[HELP] Best Sets and Parts to get a Young Builder started?

[arresta]

Hi, first-time poster here.

I was wondering, what kits and bits would forum-members buy to get a good basis of elements to inspire a young builder to take them apart, and build and re-build them into lots of different things? (And without spending the earth -- ideally I would hope to see change from, say, £100).

The young builder in question is my nephew, who enjoys building from instructions in system, but is also quite a confident free-builder from the 70s/80s classic lego that was mine and my brother's, now all in a big box at his grandparents'.

He's already got the 42029 customised pick-up, which I gave him for Christmas this year, a few weeks before his 8th birthday -- and I have never seen such love at first sight! It really knocked his expectations off the scale, and he and the unopened box were completely inseparable over the next couple of days, while he was waiting to get it home and start the build -- he would carry it from room to room, hugging it like a teddy bear, taking it wherever he went. I know not everybody loves the 42029, but it really does tick the boxes when you're eight -- very big, very red, pretty robust, and satisfyingly mechanically complicated. "Best present ever", according to my nephew, who is also immensely proud of the fact that he built it entirely himself, even more so it says age:10-16 on the box.

The 42029 I am pretty sure isn't going to be going into the parts bin any time very soon.

So: what would be forum members' ideal set of bricks that would encourage someone my nephew's age to start building and rebuilding, or at least slicing and dicing and rearranging the main assemblies? Compare, for example, in System, the sheer multitude of different designs that Nathanael Kuipers and others have managed to build (and publish) from Creator kit 5867 -- quite a small kit, but a very good choice of elements. If forum members were to be given the brief to specify a mid-range universal kit for 2016 Technic to be similarly flexible, what would you put in it?

As a first stab at answering my own question, one thought that I had could be to start with 42023 Construction crew (review thread) -- three small models, showing a variety of different mechanisms and steering approaches, with some immediate playability, but not so exciting as to prevent them being taken apart to build something else.

The two Power functions ideas books by Yoshihito Isogawa (vol 1, vol 2) also look quite interesting -- though I still need to work out how to get the list of parts onto Rebrickable, to see what would need to be added to make them.

But it's a shame that there don't seem to be many pre-existing published MOCs yet based on 42023 to encourage a young builder to take the initial models apart and do other cool things with the bits -- in particular, a notable lack of B-models from TLG themselves, that one might have expected, mixing and merging the initial models into two or three new models.

So I'm wondering whether 42023 is too limited a start; or whether there are some other key parts that could be added to 42023 (a 42023 expansion pack?), that would suddenly make much more flexibility possible. (Or will young hands find ways to make things out of 42023 regardless?)

When I was starting out, with the first wave of kits like 850 and 852, the functionality of Technic was quite limited (at least compared to now!), but one could immediately start building things with it, with a satisfying complexity, because of its close affinity with System. The shift to studless + panels is a huge step forward, in many many ways. Perhaps it's just my lack of familiarity with studless, that makes me worry. But is it a reasonably easy (and engaging) transition for young builders to free-building in Technic? Or are TLG missing a trick, by not offering a universal set, or an expansion kit for something like 42023, complete with a big set of suggestions to make some really cool things?

Edited March 15, 2016 by arresta

[JGW3000]

A lot of great MOCs have been made with 42039, 24 hour race car, but maybe a bit over your price range Since he already has a red car, 42040 fire plane will be a nice compliment. 42048 race kart is also very good

Edited March 15, 2016 by JGW3000

[Alasdair Ryan]

If you can wait till August ,you could consider getting him the new pneumatic Volvo excavator (£50).

The construction crew does give a lot of possibility's,how about buying some PF components of Bricklink to motorise the 42029 (£40)?

[JGW3000]

42053 would be a great choice, my 8 year old has been asking for pneumatics for a while

[grum64]

I'd check out any free sites ie Gumtree etc., and keep an eye out for anything cheap. Whether it be a complete set at a bargain price or just a box of assorted parts it all goes to make a parts collection your nephew can use to build from.

Edited March 15, 2016 by grum64

[MacKaiwer]

And also you can consider for example used but in good condition sets from Bricklink... There is sets 42039 beginning from 70 euros and sets 42041 from 40 euros and lots of more quite a good sets to consider.

[andythenorth]

I like Construction Crew, it offers good insight into simple mechanisms. There are some basic mods that can be done, like rebuilding to a wheeled excavator, or giving the truck suspension. Or add the 42035 mining truck in as it's same scale (there are a few other recent cranes and diggers in that scale which are all nice compact models).

For pure playability, I'd go for a secondhand 8069 backhoe loader (JCB). It's a lightweight set that is great to play with, and it's roughly in scale with the red pickup. My four year old really likes it. It's not the best for rebuilding (not many beams), but does have a good number of actuators.

The orange arctic truck is also good fun, and contains track pieces for variety.

More smaller sets is what I'd do, my kids are a bit younger, but they spend more time playing with the smaller stuff than the large. Several smaller sets also adds up to more of the interesting parts in total - wheels, suspension parts, steering etc.

[dr_spock]

Buy him a bunch of different flagship sets. I think that should provide him enough material for MOCing and future growth. Plus you get super-best-uncle status.

[suffocation]

The 42042 crawler crane has its fair share of beams, frames, gears and driverings. Not sure about prices back home but I've seen it go for well under €90 in Germany and less than 90 CHF in Switzerland.

[Paul B Technic]

Just buy him a Unimog :)

[BusterHaus]

Isogawa's Idea books are excellent. He uses very common parts and keeps the machines simple, so you don't need a big lot of bricks to build them. Even if you are missing parts, the mechanical concepts are clear enough that they can be built with other pieces.

[Hefe]

In case of pneumatic maybe an 8455 will be nice? As I have two 8069 i don't think that this is a good Modell in this Moment. Other idea 8109 has some good parts.Best regards

[Dafgek81]

8265 wheel loader is nice

42024 container truck is also great

8109 flatbed recovery truck is also a nice set.

I also like the 8455 backhoe and 8482 tractor.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Dafgek81

[appiah4]

I would actually advise that you buy him a couple small sets that will also be good parts donors:

42021 Snow Motorcycle Very good parts donor with a new suspension system and functional steering

42026 Black Champion Pull Back motors and my personal favorite among the pull back models, has a very low center of gravity hence much better halance than the rest

42032 Compact Tracked Loader Very good parts donor with crawling tracks, bucket, and a functioning bucket mechanism

42048 Race Kart Amazingly charming set with great color bricks, functional steering and working engine, it's the best model of this year I think

With these and what he already has he could easily build A LOT. And this has the advantage of making him happy piecemeal, without being disappointed with any of them..

[arresta]

Thanks to everybody for some really interesting ideas.

At the moment I'm plugging away, putting the parts list into Rebrickable for the Power Functions books by Isogawa -- I'm learning so much about modern Technic just by working through the pictorial part list, trying to identify the right part numbers!

I'll come back to the great ideas up-thread in a day or two, but first let me see how the bits needed for the Isogawa books would price out, and what kits might complement them. The Technic system has got so extended now, that I do think there's something to be said for these books, that give a really thorough grounding in how the bricks can be put together (as well as some great little creations). Am I just being too much of a mother hen here, or has Technic got to the point now where one really does need to build up some understanding before one can start modding, rather than just letting the chap bash some kits together and find his own way?

Edited March 17, 2016 by arresta

[RohanBeckett]

Isogawa's books (and the free ideas on his website) are GREAT starter to all sorts of mechanisms, and building techniques.

If you (and he) work through all the mechanisms in his books, you'll both get a very solid grounding in modern, studless building.

And yes.. modern technic is quite different from old..

Although I've learnt a lot in the last few years.. sometimes I find it's still faster to prototype things in the old studded system bricks.. and sometimes (if you have a lot of regular lego) it's good fun to motorise/integrate with regular sets - try to make your own fairground ride / ferris wheel or something for minifigs

My son is 6, and has played with my Lego, and Technic for 3-4 years now... he'll often go into my (nicely sorted!) parts bins, and come up with some little contraption... the other day, it was almost a scissor lift, that he made with liftarms!

He loves stringing a few gears together, and see how fast he can get a propellor to spin, and make a breeze..

[appiah4]

And yes.. modern technic is quite different from old..

This is so true.. The first three sets I bought when I came out of my dark ages were Technic kits, and the moment I started putting the first one together I realized it was nothing like what I remember. It actually felt like something altogether different, and less appreciable.. It used to be my main Lego attraction, now it's something I collect on the side out of habbit. I'm sure I'm just stubbornly resistant to change and it's most likely much better than before.. but I just didn't feel like learning the ropes all over again..