Thanks! I'll give that a try when I get home. Maybe I was lucky but I found T30 very pleasant to transform. This version is WAY more fiddly and frustration.
Most of the complaints about T30 Spring are about the windshield and hood not really pegging together well, and some of what happens in the back third of the car mode in how that all fits together. This one is frustratingly tight to transform, meaning I'm always worried I'm about to break this figure. I've gradually learned to finesse him in most spots, but the waist joint especially doesn't seem to have a good angle of attack to get it to release and let the figure transform. Once he's all together in any of his modes he's really tight. But his transformation is neither relaxing or straightforward. I like this figure. He sits on my desk at school. But he's not my favorite Springer. That's T30.
OK, I figured out the arm wings. I wasn't jamming them in hard enough. Like, they need to be JAMMED in, WAY harder than I felt comfortable doing on a normal figure. Yeesh. Of course, now the waist pops off at the drop of, well, a waist.
Yeah that’s an uncomfortable transformation. Surprising about the waist though. Mine is super tight, scary tight.
I like the transformation. It's pretty involved for a mainline voyager but that is what appeals to me. I don't enjoy simple ones cause I loose interest quick. Once you figure it out its not that hard.
I've discovered that the key to this toy, counter-intuitively, is to assume everything is super tight. Every single issue I had was because I wasn't jamming something hard enough, or wrenching something out of position hard enough. Which, while making him incredibly secure, makes him incredibly unpleasant to handle. Plus, I effing hate painted wheels. I hate them so much. I've already scratched the hell out of them.
It’s not a hard transformation. Just frustrating at points. His waist fold from alt to robot is tough. Locking his arms in helicopter mode is tough too. Lots of fiddly things that are crazy tight. For perspective I find the original WfC Deluxe Optimus to be a relaxing toy. I enjoy involved transformations.
I've had Springer for a bit and what locks his waist in for alt mode and gives the most trouble is the hinge. You need to unclick that first before being able to get it out from under the ridges of his neckpiece by yanking the waist slightly forward+up; I push up with my thumb at the front of his waist but if that swivel stays in place fine on your Springer you could probably push from his butt. Edit: I skimmed the thread so if someone already figured this out, I apologise.
Yep. I kept accidentally yanking his waist off trying to figure out how to get the chest up for robot mode, and it took a day to discover how it's held in there. I can't remember the last time I had this much difficultly figuring out a figure. MP 1.0 Megatron maybe. The directions are worthless here.
Good advice. Mine has never popped apart at the waist so the advice on angle to attack made him smoother to transform. I’m using the T30 sword with him as his sword set up is trash and my swords were bent out of the box. It’s not perfect but it works. The T30 sword is sized more like a broadsword for siege and in helicopter it sits high. But it works well.
Does every copy of this figure suffer from the broken tabs issue, or any other quality control concerns?
I don’t have broken tabs. I’m also careful about how I unlocked the tabs that join the legs. The biggest issue I have is random looseness. With Sideswipe I know his chest won’t stay tabbed in. With Springer sometimes his knees tab right, sometimes his ankles are stable, etc. And sometimes they are not.
*FINALLY* Got this guy to complete my 1986 TFTM Shelf. Fantastic figure. Even better in person than in pics. Huge thanks goes out to @canofsprite The one complaint I have is the rotor w/the swords aren't very good at all. They won't store easily. I. E. In robot mode, the swords unpeg no matter where you plug them in and the rotor is just awkward to store. I tried the "tuck it behind the backpack" technique, I plugged it into the back of the figure but it spins awkwardly, and I plugged it in using the peg on the side of it but, it takes up too much space that way. A third party *NEEDS* to come up with a new rotor setup for Siege Springer. Other than the above, great figure.
Quick tip that I think helps a lot with the posability and look. if you loosen up the screws in his armpit a couple turns it gives it enough space to be able to internally and externally rotate the arms with the fenders tilted back. It's doesn't make them any looser and it has no effect on the transformation or how anything locks together.
Thats an awesome tip..I do like the look. and the panel lining looks great. BUT.. NO TRANSFORMER-ING WHILE DRIVING!!!