One of the main strengths of the 3 3/4" Joe line has always been Hasbro's ability to give us realistic vehicles in at least a semi-realistic scale. Of the hundreds of vehicles released since 1982, there are a few out there that are considered iconic, and most of these are from the first few years of the line. VAMP. Dragonfly. Skystriker. MOBAT. In fact, the MOBAT is often considered the default Joe tank. It had a lot of cool features, not the least of which was its motorization.
Well, there's another motorized Joe tank from the '80s line that some consider just as iconic, and many people like much better than the MOBAT. That vehicle is the Mauler MBT (Manned Battle Tank).
There are several things that set the Mauler apart from (and make it a better tank than) the MOBAT. The Mauler is a lot larger, for one thing. For another, figures can actually fit inside this tank, rather than Steeler desperately hoping that all of the Cobras shoot as bad as they did in the cartoon while he stands in the MOBAT's turret with half his torso exposed. For another, there are all kinds of neat little features about the Mauler, which I will get into shortly.
The Mauler, like the MOBAT, is motorized. The motorized functions are controlled by a small joystick on the rear deck of the vehicle that can be moved in four directions. This activates the Mauler and sends it motoring merrily away, ready to stomp some Cobras. This could be considered the main selling point of the vehicle, as who doesn't love a tank that cruises around by itself?
Besides the motorization, there are several other neat features about this tank. The turret will traverse 360 degrees, and the cannon will elevate to around 70 degrees...more than most tanks would ever need, unless you were using the tank cannon as a mortar. The turret has smoke grenade launchers on either side for covering tactical withdrawals, and two antennae on the top rear of the turret both provide comms and look kinda neat. There are two opening hatches at the front of the tank for the driver and one other figure. There are what are labeled "stowage" lockers with removable hatches on the body of the vehicle on either side of the turret, which are big enough for a backpack or a few rifles. Panels that fit over the intake and part of the engine sit on either side of the rear of the vehicle and are removable for "maintenance." There are tread and bogey...I dunno what to call them...guards? covers? on either side of the vehicle that can be removed either to access the treads or for aesthetic purposes...the same goes for the mudflaps on the front and rear of the vehicle. The Mauler does have a standard sized Joe hitch on the back so it can pull around smaller towed vehicles like the HAL or the Mountain Howitzer. Or, if you happen to actually have a Mauler with a tow rope (just like the Wolverine's but a different color) the Mauler could be used to drag out "stuck" vehicles. Though somehow I doubt anyone who has a Mauler with an intact tow rope would risk breaking it in such a manner.
Gripes are few but are still present. I love the opening hatches in the front of the tank, I just wish the turret had one...though that would probably have made the turret too bulky. Those damned smoke grenade launchers and antennae are easily detachable and thus easily lost (I finally secured mine with a small dab of super glue). If you have one with a tow rope, they are very fragile, as well as easily lost...and by the way, the tow ropes themselves are worth a ton if you have an intact one. And the extra bogey wheel (
?) or whatever it is that sits on top of the control stick looks kind of goofy (to me anyway) so I display my Mauler without it. Finally, while I don't mind the tan color, I wonder sometimes how the Mauler would look in some awesome jungle camo, and I'm sure there's some customs out there somewhere.
If you find a complete, working Mauler (especially with that aforementioned tow rope) expect to pay big bucks for it. I have seen several on eBay and a few other sites easily go for over $100. Be forewarned that a few people out there make reproduction grenade launchers and antennae and even tow ropes...while this is great if you just want to complete your Mauler without paying the absurd prices asked for the originals, if you want a 100% original loose Mauler you better check it closely (most of the repros are a slightly different shade of gray than what came with the original Mauler) so you don't get scammed. However, the rest of the parts on the Mauler are pretty easy to come by as well as reasonable.
Personally, I got a mostly-complete, working Mauler that just really needed a good cleaning for $20, and spent another $20 on parts lots and the repro antennae, plus another $10 for some JRuben stickers, and so I got a like-new, working Mauler for $50. Really, it all comes down to how anal you are about your vehicles...if you can't stand the fact that you're missing that damned tow rope but don't want to pay the big $$$$, then the Mauler will NOT be your thing. Some people consider the Mauler the best Joe tank ever made...personally, I prefer the Equalizer, which I will also review soon...but it should be noted that the mighty Equalizer shares every part but its turret with the Mauler. Anyway, if you want a really neat-looking, large, motorized tank, look no further than the Mauler.
Pics (in there somewhere)
http://s635.photobucket.com/albums/uu71/olyeller01/GI%20Joe%20Collection/
