42129 - 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros

[paul_delahaye]

Pretty sure toy regulations for a while now have required battery compartments to be secure, so kids cannot remove the battery without using a tool.  Pure safety I thought.  Not that when we grew up, we were harmed by opening our own battery compartments?  I'm almost surprised that this was not a requirement from day 1 as Lego would always follow child safety rules..

But the design of the new hub. definitely has the ability for a lithium pack to be retrofitted in future.  It may need removing and placing in an external battery charger for recharging which would be a pain.

[howitzer]

5 minutes ago, paul_delahaye said:

Pretty sure toy regulations for a while now have required battery compartments to be secure, so kids cannot remove the battery without using a tool.  Pure safety I thought.  Not that when we grew up, we were harmed by opening our own battery compartments?  I'm almost surprised that this was not a requirement from day 1 as Lego would always follow child safety rules..

But the design of the new hub. definitely has the ability for a lithium pack to be retrofitted in future.  It may need removing and placing in an external battery charger for recharging which would be a pain.

The regulations vary by country, but I'm pretty sure there's no requirement for battery compartments to be unopenable without tools. Even the new Mindstorms hub has a rechargeable battery which is removable without tools and same goes for most other battery boxes throughout the history of Lego, so I don't think this is related to safety. More likely is that there has either been some sort of problem with the previous iteration of the C+ hub or they actually are planning to introduce a rechargeable battery for the hub (which would need to be removed only rarely if ever, thus justifying the screws.)

[allanp]

I don't like the screws as I like to remove the batteries each time I put something away (due to leakage). Having to take apart and screw back together something each time you play with it, especially something as safe as Lego, is a pain. Hopefully there will still be some little plastic clips that hold the plate in place so we can choose to just leave the screws out if we wish. Alternatively would it not have been better to stick with the original design and just add a single screw (which could also just be left out)?

Edited July 4, 2021 by allanp

[howitzer]

30 minutes ago, allanp said:

I don't like the screws as I like to remove the batteries each time I put something away (due to leakage). Having to take apart and screw back together something each time you play with it, especially something as safe as Lego, is a pain. Hopefully there will still be some little plastic clips that hold the plate in place so we can choose to just leave the screws out if we wish. Alternatively would it not have been better to stick with the original design and just add a single screw (which could also just be left out)?

Yeah, screws are a huge annoyance if you're going to use alkaline batteries. That's why I'm hoping for a rechargeable battery so that it could be charged without opening the compartment.

Also at least some models (like 42114) have the lid of the battery compartment positioned in such a way that it couldn't be screwed in anyway, so those models can't be fitted with the newer version either (for example to replace a faulty hub). I'm assuming the Zetros will have its lid easily accessible, but this change to screws will limit the positioning of the hub significantly.

[AVCampos]

If I'm not mistaken, the toy safety lays required that a battery door had either two latches or be held by screws: that's why the NXT rechargeable battery, which uses a single latch and was made before those laws, had to be redesigned for the EV3. Since the C+ hub switched from latches to screws, maybe it's because the laws changed again to be more strict?

[Josephiah]

Laws on battery accessibility are definitely tightening up - at my engineering consultancy we've had clients asking us for product design adaptations, looking towards upcoming regulation changes. In those cases, though, it has tended to be around product which use the small "button" or "coin" lithium batteries, which can cause horrific injuries if swallowed.

[Maaboo the Witch]

This probably means that the individually-purchasable hub is going through a design change as well.

[Bricktrain]

I am pleased I dont need to buy this set, $549.99NZ 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck 42129 | Technic | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop NZ

[keymaker]

13 minutes ago, Bricktrain said:

I am pleased I dont need to buy this set, $549.99NZ

There is something seriously wrong with prices in your country ;/ I did fast recalculation and you should pay something around 430NZ.

 

My inner voice to me: Haha, don't be so smart, you will see how prices in Poland, when revealed, will bite you in the megablocks. (Megablocks?? I see some sort of auto correction here :P)

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by keymaker

[Bricktrain]

35 minutes ago, keymaker said:

There is something seriously wrong with prices in your country ;/ I did fast recalculation and you should pay something around 430NZ.

 

 

Price of shipping it to the end of the earth and high sales taxes.

 

[HectorMB]

Despite my positive opinion about this set, the price is truly descouraging :(

[suffocation]

2 hours ago, HectorMB said:

Despite my positive opinion about this set, the price is truly descouraging :(

Migros always have 30% off all toys in October, November and March

[Jurss]

Knowing one local shop discount policy,there is chance, that it will cost something close to 210EUR. Hopefully.

[msk6003]

I got information of price in korea.

419,900 KRW, roughly 371.26$

[Kostq]

In Bulgaria the liebherr was about 450eu from the main importer. Here we don't have official LEGO store.

Yet we get 33% discounts from time to time.

 

This will probably be about 350eu which is 50eu higher than the minimum wage. Yeah.

Edited July 5, 2021 by GTS

[992bricks]

According to LEGO.com Australia, which has this set listed as 'Add to Bag', In the description this is written: 'This LEGO® Technic™ 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck (42129) model is packed with authentic details like working suspension on all 4 wheels, a detailed gearbox and differential locking.' Does this mean that there is a gearbox in the set, or is it just describing the Diff Lock?

Edited July 6, 2021 by 992bricks

[2GodBDGlory]

Good question! Elsewhere, they seemed to be describing the differential lock assembly as a gearbox, but I wouldn't be too surprised if the lock was linked with a 2-speed gearbox, such that the lower speed has differentials locked, while the higher one has them open.

Also, does anybody know which differential they are using for the central one? The new 28T one could work, but I feel that the old 16/24T one could be even better--this would also mark the first time that the driving ring indents in the housing have been used in an official set since it came out in 1994 (Unless, perhaps, it was used in a B-model).

[allanp]

6 hours ago, 2GodBDGlory said:

Good question! Elsewhere, they seemed to be describing the differential lock assembly as a gearbox, but I wouldn't be too surprised if the lock was linked with a 2-speed gearbox, such that the lower speed has differentials locked, while the higher one has them open.

Also, does anybody know which differential they are using for the central one? The new 28T one could work, but I feel that the old 16/24T one could be even better--this would also mark the first time that the driving ring indents in the housing have been used in an official set since it came out in 1994 (Unless, perhaps, it was used in a B-model).

A gearbox doesn't necessarily have to be one with multiple speeds, it could be more of a transfer case. And yes, the diff lock function of the 94 set has never been used officially until now.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

6 hours ago, 2GodBDGlory said:

the old 16/24T one could be even better

But is it compatible with the new driving ring?

[syclone]

4 hours ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

But is it compatible with the new driving ring?

Yep, they are (tested with a diff too, but the image illustrates all possible combos, the only one that doesn't work is old driving ring + new gears)

[brickless_kiwi]

On 7/5/2021 at 8:07 PM, keymaker said:

There is something seriously wrong with prices in your country ;/ I did fast recalculation and you should pay something around 430NZ.

 

My inner voice to me: Haha, don't be so smart, you will see how prices in Poland, when revealed, will bite you in the megablocks. (Megablocks?? I see some sort of auto correction here :P)

 

Yes. Eurobricks auto corrects swear words.. with a swear word of the lego world... someone has a sense of humor. However like Paul. I will not be paying $549 nzd for a set.  And yes the pricing for Lego in nz is outrageous. 

[RazzPinazzo]

8 hours ago, brickless_kiwi said:

Yes. Eurobricks auto corrects swear words.. with a swear word of the lego world... someone has a sense of humor. However like Paul. I will not be paying $549 nzd for a set.  And yes the pricing for Lego in nz is outrageous. 

Move to Russia. Here you can buy lego at a discount about 40%... with an average salary $500 per month :)

[lmdesigner42]

There are various official pictures up for the Zetros on the US shop. There seems to be something unusual going on with the rear axle. I'm seeing two shafts going to the rear axle and several red and LBG 16-tooth gears. This makes me think there is one of two following possibilities instead of the normal differential position:

1. Rear diff is in chassis with two outputs going to the rear axle through separate shafts.
2. Rear diff and locker are in the rear axle, but mounted perpendicular.

If you look at pictures of the rear, there are several red and yellow axles in the rear axle rotated at different angles, this supports the idea that there is something more going on in there.

[HectorMB]

@imdesigner42, I'm not sure if I understood you, but if recall well, the official (it maybe it was something that I read elsewhere) description already mention that the diff lock is in the central and rear axles. This would explain and for with your second possibility, isn't it?

[brickless_kiwi]

4 hours ago, RazzPinazzo said:

Move to Russia. Here you can buy lego at a discount about 40%... with an average salary $500 per month :)

I did a little bit of googling.  But yes the wages to living cost is not great.