Also fyi, the ORIGINAL reason Japanese robot toys were metal starting in the 70’s and was branded as CHOGOKIN was because was the fictional metal in Mazinger Z. It was a BRILLIANT marketing move by saying “this toy is made from the same material as the on the anime”.
it was never ment for toys with movable parts, it works like a charm with ships, vehicles, statue models etc because the die cast gives them a more realistic look, but on regular figures my god. I purchased a die cast strorm trooper from one of those disney stores back during the release of rogue one and the armor looks fantastic with die cast, But the whole toy was die cast as well, not just the armor and the articulation was just plain terrible. Either the joints felt like 20 years of use or you needed to oil them just to be able to move them.
It worked perfectly fine with all my Transformers as a child. They were durable, they looked good, they were hefty. They were amazing and worked PERFECTLY fine for toys.
The Bakugan toys started using die cast metal in some toys last year and they are stellar. And the reason they're stellar is because of the inherent design of Bakugan. They're spring loaded marbles that you're supposed to roll about. They have a set position to be in so they can load them with metal, the plastic bits are no longer the part that takes most of the hit on a drop. The g1 toys that could barely move worked well because they, like bakugan, are in a set position. Transformers gotta move, they gotta flex they just don't need the metal. There's nothing die cast can do for the tf play pattern that good solid plastic can't and the latter is easier to use.
@@ArcheTelos critical KO was actually only a rule in the video game and the Japanese exclusive series. But yes they did experiment with it before, mostly for facilitating trick shots which helps with the utility argument.
so hasbro should just make a gold plastic figure with random diecast on the arms and transparent plastic, just so we can have a transformer that self transforms in to dust
@@39Hundredok u are completly forgetting that hot rods toy was designed after hasbro had used all the diaclone molds they could. Hot rod was designed for the 1986 movie and then the toy was made based on that design (its the same with most of the new characters in the movie with the big exception of magnus). The only reason he said hot shot was bc his brain did a goof and mixed em up bc of how similar they are
PerspectiveEnd summarizing those who desire more diecast as the “bUt MaH dIeCaST crowd” (see his Roast-A-Mans on Titanium War Within Megatron) is exactly how I feel about this matter. Sure, metal feels nice in the hand, but it can compromise a figure’s durability if it’s put in the wrong place or turn an otherwise fine toy into a bludgeoning tool for an angry child. It sacrifices a figure’s potential longevity in the name of a making it out of a material that FEELS good.
Agreed, I've always hated it, even for feet because if you want to pose a character in a running position, well that's already incredibly difficult, but with both feet being made of diecast it's nigh impossible, or even if you want a figure in a flying pose on a flight stand because more than half the time they don't even make the joints strong enough to support that weight. Personally I feel like diecast should only be used for reinforcing long, thin armatures and stuff like that, the kind of thing that you could easily accidentally warp or snap just from transforming it if you don't pay attention.
When I was young, I had the Go-Bots car combiner, Puzzler. The cars were a mix of dicast, plastic, and rubber parts. Even though the transformations weren't complex, I remember they had a heft to them that on a surface level felt like higher quality than the more plastic Transformers. However, I also remember how you could see the plastic connectors visibly wearing down if you played with it much in combined form. How the weight of the arms tugged at those arm connectors, how the weight of the upper half of the body tugged at the waist connector...
i think the most success a transforming toy line has had with diecast is bakugan. the last year had figures made with metal cores in them, and spinmaster have enough intelligence and experience in the field to know what should be metal and what shouldnt. there’s also a lot of metal content on them, and, despite this, they’re only two dollars cad more than the standard ones. they’re made durably, made with an understanding of the materials, and the play pattern of rolling them is affected by how the metal changes their weight distribution. it’s good stuff.
Okay, a little bit of correction: Tonka trucks weren't made in die cast back then but sheet of iron or steel that were folded together like a papercraft model which is why their patina usually look similar to actual used and abused construction vehicles. Also, I think some die cast can be good for a figure's handling and stability and would probably stop designers from turning their figures into empty shells or plastic origami.
I respectfully disagree. Die Cast can work if utilised intelligently. Masterpiece-10 Optimus has die cast in its feet and on one structural strut for transformation. The feet help immensely for transformation, and the strut is smartly used because it would be dangerously fragile if made out of plastic. It isn't a particularly heavy figure, I've never gotten paint chipping from it, and it retailed near me for £60 in 2011, so definitely affordable. It just needs to be used sparingly, and smartly.
Since you mentioned it I actually asked Aaron archer on one of his live streams about titanium and if it rly was the micro machines team designing them and his answer was smth akin to this; “not necessarily, at that time in Hasbro there weren’t, really “teams” you’d work on Batman for a little and then transformers, you could jump around and work where you are needed, it’s more likely just that the designers who specialized in transformers were simply seen as not necessary for the project”
I’ll always love die cast especially in robot figures. I loved the solid bricks of the 80s and I really love the ThreeZero figures integration of it. They could be pricey but all that’s important to me is being able to pick it up and feel it’s worth in its weight and sturdiness.
Question: how do you feel about the use of die-cast in joints, specifically ratchet joints? I remember titan class trypticon having an issue with its hips breaking due to the plastic not being strong enough to withstand the stress of the springs in the ratcheting. So if the joint was made from die-cast would it not have maybe saved the toys from breaking?
Scratch that, you can make them out of metal. But they’d not be as good and would be incredibly loud. Not as good because they might freeze up with age. I actually spent time pondering this after I commented lol So a mechanism for a metal ratchet joint could be made (I have seen one in a high end figure, but it is much smaller and much shallower teeth), but on something as big as Trypticon’s hip joints it wouldn’t be feasible. But Trypticon’s hips got a running fix, and I lucked out and got one. So he has no problems in that area. Metal used in joints is a tough one, because of several factors. Your question was a good one.
Thats why I brought it up because there may be a use for it that he did not bring up so I wanted to ask for the discussion of die-cast application in what may be a usable way
I am one of the, like, 5 people who adored the large Titanium figures. They were quirky but I loved them all the more for it. The Grimlock and Prowl Toys R Us exclusives are actually gorgeous and the War Within set of Prime and Megatron is just super well presented. ( I love others... The Sunstorm figure is my 2nd favorite Sunstorm after TFA, and the Thrust IS my favorite of his... The purple and black Rodimus Menasor is also a really good looking figure)...
I think the hate on them is a little exaggerated, but I also have a weird nostalgia for them BECAUSE of TJ's plastic addict videos. I own the GI Joe Megatron not because it's a good figure, but specifically because it reminds me of TJ's old videos.
Perfect analysis, many collectors today have a biased opinion on older toys, on their durability (often citing die-cast as a key reason for that), but as you said: the main die cast bits tend to be sturdies, but all the minutiae surronding them rarely made it to today, specially when they were made of extremely fragile chromed plastic.
I learned very recently that the reason diecast was used was because it was cheaper than plastic. Everyone was tricked into thinking that it was something special. While it sometimes gives a figure a nice touch, it's never been something I felt was needed.
I don't care for die-cast overall, but I do know of an example of it being good. When the Power Rangers Lightspeed Megazord was adapted from Japan, they removed some of the die-cast for cost measures. This included a large part on the red zord which the arms (I think) connected to and rotated on for transformation. Unfortunately, changing this piece to plastic resulted in it breaking far more often, to the point where I've heard it's preferable to buy the Japanese original just because it's more likely to still have its arms and to last longer. Altho I haven't owned any version of this figure; all this is second-hand.
Huh, so that's why my G1 Prowl looks like a movie 07 Jazz cosplayer 😭 I always wondered why those damn metal pins never stayed in... Wouldn't it be possible to add weight without risking the metal/plastic break problem just by encasing the die-cast metal in a plastic shell? Seems kinda weird to get rid of the convenient weighted feet... So, was there a similar issue with the Microman line? Didn't they have magnets in their feet?
I never grew up with die-cast Transformers and was baffled when I first heard they used to be used in their construction. Plastic works just fine, thank you very much.
I always HATED the die-cast in my g1 transformers when I was little. It just made every toy floppy, loose, and junky. Of course I was no collector as a child. But I do not miss the fragile paint and added heft. These days, I’m avoiding any transformers that have die-cast metal. Except for that reissue Hot Rod. 😉
Another problem with the G-1 Prowl mold. The chest is too heavy the figure would shrink down. I had to open up the legs and put a thin layer of glue [or clear nail polish] in there and reassemble once it dried to keep the legs fully extended. I wouldn't be surprised if the all plastic Toys R ' Us are much better about this.
I’m not a fan of die cast. I like it in feet, but if it doesn’t have any, cool. I have a 3P TLK Hot Rod that uses it in its feet and I’m ok with that. But a lot of 3P go nuts with diecast when it’s unnecessary and I always see people happy with the weight of a figure, but weight does not equate to quality and it bugs me lol
Well, it worked because of the imagination and fantasy that came from the storytelling of those figures in cartoons and comic books for G1. And the toyline stories for Diaclone was why it worked.
My cousin's full die cast Golion figure from the '80s is showing of age. The screws got rusty to the point that removing one may damage it instead. Metal frames today are far more resistant to weathering and rust which is why Tamashii and Bandai use them. I bet the metal frames used by Threezero, Moshow, and those other chinese toymakers are the same high-resistant
Hm, I see your point but I quite like a little bit of die cast in my figs. It gives them a very satisfying heft, like MP-01 Optimus Prime or General Grant. Grant in particular feels like you could knock someone out with it 😅
I've heard talks about diecast, but I never really knew what it was, so thanks for the explanation of what it is and why it can be bad. Definitely seems primarily focused on high-end collector stuff now, just based on toy listings and stuff I've seen. It sounds cool on paper, but in terms of practicality, I'm entirely willing to accept it being gone from modern Transformers figures.
I'd been planning a video like this too, but am afraid of the angry mobs. Glad you mentioned Hot Wheels because they're all metal and cost $2. Tonka, however, i don't think is die-cast. I'm pretty sure they are stamped and folded aluminium sheet metal.
Die-cast may not work in today's standards but you gotta love the die-cast replicas i got die-cast transformers cars not g1 toys except reissue hot rod
Amongst the G1 stuff - and even the MP stuff - the only thing where I feel that the use of diecast was *_PERFECT_* is Soundwave. Only place the MP has it? Feet. Only place the G1 has it? Feet. That's really all that he needs. Even then, the feet of MP13 have some plastic that serves as doors to store the guns of Rumble or Frenzy, but only one per foot, though. (Side note: the G1 Hot Rod versions that have diecast feet, well, they're too tiny to really notice, and obviously, neither MP28 or MP40 have any diecast at all...) Now, let's look at a particular KO that both does it right AND wrong: KuBianBao MP10V, that infamously awesome Voyager sized MP10 Convoy 2.0...where the figure & trailer ("Tactical Container") were produced and released separately. Here's where it's done right: the chest window doors, the front half of the waist, and the feet (specifically the toes and heels). But where it goes wrong? The panels that cover the truck wheels on the legs in robot mode: the hinges are still plastic, and the pins are a bit too big, so over time, the weight WILL take its toll and break the hinges. The wheels: ...yeah, the problem here is that the rubber tires are easy to lose because they don't seem to fit well. Plus, the vac-metallized plastic over it has marks that you would think are really bad sprue marks. The Matrix: WHILE well painted, it seems like it's got more plastic in there than just the clear blue center. The feet are right AND wrong: wrong because if you wanna talk about paint chipping, this is where the paint is the least durable, only second to the paint on the waist!! And the biggest offender is a completely diecast sword that doesn't even belong here, it'd be more at home with that TLK Voyager Knight Optimus Prime.
I have a few G1 transformers. the die cast on these guys is mostly chipped, Soundwave is an odd exception. Wheeljack is in decent condition as far as his paint goes, but I could see him looking off with dull gray feet instead of the white of his animation model.
All of the Masterpiece Movie Series figures starting with MPM-3 Bumblebee have die-cast metal parts. Even MP-10 Optimus Prime has a small amount of metal in the feet and the armature that connects the upper torso to the waist.
The main Masterpiece line seems to have stopped using diecast after Star Saber, when the focus became making the toy as accurate to the character on the show as physically possible.
@@DetectiveBarricade The official MP 29 Shockwave has parts made of die-cast metal. The MP-36 Megatron figure also seems to have die-cast metal parts as far as I know since I don't own it. The last G1 MP I bought was the Hasbro Asia reissue of the Hasbro MP Soundwave when it was available from BBTS back in 2017.
I was going to say, isn't the die-cast metal ironically why the G1 Transformers are more fragile? The toy falls and the plastic shatters off the metal. It is still cool they are made of it, though. It does give off of that aura of vintage and high class, better made etc, even if we know the design is actually flawed. Good video and discussion, TJ.
Yeah, that's pretty much it for me. It's a liability if the toy is mishandled, but it really does have that "oomph" factor when you pick up a G1 optimus and he feels like a brick, even if it adds nothing to the actual toy design or engineering.
Although I understand why some people like die-cast, I was never a fan of it. It adds unnecessary weight, shows fingerprints, and rusts if you're not careful.
Die-Cast also does not work in countries with high humidity/rainy areas; I owned that same Tonka Truck, granted I played with it outside, but it was starting to rust after five years in Far Noth Queensland (Australia) weather. I am so glad I don't live up there anymore, my Genreations Jetfire would be the colour of a banana.
I think the 84/85 range with the die cast pieces were the best G1 toys of all. Even as a kid I could sense the drop in quality once the 86 brightly colored plastic range and all of the ranges proceeding it came out.
Are you referring to painting the die cast? It "works" if you just want to touch up paint for a restored toy on display, but the paint used on plastic doesn't adhere to metal as well. I'm pretty sure the paint they use on die cast parts is baked on with temperature.
@@ianroe1076 Yes, I was referring to die-cast. It would be just like painting anything else metal. And Powder-coating, (That is how I know it.) is also a good technique.
I never understood the appeal of die cast in toys. I guess it's just nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia? It ruins toys. Makes parts too heavy which ruins the articulation and makes them crumble under their own weight.
TBH I think even on non-transforming robot toys, die-cast is more likely to be a determent than a benefit. The big example for me is the Super Robot Chogokin Shin Getter-1. So much of the articulation on that figure is brilliantly engineered, but then you have these big, heavy die-cast lower legs attached to Figuarts-style drop-down balljoint hips. Every time I pick that figure up, the legs flop around. It doesn't completely ruin the figure since it can still balance, but goddamn is it frustrating
I have to disagree my friend. When I was a kid collecting Transformers they felt like quality toys. Die cast parts rubber wheels chrome parts. Then towards the end of gen 1 they started to come out all plastic. They felt like junk. They were cheap crap. The original gen 1 are the best transformers ever produced. Other then master piece it’s been all cheap crap ever sense.
It's a good thing they stopped using die cast for it. Which is why they had to stop using it in later masterpiece transformers because of poseability issues, especially for the first Optimus and Megatron with their heavy limbs. Now they just use it in the feet. You might find them using plastic as cheap, but the figures have gotten better in movement and are better for children without using all the die cast.
The idea that die-cast is good for transformers is just a delusion imo. A lot of people seem to think that just slapping some weight on a figure makes it (feel) better, even though in reality, the plastic probably feels awful to the touch and falls apart as well
Diecast on robot toys worked best when they had limited articulation. The old chogokins from the 70’s-early 80’s were great for this.
It’s a lost art
Dammit you beat me to it
😂
For good reason
"I understood that refrence"
This comments gonna blow up
Also fyi, the ORIGINAL reason Japanese robot toys were metal starting in the 70’s and was branded as CHOGOKIN was because was the fictional metal in Mazinger Z. It was a BRILLIANT marketing move by saying “this toy is made from the same material as the on the anime”.
it was never ment for toys with movable parts, it works like a charm with ships, vehicles, statue models etc because the die cast gives them a more realistic look, but on regular figures my god. I purchased a die cast strorm trooper from one of those disney stores back during the release of rogue one and the armor looks fantastic with die cast, But the whole toy was die cast as well, not just the armor and the articulation was just plain terrible. Either the joints felt like 20 years of use or you needed to oil them just to be able to move them.
It worked perfectly fine with all my Transformers as a child. They were durable, they looked good, they were hefty. They were amazing and worked PERFECTLY fine for toys.
The Bakugan toys started using die cast metal in some toys last year and they are stellar. And the reason they're stellar is because of the inherent design of Bakugan. They're spring loaded marbles that you're supposed to roll about. They have a set position to be in so they can load them with metal, the plastic bits are no longer the part that takes most of the hit on a drop. The g1 toys that could barely move worked well because they, like bakugan, are in a set position. Transformers gotta move, they gotta flex they just don't need the metal. There's nothing die cast can do for the tf play pattern that good solid plastic can't and the latter is easier to use.
@@ArcheTelos critical KO was actually only a rule in the video game and the Japanese exclusive series. But yes they did experiment with it before, mostly for facilitating trick shots which helps with the utility argument.
so hasbro should just make a gold plastic figure with random diecast on the arms and transparent plastic, just so we can have a transformer that self transforms in to dust
Movie Ironhide would be great for that.
Takara already beat them to it. Springs and gold plastic make BWII Randy Razorbeast's ticking time bomb mold-mate.
Studio Series 86 Dead Starscream
@@EungsuLee You did fucking not.
@@_V.Va_ Oh, did I just hurt your feelings?
Optimus Primal : Die Cast constructions. It's a lost art.
Mattel : Hold my beers.
He said G1 Hot Shot instead of Hot Rod lmao.
Hot Shot was the Diaclone name of the Pre-Transformers Hot Rod.
@@39Hundredok u are completly forgetting that hot rods toy was designed after hasbro had used all the diaclone molds they could. Hot rod was designed for the 1986 movie and then the toy was made based on that design (its the same with most of the new characters in the movie with the big exception of magnus). The only reason he said hot shot was bc his brain did a goof and mixed em up bc of how similar they are
PerspectiveEnd summarizing those who desire more diecast as the “bUt MaH dIeCaST crowd” (see his Roast-A-Mans on Titanium War Within Megatron) is exactly how I feel about this matter. Sure, metal feels nice in the hand, but it can compromise a figure’s durability if it’s put in the wrong place or turn an otherwise fine toy into a bludgeoning tool for an angry child. It sacrifices a figure’s potential longevity in the name of a making it out of a material that FEELS good.
Agreed, I've always hated it, even for feet because if you want to pose a character in a running position, well that's already incredibly difficult, but with both feet being made of diecast it's nigh impossible, or even if you want a figure in a flying pose on a flight stand because more than half the time they don't even make the joints strong enough to support that weight. Personally I feel like diecast should only be used for reinforcing long, thin armatures and stuff like that, the kind of thing that you could easily accidentally warp or snap just from transforming it if you don't pay attention.
When I was young, I had the Go-Bots car combiner, Puzzler. The cars were a mix of dicast, plastic, and rubber parts. Even though the transformations weren't complex, I remember they had a heft to them that on a surface level felt like higher quality than the more plastic Transformers. However, I also remember how you could see the plastic connectors visibly wearing down if you played with it much in combined form. How the weight of the arms tugged at those arm connectors, how the weight of the upper half of the body tugged at the waist connector...
Gold metal doesn't crumble to dust and die cast joints are very hard to snap so there is a clear advantage over plastic in some key areas.
i think the most success a transforming toy line has had with diecast is bakugan. the last year had figures made with metal cores in them, and spinmaster have enough intelligence and experience in the field to know what should be metal and what shouldnt. there’s also a lot of metal content on them, and, despite this, they’re only two dollars cad more than the standard ones. they’re made durably, made with an understanding of the materials, and the play pattern of rolling them is affected by how the metal changes their weight distribution. it’s good stuff.
Okay, a little bit of correction: Tonka trucks weren't made in die cast back then but sheet of iron or steel that were folded together like a papercraft model which is why their patina usually look similar to actual used and abused construction vehicles.
Also, I think some die cast can be good for a figure's handling and stability and would probably stop designers from turning their figures into empty shells or plastic origami.
There are similar issues with the different types of plastic being used over the years.
I would actually be very interested in a video on this, especially now that Hasbro's in-box yellowing issue has been noticed.
This is technically more “hot take” content but I’m gonna be honest… GLAD SOMEBODY FINALLY SAID IT!!! 😝
I respectfully disagree. Die Cast can work if utilised intelligently. Masterpiece-10 Optimus has die cast in its feet and on one structural strut for transformation. The feet help immensely for transformation, and the strut is smartly used because it would be dangerously fragile if made out of plastic. It isn't a particularly heavy figure, I've never gotten paint chipping from it, and it retailed near me for £60 in 2011, so definitely affordable. It just needs to be used sparingly, and smartly.
Honestly, I'd love to have a standalone G1 Prime figure with only the truck parts using die-cast.
Since you mentioned it I actually asked Aaron archer on one of his live streams about titanium and if it rly was the micro machines team designing them and his answer was smth akin to this; “not necessarily, at that time in Hasbro there weren’t, really “teams” you’d work on Batman for a little and then transformers, you could jump around and work where you are needed, it’s more likely just that the designers who specialized in transformers were simply seen as not necessary for the project”
The oversized version of siege ultra mega is heart diecast, and it is amazing.
I’ll always love die cast especially in robot figures. I loved the solid bricks of the 80s and I really love the ThreeZero figures integration of it. They could be pricey but all that’s important to me is being able to pick it up and feel it’s worth in its weight and sturdiness.
Same here. Simple engineering. Use steel in hinges.
My Prowl resembled that. He still had his wings though
I had a G1 Smokescreen who's hood broke while I was trying to tighten his arms....never thought die-cast metal would be so fragile to work with.
Question: how do you feel about the use of die-cast in joints, specifically ratchet joints? I remember titan class trypticon having an issue with its hips breaking due to the plastic not being strong enough to withstand the stress of the springs in the ratcheting. So if the joint was made from die-cast would it not have maybe saved the toys from breaking?
You can’t create a ratchet joint out of metal. You need the flexibility of plastic, otherwise you just create a cog and it defeats the purpose
The springs didn't need to be so stupidly strong, though.
Oh, ok
Scratch that, you can make them out of metal. But they’d not be as good and would be incredibly loud.
Not as good because they might freeze up with age.
I actually spent time pondering this after I commented lol
So a mechanism for a metal ratchet joint could be made (I have seen one in a high end figure, but it is much smaller and much shallower teeth), but on something as big as Trypticon’s hip joints it wouldn’t be feasible.
But Trypticon’s hips got a running fix, and I lucked out and got one. So he has no problems in that area.
Metal used in joints is a tough one, because of several factors.
Your question was a good one.
Thats why I brought it up because there may be a use for it that he did not bring up so I wanted to ask for the discussion of die-cast application in what may be a usable way
But for now thank you for enjoying me...thank..thank you for enjoying my channel😄 😄
Sorry I had to😃.
Thank You for all the awesome videos!!
I am one of the, like, 5 people who adored the large Titanium figures. They were quirky but I loved them all the more for it. The Grimlock and Prowl Toys R Us exclusives are actually gorgeous and the War Within set of Prime and Megatron is just super well presented. ( I love others... The Sunstorm figure is my 2nd favorite Sunstorm after TFA, and the Thrust IS my favorite of his... The purple and black Rodimus Menasor is also a really good looking figure)...
I think the hate on them is a little exaggerated, but I also have a weird nostalgia for them BECAUSE of TJ's plastic addict videos. I own the GI Joe Megatron not because it's a good figure, but specifically because it reminds me of TJ's old videos.
be very careful tj, the g1 toy fans are going to come for your head
Perfect analysis, many collectors today have a biased opinion on older toys, on their durability (often citing die-cast as a key reason for that), but as you said: the main die cast bits tend to be sturdies, but all the minutiae surronding them rarely made it to today, specially when they were made of extremely fragile chromed plastic.
I will always favor posability in my figures over heavy sturdiness.
I learned very recently that the reason diecast was used was because it was cheaper than plastic. Everyone was tricked into thinking that it was something special. While it sometimes gives a figure a nice touch, it's never been something I felt was needed.
I don't care for die-cast overall, but I do know of an example of it being good. When the Power Rangers Lightspeed Megazord was adapted from Japan, they removed some of the die-cast for cost measures. This included a large part on the red zord which the arms (I think) connected to and rotated on for transformation. Unfortunately, changing this piece to plastic resulted in it breaking far more often, to the point where I've heard it's preferable to buy the Japanese original just because it's more likely to still have its arms and to last longer.
Altho I haven't owned any version of this figure; all this is second-hand.
Huh, so that's why my G1 Prowl looks like a movie 07 Jazz cosplayer 😭 I always wondered why those damn metal pins never stayed in...
Wouldn't it be possible to add weight without risking the metal/plastic break problem just by encasing the die-cast metal in a plastic shell? Seems kinda weird to get rid of the convenient weighted feet... So, was there a similar issue with the Microman line? Didn't they have magnets in their feet?
I never grew up with die-cast Transformers and was baffled when I first heard they used to be used in their construction. Plastic works just fine, thank you very much.
I always HATED the die-cast in my g1 transformers when I was little. It just made every toy floppy, loose, and junky. Of course I was no collector as a child. But I do not miss the fragile paint and added heft. These days, I’m avoiding any transformers that have die-cast metal. Except for that reissue Hot Rod. 😉
Another problem with the G-1 Prowl mold. The chest is too heavy the figure would shrink down. I had to open up the legs and put a thin layer of glue [or clear nail polish] in there and reassemble once it dried to keep the legs fully extended. I wouldn't be surprised if the all plastic Toys R ' Us are much better about this.
For G1 and more simple toys it works but it really comes down to how many moving parts a toy has v show much die cast the toy uses.
I’m not a fan of die cast.
I like it in feet, but if it doesn’t have any, cool.
I have a 3P TLK Hot Rod that uses it in its feet and I’m ok with that.
But a lot of 3P go nuts with diecast when it’s unnecessary and I always see people happy with the weight of a figure, but weight does not equate to quality and it bugs me lol
I thought tonka trucks were made of sheet metal?
That Tonka truck is what I always think of when thinking of how Die Cast can look like over the years
Tonka is metal but not die-cast
It worked in Diaclone and in older japanese toylines. Certainly it worked on G1. But everything has its pros and cons, plastic too.
Well, it worked because of the imagination and fantasy that came from the storytelling of those figures in cartoons and comic books for G1. And the toyline stories for Diaclone was why it worked.
Oh, it absolutely did.
Maybe not for the robot modes, but it made the toy cars look incredible, which was like 90% of the selling point.
Great video! Very informative. I have a few 6 inch Titanium figures and they are still holding up well.
I love my binaltech swindle he’s so cute and when I got him I didn’t expect it to be binaltech the listing said it was alternator upgrade in my book
My cousin's full die cast Golion figure from the '80s is showing of age. The screws got rusty to the point that removing one may damage it instead. Metal frames today are far more resistant to weathering and rust which is why Tamashii and Bandai use them. I bet the metal frames used by Threezero, Moshow, and those other chinese toymakers are the same high-resistant
Hm, I see your point but I quite like a little bit of die cast in my figs. It gives them a very satisfying heft, like MP-01 Optimus Prime or General Grant. Grant in particular feels like you could knock someone out with it 😅
17:25 ah yes, shotimus prime
My jazz was broke in half because of the pin then found out years later everyone had the same issue with their jazz too
I've heard talks about diecast, but I never really knew what it was, so thanks for the explanation of what it is and why it can be bad. Definitely seems primarily focused on high-end collector stuff now, just based on toy listings and stuff I've seen. It sounds cool on paper, but in terms of practicality, I'm entirely willing to accept it being gone from modern Transformers figures.
I'd been planning a video like this too, but am afraid of the angry mobs. Glad you mentioned Hot Wheels because they're all metal and cost $2.
Tonka, however, i don't think is die-cast. I'm pretty sure they are stamped and folded aluminium sheet metal.
I really like die cast, when done right, mostly for 80’s robot toys. Like you said, “Feet and lower legs.”
Die-cast may not work in today's standards but you gotta love the die-cast replicas i got die-cast transformers cars not g1 toys except reissue hot rod
Die-cast is what attracted me to the titanium line. Still, I prefer it to plastic.
I like Diecast when it's done right but you do make a lot of good points about how it can go wrong.
it’s a lost art
Gosh I love these talks. I grab a cigar. Pore myself a glass of wine, hit play and let TJ go:)
Die cast Transformers were AWESOME back in the 80s
Super Sentai used Diecast alright. Mainly Gaoranger.
Ironically I prefer the Korean releases without diecast
8:30 "Masterpiece phased out Die-Cast after the first few releases"
...But MPM-10 Movie Starscream has Die-Cast feet?
He means they phased die-cast on the entire figures and chose to do it on the feet for stability.
Wooooooo!
15:12 My Grandparents had a Tonka toy like this , when I was a kid, I loved playing with toy, until it got Fragile over time.
Do it the same way 3rd parties incorporate die-cast, just put them in the joints instead of body parts
My Toy Story combiner was so heavy it tore itself apart. I can do without die-cast
I hope KO companies stop using Die Cast. I hate Die Cast. You can't cut it, you can't paint it...
So fun story I recently got a titanium gi-joe megatron and I’m not lieing when I say it’s arms are actually possible
Well, FWIW, the diecast parts on my G1 Ironhide are the only parts that aren’t deteriorating.
I had the War Within Prime, Megatron, and Rodimus. I actually didn't find them to be horrible. I always wanted the Magnus out of the Titanium line.
The majority of early Go-Bots were die-cast, and they weren't too bad.
Go-Bots were like the 'K-Mart' of Transformers :D
G1 Soundwave and MP-10 are the only toys I know of that have diecast in them that I own
Keep making awesome videos, TJ!
Great vid TJ.
Amongst the G1 stuff - and even the MP stuff - the only thing where I feel that the use of diecast was *_PERFECT_* is Soundwave. Only place the MP has it? Feet. Only place the G1 has it? Feet. That's really all that he needs. Even then, the feet of MP13 have some plastic that serves as doors to store the guns of Rumble or Frenzy, but only one per foot, though. (Side note: the G1 Hot Rod versions that have diecast feet, well, they're too tiny to really notice, and obviously, neither MP28 or MP40 have any diecast at all...)
Now, let's look at a particular KO that both does it right AND wrong: KuBianBao MP10V, that infamously awesome Voyager sized MP10 Convoy 2.0...where the figure & trailer ("Tactical Container") were produced and released separately. Here's where it's done right: the chest window doors, the front half of the waist, and the feet (specifically the toes and heels).
But where it goes wrong? The panels that cover the truck wheels on the legs in robot mode: the hinges are still plastic, and the pins are a bit too big, so over time, the weight WILL take its toll and break the hinges. The wheels: ...yeah, the problem here is that the rubber tires are easy to lose because they don't seem to fit well. Plus, the vac-metallized plastic over it has marks that you would think are really bad sprue marks. The Matrix: WHILE well painted, it seems like it's got more plastic in there than just the clear blue center. The feet are right AND wrong: wrong because if you wanna talk about paint chipping, this is where the paint is the least durable, only second to the paint on the waist!! And the biggest offender is a completely diecast sword that doesn't even belong here, it'd be more at home with that TLK Voyager Knight Optimus Prime.
I have a few G1 transformers. the die cast on these guys is mostly chipped, Soundwave is an odd exception. Wheeljack is in decent condition as far as his paint goes, but I could see him looking off with dull gray feet instead of the white of his animation model.
All of the Masterpiece Movie Series figures starting with MPM-3 Bumblebee have die-cast metal parts. Even MP-10 Optimus Prime has a small amount of metal in the feet and the armature that connects the upper torso to the waist.
The main Masterpiece line seems to have stopped using diecast after Star Saber, when the focus became making the toy as accurate to the character on the show as physically possible.
@@DetectiveBarricade The official MP 29 Shockwave has parts made of die-cast metal. The MP-36 Megatron figure also seems to have die-cast metal parts as far as I know since I don't own it. The last G1 MP I bought was the Hasbro Asia reissue of the Hasbro MP Soundwave when it was available from BBTS back in 2017.
I was going to say, isn't the die-cast metal ironically why the G1 Transformers are more fragile? The toy falls and the plastic shatters off the metal. It is still cool they are made of it, though. It does give off of that aura of vintage and high class, better made etc, even if we know the design is actually flawed.
Good video and discussion, TJ.
Yeah, that's pretty much it for me. It's a liability if the toy is mishandled, but it really does have that "oomph" factor when you pick up a G1 optimus and he feels like a brick, even if it adds nothing to the actual toy design or engineering.
15:16 I remember years ago I had that too
I will always be an advocate for die cast feet.
I just like die cast because I like how metal toys feel to handle. I'm a big fan of tin robots, for this reason.
Although I understand why some people like die-cast, I was never a fan of it. It adds unnecessary weight, shows fingerprints, and rusts if you're not careful.
Metal works best for load bearing or overly thin joint parts which are prone to break.
Nothing else.
Very interesting and enjoyable video!!
MPG Shouki and Getsuei both have minir amounts of diecast. The wheels and an armature on Shouki. Strangely the tracks aren’t metal.
Die-Cast also does not work in countries with high humidity/rainy areas; I owned that same Tonka Truck, granted I played with it outside, but it was starting to rust after five years in Far Noth Queensland (Australia) weather. I am so glad I don't live up there anymore, my Genreations Jetfire would be the colour of a banana.
with G1 toys getting reissues, lets hope they don't use die-cast or use something different.
Never is a stretch imo
100% agreed.
I am Diecast!
I think the 84/85 range with the die cast pieces were the best G1 toys of all. Even as a kid I could sense the drop in quality once the 86 brightly colored plastic range and all of the ranges proceeding it came out.
Did TJ really just refer to Hot Rod as Hot Shot lol
I personally think die cast should be used for joints, and maybe certain thin parts that would be too flimsy to use plastic.
Paint. Prime the figure first then paint it then clearcoat it. Or this doesn't work?
Are you referring to painting the die cast? It "works" if you just want to touch up paint for a restored toy on display, but the paint used on plastic doesn't adhere to metal as well. I'm pretty sure the paint they use on die cast parts is baked on with temperature.
@@ianroe1076 Yes, I was referring to die-cast. It would be just like painting anything else metal. And Powder-coating, (That is how I know it.) is also a good technique.
I never understood the appeal of die cast in toys. I guess it's just nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia? It ruins toys. Makes parts too heavy which ruins the articulation and makes them crumble under their own weight.
TBH I think even on non-transforming robot toys, die-cast is more likely to be a determent than a benefit. The big example for me is the Super Robot Chogokin Shin Getter-1. So much of the articulation on that figure is brilliantly engineered, but then you have these big, heavy die-cast lower legs attached to Figuarts-style drop-down balljoint hips. Every time I pick that figure up, the legs flop around. It doesn't completely ruin the figure since it can still balance, but goddamn is it frustrating
I have to disagree my friend. When I was a kid collecting Transformers they felt like quality toys. Die cast parts rubber wheels chrome parts. Then towards the end of gen 1 they started to come out all plastic. They felt like junk. They were cheap crap. The original gen 1 are the best transformers ever produced. Other then master piece it’s been all cheap crap ever sense.
It's a good thing they stopped using die cast for it. Which is why they had to stop using it in later masterpiece transformers because of poseability issues, especially for the first Optimus and Megatron with their heavy limbs. Now they just use it in the feet. You might find them using plastic as cheap, but the figures have gotten better in movement and are better for children without using all the die cast.
G1 hot shot?
Die Cast is Dead
Lionel Racing Killed it
Ligma cast
Worst use of die-cast...
transformer titanium
The first transforming Megatron from that line being the worst offender.
@@GAMEPRODELTA so much so that he's number one on TJs top 5 worst transformers... lol...
The idea that die-cast is good for transformers is just a delusion imo. A lot of people seem to think that just slapping some weight on a figure makes it (feel) better, even though in reality, the plastic probably feels awful to the touch and falls apart as well