Tamiya vs. MFH vs. Studio 27 vs.....

I have never seen a MFH or S27 kit in person. I am just wondering what the differences are? I know they are resin and include metal parts, but is the detail that much better? I have seen some builds where it seems like there are some ugly molded in details, fitment problems etc. On the other hand it seems like the finished builds are amazing.

I like Tamiya and Revell, but would like to explore other options in the future as I want to pursue more detailed builds.

Just curious, thank you in advance

HK, the "end result" will always depend on the builder. I never built any of those (S27/MFH) but to my understanding those companies make cars that no one else (tamiya, revell, fujimi, ect) make and for most part, it's true. Think of it like this, if you're an experienced builder, you paid around $200-$300 for any particular kit, you most likely will want to give it a little (sometimes alot of) extra effort into making it look better. The expensive kits also come with metal parts, photoetched, the correct decals, wiring, etc. you probably won't have to buy anything extra so to my understanding, its money well spent.

Hi,

The answer to your question lies in the demand for the products and production cost.

Tamiya, Revell etc obviously manufacture in plastic / styrene. The cost of these injection moulds are massive. Hence the reason they produce popular subjects that they know would sell well and is relatively easy to put together. I once read somewhere that it could take them years to pay off moulds. The price of the final product can also be kept lower, due to the mass production.

That's why we see products from Hiro and S27 that are less common. They are produced on a much smaller scale, with a much smaller market. Now this is where the problem comes in. In the case of Hiro especially, their detail is FANTASTIC, but the fit and quality of the resin and white metal parts leaves a lot to be desired most of the time. You are correct in saying though that they build into fantastic models.

Studio 27's are usually half the price of a Hiro, but you get about one twentieth of the value in the box in my opinion. They are usually curbside, with very simplified details. Their PE and decals might be the best in the business, but if you're into detail straight out the box, be careful. But saying that, their stuff is a great blank canvass if you want to scratch build...

So, in my opinion, if you can get the specific subject you're looking for get the plastic kit. If its only available in resin, stretch your budget, get the Hiro.

A good comparison would be the Ferrari F40 GTE's. Look at Alex's F40 IGOL on this forum, compare the detail out the box to the S27 F40 Igol on HLJ.com... Its worth double the price...

But that's my opinion

Cheers,

Francois

To be honest and I'll start by saying I have never built a S-27 or MFH kit, but it is really hard to compare the three against each other. All of these manufactures fill a nitch in the hobby.

Tamiya kits practically build themselves. There are virtually no fitment issues with these kits because the are so well engineered. Add to that the fact that they are produced in large numbers making the price more reasonable for the average modeler and it is no wonder why Tamiya has the reputation that they do.

Studio 27 is by far the most advanced sans MFH of the "Garage" manufactures. As Doc pointed out they make many subjects that you just can not get from any of the plastic model companies. How ever it is important to keep in mind that they are a "Garage" company and thus produce kits in a different way to that of Tamiya. The runs of kits are much lower in numbers and the prices therefore are higher. They do require extra work in fitment etc because many of the original parts are hand made and not cast in an machined from aluminum injection mold like a plastic kit is.

MFH (Model Factory Hiro) Is the premier "Garage" manufacture. they incorporate many state of the art manufacturing processes such as 3D cad design of parts and 3D printing of prototype parts. Some of there latest 1/20th scale F1 kits have been compared to Tamiya's 1/12th scale line of kits in the area of detail. However, it is also important to remember that even with all this technology behind them MFH still suffers on occasion from fitment issues like any other "Garage" kit company. And like any other kit company, plastic ones included, they also simply flat out make mistakes.

If you feel like you are not challenged by the average plastic model anymore then I would suggest trying a S-27 kit. One thing you should realize though, and I think this can be said for all companies in the industry, the newer kits will most always be of a higher standard then the older kits in a companies range of choices. So if your going to try one of the other brands better to pick a newer release then an older one.

Remember, I have never built a S-27 or MFH kit but I do own almost all of them so take what I'm telling you at face value. :wink::wink::wink:

Those explanations help alot, thank you.

I would much rather save up and pay $300 for a full detail kit rather than $150 for a curbside. Not in my budget at the moment, but I will start paying more attention.

I am definitely challenged by Tamiya kits when it comes to painting and detailing, I am learning to make my work more clean and precise. I am also still learning to paint bodies which is my weak spot. I think when I have the body painting down, i will look into a MFH kit. I really like the F40s that Alex built

It's a bummer I am not an F1 fan, they make so many of those kits.

thank you for your help

The reason why you see a lot of very nicely built resin kits is because they often require more work to build well. To that end, only people who have a certain level of experience will take the plunge to tackle one and hence, you see lots of them built nicely.

That doesn't mean that an inexperienced builder hasn't tried to build one off the bat but we don't tend to see those not so successful attempts.

I loved Hiro kits back when they made cars and cost a little north of $200. Now they seem to only make stubby winged airplanes that can't fly and cost well north of $300.:disappoin I still like 'em but there's a lot more neat things out there now vying for my attention ($).

With that said most of their stuff can be built into a high detail model with an intermediate skill set. Do some research on individual kit numbers before buying though. While all kits are about the same price (for some bizarre reason), the quality and quantity of stuff you get is all over the place. The 917 engine has more parts than the entire 500F2 kit. Quality of the earliest kits is pretty good, then it got really bad, now it's pretty good again.

I like to cut out and hinge most panels in my builds so Hiro's are a lot more work for me. Give me injection molded plastic body any day over resin or white metal.:lol:

Personally I prefer the MFH over the Studio 27 if I had the choice and/or the $$. I have a small collection of both MFH and Studio 27 kits, but I haven't had the time to fully complete any of them. :crying:

Tamiya does hold the advantage of using more expensive or technologically advanced machinery like someone else mentioned. I think they probably pay more for licensing fees and that fee may include the access/usage of 3D CAD info of the model subject being produced. Don't forget that Tamiya also sponsors some motorsport teams and cooperation with those teams in addition to the CAD data add to a more accurate product versus MFH or Studio 27 that rely mainly on reference photos.

The positives for MFH, Studio 27, or any other resin kit manufacturer is that they generally produce models that Tamiya, Fujimi, Aoshima, etc. have not produced yet or won't ever produce.

My suggestion is find the type of model subjects you like and if Tamiya (or similar plastic manufacturer) makes one go with that route. If they don't, ask yourself if you really want it and if you're willing to spend the $$. :grinyes:

I disagree the st27 and mfh are great kits .I have several of them, i just finished an ace fw14b early kit it was a pain and i am working on finishing up 917/30 from umi .Much older kits and a big diffence in the fit of the kits from old to new .So it really is up to you , price is a big factor on these kits and subjects are few in plastic .If your into sportscars try a transkit frist , so work with resin and plastic get your feet wet before getting into a full resin kit .The cost is some what low and some make great kits when there done.There are lot of resin transkits out there and this website can give you the low down on the good ones and the bad ones .

thank you everyone, you have been helpful

I think MFH kits are excellent.. Maybe i could not say 100% of parts are fits perfectly, but at least to me >90% of parts are well manufactured. And I believe some will also know that, the later versions of Ferrari or MFH kits are based on CAD diagrams too.

I disagree the st27 and mfh are great kits .I have several of them, i just finished an ace fw14b early kit it was a pain and i am working on finishing up 917/30 from umi .Much older kits and a big diffence in the fit of the kits from old to new .So it really is up to you , price is a big factor on these kits and subjects are few in plastic .If your into sportscars try a transkit frist , so work with resin and plastic get your feet wet before getting into a full resin kit .The cost is some what low and some make great kits when there done.There are lot of resin transkits out there and this website can give you the low down on the good ones and the bad ones .

I'd have to partially agree with you on that only because I've had my fair share of good and bad kits from both MFH and Studio 27. The product accuracy and/or quality consistency may vary from model subject.