Heki Trees--OPINIONS please...

I dont think they're the most realistic, but they're definitely good trees for the $2-4 each tree costs. Trunks are nicely done but the foliage is made of foam, it sometimes can look a bit square up close, but if used in a cluster with a better tree in front (JTT, the higher end scenic express handmades), they're pretty good trees.

O scale.

I have them (o scale, 2 sets)--Nice and quick.  Many folks here make better looking trees, but for pull it out of the box a go--they are nice.  Boilermaker1's description of them is good.

I just finished "treeing" my layout.

I made some on my own. "Furnace Filter Trees." Quite satisfactory really.

Also made a "crazy glue/sissel rope" tree. Very time consuming! A "trophy tree!" Followed the instructions here: http://www.freerails.com/view_...orum_id=4&page=1

Also tried "supertrees." By the time I got to them though, I had so many of the others, that very few supertrees are on the final layout. But supertrees too are very nice. And probably the most economical "nice" trees.

Beware! Some of the trees for sale out there are so bad, I refused to put them on the layout at all.

Two examples of sorry purchases . . .

1/ Bachmann "bottle brush" trees.

and these atrocious things, made I think by JTT . . .

I'm saving the above things for washing dishes! JTT make some great trees . . . just these things aren't!

Here is a corner of the layout using trees, both home made and purchased. I can't tell you who made which though. After "planting," there is no brand name on the things to ID them! Sorry.

Buying trees sight unseen, as I had to do is a crapshoot. Let price be your guide. If they're cheap, don't expect much. My "nice" trees were ten to twenty dollars apiece. I don't regret buying them though.

All those commercial trees and tree kits have in common orientation toward their real markets: HO and N scale. For O, they come across as just dinky. Unfortunately, O scale trees come out Y-u-u-u-ge

I'm a fan of super tree's from Scenic Express....

Paul

Trees. When I look back on what I still have on my layout, I laugh at myself.  Christmas wreath pieces cut and trimmed. My scene is in evergreen.  I just cannot make a believable deciduous tree. My pine/spruce are just a little bit better, but if you squint they are't too bad. But the trees really add texture.  As for ready made trees I would go for them if the area was limited to a few.  But filling a large area with the ready made is expensive. That said, scenic express look pretty good to me. And you can always place the trophy trees in the forground and fill in the back with your own. Actually, I enjoyed making mine. I got the cost down to about 40 cents a tree. Over 200 trees. Yikes. I still have some of the Christmas trees on the layout. Humility is good for my soul. Only God . . .  You know the rest.

Somebody mention trees 

Those are nice. Well done and the rest of the scenery is great as well. 

Some homemade trees and some store bought. I do use heki trees from time to time.