21st Century Toys 32X SDKFZ. 4 "Maultier" Halftrack, WWII German Transport 1:32 Scale Model Kit: Purchased from WalMart, $14.75 plus tax. Pre-painted, snap and screw assembly, comes in 4 sealed poly bags with instruction sheet. No included figures or accessories.
The Good: Assembly is a snap (no pun intended) and the included instruction sheet is easy to follow. The level of detail, fit of the unassembled parts, and paint job are excellent for a $15 model, and as good as the assembled versions in my opinion. Has a functional towing hitch, opening doors, engine compartment, and tailgate. Tracks roll, as do the front wheels, but they do not turn. Engine and cab interior are reasonably well detailed. The German cross, unit and tactical symbols, license plate numbers, and info placard on the cab door are sharp and clear.
The Bad: Some care must be taken when assembling the model, specifically the screws: these must be tightened very carefully to keep from stripping them out. The tracks are a bit tricky to install and line up, but if you take your time it's no big deal. Many of the parts are a rather snug fit, and require some coaxing to get them together, but a little care and patience is all that is needed to successfully complete a kit you'll be proud of.
The Ugly: Nothing really, except the model that I brought home was missing the left rear roadwheel which I did not realize until I was about 3/4 of the way done with the assembly. I simply returned to Walmart, purchased another kit and removed the wheel I needed from it, then returned the kit minus a roadwheel for a refund. A pain in the ass to be sure, but this is more of a quality control issue than any inherent flaw in the kit.
All things considered I think these kits are a great value, plus they are easy and fun to assemble. The only thing that I believe would have been a big plus would be a driver figure, and maybe a couple of troops to sit on the benches in the bed of the vehicle. Although no glue is required, I would highly recommend using a small amount of styrene modeling glue for the headlights, shovel, toolboxes, chassis racks, towing hitch, and seating benches. I also found it neccessary to carefully "spread" the drive sprockets/axle to get it to match the width of the roadwheels for a good alignment of the tracks. The unit and tactical symbols on the front and rear of the vehicle represent a heavy armored company of the 1st Fallschirmjager Division, I'm not sure when and where this unit served, but I will try to research that as my time permits. Hope you guys find this review and the pics useful.
21st Century Toys 32X Maultier Kit Review
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21st Century Toys 32X Maultier Kit Review
Gen. George S. Patton Jr., 28th Regimental Colonel, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army, "Blood and Steel"
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I wish one of my area WalMarts would get these in! I was in there today and saw the back end of a Sherman box which I've never seen here other than playsets. I thought oh boy the bulldozer! No such luck. As for the kits, just the same crummy Chaffee and Sherman. At least I have my cold steel Maultier.
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Thanks guys, I'm glad you liked the review. I was sort of expecting someone to point out that the Maultier probably was not used to tow an 88, I'm really not sure if they were or not, but I suspect that the 88 may have been more than the Maultier could handle. At any rate, my 88 kit was all that I had close at hand, and I just wanted something to hitch up to the back of the Maultier for some pics of the finished model. The good news is, the little 32X grey PAK-40 guns will hitch up nicely to the Maultier, so there is no need to "overload" your little beauty.
Gen. George S. Patton Jr., 28th Regimental Colonel, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army, "Blood and Steel"
Great review and nice picks man. I imagine a country that used horses to move alot of their guns didn't have many restrictions as to what trucks they used. Heck, they used a suped-up motorcycle to move the planes around!
Also Ost (or anyone else), I'm curious as how the 21st trucks (and Priest) look next to FoV items? I like some of the items offered but I'm scared they will look el-cheapo next to the enthusiast FoV (of which I have many). I keep them displayed in glass cabinets so I didn't know if the 21st stuff would stick out like a sore thumb. Still...I'd hate to miss out on some good offerings...cough...longtom...cough.
-H
Also Ost (or anyone else), I'm curious as how the 21st trucks (and Priest) look next to FoV items? I like some of the items offered but I'm scared they will look el-cheapo next to the enthusiast FoV (of which I have many). I keep them displayed in glass cabinets so I didn't know if the 21st stuff would stick out like a sore thumb. Still...I'd hate to miss out on some good offerings...cough...longtom...cough.
-H
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Yeah Hano, I agree with schizuki..... I think that generally the 21C stuff goes very well with FOV, even the enthusiast stuff. Having some 21C tanks and/or vehicles along with your FOV makes for a nice mix, and I think they tend to compliment one another.
Gen. George S. Patton Jr., 28th Regimental Colonel, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army, "Blood and Steel"