7 Best RC Tanks of 2019

1. Cheerwing 1:72 RC German Tiger I Panzer Tank

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

The Cheerwing tank is a 1:72 RC German palm-sized Tiger I Panzer model. It might be small, but the attention to detail is amazing. So can its performance match the impressive design?

• Best feature 1: High attention to detail
• Best feature 2: Mini palm-sized toy
• Plus points: Realistic sound effects, independent flexible tracks, 360° rotating turret
• Minus points: Hard to control on fast speed mode, tiny size

Anyone who’s into RC models of armored fighting vehicles will appreciate this tank. The detail is amazing. The tank even has realistic sound effects including live fire simulation. RC tanks are toys that dads will fight with their kids over. Whoever wins control over the Tiger will be able to move it with ease thanks to the flexible tracks. The vehicle maneuvers forward, backward, left, and right.

The 360° rotating turret adds to the enjoyment. You can aim the gun barrel up, down, and straight ahead. The sound effects reflect the movements. Even the engine sounds lifelike, albeit much quieter than the real thing. A couple of these tiny beasts will give you a small-scale war in the living room.

The Not so Good

The Cheerwing 1:72 RC German Tiger Tank cost less than 20 bucks at the time of writing. It’s hard to find any significant faults for the price. Some users complain that it’s too slow, others too fast. There are two speeds, and I think the fast one makes it hard to control because of its size and weight. It’s also easy to break so watch where you step. It’s probably smaller than an average computer mouse.

2. iPlay RC Battling Tanks Set

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Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5

The next pick is the iPlan RC battling tank set. It’s a perfect gift if you have a couple of interested kids. It’s also good to have an extra toy for when friends come over to wage war.

• Best feature 1: Infrared combat functions
• Best feature 2: Easy to use controllers
• Plus points: Flashing lighteffects, sound effects, 4 LED lives, fully maneuverable
• Minus points: Long charging time, not good on carpets, slow turret speed

The infrared power is a nice touch that sends a beam to attack the opponent. The tanks let out a menacing roar once you rotate the guns and fire. Handling is easy thanks to the simple controllers. The real fun comes after you’ve hit an opponent. The enemy’s tank concedes a strike and starts to flash its lights to indicate a hit. Four LED indicators indicate your “lives”—four strikes, and you’re out!

These tanks are lots of fun and the kind of toys older people enjoy too. You have all the usual maneuvers plus some. There’s forward, back, speed-up, turn left, turn right, and universal spin. The turret turns 320-degrees, and the gun barrel goes up and down 30-degrees.

The Not So Good

The main disappointment with these tanks is the extended battery charging times. The initial charge is around 8-hours. I suggest charging them overnight if this is a birthday or Christmas gift. There’s going to be some disappointed faces if you forget. The long charge time is even more frustrating when you consider the 15 minutes operation per charge.

Another gripe is that the tanks are not at their best on carpet surfaces. The thicker the pile, the worse they perform. Sharp turns on carpets will probably see the tracks come away.

3. Haktoys HT502 RC 12” Fighting Battle Tanks

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5

Haktoys HT502 is another RC battle tank set. The attention to detail is remarkable as with the previous picks. These two puppies cost twice as much as the last set, though, so are they worth the extra?

• Best feature 1: Operateson different channel frequencies(27MHz and 40MHz)
• Best feature 2: Long play time
• Plus points: High-quality materials, decent charging time, good fighting distance, special effects
• Minus points: Loose parts, price

These tanks are the biggest and heaviest so far. They have beautiful designs—one a desert camo and the other a woodland.The transmitters for this set have a neat design and feel comfortable in the hands. They operate on different frequencies, so there’s no risk of interference during war games. The concept is similar to the previous set where you get four lives counted down by LED Life Indicators.

There’s all the usual sound and lighting effects with two firing options—canon or machine gun. The turret moves smoothly to the left and right and the tanks are quite nifty and agile. Great fun aside, these toys are also good for helping youngsters develop their hand-eye coordination.

The battery charging time is just 90 minutes, which is much faster than the iPlaytanks above. The playing time is also impressive at between 30–45 minutes per charge. These features alone might justify the extra cost for you.

The Not so Good

These tanks use quality plastics that pass international safety standards. The materials are not in question—it’s the parts. It’s true that kids can often be a little heavy-handed when playing boisterous games. Even so, the makers should consider these things at the design phase. I’ve read a handful of reviews where wheels come off and also of broken control sticks.

4. RC Shooting Storm of the Desert Tank

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Editor’s Rating: 4.8/5

My fourth product is a little different. This tank is a 1276 piece kit that you build yourself. It’s the Storm of the Desert tank and a real hobbyist’s project with full remote control functions.

• Best feature 1: Two motors
• Best feature 2: Long distance range
• Plus points: Moves across multiple terrains, good distance range, fast recharging
• Minus points: Only available in kit form

Take pride as you put the last piece in place of this Anti-aircraft RC Shooting Tank. It’s an education as well as a functional toy. It’s also one of those great father/son projects.

Two powerful motors allow the driver to maneuver over multiple terrains up to a distance of 164 ft. There are no worries of a short operating range or carpets with this capable beast. Moreover, the charging is good at just 90 minutes.

You have all the usual tank maneuvers but with the extra oomph and distance. The fort turret turns a full 360° to speed up combat in all directions. The educational aspect of this model size replica is going to appeal to some buyers too. It’s a good history lesson for those who want to know more about this heavily armored vehicle. Also, the assembly stage is bound to help develop a youngster’s motor skills.

High-Quality Build

The material used in this tank is high-quality ABS plastic. ABS has many excellent characteristics like durability, hypoallergenic, and skin-safe. This tank looks great, feels pleasant to touch, and will most likely outlive those who build it. Not only is the design and quality ABS first-rate, but the instructions are well written too. It takes a while to build but then that’s half the fun.

The Not so Good

The Storm of the Desert tank is such a beautiful machine, but it’s only available in kit form. That’s disappointing for folks who want the battle without the build.

5. Costzon 1:16 US M1A2 ABRAMS RC Battle Tank

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5

This desert yellow military battle tank comes complete with a model soldier. It’s a great looking vehicle and has a slightly different appearance to the standard camouflage finishes.

• Best feature 1: Powerful performance
• Best feature 2: Good running time
• Plus points: Easy to operate, automatic frequency alignment, smoke function, red launch alert
• Minus points: Slips on smooth surfaces, price tag

Most kids will love the Costzon RC tank though they suggest supervision for the under-14s. The Costzon 1:16 US M1A2 ABRAMS RC Battle Tank is a realistic toy that brings the battle alive with its range of fighting features. It’s powerful too. You can expect around 30 minutes running time on a fully charged battery. The 50-meter transmission range is even more impressive. Catch me if you can!

The special effects include a smoke function, a red launch indicator, and two different tank sounds. There are machine gun and cannonball sounds for the attack noises. Add the roar of the engine to the sound of fire, and it’s a formidable beast, albeit on the scale of a model. There’s also left and right spin maneuvers as well as all the usual driving moves.

The Not so Good

The plastic tracks are okay for most terrains, but you may experience some slipping on smoother surfaces. You can always upgrade to the metal version if you’re feeling ambitious. The only problem with metal tracks is that they could damage indoor surfaces so take heed.

This desert tank is a no-brainer for anyone who wants what it has to offer, but it’s not cheap. It’s a big beast and it’s frightening too—for a model.

6. Taigen German Tiger 1 Electric Airsoft RC Tank

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

Everyone will love this WW II tank. It’s a beast certain to grab your attention even if antique models are not your thing. The attention to detail is incredible, but looks are only part of its appeal.

• Best feature 1: Heavy-duty model w/ metal parts
• Best feature 2: Shoots Airsoft BBs
• Plus points: Smoking exhaust, realistic sound effects, heavy-duty tracks, military extras
• Minus points: Expensive

You can play with this electric powered tank, but as a beautiful replica, it also attracts collectors. Taigen modeled their World War II beauty after an early version of Germany’s Tiger 1 Tank. It’s big too at 1:16 scale, and it’s heavy. This model uses metal parts in the construction that include:

• Full metal gear set
• Gun Barrel
• Caterpillar Tracks
• Drive Wheel
• Front/Rear Hooks withpull ropes
• Tank Chassis
• Under body plate

It shoots high-quality Airsoft BB’s to add to the excitement. The tank can shoot the BBs up to around 82 ft. (25m) in ideal conditions. There’s even a starter pack of BB’s to get you up-and-shooting.

The tank’s full-range of operating functions includes forward/back, left and right moves. There are also the 360° super spins and a smoking exhaust. The realistic sound effects are engine startup & shutdown, machine gun rapid fire, and cannonball fire.

The Tiger 1 High-Quality Build

The size and attention to detail make an excellent first impression followed by the build. It’s a heavy-duty model with its own independent suspension system and high-grade metal caterpillar tracks. It looks the part and works seamlessly with its 2.4 GHz control equipment. There’s interference protection, extended range (though not specified), and superb steering accuracy.

The Not so Good

The only downside I could find with the Taigen German Tiger 1 Electric Airsoft RC Tank was its price. Enthusiastic collectors will justify the cost. Others will see it as an overpriced toy.

7. Tamiya 1/16 Leopard 2A6 RC Battle Tank

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Editor’s Rating: 4.9/5

My final and most expensive tank is the Tamiya 1/16 scale Leopard 2A6 RC Battle Tank. It’s a modern day construction and light years ahead from those older tanks of yesteryear.

• Best feature 1: One of the most prominent RC tanks around
• Best feature 2: High-volume speaker
• Plus points: Digitally recorded sounds, fully-rotating turret, realistic gun function, big motors
• Minus points: No smoke effects, expensive

This is a big boy’s toy and not a model you’d order for a toddler. The Tamiya 1/16 scale Leopard 2A6 RC Battle Tank is among the most prominent RC tanks around. It’s a high-quality tank as well as a big beast. It also comes with a plethora of high-detail replication—just like the real thing.

The high volume speaker adds to the fun. The sound effects not only sound real—they are real. The company digitally recorded all the sounds from the actual tank. This is the closest thing you’ll get in a model to driving the real thing—guaranteed.

Fire… Fire… Fire

The 360° rotating turret turns in exactly 9-seconds, just like the real tank. The gun action replicates the real war machine too with its 20-degree elevation and 9-degree depression. It also reloads automatically and quickly returns to the original firing position. You have to see it to appreciate these lifelike action movements, the lighting, and the special sound effects.

The high-volume speaker adds to the adrenalin of battle and synchronizes all sounds to all movements. The two lighting modes have seven lighting combinations for non-combat and combat. Again, all these effects replicate how the real tank operates and functions. However, this tank is not just about noise and flashing lights. The two powerful 540 size motors add to its muscle and realistic appeal.

The Not so Good

I was surprised that this tank didn’t have any smoke effects. Much cheaper models do, so I’m not sure why they left the smoke out with such an expensive model. The high price is the second disadvantage. It’s worth every penny to enthusiasts, but it’s out of reach for most kids who’d love to drive this beast.