Question about Gundam tool kits...

[JollySipper]

Hey, guys! This may be a dumb question, but are the tools meant for Gundam building of a cheaper quality than car-hobby tools? This tool kit that I will link to has all sorts of handy tools! Snips, files, a pin vice, they really hook you up!

https://www.amazon.com/Gundam-Professional-Building-Modeler-Repairing/dp/B08R6B2PYD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=gundam+model+tool+kit&qid=1691195689&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

But, this whole kit only costs a little over $20...... Which is kinda cheap considering what all you get. I'm just wondering if the price reflects quality.......

[jaymcminn]

I'm guessing that the price definitely reflects the quality, given that a good pair of sprue cutters costs more than the whole kit. For something you're going to get a lot of use out of I wouldn't trust it. For beginners it's probably okay, though.

[KWT]

I bought something very similar to that almost 10 years ago. Still using it. I recently replaced the sprue cutters.

[NOBLNG]

For the price, you probably can’t go wrong. I wouldn’t expect the drill bits to be decent quality and drill a clean accurate hole, but you might get lucky?

[Fat Brian]

The tools aren't the highest quality but they're fine for working with plastic. You'll probably want to get a better xacto knife at some point and some cutters with a hardend jaw if you're ever going to cut anything metal.

[peteski]

Building Gundam kits has become a popular hobby.  Enterprising businesses are taking advantage of that by making handy tool sets and packaging them as Gundam-specific.  As I see it, it's simply a marketing strategy. I'm pretty sure the tools are low-quality because like others said, they are used on soft plastic.  You will get what you paid for.

[Bill Eh?]

Even if you remove the precision critical pieces (sprue cutters, pin vice/bits), the remaining parts of the package are still a good deal at that price.

I believe Peter is correct in that titling it a Gundam tool kit is a marketing device to entice that segment of builders. It could very well have been called a (Plastic) Modelling tool kit.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Bill Eh?

[Don Sikora II]

Can't speak to these tools, but last year I bought a set of inexpensive (~$5) drill bits for a pin vice on Amazon that turned out to be absolutely worthless...the bits aren't able to drill holes in styrene. Sometimes the cheap stuff turns out to be surprisingly good, but that was definitely not the case with the bits that I purchased.