Question about Glatorian socket durability:

[Sir Walter Maugham]

I never bought any of the canister size Glatorian sets, but I'm looking into them now. However, I have one concern:

Back in 2009 I bought one of the small size sets, Metus, and every one of the sockets in his arms, and one in his foot, broke.

Did the canister size (10$) sets have this problem too? Or was the small set I got just a dud?

Thanks in advance.

[vexorian]

Yes. All sets from waves >= Mahri use weak, breaking-prone sockets. They are easily recognizable because the curved things are far thiner.

Actually, the only socket you might have a chance of not breaking after some use is the one in the head. (By use I mean assembling and disassembling, but some of my Glatorian-era sockets broke by just posing the Glatorians)

You might try to be very careful when removing sockets, but I sometimes wonder if that is merely a placebo.

Edited December 19, 2012 by vexorian

[Jetrax99]

yup.....everything from '07 has been prone to breaking, even when they're not used. Many of my sets got fractures in the sockets just by sitting there, doing nothing.

All the more reason LEGO should consider the parts tubs idea again as to re-release said parts w/ the new socket. It would allow those of us whose sets all broke to display them proudly once again.

[Aanchir]

yup.....everything from '07 has been prone to breaking, even when they're not used. Many of my sets got fractures in the sockets just by sitting there, doing nothing.

All the more reason LEGO should consider the parts tubs idea again as to re-release said parts w/ the new socket. It would allow those of us whose sets all broke to display them proudly once again.

The thing is, if LEGO were to do that, it wouldn't be revisiting an old idea at all-- it would be a brand-new idea, since the parts tubs in BIONICLE existed chiefly to get rid of overstock parts, which is exactly the opposite of what molding a bunch of new parts for such a tub would achieve. Granted, it could possibly be done, but it's extremely unlikely unless all the re-molded parts were released for earlier sets.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

Uh oh, I wouldn't have thought this problem went back all the way to 2007... I ordered a Mahri set off Amazon just yesterday.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Jetrax99]

Uh oh, I wouldn't have thought this problem went back all the way to 2007... I ordered a Mahri set off Amazon just yesterday.

Thanks for the help guys.

Which one? All the mahri sets help up pretty well, except Hahli. She was infamous for breaking not long after purchase.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

Which one? All the mahri sets help up pretty well, except Hahli. She was infamous for breaking not long after purchase.

Ah, that's good to know. The one I got was Jaller.

[Jetrax99]

Ah, that's good to know. The one I got was Jaller.

Excellent choice. Jaller is my favorite from the Mahri.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

Thanks! I'm really looking forward to getting him. I love the way the top of his mask mimics his torso armor. (Or is that a coincidence? Either way)

I'm trying to pick up some of the good Bionicle sets I missed out on from 2007-2009. I was too interested in Crownies back then.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Sir Walter Maugham

[Jetrax99]

Thanks! I'm really looking forward to getting him. I love the way the top of his mask mimics his torso armor.

I'm trying to pick up some of the good Bionicle sets I missed out on from 2007-2009. I was too interested in Crownies back then.

Crownies?

[Aanchir]

Crownies?

The heroic human faction of the Fantasy-Era (2007-2009) LEGO Castle sets.

[DraikNova]

Strange, my Mahri sets didn't break at all. For me the Phantoka-Mistika sets were the ones with problems.

Edited December 20, 2012 by DraikNova

[Darking]

That's because the only sets in the Mahri era that had that problem were the ones with lime socket pieces, that is, Hahli, Ehlek and Lesovikk. The rest remained as well as previous waves.

[Aanchir]

That's because the only sets in the Mahri era that had that problem were the ones with lime socket pieces, that is, Hahli, Ehlek and Lesovikk. The rest remained as well as previous waves.

Well, only the 2007 lime sockets were extremely brittle, but the 2x7 double-sockets were brittle in several colors even as early as the Toa Inika. My twin brother's Toa Inika Hewkii and Toa Inika Kongu both suffered fracturing in these pieces.

[Darking]

Well, only the 2007 lime sockets were extremely brittle, but the 2x7 double-sockets were brittle in several colors even as early as the Toa Inika. My twin brother's Toa Inika Hewkii and Toa Inika Kongu both suffered fracturing in these pieces.

Really? Well, now that's something new for me. All my Inika joints are in perfect shape.

[vexorian]

Lime mahri sockets were much weaker than the average Mahri+ socket (Or maybe Inika+ ?) but they are all very weak.

[Rocketbilly]

If you're very careful with the joints you can get away with using those re-moulded joints without worrying too much. Back in 2008 I started applying a little pressure to either side of the joint when assembling a set (or indeed disassembling a set) and I've suffered very few "casualties" - in fact, I've never broken a socket I've used this method with when building or posing a set, only disassembling them. I still use this method with the Glatorian head pieces. So basically, if you're careful and you support these sockets you can keep your cockets crack free in my experience. (I apologise if this post doesn't make a lot of sense - I'm lacking in sleep so it might come across as disjointed)

Enjoy your new Toa, anyway. The Mahri were great sets, and funnily enough, the sets that bought me out of my dark ages.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

If you're very careful with the joints you can get away with using those re-moulded joints without worrying too much. Back in 2008 I started applying a little pressure to either side of the joint when assembling a set (or indeed disassembling a set) and I've suffered very few "casualties" - in fact, I've never broken a socket I've used this method with when building or posing a set, only disassembling them. I still use this method with the Glatorian head pieces. So basically, if you're careful and you support these sockets you can keep your cockets crack free in my experience. (I apologise if this post doesn't make a lot of sense - I'm lacking in sleep so it might come across as disjointed)

Enjoy your new Toa, anyway. The Mahri were great sets, and funnily enough, the sets that bought me out of my dark ages.

Hmm that sounds very promising, I'll try that for sure! Thanks Rocketbilly!

I wish I could be enjoying the set I ordered, but sadly it came with four pieces missing: The Cordak Blaster, sword, and both air tube pieces. So basically, every piece that would have been outside a bag is gone. But the bag that contained all the other parts had never been opened.

It was advertised as "Like New" condition, with wear to the box, when it arrived I noticed the whole back of the box had been torn off at some point, then taped back on. So I suspect that these parts had fallen out at some point.

I'll probably end up returning it. The only thing keeping me from doing so as soon as I found the problem is the return shipping.

[Darking]

And that's why I don't like buying sets from the internet, you can never really trust anyone :S I'm sorry, those were IMO some of the more characteristic pieces of the set.

[Zarkan]

I will add that from my experience, the 2009 Glatorian versions of remolded parts seem somewhat more durable than when they were first introduced in the 2008 waves, as I have yet to break any of them. The exception is the one new socket joint part that was introduced in 2009: the fingered hands. I've had several of those break on me, and they probably all will if they are disassembled and reassembled enough times.

[ZORK64]

I will add that from my experience, the 2009 Glatorian versions of remolded parts seem somewhat more durable than when they were first introduced in the 2008 waves, as I have yet to break any of them.

I expierenced that actually the other way around. My sockets from the Glatorians seem more prone to break than the ones from my Toa Phantoka and Toa Mistika sets.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

And that's why I don't like buying sets from the internet, you can never really trust anyone :S I'm sorry, those were IMO some of the more characteristic pieces of the set.

Mm, I've bought other sets off of the internet before and never had any problems. But I've always avoided ones that weren't sealed like the plague.

I thought the same thing about these pieces. If it were just the sword and gun missing, I might have bit the bullet and kept it. But since the tubes are missing too, I'm going to try and return it.