Posted May 22, 201212 yr I recently got rid of a LOT of my System Lego. I didn't have space for it, wasn't building with it, and just wasn't as excited about it as I used to be. Part of it was that there are SO many System pieces, digging into MOC's was more of a chore, even with my crazy sorting system I came up with. But now that things have calmed down, I've been thinking that Technic is more my thing. I've always been fascinated by Technic, largely because of the moving parts and ability to motorize my creations. While buildings and bridges are my first love (being an engineer and all), there's a huge fascination with building something and making it "work". As a kid, I had the Star Wars Destroyer Droid (which was really neat!), but outside of that, I've never really delved into Techinc. Where would all of you Technic gurus suggest I start? I want to be able to build it and "play" with it. Moving parts = good. I also would love to have a set that gives me options to expand or build new "things" in the future. I have like $35 in VIP credit, and there may be a coupon coming in the next catalog...Since everyone asks about budget when it comes to new sets, I would be comfortable shelling out ~$200, but that's a high end. If there's a good set for less, I'm there! Thanks for the help/tips/suggestions!
May 22, 201212 yr (Prefaced somewhat unnecessarily with 'in my opinion') The Backhoe Loader (8069) is the most playable, best value set in the current range. It has lots of functions, and is a nice size. It's a quick fun build too. I was surprised by how much I liked the Supercar (8070). I prefer trucks/heavy equipment to cars, but this is a fun toy with nice functions. Similar comment applies to Extreme Cruiser (8081); it's a fun toy. Limited on functions though. Flatbed Truck (8109) has limited functions, but they're the most pleasing in the way they work. It looks good too, and playing with it won't eat through the batteries too quickly. The Excavator (8043) and the Mog (8110) offer unprecedented levels of function and complexity. They're impressive, but not that much fun to play with, and the builds can become a chore. However the B-model for 8043 is a track loader, and is absolutely awesome for playability. The two mini cranes (8067 and 9391) are fun, cheap, quick to build, and offer lots of functions in a tiny model. I haven't been disappointed with any of the sets in the current range: the Quad (9392) Tow Truck (9390), Off-Roader (8066), Container Truck (8065), Rescue Helicopter (8068) and Bucket Truck (8071) are all fun, but none of them are as much fun as the sets recommended above Edited May 22, 201212 yr by andythenorth
May 22, 201212 yr I have like $35 in VIP credit, and there may be a coupon coming in the next catalog...Since everyone asks about budget when it comes to new sets, I would be comfortable shelling out ~$200, but that's a high end. If there's a good set for less, I'm there! Based on what is currently available on the shelves and considering your budget and level of experience, I'd recommend starting here: The best set currently available is the8110 Unimog which will cost you $200, but it has everything you could ever want in a Technic set. However, if you've never built Technic before then this may be a bit much for a starting point. If you are interested in the more historical sets, you can read all about them here. The bigger sets can be harder to find at a retail store. Your best bet is a LEGO brand retail store or LEGO Shop @ Home. Next best bet is Toys 'R Us, assuming you are in the USA.
May 22, 201212 yr If you are interested in the more historical sets, you can read all about them here. Well up to 1995 Hint Hint
May 22, 201212 yr Generic parts pack: $70 Battery box: $7 Large motor: $10 Small motor: $7.50 IR remote: $9.50 IR receiver: $15 That should keep you busy for a while (a few years back you could've bought all this in a single set).
May 22, 201212 yr It's nice to see somebody else getting into Technic! Here's my opinion about the sets: 8110 Unimog is a great set (although I have yet to get it). Includes pneumatics, motorized compressor, and some special parts. $200 8043 Excavator is also great. Part count isn't as high as the Unimog, but it has a nice assortment of gears, plus all the PF parts. $200 9397 Log Truck is a good set. Has some beams and a lot of 16t gears. $140 8069 Backhoe Loader is, imho, one of the better $60 sets I've seen in a while. MiniLA's are nice. $60 8109 Flatbed Truck is nice, but not that complicated. It does have some unique build techniques, like the lowering "suspension" and the flip out tow forks. Not a bad set at $100. 8070 Supercar has a lot of good red parts, good suspension pieces, a fair amount of gears. Great set if you plan on building cars, but if you plan on building trucks, spend a bit more and get the log truck. $120. IMHO, one of the best sets for somebody just getting into Technic is the 8258 Crane Truck. Good part assortment with LOTS of gears and a XL motor. If you can find one cheap, it would be worth picking up. Skip the Extreme Cruiser. Dumb set not worth the price...I'm sure it'll be on clearance soon enough. Just my opinion of some sets. Edited May 22, 201212 yr by dhc6twinotter
May 22, 201212 yr Me too, I also think 8110 is a good set to start with. You get a whole lot of pieces and many different ones too. I am not telling you to build the set but take the pieces and experiment with them, create small mocs and get used to Technic and its system. This way, you can begin building official sets and get how they work. Well, get started!
May 22, 201212 yr there was a time when the transition would have been much more natural.... KEvron, old-school curmudgeon Edited May 22, 201212 yr by KEvron
May 22, 201212 yr Author There's a lot of great suggestions - thanks guys! I'm digging the complexity and style of the Unimog. I think that came Out relatively recently, no? Is there a set getting ready to disappear that I should grab now that offers the same options as a set like that, or should I opt to bite on the big guy now?
May 23, 201212 yr If money is no object, I'd get the 8110 Unimog. Fun build and lots of possibilities for making your own implements for it.
May 23, 201212 yr I'll throw in my two cents here: I too had the Star Wars Destroyer Droid set, and thought it was pretty fantastic. But other than that, never had any Technic sets, nor much interest in getting them. But for my birthday this year my buddies got me the Excavator (8043) that's been mentioned here, and holy cow is it cool. There are so many gears in there it'll make your head spin (in a good way)! It was a very fun build, and seeing how the battery box and the power systems at work (Power Functions, I guess they're called?) was really cool. So in short: 8043 is a great choice if you haven't decided yet. Well, even if you have decided it's still a great choice.
May 23, 201212 yr Like many of said, the 8069 Backhoe is about the most fun you can get out of the most recent Technic sets at about $60 USD. I believe Toys R Us and Lego S@H still both have them in stock, at least online, haven't seen them in TRU stores in a long time in my area. Best bet would be S@H as their shipping seems to be lowest, that's a good one to get your feet wet. More of a challenge and just meeting the $199 mark without going over (besides shipping) would be the 8043 Excavator or the 8110 Unimog. I actually spied a few 8043's (which came out summer 2010) in a TRU store recently at $199, actually MSRP for once, TRU notoriously marks Technic up, but after a while, they seem to gain level ground price-wise with S@H. Don't know how large an area you live in, but I'd at least visit a TRU to see what there pickings are, seems they vary widely from store to store after a model's initial release date. The 8043 is a great set and lots of mods have been done and posted here that make it better, but in all reality IMO the 8110 is superior, both are a challenge, but a blast to build seeing how everything goes together section by section after just being a System guy. If the 8455 Pneumatic Backhoe Loader, 8285 Tow Truck or the 8421 Mobile Crane were still in production, I'd say go with one of those, but they have all been retired for a long time and therefore wherever you might like, unless you are real lucky, they will all be far above your $200 mark. Oh one forgotten one I just thought of, the 9397 Logging Truck is excellent also, around $149 if you get it from S@H, and the b-model is equally as good as the logging truck itself. Could use more than one log, but alas it comes with just the one 1. Edited May 23, 201212 yr by TechnicFreak
May 23, 201212 yr Author I don't have much affinity towards cars or trucks really. I'd love to build a crane, though. It's sad that the crane isn't in production anymore. :/ I need to do a bit more research tomorrow after work and hopefully come up with a nice purchase option! A lot of fantastically helpful and informative posts guys. Thank you!
May 23, 201212 yr FWIW, and this will probably get me a kicking, I think the Mog has almost no play value. It's technically very impressive, but it's: - too big, too heavy, the steering is poor - the crane is too slow, too weak - the snowplough is too heavy and leaves the front end unbalanced - the cab is structurally weak, and the U400 mog is an ugly thing anyway Others will rabidly disagree with this assessment. This toy fails the toddler test though. My two year old ignores it completely, and will favour the 8070 and 8109 sets (he ignores the Extreme Cruiser completely too). And no, I don't leave him unsupervised with technic parts If you want a big set, 8043 is an excellent toy as well as being technically interesting, and stuffed full of PF and other parts. It also has that great B model...
May 23, 201212 yr If you want a big set, 8043 is an excellent toy as well as being technically interesting, and stuffed full of PF and other parts. It also has that great B model... The B model is excellent for play value for younger kids too, I haven't had one kid come over who didn't want to take it off the shelf and play with it. It moves fast and can push bricks around quickly and pick them up and move them. The Excavator is great but it is slow and well kids like fast and go go go. My favourite set all around though last year was the supercar. It was a really fun build and the parts are great for future builds of car chassis and is just a great start to your collection. The 8053 mobile crane has a nice B model of a harbor crane it might be worth looking at :)
May 23, 201212 yr Author Out of curiosity, how does one go about pulling Technic pieces apart? Some of the studs and such seem like an absolute nightmare to remove given their size. When you have 2+ bricks with studs or axle/pin connections, I had trouble in the past.
May 23, 201212 yr Out of curiosity, how does one go about pulling Technic pieces apart? Some of the studs and such seem like an absolute nightmare to remove given their size. When you have 2+ bricks with studs or axle/pin connections, I had trouble in the past. The new brick separator has the axle nub on it that you can use to get the axle/pin out. Before that I was just using a 4L axle into a 1x2 brick that had the axle hole connected by 2x2 plates to another 1x2 brick to hold the axle in place.
May 23, 201212 yr Out of curiosity, how does one go about pulling Technic pieces apart? Some of the studs and such seem like an absolute nightmare to remove given their size. When you have 2+ bricks with studs or axle/pin connections, I had trouble in the past. You simply get used to it. If you had to destroy really big technic model you wanna make few pauses, but at the end, fingers will always sore.
May 23, 201212 yr 8110 has pretty much everything in one set, so you will have no problems building your own MOCs from just this one set, and it's probably the best technic set ever released, up there with the legends from the early-mid 90's.
May 23, 201212 yr You will buy your unimog, but just wait for a while. You willl find new money at a certain moment. Since november I build about 50 sets and this unimog was by far the hardest to build. And it has no Actual B-model. Have you thought about second hand? Like the 8069 there are a lot of interesting set with about 500-1000 pieces. Those can be build in a view hours 2-6 hours maybe. a lot of those sets are a lot cheaper then the collector sets. If I had to spend your money for you, I would buy you 4-5 smaller sets . The fun of technic is that almost every set can do something else. Note that system lego builds a lot faster then technic pieces. I am sure you finish a taj mahal faster then the unimog.
May 23, 201212 yr Author Is there a reason 8043 and 8110 are the same price? I was leaning towards 8110 because of the shear magnitude and complexity of the model, but the 8043 has the IR PF + all those motors. :\
May 23, 201212 yr Is there a reason 8043 and 8110 are the same price? I was leaning towards 8110 because of the shear magnitude and complexity of the model, but the 8043 has the IR PF + all those motors. :\ the 8043 does have a lot more powerfunctions: 3 more m-motors 2 infrared receivers and two remote controlers. Those are expensive parts 10-20 dollar each.
May 23, 201212 yr the 8043 does have a lot more powerfunctions: 3 more m-motors 2 infrared receivers and two remote controlers. Those are expensive parts 10-20 dollar each. 4 m-motors (8043) against 1 (8110) 1123 parts (8043) against 2048 (8110) the 8110 has also pheumatic
May 23, 201212 yr Author Is one more worth it than the other? The piece court on the Unimog is higher, but does the PF additions outweigh that?
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.