BANDAI DX YF-19!!

[chyll2]

Shouldnt all DX VF toys have similar shipping rate? Why the 4,000 yen increase?

 

edit: just checked recently closed auction for this toy. Cheapest MISB was 26,600 yen yesterday, but on average it should close around 28000 on average.

There was a cheaper 24,000 but that is BIB.

Edited September 25, 2018 by chyll2

[Kinzoku VF]

1 hour ago, Pedro2k6 said:

C'mon....CDJ just charged me 4,000 yens more on shipping...in the beginning  it was 5,000 yens for EMS and I use my rewards point and end it up paying 2,000 but now they want 4,000 more. 

Just received mine. On PO the shipping was your average ¥5000 DX EMS price. I also used some discount points so paid nearly nothing on shipping (didn't get it from CDJ though). It's heavier than your average DX, box is bigger too (height). But no way near enough to warrant the extra cost they're asking you to pay....

Anyway, happy to see there are more differences than expected between the Advance and the M+ Ver. Not sure I was going to keep it otherwise.

[Trifalger]

If you're planning to do piece swapping between the VF/YF-19s. The swap I linked was only the heel section and is apparently held in place by a 2mm pin so you'd need a punch tool.

[HardlyNever]

Got mine yesterday, I guess I'll add my first impressions to the mix:

Box has some nice heft to it, feels like an armor part bundle or something.  Overall packaging is nice, but the brown insert felt a little shoe-boxy to me.  For the valk itself, it looks great, but only handles so-so.  I really want to love this thing, but I only just like it right now.  Having just handled/transformed a vf-31 the day before, the design of this toy (and probably the valk itself) really shows its age, especially in battroid mode.  The intake things just sort of floating behind the hips on a ball joint seems like an unfinished transformation.  Do they really not peg in any where?  Moving the legs in battroid is really a chore right now, between the floating hip things, the wings on the legs, and the trap door gimmick on the lower leg, if feels like there is no great place to get a solid amount of pressure.  And you'll need a lot of pressure to move those ridiculously tight hips.

Once I've had more time to mess with all the accessories, and the toy loosens up a bit, I think I'll like it more, but this feels like the 3 year old mold that it is.

Last, unfortunately I have to report I have a QC issue that seems to match what some of the Japanese reviewers are saying.  One of the pylons(?) that holds the folding leg fins is malformed, so that the fin is at an awkward angle when full unfolded, and very prone to falling off.  The thing is, when the leg fin is fully folded up (it ships like this in fighter mode) like gerwalk or battroid, the problem is barely noticeable at all.  So I see why this is making it passed QC.  Hopefully this isn't too widespread, but due to the nature of it, I feel like we might be seeing more reports of this one.  I'll have pictures of the error when I get home.

Edited September 25, 2018 by HardlyNever

[ArchieNov]

Those additional shipping costs are cheap compared to the extra $80+ I had to pay for imports customs tax. All in all, I spent around $340 for it.

Once I get around to having my 2nd one shipped from HLJ, I’m expecting the import tax to be $100 (due to their higher item and shipping cost).

US folks have it easy not having to deal with import duties.

I really wish I was able to PO these from NY instead...

Edited September 25, 2018 by ArchieNov

[Mommar]

Anybody who had their 19s ship last week got super lucky.  Apparently this past week nd was a holiday weekend so a lot of us had to wait until Tuesday in Japan for anything to ship.

[F360]

3 hours ago, Pedro2k6 said:

C'mon....CDJ just charged me 4,000 yens more on shipping...in the beginning  it was 5,000 yens for EMS and I use my rewards point and end it up paying 2,000 but now they want 4,000 more. 

Somebody with the same issue? 

Did you buy something’s else too?

Double check your order 

[Pedro2k6]

1 hour ago, ArchieNov said:

Those additional shipping costs are cheap compared to the extra $80+ I had to pay for imports customs tax. All in all, I spent around $340 for it.

Once I get around to having my 2nd one shipped from HLJ, I’m expecting the import tax to be $100 (due to their higher item and shipping cost).

US folks have it easy not having to deal with import duties.

I really wish I was able to PO these from NY instead...

Am not Us citizen....I live in chile....where I have to pay taxes if custom hold my box.

More salt in the wound .

[Pedro2k6]

3 minutes ago, F360 said:

Did you buy something’s else too?

Double check your order 

No... I did nothing.....just waiting for it.....I checked and now shows the additional shipping cost. 

[F360]

25 minutes ago, Pedro2k6 said:

No... I did nothing.....just waiting for it.....I checked and now shows the additional shipping cost. 

I just checked their estimated.  Chile is more expensive than USA .  

[davidwhangchoi]

is this better than the 19? 

i'm still mulling over if i should order it or not. 

what's the difference?  

[Kinzoku VF]

1 hour ago, davidwhangchoi said:

is this better than the 19? 

i'm still mulling over if i should order it or not. 

what's the difference?  

Which 19? If you're talking about the Advance, the differences are 'discreet' . Main one being the '2-part cockpit', the back feet-part,  'Un-Spacey' logos rather than the 'SMS'. Color on the leg canards are the right way around on the M+ version. Tampo prints are more or less the same, (with a few extras here and there on the Macross Plus version, most noticeable ones being the 'UN Spacey' on the side of the legs and wings, 'Sin Sei Industry' replacing the 'SMS' and the Macross logo rather than the Frontier one ). Then you have the missiles and additional accessories such as the arm cannon, and fold booster drive thingy that didn't come with the Advance. The overall colour scheme is slightly lighter compared to the Advance .As for the Arcadia, well, it's just different, looks a bit bland in terms of tampo prints, but it mostly comes with all the same missiles/armor as the Bandai.(no fold booster nor supa cool arm cannon thingy though). I'd say the DX Macross Plus is the more complete package especially if you like M+. If in doubt....sell a kidney and just get all 3....or 4 if you want the 1st 1/60 Yammy.....(I still like mine somehow...probably nostalgia, I don't know...).

[ArchieNov]

2 hours ago, Pedro2k6 said:

Am not Us citizen....I live in chile....where I have to pay taxes if custom hold my box.

More salt in the wound .

Ouch, that’s even worse then. More expensive shipping plus customs taxes too. Sorry to hear that.

[no3Ljm]

4 minutes ago, Kinzoku VF said:

Which 19? If you're talking about the Advance, the differences are 'discreet' . Main one being the '2-part cockpit', the back feet-part,  'Un-Spacey' logos rather than the 'SMS'. Color on the leg canards are the right way around on the M+ version. Tampo prints are more or less the same, (with a few extras here and there on the Macross Plus version, most noticeable ones being the 'UN Spacey' on the side of the legs and wings, 'Sin Sei Industry' replacing the 'SMS' and the Macross logo rather than the Frontier one ). Then you have the missiles and additional accessories such as the arm cannon, and fold booster drive thingy that didn't come with the Advance. The overall colour scheme is slightly lighter compared to the Advance .As for the Arcadia, well, it's just different, looks a bit bland in terms of tampo prints, but it mostly comes with all the same missiles/armor as the Bandai.(no fold booster nor supa cool arm cannon thingy though). I'd say the DX Macross Plus is the more complete package especially if you like M+. If in doubt....sell a kidney and just get all 3....or 4 if you want the 1st 1/60 Yammy.....(I still like mine somehow...probably nostalgia, I don't know...).

Don't forget the subtle N.E.T.F.C. logo too. Hahaha!

Also the additional knee joints that the Advance doesn't have.

 

[no3Ljm]

2 hours ago, Pedro2k6 said:

Am not Us citizen....I live in chile....where I have to pay taxes if custom hold my box.

More salt in the wound .

I can relate Pedro. Though when I was still back in the Philippines, besides the usual custom fees I have to pay post office people's deep pockets just to release a small box to me.  

 

[davidwhangchoi]

38 minutes ago, Kinzoku VF said:

Which 19? If you're talking about the Advance, the differences are 'discreet' . Main one being the '2-part cockpit', the back feet-part,  'Un-Spacey' logos rather than the 'SMS'. Color on the leg canards are the right way around on the M+ version. Tampo prints are more or less the same, (with a few extras here and there on the Macross Plus version, most noticeable ones being the 'UN Spacey' on the side of the legs and wings, 'Sin Sei Industry' replacing the 'SMS' and the Macross logo rather than the Frontier one ). Then you have the missiles and additional accessories such as the arm cannon, and fold booster drive thingy that didn't come with the Advance. The overall colour scheme is slightly lighter compared to the Advance .As for the Arcadia, well, it's just different, looks a bit bland in terms of tampo prints, but it mostly comes with all the same missiles/armor as the Bandai.(no fold booster nor supa cool arm cannon thingy though). I'd say the DX Macross Plus is the more complete package especially if you like M+. If in doubt....sell a kidney and just get all 3....or 4 if you want the 1st 1/60 Yammy.....(I still like mine somehow...probably nostalgia, I don't know...).

 

33 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Don't forget the subtle N.E.T.F.C. logo too. Hahaha!

Also the additional knee joints that the Advance doesn't have.

 

so knee joints are different and i just saw feet shape, got it!

thanks guys. i have one at private warehouse i may keep or cancel. i'll mull it over. i ordered a second vf-0s premium. 

 

[Kinzoku VF]

Quick snapshot of the 2 Bandai DX. The color difference is difficult to pick up, but the Advance is darker. Also notice how the shoulders die-cast-swing-parts thingy color on the Advance don't match the rest of the fighter as well as they do on the M+....

[davidwhangchoi]

1 minute ago, Kinzoku VF said:

Quick snapshot of the 2 Bandai DX. The color difference is difficult to pick up, but the Advance is darker. Also notice how the shoulders die-cast-swing-parts thingy color on the Advance don't match the rest of the fighter as well as they do on the M+....

i didn't know they were different shades, thanks for the details.

[Corrinald]

My YF-19 from AmiAmi showed up first thing Monday morning. Man DHL is fast.

This is the first YF-19 I have owned, so I can't compare it to the older Arcadia or Yamato versions (or even the previous VF Advance). That said, this thing is beautiful! I love the colors and how much heft the figure has when you hold it. Had a broken head antenna, but a little glue fixed that easily.  Didn't realize the display stand came with it so that was a pleasant surprise for me. I love the tampo markings but maybe Bandai went a wee bit overboard on this one.

Most of the seams need some cleanup and tightening up, but I am kind of afraid to mess with it until I view a good transformation video.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Corrinald

[iguanaman8989]

Haven’t opened the toy any further, but wanted to take a peek.

I’m not gonna bother trying to get a replacement from HLJ (I doubt they’ll have any), just gonna glue it. The tip is inside the packaging, near the canopy.

 

This isn’t the first trouble I’ve had with a YF-19, when I first got my Arcadia, it was missing a canard.

Edited September 25, 2018 by iguanaman8989

[neko878]

11 hours ago, Saburo said:

Great shots @neko878!

Thank you!

[SuperHobo]

23 minutes ago, Corrinald said:

My YF-19 from AmiAmi showed up first thing Monday morning. Man DHL is fast.

This is the first YF-19 I have owned, so I can't compare it to the older Arcadia or Yamato versions (or even the previous VF Advance). That said, this thing is beautiful! I love the colors and how much heft the figure has when you hold it. Had a broken head antenna, but a little glue fixed that easily.  Didn't realize the display stand came with it so that was a pleasant surprise for me. I love the tampo markings but maybe Bandai went a wee bit overboard on this one.

Most of the seams need some cleanup and tightening up, but I am kind of afraid to mess with it until I view a good transformation video.

 

11 minutes ago, iguanaman8989 said:

Haven’t opened the toy any further, but wanted to take a peek.

I’m not gonna bother trying to get a replacement from HLJ (I doubt they’ll have any), just gonna glue it. The tip is inside the packaging, near the canopy.

 

This isn’t the first trouble I’ve had with a YF-19, when I first got my Arcadia, it was missing a canard.

Holy crap.....both of you have broken head lasers? WTF were the guys in the packing department doing? 

[F360]

So broken antenna is back for the 19 , but more than then the vf-19,......sigh .

 

[ArchieNov]

Oh wow. I thought broken head lasers were isolated to just 1-2 guys and was a shipping & handling issue.

I still think it’s a shipping & handling issue because it’s hard for me to believe that the guys knowingly placed a broken head laser in the package along with the broken piece.

[Sanity is Optional]

It seems more like a failure of box design. Not enough clearance between the laser and the top of the box. If you're going to pack them that close, needs Styrofoam cutouts, not just plastic.

[Kinzoku VF]

8 minutes ago, SuperHobo said:

Holy crap.....both of you have broken head lasers? WTF were the guys in the packing department doing? 

It looks like a supa clean break too. Probably due to the deep panel line on that particular spot? Still odd as it's well secured in the styro tray with head space for the antenna to boot. Hope it's not going to be a trend....  Personally, I'd give it a shot and contact them regarding the issue, nothing to loose, if they say 'no replacement' they might offer a voucher/discount or something....

[Zx31]

Does there appear to be any damage to the lid of the box that would indicate an impact? If the box looks like it didn't take a hit, I'm almost wondering if the laser wasn't sitting in the lowered position when it was packaged and something in the process of placing and sealing the clear shell over the styrofoam caused the break. Wild theory

Edited September 25, 2018 by Zx31

[F360]

Looks like they forgot to cut out a opening in the clear plastic shell to give the antenna extra room.  

[Sildani]

My YF-19 just landed. Can confirm broken head laser, can confirm the left vertical stabilizer falls off when you look at it harshly. As others have said, the laser is a clean break that Gorilla Glue will handle easily. The fin thing I think I’ll try to remedy by painting the mounting pegs with clear lacquer. That should stiffen the join. 

[HardlyNever]

9 minutes ago, Sildani said:

My YF-19 just landed. Can confirm broken head laser, can confirm the left vertical stabilizer falls off when you look at it harshly. As others have said, the laser is a clean break that Gorilla Glue will handle easily. The fin thing I think I’ll try to remedy by painting the mounting pegs with clear lacquer. That should stiffen the join. 

There has got to be something in their assembly or packing process causing all these consistent breaks.  My head laser is ok, but my left stabilizer is busted.  It seems it like it is mainly the left one that is damaged?

[Shizuka the Cat]

My YF-19 (from AmiAmi and delivered by DHL) arrived with its head laser intact.

The left tail rudder did pop off on me while I was attaching the fast packs, but I was able to just push it back into position, and it will stay posed in whatever angle I place it at, so long as I do not pull on it.

Mounting the gun pod to the arm cannon was a bit of a pain for me. The weight of the gun pod would sometimes overpower the hinge it is attached to, causing the gun pod to droop towards the ground, rather than staying flush with the bottom of the aircraft.

So, overall, no major problems, just a couple of quirks that don't impact my displaying of the YF-19.

I have a second one coming in from CDJapan via EMS. I am hoping that arrives safely.

One thing I like about the Arcadia YF-19 over the DX is that I can stow 2 reaction warheads under a single Arcadia hard point, whereas for the DX a hard point is consumed by a single reaction warhead. Oh well, first-world problems I suppose.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Shizuka the Cat

[Lolicon]

Already said it before: broken head lasers are most likely the result of some rough handling and poor packaging by Bandai. I doubt the head lasers are coming out of the mold broken or knowingly placed into the box broken.

Had similar issues with the head laser on the VF-27. One I received slightly bent and another had the paint rubbed off the tip. Because the laser was right up against the cardboard top with no clearance.

Bandai should know better about packaging. God forbid a package might endure some rough handling during shipping.

[jenius]

There is a bubble in the plastic lid, it looks like the issues with the head lasers come from being placed inside the box with the laser up. They probably figured slapping the lid on top would just press the laser down into the right position and this wasn't always the case.

[Numbninja]

revenge of the sweatshop workers

[ArchieNov]

1 hour ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

One thing I like about the Arcadia YF-19 over the DX is that I can stow 2 reaction warheads under a single Arcadia hard point, whereas for the DX a hard point is consumed by a single reaction warhead. Oh well, first-world problems I suppose.

You can stow 2 reaction warheads with a single hard point with the Bandai DX too. The last page of the manual clearly shows that you should be using "Pylon B". Pylon B is packaged along with the plastic bag containing the extra hands and pilots.