BrickDemon

Esasy choice! 8043 all the way...! Best complex technical design and playability! (almost 70 gears?) I liked that model so much I have completly rebuild it in black with red panels...! Took me a few months to get some rare black parts. Great remote controlled B model as well..! Normally I'm always a little dissapointed about a set, but this one more then lived up to it's expectations..!

If I wanted to build it I would pay €25 for good instructions and a parts list (doesn't have to be digital, I can make a partlist in brickstore in about an hour.. I consider it part of a build) I would do it like brickgun does.. make a cool pro looking website for it. makes it more interesting to buy as well. Although I found most of the brickgun instructions for free and made all parts lists in brickstore, I ended up buying the CD as an appriciation for all the work. There will always be buyers and freeloaders.. Just focus on the buyers.

nice work! it reminds me of the 8859 set I had as a kid..!

I think it looks great! I think it would look even better if you'd replace all the blue pins, red axles and grey bushings/liftarms with black versions..

Thanks! Actually I have thought about mixing them as I like the way that looks (saw it before on a nxt project, a shooting robot as I recall right) but that would kinda ruin my projects nature.. I also thought it would look like I don't have enough tracks.. besides I spent quite some money getting it all black.. I really don't feel for grey tracks.. :) I hated the color coding (blue pins etc) so one replacement led to another and so far I replaced more then 80% of the parts with black and if that wasn't availlable grey or red. I even replaced all grey axles with black versions (except the 9L) and also all bushings (quite expensive) Now with the yellow panels on, it looks like bumblebee from the transformers. Still waiting on my red panels.. one bricklink seller had me wait for two months and then sends me the wrong panels. I hope to get the right panels on tuesday.. Anyway I have ordered 4 smaller versions of the large track wheels on the 8043 that I will put in place of the upper 11x8mm wheels. it will probably solve my problem, but buildwise I would like to keep it as original as possible..!

Yes I knew that, but like I said both my links (black and grey) are the new kind/style.. (right one in the last image) Anyway thanks for the replies..

this is because you used the wrong pin.. you should ue the shorter light grey pin there with the stud, not with the 1/2 pin. look in the manual.. my beams are straight but my pin is in place..

I've done a few searches but couldn't find anything on the topic, sorry if this is a known problem. I'm currently rebuilding my 8043 by replacing all blue, yellow, grey and tan parts with as much black as possible, but the black links I bought for the tracks appear to be slightly bigger.. the tracks are really loose and sometimes cause problems when turning etc.. Are the black links just larger? Or did I maybe get a bad production batch..? They are both the new type with the re-enforcement ridges and both have 2006 on it..

Very cool man! Very original as well.. But didn't MOD's drive Vespas and Lambrettas? :) I think you're confusing with Nozems.. they also drove the puch's with the high handlebars..

I have this one in it.. it replaces the power miner I had in it before..

You could be right. but I thought that these were for that.

nice! thanks. great pictures as well. Do you also feel like the designer forgot to finish the left side of the frame of the body? (between the left track and the body) I felt it should have been symetrical to the right side so I also changed/added some parts there. I will make pictures if my excavator is back together.. (still waiting on some parts)

nice! but you get my point..

Some say lego did it on purpose but my 8043 works a lot better with the frictionless parts..!

Good idea! I will make one as well, but my 8043 is in bits at the moment as I'm replacing a few colors (I don't like the blue and tan and grey parts). I hope to get the final parts in next week! I will be using the original 8043 for the vid. My dual LA's also never have gotten out of sync yet.. but it's not that I've played a lot of hours with it.. I also don't really see it as a digging machine, but a remote controlled moving model of one.. I think it's quite revolutionary to have a great looking, fully functional, track driven remote controlled excavator with just 4 motors you can build yourself (in two awesome models) for only €150. (I payed €119 at bol.com in december) Try to get a cool RC car for that kind of money.

the real test would be to dig arround something without tipping it over.. like some lego characters.. and really move some sawdust fom one place to another over a certain distance.. those cut and past videos of excavators just digging arround in the nowhere still don't show they are better then LA powered excavators.. just that they have more power.. but also not in all cases.. but I really like that the pneumatics are remotely controlled in the excavator in this topic. that's really great!

Well, don't like it.. it's an interesting set and a great build, but the working is kinda dissapointing.. I was kinda expecting something like the 8043 at the time (but not RC). I'm under the impression pneumatics are not for precision controls.. only good to open and close doors and push things from a conveyor belt.. I'm almost sure it's complete, most pieces are in mint condition and only used for one build no play, with box and instructions but I'll have to check first.. if it's complete I guess it will go for somewhere in the middle of what they ask on bricklink.. so I think arround €80.

Maybe I'll sell mine.. I was never that impressed with the set..

right! the gear ratio vs gear strength is designed for input from the inside..

RC pneumatics..! not bad! Althought I still think air pneumatics or not for excavators..

open it when you are 70! You might mentally be at the right age again.. but seriously, nice find!!

I don't think it will damage the motor, it's just the gear ratio that makes it hard to turn (and so you might damage the gears).. the new E-motor that is realeased with the solar panel (for educational purposes) has been geared just for this purpose.

I kinda like how they place them.. with the 8043 it looks like the top of the engine and with the B model of the 8090 it could be the gas tank.. I also really like the way it fits the B model of the 8043.

do I see that right and the B model has an automatic rooftop? very cool..!