[REVIEW] 42104 - Race Truck

[VBBN]

Set Number: 42104
Set Name: Race Truck
Pieces: 227
Price: $19.99 USD | 19,99 € | £17.99 | $29.99
Links: Lego.com | Bricklink | Brickset

 

Hello and welcome to my review of the Race truck, one of the two new pull-back sets in the 1HY 2020 Technic range. For most people, I think these pull-back sets tend to be an easy pass unless the parts are desirable, but how does this set stack up? Let's find out.

 

As with the other Technic 1HY 2020 sets, this was graciously provided by Lego, but the opinions in this review are my own.

The Box

Front

The front of the box shows the truck on a race track, naturally, and advertises the 2 in 1 abilities of the set, as well as a diagram of the pull back feature. I know this may surprise you, but the pull back feature means you pull the set back and it charges forward. 

 

Back

Here we can see the features of the set; besides the pull-back, it also has an opening hood and doors. We can also see the B model, which is a fairly good looking race car, perhaps even more well-put together than the semi. Once instructions are available, I'll post some photos and thoughts of that as well.

 

The Build

Beginning steps

The build starts off simple, here we can see a Technic frame built around the pull back motor.

Headlights

Here's the mount for the lights and eventual bumper

Building the cockpit

 

Now we get to the real meat of the set, the cab and hood. As you can see, function wise there isn't really much going on here, the hood is just a simple hinge. No engine, no interior, just a lot of orange beams.

Body Panels

We start giving shape to the truck with panels and...a lot of stickers. I get it, it's a racing truck, but to be honest these stickers always make Technic sets look like a mess to me, and a lot of the 1HY 2020 sets have similar looking ones. 

Finished Build

Finished Build Front

Visually, there's some good and some bad here. I generally like the shaping of the front of the truck quite a bit, and the silver elements offer a nice contrast.

Rear

Here's where things are, well, less great. The big spoiler isn't totally uncommon, I do see racing trucks with them, but I think the wheels are just a bit too massive. Functionally it's good, it propels the set more when you pull it back, but it does look...odd.

 

Front

Realism certainly isn't the goal here, and like most pull-backs, the bumper is built to be slammed into walls over and over again.

 

Profile

 

I'll repeat here, I'm really not a fan of the rear half, it just doesn't blend well with the front half.

 

Rear

 

Finish Line

 

Here's the set complete with another little side build, a finish line. It's alright, most will probably consider this a parts inflation, but it's a neat addition if you collect pull-backs an will complete really any of them quite well.

 

Opening Hood

Nothing to really see under the hood, but a nice feature regardless.

Doors

Same story with the doors, they open about this far, but there isn't really an interior to see.

 

Function Showcase

 

 

Overall

I think it's pretty self explanatory that this set has a limited audience. If you are a fan of Technic pull-backs, this could be a good one to pick up; Orange is a great color, it's a unique design that we haven't gotten before, and as I somewhat demonstrated in the video above, it works as well as you could hope. But for those who are not a fan of pull-backs, I struggle to recommend this one. There really aren't any actual functions to the set, the proportions are very exaggerated, and there isn't much in the way of an interior nor too many interesting parts worth the $20 price tag. Of the sets to gt in this wave, I think this one is on the lower end of the scale. What are your thoughts?

[M_longer]

36 minutes ago, VBBN said:

one of the two new pull-back sets

Not three? 42106 also comes with pullback motor.

[mostlytechnic]

I again prefer the B to the A model, but the truck isn't terrible. At least if you don't look from the side. The front and rear each alone look ok to me, but together they look unfinished and like they didn't belong together. It's a nice set for kids. I think the drag truck is a cool idea, but just not quite finished in design. 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

On 12/27/2019 at 11:37 PM, mostlytechnic said:

I again prefer the B to the A model

I agree, the truck is fine but the F1 car is super cool!

[Mechbuilds]

It's a very underrated set. I like it. It accomplishes good detail with minimal parts. 

[Filipe128]

It's a great improvement from the previous pull-back sets.