Hi all the experienced technic builders!

A little bit of background/intro: I'm trying to come back from the dark ages and discovering things have moved on quite a bit in the Technic world... My 3 Technic sets when I was a kid were 850, 8843 (yeah, TWO fork lifts ) and 8851.

In the last couple of months, I've accumulated these 4 sets (in order of purchase): 8069, 8109, 8258 and 8110 to build in the course of the next 2-3 months. My limited experience of the new studless system of building is through 8386, which I built 2 years back and 8066 which I built 4 months back almost as a re-familiarization (took me 50 minutes).

I know it's a matter of personal preference, but still would like to know which set sequence you'll recommend for someone like me who is a bit inexperienced... should it be smaller to larger -- 8069->8109->8258->8110 or some other sequence?

Sorry if my problem is too trivial.

Best wishes,

phoenixrising

Edited June 24, 201212 yr by phoenixrising

It does seem trivial, but small -> big seems logical. Or, you could be a total daredevil and just build the biggest one first?

Yes, I would build your four sets in the order you specified (below). You will have to devote more and more time as you tackle them!

It does seem trivial, but small -> big seems logical. Or, you could be a total daredevil and just build the biggest one first?

Well just discovered that in 8110, the bags are numbered but in 8258, they aren't -- so will 8258, despite having fewer parts be more challenging??

In general, the larger sets have numbered bags because they have enough parts to warrant building the model in phases. You should do just fine if you go small-to-large as recommended.

Keep in mind though that not all surprises come in large packages...

I like the order you and DLuders have them in. Those are four very nice sets - enjoy!

I'm part way through the 8109 and really really wish I'd sorted the parts more before starting, it would have saved a lot of time.

I think your main problem will be having space to put them after you've built them all

Well just discovered that in 8110, the bags are numbered but in 8258, they aren't -- so will 8258, despite having fewer parts be more challenging??

Yes, I'd agree that 8258 is probably a more challenging build than 8110. The gearbox is much more complicated as well as the lack of bag numbering you mentioned. Personally, I'd save this one for last.

Those are four very nice sets - enjoy!

Thanks for the appreciation on the set choices :) I chose them after going through lots of forum posts and had to go through a lot in getting them because Lego is not available locally...

I think your main problem will be having space to put them after you've built them all

Yes, I'm slowly coming to the same realization... plus how to tackle the wife and toddler

Yes, I'd agree that 8258 is probably a more challenging build than 8110. The gearbox is much more complicated as well as the lack of bag numbering you mentioned. Personally, I'd save this one for last.

Thanks for that suggestion... much appreciated

On a similar thought, for someone who has been out of Technic since the 80s, it's startling for me to see how complicated the newer sets have become. My last most complicated Technic set was 8851, which I think was the first pneumatic flagship -- but the level of complexity of that one (granted, cutting up the hoses and putting together the pneumatic circuit with three switches and cylinders was quit challenging) seems much less compared to the flagships and even mid-sized sets of today. I'd say the current level of complexity I saw during that time was probably in the idea books 8888 and 8889 which I used check and sigh at because I knew I could never get my hands on those sets that were needed to make them So, in multiple levels, this return from the Dark Ages for me seems very very promising and fulfilling

Or, you could be a total daredevil and just build the biggest one first?

I'd dare not!!

Yes, I would build your four sets in the order you specified (below). You will have to devote more and more time as you tackle them!

Thanks for the tip, DLuders and replying so promptly!

On a similar thought, for someone who has been out of Technic since the 80s, it's startling for me to see how complicated the newer sets have become. My last most complicated Technic set was 8851, which I think was the first pneumatic flagship -- but the level of complexity of that one (granted, cutting up the hoses and putting together the pneumatic circuit with three switches and cylinders was quit challenging) seems much less compared to the flagships and even mid-sized sets of today. I'd say the current level of complexity I saw during that time was probably in the idea books 8888 and 8889 which I used check and sigh at because I knew I could never get my hands on those sets that were needed to make them So, in multiple levels, this return from the Dark Ages for me seems very very promising and fulfilling

Obviously the level of complexity will differ depending on the scale of the model. I find that the instructions of todays sets make putting together the bigger models far easier when compared to the older instructions. Personally I found putting together the sapce shuttle (8480) more difficult than the Crane Truck (8258) simply because you had to do so much more for each step in the older isntructions when comapred to the new ones.

Obviously the level of complexity will differ depending on the scale of the model. I find that the instructions of todays sets make putting together the bigger models far easier when compared to the older instructions. Personally I found putting together the sapce shuttle (8480) more difficult than the Crane Truck (8258) simply because you had to do so much more for each step in the older isntructions when comapred to the new ones.

Do you mean to say the older instructions were more 'compressed' (i.e. many steps combined into one) compared to the current ones? Is this one of the reasons why today's models have multiple booklets for the same model?

Do you mean to say the older instructions were more 'compressed' (i.e. many steps combined into one) compared to the current ones? Is this one of the reasons why today's models have multiple booklets for the same model?

I would completely agree. I first got some major Technic sets when I was about 10. Since I have gotten newer sets recently, I have noticed that the instructions are a lot easier to follow and the steps are more spread out.

tim

I would completely agree. I first got some major Technic sets when I was about 10. Since I have gotten newer sets recently, I have noticed that the instructions are a lot easier to follow and the steps are more spread out.

tim

Do you think back then (i.e. late 70s to early 80s), the drawings were CAD software-generated or manually drawn? If it was the latter then hats off to the drawing team and understandable why they tried to minimize the steps...

Do you think back then (i.e. late 70s to early 80s), the drawings were CAD software-generated or manually drawn? If it was the latter then hats off to the drawing team and understandable why they tried to minimize the steps...

I'm not sure when the change was made, but obviously if you go back far enough there was no CAD. I will guarantee that the original Expert Builder models of the 70s were done by hand by drafters.