What Dragon models are still worth buying in 2025

[Armor_Buff]

Rex, first my opinion of Dragon in general then to the 250 & 251 to set the context of I how see the manufacturer in general…

…Dragon got way better over the years but the roots of their 251 go back to ~2003…

My only build in that fantastic list of 251’s is the 2023 pop of the 251/23. My other 251 builds were these kits, the year they released and a terrible 1970’s Tamiya 251/C

I liked the Dragon 251/23 subject well, had an issue of my own making, found a couple minor mistakes in the instructions & had to scratch build a missing part. Didn’t care for the tracks and replaced with Sector35’s.

I wasn’t impressed with the kit too much ~2003 vintage but happy enough to have it. After building it a couple of Dragon 251/x were dumped from the stash, I think three 251/x remain. All of the duplicate Tamiya 251/x stayed in stash.

So my prespective is I don’t think the Dragon juice is worth the Dragon squeeze unless you really really like the suject matter.

As @SSGToms mentioned, I’d look elsewhere if another manufacturer offers a newer kit.

I haven’t built a 250/x by any manufacturer. Bought a Dragon 250/3 last year & have a initial release 250/9 in 1999. It looks dated to me now.

In summary, I’d pick up the Dragon 251/x & 250/x kits no one else offers if and only if you LOVE that subject.

I picked up that 250/3 after seeing a video on YouTube of the only known surviving and running German AFV that fought at Stalingrad.

HTH

[Petition2God]

@Armor_Buff

Wouldn’t allow another Dragon Sherman, modern, or black label kit in my house never mind near the stash.

Likewise wouldn’t allow a Dragon T-34-85 kit in my house never mind near the stash

Hilarious! Got my morning laugh. Thanks, Wade.

[sgeorges4]

the tiger 1 still seem good but it cost alot where I’m from (usually between 60/70€, was lucky to find my africa one on sale).

[Finch]

I have built more than a dozen Dragon T-34s and have many more in my stash. I have never seen a sink mark on any of these kits.

I fully agree the RFM kit is much, much better for the T-34-85, but they do not make a 76mm gun tank, and the Dragon kits, while flawed, are still quite good.

I am a little puzzled by your acknowledgement that you don’t know one T-34 factory version from another, yet you’re making claims about the kits.

The Academy T-34 hex turret is a very good kit aside from the crappy tracks. It’s a good value too, IMO, because it has all the parts needed to make a factory 183 or 112 kit.

[Finch]

Any of the RFM T-34-85s are excellent. I think they are the best balance of really great quality with very easy buildability. Think “Tamiya levels” of kit engineering. For me personally, the Minart kits go beyond the level of effort I want to put in. That said, they’re excellent in terms of detail and accuracy. If you like extremely intricate kits, that’s the one for you.

Dragon did a whole bunch of T-34-85 kits, some better than others. The two Factory 183 ‘Premium’ boxings are both quite good IMO. The first few releases from the 1990s are a little crude by today’s standards, but far from unfixable. I guess I like doing that kind of work.

The Academy T-34-85s are really weak, even though I think their 76mm hex turret kit is pretty good. It absolutely needs work with re-texturing and new tracks.

Italeri has a T-34-85 with an interior that is frankly not bad. I was pleasantly surprised at it, although I went into it with very low expectations.

Zvezda’s T-34-85 Factory 183 is cheap and very good.

AFV Club did both Factory 183 and 174 T-34-85s that were very uneven. Some inaccurate details & components; terrible vinyl tracks - but other components that were very good.

So, just for me personally, I’d rank RFM #1, Zvezda probably #2, Dragon #3. Academy last for sure.

[Garrand]

Of the T-34s, I’ve built Tamiya (who hasn’t?), Zvezda, Dragon & Academy.

I’ve built ALL of the Tamiya T-34s & derivatives. Nice simple kits, easy to build, looks pretty good in the end. But most know about the accuracy issues they have, & lack of certain details.

I’ve built Zvezda’s T-34/76 UZTM & SU-122. Both great kits (save tracks; I dislike link & length for a number of reasons). In fact, my favorite kits of this tank still.

I built Dragon’s T-34/76 M1941 & /85 NVA. I thought both were decent kits, though I don’t know what accuracy issues a post-war /85 kit might have. I was happy to have a fairly unique variant, though.

The Academy T-34/76 kit was great, save tracks & turret texture. I tend to ASSUME I’m going to replace tracks anyway, so I don’t worry much about it.

Damon.

[Armor_Buff]

@Finch

I have never seen a sink mark on any of these kits

Hi Finch, asking in a nice soft tone, did you look?

My trio of Dragon T-34-85’s were all terrible.

That’s unacceptable mold quality to me.

The first one I bought in 1997, the wheels were riddled with sink marks. I bought another thinking it was a fluke. It wasn’t. The third one had the same problem and so did the kits several of my friends purchased. It was a serial issue.

@Finch

I am a little puzzled by your acknowledgement that you don’t know one T-34 factory version from another, yet you’re making claims about the kits.

Remember, I made no claim or comments on accuracy or details, or fiddle bits so many get torqued about.

I addressed quality. If I want to, I can usually fix detail issues. Those wheels were just too much work to fix with Milliput, Molak Stucco or Super glue. Tried with all of them.

Covering that sort of sink hole mess in mud is just a cop out to me. I paid Dragon for a quality kit to build how I like. YMMV

Knowing which factory used which exhaust cover or whatever is pretty irrelevant to that sort of commentary.

The 1997 era mold quality is nice for what it is but it isn’t up today’s, again being up on all the fiddle bits isn’t critical to that observation.

@Armor_Buff

My gripe with Dragon’s T-34-85 is very poor quality control and that its dated. ~120+ sink marks in the three kits I owned. They address this later but you’re still stuck with a ~1996 designed kit…and it pretty much looks it in my opinion.

That’s backed up with the wheel photos as shown above.

Every wheel between every set of spokes had the sink marks. 10 wheels × slots = ~120 sink marks.

I’ve seen one Premium Dragon T-34-85 kit without the wheel issue.

Definitely buyer beware product in my book based on my experience. I don’t recommend kits like this or sugar coat their faults and suggest other modelers buy them when I found the kit to be a disappointment due to quality issues.

Replaced the wheels on my Dragon T-34-85 with Chesapeake Model Design’s wheels and replaced the punch mark riddled tracks with Fruilmodel’s.

No sink marks on the wheels!

I think there’s a half dozen Dragon T-34/76’s in the stash and one Premium T-34-85.

The only bad issue I’m aware of with the 76 kits is the 1942 STZ T-34/76’s, Terry Ashley (Perth Military Modelling) & other had a serious fit issue with the rear hull rear plate IIRC. Cookie Swell said he didn’t have that issue. Terry built a couple and had the fit issue. One of (master level) friend built the kit and had the fit issue.

If unfiltered kit comments are of interest wades-world-reviews-various-afv has a joker that goes into some real diatribes.

Hope that helps & adds clarity to my previous comments.

Cheers

[Uncle-Heavy]

@Armor_Buff

I think there’s a half dozen Dragon T-34/76’s in the stash and one Premium T-34-85.

Have you checked if Miniart still sell T-34 wheel sets?
They had the solid disc and the starfish

[Armor_Buff]

Yes!

Picked up Mini-Art T-34 wheel set a while back. Just the ticket to help save a 1980’s era Tamiya T-34-85 from itself!

[ignoramusRex]

Academy’s T-34/76 is far from providing you with all the pieces for building a factory 112 tank. It does give a soft edge turret (the only one used there), nor hull fillets, nor correct grab handles anywhere, nor correct fuel drum holders, nor the 112 unique towing point between the towing hooks at the rear.
It has the correct wheels and rear hull plates. With TLC you could build a nice 112 tank, but not OOB.

[SableLiger]

Working on that exact same kit right now. A partial build that i bought from someone else.

[Armor_Buff]

Rex, thank you for that summary on Academy’s T-34/76. I’ll wait until it’s on sale now if I get one.

@SableLiger , Reynier, that’s hardcore! Kudos , look forward to seeing!

[ignoramusRex]

Just clarify, the academy t-34/76 is ok for Factory 183. Absolutely. And I think the German one is the best value for captured vehicles.

What I have taken issue is that you can build a factory 112 from that box. Well not really.

[Garrand]

Ironically, a friend gifted one of these to me…

Damon.

Edit: Sinkmarks galore on those road wheels too!

[TopSmith]

The Saladin is a good kit, best of the black label kits. It is also about the only kit of this I am aware of.

[Uncle-Heavy]

There were resin kits but the Dragon kit is the only available styrene kit

[Garrand]

There WAS a Tamiya kit too, quite ancient by modern standards…

Damon

[Invader]

1964.

[Invader]

Midori 1969. Had a couple of their German armored cars. Not bad.

[Armor_Buff]

1970’s Tootsie Toy Mark-2 Armored Tank Car…