Slightly Sibjective: MH Structural Tube vs Fairing

[Jestersage]

Knowing this is definitely subjective, May I ask when would you pick one over another?

[bewing]

Cost, mass, and drag. Also, a structural tube will not protect anything inside of it from drag either -- only a fairing or cargo bay can do that.

[jimmymcgoochie]

Tubes plus engine plates can look better than a fairing for interstages and tubes don’t disappear when they are decoupled, but fairings are generally lighter and more customisable.

On a less rocket-related note, those structural tubes can also be used with Breaking Ground motors as wheels or other mechanical devices. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by jimmymcgoochie

[RealKerbal3x]

On 1/10/2021 at 1:18 AM, bewing said:

Cost, mass, and drag. Also, a structural tube will not protect anything inside of it from drag either -- only a fairing or cargo bay can do that.

Didn't they change this in a recent update?

[Superfluous J]

For me that's like asking should you use wheels or fuel tanks.

I use fairings when I want fairings. I use the tubes almost never, but have used them as one-part makeshift landing legs.