Archer Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 Wise words indeed. I always try to enjoy the most out of everything I buy, as there is no point in buying them if all they will do is rot on a shelf!
the9breaker Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 (edited) I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that as all modern, complex transforming VF toys, whether from Bandai or Yamato seem to break, decay, rot or whatever even when stored untouched in the box, it's probably a good idea just to play with them and enjoy them while you can, as no matter how carefully you handle them, they are going to disintigrate sooner or later (probably sooner) anyway! Graham I think I'm in love with you - just summarized what I been trying to say a long time ago since I joined here. "Yammies suck ass with their vf0 lines, or broken shoulder there - Bandai made their v1s are utter garbage and all" - just enjoy the f*cking figure. @OptionZero - email HLJ and see if they can exchange it for another one (which I doubt) or see if you can at least get a partial refund from them. Sorry to hear that man. But email them ASAP and see what can be done - I remember I bought a Cancer Myth Cloth that was faulty and they wanted pics and I sent it back, and I got another from them - but that was 4 yrs ago, I don't know how much have their policies changed since then. Actually can you explain how did this happen again and be specific.... Edited December 2, 2011 by the9breaker
jenius Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 If you just bought the toy from HLJ you probably have a good chance at getting a part. Good luck to you! It's the people who buy things on clearance who are usually screwed because of how long the toy has been out of manufacture.
Vahouth Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 (edited) Pls forgive me if this has already been answered, but will the armour packs be released seperatelly later on, or they will do it like before and release it with the figure? Edited December 2, 2011 by Vahouth
funkymonkeyjavajunky Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that as all modern, complex transforming VF toys, whether from Bandai or Yamato seem to break, decay, rot or whatever even when stored untouched in the box, it's probably a good idea just to play with them and enjoy them while you can, as no matter how carefully you handle them, they are going to disintigrate sooner or later (probably sooner) anyway! Graham Well, I suspect they are called 'toys' for a reason
Kyp Durron Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 Isn't that the second report of that part/area snapping? I'm not sure Bandai even uses zinc, so zinc-rot is unlikely (especially on such brand-new toys---zinc-rot usually takes a couple years at minimum---18 months would be like record-speed AFAIK) Sounds like poor casting to me, which has nothing to do with whether or not it's been played with enough. -Kyp
pud333 Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 That swing bar potentially breaking is the reason why I take 20 minutes to transform this valk every single time. On mine, one of the legs are so tight and moving the bar is so hazardous, I am afraid I would snap it at any moment. Paranoid? Yes. With good reason.
VF5SS Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 I think I'm in love with you - just summarized what I been trying to say a long time ago since I joined here. "Yammies suck ass with their vf0 lines, or broken shoulder there - Bandai made their v1s are utter garbage and all" - just enjoy the f*cking figure. The crux of the matter is I'd like to be able to enjoy a particular figure for a significant portion of my lifetime. Some older toys I own have lasted quite well against the ravages of time while others have not. I think a new toy should have some planned lifespan or more than a month. If I wanted to burn money for fleeting moments of joy with material possessions, I'd start snorting cocaine.
Mechapilot77 Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 i disagree. i think you have to just handle with care and i think 95% of the time or so you'll be fine, granted there is of course degradation over time/usage but that is to be expected. look at how the joints and other assemblies work and handle and transform with that in mind (grantedt his won't help on breakage during first transformation as some joints are hidden in one form but afterwards you can examine) when you handle so as to impart the leas amount of stress possible to any likely areas of higher stress. the only case i can think of on any of the valks i OWN where things get worse over time without handling are the tightness/looseness of the ball joints in the bandai V1 DX toys (not including the monster which is STILL rock solid after a decent amount of handling). FWIW 3 of my 12 or so yamato v2 vf-1's are the " shoulder may explode types" but 2.5 years later they are still good fine (knock on wood!!), and i even have a vf-0s from the 2008 or so timeframe (not sure if this is a dreaded release or a re-release). I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that as all modern, complex transforming VF toys, whether from Bandai or Yamato seem to break, decay, rot or whatever even when stored untouched in the box, it's probably a good idea just to play with them and enjoy them while you can, as no matter how carefully you handle them, they are going to disintigrate sooner or later (probably sooner) anyway! Graham
Mechapilot77 Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 (edited) your issue sounds like a bad casting of the metal, not some sort of rot issue. when doing a diecast part proper pressure and time are required or else you may have voids or molds not filling as they should leading to bad/weak parts. lots of low cost vendors will skimp on the time. not sure what kind of quality the vendor that supplies these parts to bandai typically has. hopefully this is not a widespread problem. i have go go and see what part wasn' unlocked during transformation when i get home but i doubt that not doing that could have imparted undue amounts of stress (i could be wrong). i think you just unluckly got a "bad one", though if there is 1, there are bound to be more. oops this was directed at optionzero not vf5s. Edited December 2, 2011 by Mechapilot77
CF18 Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 (edited) Broken metal bar had been reported before: http://samada08.blog10.fc2.com/blog-entry-1774.html Then he got a full replacement from Bandai later: http://samada08.blog10.fc2.com/blog-entry-1779.html Good luck with HLJ replacement. Edited December 2, 2011 by CF18
pud333 Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 The crux of the matter is I'd like to be able to enjoy a particular figure for a significant portion of my lifetime. Some older toys I own have lasted quite well against the ravages of time while others have not. I think a new toy should have some planned lifespan or more than a month. If I wanted to burn money for fleeting moments of joy with material possessions, I'd start snorting cocaine. You definitely have a point. I have Transformers that have survived for years with no issues still. I've had my VF-27 for a fraction of that time and it is a floppy mess now. forever it will now stay, in fighter mode.
valid Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 gosh that scare me!!.. i know that hinge bar look fragile.. thats way i loose the screw i the hips a little so it more easy to transform.. hope mine will be ok..
kamadoma Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 @OptionZero can you show any photos or describe where exactly the metal broke? Was it exactly in half as you said or was it near the pivoting end? The first report of this showed that the metal broke near the very pivot and I'm curious if yours is the same and if this was caused by tight hip joints. To anyone who has opened the hip part of this toy, can this be remedied by opening the hip assembly and loosening the three screws inside? They seem to be holding intact this gray sort of frame that goes over the metal hip joint and I wonder if it will relieve the friction when loosened.
eugimon Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 Trust me, no one is breaking that swing bar because they're using too much force. It's a thick piece of metal and the ball joint is on a thick peg as well. They're breaking because there was a flaw during the casting process and there's really nothing you can do about that. No amount of careful handling will save it if the metal was flawed to begin with. The only thing Bandai could have done better was to use steel for that swing bar instead of diecast.
Chronocidal Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 Ok, there actually is one thing you can do that might at least partially reduce the stress that bar goes through if you're worried about it. I'm not sure how people tend to actually transform this thing, but one thing that always struck me as funny about it: during transformation, you pretty much rotate the hips a full 360 degrees, due to the way the fuselage folds over twice. First, you rotate the swing bar, then you rotate the crotch plate up. If you keep the legs oriented correctly during this, it's probably putting a lot of extra wear on the hip joints (which can't help with them getting loose..) There is a way you can rotate the whole thing without rotating the hips on their ball joint though. If you bend the knees fully, and then rotate the lower legs so the feet point directly outwards to the sides, there is just enough room to swing the legs around the full 360, and they'll pass under the arms. I don't know if this is what anyone does already, but I prefer that method to twisting the hip joint completely around. If anyone wants pics of how to do this, I can take a few.
valid Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 Ok, there actually is one thing you can do that might at least partially reduce the stress that bar goes through if you're worried about it. I'm not sure how people tend to actually transform this thing, but one thing that always struck me as funny about it: during transformation, you pretty much rotate the hips a full 360 degrees, due to the way the fuselage folds over twice. First, you rotate the swing bar, then you rotate the crotch plate up. If you keep the legs oriented correctly during this, it's probably putting a lot of extra wear on the hip joints (which can't help with them getting loose..) There is a way you can rotate the whole thing without rotating the hips on their ball joint though. If you bend the knees fully, and then rotate the lower legs so the feet point directly outwards to the sides, there is just enough room to swing the legs around the full 360, and they'll pass under the arms. I don't know if this is what anyone does already, but I prefer that method to twisting the hip joint completely around. If anyone wants pics of how to do this, I can take a few. please do make the pict.. perhaps it could help
Major Focker Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 or a video. would really appreciate it, as i'm sure others will
pud333 Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 (edited) Trust me, no one is breaking that swing bar because they're using too much force. It's a thick piece of metal and the ball joint is on a thick peg as well. They're breaking because there was a flaw during the casting process and there's really nothing you can do about that. No amount of careful handling will save it if the metal was flawed to begin with. The only thing Bandai could have done better was to use steel for that swing bar instead of diecast. For sure. But, I still handle mine with extreme care even though I know logically if it is flawed from the beginning, it's only a matter of time before it snaps. It's a shame. Though really, I've only heard of two breakages amongst what, thousands of these toys being sold? I guess we'll see if in six months more breakages occur... Edited December 3, 2011 by pud333
jenius Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 Yep, there's a natural failure rate for any product, so far the V2 VF-25 doesn't seem to have a higher than normal natural failure rate. Am I the only one passing on Ozma's VF-25S in the hopes that a bundle toy is released later?
Ignacio Ocamica Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 Am I the only one passing on Ozma's VF-25S in the hopes that a bundle toy is released later? I'll do the same and hope for a bundle!!
pud333 Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 I'm not, but I'm sure a bundled release is in the future. I just don't expect them to announce one until the Armor set is announced and released as a web exclusive first.
Reïvaj Posted December 3, 2011 Posted December 3, 2011 Yep, there's a natural failure rate for any product, so far the V2 VF-25 doesn't seem to have a higher than normal natural failure rate. Am I the only one passing on Ozma's VF-25S in the hopes that a bundle toy is released later? No, I am too but I do think it's a risky move though
jenius Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 I'm not too concerned. Even if the Ozma bundle never does get released I'm sure I'll be able to pick one up down the road. In the meantime I'll probably buy the Tamashii limited Alto Armored Parts and Super Parts so I'll have an Alto to keep me occupied.
David Hingtgen Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 My concern is that any bundle will have "altered" paint, like the "blue" Alto VF-25 did.
Archer Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 I'd honestly welcome a bundle pack of any sort. I'm a kind of guy who wants to enjoy armor packs at the same time that I get the primary model itself. Armor packs 6 or 7 months after I get the main VF, and I am not too excited about them or interested in them... Probably just me though...
OptionZero Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 Sorry for the delay. Here are pix of the damage I am not sure if this is what caused it, but I did not detach that armor skirt that's attached to the leg by a balljointed arm from the fuselage prior to attempting to flip out the legs (Battroid to Gerwalk). That might have blocked the normal movement and put stress on the broken hinge. I emailed parts@hlj.com on Thurs night and have not received a respond. Is there a different email address?
Archer Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 Don't take this for granted as I don't have a VF-25 myself, but isn't the connection where the bar broke made of plastic, conversely to the complete shearment of metal in the previously reported case? Either way though, that really sucks, and I hope you get your replacement soon! I don't think they have a different e-mail for parts related issues....
Chronocidal Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) Nope, that's definitely the metal bar that sheared off. What's scary about these breaks is that you're bound to put some stress on that metal just from prying the legs away from the underside of the chest plate. Those clips hold the intakes really tightly, and I can definitely see someone finally prying the intake loose, only to have the metal bar snap from the sudden stress when the clips let go. I'll see about taking some pictures of how I transform the legs later today. Been too busy fiddling with my Blazer to mess with the VF-25 much. Edited December 4, 2011 by Chronocidal
eugimon Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 It's going to be pretty hard for someone to accidentally break that bar.. it's a 1/8" thick bar, diecast (zamack 3) has a shear strength of 31000psi, so unless that part is subject to nearly 4000lbs of pressure, it should hold up just fine. What were you doing when it broke? That bar is a single piece of metal that runs through the crotch plate and connects both legs. If you were holding down the one leg, and pulled up on the other leg as hard as you could, I could see it happening, maybe... but you'd have to be REALLY forcing it and I'm sorry, that's user error. If you were following directions and it just broke? That's most likely an issue with the bar that was introduced during the casting phase and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
CF18 Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) I emailed parts@hlj.com on Thurs night and have not received a respond. Is there a different email address? HLJ tells you to use trouble@hlj.com . "parts' is for ordering extra parts. Consider sending this link too: http://samada08.blog10.fc2.com/blog-entry-1779.html Showing Bandai is sending replacement to their Japanese customers too. ++ on the strong clips between intake and body. I always use a screw driver to gently pop both legs off before doing more. Edited December 4, 2011 by CF18
Archer Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) Didn't someone before mention that the metal used is defective? In any case, it still sucks I guess, and I do hope you get your replacement, user error or not. Oh, and I also meant to ask, kind of off tangent from the current topic, but for those that purchased it, does the V.2 VF-25 still have issues with mold release and grease covering the model when you first remove it from the box? I know that was a very large issue with the first release, so I was wondering if that was improved with the newer version [not that it's too big a deal or anything]. Edited December 4, 2011 by Archer
pud333 Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 When did it break? How many times had you transformed it before it broke?
aurance Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 Oh, and I also meant to ask, kind of off tangent from the current topic, but for those that purchased it, does the V.2 VF-25 still have issues with mold release and grease covering the model when you first remove it from the box?I know that was a very large issue with the first release, so I was wondering if that was improved with the newer version [not that it's too big a deal or anything]. Mine had no grease whatsoever. Neither did my 29
OptionZero Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 HLJ tells you to use trouble@hlj.com . "parts' is for ordering extra parts. Consider sending this link too: http://samada08.blog...entry-1779.html Showing Bandai is sending replacement to their Japanese customers too. ++ on the strong clips between intake and body. I always use a screw driver to gently pop both legs off before doing more. Fired off an email to trouble@hlj.com, thanks
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