42100 Liebherr R 9800 hands-on review [VIDEO]

[Sariel]

Due to reasons that will be revealed in the first week of October, LEGO has been kind enough to allow me to release my full 42100 Liebherr R 9800 review earlier than other authorized reviewers:

Chapters for your convenience:

00:37 - box and unboxing
04:13 - new pieces
05:59 - pieces in new colors
06:28 - parts list
06:47 - speed build
23:33 - functions
32:21 - impressions
43:43 - final note

[Aleh]

Wooow! Thanks Pawel!

[Maaboo the Witch]

Still does little for me, I'm afraid. The motions are fluid and most of the details are spectacular, but to me it's still a big bland white brick on tracks. And no B-model whatsoever, in a set with 4108 parts. 

Great review though. In-depth doesn't even begin to cover it. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by Maaboo35
Giving Messr. Kmieć his due

[nerdsforprez]

Got about 1/2 through before I had to take off.  Very excited about this set.  Building process seems fun and overall I love the machine.  No B model doesn't bother me at all.  The best ones are built from one's own mind- or undoubtedly some pretty cool ones will pop up shortly after its release.  

Initial impressions from watching 1/2 the video - I am surprised by the lack of spare parts for such a large and expensive set.  The app actually looks pretty cool.  I would feel more like I am actually operating a piece of machinery than any other app/electronic out there (BuWizz, etc.).  I think this app, with the longer actuators would be absolutely perfect with a large mobile crane.  These new actuators would actually allow 42009's boom to rise to a more functional level.  I do hope a large crane, with the app and actuators is in our future.....

 

[grego18f]

Thank you @Sariel, you are the best!

I have always loved your videos, especially when they involve your pets! 

[Ivan_M]

Wow what a waste of internal space, it is half empty when the motors should be inside superstructure and not in arm. Nice review, thanks

[coinoperator]

Wow what a great review Sariel,

I allready have a nickname for this set: The MODMASTER
There will be hundreds of improvements to do.

[nerdsforprez]

36 minutes ago, coinoperator said:

Wow what a great review Sariel,

I allready have a nickname for this set: The MODMASTER
There will be hundreds of improvements to do.

A thread recommending changes will be up soon i am sure.  One thing i would love to see is all fans spinning as soon as machine is turned on. 

[coinoperator]

Just now, nerdsforprez said:

A thread recommending changes will be up soon i am sure.  One thing i would love to see is all fans spinning as soon as machine is turned on. 

And some decent engines.
Slower drive and faster LA's

[mpj]

Thanks for the review!
Are the LA's geared down only internally, or also outside? In the speedbuilding it looks that the motors are directly connected to the LA's without any reduction, so I'm not sure if the new LA's are very very slow by themselves, or the app is moving the motors very slowly.

A video comparison between old and new actuators connected to a PF motor could be very helpful !

[Andman]

The comparison between the 42100 and the 42082 mentions only the price in $. The price for the 42082 in Europe was 230€, not 299€. So one would expect that price for the 42100 is also adjusted. A pity that it not adjusted to 410€.

Oh and BTW: Thanks for the fantastic review!

Edited September 26, 2019 by Andman

[suffocation]

3 hours ago, Maaboo35 said:

[...] it's still a big bland white brick on tracks [...]

My thoughts exactly - it reminds me of that Liebherr excavator, the R 9800.

(just ribbin' )

[SNIPE]

Thanks for the review.

I count 117 gears and 4 sprockets, 8 linear actuators. and 58 panels excluding frame/biscuits.

[agrof]

That was really pleasure to watch, thank You @Sariel!

I see where the Control+ thing is going, I must admit: really good stuff, though I am outdated for it. Also, I am interested about it's lifespan in the rushing world of telecommunication segment...

[JGW3000]

Again, fantastic review Sariel - greatly appreciated and can't wait for October's 'event'!

I am guessing this is the Technic set with the most greabling and non-functional parts, which greatly adds to the parts count, which is a big negative for me. And finally, use of blue pins (which normally adds to color vomit) is actually welcome here, as the blue and other colors help to break up the white/grey overall monotony. Another disappointment is the inability to modify the control+ software, which seriously diminishes the value to the set as a parts pack.

Not a day one purchase, and despite the misgivings, will eventually will be a must have.

[WvG_853]

Thanks for your review! Luckily I had started putting money aside for this set when it was first announced. I'm a bit surprised by the size, I had expected it to be bigger.

I'm curious to hear why you were able to review this set earlier ... I hope it involves you making the missing B-model. ;-)

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

What a exhaustive review!

[jorgeopesi]

Thank you Sariel, not for me but interesting pieces.

[Sariel]

2 hours ago, JGW3000 said:

Another disappointment is the inability to modify the control+ software, which seriously diminishes the value to the set as a parts pack.

That ability is coming, and soon. Wait for my October 1st interview with the designer of the 42100 to hear more.

[allanp]

Excellent, in-depth review Sariel  and I also very much look forward to the interview  . 

Although it's not for me it certainly looks to be an impressively well engineered and well detailed model, the app looks nicely polished and well designed (looking forward to custom control layouts) and the price is what you would expect for all the stuff you get. If this model had more of what I look for in a set (trying not to repeat myself too often here!) then the price certainly wouldn't put me off buying it at some point. It's not for me but still it's a rather impressive toy! This is possibly the best set i'm not going to buy* ever made.

*Well I say I'm not going to buy it, but when the ability to create your own custom control layouts comes along then purely as a parts pack this set becomes more enticing. 2 hubs and 7 motors ain't gonna come cheap on bricklink and definitely not from Lego. I'll put the LAs on Ebay 

Edited September 26, 2019 by allanp

[Fuzzock]

Great review Sariel. 

I was going to try to resist buying this set on day 1, but I have to admit that I am not sure if I will be able to control myself! 

Ian...

[Erik Leppen]

Thanks for making this super extensive video review. It seems to show most of the features.

As for the set itself, I'm still torn between two thoughts. On one hand, it's absolutely amazing, such a large model that works so smoothly and with all those control options. That, and actually having load capacity, after all the complaints about some older sets that looked great in motion but couldn't lift much.

On the other hand, it's still a white box on tracks and mechanically not very special. All the unique stuff is in the app and the electronic components, not in the model itself. Motors are directly coupled to functions, so I would way it's boring in the technical way, even though it's very insteresting in the technological way...

So one thing I really don't get is how Sariel gives "building experience" max score. It looks like a very longwinded uninteresting build with mostly pins, panels and system bricks. All those details are nice, but they fill the set with more parts and make it more expensive, while getting less Technic for the theme. If I want to build system, I can get to literally any other theme. If I buy Technic, I don't want all the nonfunctional system bits. I get the feeling that half of this set is boxes and railings. If you extend the comparison to the previous RC excavator (8043), it's almost 4 times as many parts, for one extra function. I'd say that 8043 is the (much) more interesting set here. Achieving 6 RC functions in a small package with only 1200 parts and only medium motors, that's an achievement (and a joy to build!). Everyone can get 7 functions out of 4000 parts (and thousands of lines of code) like in this Liebherr. So, I'd say 42100 is impressive, but 8043 is a design marvel. I know what I prefer :)

Oh well. It just seems the set is not for me, even though it seems to be for people like me. I just can't see myself spending 400 euros on the electric components, a few new LAs, clutches, 7x11 frames and other new stuff, plus 3800 other parts I already own too many of. Space-wise, it may be a better move to spend part of that 400 euros to just get the new parts, and have some money left to spend on the new parts in the 42110 Defender, including some cool olive green stuff.

(By the way, the yellow 3x3 frame is an interesting, if slightly odd, recolor.)

[Lakop]

I had almost forgotten about this set.

*Note to Lego: Paper bags please instead of plastic*

H

[dr_spock]

Thanks for the review! 

 

9 hours ago, Ivan_M said:

Wow what a waste of internal space, it is half empty when the motors should be inside superstructure and not in arm. Nice review, thanks

I think it is so that hamster can have a place stay inside. 

 

[JunkstyleGio]

Excellent review! Perfect presentation by @Sariel

The model itself is stil kind of "meh" to me.

Likes:

1. The extended use of the app. (Very nice extra's)
2. Lots of  motors and hubs
3. excellent playabillity
4. The set looks good.

Don't likes:

1. The App is half the show!
2. 7 motors and two hubs? A bit much?
3. €400?
4. Personally i got nothing with diggers, grabbers etc

I think I will pass on this one and wait for next year.