My favorite SS86 figure by far. Fun transformation, feels really solid.

 

There are so many tabs, would it be possible for specifics on which tabs you filed down to get the alt mode roof to be flush? Or maybe a picture if that's easier. Sorry if this is common knowledge; maybe it's just I don't know something that everyone else does.

 

The big hooked ones on the leg panels that are scary to lock in and out for alt mode, the big ones on top that hook into the other blue plastic parts on the roof, hard to miss them. Those are the main problem. They don't fit into the roof properly and bend everything attached to them outward when they are forced into place. File them smaller on the sides and top so they fit into their shaped roof crevices properly.

And after those, every other one molded in blue plastic. I filed on nearly every single tab on the figure. But mostly those aforementioned big nasty scary ones on top.

 

There's a lot of tension along where the two window halves meet. Would there be any benefit to sanding these edges down?

 

Yet another reminder and repost:

Changing to alt mode: Push the lined part area diagonally down back.


Changing to bot mode: Twist to one side to undo the lock and repeat on the other.

When properly transformed, absolutely not.

 

Yet another spot I filed down. Right at the top of his chest, the red plastic edge. Helped a little.

 

found another and decided to grab it to see if it was any better…
The results are “kind of”

the vehicle goes together much better on the new one after hitting the whole figure with a heat gun to get rid of any gummy clear plastic settling while in package, but I HATE handling the robot mode. Touching the leg unpegs the side panels. Touching the upper body unpegs the backpack…

This is an improvement over the other attempts at tackling ironhide for sure, but he falls in to the “I hate this” category still for fit and finish issues.

YMMV

 

None of this works the great way you think it does, except maybe the unlocking part. Mine absolutely did not comply with any of this unmodded.

 

Well, once you mod, then all bets are off.

 

I mean I tried it before modding it. Made zero difference. The parts simply do not fit correctly.
Maybe that helped yours, but you keep posting it over and over like it's some magic fix-all that no one understood the first time you posted it. It isn't that simple, the molding is flawed. It's like the clear blue plastic expanded beyond design tolerances when it cooled or something.

 

It is possible that your copy is just complete jank in terms of tolerances. Definitely not ruling that out.

After looking at how the figure pegs together, the forces involved aren't intuitive in getting them together.

Regardless, the vast majority of people here posting pics and in the ss86 thread seem to be doing just fine.

 

We must be looking at different threads because I see the vast majority complaining about it not fitting just like mine.

 

Thigh swivels on mine are a little loose. I can only get one side clipped in on the front of the roof and it looks best unclipped on both sides for now. Which just leaves a little gap. My usual solution for things like this is to get a copy into alt mode properly and leave it that way for an extended period. They usually behave better after that. Overall, I think this is the best official Ironhide regardless of the gap.

 

Finally. I have been waiting to get my hands on this guy for literally months, ever since the first rumors of a SS86 Ironhide started floating around. And the wait, for me, was most certainly worth it: I'm gonna go against the general sentiments of the thread and say that this guy is fantastic, and in my opinion well worth the Voyager price point. Definitely in my top 10 for figures released this year for sure!



The bot mode is so nice. I really like the proportions on the chest, he has a really nice and solid heft to him all around and the sculpting is great! I am absolutely in love with the more vibrant shade of red, it makes him pop so much nicer than the drabber colors that Earthrise had. The plastic in general feels really nice in hand, despite a lot of Ironhide being made of clear plastic I have no fears of him breaking, maybe I've gotten lucky with QC or maybe I am just gentler with my toys than most people but Ironhide feels super sturdy!

I haven't encountered any of the QC issues mentioned in this thread, all of the joints feel very solid... However, there is one issue that I have noticed: The pins that hold the side windows in place. For some reason, one of them is extremely loose on my copy: It's not a problem at all when going from bot mode to van mode, but when going from van mode to bot mode I've found that every time I untab the windshield from the roof panels the pin is trying to come out. Its not really a big issue cuz I can just push the pin back in just as easily and aside from transformation the window itself stays put, but I suppose a dab of super glue would probably tighten the pin a bit.

Speaking of van mode, I guess this is as good of a place as any to get to it:



The alt mode I am also liking quite a bit, though I will acknowledge it has some flaws as well. Now I haven't had any of the major tolerance issues that people here have talked about aside from the roof panels, and even that I feel like is fixable with some sanding. Both the color matching and the hinges really feel nowhere near as intrusive in person, in fact after a while of fiddling with him in hand I didn't even notice that the hinges were there. The front end of the car mode is a bit plain and I do wish he had the yellow stripe, but other than that I think this is a decent little van mode.

Some comparisons with Earthrise Ironhide:

In my opinion the only things that the Earthrise Ironhide has going for it are the yellow stripe, the front bumper and the painted windshield wipers: Other than that I think the SS86 Ironhide beats it in literally every other conceivable way, from aesthetic to plastic quality. The tinted blue chest, the more vibrant shade of red and the more cohesive-looking gray waist and upper legs make SS86 Ironhide look so much more cohesive, the ER one kind of looks cobbled together in places with the mismatching black waist and grey legs. Also having an actual fully finished van mode as opposed to having the feet stick out the back is definitely a plus  

Here's Ironhide with some other figures, just to show how he fits in with WFC/Legacy/other SS86 figures:


I find that he goes particularly well with Buzzworthy Cliffjumper: The vibrant red, the grey legs and the blue windows kinda make em complement each other really well in my eyes!

Anyways review over, in short this figure is fantastic and definitely worth the wait for me, I am so excited for the inevitable Ratchet retool!  

 

Hey, my turn!

So let me get this off of my chest: we as collectors will never be satisfied if Hasbro continues to improve characters within two-three years time! It seems like just yesterday we (well, some of us) got Earthrise Ironhide who was a retool of Siege Ironhide.
Now, with the advent of Studio Series 86, we are getting closely accurate renditions of notable characters from the movie. And that means better versions of some Autobots and Decepticons we may already have.
Ironhide, one of the victims of the shuttle assault early in the film is now in what is arguably the best version of his onscreen counterpart from Hasbro. He hits all the checkmarks in robot mode: big, blocky chunk of a red robot with a mohawk crested helmet. When I first saw the images of this toy, I was really debating whether I thought it was worth nabbing, despite ER's shortcomings. I mean, there's really nothing dynamic about his robot mode going back to the original cartoon. He's fairly basic-looking. At least with the previous release, you did get the riot shield/rocket sled thingy, parts-forming be dammned or not. But that's a minor swipe, because the vehicle mode is where the battle here is won.



Before getting this guy, I was reading about the frustrations with many of you about the tolerances and gaps that the vehicle mode produced in-hand. I was filling my shorts with crap, since I already had paid for him and it was already en-route. So I had him out in robot mode for about a day, before I decided I needed to see how bad it really was. I am relieved to say that I was able to get him in vehicle mode with no anxiety. Yes, there is a point with the windshield snapping into the two roof panels that will only be an issue...if you are afraid to use some pressure to snap them together. Once I did it, I was good. Yes, a good percentage of Ironhide's parts are of transparent plastics, but if we are to enjoy our transformers, and yet fear snapping, cracking and stressing them, Studio Series offerings like him and Jazz will kill your enjoyment. It was in that moment of the transformation, I just said "F-it!" and applied said pressure. No stress, co cracks...yet.


Once I was done, it gave me the chance to appreciate what so many previous versions of Ironhide/Rachet failed to do: give us a fairly coherent mini-van with some minimal panel crevices. Think back to Universe Ironhide's SUV mode, that looked like a jigsaw puzzle in the shape of a car. The windows had panel lines that made it look ugly as sin. Hell, ER was better, but then we got two chunky feet hanging off the back. And while I was content to live with that, i was always puzzled why it was so difficult to get a blocky robot from a blocky van in a seamless fashion?

Speaking of windows, I love, LOVE how you can look through one side and see clearly out the opposite side of the van. Yes, there is some internal parts, but it still feels...more realistic instead of seeing them mashed together blocking the view, or being obscured by stickers or faux windows. That, to me, is an achievement in itself. Many are disappointed that we don't get a yellow stripe across the sides, but I'm sure ToyHax will have you covered. To me personally, it's not as important .

Finally, I'd like to appreciate turning his twin blasters into twin exhaust pipes. I sometimes get tired of "store your weapons on top of your vehicles" gimmick. I don't need all of my car transformers to look like road warriors, and integrating them into the alt mode is always more satisfying IMO.

Anyways, I know this was a more vehicle focused review, but I felt that this is where this iteration of Ironhide's shines the most, as the bot mode is near flawless, save some slight proportional width vs height nitpicks. So I guess the ending question is: is he worth it?

My answer is really 50/50. If you are looking for a clean close-to-animation model robot with a very good alt mode, then this guy is for you. However, if you miss the yellow stripe, blast shield, the ability to mount the drill-gun piece (from the drone weapon's pack) on his forearm,an overall aesthetic that is closer to the rest of the War for Cybertron line, then you might wanna stick to your short-packed, ebay-expensive Earthrise version.

Or you can just have both!

Until next time!

 

Finally got around to transforming mine today and had no issues. The upper cab takes a little force to snap it into place but I wasn’t worried it would break. Pretty clever transformation overall and everything fits together snugly with no gaps or unseated parts.

I dig him for the most part. The panels hanging off his outer legs are kind of unsightly, as is the huge hinge for his waist flap, but it’s totally fine for a mainline toy.

I love the filled armpit detail that is exposed when you raise the shoulders. More figures need that little touch.

 

So my replacement for my early Amazon order just came from Movies Unlimited. Definitely was a restock as I had to wait weeks after ordering to get my copy.

Anyway, is it better? I’m one way, very much. The waist now locks solidly in place. Hips and thighs are about the same, loose but not floppy.

And the roof joint into alt mode? about the same. Better with a little side panel filing and my fist seemed to get better after a few transformations. If this copy does that as well, I’ll be happy enough. What. A. Journey.

 

Found him in the wild today. I’m very happy with him. Better bot mode than the MP. Van mode has its flaws but it overall way more cohesive than Earthrise Ironhide. Best version of the character I own. Definitely not voyager sized but for a figure this good I can easily forgive the overpricing. Just like Hot Rod.

 

Iron(hide) Chef, I’d wager.

 

This Ironhide is the best rendition of the character we've ever received. Better than Earthrise. Better than the MP. Certainly better than Siege.

I absolutely love the SS86 line. My favorite TF toyline ever.