Buy V9 or wait for the new sets?

[peterab]

PF only offers the Technic gearing motor correct? I think the V9 motor with wheels look very easy for a kid to build on.

There are two PF gear motors, the medum and XL motors but ther is another option;

The RC motor (which looks like the 9V train one) also works with the PF battery box, and there is rumoured to be a new PF motor, like the 9V one with more power than the RC one, which will be included in the 2010 train sets.

Part of the advantage of the PF stuff is it is all an interchangable system so you can mix and match components.

[segambit]

There are two PF gear motors, the medum and XL motors but ther is another option;

The RC motor (which looks like the 9V train one) also works with the PF battery box, and there is rumoured to be a new PF motor, like the 9V one with more power than the RC one, which will be included in the 2010 train sets.

Part of the advantage of the PF stuff is it is all an interchangable system so you can mix and match components.

So if you buy a battery+ir+remote you can convert a RC to a PF? if so it might be a good thing buying a cheap RC train and later when the new PF releases convert it?

[j3tang]

Is there a certain reason why the acronym V9 is used? AFAIK, it is only when talking about money one puts the unit before the value, i.e. £4.

I think he means 9V (for 9 Volt) but nobody has bothered to correct it until you

Edited January 20, 2010 by j3tang

[Davey]

A lot of chatter in here back and forth about 9V vs. PF. That's good to see. I would advise you to do some searching on Eurobricks as there have been many discussions regarding the exact questions you are asking. That being said, here is my opinion. At this point, 9V (yes...it stands for 9-Volt) is dead and it IS NOT coming back. PF is the way of the future and, in my opinion, the direction you should go. It is cheaper to obtain and offers many similar features that the 9V line possessed.

As many have mentioned, the #8866 Train Motor can be used similar to the old 9V Train Motor to motorize most of the old 9V locomotives. You may need to do some minor modifications to fit a battery box in somewhere...but let's be honest...modifications are all part of building with LEGO. I would recommend getting the #8878 Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box to power the motors as it is smaller than the standard PF Battery Box and will pay for itself in the long run by not 'eating batteries'.

As you move forward, you can start designing technic style gear-trains to power your locomotives. A search on Flickr yields a number of designs. For the designs you see here, you would need either the Power Functions M-Motor or the Power Functions XL-Motor depending on the speed and pulling power you need. You will also need a few IR-Links and one PF Speed Controller. With this (and some RC/PF Track) you should be all set to get to work!

As a final note, I will address you question about which system is more 'kid friendly'. In my opinion, the Power Functions system is WAY more kid friendly than the 9V system. The 9V system has issues with short-circuits and as you add more motors you have to start running the controllers in series to supply enough current to run all the motors reliably. With the Power Functions system, you just turn it on and play! It also allows track geometry that wasn't possible in 9V such as a reversing loop.

So in summary, I would strongly suggest you jump into Power Functions trains and forget the 9V stuff. If you really want some of the old 9V locomotives, you can always buy them and use the new #8866 Train Motor (which I linked above) in place of the 9V motor. It might require some modification, but that's the fun part! In reality, the best trains are the ones built by fans. I would encourage you to build your own trains in addition to the official LEGO trains.

Good luck!

-Davey

[Duq]

Hi Segambit,

I think it's quite simple. If you don't have any trains at the moment then just go for PF, especially if it's for your son. The only reason I could think of for starting with 9V now would be if you're joining a club that has a big 9V layout.

Lego will not produce any new 9V sets or parts. That means you will have to buy everything used.

The trains that will be released later this year will have a train motor like the one on the RC trains, only with a PF cable/connector. That means they will be easier to build and motorise than the Emerald Night as there are no gears involved.

The 9V system has lasted about 16 years. At the moment Lego is building the PF system across all product ranges (Technic, Creator, Trains) so I would expect it to be around for at least the next decade.

[segambit]

Thanks.

I did go for PF!

I did order the following for my emerald night + 1 more train (need to make one or buy a set)

[New Sealed] 8870 Power Functions Light (x1) ..... US $8.99 each = US $8.99

[New Sealed] 8878 Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box (x2) ..... US $43.50 each = US $87.00

[New Sealed] 8887 Power Functions Transformer 10VDC (x1) ..... US $25.00 each = US $25.00

[New Sealed] 8866 Train Motor (Power Functions) (x1) ..... US $17.48 each = US $17.48

[New Sealed] 8879 ??

[New Sealed] 7996 Double Crossover Track - Brand New! In Factory Sealed Box! (x1) ..... US $24.98 each = US $24.98

[New Sealed] 8884 Power Functions IR Receiver - Brand New! In Factory Sealed Package! (x2) ..... US $26.98 each = US $53.96

[New Sealed] 8882 Power Functions XL-Motor - Brand New! In factory sealed package! (x1) ..... US $23.98 each = US $23.98

Think i got a nice price on the batterys!

Guess i need to buy some tracks also, but that might be cheaper in store (they didnt have any PF in the store, but they had tracks)

Did i miss anything or will this work for my emerald night + moc train 8866+8870+8884+8878 (or kit train)

It did get expensive...

[segambit]

Also about track. I have heard emerald night isnt very good in flexible train?

I was thinking about:

1* 7895

4*7896

Should be OK start for 2 trains, or should i add 1-2 more 7896 ?

[Duq]

8879 is your remote control.

You missed 1 item: 8871 extension wire. The 8866 is not a PF motor so you need the 8871 wire to connect the motor to the receiver.

[Davey]

Thanks.

I did go for PF!

Think i got a nice price on the batterys!

Yeah, the PF stuff gets cheaper as you buy more of it from S@H. They don't advertise that, but you can mix and match PF components and once you get to 5 or so I think you get 15% off.

It did get expensive...

But nowhere near as expensive as trying to start with 9V from scratch.

-Davey

[peterab]

So if you buy a battery+ir+remote you can convert a RC to a PF? if so it might be a good thing buying a cheap RC train and later when the new PF releases convert it?

Well you could, but if you buy an RC train it comes with a battery pack and IR and remote already, so you dont really need to. The RC remote wont work for PF trains, but if you buy a PF train (which comes with a remote) as a second train in the future, you could just use the appropriate remote for each train, or buy a battery pack and IR receiver for the RC train at that time, to use one remote for both trains.

[Piranha]

I faced this same decision.

Back when there was just news/rumors of new Train sets.

Then the pictures came out and I was glad I decided to wait.

Still waiting for them to be released but it will be well worth it, they are amazing!

I speak about the Cargo Train here,

Pros:

Track, good mix of flexi and regular

PF Included! Huge bonus!

The engine is really nice

Good selection of train cars to pull

The crane

Red Truck

Cons

Battery issues maybe suspected?

And price perhaps

"Good things come to those who wait"