are on the up-swing but you want to depress the barrel you have to wait until the barrel reaches maximum and then starts swinging back down again. This makes zeroing in on a target very difficult.

One important note here: the Airsoft BB gun is *no joke*. It is far more powerful than I anticipated, having no experience with these. I am mildly concerned about my 7-year-old son playing with these unsupervised. The BB gun will easily fire through a couple of sheets of printer paper. I intentionally shot myself in the palm of my hand and it will make quite a sting. The gun fires so fast that you almost cannot see the BB in flight. I think eye damage is a real possibility here and so safety glasses are a must. If you've got a little kid operating one of these things who thinks it might be funny to shoot the pet dog or cat beware as this toy may cause injuries.

SUMMARY
Given the show-stopping issues with the antenna assembly and battery installation on the controller, I can't rate this more than 2 stars even though I was able to ultimately fix the problems and after that the tank operates as expected. If I had received the item as it now sits after my fixes, I would have given it a rating of 4 stars.

The battery it came with was damaged, was very disappointed. Went out to go buy another one and tank works good.

Of all the Heng Long RC tanks available, this particular tank is well worth the asking price. I actually purchased mine on another site, but felt a review was in order. First impressions count and with this little Panzer, my first impressions were very high indeed. The scale is 1/16. For all you non tankers out there perhaps looking for a decent sized scale RC tank with reasonable features and upgradable mechanics and electronics, this tank is a good deal all the way around. The box it comes in is very nice with crisp clear graphics and pictures of the actual product contained within. The packaging is really nice and expect your little Panzer to work right from the box once the Ni Cad battery is fully charged. The tank itself, represents one of Germany's earlier efforts to create, a decent fighting armored vehicle. One that was easy to work on and easy to maintain in the field. Especially under combat conditions. This RC model nearly replicates that vehicle. Although, it could use some modifications and historical work over to create an even nicer more accurate Panzer III. The tank itself is manufactured by Heng Long. They manufacture many types of tanks to include the impressive mighty Tiger. All in 1/16 scale. This is the scale tankers prefer to use when conducting actual battles on simulated battle grounds and towns. This RC tank is fast and that is a bit of a problem as far as accuracy. Obviously, tanks were not fast. So, even their scaled down cousins need to be somewhat more accurate. However, this is marketed as a toy and not a professional modelers tank. Like those costing three and five times as much and requiring months of work. The gearing is fast, but it is changeable with reasonable hobby skills. This tank fires soft pellets. The Commanders hatch serves as the entry point for the "BB" pellets. (caution: never ever fire this tank weapon at a persons face. eye injuries may result!!!) Yes, it is that real and that accurate as well as that powerful. The tank sports a very nice suspension system typical of Panzer III's and earlier marks. I literally have driven mine in mud, snow, rain, water, and temps in the
100 degree range. This little Panzer III right out of the box in terms of performance, is a close ten. I would give it a ten if the speed were more scaled. Note: never submerge any electronic item in water. I ran mine in about a little less than an inch of water and it was quick and painless. Once out, I kept her running until she thoroughly dried out. Never assume this to be a real tank capable of going in the water. It will cause electronic issues.
As far as snow, no issues. Keep her clean and dry on flat even snow and she will track real nice thru it. As far as mud. Again, water may enter into areas it is not welcomed. Allow the mud to dry and lightly brush off and clean lightly. Especially around the wheels and suspension. Once dry, use a light oil for all moving parts associated with the wheels and suspension parts, but very lightly. Oil, friendly to plastic, is preferred. The tank comes with a variety of details. In scale equipment, like towing cables and tools mounted on the deck are a nice touch. Only one hatch works on the turret. This hatch is where one places the pellets and turns the actual switch to on allowing the firing mechanism to work. The tank works on a basic two channel system which allows the tank to move forward, back, left or right both in reverse and forward. Each track has its own motor. The turret has two motors. One for left to right non full 360 movement and for the main gun. The main gun is made of metal. A nice touch. The turret, as I indicated does not move a full 360. So if you battle other tanks, you will need to position your Panzer III so it can make a shot. Not hard, if you know how to perform these maneuvers. The radio antenna is on the rear of the tank. A typical metal antenna which mounts on a brass type fitting on the rear engine deck. I actually reworked mine to the correct position on the right side of the tank. It was easy and now it looks even more correct. There are stickers to give your tank individualism. The German cross and numbers, as well as unit markings. They are somewhat okay, but dry erase or painting the actual numbers and German cross looks better. The tank comes in the basic gray mat finish. One feature this tank has that I do think is unique is, it can be preset to follow a specific set of instructions. Moving the throttle joy stick forward three times and pushing a small button moves the tank forward several feet without having to touch the joy stick control. This feature means you can go out to a large field for example and preprogram an entire routing. To include turret and gun movements and firing the main gun itself. The tank comes with lights which are activated with that feature and when the tank is moving forward only. Although a Commander figure is included, he is not detailed at all. However, he can be detailed with a little effort. The battery life is decent. I ran mine for roughly a little over a half hour before it started to weaken a little. Generally, heat and cold can affect run times. Never over charge or under charge a Ni Cad battery. Always follow instructions and have a spare charged and ready to go. Overall, this Heng Long Panzer III is an exceptional tank. Compared to Heng Longs Tiger I, it is superior in both mechanics and quality. I know first hand. My Tiger I from Heng Long threw a track within seconds of running it on flat carpet. The little Panzer III has never thrown a track. Even under extreme conditions. Also, I believe the Panzer III is more scaled nicely versus the Tiger I. The Tiger I is big and impressive, but lacks the toughness the little Panzer III possesses. Modifications aside, right out of the box, one can have a fully operational 1/16 scale German Panzer III for a fraction of what it would cost to construct one. The cost factor ought to be considered. Especially if, this is simply a gift for a young adult or an adult. I have had my Panzer III now for three years and she runs flawless every time, all the time. I ordered a King Tiger and that arrives hopefully tomorrow. I look forward to seeing just how decent the King Tiger is. I will product review it, once I run a full diagnostics test on it. As for the little Panzer III, I give this 5 stars across the board. Higher marks if they were available. Just a nice decent all around German tank.

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