Toy Review - HAULER (Legacy)

Road HAULER
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Legacy
Hypo-line - Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco - Repaint/retool of Earthrise Grapple
Wave - 2.5
Released here - August 2022
Approximate Retail Price - $49
Approximate Size - 16cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - can connect with Micromaster bases via A.I.R. Lock system
Main Features/Gimmicks - Fists can fold away and be replaced with nozzle
Main Colours - bright green with black accents
Main Accessories - rifle, claw, nozzle

NOTE: This toy is a repaint and retool of Earthrise Grapple. Refer to the ER Grapple review thread for comments about the original toy; this thread will focus on changes made.

https://i.ibb.co/Htqnx5n/TL-hauler01.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/qxk1G9q/TL-hauler02.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/K90RZ5w/TL-hauler03.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/3rdHr7g/TL-hauler04.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/7QWt9FH/TL-hauler05.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/7CGw9Y1/TL-hauler06.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/c8BC10x/TL-hauler07.jpg

The most immediately noticeable mould change is Hauler's new head, sculpted with a permanent look of dull surprise(1). Thanks, I hate it. :rolleyes: TL Hauler is also predominantly bright green, which is different from the original toy's Constructicon-like pale green. It doesn't complement the colours of the Combiner Wars Constructicons either, as they use a more G1-accurate pale shade of green. Sporting Constructicon-green was a deliberate choice on the e-Hobby toy given Hauler's origins as one of the original Constructicons; back when they were all good guys before being reprogrammed by Megatron's Robo Smasher (but Hauler managed to evade being captured and brainwashed, later joining the Autobots). So yeah... the decision to make Hauler this bright G2-ish green is an odd choice. But it doesn't bother me... that poo-eating grin on the other hand does bug me something chronic. Hauler uses the same connecting pegs as Kingdom Inferno, which were notoriously too thick on ER Grapple.

Overall: the silly shouty face is annoying, but I'm happy to just have a CHUG Hauler toy. :) Is it worth buying? Honestly, only if you want a CHUG Hauler toy. ER Grapple has a much better looking face and G1-accurate colour scheme. I'm surprised that this lesser known character who only ever appeared for a few seconds in the G1 cartoon wasn't the shortpacked one.

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(1) Dull surprise: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Dull_surprise

I was somewhat interested. Until I saw that facial expression. Easy pass now.

Give it a few years and it will fade to og g1 colours, no?

Why is he in pain?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bemblebuu

Why is he in pain?

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Cut the guy some slack, the majority of his sub-group got turned to evil against their will. He's not exactly going to be smiles and sunshine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bemblebuu

Why is he in pain?

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jAaM!
https://i.ibb.co/P5Vkrw0/meme-hauler-pain.jpg

When he is lifting heavy objects, he feels the gains!

Poor Hauler....I kinda want him just for the face.

I think the face is the only good thing about him.

It's a face that almost demands he be placed in an action pose, otherwise he's just standing there gaping.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snaketales

It's a face that almost demands he be placed in an action pose, otherwise he's just standing there gaping.

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Could be yawning

It's a nice deco of a great figure, but the use of the same head design (different expression or not) makes it a pass for me. There's no real need for it either, since the Grapple head is simply because of the weak G1 repaints in the past for this guy - no reason they couldn't have given him a new head altogether to really flesh him out as a character. And if it borrowed design elements from existing Constructicon heads, that would help build some visual storytelling too.

I like repaints that have new heads - makes it feel like these are different characters that were always part of the crew, but just in the background, out of sight, guarding the base etc. This just feels like Grapple doing cosplay, trying to sneak in to the Constructicon's camp to steal some power tools.

Often if I'll just do my own head-swaps where Hasbro doesn't - a bit of resizing of ball joints is usually all it takes - but this guy would be a little trickier given his head attaches in an unusual way on a mushroom peg. Although a simple way around it would be to just lose the peg and glue a head in place (forgoing any turning articulation).

I swapped over Hauler and Kingdom Inferno's heads and I'm happy with the end result.
https://i.ibb.co/bPw7w54/1.png
Inferno had two different animation models in the cartoon, so there is nothing wrong at all giving him the head that came with Hauler.
https://i.ibb.co/fHq2cXm/800px-G1car...erno-heads.jpg
Meanwhile, the more toyetic head that came with Kingdom Inferno makes Hauler more faithful to his original Ehobby toy - the eyes are even the right colour!
https://i.ibb.co/mBVvnxL/2.png
My OCD also likes the fact that Kingdom Inferno and Earthrise Grapple now have matching head sculpts while Velocitron Hauler and Gen Selects Artfire match also. ;)

Apologies for the crappy photos (and the folded-away ear wing things on Inferno). These are just some images I took for a group chat on Saturday but thought I may as well share here.

Nice choice - and definitely works to distinguish Hauler from Grapple.

I personally remember Inferno first as a toy as I had the G2 release as a kid so enjoy that Inferno got the squared head.

I do have a PotP Inferno though that is due to become a Transtector for Cab, so I might see how that head works out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tha_Phantom

Apologies for the crappy photos (and the folded-away ear wing things on Inferno).

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Y'know I was willing to forgive everything else, but NOT FOLDING OUT INFERNO'S EAR WING THINGS?!?!?!?

BLASPHEMY!

(that was a joke),

I actually thing the head swap looks really good and not a bad idea at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tha_Phantom

I swapped over Hauler and Kingdom Inferno's heads and I'm happy with the end result.

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Looks awesome! I got a loose KD Inferno just to do this, but I was unable to remove Inferno's head. The tweezers actually scratched off some of Inferno's helmet paint in the attempt. :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

Looks awesome! I got a loose KD Inferno just to do this, but I was unable to remove Inferno's head. The tweezers actually scratched off some of Inferno's helmet paint in the attempt. :(

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Ouch! Yeah, unfortunately it's very tough getting both their heads off for the swap. I found that swivelling the head sideways/diagonally a bit helped, but there's just not a lot of room to work with in there.

No rules about what Hauler is actually hauling...this works pretty good IMHO. Still need to figure out a unique head for him, but I've got a few in mind.


https://i.imgur.com/PUrcIf7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5bNeyw6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xH5ABp3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ciehAT4.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/moES3Hb.jpg?4 https://i.imgur.com/QVkjCEE.jpg?3

Meant to post these a while ago but there seemed to be an issue. Anyway, here are some better pics of the head swap and the gang together.

https://i.ibb.co/0r2czbd/301295689-7...59709231-n.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/cJg1Vwj/301883672-7...11010715-n.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/2tY0JJ2/301824755-5...05427606-n.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/tzLz3HJ/301959858-7...72870960-n.jpg