I agree with much of what’s been said. All companies have their poor kits so there are no guarantees that you can depend on the manufacturer’s reputation.
I am best qualified to comment on the quality of aircraft produced in 1/32 scale than anything else.
I rate as the very best producers in 1/32,
Tamiya and Zoukei Mura based on engineering, fit, presentation and sheer enjoyment. I have not built the
Kotare Spitfire, their first model, yet as I am holding out for a late version, but looking at reviews they could well join the ‘crème de la creme’.
Other very good 1/32 producers are:
HKM (getting better and better with every release).
ICM (great value for money and interesting subjects)
Trumpeter and Hobbyboss, be wary and check reviews, when good they can be very good indeed but they often have accuracy issues.
Those I am less impressed with are:
Revell - these have done some decent kits, their AR196 and new Hurricane are excellent but they can be a bit ‘shoddy’ needing a lot of cleanup and still have a long way to go to be up to many others.
Italari - similar to
Revell in quality but there are some signs these are getting their act together with the Tornado and I am looking forward to their Folgore.
Some to stay away from:
Kitty Hawk - these have gone bust now but these kits can still be found. Appalling, their Bronco was the worse aircraft kit I ever attempted. Really don’t bother.
Special Hobby - these are short run kits, only get these when you have a lot of experience and if you don’t mind a lot of sanding and fettling, better these than Kitty Hawk though!
All my comments above are regarding their 1/32 aircraft kits only. The comments may not apply to other scales and subjects.
I really would suggest that you decide what subjects and scale you want to build and Google for kits in that scale and to also read reviews of those kits.