Yamato's Fragile?

[jenius]

Sounds like you'd agree with my review. I hear the 0A is improved but the shoulders are still prone to breaking.

[mujuro]

Your review was great sadly it came out right after i purchased the 0S online. ARGHH! At least it doesnt dip in the middle when i have it just straight in plane mode. I am not sure but are the vf-1s like this as well?

Sounds like you'd agree with my review. I hear the 0A is improved but the shoulders are still prone to breaking.

[HoveringCheesecake]

No, the 1/48 VF-1(anything) are great. Just stay away from the first issue.

[rarra92]

I have 3 1/48 VF-1 (J, S, J Stealth) , and I couldn't be happier with them. They're sturdy, you can pose them easily (they keep the pose), they are pretty solid.

I had also a VF-0S, beatiful..... but what a floppy mess , the arms were so floppy that you couldn't pose them, and the valk when in fighter mode, when you picked it up, it bended a little bit in the middle ; I guess this is because of the sliding nosecone. I loved this valk, but I ended up selling it on ebay, because of all this. Also that I heard that the new VF-0A, was much sturdier.... so my plan was buying a VF-0A, and wait for the second generation VF-0S. Now there's also problems with VF-0A , with stress marks/broken shoulders... Hope they fix it with the Shin Model

YF-19 came out, beautiful toy, and again there's rumors starting about stress marks, and broken parts, floppy wings ...

It's either that they're fragile, or they have serious QC problems...

[bandit29]

I don't collect or buy Yamato toys anymore but when I did I never had too many breakage problems. I owned all of the 1/60s VFs, 1/72s Macross Plus and about 10 1/48s.

There was:

the Tab B on the first 1/72 YF-19 that broke.

one 1/48 back pack hinge that broke right of the box because the mold wasn't right

a 1/48 VF-1S head laser that broke but that was my fault.

I mainly stopped buying Yamatos due to their price and overall (sometimes bad)quality. It's not worth it to me anymore. I thought about buying a 1/60 YF-19 but after reading about the problems, forget it. 200.00 can be better spent else where.

Edited January 29, 2007 by dejr8bud

[mujuro]

Yeah, my toy didn't break or anything but it did cost me about 200 after shipping/taxes. I believe for that much money a toy should be pretty close to perfect. I also wonder how come Yamato didn't make these die cast. Did they make them diecast before?

.

I don't collect or buy Yamato toys anymore but when I did I never had too many breakage problems. I owned all of the 1/60s VFs, 1/72s Macross Plus and about 10 1/48s.

There was:

the Tab B on the first 1/72 YF-19 that broke.

one 1/48 back pack hinge that broke right of the box because the mold wasn't right

a 1/48 VF-1S head laser that broke but that was my fault.

I mainly stopped buying Yamatos due to their price and overall (sometimes bad)quality. It's not worth it to me anymore. I thought about buying a 1/60 YF-19 but after reading about the problems, forget it. 200.00 can be better spent else where.

[Beware of Blast]

According to legend, the only Yamato Macross stuff with decent diecast metal contents are the 1/72 Macross plus valks, YF19, YF21 and the VF11B and their fast pack versions. There is no faspack version for the 1/72 YF19.

You also get quite abit of diecast metal on the legs and back of the 1/60 VF1s.

Those releases have also completely deplete Planet Yamato of their metal.

[Graham]

Mentioned in the VF-0 thread, but I'll mention here as well. Yamato just told me they will be changing the breakage prone shoulder and lower swivel pieces on the VF-0 toy to POM plastic, which will be more durable than the present ABS arm parts. This change will start with the upcoming Shin VF-0A.

Replacement parts will also be available through HLJ when the parts are available in a month or so hopefully.

Graham

[HoveringCheesecake]

Mentioned in the VF-0 thread, but I'll mention here as well. Yamato just told me they will be changing the breakage prone shoulder and lower swivel pieces on the VF-0 toy to POM plastic, which will be more durable than the present ABS arm parts. This change will start with the upcoming Shin VF-0A.

Replacement parts will also be available through HLJ when the parts are available in a month or so hopefully.

Graham

WOW! I am VERY impressed with Yamato now. Good on them. Any news of a second-issue VF-0S with these fixes?

[Wicked Ace]

I hope Yamato will address the -19's breakage problem as well.

[cyde01]

Mentioned in the VF-0 thread, but I'll mention here as well. Yamato just told me they will be changing the breakage prone shoulder and lower swivel pieces on the VF-0 toy to POM plastic, which will be more durable than the present ABS arm parts. This change will start with the upcoming Shin VF-0A.

Replacement parts will also be available through HLJ when the parts are available in a month or so hopefully.

Graham

great news. can't wait for a reissue 0S and a 0D.

[GobotFool]

Mentioned in the VF-0 thread, but I'll mention here as well. Yamato just told me they will be changing the breakage prone shoulder and lower swivel pieces on the VF-0 toy to POM plastic, which will be more durable than the present ABS arm parts. This change will start with the upcoming Shin VF-0A.

Replacement parts will also be available through HLJ when the parts are available in a month or so hopefully.

Graham

are they gonna offer repair parts for the garland as well?

[EXO]

that's great news. So that goes for both 0S and 0A correct. I'm glad I didn't get the first release. I'm also glad Yamato is fixing the previous ones.

I hope they decide to do the same with the garland also.

If all this happens then I'm back on the bandwagon!

[Beware of Blast]

Heh, they cut ya abit, then they provide the bandages after yer almost bled to death. Hope no one hafta pay for the band aids or the shipping ta git them.

[EXO]

Heh, they cut ya abit, then they provide the bandages after yer almost bled to death. Hope no one hafta pay for the band aids or the shipping ta git them.

not when you're smart like me... haha. I don't have to buy crap and pay for shipping... just wait for the corrected version to be released. Now if everyone does that, how long before Yamato starts getting it right the first time? MWUAHAHAHA!

ok, well, the garland. I bought it to help a friend get a discount... no more bleeding heart collector.

[Beware of Blast]

Damn!

[Graham]

If you bought a Garland in the US, then contact Yamato USA about getting it fixed or getting replacement parts.

The upcoming Garland repaint releases should be improved, or so I've been told.

Regarding the YF-19, I'm meeting again with Yamato on Feb 5th, and will inform them of the problem with the part with two screws under the nose cracking, in case they don't already know. Hopefully this part will get changed to POM as well.

Graham

[Wicked Ace]

Regarding the YF-19, I'm meeting again with Yamato on Feb 5th, and will inform them of the problem with the part with two screws under the nose cracking, in case they don't already know. Hopefully this part will get changed to POM as well.

Graham

I hope the "Major problem" thread I started will be of use. Please tell us if more (or more clear) pictures are necessary.

Edited January 30, 2007 by Wicked Ace

[GobotFool]

If you bought a Garland in the US, then contact Yamato USA about getting it fixed or getting replacement parts.

The upcoming Garland repaint releases should be improved, or so I've been told.

Regarding the YF-19, I'm meeting again with Yamato on Feb 5th, and will inform them of the problem with the part with two screws under the nose cracking, in case they don't already know. Hopefully this part will get changed to POM as well.

Graham

Don't forget to mention the landing gear and the shoulder's that won't sit flush and leave big gaps while in fighter mode.

[Hiriyu]

Don't forget to mention the landing gear and the shoulder's that won't sit flush and leave big gaps while in fighter mode.

There's actually no functional problem with the rear landing gear on the 19 - people just jumped (leaped?) to that conclusion. It is capable of splaying outward of its own accord, though the joint is very stiff as shipped (there is a relief in the top of the landing gear strut to accomodate the 'tilt' movement, as opposed to the 0's notched pivot piece, and it does not require drilling/grinding/notching etc).

I also haven't seen a big problem with the shoulders sitting flush on mine; it helps to tweak the top of each of the lower legs/aft fuselage inward just a little bit, then there's plenty of clearance for the shoulders to sit flat.

[lechuck]

Regarding the YF-19, I'm meeting again with Yamato on Feb 5th, and will inform them of the problem with the part with two screws under the nose cracking, in case they don't already know. Hopefully this part will get changed to POM as well.

Graham

Graham could you also please tell Yamato to create a better locking mechanism for when the nosecone sits on that gullet piece in battroid mode. It's kind of irritating that the thing keeps on popping out of the hole when handling the valk.

For me a slightly bigger tab that "clicks" into the nose would do the trick. Or they could at least make the the fit a bit tighter, so that you really have to "squeeze" the little tab in the hole.

[rarra92]

Mentioned in the VF-0 thread, but I'll mention here as well. Yamato just told me they will be changing the breakage prone shoulder and lower swivel pieces on the VF-0 toy to POM plastic, which will be more durable than the present ABS arm parts. This change will start with the upcoming Shin VF-0A.

Replacement parts will also be available through HLJ when the parts are available in a month or so hopefully.

Graham

That is perfect.... now that the VF-0A is getting fixed I'm getting one... Only hope they also fix the VF-0S....

GREAT NEWS YAMATO !!!!

[kensei]

I hope mightmareB4macross didn't get too far with those replacements.

I suggest group ordering your parts to ship in a big batch for the parts to save on shipping. I know I will be doing that.

[do not disturb]

I suggest group ordering your parts to ship in a big batch for the parts to save on shipping. I know I will be doing that.

i'll be doing the same but who knows what HLJ will be charging for replacement parts?

what bothers me is that yamato owned up to it but they're trying to make yet another buck off their customers, thats not right. its even worse that they're having HLJ do it so they can make more money as well, sorry but thats just LAME.

[mister_e]

Before any of us get too worked up about this - I don't think it's been mentioned by Graham whether or not Yamato or HLJ will be charging for the replacement parts

[EXO]

I dont think HLJ would do it for free. Since Yamato could just tough crap to their US customers as they had in the past (concerning the BP-8s).

[GobotFool]

There's actually no functional problem with the rear landing gear on the 19 - people just jumped (leaped?) to that conclusion. It is capable of splaying outward of its own accord, though the joint is very stiff as shipped (there is a relief in the top of the landing gear strut to accomodate the 'tilt' movement, as opposed to the 0's notched pivot piece, and it does not require drilling/grinding/notching etc).

I also haven't seen a big problem with the shoulders sitting flush on mine; it helps to tweak the top of each of the lower legs/aft fuselage inward just a little bit, then there's plenty of clearance for the shoulders to sit flat.

I fiddle with my shoulders over and over and I still can't get them to sit flat. Even if I could get them to sit flat there is still the matter of that ugly gap where the should joint meets.

[Hiriyu]

I fiddle with my shoulders over and over and I still can't get them to sit flat. Even if I could get them to sit flat there is still the matter of that ugly gap where the should joint meets.

Agreed, to a point. Even with the tops of the shoulders sitting flush, there is still a little longitudinal gap between the end of the shoulder and the leg. Takatoys' fix seems to be the way to go for complete correction. That said, with a little fiddling, I've got mine to where I'm pretty happy with them unmodded.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Someone mentioned earlier about how the vf-1 Fast Packs are scary to take off because the hinge wobbles a bit when trying to pull these off.

I totally agree with that statement. It's not so much that I think putting on the FP is a problem and locking them together isn't sufficient to keep them up, its more the taking off of the FAST packs that scares the poo out of me.

I mentioned this a while ago and asked others if they get scared at that hinge wobbling and not many people think of it as being "scary".

Glad I am not the only one. Of course all the 1/48 VF-1 stuff I own is great. It's yamato's best and sturdiest line so for all those complaining about quality in later newer releases, you need to be patient. Give Yamato time to see if they can fix these issues.

It happens with game console manufacturers too: early adopters of xbox have the heating issues, noise issues and dirty disc error issues and only about 1 year later they experience some of the probs. These issues are reported and later-made versions have none of the issues the early ones had as the process is improved over time.

No this is not an excuse just FYI as I have been burned too in the past, so I know what you are going through. But there is hope things will get better as the 1/72 vf11 has shown. I was lucky to only get into the whole macross toy collecting scene about the time when 1/48 and the 1/60 and 1/72 releases were pretty much all we had to go by to guage the quality of yamato macross toys. So yeah I have taken an optimistic view of this. Just because some other guy got lucky is not an indication all of them are going to be perfect. It's possible some people just got a bad batch or the design isn't sturdy enough to take a reasonable amount of abuse to suit those people who are used to handling much sturdier toys from other toy manufacturers.

So long as they strive to improve in later releases I will still be interested in what they have in store for us. I just refuse to be the early adopter who has to take all the risk and instead would rather wait for a 2nd or maybe even third run if I have to, to get the best version possible. (the one with close to no issues with it at all) Since the shipping cost is high, and the toy is expensive, this is a reasonable stance to take. It's not that I don't trust them, but more that it pays to be patient and see if they can stand the test of time first. (ie 1 or 2 years into ownership, do they seem like they are going to break down or explode just from touching or transforming?)

Edited February 3, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[superevans]

I only own a VF-11B non fast pack. I picked it up in Hong Kong last month because I was on vacation, and had always heard how yamatos were the best valkyries. Unfortunately, I didn't know about this site, or the problems with the hips. It broke on the plane ride back, before I had ever transformed it. Needless to say, this left a bad taste in my mouth. In replacing the toy enough to be able to transform it, I also noticed that several screw posts had white stress marks, which I would attribute to overtightening.

Since then, I've been interested in other yamato releases, especially the VF-0, but I can't help but think that some part is going to be messed up. On both the VF-0 and the yf-19, people are finding stress marks. What's the point of a perfect transformation plane if you can't transform it without it breaking?

Finally, some people said that you still don't see people selling off their yamatos, even after breakage. One thought could be that these are now next to worthless. I paid US $70 for the Vf-11, and it's not like I can recoup even half that if it has a broken hip.

The big problem is the price. If I pay $200 for something, I would expect it to hold together and not break. Stress marks turn into breaks in the long run. My conclusion so far is to wait 4-6 months and read the reports, but at that point, they're either rising in price or less available to me.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Sorry to hear that bro. Like I say: I was one of the lucky ones who came upon this site to read up on all the reviews before paying up front. As beautiful as a toy can be, you want it to last.

It all started with me wanting to get some good masterpiece grade toys and I had been looking at the Toynami Masterpiece Collection of vf-1 that they had on the robotech.com site.

I heard about yamato vf-1 and came here. Read up on the impressions, and that is how I came to love these toys. (the 1/48 line) Skipped the 1/60 vf-1, skipped the early vf11 etc

For those who got vf-11 without the FAST Packs, well I would say to them search for the 1/72 VF11 with the FP because these have improvements. If you heard the older releases have weaknesses, warn others. Post pics. Complain and voice it so we can get as much info on it as possible before others commit to a purchase. It works! My advice is if you want it now badly be prepared to take a risk on newer releases. In my experience, you want all the flaws to be discovered first by others before making a commitment. It's not just toys but electronic equipment too.

But at least go to the trouble to show where it is so others can look for them or people will just think it is an isolated incident. I wouldn't have known much about the 1/72 releases and thier sturdiness or lack of it without first reading a review first. But I also rely on other people's experiences for a balanced view. (the garland is a good example: love the toy, but held off on it until I knew the thing would meet my standard of lasting durability. Transforming vehicles need to be handled.)

I figure: If you are going to be paying a lot, why not research a bit on the product beforehand?

Edited February 4, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[superevans]

I definitely agree with you about doing research first. It was more that I knew that the prices were going to be better over there than here. Example: Yamato Yf-19 was like $160 US or something out the door, whereas if I bought it here, I'd be 200 plus. And I'm glad that I found the forum as it has kept me from getting the VF-0s with the bad shoulders.

It's just sad that we have to worry about what is going to be the next thing wrong with their toys. I'm willing to give them a second shot, but I am definitely waiting till after I get the fallout. I picked up both my xbox and xbox 360 a year after release because prices are lower and they usually work the bugs out. However, with many of these collectibles, you can't wait near as long (which makes me appreciative of Graham's very quick reviews). At least if I purchase it knowing there's a potential defect, that's my own fault.

A good example for me is the yf-19 from Bandai. I picked one up, and this thing may not look as detailed as the yamato, but I am definitely less scared of breaking it. And yes, I'll be the first to admit that the colors and details of the yamato one look a lot better. On the other hand, I only had to pay $20, not 200, and I don't worry about touching it.

Edited February 4, 2007 by superevans

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Was that the vf19? Yeah I have that.

But I still want a sturdy version of the yamato 19 (maybe this will get improvements like the vf0?) and will wait wait wait until they get it right rather than rush them to release it.

Take your time yamato, iron the bugs out. It's not like everyone can keep up. They should assume the toy can't stand up to abuse vs thinking it can. (as thier history with 1/72 showed) They should give the customer the benefit of the doubt and that users are not just clumsy or rough with them. That is my main fear: knowing I can't get a fix in any way because of the HG issue and the natural assumption that I am rough with the thing so the issue isn't really acknowledged or taken seriously because other people don't complain or just choose to suffer in silence. So it is an added layer of risk which wouldn't be there.

Hell, I remember a few months ago people were complaining about how fast they were releasing everything. So time isn't an issue for me as much as perfection. 1/48 VF-1 set the bar high. I would hope they get it to that level of customer satisfaction where people can feel safe handling, transforming and posing them without risk of wearing them out or damaging them.

When the SV-51 comes out, and given the price being ore expensive than the 19, there is going to be even more scrutiny since it looks even more delicate than other releases. I will be relying on reviews and impressions even more.

Edited February 4, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Graham]

I hope the "Major problem" thread I started will be of use. Please tell us if more (or more clear) pictures are necessary.

Calling it "minor problem" would probably be more accurate IMO!

Graham

[drifand]

It's only so minor that some fans won't buy a first release from Yamato anymore, Graham. A person can also die from a million tiny ant bites.