The Energon Pub

[Raymond101]

Cuz mine does.

[Auto Bot]

Mine is fine. But i notice it can get loose easily very soon. So i don't transform him very often.
But i think you can still make some decent poses with the loose legs.
My Classics Rodimus, bought last year, my very first since the 80s, has loose knees and hips. I was able to cure the hip problem, by taking it apart and applying nail polish to contact points. The knees will be a bit more complicated to take apart, so i just leave it as it is.

[Noobatron]

Very. I've only transformed him the once since opening him up. He can barely stand on his own, poor guy.

[Auto Bot]

Try to pose him leaning forward, or in a battle stance ready to attack. I think it will hold.

It won't be fun posing him standing up straight anyway.

[Raymond101]

See my Ironhide's leg joints are not loose enough for me not to make him stand: but they are loose enough to be really really annoying, and also difficulty in standing firm.

[Rushie]

It won't be fun posing him standing up straight anyway.

He can still kick ass while posed upright. Mine is holding his big gun to the ground, his other arm resting on his hip. Classic badass pose

As for his weak legs, mine are just fine at all the joints, but the auto-morph panels at the inside of his lower legs have a tendency of sliding into their alt-mode position. Just a bit annoying but no dealbreaker.
When I opened him and transformed him for the first time, it was the worst tf experience I ever had. I was stuck between alt and robot modes and couldn't get him in either of them, until after many attempts I found the right spotsm and can effortlessly transform him back and forth. He's one of the coolest movie voyagers, but the instructions are way too vague.

[Noobatron]

At least I'm not the only one. I ended up finding a really grainy/low res video of someone transforming him on Youtube to figure it out.

[Rushie]

Yeah, I got some assistance from TFwire's video reviews on YouTube. Makes me wonder whether Hasbro/Takara:

a. underestimated the difficulty of his transformation for someone not involved with Ironhide's design

b. intended the standard movie line only for experienced collectors in the first place.
That would explain their fragile transformations and delicate intricate parts that require patience and care. It would explain the existence of FABs, since previous TF lines for young kids had been very 'kiddified' like My 1st TFs. The FABs feature pretty detailed sculpting and their transformations are actually up to par with many previous lines. Plus, they aren't too kiddified and many are good alternatives for the standard line.
The Movie TFs are a world of difference compared to Classics, not just in the very different sculpting style needed to recreate the intricate movie look, but in the very design of their movement and transformations.

Did the extreme detail of the movie cg models force Hasbro to make their figures so fiddly or is the standard line truly meant for collectors?
I'm not complaining, since I prefer the normal line to the nicely sculpted but too simple FABs. Still, it's a shame to know so many kids will be stuck with toys that have easily broken joints and too difficult transformations.

[Raymond101]

I seriously think Protoform Prime and Leader Prime are suited more as collector's items.

[Auto Bot]

As for his weak legs, mine are just fine at all the joints, but the auto-morph panels at the inside of his lower legs have a tendency of sliding into their alt-mode position. Just a bit annoying but no dealbreaker.

I think i encountered that problem during first time transformation.

I realized later on that the ankle didn't lock properly. The instruction was too vague. And didn't show the important points.

You've probably pulled down the ankle until it forms a 90degree angle with the leg.

What you should do is to pull it down beyond 90degrees. Scary to do at first, because i thought it may just break apart. But the ankle was really designed to exceed 90degrees. UP to around 105degrees. Forming some sort of a tripod with the 2 front toes (the 2 front toes are part of a single plastic piece).

You will feel a slight snap or click. (not audible)

With the tripod toes under each leg, the inside of the lower leg won't slide to the alt mode position. It may slide a little bit, but not all the way.

Plus the advantage of Ironhide being able to stand firmly at practically any kind of pose.

[Exodore]

Just got him yesterday... I'm very disapointed with the quality of the toy... Had trouble with the legs but with the waist too... The middle section does not clip easily in place... The warning on the box is very funny... Place that toy in the hands of a kid and I wont last 5 minutes... So I transformed him back to pick-up mode dans left it on display with his friends...

[neocrasher]

As for his weak legs, mine are just fine at all the joints, but the auto-morph panels at the inside of his lower legs have a tendency of sliding into their alt-mode position. Just a bit annoying but no dealbreaker.

I think i encountered that problem during first time transformation.

I realized later on that the ankle didn't lock properly. The instruction was too vague. And didn't show the important points.

You've probably pulled down the ankle until it forms a 90degree angle with the leg.

What you should do is to pull it down beyond 90degrees. Scary to do at first, because i thought it may just break apart. But the ankle was really designed to exceed 90degrees. UP to around 105degrees. Forming some sort of a tripod with the 2 front toes (the 2 front toes are part of a single plastic piece).

You will feel a slight snap or click. (not audible)

With the tripod toes under each leg, the inside of the lower leg won't slide to the alt mode position. It may slide a little bit, but not all the way.

Plus the advantage of Ironhide being able to stand firmly at practically any kind of pose.

i just clicked his feet into place... a world of difference. now he stands just a smidge taller and even though my ironhide's feet didn't buckle back into alt mode, my room mate might find some use for the foot lock.

[Auto Bot]

Just got him yesterday... I'm very disapointed with the quality of the toy... Had trouble with the legs but with the waist too... The middle section does not clip easily in place... The warning on the box is very funny... Place that toy in the hands of a kid and I wont last 5 minutes... So I transformed him back to pick-up mode dans left it on display with his friends...

Yes. The waist is a bit tricky. I usually transform all other parts, before locking the waist.

[Ninjatron]

couldnt you just tighten that screw on the joint or no?

[Auto Bot]

Movie toys are delicate works of art.

I wouldn't be messing with the screws yet.

There's no screw you can tighten to fix the waist problem.

It's a peg that snaps into a hole. Apparently, the peg was too smooth or too rounded, and it tends to slip out of the hole easily.

[Noobatron]

I tried tightening screws on a few figures with little to no improvement in "tightness." Why it didn't work is beyond me though.

[Auto Bot]

I've never encountered a loose screw yet.

Screws usually won't be the problem. Because they are made of metal. Dimensionally stable. And very tough.

Plastic parts are the usual problem. Soft enough to be bent accidentally, and easy to wear off.

That's why i would NOT advise messing with the screws (if you're not going to take it apart).

Screws are tightened snug fit from factory. Overtightening it will put stress on the plastic parts. Some will just give way instantly. Others will have no noticeable change. But in time, the over-tightened screw will most likely bring about loose-thread or deformations.