Just wondering, why do lots of people like there to be metal in a Transformer?

 

Get a MP magnus or prime and you'll find out.

It makes the toy scream quality, (and justify the $113 I spent on it), and I really like the feel and smell of the paint they use on them.  

But mind you, I only have one mp magnus, (only one die cast transformer), the rest of my collection is plastic due to costs.

 

As MV75 said, it adds a feel of being a quality toy. The recent Masterpiece King Exkizer release is a beautiful example of this; the legs are diecast and it just makes the toy feel SO much more impressive than it would if it was all plastic.

 

Enamel paint on metal sometimes looks more like a realistic vehicle. Some people also like the heft and feel of it.

That said, I personally prefer all-plastic. Metal in joints wears the joints out more quickly and is harder to repair. Metal makes a toy heavier and more likely to fall down in robot mode. If they do fall down, the added weight is more likely to scar the paint or break the plastic (since no Transformer I know of is all-metal). In fact, it's a lot more likely to wear out the paint in general, and since you can't dye the metal, it's ALL paint. The metal actually causes my only complaint about Masterpiece Convoy, which is that the paint on his chest begins to chip and flake off after several transformations. That sure screams "quality" to me.

 

Yeah...metal adds "realisim" to a robot toy...  Almost all my robots have metals...

 

me grimlock want to munch metal. rargh.

 

Yeah when they're metal it's almost like they've shrunk the real thing.
Plus heavy metal is koo!

It's also probably a root thing since it was die-cast that intruduced me to this lovely world.
If G1 Prime & those old Gobots were all plastic, id probably be a plastic fan.
Im a fan of both but will always favor the metal.

 

I'm not a metal fan in TFs... I like the hefty feel of it a bit and appreciate reissues using it since the originals did, but otherwise I don't think it's a good thing. Paint can chip off metal too easily, metal can fatigue and just put extra stress on the plastic joints(I'm always afraid of the big torso hinge snapping on MP Prime with such heavy chunks of plastic in his legs and chest)

I also really don't agree with the "quality" notion.... I think it's a perspective thing... using metal and shipping it around is an expensive process, but it's not "quality"... it's scrap metal(there's no stainless steel in there) instead of new, high-tech, high strength, low weight, low cost "quality" plastics. Expensive =/= "Quality".

 

The word "chogokin" is a turn on as I grew up with them (I have none now, though  )

I don't have MPs or BTs, but THS2 feels great thanks to the metal, IMO. It would have been so weak if it was all plastic. Gave weight and strength to the little guy.

 

I don't like metal in my Tf's. I much prefer plastic.

 

the metal takes me back to 1984....

 

The metal enhances the illusion that the TFs are "real". Sure, it can stress plastic and the paint can chip. But compare a metal and plastic Predaking or G1 Springer; Compare G1 Bruticus to Ruination (ignoring colors); compare Binaltech to Alternators. There's no contest: painted metal looks more realistic, feels more substantial and gives the impression of greater quality.

Personally, I think even Armada and BM would have been better received if the toys had major metal parts.

Make mine metal!

 

I'd take metal over plastic but the price factor is the biggest factor for me.

 

It's all subjective. "metal" on a TF does none of the above for me. The contrast between the metal and the plastic on the toy take away from the illusion of realism, make it feel cheaper, and reduces the 'quality' feeling.

Armada and BM are two of my favorite tf lines. If they had included metal, I wouldn't have enjoyed them as much as I do.

 

I can go either way on it personally - no real preference. I do think they're really onto something with Binaltech/Alternators, which effectively provides us with both the metal/plastic option and the cost option.

What if there continued to be plastic toys released in the main line as usual, but Hasbro produced small runs of the same toys with metal components, aimed at collectors. If there were special packaging to go along with them, I'd pay $20-$25 for a metal Hotshot or Sideways, $35-$40 for a metal Evac, and I'd be delighted to hand over $75-$100 for a metal Primus.

And yes, I know plastic and metal components are made in different types of molds, so it's not just *that* easy... but fun to think about nonetheless.

 

I'm a Binaltech fan all the way. In my opinion, I think if most fans had the oppurtunity to inspect both an Alternator and a Binaltech before purchasing them, most people would be willing to spend the extra cash and get a Binaltech. I think the quality is so much greater. Plus, I love the way light shines on metal as opposed to plastic.

 

I've compared a few of them before buying, and the only one I'd even consider paying extra for is Smokescreen. Apart from that, I've got no reason to want the metal versions over the plastic, especially at the significantly higher cost.

 

Oh, a Chogokin fan huh? I hope u have been collecting the SOC line because you don't know what you've been missing!  

 

I've handled both alts and BT's. I don't care for the BT's at all. Even if the price was the same as an alt, I wouldn't buy one.