Hopefully the claw will fit 8043 with no major mods.

@davidmull -

Been thinking about that for a few months, even before I saw the 42006, for my forestry diorama. Though I was trying to think of a way of using the up until now traditional way of using 'jaws' like we have seen before, 2 pairs of 4x4 liftarms set off set from each other. I didn't want to make them manually operated with gearing and an axle joiner to open and close them. Though this would make the 3rd part of the boom shorter, aka the Tv series Ax Men and their log processor and log loader type excavator to load the logs onto a logging semi truck. I'm not a real good MOCer and I couldn't seem to come up with a way to use the LA and a set of gears running from it to open and close the jaws with RC. Anybody with any good ideas, please post, I have an open box 8043 and like I say I wanted to try this, but can't seem to find a plan that works.

Four section grabs are normally found in scrap yards and not in forestry.

The grabs found in forestry are normally a two section grab.

With any grab like this you would be better using a micro motor or a drive shaft and not La's

Four section grabs are normally found in scrap yards and not in forestry.

The grabs found in forestry are normally a two section grab.

With any grab like this you would be better using a micro motor or a drive shaft and not La's

@Alasdair - you are right indeed, is that bottom part with just the 2 jaws an actual Lego part or just a jpg image from a real-life grabber? Curious..

Its just a picture of a real timber grab taken of the internet.

Kind of figured it was a real-life pic as I checked BL and none had the 2-claw version, and not even the 4-claw version as the set is yet is unreleased...

The four jaw most call an orange peal, you,ll see those and magnets in the scarp yard. Some have shears too for cutting up larger stuff like old I beams and such. We have a demo crew tearing down an old K mart by us here in town. I should swing through and get some pics of the Deere's they got working on it. Kinda off topic, but I,m waiting on a new crawler crane to come out. Still need to finish the grove that got put on the back burner though.

Picked this up today at the Lego store in Houston, TX.......Love it!!!

Picked this up today at the Lego store in Houston, TX.......Love it!!!

How much was it?

How much was it?

79.99, they just got them this morning

Not a bad price. I'll have to check to see if my local store has it in stock.

I picked one up today at the lego store in Potomac mills mall in VA.

In the USA, Shop.Lego.com now has the 42006 Excavator for sale at USD $79.99. When you click on the "View Larger" image hyperlink below the minifigs, lo and behold the Excavator appears! That's typical of recent Technic sets placed on the Lego website -- no Building Instructions and poor attention to detail. I suppose I'll contact Lego Customer Service yet again (for about the 10th time in the last 2 years) about their systemic problem....

Edited December 28, 201212 yr by DLuders

Just saw it online as well. Almost same as set 8294 http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/8294-1

8294 was 720 pieces for $60 in 2008.

42006 is 719 pieces for $79.

I wonder what makes it much more valuable?? They both have 2 large actuators. $20 for claws and small actuator over medium bucket?

Anyway, I saw that the 8294 used is going for more than $100 used on ebay, so I reassembled the set to make sure I have all the pieces and selling it to buy the 42006.

There are not that many similarities between the red 8294 Excavator from 2008 and the new, yellow 42006 Excavator from 1H2013:

I suppose I'll contact Lego Customer Service yet again (for about the 10th time in the last 2 years) about their systemic problem....

Just make sure it don't end up like this topic.

Just make sure it don't end up like this topic.

Simple Solution: When The Lego Group posts a new set for sale online, they post the Building Instructions at the same time. How simple can that be? They've learned nothing.

Surely there is a better location for the PF switch.

I'm looking forward to seeing the instructions for this set - hope they get it straightened out soon!

About the pricing, its probably because of inflation/rise in price of plastic.

I really want this set

The A-Model PDF Instructions for the 42006 Excavator is available for download here . The link to the B-Model instructions is just a one-page image. Anybody who has the model should ask for half of their money back, since The Lego Group advertised a 2-for-1 set and did not deliver.

Edited December 29, 201212 yr by DLuders

The A-Model PDF Instructions for the 42006 Excavator is available for download here . The link to the B-Model instructions is just a one-page image.

The A model is only the first page...

I'm not seeing the entire building instructions for the A model. The pdf file has everything but the grapple section. The instructions for the B model is only showing the 1st page. Not a big deal, and I'm sure web team will get this corrected soon. I'm just glad they provide us with instructions to drool over!

I really like the gearbox design. Placing the driving rings inline with each other is clever and simple. However, I'm not a fan of the boom design. The 1x13 beam on page 74 appears to be forced in place. I'm surprised this got past the design team.

Otherwise, a great set, and I look forward to purchasing it. Love the gearbox. And, thanks to TLG for not including an expensive motor and battery box in the set!

Edited December 29, 201212 yr by dhc6twinotter

I got the last 42006 tonight at a local Seattle Lego store. They should be a lot more plentiful after the crazy holiday.

It's looking like another PDF Instruction fiasco like the 9397 B-Model topic from March 2012. Where is the QUALITY CONTROL when posting new sets? This letter isn't worth the paper it was printed on. They wrote "We are committed to preventing building instruction delays and are taking action to make sure this doesn't happen with future set releases." What a bunch of bunk:

It's looking like another PDF Instruction fiasco like the 9397 B-Model topic from March 2012. Where is the QUALITY CONTROL when posting new sets? This letter isn't worth the paper it was printed on. They wrote "We are committed to preventing building instruction delays and are taking action to make sure this doesn't happen with future set releases." What a bunch of bunk:

I'm sure they will fix the issue soon, and I don't mind waiting a few weeks to see the instructions online. It's always nice to view the instructions to see how the sets are designed, but it isn't going to kill me to wait for the instructions. I've been very happy with the customer service at LEGO thus far, and this minor issue doesn't change my opinion about them.

Having instructions a few days or weeks late is better than no instructions at all. A big thanks to LEGO for putting forth the effort to post the instructions online. :thumbup:

I have been lied to, and misled, now 4 times this year about the same recurring problem. I want 1/2 of my money back. The executives who signed the danged letter can manage the problem. Why the heck should a CUSTOMER like me do their Quality Control, time after time? It's pitiful.

Edited December 29, 201212 yr by DLuders