KO Toys CHMS Seekers Review
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:00 amMove over Henkei !!! Since you guys have so much weight on your shoulders already, some very talented individuals from China have decided to fill in the gaps of our seeker collections. Now don’t get me wrong, these figures won’t appeal to everyone, but for those of you who want more seekers (and less Bumblebees) this is the route to go. I have purchased The CHMS mold Sunstorm (orange and yellow versions) and the purple clone seeker. I will tell you briefly about each item to help you make your decision.
CHMS yellow Sunstorm :
This figure has great quality and great paint apps. Only issues are that the fists need to be pried out with a paper clip. On mine the left fist is pretty loose. Not sure if that is a mold issue or just mine. Also the left foot does not lock completely down, but this is very minor and you can hardly tell. I believe this may be a mold issue because the purple clone has the same issue. But the funny thing is that my Hasbro Generations Dirge has the same foot issue. Maybe CHMS cast some parts of their mold from a Hasbro Dirge. The landing gear are a little tight to get out and the wrist joints come very tight at first until loosened by moving a few times and it will reach a perfect amount of flexibility without getting too loose. I recommend hitting the wrists, fists, and landing gear with a little WD-40. But overall this is a great figure and a must for those who don’t consider orange Sunstorm to be one of the Rainmakers. At $29.99, you can’t ask for a better deal.
CHMS purple clone :
This figure also has great quality and great paint apps. Only issues are that the fists need to be pried out with a paper clip. Unlike the yellow Sunstorm, both fists are tight when fully extended out of the forearms. Just like yellow Sunstorm, the left foot does not lock completely down, but this is very minor and you can hardly tell. The landing gear are a little tight to get out but not half as tight as the yellow Sunstorm. The wrist joints come slightly tight at first until loosened by moving a few times and it will reach a perfect amount of flexibility without getting too loose. I recommend hitting the wrists, fists, and landing gear with a little WD-40. Overall, this figure is a step up in quality from the yellow Sunstorm. This figure is a definite must for the seeker fan. It also makes a great stand in for a 3rd Rainmaker when paired with the CHMS yellow Sunstorm and Hasbro Classics Acid Storm. At $29.99, you can’t ask for a better deal so go get him !!!
CHMS orange Sunstorm :
I saved the best figure for last. This figure is pure perfection. My orange Sunstorm did not have any of the minor faults that came with the yellow Sunstorm or purple clone from the CHMS mold. The joints are all just the right tightness. No WD-40 needed. No foot issue. Both feet fold down and lock completely in place aligned with each other. The fists can be taken out with your finger nails easily and both are tight and secure when extended properly. Landing gear folds in and out with the quality of a Hasbro or Takara seeker. This guy is top of the line !!! At $29.99, I highly recommend you pick him up while you can !!!
Other seekers :
I cant speak on the Skywarp, Thundercracker, Starscream, and Ghost Starscream because I did not buy the KO versions. I already own the Henkei versions. But I imagine coming from the same mold as these 3, they must be of similar quality and I would recommend taking a chance if you want a good deal. I wish they were around for last years Botcon. Henkei would have $300 less of my money. Rumor has it that there will be a E-Hobby style black Starscream, Slipstream, and Rainmakers set made from the CHMS mold. I will be getting all of them. I also own the Toxic Rainmakers set which are not made from the CHMS mold. They are very fragile, flimsy, and could use a few more paint apps. I only recommend those for display in one mode permanently. The same is to be said for the clear “Secret Seeker”. Overall, I am highly satisfied with the seeker KO’s coming out of China. I don’t even think we should be calling them KO’s anymore because they are making original characters that Hasbro and Takara had no intentions of putting out. OK sure they stole the mold, but who cares ??? Hasbro and Takara need a reality check. Letting Skywarp and Thundercracker reach a $100 price tag was a poor decision on their part. It is nice that Hasbro is finally going to give Thundercracker a mass retail release, but a little late you think ??? Buying Chinese KO’s is kind of like getting your printer cartridges refilled instead of giving HP $40 for new cartridges every month. We all do it. And we all laugh when we do it. We all wipe our ass with HP’s claims of poor quality from a product that was not meant to be reused. My used printer cartridges work better than ever, and my KO seekers look and transform better than ever. Enough said.
Peace,
Rated X
CHMS yellow Sunstorm :
This figure has great quality and great paint apps. Only issues are that the fists need to be pried out with a paper clip. On mine the left fist is pretty loose. Not sure if that is a mold issue or just mine. Also the left foot does not lock completely down, but this is very minor and you can hardly tell. I believe this may be a mold issue because the purple clone has the same issue. But the funny thing is that my Hasbro Generations Dirge has the same foot issue. Maybe CHMS cast some parts of their mold from a Hasbro Dirge. The landing gear are a little tight to get out and the wrist joints come very tight at first until loosened by moving a few times and it will reach a perfect amount of flexibility without getting too loose. I recommend hitting the wrists, fists, and landing gear with a little WD-40. But overall this is a great figure and a must for those who don’t consider orange Sunstorm to be one of the Rainmakers. At $29.99, you can’t ask for a better deal.
CHMS purple clone :
This figure also has great quality and great paint apps. Only issues are that the fists need to be pried out with a paper clip. Unlike the yellow Sunstorm, both fists are tight when fully extended out of the forearms. Just like yellow Sunstorm, the left foot does not lock completely down, but this is very minor and you can hardly tell. The landing gear are a little tight to get out but not half as tight as the yellow Sunstorm. The wrist joints come slightly tight at first until loosened by moving a few times and it will reach a perfect amount of flexibility without getting too loose. I recommend hitting the wrists, fists, and landing gear with a little WD-40. Overall, this figure is a step up in quality from the yellow Sunstorm. This figure is a definite must for the seeker fan. It also makes a great stand in for a 3rd Rainmaker when paired with the CHMS yellow Sunstorm and Hasbro Classics Acid Storm. At $29.99, you can’t ask for a better deal so go get him !!!
CHMS orange Sunstorm :
I saved the best figure for last. This figure is pure perfection. My orange Sunstorm did not have any of the minor faults that came with the yellow Sunstorm or purple clone from the CHMS mold. The joints are all just the right tightness. No WD-40 needed. No foot issue. Both feet fold down and lock completely in place aligned with each other. The fists can be taken out with your finger nails easily and both are tight and secure when extended properly. Landing gear folds in and out with the quality of a Hasbro or Takara seeker. This guy is top of the line !!! At $29.99, I highly recommend you pick him up while you can !!!
Other seekers :
I cant speak on the Skywarp, Thundercracker, Starscream, and Ghost Starscream because I did not buy the KO versions. I already own the Henkei versions. But I imagine coming from the same mold as these 3, they must be of similar quality and I would recommend taking a chance if you want a good deal. I wish they were around for last years Botcon. Henkei would have $300 less of my money. Rumor has it that there will be a E-Hobby style black Starscream, Slipstream, and Rainmakers set made from the CHMS mold. I will be getting all of them. I also own the Toxic Rainmakers set which are not made from the CHMS mold. They are very fragile, flimsy, and could use a few more paint apps. I only recommend those for display in one mode permanently. The same is to be said for the clear “Secret Seeker”. Overall, I am highly satisfied with the seeker KO’s coming out of China. I don’t even think we should be calling them KO’s anymore because they are making original characters that Hasbro and Takara had no intentions of putting out. OK sure they stole the mold, but who cares ??? Hasbro and Takara need a reality check. Letting Skywarp and Thundercracker reach a $100 price tag was a poor decision on their part. It is nice that Hasbro is finally going to give Thundercracker a mass retail release, but a little late you think ??? Buying Chinese KO’s is kind of like getting your printer cartridges refilled instead of giving HP $40 for new cartridges every month. We all do it. And we all laugh when we do it. We all wipe our ass with HP’s claims of poor quality from a product that was not meant to be reused. My used printer cartridges work better than ever, and my KO seekers look and transform better than ever. Enough said.
Peace,
Rated X
you can check out some parts all ready to see the colors
