TAMIYA Tracked Vehicle Chassis Kit TAM70108 Science Kits & Accys

This is a great little kit to do with kids, maybe 10 and up, depending on skill level and experience. It has enough challenge that most kids can do it, but it takes time and builds skills and knowledge. I do not think it can be beat for price and functionality. This platform can be upgraded to a double gear box, r/c, lighting, and more, including robotics that I have seen on video. But, even as is, it's a toy that kids will play with for hours and hours. I love it, as the simplicity lends itself to the imagination - army men, blocks, play logs, and stuffed animals are no match against this little powerhouse. Folding the track tabs together is tricky, though my 11 year old picked it up quickly. Gear box was tricky, but again, a great teaching tool as everything is visible. Kids will only pick it up by the tracks while in motion once - little fingers will get a little pinch between the track and wheel/drive gear. I have done quite a bit of modeling with my three kids, including more complex r/c boats, tanks and aircraft, but this is their favorite one. I think it's because they built it, and best of all, I don't get all nervous when they play with it. It won't sink in the pond, crash in a tree, or shoot the dog. If it breaks, they can fix it, or, lets just get another one!

Only received the tracks and nothing else! So the shipped product was totally useless!

If the the wooden hardware base were only a little wider, it would work with the motor included with this kit, and also the Tamiya 70168 Double Gearbox L/R Independent 4-Speed. Both these products are made by Tamiya. They should realize that maybe some people would want to make a rover robot and use the double gearbox with an Arduino micro controller. Now, I have to modify the base to make it wide enough, or make my own base. Come on people, make it a little wider.

I wanted to try this kit as a first motorized kit since I plan on transitioning from model kits to RC & motorized kits. For $18 it's not bad. Quality seems decent for what it is. I would have preferred a metal or plastic base but the balsa wood base makes drilling extra holes in it easier for if I wanted to put something on it.You pretty much have to build everything like the gear box, control switch, battery box, & tracks. Thats what I found fun about this kit. As far as performance goes it's pretty slow for it's size & the traction when climbing over smooth materials & steep angles sucks.It doesn't look like it can support allot of weight. Seems like it would struggle if it was weighed down by attachments if to much weight is added to it. I think the most I would put on this thing is a couple of LED lights so I can try it in the dark & might get the double gear box & some servos to get it to turn. It only goes forward & back. Other than a few quarks it was pretty fun building it. It took about an hour or two to complete for me.

I also got the dual gearbox to go with this. As others have mentioned, it does require a little fabrication to fit on there, but it will.The motors on here are surprisingly good. They have great torque and speed. The only issue I had is that the stall current on these motors is above the ratings of the H-bridge driver I wanted to use (l293D), and the rated voltage of the motors is below the rating of that driver as well. Fortunately they use a standard 130 size motor. I knew that going in, and finding a suitable substitute is fairly straightforward.Another unexpected thing about this kit is that you can take the larger sprockets that fit the tracks to the motor, and wrap two pieces of the track around them to turn them into wheels. This opens the ability to have wheels for steering and two tracks in the rear for driving if you stick with the single gearbox.All in all a fun kit, with good instructions. There are even a few extra pieces thrown in which is good, because you probably will drop at least one tiny piece that will seemingly disappear.

Put the motor together over and over...never got it to work. And the tracks are so fragile they broke putting them together. My kid was very disappointed.

I found this kit in the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" when shopping for parts for an Arduino-controlled tank robot. I bought this together with a Double Gearbox drivetrain and some Arduino parts. If this is what you're planning to do, there are other kits that may be better for your project. Since I won't be using the engine, gearbox and other components, I could have saved money with a track-only kit.This kit comes with adequate instructions in both English and Japanese. There is a small wooden platform that serves as the base of the treads, assorted wheels and tracks, and a single engine and gearbox. There is also a battery holder for 2 AA batteries and an on/off switch. This kit was intended to be part of a tracked vehicle (like the name implies) like a truck with rear tracks or a snowmobile. It includes all necessary parts, plus a few spares.It's a little smaller than I expected but it will work for my tank project.

I bought two of these, probably could have saved some money by purchasing the dual motor gearbox Tamiya Double Gearbox L/R Independ 4-speed TAM70168 instead of two units, however I like my robot to have a wider base. The kit once built is secured to a solid piece of wood, and can be easily modified to just about any size needed. The kit is rather noisy, I'm not sure if that is due to the plastic gearboxes, or the motors.I'm powering my kits with a R/C car battery pack, and Arduino MEGA 2560 w/ 2A Motor Shield. My sensor package is quite large so the components are changing daily, however the Tamiya tracks remain the base of my project. I can't testify to how the tracks perform on carpet, on my tiled floors however it moves rather quickly.