42129 - 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros

[blondasek]

And suddenly this model does not look so bad anymore :) Thanks, @grohl! You did what a lot of us asked before :)

[HectorMB]

43 minutes ago, kbalage said:

Here's everything I can share about the set at the moment, with some extra coming straight from the LEGO Fan Media Days designer interview such as new parts and other background information :)

 

 

 

Well... no-confirmed gearbox in the drivetrain :( but diff lock in rear and central diffs :). 

I think, at the end, is not that bad. 

What indeed intrigues me is about the climbing capacity. Apparently, the power enables this truck to go up pretty harsh steps. I though "Ok, it just a matter of gearing down a lot... with the gearbox". But if there's no gearbox, then i don't know what to think: to climb that good the truck would be extremely slow even in flat surfaces, isn't it?

[Milan]

I may have missed the answer, but it seems the Merc logo has the outer ring cut in half and not properly aligned:

[Scoar Sonander]

6 hours ago, Maaboo35 said:

It's only seven centimetres longer than 42029.

Maybe it's just the placement of the rear axle.

[HectorMB]

One thing that comes to my eye is that I think is, if not the first, among the first top sets that, in the official pictures, appears with a girls and not a boy. Does someone saw that (in in flagship sets or top ones) in other sets?

Indeed, i felt kind of annoyed when in the Mercedes Arocs, the advertishment at the end of the manual was somehting like "Lego for men".  

[thekoRngear]

The zetros climbing that high is really an eye-pleaser. Don't understand the language though.

I think...it doesn't have a gearbox?

Edited July 2, 2021 by thekoRngear

[AVCampos]

33 minutes ago, HectorMB said:

One thing that comes to my eye is that I think is, if not the first, among the first top sets that, in the official pictures, appears with a girls and not a boy. Does someone saw that (in in flagship sets or top ones) in other sets?

To me, the stuff around a set in "lifestyle" photos is nothing more than a lorem ipsum to have something around the model. In those photos I only pay attention to the model itself, because that's what I get if I get the set.

[Jurss]

28 minutes ago, thekoRngear said:

Don't understand the language though

Which one. They start few sentences in german, then move to english.

[Urbal]

Based on Milan's presentation, I think it'd be safe to assume that 1) there is no gearbox and Zetros is geared quite low (as was shown in the video) 2) there is no self-locking differential - and both central and rear differentials are lockable on demand, but not automatically... Still not bad in my opinion, but truck's geometry leaves quite a lot to be desired. However, I'm glad that TLG finally got the guts to release a model with lockable diffs. Self-lockable is probably a bit too much to expect considering current state of TLG designs...

But the dream is still there: to have an offroader RC model with realistic chassis, that would have 2 speeds (capable to climb the obstacles OR fast enough if need be) with lockable diffs (as realistic chassis would most likely require them).

Edited July 2, 2021 by Urbal

[u118224]

I don't think it's feasible for Technic to have 2 usable speeds with the current motors; they're just not powerful enough. One of my wishes is for better motors, I think the building techniques can support them. I know the Volvo has 3 speeds and I like that model as well, but honestly 2nd and 3rd gears are only for flat surfaces. In the interim I'm encouraged by this model. Mechanically it's interesting and the slow speed doesn't bother me.

Edited July 2, 2021 by u118224

[Urbal]

u118224, don't want to divert the main topic too much, but thanks for chiming in - these are good points indeed. TLG motors being not that powerful, and body detail being very taxing on model's weight, plus lack of specific details (e.g. we still missing 24 teeth clutch gear - we only have 16 and 20 teeth available...) makes it really hard to deliver something detailed and functional at the same time... Still, dealing with power/weight balance makes Technic build challenging and well,.. interesting hobby I suppose! Finding the right balance moves some MoC into engineering art territory IMHO.

Back to 42129 - agree, it's good to see remotely lockable diffs, and they will certainly help the model to climb - as axles articulation is frankly not that impressive. Let's wait for the reviews and see whether geometry is an issue (I believe it might be stuck here and there due to massive axles and long wheel base). Anyway, I see 42129 as a step in the right direction - delivering more remote functions and striping out model body a bit (and, yes, i like Technic old school skeleton bodies) - I'm glad Zetros presented as a trial truck, doesn't have any crane arms like Arocs, and thus is lighter!

[nerdsforprez]

I have posted my critique 'a plenty regarding the Raptor. Now its time to be positive.  I don't see models as static models, rather, what I can turn them into.  

With this in mind I am please with both the Zetros and the Crane Truck.  I have not bought official sets for a while, and it looks like I will be getting both.  They are not perfect, but IMO don't need to be.  Just provide good bones for me to build around.   Excited to modify....

Way to go TLG!

[Andman]

1 hour ago, Urbal said:

Self-lockable is probably a bit too much to expect considering current state of TLG designs...

I'm keen to have a look at that. The only challenging part i see, is to build a proper code to detect when to switch the lock. The rest of the procedure is pretty standard.

14 minutes ago, Urbal said:

TLG motors being not that powerful

But we should keep in mind that kids are playing with lego, too. As it was mentioned before, kids do stupid things. Lego is just no meant for performance. If that's what you want, it may be better to switch to real RC cars. So it is not likely that we get stronger motors.

[Maaboo the Witch]

I just saw the price of this puppy and nearly threw up.

[Urbal]

15 minutes ago, Andman said:

So it is not likely that we get stronger motors.

To be honest, I don't think we need more powerful motors - 2 XLs are enough for a large model. I think we need more building blocks (gears and clutches) to make the builds more efficient, especially off-road vehicles. The bottom line for me is that Technic is a prototyping tool, not meant to compete with performance RC models. But then, a prototype must demonstrate something (slow/fast, grip/slip etc.) - i.e. show engineering concept in practice. And this is where Technic toolbox could be a bit more versatile so that builders could create more realistic functions - in my case a gearbox that is meaningful and efficient, not that taxing for power/torque, and differentials that are easy to lock - so the axle is not that huge. I was really hoping to see the new LSD detail in 42129, or a mix of hardware and software implementation of it, but apparently not yet...

Anyhow, let's stay positive and check out the actual reviews

Edited July 2, 2021 by Urbal

[Gray Gear]

@Maaboo35 Well the Actros is 2x the price of the heavy duty tow truck with similar piece count, so appearently the PU components cost 150 Euro  Good one

Edited July 2, 2021 by Gray Gear

[1gor]

53 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

@Maaboo35 Well the Actros is 2x the price of the heavy duty tow truck with similar piece count, so appearently the PU components cost 150 Euro  Good one

You mean Zetros (not Actros) 

[Gray Gear]

5 minutes ago, I_Igor said:

You mean Zetros (not Actros) 

You are correct, as a car guy i tend to mix up these truck names... Zetros, Arocs, Actros... whatever. 

[1gor]

18 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

You are correct, as a car guy i tend to mix up these truck names... Zetros, Arocs, Actros... whatever. 

I understand you, they even sound similar (like made for rhyme). As time passes by it looks like I'll be starting to be a car guy and say Lego (cause of expenses, PU...) Goodbye as soon as I build planned MOCS

[Lipko]

4 hours ago, Milan said:

I may have missed the answer, but it seems the Merc logo has the outer ring cut in half and not properly aligned:

 

It's just shading. It's mimics a bulging shape which is lit from above.

[Maaboo the Witch]

Look at the underside of the hub in this image. The battery hatch is screwed on.

[Milan]

2 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

Look at the underside of the hub in this image. The battery hatch is screwed on.

It has been covered in the video. Take a look, but not a lot of info atm.

[Maaboo the Witch]

8 minutes ago, Milan said:

It has been covered in the video. Take a look, but not a lot of info atm.

I probably need to trawl through the video to find out the answer to this question, but I can't be arsed: What was wrong with the previous hatch?

[Andman]

I haven't experienced any issues with the tech hub yet. But maybe there were significant case where the current mechanism broke.

[Milan]

20 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

I probably need to trawl through the video to find out the answer to this question, but I can't be arsed: What was wrong with the previous hatch?

Here is the exact moment in the video:

https://youtu.be/79D3CKEjZ1k?t=440

As said, not much info about why.