Xiaomi MITU Mobile Crane Reconstructed Version

[Ngoc Nguyen]

By popular demand, here it is!

Rebrickable doesn't allow me to publish this model, so I host the files in my rebrickable folder.

https://bricksafe.com/pages/nguyengiangoc/mitu-mobile-crane

In the folder, you can find the part list, the instruction pdf, and the Stud.io digital model.

This MOC was recreated based on various speed build videos on YouTube. Some parts have their color changed to match with the current availability of Lego pieces, and some changed to make the build clearer. There are also some modifications to improve the building experience and the model's rigidity. The build sequence is also different from that in the original model. 

Features:

- Rolling wheels
- 4 wheel steering. In the original design the front and rear axles have different steering radius. I don't like its design, so I modified them to make them have the same radius.
- Opening doors
- Synchronized outriggers
- 360 degree turntable
- Raising crane
- Extending crane
- Rolling winch

No differential or working engine.

Enjoy!
 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Ngoc Nguyen

[Andman]

Thanks for the instructions! Why didn't Rebrickable allow you to publish it?

[Ngoc Nguyen]

42 minutes ago, Andman said:

Thanks for the instructions! Why didn't Rebrickable allow you to publish it?

The reason I received is,

"You can not publish MOCs that you did not design yourself, even when it's a clone brand."

Edited April 12, 2021 by Ngoc Nguyen

[Gray Gear]

55 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

The reason I received is,

"You can not publish MOCs that you did not design yourself, even when it's a clone brand."

Makes sense, I don't even know if what you are doing here is breking some copyright or whatever law (in theory). Rebrickable just wants to stay out of trouble.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

4 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

Makes sense, I don't even know if what you are doing here is breking some copyright or whatever law (in theory). Rebrickable just wants to stay out of trouble.

At least Jim gave me the green light,

[Gray Gear]

@Ngoc Nguyen Yeah I doubt they would care about a forum like this, but Rebrickable makes profit with their instructions, and in theory Xiaomi could start something. 

Anyways, it's a neat little model, and very nice of you to share the instructions 

[Bartybum]

Lol should've just not mentioned that it's a clone crane

[Rainbow]

Thanks for the instruction!

[anyUser]

Many thanks for creating and providing these instructions.
I remember that I built the arm (only) last year from pictures. I then lost interest to build the rest.

I have now built the crane in usual Lego colors:

I believe it's very similar to set 8460/8438.
Compared with recent crane 42108 this one is less wide & a bit higher which I find more pleasing:

If you do not mind I would like to comment on the instructions (nonetheless):

- Step number in upper left corner is often not recogniseable because of model shown behind.
- Some building steps are difficult to see because they are (partially) covered by box with parts-to-be-used.
See step 234 for example.
- Instruction & parts list does not contain mirrors or steering wheel (cf. step 141: not used). However, it is pretty clear how to add them.

Details:

- In step 75 a red 10L axle is used. That did not fit for me. I used a 11L axle instead.
- Before step 52 I would insert the 3L axle pin (32054/65304) before attaching the frame and then pushing it further.
- For step 82 I used part 42195/18948 because the middle hole might interfere with the teeth of the rack.
- I omitted the second 8tooth gear in step 109 because for me a single one had enough friction on the superstructure.
- Adding parts in step 266 is difficult. I suggest not to push the 8L axle-with-stop in step 237 fully.
- In step 272 there is not way to add the second-from-right 3L pin: At this point there is a axle hole in the gear rack.
- tan 3/4 pin from step 61 & 67 are not doing anything and could be omitted.
- The original model has a No 2 panel on the right front of the superstructure:

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by anyUser
saw some typos

[Void_S]

Thank you for the model and your efforts! And that you dare to do it! 

Honestly, I was looking at the non-LEGO (all kind of them, not only legal ones) models for a long time and among of well-known copies, there were some really interesting models.
The story is not about the "copy - is it good or bad" but my own doubts in making a copy of some model - for sure, it's always OK if you do some reverse engineering for yourself, "for home use only". However, I still feel some ethical dilemma here:

• On one hand, it is great to try and explore something new, like we do for not-yet-released sets. To imagine how this and that was made and how it works using only some blurry images.
• On another hand, are we allowed to publish it? For LEGO sets, for sure not - we're here for a fair play and should not cross the border of "official/leaked" terms and make a present for copycats.
  For other ones - Rebrickable (I like their position) is made for MOCs, so it is welcomed to publish the Own models.
• On the third hand (well, I can't figure it better, sorry), I feel some freedom regarding the illegal brands - "so, you copycatted us, so I will you too", like a kind of a counter attack. There is a feeling only, as I really that the ice here is sooo thin.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

tan 3/4 pin from step 61 & 67 are not doing anything and could be omitted.

I think they are intended to be steering limiters. They appear in the original model.

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

- I omitted the second 8tooth gear in step 109 because for me a single one had enough friction on the superstructure.

In the original model there are two friction gears on both sides. 

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

- The original model has a No 2 panel on the right front of the superstructure:

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

Instruction & parts list does not contain mirrors or steering wheel (cf. step 141: not used)

Yes, my bad. I've added them.

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

In step 75 a red 10L axle is used. That did not fit for me. I used a 11L axle instead.

Yes, my bad. I've fixed it.

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

Before step 52 I would insert the 3L axle pin (32054/65304) before attaching the frame and then pushing it further.

Stud.io doesn't have the tools that allow me to add buffer state, so I can't do this.

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

Step number in upper left corner is often not recogniseable because of model shown behind.

I've changed its color to grey so that it stands out against both white blank pages and colored parts

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

For step 82 I used part 42195/18948 because the middle hole might interfere with the teeth of the rack.

That's reasonable. I've replaced the connector with the 26287 part to be safe.

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

Adding parts in step 266 is difficult. I suggest not to push the 8L axle-with-stop in step 237 fully.

I can't add buffer states, so I've changed the build sequence instead.

 

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

In step 272 there is not way to add the second-from-right 3L pin: At this point there is a axle hole in the gear rack.

Yes, my bad. I've removed the middle one.

 

Overall, thanks a lot for the feedback. Because I haven't built this model myself, I can't find out these mistakes.

[M_longer]

It's good that you have fixed that rear steered axle.

 

[Ngoc Nguyen]

3 hours ago, Void_S said:

• On one hand, it is great to try and explore something new, like we do for not-yet-released sets. To imagine how this and that was made and how it works using only some blurry images.
• On another hand, are we allowed to publish it? For LEGO sets, for sure not - we're here for a fair play and should not cross the border of "official/leaked" terms and make a present for copycats.
  For other ones - Rebrickable (I like their position) is made for MOCs, so it is welcomed to publish the Own models.
• On the third hand (well, I can't figure it better, sorry), I feel some freedom regarding the illegal brands - "so, you copycatted us, so I will you too", like a kind of a counter attack. There is a feeling only, as I really that the ice here is sooo thin.

I consider this model simply as a MOD version of an official model. If there are no problems with posting our own MOD versions, then there should be no problem with this one, right? I've never claimed that this is my original design.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Ngoc Nguyen

[Void_S]

13 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

I consider this model simply as a MOD version of an official model. If there are no problems with posting our own MOD versions, then there should be no problem with this one, right? I've never claimed that this is my original design.

Yeah, especially as you really changed it a lot. That were just my own doubts.

[Gray Gear]

3 hours ago, Void_S said:

I feel some freedom regarding the illegal brands - "so, you copycatted us, so I will you too", like a kind of a counter attack. There is a feeling only, as I really that the ice here is sooo thin.

"Illegal Brands"  Just no. Xiaomi is not breaking any laws, and they haven't stolen any designs either. They offer original designs, and they seem to be appreachiated here as I can see.

LEGO has competition now, and that competition is not "illegal" or whatever. Please educate yourself a little on the matter before writing a comment like this.

Btw, having your MOCs storen hurts, I know how you feel as it is happening to me as well. But not even close to all all chinese brands are like that.

[Void_S]

1 minute ago, Gray Gear said:

"Illegal Brands"  Just no. Xiaomi is not breaking any laws, and they haven't stolen any designs either. They offer original designs, and they seem to be appreachiated here as I can see.

LEGO has competition now, and that competition is not "illegal" or whatever. Please educate yourself a little on the matter before writing a comment like this.

Btw, having your MOCs storen hurts, I know how you feel as it is happening to me as well. But not even close to all all chinese brands are like that.

Hold on, man. I know which brands are good and which are not (just preferred not to mention the exact names here) and I have nothing against Xiaomi - my concern was only for doubts in copying them.

And, kindly don't ask others to do something in a such manner. We're all good friends here and have no bad intensions. I believe 

[1974]

19 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

Xiaomi is not breaking any laws

Are none of those parts in that model patented by TLG?

[syclone]

35 minutes ago, 1974 said:

Are none of those parts in that model patented by TLG?

As far as I am concerned - no. Their original patents are expiring and their attempts atmaking a monopoly by making the patents indefinite have been shut down. 

And TLG themselves have introduced several parts that had already been used by competition previously, with the notable example being the alternating hole beams.

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Amazing job rebuilding it and making instructions, having skimmed through it seems a great model.

[Gray Gear]

16 hours ago, 1974 said:

Are none of those parts in that model patented by TLG?

They certeinly arn't where Xiaomi is selling them, in China 

16 hours ago, syclone said:

As far as I am concerned - no. Their original patents are expiring and their attempts atmaking a monopoly by making the patents indefinite have been shut down. 

This ^

And many brick manufacturers, like Cada for example, make small changes to the bricks, so they function the same while looking a little different that way the "design protection" does not matter because it protects the overall look, not the technical function.

None of these normal bricks can be patented, as a patent is given for an invention. "Designschutz", so Design Protection, is used for shaped objects like our beloved bricks. But things that only contain design elements of a technical nature (like a stud for example) cannot get design protection.

The weird thing about the EU design protection system is that you can get any design you want protected, and nobody will look at it. Only if someone else drags you infront of the court the protected thing in question will get examined. So while LEGO has a lot of bricks protected right now, a lot of them only still have protection because nobody with enough cash has fought things out in front of the court.

All this is is very complicated, and I am afraid I also lack the knowledge and expertise to grasp these laws 100%. I am no expert either.

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Gray Gear

[anyUser]

19 hours ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

I think they are intended to be steering limiters. They appear in the original model.

I thought the same. However, the connectors (15100/65847) from same building steps pose similar limits to the steering angle (both front and rear axle). There is no chance that wheels would touch the chassis.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

I've updated the io file, the part list, and the instruction in the folder.