Got mine today, and he's great!



Batteries were already installed. Lights have the option for a pulsating or static glow.



His height can vary depending on how you position the legs. I think that's why the scale seems to change from one picture to the next. (Pictured here with LT-02, which is the same scale as MPM-04, for anyone who doesn't know.)



The cannons can all move up and down.



Megatron laughs at the laws of aerodynamics!

 

What are your figure's hips like?

 

Oooh, these are some pretty pics

 

So...anyone have any ideas as to how we might be able to tighten up the biggest issue I've found, which is the hip butterfly joint that allows a LOT of play when folded into his crotch in bot mode? I discovered that those hip joints are a bigger issue than the ratchet spacing on the hips on mine. They're done with a pressed in pin it appears with a large flat head on one end.

Pics as soon as I get home in case this doesn't make sense...

 

Someone with the same issue mentioned putting thin peices of plastic between the hips and the crotch. They used the plastic from the figure box. It apparently solved the issue pretty well; albeit temporarily

 

Hmmm. I'm wondering about removing the pins and using a nut/bolt to make the hinge tighter..

 

If you are successful in improving them, do share  

 

Just to show what the issue is so everyone else gets it...

-A few pics showing the apparatus extended. The joint where the pins are visible is the problem. It's too loose and doesn't lock in when pushed in in bot mode. Note the gap when collapsed in the second pair of pics. Doesn't look like much but...

-I have the hip ratchets pulled out as far as they go in both bottom pics. Note how much farther out the feet are splayed due to the loose joint:

 

Very helpful. Major bummer about that though. You said you were thinking about replacing the pin with something bigger?

 

Any chance some Future would work to tighten it up?

 

I highly doubt future would make it stiff enough to hold long if at all.

A bolt/nut MIGHT work to replace that pin but the nut or bolt head on the front side would have to be recessed into the joint hinge or you'd have to add a slot on the pelvis for it to clear when folding in. Even then it'd probably work loose regularly but at least it could be re-tightened. That's the benefit of going to a nut/bolt- it can be tightened up where a pin really can't. But even then the bolt idea is still no guarantee it'd hold much better.

Ultimately what this SHOULD have had is a tab of some sort that tabbed in to hold that part when in bot mode. It could have been done but wasn't. I'm curious if the original studio series had one or not...

 

I have the original. Mine is not loose at all. The tabs go in and stay in. And from what I've seen, BMB's Megatron doesn't suffer from loose hips either.

 

So it's a mold defect on Dream Factory. That sucks. How does the original tab in? Are you able to identify a specific tab or area it should be grabbing that isn't working on Dream Factory?

 

I'll have to take a look at it again. It won't be till later though :/ Emgo prolly has a review that would show it.

 

Here's a shot from Emgo's review of BMB's version. It's all Greek to me since I don't own any iteration of this mold - I was just, just about to order this one when I saw this discussion brewing - but maybe it'll help:

 

Is there room on the foldy bit to just drive a screw through the whole thing into the body to hold it flush? You’d have to take it out to transform him, but I just don’t care that much about the tank mode and would likely only do it once or twice anyways.

 

Yes, I believe that could be done if you carefully drilled a pilot hole and don't strip the screw out. Or better yet drill hole through and use a tiny nut/bolt possibly. Been mulling this idea over myself.

 

Wibbly, as others have described.

 

"I'll take you all on!"

 

Why not use a quick release ball lock pin instead of a screw, then you can remove the pin with the push of a button. I'm sure they make them small enough.