Count me in the "no issues" group so far. I ordered from Amazon JP and received it yesterday. I think the thing about these "new" TT MPs for me is that I used to just pull them out of the box and figure them out. It was really part of the fun for me. I've done the same with most 3P products (not XTB Dragstrip or Deadend though). However, I've resorted to watching video reviews for the last 2 releases (I skipped MP-44...for now). I used Paik's video for Hound and had to rewind numerous times to make sure I was doing the steps correctly. I was VERY careful with both legs, but the shoulders required some force that scared me. Needless to say, I'm kind of glad I don't have the time to flip these guys back and forth anymore. Due to kids' sports and other stuff, it's just not in the cards.

Still, I think TT needs to take a hard look at what's going on here with the last 3 or so releases. All have had some QC issues that rival some of the worst of 3P. One thing I used to love about the TT MP line was how sturdy they were. I get that with increased articulation comes more involved transformations, but the materials used these days just seem cheaper than in the past.

I'm going back and forth on this being my last TT MP. With the increase in pricing, I'm just not sure it's totally worth it for me anymore. An awesome MP Cliffjumper may bring me back though!

 

To be clear, until the sudden breakage, mine also had zero issues.

So be careful when transforming the legs (robot to vehicle), and where you're applying pressure, since it's only actually one panel that is attached to the knee.

Mine doesn't have any stressmarks in the upper body.

I do however recommend to not leave the vehicle gun in the foot. It makes the foot close very tightly which puts a lot of pressure on the little fake wheel part (which holds whole feet together). It's a very small piece of plastic that I don't think can withstand the force, I can already see light a light stressmark on it. Without the gun inside the foot it closes perfectly.

 

Disclaimer** this is not discrediting the fact that Takara may have made some stupid design decisions. They have done some questionable things to squeeze transformations out of every last part.

Having said that, I have a strong theory that AJP’s less than ideal wrap-toy-down-to-flat-cardboard shipping method is a strong player in a lot of cracks that propagate into breaks. That method is “secure” in that it won’t shake in the Amazon box, but it maximizes impact and vibrations to the figure within and is no alternative to bubble wrap...I order everything thru chosen prime. They package everything in padded boxes with extra bubble wrap and love. I just so happen to also be one of the lucky few who have never experienced a broken figure...and all my friends who order from chosen prime or bbts have never broken a figure either.

I hope my hound breaks. Then I can finally take my foil hat off. Having said that, it makes a lot of sense. I’ve done a lot of shake and vibe testing in my career. There’s a reason bubble packaging exists.

 

Despite the two breaks I had I find this guy absolutely gorgeous. For my purposes I just need him to make it to bot mode and stand there on my shelf and look like how I remember them from the cartoon. I don't play with my toys very often and if I do I don't transform them back. Not justifying anything and not leaning either way. Just a statement. Frustrating, yes? What are we to do really? Except it, don't buy it, move on? I have way more important issues to handle besides two small plastic pieces breaking off a toy that is expensive. My daughters room has been flooded for nearly a month now (water leak). In the end do what is right for you. Return, exchange, pass.

Anywho here are some pictures:

 

Quoted for troof. MP-44 was the end for me. I have better things to do. Collecting is supposed to be enjoyable... not work, fixing missed factory issues.

 

Don’t think that is the case. TCP shipping to you may be bubble wrapped but shipping to TCP is not. I order a ton of stuff from amazon JP without issues, SoCs, Macross and other super robots. Only issues I had are from TT MPs and they are not all from AMAZON. Some are from HLJ, NY, CDJ, AE and a Amiami.

 

I was looking forward to getting my Hound on Monday since it looked like one that would be fun to tinker with. The Spike figure in this one looks like it adds to the playability and I tend to be a sucker for TFs that have human interaction features. I love that tragic photo of Spike reacting to the broken Hound (condolences to the owner).

Unfortunately, my take on these issues is that something is a potential problem if you see more than a couple of people post the same issue. And there have been multiple pictures of multiple broken pin joints. I worry about longterm stability. Plastic degrades over time so there may very well come a point down the road where a previously good copy breaks. Especially given the stress of transformation. I expect to get at least 5 years of enjoyment out of something like this.

I'm the type that stresses about this sort of things. I don't want to look at my collection and see nothing but ticking time-bombs. Call me melodramatic, but I've been trying to ween myself from toy collecting since since a lot of this stuff doesn't stand up over time. It's not just transforming toys. I love Hot Toys, but a lot of their experimentation with new materials tends to backfire and they've also had figures where the joints are prone to crumbling over time.

 

Here’s a pic of the break, that’s not the leg, right out of the box. Good thing is AJP has already created a replacement shipment item. Bad news is figuring out how to send the old one back.

 

gotta say i'm kinda disapointed with this guy in hand. Oddly the floating head dosen't seem to bad in hand but transforming him is no fun. The way the shoulders bend and snap under the hood/cowl thingy part is scary to do and feels like it will break off after a couple transformations. Bending the windshield into place when in bot mode also seems like it will break soon. The folding tire gimmick is kinda neat but the ultra thin flimsy piece of plastic holding the entire leg internals just seems like another break point.

Other minor gripe is the steering wheel just hanging out his butt. Wouldn't think it would have been that hard to hinge it to fold up inside somehow.

Plastic seems cheap and lack of diecast/paint further cheapens the feel. Come on Takara, step it up! That was the one new G1 mold for the entire year =(

 

I have had this thought about there shipping as well. Yeah what they do is secure , but man , it takes 100% of any impact the box may take.

 

I've bought multiple Bandai Macross items from Amazon JP without issue. The plastic trays used for MPs should provide adequate protection for shipping since the suspended nature absorbs vibration. Bubblewrap is the packing product of choice not only because it is effective but also because it is cheap, lightweight and easy to stuff in any box. An added bonus is that it is reusable. I suspect that the Amazon JP shrink-wrap method takes longer than stuffing bubblewrap in a box and also requires some specialized machinery.

 

Any joint that is a pinned hinge. WD40 might not penetrate the slots since the main areas cracking are where the pins are fired, that's the hard part.

If you guys have bright flashlights, it might be good to hold them close the hinges to see if the plastic is transparent enough to show the cracks....sometimes opaque plastic when cracking closer to the pin, will show up against bright light.

Firing the pin itself or moving the hinge (due to its knurled surface) is most likely IMO, what's breaking the hinges. Problem is, if that's the case, even popping the pin out and filing down the knurling may not save the hinge if it's already cracked, unless you're willing to also seep krazy glue into the cracks and move the joint repeatedly while it's drying(which is how I've fixed the same kind of breakage on a substantially thinner hinge before; it works but it requires a lot of patience to ensure the pin doesn't adhere to the plastic).

 

Oh stop blaming the owners on these breakages. And I highly doubt he changed it without instructions 1st time. The exaggeration in this comment is laughable.

 

I am going to wait until there is a reissue, this much breakages has me scared.

 

If mine breaks it’ll be the last TT figure for me. Like others have said - this hobby is supposed to be fun.

 

Thanks. So after a VERY slow and sweaty (that doesn't sound right) transformation I'm able to count myself as having been lucky enough to receive what is an almost perfect copy except for the tiniest of paint issues in a few places. The transformation is actually relatively easy and intuitive it's just the potential breakages seen on others that had me worried.

Firstly, and I've no idea if this helped or not, but the parcel and figure inside were freezing cold when they arrived to me, so I gave it a good hour to get up to room temperature before I tried to transform anything. I spent that time checking the visible pins in vehicle mode and everything looked good along with the paint. I also tried out the Spike which is much less useless than previous versions and looked nice with Hound. I'm not overly fussed about vehicle scale but I took a couple of pics of Hound with XTB Dead End if it helps inform anyone:



No cracks or stress marks on any of the hinges, and I particularly double checked around the doors and leg/feet area. So I moved on with the transformation SLOWLY, and with Paik4Life's video on as a guide. I made sure with every hinge that I was using my fingers to brace both the moving parts and the parts that were stationary, so that no uneven force was applied where possible. Getting the front fenders moved for bot mode was probably my least favourite part, so be careful there, again I followed Paiks instructions on that. The upper bot did overall feel sturdier to transform than the bottom.

The legs were a bit stiff but with patience, and supporting areas that I felt might be fragile, I again got through them without having a single hinge crack or stress on me. Ultimately the transformation was less fragile or concerning in practice than what I'd feared, it was more me being overly cautious.

Bot mode... Oh it's good. Really, really good. Absolutely no looseness or floppiness whatsoever. You can even do that absurd thing people were doing shaking their £300 MP44 but it holds together very well in bot mode. This IS Hound from the cartoon. The backpack and side profile are virtually flawless (those thighs...) and the neck gap is almost non-existant when positioned correctly:


I do have some paint blemishes in bot mode but they're minor. The thighs are slightly chipped at the top where they would hit the crotch pieces, so be wary of that. I also have a spontaneous chip on the back of his left calf. The helmet is also a bit sloppy when getting up real close under lighting, but from a foot away or more it's not noticeable. No chipping on the knee joints after a few times posing back and forth:


Overall I'm super happy with Hound. Once I got over the fear of breaking him I've been able to start enjoying him. He looks great from the neck down  . The face sculpt is not the best. Like Ironhide it doesn't photograph well, but it looks better in hand. It feels like it's slightly off model, especially compared to MP44s perfection. I'd say it's passable though. I can also live with the lack of backward thigh movement, though I can see why it would detract for some, and it looks like it could've been avoided if Takara wanted. I do like that the knees can lock into place to hold the deep knee bend when posing.

Lastly for now, he also looks pretty neat with this random bunch of figures:

 

Your copy has what looks like a hairline crack behind Hound's right leg/knee on the hinge

 

Coffee on the laptop man ... not cool  

 

I dunno man, this is a huge stretch. Have you held the figure yet? The plastic is noticeably more fragile than previous releases.

Also, I've been ordering from AJP since the Van Bros. Every single MP has been packaged the same, and I've NEVER had any plastic breaking on other figures.