XM Studios - Transformers Optimus Prime

[Iko Iko]

Pics are great! Thanks. This guy is huge (looking at that tennis ball in the pic).

[Cletus007]

Originally Posted by eternalblue02

Thank you. Yes and yes hes huge. He just went up for preorder at Spec Fiction. He's around the same price as Optimus. As for display, IKEA Pax, custom shelving or moducase. However inventive you are and how much your wallet can manage tbh. I use metal garage shelving with particle board for the surface. It's all rudimentary & affordable. I like it and works for large, 1/3 and above pieces. Heavy goes on the bottom, lighter top. Eventually I'll go moducase but its impossible now until more of these TF's come out due to the different sizes. I have a sneaking suspicion you can get away playing around with a Besta with adjustable height so we'll see.

Thank you for the tips. i'm curious about it's height and width. a real space invader. Did not expect his price to be the same as Optimus, but higher. That's kind of fortunate (although Optimus wasn't cheap either).

[Caledor]

Another great review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkRmWlc0C0A

[Joel]

I need to preface this rant by saying: What an incredible piece this is! Just blown away.

Honestly though I’m super disappointed that XM still use battery powered lighting, especially at this end of the price spectrum.

Worse though for this beast they don’t include batteries!? Got all prepped ready for the unboxing, got the spot ready, lighting ready, got my Brothers round to help and watch and after going through the whole process finally got very disappointed at the end when It dawned on me that I wasn’t just going nuts, there actually wasn’t a hidden compartment in the box with the required batteries! So all that setup to make the unboxing and experience special and no lights to properly appreciate him.

Maybe I’m just unusual from other collectors because I don’t keep 13 X Button batts on hand at any one time.

Managed to scrounge up a few from Hulkbuster that weren’t completely flat from the 2 times I’ve turned his lights on to at least get the eyes and hologram going.

I love your work XM but truly poor form cheaping out and not including batteries I must say.

Whatever, screw the batts, time to start factoring hard wired lighting into pieces. I have to say at this level and these prices I really think using batteries at all is cutting corners.

Having to change 13 batteries to display with lighting for only a few hours basically makes the lighting redundant, and that is a huge shame. A travesty in fact when you get to marvel at how incredible this piece is even without the lights.

Still, not taking away from the fact I am in awe of this beast! Aside from the lighting I still give this a 10/10. Def worthy of being displayed in place of Hulkbuster in my lounge room!

[built2shred]

At the very least XM should make a note somewhere that "batteries are not included" so you can have some ready when he ships out...

The problem with doing a plugin is you would have to run the wiring all through his body, now if something goes wrong or the lights stop working there is no easy fix and your statue now lost value because the lights don't work, this has been an issue with SS statues that stop working. With the batteries, all the lighting areas are self-contained and can be easily replaced or fixed.

EDIT: On their ordering page it does say "Batteries not included"

[Joel]

Originally Posted by built2shred

At the very least XM should make a note somewhere that "batteries are not included" so you can have some ready when he ships out...

The problem with doing a plugin is you would have to run the wiring all through his body, now if something goes wrong or the lights stop working there is no easy fix and your statue now lost value because the lights don't work, this has been an issue with SS statues that stop working. With the batteries, all the lighting areas are self-contained and can be easily replaced or fixed.

I used to understand and agree with that argument but having done a lot of DIY 5-12v smart home lighting now, I think simple, elegant and cheap solutions would be a dime a dozen and XM are being lazing by not trying.

The failure point argument is suggesting the wires that are cast in will degrade and fail (as they are the only thing that differs to batt power). If cheap wire is used, maybe, but a simple 2mm channel in the base, leg and torso would mean wiring is easily replaceable anyhow making the argument moot. What I learned recently that actually makes that argument moot anyhow is the fact XM can’t replace parts after manufacturing stops. I’m pretty confident in saying if any XM piece has a light fail more than 6 months after distribution you won’t be able to get it replaced. Anyone know any different? Keen to know.

Considering trying to do it myself. If polly stone is easy enough to drill though the only hard part would be A: finding a long enough 2mm drill bit and B:knowing where to drill a straight line though the straight right leg where I won’t hit a metal rod support. After that it’s simply a 3D printed mock battery that has the +\- wires connected. At that point replacement of failed lighting pieces hasn’t changed at all. And a 3-4.5v transformer is going to run me circa $10. Call it $30 if I want it to work with my Philips Hue home lighting.

Failing the above (plus don’t think I have the balls to try drilling it!) I will run tiny wires barely visible up his legs and torso and, looking at Optimus now, it should be very easy to keep them very well hidden.

Yeah think I’ll do it that way for now.

If I can think of pretty simple ways after manufacturing surely XM can come up with better solutions to integrate into the manufacturing process to make it happen, if they wanted to.

For all those who TL: DR. Can’t blame you and I’m sorry...

[built2shred]

I imagine the light bulb or probably LED in this case is accessible in the self-contained light unit so it should be easily replaceable if the LED ever went out... Now if the part holding the LED breaks from physical contact of some sort then yeah you wouldn't be able to replace that but that would only happen with negligence on the owner's part. The only big issue I do see with a plugin is if the collector's display case doesn't have a plugin close by, then you would have them complaining that XM should have used batteries... kind of a no-win situation...

Anyways I'm probably the wrong person to reply since I prefer my statues without any light-up features... They're statues, not toys

[Joel]

Originally Posted by built2shred

Anyways I'm probably the wrong person to reply since I prefer my statues without any light-up features... They're statues, not toys

I think that’s quite a fair way of looking at it and I’m honestly more in that camp I guess. there just a part of me that likes the light up on pieces where the character calls for it if it’s a major feature e.g. eyes light up on Iron Man etc

Final line and reaffirming you’re stance; if this piece had no light up features at all, I still would’ve got it in a heartbeat. So I guess my comments then are just for XM as feedback from one customer who is still a happy camper

[Cletus007]

Hey Guys. I have a question regarding this fantastic piece. When i insert the axe arm and put in the hand instead of the axe, this feels like a loose fit (the axe too btw). Is this the case with your statues too?

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Cletus007

Hey Guys. I have a question regarding this fantastic piece. When i insert the axe arm and put in the hand instead of the axe, this feels like a loose fit (the axe too btw). Is this the case with your statues too?

Yeah mine’s the same, it’s only the downward torsion from the weight of the arm on the metal rod that seems to hold it in place. I wasn’t comfortable with it at first but was ok in the end. I most definitely wouldn’t try to move the piece at all without taking the arm out first, any movement and it would definitely fall out. Poor design vs the bent arm that’s for sure.

The Axe itself seems to be held quite well on mine though.