21st Century Toys 32X Maultier Kit Review
Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 6:23 pm
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.
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.
Heck, they used a suped-up motorcycle to move the planes around!