Why did lego replace the hinge system?

[mapimi]

Hi everyone

I was just curious if anyone knew the reasons for lego discontinuing the classic hinge system and replacing it with a new system which is, in my opinion, less versatile and useful than the older one.

To be clear I am mostly talking about these parts and similar parts:

http://rebrickable.com/parts/4275b

http://rebrickable.com/parts/4625

My reason for liking these better than the replacement parts are that the older ones allowed bricks to be placed over the whole system, meaning you didn't have to leave a gap for example when used for aircraft flaps, where the new ones needs a minimum of one stud clearance above and under which makes MOC builds less beautiful

I'm thinking of these as the replacements:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=44822 (and similar)

What do you guys think? Do you also prefer the old system? Or do you have examples where the newer system was more useful than the old one?

[Artizan]

I think the reason is the older ones were a lot more likely to break. Also it happened many years ago, there was a time both were used at the same time.

[rollermonkey]

Are you specifically referring to the 2/3 fingers vs 1/2?

Because they still have hinges that are in the same plane as the plates that are being connected.

[weavil]

I have a ton of the old ones and I think it's because of clutch power. Almost half of mine have lost thier clutch power.

[Peppermint_M]

Yep, those old hinge parts worked through a lot of stress on the element that wore it down very quickly. The hinges stop working, which is frustrating for a cockpit canopy or hold door sort part of construction but really a disaster for wings and flaps. While the new ones are not as pretty, they are very functional.

[rodiziorobs]

As already pointed out, these pieces put a lot of stress on the fingers which could break them easily or cause them to lose their clutch power. The click hinges can also lose their clutch, but the result is just that there is a bit of play in the hinge--it wiggles a bit within each click position. While unfortunate, that is better than a complete loss of clutch or a broken piece.

Another loss with this piece being discontinued is that it allowed for 180 degree stud-reversals within the height of a single plate. Luckily, you can still find them on BL for reasonable prices.

[VintageLegoEra]

I will tell u!....i am feom the era late 70's and 80's.

Thwse parts were easy to be cracked and break even when you assemble them. The new mold is more strong and durable

[Zerobricks]

Like everyone else said it has to do with endurance and mechanical sturdyness. Old ones quickly lost the friction power or broke.

[Dinobrick]

I prefer the old ones for looks, the new ones for structural proposes.

[mapimi]

Alright, thank you everyone for your answers, I guess it does loose a bit of clutch power, but still need those for an MOC...my only hope of finding some more is through bricklink and hope for the best in terms of their condition

Happy building to all

[KringlesBricks]

I definitely miss those old parts, and not necessarily like the newer versions.

The new ones only let you lock it in a few places versus just having it swing up/down - that's what I truly miss

But, I agree, it did loose its clutch power. The window or the plate attached would eventually fall back down on its own making it frustrating when putting in a mini-fig in a cockpit or passenger seat in a car/truck. Or if you would leave it up to have an open-cockpit when it's on the ground.

The new ones drive me crazy because when you go to swing open the cockpit, you rip the entire mechanism off the plane, truck, etc. grr...

[Hrw-Amen]

For me the old ones that you refer to here were for a long time the new ones. I grew up with hinges being great big red (Occasionally white, black or yellow,) 2X2 things that ere about a brick, or at least two plates thick.

On a personal note I did prefer the new old ones over the ones in fashion nowadays, these modern ones do seem a bit chunky and from a MOCing perspective a backwards step, but I can understand why they did it as clutch power was never the strong .

[Faefrost]

The old finger hinges were some of the most fragile and breakable parts Lego ever produced. Almost on par with the classic space helmets.

[weavil]

With the large amount I have, I only broke two forks. But that was because of too much force.

[naf]

I never broke an old hinge, but they definitely lost clutch power over time. I've grown to like the new clicky hinges, even though they have less range of motion at least they stay in place.

[Zerobricks]

And what about the clip hinges? I think those are also a nice solution, they dont click in place yet dont loose clutch power as easy either.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Zblj

[antp]

One of the major problems of click hinges, in addition of not being only 1-plate-thick, is that when you place one of the parts upside-down you get a ½-plate offset :/

For a non-click hinge there are the plates with clip & plates with handle that can often be useful.

[cgarison]

One of the major problems of click hinges, in addition of not being only 1-plate-thick, is that when you place one of the parts upside-down you get a ½-plate offset :/

For a non-click hinge there are the plates with clip & plates with handle that can often be useful.

Does the new micro ball joint create the same issue of being a half plate off like the old hinges? I know when making a 90 degree SNOT connection the old finger hinges could be quite frustrating to line up, but I have been able to line up the parts more easily (with the 90 degree angle) using that ball joint. I thought it was funny that after I made this discovery in March that TLG also made the same discovery and had these micro ball joints as the hinges in the Ultra Agents 2 Mission HQ set released late spring.

[antp]

The ball joins do not have that half-plate issue: they line up even when one is upside-down.

Edited November 9, 2014 by antp

[CP5670]

I can see why they replaced the old hinges. Even when they don't break, they tend to lose their grip over time, especially if you attach/detach them repeatedly. They are still occasionally useful, especially in tight spots due to their one-stud height, but otherwise the click hinges and the newer hinges based on the u-clips work better for most purposes.

That being said, I don't like how they got rid of the 1x4 hinge plate and tile, and the other panels and windscreens using that system. These parts were never quite as fragile as the regular 1x2 hinges and their replacements often look ugly and don't work well for windscreens, which pop off easily when you open them. There are no smooth, u-clip versions of most of these pieces either.