[REVIEW] 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator

[Sastrei]

I take it you modeled the quadrant gear yourself? Neato! Did you use solidworks, dat editors, or something else?

Also, will you be making that piece available for download?

[Blakbird]

I take it you modeled the quadrant gear yourself? Neato! Did you use solidworks, dat editors, or something else?

Also, will you be making that piece available for download?

No I didn't make it, Philo made it. You can find it on the LDraw parts tracker.

[ctx1769]

It took me about 20 hours over 2 weeks to build 42055 and I'm pleased with the result

[Ngoc Nguyen]

I started building the B-model yesterday. When I came to the input pit, I immediately tested with the small bricks. I found that the filtering doesn't work as expected. and the B-model offers less playability to me, so I stopped there and disassembled the whole thing.

[TechnicTobi]

Hello Blakbird, thank you for this outstanding review! I enjoyed very much reading it.

As I am from Germany, I was surprised to read the word scheisse-tonne. Are you sure that that is a common unit? Do you have a source for it? I am asking, because scheisse means shit or pooh... (hopefully I will not be banned because I wrote these words here...)

[Darth Dino]

Hi

yepp, im wondering about scheissse tonne as well, never heard it. Maybe hes referring to "Kackfass". Its a barrel full of poo and the methaper is used manly for old, worn used cars or machines.

Dino

[captainmib]

It's a joke.

[TheBrickHitHouse]

Get to Argos UK - £123.99!

Edited September 3, 2016 by TheBrickHitHouse

[Blakbird]

As I am from Germany, I was surprised to read the word scheisse-tonne. Are you sure that that is a common unit?

That was a joke. I was surprised no one commented on it before now. In American vernacular, a "sh!t ton" is a very large quantity of something. I guess it wasn't funny if I had to explain it!

[Jay Psi]

Get to Argos UK - £123.99!

Good luck finding it in stock though!

You can also take a punt on Argos' eBay outlet - £4 for delivery but it should be a safer bet than trying to hop around stores to see if they have any left.

[LucyCol]

Good luck finding it in stock though!

You can also take a punt on Argos' eBay outlet - £4 for delivery but it should be a safer bet than trying to hop around stores to see if they have any left.

My local Argos Did have two in stock - not any more

[TheBrickHitHouse]

Argos website does a pretty good job of telling you which stores have stock - they seem to have had a big ol'restock today, as only London branches had any prior to this.

Mystified (but delighted) by the price they've gone with!

[Kepheus]

Great review and very helpful renders. I agree, this model is very impressive from an enginering point of view. Though I still like the 8043 gearbox and overall set much more.

To me, the BWE will always be an eyesore. Too colorful, too much yellow. It doesn't look at all like the real thing. I don't like the use of so many yellow and red axles for no good reason. Plus there's a huge gap between the gearbox and the superstructure where you see the three axles running through.

That said, I bought two sets, built one and will use the other as parts donor. There's no way to get these many liftarms, 5x7 and a ton of other useful parts at this price - especially, if there's a 20% discount. Best set ever ;-)

@nguyengiangoc: Same here. The filter mechanism really depends on being fed very slowly by the upper conveyor. And even then about 20% of the small pieces were processed incorrectly. All in all the B model is a very nice idea, but really doesn't offer too much.

[TechnicTobi]

That was a joke. I was surprised no one commented on it before now. In American vernacular, a "sh!t ton" is a very large quantity of something. I guess it wasn't funny if I had to explain it!

Hihi, just didn't get it. You know in German mining vocabulary a lot of words are used in an uncommon way or are strange. So there was the possibility that this unit exists...

[grum64]

Get to Argos UK - £123.99!

I bought mine BNSIB for £115 but it was an unwanted present.

[brunojj1]

Great review! Thanks for the introduction into history, I actually didn´t know that BWEs were used first in Germany. There is a discussion going on for more than half a century about how inefficient and harmful for the environment lignite mining is. Indeed it´s a branch which is still kept alive artificially in Germany, but maybe that´s the reason why a big cost effective efficient machine is needed.

Such set is very educational and a great parts pack, probably with the best price/part ratio. I saw it recently in a store and just was curious how much it would weigh – the box is so big and feels really full and heavy! Although I won´t buy it very soon because I´ve almost run into bankruptcy with 42056, I appreciate that TLG is never running out of new big ideas for Technic!

[Ngoc Nguyen]

To me, the BWE will always be an eyesore. Too colorful, too much yellow. It doesn't look at all like the real thing. I don't like the use of so many yellow and red axles for no good reason. Plus there's a huge gap between the gearbox and the superstructure where you see the three axles running through.

My impression was the opposite. I really like the yellow, because it makes the accent more striking. Without the yellow the set would look like a big ugly dark grey blob.

And I think that gap is necessary. When I don't want to turn on the battery box, I can rotate the long axles manually.

[Taris9047]

i just finished the model and due to my crappy skill, the bucket wheel locks every 90 seconds or something. It moves again if I just 'touch' it but it's kinda annoying. Other than that, I'm gonna buy some Skittles to play with.

I'm thinking about changing the tandem clutch gears with the same sized regular gears. Anyone tried it? Or, would it be better to just install a PF M motor at the wheel part?

Great review!!

[doug72]

I'm thinking about changing the tandem clutch gears with the same sized regular gears. Anyone tried it? Or, would it be better to just install a PF M motor at the wheel part?

I've tried both:

2 x 24T gears to replace white clutch gears on the BWE - works OK but if anything jams you need to power off quickly.

On the MOC of a Bucket Wheel Trencher I am using a PF "M" motor to drive the bucket wheel via a 24T / Worn drive.

The Bucker Wheel rotates very smoothly at about 2.5 rpm without any jerking.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

But all in all, the B model is substantial enough to be a set of its own. I've decided to buy another BWE to build the B-model. It's currently at 199.99 EUR at amazon.de. It seems to sell well with the Germans.

[LucyCol]

1, 11L LBG beam left at the end of stage 2, double checked can't see it missing from anywhere, so they must of packed one extra

[Ngoc Nguyen]

^ I think it's from step 68. TLG don't pack spare beams.

[N-4K0]

When I built mine, I had 2x 11L DBG beams leftover when it was finished, and surprisingly many 2L black pins, I think like 8-10. I am completely sure I didn't miss any steps in the instructions though.

I also had one 2L LBG axle/pin hole beam missing, which isn't a big deal.

I don't know why, but although the lock for the lower conveyor belt works when I turn it by hand, for some reason it does not seem to work when the XL-motor is running and the superstructure is turning.

Locked, unlocked, the conveyor belt turns with the superstructure anyway.

[Bering]

Bought it, build the A and B model and what i expected came true unfortunately. The functions do not work properly at the main model. The B model doesn't sort too well. Sold the set already. What a waste of plastic, Lego! Doesn't deserve the name of Flagship IMO.

[Andy D]

Even if it doesn't work as well as it should... It looks interesting, the build looks interesting and educational and it is quite a parts pack for the cost.

I will likley buy 2. One to build and disassemble and keep as a set to rebuild and the other just for parts.

I am looking at Technic sets with two uses...

1. Assemble to learn then disassemble and to rebuild later (I have built the 42009 6 times, 3 for the A, 3 for the B. Now back in the box again).

2. Either build once and disassemble for parts or just put straight into parts bins.

Either way, (to me) the BWE looks good.

Just MHO, YMMV

Andy D

Edited September 10, 2016 by Andy D