Introduction:
In the late 1980s, it was realized that the M747 60-ton trailer and the M911 tractor were no longer suited to hauling the upgraded M1A1 Abrams tank. In 1993, the M1000 Heavy Equipment Transport entered service with the US Army. Paired with the M1070 tractor, their primary mission was to transport, deploy, and recover the Abrams tank and other heavy equipment up to 70 tons during both combat and noncombat operations.
The M1070 Truck Tractor & M1000 Heavy Equipment Transporter Semi-trailer from HobbyBoss is a very popular 1/35 scale plastic kit. DEF Model offers resin replacement wheels for both M1070 and M1000 as separate sets. Wheel set for M1070 (DW35030) was assessed here, while this review covers US M1000 HET Semi-Trailer Sagged Tire Set (DW35168).
Review:
The set comes in a side-opening cardboard box. The box features an image showing DEF resin tires fitted on the assembled M1000 model, stating the set is designed for HobbyBoss kit (85502).
The box contains a large plastic bag with 42 resin tires, which are designed to be used in conjunction with the plastic kit rims.
The pieces are cast really well, with details wonderfully delivered in resin. I found no imperfections in the cast, only some thin flash residue in the center of each piece which I cleaned using a sharp modeling blade. Resin carrier blocks are located on the bottom of the tire, at the tire ground contact, and are very easy to remove using a pair of side cutters and some sandpaper.
The tire represented in this kit is Michelin 215/75R17.5 XTA radial tire optimized for low bed, high cube trailers. With the diameter of 30.7 in (779 mm) and width of 8.7 in (221 mm), this is the most common tire fitted to M1000s.
The tires in DEF Model set have all the Michelin 215/75R17.5 XTA tire features well represented in scale. The tire tread pattern is superbly delivered and sidewall embossing is well reproduced with inscriptions MICHELIN X and 215/75R17.5 XTA clearly legible under magnification.
The dimensions of DEF Model tires are 24,50 mm x 7,25 mm, about two millimeters larger and a millimeter wider than the real tire. However, I would guess the bigger size of the tire was perhaps a conscious decision from DEF to accommodate the too large rims in the HobbyBoss kit.
The M1000 has 40 wheels across five axle lines and DEF Model includes 40 road wheel tires in their set, as well as 2 spare tires usually fitted to the trailer. The roadwheel tires feature a slight bulge at ground contact, as if compressed by the weight of the vehicle, and are supplied in three slightly different versions (labeled 1, 2 and 3 on their carrier blocks). Each tire version has differently oriented sidewall inscriptions with respect to the compression at tire ground contact. Moreover, each side of the tire is different, so the set actually offers 6 slightly different tire versions which ensures the wheels don’t look identical when fitted to the trailer… a smart move from DEF Model.
As mentioned, 2 spare wheels are also included in the set.
The DEF resin tires are developed as a direct replacement for vinyl tires supplied with the HobbyBoss kit and fitting the resin tires to plastic rims should not present a problem. The only thing to pay attention to is optimal orientation of the tire ground contact in tandem wheels, which could require cutting the locating pins in two kit rims and aligning central hub openings on the dual wheels manually.
Conclusion:
US M1000 HET Semi-Trailer Sagged Tire Set (DW35168) is another excellent set of resin replacement wheels from DEF Model. It delivers 40 resin road wheel tires and 2 spare tires designed to upgrade the HobbyBoss kit. The resin tires feature good casting and excellent details, with 6 different variations of sidewall orientation, which avoids repetition of tire features when fitted to the same side of the vehicle.
Highly recommended as an essential upgrade over kit vinyl tires, both in terms of sidewall detail as well as in tire compression effect due to the weight of the vehicle.
PS Note the set covers the tires for the M1000 trailer only. The set of resin replacement wheels for M1070 truck tractor is available separately from DEF and is reviewed here.