Is it worth it to get Ehlek?

[DuplexBeGreat]

For various reasons of my own, I have recently decided that 8920 Ehlek, a set that I never really had much interest in before, from a year that I never really loved that much before, is a set that I want to add to my collection.  I am reasonably certain that I would be able to find someone selling this online for a price that I would be willing to pay.

 

I have, however, heard that Lime Green Bionicle joint pieces, especially in Ehlek and Hahli Mahri, tend to break of their own accord, even if they are not being used.  I am not sure if it is worth getting this set if all the pieces are going to break, since I have neither the desire nor the ability to replace them with non-green equivalents.  So, my question is, is the problem really as drastic as some people claim?

 

Some background information on how I treat my sets... they are kept inside a cabinet, in a pile/stack/clump, folded to fit if necessary but not mangled into random arrangements, so I don't think there is much pressure on the joints.  I never take them apart and only rarely take them out and pose them for a bit before putting them back in.  I have never had a single piece break on me, even some like the 08 foot pieces that people claim break easily.

 

Can anyone tell me whether they think that purchasing Ehlek would be a disappointment or not?  Thank you!

[The 1st Shadow]

Well, Ehlek was the first Barraki my brother got. Upon building the set, four of the joints broke instantly. We returned the set, labeled as "defective." Exchanged it for another one. This one held up a little bit, but after a couple weeks, its joints started to fracture, too. 

 

He also got Hahli Mahri later that year, and we had the exact same problem.

 

I wanted to get Ehlek for his looks, but after seeing firsthand what the set was like, I quickly changed my mind. 

 

If you build it once and never touch him again, then he should be fine. If you're after the play value, I'd say direct your money towards something else.

[Latrodectus]

If it's already put together and unbroken, it's fine as long as you don't take it apart or play with it.

 

If you have to put it together but the box is sealed, it's probably fine as long as you put it together once with no mistakes.

 

If it's loose and not put together, avoid like the plague. Putting Ehlek back together will probably snap the joints. The joints just break really easily because of the awful plastic quality.

 

Worst comes to worst, use replacement pieces from 2008 (Mutran and Lewa). They're only slightly different in shape and are a lot sturdier.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Latrodectus

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I have Ehlek's set, and too has cracks in its joints. And I've heard of a lot of people having this same issue as you have mentioned. But the lime-green cracking joints issue aside, I always thought Ehlek was one of the better Barracki sets. I particularly liked his claws and back pieces. They made him look really cool IMO.

 

Like T1S said, if you don't plan doing anything with the set except pose it, then you should be okay with getting him. 

[The 1st Shadow]

Worst comes to worst, use replacement pieces from 2008 (Mutran and Lewa). They're only slightly different in shape and are a lot sturdier.

No, those are even worse! The designs were not sturdier. They were an attempt to use as little plastic as possible while still providing some functionality. The joints used in the Keelerak set from '05 are the same design as the '07 ones, but of far superior plastic quality. Replace them with those instead. That's how we fixed my brother's Hahli.

Edited January 19, 2015 by ~T1S~

[Latrodectus]

It's a pity about the lime green fiasco in 2007, since the three main affected sets (Hahli, Ehlek, and Lesovikk) were all pretty great ones otherwise.

 

 

Worst comes to worst, use replacement pieces from 2008 (Mutran and Lewa). They're only slightly different in shape and are a lot sturdier.

No, those are even worse! The designs were not sturdier. They were an attempt to use as little plastic as possible while still providing some functionality. The joints used in the Keelerak set from '05 are the same design as the '07 ones, but of far superior plastic quality. Replace them with those instead. That's how we fixed my brother's Hahli.

 

They are sturdier, but that's because the plastic quality is better. 2007 had a bad batch. 2008 has a worse design, but are still less likely to break because the plastic isn't nearly as brittle.

 

And I completely forgot about Keelerak. Yeah, definitely use those instead.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Latrodectus

[DuplexBeGreat]

Hang on, do all the lime green pieces break?  Or just specific joints?

[Latrodectus]

Hang on, do all the lime green pieces break?  Or just specific joints?

The 2007 joints are the main issue because of the stress put on those pieces when you put in and remove the ball. The only other piece that's an issue is the curved technic beam, which can break with enough stress in the axle holes; luckily, that's usually not a problem.

[DuplexBeGreat]

No, sorry, I knew the problem was 2007.  I meant, which pieces?  Is it just the "hand" pieces, or does it extend to arms, the Technic non-joint lime green piece that is used as the set's backbone, etc?

[Latrodectus]

No, sorry, I knew the problem was 2007.  I meant, which pieces?  Is it just the "hand" pieces, or does it extend to arms, the Technic non-joint lime green piece that is used as the set's backbone, etc?

Mainly the socket joints. Arms and hands and legs. Anything you stick a ball into is likely to break if you remove the ball or move it around too much.

 

The technic beam will probably not break.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Latrodectus

[DuplexBeGreat]

Ugh.  I was entertaining a dream of purchasing two Keelerak along with Ehlek, to use as spare parts as was suggested... but the 2x5 connector piece Ehlek uses doesn't exist in that color in any other sets, which means there is no way to find a reliable replacement.  RIP dream.

[Latrodectus]

Ugh.  I was entertaining a dream of purchasing two Keelerak along with Ehlek, to use as spare parts as was suggested... but the 2x5 connector piece Ehlek uses doesn't exist in that color in any other sets, which means there is no way to find a reliable replacement.  RIP dream.

Best I can suggest is hope to god it doesn't break and just buy replacements until you get a pair that don't. Like said before, the pieces usually break when putting them on and pulling them off, so if you manage to get them on without breaking them, they'll probably stay whole if you leave them that way.

[Xabla]

Yeah, I would get him. Then never touch him again.

[Poxnixles]

I've been pondering getting one of the Barraki myself. Who's cool and manages to avoid the fragility issues Ehlek has? Leaning to Mantax and/or Takadox.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Poxnixles

[bioniclepluslotr]

The only time my Ehlek started breaking was when I took him apart to put him back together a third time. Two ball joints cracked, but I replaced them with the new Lime joints that don't have the problem.

[Adventurer]

Ehlek is definitely a really cool set and mine doesn't appear to have any issues. If you acquire an unopened canister I'm guessing he should be fine if you don't reconstruct him or stress the lime pieces too much. I'd go for it personally. Worst comes to worse you can repair the piece or try and even get two sets if isn't too expensive (I do that sometimes).

[Irrie]

I've been pondering getting one of the Barraki myself. Who's cool and manages to avoid the fragility issues Ehlek has? Leaning to Mantax and/or Takadox.

Mantax is a pretty solid and good-looking set. I'd recommend him.

 

Ugh.  I was entertaining a dream of purchasing two Keelerak along with Ehlek, to use as spare parts as was suggested... but the 2x5 connector piece Ehlek uses doesn't exist in that color in any other sets, which means there is no way to find a reliable replacement.  RIP dream.

I don't think that the 2005 lime joints break that much, compared to the later ones. I might be wrong, though. 

[Hasreadit]

Well I keep buying Glatorian even though they all have cracked limbs and I just hope that they won't get any worse

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I love Ehlek - he has an awesome design, some great spine parts and a unique and menacing-looking head. But yeah, those lime-green joints are AWFUL. Either get him for the parts so you can use them whenever you have to, or for building him only once and displaying him for the rest of eternity. Unless you have an abundance of extra lime-green connectors, chances are he's not going to survive a good amount of play.

 

^Hasreadit - The only real problem I find with Glatorian/Stars limbs is that they crack (and may eventually break, but not after the first few builds). The lime green parts from 2007 wouldn't crack to warn you of its weakness - it would just break completely. 

 

-NotS

Edited January 19, 2015 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[Lenny7092]

I already got Ehlek in 2007. He looks awesome. I love his claws and spikes. Anyway, he kind of reminds of Wolverine (claws) and Electro (eel and electricity) from Marvel and Shredder (hand-held claws) from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Although Ehlek could have got some more pieces to his torso and some more armor on his limbs, but, as I said, he looks cool and is also fun to play with.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Lenny7092

[Hasreadit]

I love Ehlek - he has an awesome design, some great spine parts and a unique and menacing-looking head. But yeah, those lime-green joints are AWFUL. Either get him for the parts so you can use them whenever you have to, or for building him only once and displaying him for the rest of eternity. Unless you have an abundance of extra lime-green connectors, chances are he's not going to survive a good amount of play.

 

^Hasreadit - The only real problem I find with Glatorian/Stars limbs is that they crack (and may eventually break, but not after the first few builds). The lime green parts from 2007 wouldn't crack to warn you of its weakness - it would just break completely.

 

-NotS

While true, I am a very clumsy person and have broken so many of Mata Nui's limbs that it might be more worth it to buy another set than to order all the parts again. With lime green, most of the ones that have broken for me I can attach elsewhere where their broken-ness won't be a problem

[Xarok]

I'm not a big purist when it comes to Bionicle, I pretty much replaced every single lime socket during 2007 because those dang things kept breaking. That aside I say get Ehlek, socket issues aside he's probably my favorite Barraki, and maybe even one of my all time favorite sets from G1. Go for it, but I'd say feel free to replace the sockets with other shades of green or something that still works with Ehlek.

[believe victims]

I've been pondering getting one of the Barraki myself. Who's cool and manages to avoid the fragility issues Ehlek has? Leaning to Mantax and/or Takadox.

 

Takadox pulls off Ehlek's beam-based body to far greater effect, and is one of two Barraki that the silver jaw pieces actually work for, as he is actually based on a carapaced creature. Plus, the glow-in-the-dark armor is really neat.

[Shadow Destroyer]

My Ehlek never had any problems, and I did quite a bit of stuff with him. (He's still my favorite Barraki.) On the other hand, almost all of my 2008 sets had broken joints, so if you are fine with those, then I'd guess that you wouldn't have a problem.

[IcarusBen]

For 2007, was it only lime-green pieces that broke?

[fishers64]

For 2007, was it only lime-green pieces that broke?

To my knowledge, yes. My brother has all of the 2007 canisters, and the lime were the only ones that broke. 

Edited January 21, 2015 by fishers64

[Vraiment]

 

For 2007, was it only lime-green pieces that broke?

To my knowledge, yes. My brother has all of the 2007 canisters, and the lime were the only ones that broke. 

 

That sounds weird, why ONLY lime-green pieces would be that easy to break?

[The 1st Shadow]

 

 

For 2007, was it only lime-green pieces that broke?

To my knowledge, yes. My brother has all of the 2007 canisters, and the lime were the only ones that broke. 

 

That sounds weird, why ONLY lime-green pieces would be that easy to break?

 

Something about the quality of that color plastic.

[fishers64]

 

That sounds weird, why ONLY lime-green pieces would be that easy to break?

Something about the quality of that color plastic.

 

According to Aanchir, there was a bad batch of that color plastic that got cooled too quickly, causing it to be brittle and easier to break. 

[The 1st Shadow]

 

 

That sounds weird, why ONLY lime-green pieces would be that easy to break?

Something about the quality of that color plastic.

 

According to Aanchir, there was a bad batch of that color plastic that got cooled too quickly, causing it to be brittle and easier to break. 

 

A bad batch of a single color that spanned two years and four waves of sets. They made the same mistake that many times over that long a period?

[J46 Nui]

'07 was a terrible year for Lego Plastic. I think about half of the sets I own from that year had pieces break, not just the lime green ones. If you do pick him up, try picking up an '08 Lewa too for his green joints. His joints don't have a perfect track record for non-breakage either, but it is still way better than an '07 version of the same piece.

[fishers64]

 

 

 

That sounds weird, why ONLY lime-green pieces would be that easy to break?

Something about the quality of that color plastic.

 

According to Aanchir, there was a bad batch of that color plastic that got cooled too quickly, causing it to be brittle and easier to break. 

 

A bad batch of a single color that spanned two years and four waves of sets. They made the same mistake that many times over that long a period?

 

I thought 2007 was only 2 waves. Anyway, I'm no expert. 

[The 1st Shadow]

'07 was a terrible year for Lego Plastic. I think about half of the sets I own from that year had pieces break, not just the lime green ones. If you do pick him up, try picking up an '08 Lewa too for his green joints. His joints don't have a perfect track record for non-breakage either, but it is still way better than an '07 version of the same piece.

Did I just have bad luck with the lime green parts in '08? Because my Lewa, Tanma, Mutran & Vican were all as prone to breaking as Hahli and Ehlek before them. I had to replace nearly every socket on those three sets. The '08 design/plastic quality just sucked, because I discovered that lack of use causes the joints to break. I recently took a look at my sets from that year, and found that, despite being left alone and in fairly decent conditions, they'd all managed to break at least two joints each.

 

 

I thought 2007 was only 2 waves.   Anyway, I'm no expert. 

 

See above comment. Two waves in '07, two waves in '08. Two years, four waves.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ~T1S~

[J46 Nui]

Maybe I was just lucky with my '08 sets.    But at least with the '08 pieces I had that did break did not splinter apart into sharp shards like my '07 ones did.

[IcarusBen]

I owned Vamprah, Pohatu, Photok and Gavla. Vamprah's wings have axles that come off, as well as having both cracked ball cups and broken ball cups, Photok's mask broke a long time ago, and Pohatu's foot axle broke.  Naturally, I was not amused.

 

Like, really not amused.

[Vraiment]

So, I guess I'm glad I jumped off the wagon in 2005 when they still used quality plastic, yey (?)

[believe victims]

So, I guess I'm glad I jumped off the wagon in 2005 when they still used quality plastic, yey (?)

 

They used the same exact plastic; it was a bad batch of parts that were cooled incorrectly, thus making them extremely brittle.

 

The issue did not carry over into 2008; 2008 just redesigned the limb pieces so all of them were fragile. All of my 2008-2010 limbs are prone to breaking regardless of color.

[J46 Nui]

I think Vastus has some of the lime green joints and I never had any plastic troubles with '09 sets, so maybe that is a good set for replacement pieces.

[The 1st Shadow]

Yes, he does. Oddly, he's one of the few sets from the '08-'09 era that hasn't cracked a joint yet. Very few of mine have survived the passage of time fully intact. Mata Nui's wrists broke just from sitting in his canister for a while.

[IcarusBen]

With the exception of a few hand-pieces from an '06 Exo-Force set, I don't have any pre-2008 Bionicle parts. That kinda makes me sad. I would've loved to have gotten the Bohrok or the Toa Metru. Admittedly, when the Metru came out, I was like, what, 3 or 4? Woe to me.