Need advice for new sets with new parts

[DeBriquesEtDeBlocs]

Hello everyone, last week I decided to rebuild all the lego I still had but didn't touch fro 10 years.

The most recent set I own is already 15 years old !

Now that I'm back there are 2 things I want to do :

1) get my hands on all the new pieces I've never seen before

2) build a big realistic (inside & outside) black car

But so many sets, parts and functions have been released that I don't know which to choose.

I need your expertise, to make a selection of about 5 set (since I can't buy them all) with if possible (but not obliged) a good number of black (or grey) bricks (for my future car) and with (set) each their own interesting parts (so that for example I don't buy 2 sets with Power Functions).

I quickly browsed through brickset.com and made a selection of the sets I could want - you may or may not base your advice on them.

I'm particularly interested in the Technic and Racers (for their axle related, Power Functions and pneumatics parts), in the Bionicle and Exo-Force (for their cool shaped parts). I just don't find enough sets like The Batmobile: Ultimate Collectors' Edition or Roaring Roadster the with round bricks.

[Front]

I'm not sure if you know bricklink? (www.bricklink.com) Type in the set number in search for catalog item (top of page), and then view the inventory.

That said, I think I should leave it to others to suggest sets to buy.

Edited March 30, 2009 by Front

[DeBriquesEtDeBlocs]

Yes I know bricklink.com but I still want to ask people who already know most sets and know them well.

[Legoist]

I quickly browsed through brickset.com and made a selection of the sets I could want - you may or may not base your advice on them.

Many of those are not on sale anymore. I think you'll have a much easier time if you pick up a 2009 catalog from the shop or visit www.lego.com for currently available sets (plus consider that retail shops sometimes have sets from the previous year).

You can buy older sets from www.bricklink.com if you're willing to be robbed (bricklink is good for parts, but has insane prices for sets) or watch eBay to see if an old set you like pops up (it's not hard for popular sets, but technic sets might take a long time).

Generally speaking, buying NEW Lego is cheaper than buying OLD Lego!

Edited March 30, 2009 by Legoist

[Front]

I have only built Lego for the last couple of years. I got myself two Batmobiles, for the reasons you mentioned yourself. I got a lot of the sets you have listed in the "wanted list".

Bionicle sets have rather many pieces that are very specialized and not so useful in creations other than the figures they are. I like Bionicle and have many sets, but only for the sets and the posebility to build other figures. Although you have the vehicle sets in your wanted list, many parts are still specialised. I can recommend the Axalara X9 though, it's basically a technic set with a few bionicle weapons, two shooters and a figure.

You have to consider if you want to build stuff mainly based on Technic or System bricks. I think you want a combinaton.

What I would strongly suggest is to buy sets that are reduced in price (if possible), and to buy large sets (I see you don't fool around much with small sets in your list). That way you get most out of your money.

But here are some picks I enjoy myself:

8421 Mobile Crane

7298 Dino Air Tracker

7713 Bridge Walker and White Lightning

7784 The Batmobile: Ultimate

8157 Ferrari F1 1:9

8275 Motorized Bulldozer

8285 Tow Truck

I got quite some star wars sets too, but haven't really built them yet. Most SW sets are centered around light grey colours though. And SW like other licensed themes are usually more expensive sets (price pr. element)

[Blakbird]

Now that I'm back there are 2 things I want to do :

1) get my hands on all the new pieces I've never seen before

2) build a big realistic (inside & outside) black car

But so many sets, parts and functions have been released that I don't know which to choose.

I need your expertise, to make a selection of about 5 set (since I can't buy them all) with if possible (but not obliged) a good number of black (or grey) bricks (for my future car) and with (set) each their own interesting parts (so that for example I don't buy 2 sets with Power Functions).

I quickly browsed through brickset.com and made a selection of the sets I could want - you may or may not base your advice on them.

Well, that's certainly a lot of sets you want. I hope you saved your money! Based on the age of the sets you already own, there are literally hundreds of new elements which you will not have seen. In fact, some entire series have come and gone since then. Principally, you do not appear to have any of the studless beams or liftarms. You also mentioned you'd like some PF elements and would like to build a black car which is realistic. By this, I don't know if you mean technically realistic (functional) or aesthetically realistic (looks good) or both. But in any case, I can advice you where to lots of good parts and functions, presumably with price as a restriction.

Items to get right away:

• 8674 Ferrari 1:8, Not only is this a fantastic model, it also has a great set of suspension control arms, beautiful wheels and tires, shocks, and a V-12 engine. All of these peices will be very useful to you in building a car.
  
• 8297 Off-Roader, Like 8674 it is an excellent source of suspension parts and it also has the advantage of being presently available. You'll also get a PF battery box, a small motor, and some lights.
  
• 8455 Backhoe, If you want to learn pneumatics, this is place to do it. It will cost you a lot to pick one up but you will find it is worth it. You'll get 10 pneumatic cylinders and lots of good parts.
  
• 8466 Off-Roader, Fantastic set with great suspension and a 5 speed gearbox with reverse. 3-differentials. Also has massive balloon tires. Expensive but worth it.
  
• 8428 Turbo Command, Great set to introduce you to newer parts and building methods without breaking the bank. Great selection of non-beam parts and a very clever suspension mechanism.
  
• 8285 Tow Truck, An absolute smorgasbord of studless beams along with a huge model incorporating pneumatics, damping, gearing, differential, and engine.
  
• 8275 Bulldozer, The only Technic set with PF XL sized motors and IR receivers. You'll get 4 motors, 2 receivers, a battery box, a transmitter, and loads of treads.
  

Items to NOT get right away:

• 10144 Sandcrawler, This is very big and contains a lot of old Technic treads, so it would be useful for that. But unless you want a LOT of standard brown bricks, this probably won't help you.
  
• 8653 Enzo Ferrari, This is a GREAT looking model, but it has very little in the way of technical functions. You are much better off with 8674.
  
• 10179 UCS Millenium Falcon, I have this and I love it and it is indeed a parts bonanza, but it is also very expensive and, once you build it, you will have a hard time convincing yourself to part it out.
  
• 8482 Cybermaster, Cool for its time, but rendered mostly moot by Mindstorms. Get it as a collector's item, but not as a parts pack.
  
• 8434 Plane, No way around it, this set sucks. Buy it only if your wealth means nothing to you.
  
• 8458 Silver Champion, Magnificent model, but you'll pay through the nose for it. Save it for later and get 8674 first.
  
• 5571 Black Cat Rig, Although this is one of my favorite sets of all time, it is prohibitively expensive and contains a fair number of parts which are either rare or unique. If you want a pile of parts to build various items, it seems a shame to rip apart this gem. But if you want a great looking set for inspiration, this is it!
  
• 8454 Rescue Truck, Meh.
  

[DeBriquesEtDeBlocs]

By this, I don't know if you mean technically realistic (functional) or aesthetically realistic (looks good) or both.

Both, Technic inside, Model Team outside.

[CP5670]

I agree with everything Blakbird said, except I would move 8297 to the latter category and buy the PF elements individually. It's not really in the same league as 8466. If you are willing to buy used, look into getting an 8880 Super Car instead off Bricklink or ebay. It fits your profile of a large black car, includes unique steering and suspension elements and is mostly made of studded parts. You'll need many of those if you are building a combined Technic/Model Team MOC, and most modern Technic sets hardly come with any of them.

[Blakbird]

Both, Technic inside, Model Team outside.

If that is your dream then you should love this thing.

I agree with everything Blakbird said, except I would move 8297 to the latter category and buy the PF elements individually. It's not really in the same league as 8466. If you are willing to buy used, look into getting an 8880 Super Car instead off Bricklink or ebay. It fits your profile of a large black car, includes unique steering and suspension elements and is mostly made of studded parts. You'll need many of those if you are building a combined Technic/Model Team MOC, and most modern Technic sets hardly come with any of them.

I agree that 8297 and 8466 are not in the same league. But they are not in the same price range either. Get the one you can afford.

I also agree that 8880 is an amazing model with virtually everything you want. But it wasn't on your "want list", so I didn't address it. For general awesomeness, I'd also recommend 8480, 8285, 8421, and 8868.

[gogoba]

How do the newer technic sets compare to the ones you recommended? Older technic seems to be priced for the collectors market, and looks like poor value for money on a pure price per peice comparison. Although I realise things like pneumatics have a lot of rarity value.

I suppose I'm wondering what are the best technic sets from the last couple of years?

[CP5670]

I agree that 8297 and 8466 are not in the same league. But they are not in the same price range either. Get the one you can afford.

I guess you're right, the Bricklink prices are higher now than what I remember seeing. The 8466 was actually released at the same $120 price though, and they are of a similar size.

How do the newer technic sets compare to the ones you recommended? Older technic seems to be priced for the collectors market, and looks like poor value for money on a pure price per peice comparison. Although I realise things like pneumatics have a lot of rarity value.

I suppose I'm wondering what are the best technic sets from the last couple of years?

This largely depends on whether you are willing to buy used sets. You're right that 90s Technic sets can be very expensive if you look for brand new ones, but sets in lightly used condition are more reasonable, especially on ebay. You may also be like me and prefer the studded or mixed studded/studless construction style of the older sets.

As for the last few years, I think the 8275 Bulldozer has easily been the highlight and is arguably the best Technic set since the Backhoe in 2003. The ebay/BL prices are still not too far off from the original $150 price. The 8421 Mobile Crane is quite nice too, but the (new) ebay prices for that have started to go well beyond its original price.

[Blakbird]

How do the newer technic sets compare to the ones you recommended? Older technic seems to be priced for the collectors market, and looks like poor value for money on a pure price per peice comparison. Although I realise things like pneumatics have a lot of rarity value.

I suppose I'm wondering what are the best technic sets from the last couple of years?

Are you referring to sets which can still be purchased at the store right now? If so, your selection is pretty limited. Start with 8259 and 8262, both new this year. From last year, you should still be able to find 8294 and 8297 easily. For $/brick, 8295 is also very nice.

As for older models, you are right that the "collector's price" goes up, but mostly that only applies to the larger sets or those that are very rare. When you get into the smaller sets, many of them are actually quite cheap. For example, I just ordered a group of 6 Technic sets off of Bricklink, all of them at least 15 years old. Total price was $50 and there are over 1200 pieces altogether. They are not the most coveted sets, but they have plenty of great parts.

[gogoba]

Yeah I was looking at what I could buy now or from the last couple of years. Things that haven't yet become collectors items.

Sets I own are: 8292, 8294, and 8275.

Hmm the fire engine 8289 is still quite cheap, is that any good?

[Cwetqo]

In my opinion 8289 is one of the worst technic sets.

Regarding some "classic" technic sets I would definitely recommend E-bay.

In the past 10months (after long long dark age), I bought (on e-bay):

8880 - Supercar - 34€

8448 - Super Street Sensation - 86€

8466 - 4x4 offroader - 44€

8868 - Airtech Claw Rig - 46€

8439 - Front End Loader - 70€

8436 - Pneumatic Truck - 29€

8386 - Ferrari 1:10 - 14€

Sets were complete, or were missing just a few smaller parts.

Only problem is that you have to live with the fact that sets are not new, and that they are usually covered with dust and you to wash them thorougly. In some cases I got sets that are almost in new condition, with yet unglued stickers, well preserved box, instructions, disassembled and nicely packed in smaller plastic bags, really like new.

OK, back to theme: I would definetly recommend geting 8880, 8448 and 8466.

[Blakbird]

Hmm the fire engine 8289 is still quite cheap, is that any good?

I like 8289 quite a bit. It is a bit blocky, but the rear lift mechanism is pretty cool (and very similar to the more recent Cherry Picker). Also lots of parts, especially red beams. If you haven't already, make sure to read the reviews of sets over at Brickset.

[Memory]

Yeah, I've played with an 8289, I wasn't terribly impressed. If you can get it on sale, go for it, though.

So, you want to do a combination of Technic and Model Team? That's a good goal, but, if I'm correct in inferring that you haven't built in a decade or more, it will take some time. Personally, I'm more concerned with the technical aspects of vehicles; here are a couple of recent Technic sets I can recommend:

8294 Excavator: This is commonly agreed to be the best Technic set of 2008- it's a great parts pack of red, dark bley*, and black. Also, though, it's a very functional model, comes with instructions to motorize the arm, and is very customizable (more than one person has made it fully R/C). Possilbe not the best option if you're only looking to buy a car, but if you don't get one now, you might regret it later.

8297 Off-Roader: The 2008 flagship, this set is not stupendous, but is a good introduction to Technic vehicle design. It contains all the parts needed to build a four wheel vehicle with independent suspension and rear- or front- wheel drive. It also contains a battery box, a switch, an M motor, and a pair of lights (see the Power Functions elements individually here. The motor, along with a mechanical selector that you build, can be used to raise and lower the suspension, and to reel the tow cable in.

Power Functions: A recent addition to the LEGO world, this is the new system of motors and whatnot that can be used to power models. Above are all of the parts you would need for an R/C car (remote, receiver, XL motor for drive, M motor for steering, battery box)- note that if you get 8297, you will only need the first three. I have been very happy with the PF elements as a whole, they are strong and reliable.

One thing to note- if you want to do any Technic, you will need to learn how to build studless. It's the way the line has gone, and I think it works quite well.

As far as System goes, anything in the Creator line is a must for a Model Team-style build. Consider getting two 6747's- they each come with two really great wheels.

*I don't know if you knew this already, but LEGO changed the greys to bluish versions (hence, "bley") that are more resistant to discolouration in 2004.

I hope this helps!

-Jacob

Edited April 1, 2009 by Memory

[74louloute]

IF you didn't build anything from the last 15 years, you will be certainly surprised by the new way to build Technic Model.

Now the model are build with almost only those type of bricks : and not with these like you usually do. The first time I was very surprised with this new way of building.

Be sure to check the inventory on Bricklink before ordered a set to not being disapointed !

Anyway welcome back !

Edited April 1, 2009 by 74louloute

[DeBriquesEtDeBlocs]

Ok, so after having browsed through most sets realesed since 2000, I picked up the one I liked the most fro those with ≈+800 parts, then checked their parts, prices, price per total parts and compared them. (I decided that below 45€ for 1000 parts was a good deal)

Here's what I bought :

4404 Land Busters 25€

Germany shipping : 9€

(The seller rebuilt this set with the parts "he could find", I was pretty angry but got a refund.)

4896 Roaring Roadster 39€

(This one is really nice, huge, I noticed it is almost scalled for a Technic fig.)

4993 Cool Convertible 39€

(Not bad but it really sucks when there is no steering ! Also true for 4404 and 4955.)

4955 Big Rig 27€

(I wonder why this one is so small, is it not to concurrence another set ?)

Free shipping

(I did not plan on buying 4955 and 4993 but they were cheap and shipped for free)

7709-1: Sentai Fortress 30.75€

7706-1: Mobile Defense Tank 12.75€

8106-1: Aero Booster 9€

France Shipping 10.50€

(I bought exo forces instead of bionicles, they look equivalently cool and have no "useless parts". They contain lots of hinges. Great price but seller was incompetent, I'm trying to get the few missing parts.)

8289 Fire Truck 36.47€

UK shipping ≈18.50€

(As this one was relativly cheap I bought it only to get to now the new Technic building method and get the parts.)

7784 The Batmobile Ultimate Collectors' Edition - UCS 40€

France shipping 8.60€

(A huge model, lots of parts, bargain price !)

7317 Aero Tube Hangar 12.22€

7310 Mono Jet Cruiser 1.18€

7311 Red Planet Cruiser 1.34€

7312 T3-Trike 1.34

UK shipping14.66€

(I didn't plan on buying the 3 little ones but they were auctionned by the same person)

7692 MX-71 Recon Dropship 31.28€

UK shipping : 11.86€

(The seller made a mistake and I thought I was buying 7644, I got a partial refund)

8275 Motorized Bulldozer 119.90€ (new)

Free shipping

(4 motors and 2 IR receivers, that's why I bought it)

TOTAL 499.35€ (during the same period I received 463€ of extra money so it's almost like I got all this for free !)

I thought about buying 10174: Imperial AT-ST or 10186-1: General Grievous (the only cheap Star Wars sets) and either 8458 Silver Champion or 8461 Williams F1 Team Racer (these are too rare and too expensive) but instead I'm going to just buy the ≈300 parts I don't have.

[Freddie]

Power Functions: A recent addition to the LEGO world, this is the new system of motors and whatnot that can be used to power models. Above are all of the parts you would need for an R/C car (remote, receiver, XL motor for drive, M motor for steering, battery box)- note that if you get 8297, you will only need the first three. I have been very happy with the PF elements as a whole, they are strong and reliable.

8275 Motorized Bulldozer 119.90€ (new)

Free shipping

(4 motors and 2 IR receivers, that's why I bought it)

Factoring in how DeBriquestEtDeBlocs probably have no idea how strong the XL-motors are, I'll shoot it in here: There are many snapped axles and broken gears out there as a result of people experimenting with it. In the 8275 bulldozer its not a problem, since they drive the wheels directly - this is often the best approach for a vehicle using these motors. Otherwise, use a torque-stopper, aka. clutch-gear, to stop it from breaking parts.

The M-motor (the small one) is plenty strong on its own to move a sizeable technic vehicle on its own, and is more flexible due to its lower strength and higher speed. It also won't break stuff, like its bigger brother does. And this is a big plus, especially in a complicated construction where axles and gears can be hard to get to, and difficult to repair if something goes wrong.

[Smithy]

I started re-collecting old sets recently. eBay is a great source for older stuff, and if your not in a hurry you can pick them up reasonably cheap. I picked up an original 8860 set for about £20 including original box. The seller had picked an odd time to close the auction and nobody seems to be bidding on it.

I've only bought a few sets recenty but would highly recomend the Lego Crane - 8421 and the Motorized bulldozer - 8275. The bulldozer has many very usefull and so far unique parts. If your looking for pneumatics I'd recomend the JCB Back Hoe - 8455. The 8880 Super Car just about falls within your time limit (1994) - it includes a unique 4 wheel drive and suspension.

Think at the moment I'd also hold out for the Crane truck - 8258 which is released later this year.

[Dryw Filtiarn]

Factoring in how DeBriquestEtDeBlocs probably have no idea how strong the XL-motors are, I'll shoot it in here: There are many snapped axles and broken gears out there as a result of people experimenting with it. In the 8275 bulldozer its not a problem, since they drive the wheels directly - this is often the best approach for a vehicle using these motors. Otherwise, use a torque-stopper, aka. clutch-gear, to stop it from breaking parts.

The M-motor (the small one) is plenty strong on its own to move a sizeable technic vehicle on its own, and is more flexible due to its lower strength and higher speed. It also won't break stuff, like its bigger brother does. And this is a big plus, especially in a complicated construction where axles and gears can be hard to get to, and difficult to repair if something goes wrong.

People breaking things when using the XL motors is usually due to unthoughtful and bad design. If you properly design your gearing and drive-lines nothing should break, even without the slip-gears. The most common reason for parts breaking is mostly due to stalling drive-lines with gearing designed for high torque. In most cases stalling drive-lines can be avoided and of course if you can expect it to be stalled now and then, to add a slip-gear to protect your parts.

Overall my opinion is that breaking parts is something that is part of technic building, depending on what your specialty is. If you specialize in large models that need a lot of power and commonly put a lot of stress on your parts, you should be prepared of taking the risk of breaking parts. I've burst several U-joints, blown a dozen gears (they literally exploded) and twisted plenty of axles in the past few years, but it's the risk you need to take if you want something special. In general the parts that do break, are not too expensive to replace anyway.

Anyhow, preventing breakage of parts starts with a proper design.