TAMIYA Tracked Vehicle Chassis Kit TAM70108 Science Kits & Accys

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.

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 was looking for something like this as a base for an arduino robot. It takes a while to assemble (1-2 hours), but it works well and I haven't had any issues with it. The instructions were easy enough to follow. When you put it together there are two different speed options. I went with the "slow" option so that it would have more power. I am able to hook some LEGOs into the axles fairly easily to build a body.

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

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.

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!

It is good for a little boy to get because it is an easy building experience. But then again it only goes forward and also it has to be switched on and off by hand. I returned it after about a week lol for my money back.