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| Conrad box.
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| Mercedes Benz
tractor looks good in Kibag colours but no number plate. |
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| Tilting cab
reveals the engine.
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| Simple open
chassis. |
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| Detail
underneath is basic. |
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| Yellow chocks
are the right colour but look plastic. |
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| Trailer body is
metal and finished well. |
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| Tipping angle
is reasonable. |
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Komatsu 61EX stands by. |
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| Rocking and
rollling. |
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Kögel is a German manufacturer of trailers that
was originally formed in 1934 to capitalise on the
Autobahn construction programme. The company has had a
difficult time in the last decade but was relaunched in 2010.
Kibag
is a Swiss group founded in 1926 and it owns a number of
quarries and concrete plants as well as carrying out
civil engineering works. It employs around 1400
people.
This model in Kibag livery is an exclusive model by Heavy Transport
Models (HTM) and is made for them by Conrad. It is a
Mercedes Benz MP3 tractor and a two axle
tipper in Kibag colours.
Packaging
The model comes in a standard 'Conrad Collection' box
and inside it is enclosed by a foam rubber sheet.
The review model had no defects or missing parts.
The only parts to assemble are the mirrors and aerials
on the tractor unit.
There is no information supplied about Kibag, the real
vehicle or the model.
Detail
The Mercedes Benz 6x4 tractor unit has the transmission
and rear suspension modelled, with the front axle
providing functionality rather than accuracy. The wheel
hubs are plastic and detailed although the same tyre
pattern is used on all wheels.
The cab looks good in Kibag livery and the door mirrors
are colour coded and also have texture. At the front the bumper and
grille are fine and the lights have plastic lenses.
The cab has a unique fleet number but it is a pity that
a number plate was not included to add realism.
Interior detail includes the Mercedes emblem in the
centre of the steering wheel.
Behind the cab, there is a small stepping plate and the
most of the chassis is open. The wheel arches are
plastic and the rear lights have plastic lenses so they
look good.
The Kögel tipper has a strong metal chassis with
good structure although it lacks fine details other than
sets of wheel chocks which look a little too plastic. The axles are metal
assemblies which represent the suspension, and the wheel
arches are plastic. At the rear the under-run
protection bar is metal, and the lights are painted.
The tipper body is all metal with a smart paint finish,
and the tailgate is metal too. The six section
hydraulic ram leads to a large plastic cap on the tipper
body and the colour match of this part is a
little off.
Overall the tipper looks good but some more graphics
would have increased the realism.
Features
The tractor has very good steering and a very hard lock can
be obtained. The rear axles have a degree of
independent float to mimic suspension.
The cab tilts forward and can hold the pose, and
underneath is a plastic engine.
The tipper axles are rigid and can move up and down
separately. Two landing feet can be rotated down
to park the trailer when not connected to the tractor.
Tipping the body is an easy action and it can reach an
angle of around 40°. The tailgate opens.
Quality
This is a well made model that feels typically strong.
The paintwork is very good and the plastic elements do
not for the most part detract from the look. The
few graphics are sharp.
Price
The model is a fair price.
Overall
This is a straightforward model which looks good
although the detail level is not to the best modern
standards and the addition of some more graphics such as
warning notices and number plates would have made a
difference. However it poses well with other
models and earns
recommended badge.
Footnotes
The Kibag livery Mercedes version was made in a limited
run of only 200
models. Another version was made with a
MAN
tractor.
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| Foam wrapping. |
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On the road. |
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| Cab door has a
fleet number.
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| Lights have
lenses but no number plate. |
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| Chassis detail
is fine. |
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| Standing on its
own two feet. |
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| Chassis
structure is good. |
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| Wheel hubs are
detailed. |
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| Looks good.
|
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| It has a
brother with a MAN tractor (shown on the right). |
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