tomix detail and quality v Kato

[kmcsjr]

My only JNR exposure, so far, has been Kato. How does Tomix compare on detail, reliability, noise etc? Thanks

[Guest ___]

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[CaptOblivious]

I think, in general, they are on par with each other. Particular models will have their own peculiarities (thank goodness Tomix finally retired their DE10! That was a badly running model!), but you cannot go wrong with either, or with Micro Ace, or really any other Japanese manufacturer.

[kmcsjr]

Rats, I want to go DCC and I saw some AWESOME looking Tomix DE10s.... For a price I could afford...

[jappomania]

Hi!

just my opinion, I think all the japanese manifacturer works fine, but generally Kato quality is better for me, all is produced with high standard quality, Tomix like me too but, excluding HG items, some particulars are plastic unpainted and with really "plastic" sensation (insulator, panto zone, lower chassis), Greenmax work really good but is very expensive and the same for Modemo items, Microace old items aren't so good but the quality improvement is now comparable with the rest (unfortunatelly the price is around 20% higher then before), like Tomix sometime use unpainted plastic, especially for lower chassis, and sometime put to much particulars oversized (locomotive grids for example) 

better is compare the quality from similar items released at the same time, for example it's wrong compare the old DE10 from Tomix or kato with the last re-released Kato or Microace locos the original release is 20 years older 

 

if you need I can post photos from old and new locos for example (my DE10 collection is 99% complete)

 

ciao

Massimo

[kmcsjr]

Massimo

Thank you for your answer. How would you rate a 2006 Tomix DE10 (as a runner and as a possible DCC loco)?

[westfalen]

Hi!

just my opinion, I think all the japanese manifacturer works fine, but generally Kato quality is better for me, all is produced with high standard quality, Tomix like me too but, excluding HG items, some particulars are plastic unpainted and with really "plastic" sensation (insulator, panto zone, lower chassis), Greenmax work really good but is very expensive and the same for Modemo items, Microace old items aren't so good but the quality improvement is now comparable with the rest (unfortunatelly the price is around 20% higher then before), like Tomix sometime use unpainted plastic, especially for lower chassis, and sometime put to much particulars oversized (locomotive grids for example)   

better is compare the quality from similar items released at the same time, for example it's wrong compare the old DE10 from Tomix or kato with the last re-released Kato or Microace locos the original release is 20 years older 

 

if you need I can post photos from old and new locos for example (my DE10 collection is 99% complete)

 

ciao

Massimo

Do you have the latest Kato DE10? Kato have photos but nothing showing the mechanism. I'd be interested in knowing if it's been redesigned from the original to be more DCC friendly.

[jappomania]

Massimo

Thank you for your answer. How would you rate a 2006 Tomix DE10 (as a runner and as a possible DCC loco)?

 

 

Hi!

you can see photos about my DE10 collection at

http://picasaweb.google.it/massimo.biolcati/DE10#

(soon the rest of Microace DE10 with complete joyfull trains)

Tomix model have the same structure in the last 15 or more years so 2006 model have the same 1995 mechanic

for me is OK, run good but don't have flywheel, I don't know to much about DCC but I heard that the old loco with DCC run very well, like the new loco if you know good how to program CV (acceleration and brake curve I think..)

all of those locos aren't DCC friendly because the space inside is very limited but if the price of used loco is good you can try.

obviously the last Kato DE10 run better but the price is high...

 

ciao

Massimo

[jappomania]

Do you have the latest Kato DE10? Kato have photos but nothing showing the mechanism. I'd be interested in knowing if it's been redesigned from the original to be more DCC friendly.

 

ouch! yes I have the latest locos but I don't know how to open the chassis, please wait....

 

ciao

Massimo

[bill937ca]

Greenmax work really good but is very expensive and the same for Modemo items,

 

Just my two cents worth.  I agree Greenmax is expensive.  But considering the alternatives, particularly in other scales, I find the Modemo trams are a good buy.  Foreign exchange can be a factor in this equation, but the cars have good detail, run quietly and offer a variety of paint schemes. The NT99 runs about $58 US on HS, while an unfinished resin body from a Canadian supplier runs $30-$40 US plus a Tomytec drive. With Modemo you get a finished car with an advertising paint scheme (which is very representative of Japanese streetcars).

 

Miniatures by Eric alternative non-Japanese streetcar and interurban bodies:

 

http://www.miniaturesbyeric.com/itmidx2.htm

[CaptOblivious]

There is a thread here somewhere about the new Kato DE10 and DCC: It will take a drop-in decoder from Digirax or TCS. Yay!

See inobu's pics of mechanism here:

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=item&id=658

 

Re: Tomix DE10 and DCC: I've done it (with the 2006 version; not very different from the older version at all). It was very painful. Don't do it. You will want to scream and jump off a cliff. And even if you do get it, it is a really poor runner, and you will scream some more. Get the new Kato one, and a drop-in decoder, and save yourself many evenings of anguish.

[jappomania]

Greenmax work really good but is very expensive and the same for Modemo items,

 

Just my two cents worth.  I agree Greenmax is expensive.  But considering the alternatives, particularly in other scales, I find the Modemo trams are a good buy.  Foreign exchange can be a factor in this equation, but the cars have good detail, run quietly and offer a variety of paint schemes. The NT99 runs about $58 US on HS, while an unfinished resin body from a Canadian supplier runs $30-$40 US plus a Tomytec drive. With Modemo you get a finished car with an advertising paint scheme (which is very representative of Japanese streetcars).

 

Miniatures by Eric alternative non-Japanese streetcar and interurban bodies:

 

http://www.miniaturesbyeric.com/itmidx2.htm

 

 

 

 

oops.. sorry, I speak about modemo passenger cars, 313 series and RSE20000, I don't bought tram until now, I have only the last Kato Portram series.

you have right, my comparison is only between japanese factory, the rest of the world is much expensive (Roco, Minitrix, Fleischmann, Arnold, Hobbytrain, Dapol etc...) and/or don't have the same good quality   (handmade little series are very expensive and the quality....)

 

ciao

Massimo

[kmcsjr]

There is a thread here somewhere about the new Kato DE10 and DCC: It will take a drop-in decoder from Digirax or TCS. Yay!

See inobu's pics of mechanism here:

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=item&id=658

 

Re: Tomix DE10 and DCC: I've done it (with the 2006 version; not very different from the older version at all). It was very painful. Don't do it. You will want to scream and jump off a cliff. And even if you do get it, it is a really poor runner, and you will scream some more. Get the new Kato one, and a drop-in decoder, and save yourself many evenings of anguish.

All right.... I will look for the new Kato, I found a good price on a 1996 2 pack of tomix 1 red, 1 blue and yellow. Very pretty. Oh well on to the next shiny thing. Thanks for the quick advice!!!