Who Makes the Best 1/35 M48 kit?
Interested in what the veteran Cold War model builders think and why. Looking for specific thoughts on:
Dragon’s IDF M48 Magach 3 w/ERA
Takom’s M48A5 (in stash)
Tamiya’s M48A3
AFV Club’s M48
Academy’s M48
Thank you
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I’d go with Takom. Knowing dragon, you’ll have to modify half the parts, AFV Club will have a bazillion microscopic parts, Tamiya is a very old kit (but for some reason I like it), Academy, just no
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I would list them in order; best (top) to worst…
Takom
Dragon
Revell
Academy
Tamiya
AFV Club doesn’t make an M48 (per say). Theirs are M48H (Hybrid), which is an M60 hull w/an M48 turret.
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Dragon’s IDF M48 Magach 3 w/ERA: Horrible ERA and specific IDF details. The gun is small in diameter and length. The base vehicle is good
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Takom’s M48A5 (in stash) best kit in your list. Take in mind that the A3 mod B from Takom includes all the A5 parts too
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Tamiya’s M48A3 old molds, the suspension is the bigger issue of this kit.
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Academy’s M48 same as Tamiya, I would use it only if I wanted to do the Korean variant with lots of aftermarket
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AFV Club’s M48 not released, only announced ages ago
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I 
Kit also make a family of M48s.
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Takom.
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Monogram!
Only kidding, but it’s a great kit to bring up to spec and re-learn those old converting skills on:
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Ah, in 1972 it was the best!
and now, not as good as the rest. 
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That’s nice 
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No one makes a true M48, if that’s what you are looking for.
KL
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Thank you, to everyone for their responses and sage advice plus humor.
I’ll stick with Takom’s M48’s.
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Is that a Stonehenge behind the tank? 
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Hey Top, that Monogram M48……I used to love Monogram cars but they were a bit big for 1/25th scale. I think they actually advertised them as 1/24th, if I am not mistaken. Now a long time ago, I bought an M10 or M36 tank destroyer (I don’t remember which) and I will swear it was made by Monogram. Like the car kits, the tank destroyer appeared too big for 1/35th scale. When I compared common parts to my Shermans, like road wheels, and suspension components, the TD parts were obviously larger.
Does the scale of this Monogram M48 kit appear accurate?
Edro
That sounds like you had the old Tamiya M10 or M36 kit, those were more like 1:32 scale than 1:35.
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In spite of what you may find in some archived posts, the Monogram offering scales out quite well. In fact, its parts are interchangeable with those of other 1/35 scale kits.
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I have selected the Dragon M48A1 #3559. I will revert it to a straight M48, as my Dad commanded the first CONUS (continental US) combat BN to receive the M48. Here is a oic of one of his tanks, the TC, and the TC’s father.
IF the Dragon is a ball of wax, I’ll go look for a TAKOM!
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Takom only makes an M48A3 and M48A5, though, which both would need rather severe backdating. I ︎ Kit has an M48.
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It is really an M48A1 and needs some work to get an M48 as well, the biggest being a Chrysler cupola.
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True, but it’ll be rather easier than converting the Takom ones 
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The Dragon kits are OK - I’ve built a few. The cupola needs replaced to back-date it but IIRC there is an aftermarket resin one out there. The DS tracks are a worry if they are weeping gunk, but all of those I’ve built were OK and are still holding up several years later. Again, there are AM alternatives. The only other big issue is the mantlet - the DS affair is terrible so just use the bare plastic one and go old-skool with PVA glue and tissue paper!
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