Can't get my head around this. . .

[Panzerjaeger]

This is not a criticism, just something I don't think I understand. Why do so many armor modelers assemble a model completely before painting any details? I cut my teeth on car models and that was something I just never did - I've always painted subassemblies and painted separately when I could and that M.O. has continued not that I'm building AFV's. My brother told me "it's easier to do it that way", but I still don't get it.

[Tarok]

There's no right or wrong way when it comes to the building/painting process. You've simply got to find the way that's easiest for you. FWIW, Bob Letterman also works in sub-assemblies :)

[Panzerjaeger]

Just trying to understand other approaches and possible benefits. . .

[Evan August]

I've wondered about this as well when I see complete build ups ready for paint. I wonder if in some cases parts are simply dry fitted or tacked for photos and then painted separately. I build Gundams on occasion and I have seen guys completely build kits and then paint, which is even more mind boggling considering that some of these things have rather complex paint schemes.
Personally, I figure if it is all the same color build it up, anything needing detail work can be added later.

[FAUST]

What I usually do when I get a new kit is more or less deciding which parts will be subassemblies... this varies a lot from vehicle to vehicle. Usually I photograph my models with everything being dryfitted. So it looks like a fully built vehicle but most of the stuff can be taken off into easy to handle chunks.
For a normal tank this usually (for me that is) are the turret, Hull, wheels (where possible) and tracks. For other vehicles it differs a lot. My H39 first will have to be painted on the inside before I can do the work on the outside.

[Eloranta]

That very same question has gone trough my mind few times. I usually try to paint my models in a way that there's no unpainted plastic anywhere (well, interior excluded), including both sides of those interleaved road wheels often present on german armor. But I guess this is a matter of taste really, I can see the point if someone paints only what can be seen when model is on shelf or on diorama.

With tools I can go both ways, sometimes I paint them separate and sometimes on vehicle.