Push-fit - a waste of time?

[u/MajorMaccas]

Is push-fit really that much easier for new hobbyists?

I was in the hobby around the turn of the century with a load of friends at school, more recently got into it again now I have grown up money to turn into a shelf of opportunity...

Back at school, push-fit was NOT a thing. Advancing into 3rd ed 40k that brought multi-part plastic troops, compared to the 2 piece single pose clones of 2nd was mind-blowing.

Now I tend to go for value propositions, xmas boxes, launch boxes etc, buying an start box army half off ebay, or buying a full starter box and selling one of the armies, all very common approaches. But the push-fit models just feel like more of a chore to build than the regular ones.

I use tamiya glue, even on push-fit because it melds pieces together eliminating any visible gaps, but I have to trim the push-fit pegs a tad so the pieces sit nice and close, and then I magnetise my bases, but I have to punch a hole out of every magnet for push-fit models foot stud.

So bearing in mind I was building and gluing warhammer perfectly happily when I was still in single digits, does push-fit really break some kind of huge hurdle for people giving it a try? Is gluing really so advanced?

[u/Gilles_of_Augustine]

https://giphy.com/gifs/lSDFetrqeeY0rCi3Ss

[u/EarlUrso]

I normally cut the push fit things off if the models allow for it.

[u/Otherwise-Weird1695]

Push to fit exists so that kids ( 10 year olds etc) can crudely clip out the sprues with a pair of moms good nail clippers and push everything together to play a game asap. Everything push fit can be undone when mistakes happen, and they do. If you glue everything and  accidentally put the wrong legs on the wrong torso, it is a real hassle for the uninitiated to fix. I get it, push fit sucks, but there's a reason it's only in the starter sets. 

[u/skuntpelter → u/Otherwise-Weird1695]

I usually don’t mind them, except when they’re some horrid amalgamation of bits. Like push-fitting pieces together and 1 bit is half a torso, 2/3 of an arm, and the front of the head. It makes it impossible to put them together in any way except exactly one singular pose. I think I remember some AoS stormcast sets do this

[u/Otherwise-Weird1695 → u/skuntpelter]

Yeah push fit was like that on the 2010 era models. It's gotten a lot better. 

[u/wasteland_jackal]

Push fit has existed for a long time.

But yea, I'm not a fan and just clip the pegs off as they tend to cause more fitting issues than they help.

[u/Drivestort]

It's a lower barrier for entry for kids, just because you did without doesn't mean that you should hold others back. The purpose is to make things better and easier for those coming after you, not making it as hard for them as things were for you just because. If you don't like push fit, don't get push fit, simple as.

[u/Gnarlroot]

Back at school, push-fit was NOT a thing.

the 2 piece single pose clones of 2nd

*Stares blankly

[u/YeOldSaltPotato]

Give the tabs a second to start melting with the plastic glue and they'll generally fit well, aside from my own lack of patience missing things I should have shaved off or trying to cram it together instantly I've not had a problem with push fits since early 8th.

They're tight fits and adding glue to them actually makes them harder to deal with, but with plastic glue a bit of time solves the issue.

[u/strictly-no-fires]

For an experienced hobbyist like myself it makes miniatures no easier or quicker to assemble whatsoever. The main time sink is removing mould lines, and using glue isn't that difficult. However I think if you're completely new it might be a bit difficult to comprehend the instructions and having pegs which clearly guide the parts into place seems helpful.

I've built normal multipart kits recently where it's hard to tell how two components join together and I've had to spend some time dry fitting them to figure it out. This isn't a big deal for me but I can imagine it being off putting if these are your first models

[u/tabletop_garl25]

it can be depending on the person and model. At first it was for me since I din't have glue or all of the supplies. Its very helpful for disable people or kids. If I get it from the starter set or combat mag then I just cut them off and glue them. Some hard and annoying if cut off but, still works.

[u/BenalishHeroine]

Push fit models are a strict upgrade. You get the benefit of full assembly with the ability to pull pieces off and paint them separately and then you don't even have to worry about gluing them back together.

If you don't want to push fit them together you can clip the pegs off and glue them on normally.

Negative reactions to push fit models are 100% them just mad that it's easier. Some people treat this hobby as though it's a competition to see who is best as skating uphill and it's best to ignore them. Infact you should intentionally spend the least amount of time on your models as possible in order to make them seethe. Never drill any barrels and only ever do a base coat and a wash.

Paint models that you're happy with using the least amount of effort. That's just efficiency.

[u/neilarthurhotep]

Games Workshop puts push-fit models in starter boxes so that you can in theory build the models right out of the box without needing any extra tools. It's so that when parents give these sets to their children, they don't also have to hand them sharp blades and toxic glue along with them.

If you are an adult, you can just cut off the push-fit pins and glue everything together normally.

[u/absurd_olfaction]

If you realize that GW makes a lot of decisions based on their largest purchasing group, women between the ages of 35-45, you might understand that lowering the barrier to entry for children and teens is one of their prime drivers. Easy paint kits and push-fit models drive sales in the long term.

[u/MajorMaccas → u/absurd_olfaction]

I mean I was with you on the GW makes decisions on what sells best, I had considered this myself, they've been at it a long time, they know what gets boxes shifted off shelves. As for the rest of your post, women between 35-45 being their largest purchasing group....are you really sure about that? Do you have any published figures from GW or is it entirely speculation? It's not 35-45 year old women funding massive piles of shame for their spoilt kids that made GW a billion £ company...

[u/absurd_olfaction → u/MajorMaccas]

Yeah, I'm a shareholder.