Knock-offs of the cassttes from the Microman series (the original Decepticon cassettes) are some of the most seen knock-offs. I even remember finding these back in the 80's and bought some for $1 each rather than pay triple that for the real thing. Plus these usually came with cases like the Japanese releases.
These are generally among the best knock-offs quality wise. They use die-cast materials and good quality plastic. Size-wise they are pretty accurate to the real thing, although some of the peg holes are a little off in size. Actually many people have these in their collection never realizing that they are knock-offs.
The reversed-color Frenzy is one that I had sitting in my knock-off box (it had come in a case, so I knew it was a KO when I bought it) for well over a year before I realized that it was a variation.
A couple of people have asked about the Reversed Color Frenzy. From the first scan it's not clear what's different... But here's a normal TF released Frenzy next to the reversed-color knock-off, both in robot form.
Another popular Knock-off is the Transconvoy toy, better known as the Action Master Bluestreak. This set consists of a repro of the cab from Action Master Optimus Prime, along with a blue version of the Action Master Prowl figure. It also comes with the cab's weapons and a sticker sheet. Quality-wise, this is one of the better knock-offs out there. While still a step below the real thing, the plastic and molding is good enough to provide a smooth transformation.
Here's a close up of the Action Master from the Transconvoy set. It's not as good as a real AM, but it's not bad. One obvious difference is that the piece hilding the legs in place is plastic instead of metal. It is actually a Prowl figue and does have the sirens on it's back.
Sky Garry is a toy that's been reproduced numerous times, both by Takara and as various knock-offs. This is a Convert-A-Bots version that was available here in the US in the early-mid 90's. Quality is quite good and it does include all of the pieces with one exception: The unique Micromaster design normally in this set has been replaced with the MM Meltdown.
This is another knock-off of Sky Garry. This one... well... Let's just say it's not very good. Very low quality plastic. Poor molding. Doesn't come with many of the parts. If this guy is priced at more than a few bucks, skip it. Even if you don't have a Sky Garry... This isn't worth it. It's junk!
Back when Transformers first came out, there were a few other companies who also held licences to a few of the robot designs. (I guess, by definition, these aren't really knock-offs, but I'll include them here.) One of these was the Radio Shack version of Shockwave, known as Shackwave. About the only differences between these two are cosmetic: color and the shape of the trigger. Quality is comparable to the real thing. If you are collecting on a budget, this is a good way to get a decent Shockwave substitute.
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