Is this a common problem on all releases?

 

Pretty much. These aren’t QC issues; they are inherent to the design and materials used.

And even the “fixed” Long Haul hips aren’t really fixed; they simply had more grease applied to them.

 

Herc was my first 3P gestalt... loved it for maybe 2 years but then a LOT of stuff started going wrong with joints. Not full failure anywhere but well on its way. Got it sold in time to help fund purchase of Gravity Builder, and never regretted it.

 

Much as I love how Gravity Builder looks, he's just too big for my CHUG collection. Hercules meanwhile is scaled perfectly for it.

 

Herc isnt "bigger" enough for me. I want my Devs to be noticeably (but not ridiculously) bigger than the other combiners. Its the reason I'm not satisfied with any Menasor offering... too small, too ugly, or in the case of Havoc, just enough "too big" to fit with my other combiners.

But its all personal tastes...

I really did love Heavy Labor from this set. And admittedly GB's Bonecrusher blade conversion method for robot mode is super fiddly, and I wish they would have done something more like TFC's.

And the gestalt-gun idea (a la Herc and Havoc) is something I love. GB doesnt have that either... not perfect, but still preferred.

 

Hercustator was my first 3P combiner. There will always be a special place for my IDW Devy in my heart, and even tho Jinbao Devs has taken his spot on the shelf, I don't have what it takes to sell him, not yet.

Funny you should mention gestalt gun. I was looking through Trent Troop's collection on shapeways and saw this:
Targetmaster Superion, 5mm by TrentTroop on Shapeways

Enjoy!

 

Interesting... goes pretty perfect with the minis BS came with.

 

Bought Hercules and I've transformed all bots in vehicles mode,their plastic true true,semms very good and soft for the kind of toy and huge vehicles give sense of a giant robot.
Now I must find space to display him in combiner mode,I wanted to know this,I was thinking to leave visor in combiner head also when I disassemble the big bot,do you think is a good idea?I don't think that it should pressed by some Dr.Crank piece.

 

It is completely fine to leave the visor on when transforming Hook to bit or alt mode

 

I do the same. This is still my go to Devastator!!!

 

Yep. Mine too (for my voyager/IDW collection).

I have shapeways upgrades for him, and the Prowlastator head from the CW Devy 3P upgrade kit for him also.

 

In combiner mode for vehicles huge design appears enormous and head is very good and G1 toon but I may look at some upgrades, then forming combiner appears very easy just as I did with bots.I'll proceed on this evening.
Constructor is awesome,the most beautiful Devastator but transforming him and disassesmbling seems a nightmare compared to transforming 6 bots. If I buy also him I'd keep him in combiner mode probably,instead UW Devastator and Hercules win on fun factor,true Hercules is an awesome surprise,has aged well and is not too big.

 

@ThrustJan -

Well... I wouldn’t say he aged well. He didn’t age very poorly, but I wouldn’t say “well”, either (my opinion of course!)

He is still the closest looking to the All Hail Megatron (IDW Comics) Devastator. And he scales greatly with my other voyager sized bots.

Reprolabels/toyhax labels are a must. Unlike MP’s which look terrible with labels, some “chug” bots benefit from them.

 

Absolutely no problem , then my knowledge is poor compared to a lot of you and so I can't always be very accurate , is just that for me is still a "good toy" and has become very cheap and both things are important.
Gravity builder is more complex but something doesn't convince me on whole combiner design.About Constructor I already own a Concrete toy to use as my OC female witch Decepticon for 70/80's old truck design and giggling face but then I'd like to buy also a complete set for Constructor big robot as another Devastator.

 

I've seen Hercules packaged in both white and black boxes. Can anyone tell me the difference between the two releases?

 

Black boxes? Haven't seen those before.

The original Hercules releases were in green boxes. These were the ones with problems such as Long Haul/Heavy Labor's pelvis joints not being lubed thus they'd grind themselves to pieces. The second edition silver box releases had most of the problems with the figures fixed and the update parts for some figures included with others in the first series release were instead packaged with their intended figures.

Always look for a silver box to make sure you're getting a good one.

 

Are you by chance thinking of Perseus?

 

reading back on the first lot of pages and we all thought this was a big combiner  

 

It was big during its time.  

 

Black boxes? Do they look like the ones in my sales thread? If so those were the first edition.