Introduction:

RyeField Models hit a home run with their fantastic M1240A1 M-ATV kit (RM-5032). Released in 2019, the kit received unanimous praise from the modeling community as one of the best 1/35 scale plastic kits of wheeled vehicles. Although impressively detailed and superbly engineered, Rye Field’s kit did have its shortcomings, which the company addressed by releasing two resin M-ATV upgrade sets, providing the missing radio equipment and substituting soft vinyl tires with replacement wheels.

With several sets of resin replacement wheels already produced for Panda and Kinetic M-ATV offerings, DEF Model did not want to miss a chance to release their wheel set for the Rye Field kit as well.

Review:

US M1240A1 M-ATV Sagged Wheel Set (DW35113) from DEF Model is a set of resin replacement wheels for both Panda and RyeField M-ATV kits. The set is in fact identical to a previous DEF Model item US M-ATV MRAP BIG Sagged Wheel set (DW35054) designed for Panda, but with the addition of connectors which enable using the set with Rye Field kit as well.

The set is packed in a nicely designed cardboard box. The box art image displays the wheels on Rye Field model and notes the set includes 9 resin pieces and a masking sheet. Opening the box reveals a large zip-lock bag with resin wheels and a smaller zip-lock bag with resin connectors, as well as masking paper and masking instruction sheet.

The resin pieces look really good. As with all DEF Model sets I reviewed so far, I was impressed with the quality of the cast. The details are clear and nicely defined, the bolts sharp and the tread pattern perfectly represented. There are no seam lines to clean which is a huge plus in my book. The casting blocks are located on the bottom part of the road wheels and are easy to remove without damaging the detail. Although the casting block on the spare wheel has thin attachment points, I suggest a bit more patience when cleaning these… if done carefully there will be no need to recreate the tire tread pattern on the spare wheel.

The resin connectors enable using DEF Model replacement wheels with Rye Field M-ATV kit. These connectors should be installed to the central wheel opening of the resin tires. I would strongly suggest dry fitting these to the kit parts first to find the optimal orientation of the connectors, and only then gluing them to the wheels. Please note that, if using resin replacement tires, kit parts C50 should not be used for the rear wheels. Also, the central opening of the connector should be cut out for the front wheels. Again, dry fitting before fixing these is the key. An image from DEF Models website could help: link.

The set depicts Michelin XZL 16.00R20 tire. The all-terrain, all-position radial tire for special service vehicles, with dimensions of 1342 x 439 (52.9 x 17.2 in) and the approved rim width of 254 mm (10 in). The tire features non-directional tread with open shoulder design.

Along with accurately represented tire tread pattern, the tires in this set also feature MICHELIN X and 16.00R20 XZL inscriptions on the sidewalls. The complex bolt pattern on the rim is correctly delivered, together with Central Tire Inflating System (CTIS) cap. The hub is also very nicely detailed and features a microscopic Oshkosh inscription. Sized to 38.10 x 12.15 mm, the tires in this set are a fraction of millimeter smaller in diameter and width than the real tire in 1/35 scale.

The wheels in this set are depicted with a slight tire sag. The compression on the tire is not overdone and I feel it conveys the weight of the loaded vehicle really well.

The set includes two slightly different wheels, labeled as A and B. These two wheel variants are oriented differently, regarding the sidewall inscriptions as well as compression where the tire contacts the ground. This slight variance ensures the wheels don’t look identical when fixed to the same side of the vehicle.

Here's a closer look at the spare tire, front and back.

Three pre-cut masking sheets are included in this kit. The masks are of help when painting the wheels, allowing airbrushing without overspray. Also included is the instruction leaflet which shows two different ways of applying the masks and painting the wheels.

Conclusion:

US M1240A1 M-ATV Sagged Wheel Set (DW35113) from DEF Model delivers resin replacement wheels (4 road wheels and 1 spare wheel) designed to fit both Panda and Rye Field M-ATV models. DEF Model wheels are extremely well cast, with perfectly reproduced all the tire details and realistically depicted tire sag. The wheels are provided in two slightly different orientation for additional scale model realism.

Altogether, this set is far superior in all the possible ways to vinyl tires/plastic hubs from Panda/Rye Field kits. Highly recommended.

A big thanks to DEF Model for this review sample.