After being introduced to the wonder that is the Lego pneumatic system with sets like 8862 Backhoe, Universal Pneumatic Set and the Power Crane, this set raised the bar even further. 8868 was released in 1992 as the biggest set to that date.It was literally packed with pneumatics, featuring an electric air pump(no, the Unimog wasn't the first one to have this), working rotating claw with operator's cabin, and an engine of course. More on this in the conclusion of the review. It was 140$ on release according to Brickset, I paid 100$ for mine in excellent condition with box. The average used price on Bricklink is 100 as well.

The box

The box is the same size as last years 9397 Logging Truck, and the 8880 Super Car.

The front shows the main model, along with an explanation of how the compressor works.

The back shows the secondary model, which works along the ways of 8479 Bar Code Multi Sets main model. If you look at the bottom left image, the different steering angles for the front axles is indicated.

The inside shows the rest of the features of the main model, along with a schematic outline of the pneumatic circuit.

The parts

This was the first Technic set to include a motor and a battery box, other than the 9V Motor set and the Set=8064-1'>Universal Motor set from 1990. The Electric Plate is also present in this set. It was only seen in this and the Space Shuttle.

The tires is this set are the old 20x30 solid ones, and this is the only set that has got 6 of them. They sit on 20x30 rims. There are quite a few sets from the early days of Technic that uses these wheels, including 8862 Backhe Grader and 8848 Power Truck/Unimog.

Nearly all of the pneumatic parts in this set are new this year; the smaller cylinder and the pump are all introduced with this set. The only common part, set aside the tubing and t-pieces, is the switch and the Pneumatic cylinder(pump).

The turntable was present in no less than 4 sets this year, being a major improvement to its predecessor. There is also two differentials, and a Steering pulley to drive the compressor.

A weight brick is also provided, only seen in one other (Technic) set, the 8862 Backhoe. It weighs 55 grams.

These are Technic cylinders. They only serve aesthetic purposes in this set, but it is possible to upgrade the set with Air Tanks, availible as of 2008 with the 9641 Pneumatics Add-On Set. I didn't bother, because it'll cost me nearly 100 Euros. You can buy the tanks separately on Bricklink for about 7 Euros each.

Last, but not least, the triangle was introduced this year to the family of thin liftarms.

Well, on with building, starting with

A model: Claw Rig

The main model starts with the bottom of the chassis. The driveshaft connects with both the rear differentials. In a 6-wheeled vehicle, both rear axles needs a differential, since they turn at different speed through a sweeping turn. The diffs are mounted opposite ways, because of the connecting axle inbetween. Each diff holds 3 14t spur gears.

Two universal joints are used to extend the driveshaft to the front. Axle connectors hadn't been invented yet.

Here you can see the gears for the engine(24T), and the input axle for the steering(8T).

It's time to start with pneumatics. The first two cylinders rotates the crane assembly. The inlet of the first is routed to the outlet of the other, making them turn in the opposite direction of each other.

Still with me? I've labeled all the hoses to remember what color they are in the instructions. The next step will make it all easier.

Ta-dah! That black brick holds all the hoses in the right place, no more need of marking each one. The transparent tubing is the heart of the system, and runs to all the switches soon to be placed.

Here is a wonderful mechanic for you. The turntable in this model is actually pneumatic driven. As the two cylinders retract/expand, they push two gear racks which, in turn, rotates the center axle of the turntable. The switches are currently only held in place by the tubing underneath them. Some support will be built soon.

The hoses are carefully routed through the turntable. Further ahead you can see how the switches are held in place by modified plates.

A fake air tank is placed on each side. The transparent hose is the inlet hose for the pneumatic system.

The frame for the crane is built as a separate unit, then placed on the turntable. The big black brick in the back(left) is the counterweight.

When the crane chassis is placed, it's locked by a passing 12L axle, which goes through the axle and pin connector in the center of the turntable. It was hard to get a pic of this, so I had to up the contrast a bit.

The crane is starting to take shape. You can see the operators seat in the back, and the electric motor contacts (black 2x4 plate) along with the inlet hose in the front.

The operator's cabin is complete, and the compressor is taking shape.

Now the compressor is complete. The Universal Joint to the left leads to the HOG steering.

Nearly finished now, with the engine compartment and windshield forming. The crane boom is almost its full length. Rigid hoses with clips extends the tubing to the end.

A V6 engine is fitted in the front boot, and the final piece of the boom is added. The claw utilizes a small cylinder to work. The sleeping unit of the cab is made out of bricks, and will also house the battery box later.

Speaking of battery box, here it is. The roof has been completed with a HOG light, signal horns and exhaust pipes.

The finished model looks stunning, and the functions work well too:

1) Mechanical 1: The two rear differentials drive the engine with fan.

2) Mechanical 2: Turning the trans-yellow HOG steers the truck.

3) Mechanical 3: Turning on the battery box drives the motor, and the compressor.

4) Pneumatic 1: Raising/lowering 1st arm section.

5) Pneumatic 2: Raising/lowering 2nd section of arm.

6) Pneumatic 3: Slewing by pushing the two gear racks underneath the turntable.

7) Pneumatic 4: Opening/closing claw.

When the crane is not in used, it can grab the rear bumper like this:

For additional playability, the truck is Technic fig compatible, and allows two in the cocpit and

one in the crane.

While testing it's strenght, I ended up grabbing a 8067 Mini Mobile Crane which it was able to lift, and stretch out. What amazing strenght! According to Brickset, the crane weighs 0,48 kgs.

That's it for the features, now let's take a look at the size, compared to

8446 Crane Truck:

8436 Truck:

That's it for the main model, moving on to the alternate:

B-model: Materials Handler

The secondary model also starts at the bottom, but it doesn't use the differential, making the drivetrain much simpler. The first cylinder is controlled by a switch at the right side. When I built this model, I realized how you have to cut the original tubing to fit. Glad I got some spare tubing from a previous order. Unfortunately this means the B-models trans tubing will be (mostly) of the grey kind.

The white thin liftarms here will attached to the rear axle later on. An electrical extension wire runs all the way along the chassis.

The compressor is made by using both rubber bands from the half-bush on the motor to a pulley wheel. An engine crankshaft piece is then fixed to the pulley, giving the pneumatic pump an input stroke of 1 stud .

Next is attaching the cylinders for the front boom's elevation. The rear end of the chassis is locked by two vertical bricks, and the 4 smooth grey 1x2 plates are positioned where the steering racks will go. I know this image looks confusing, but the main part is quite simple; The grey tubing connects to the compressor, and provides input to the two switches. The black tubes connects all the cylinders to their respective outputs.

Custom steering hubs are made for the two steered front axles.

The rear end of the chassis is reinforced by bricks, and the steering rack is finished. Because the 2nd axle's connection point is further from the wheelhub, is turns at a lower angle.

This contraption is attached to the control axle of the front pneumatic switch. It makes the switch turn when the motor has driven the mechanism to the end.

The front is reinforced by multiple vertical bricks. The vertical axle serves as a HOG.

The second long pneumatic hose will retract the front cylinders. Rather than having two "air tanks", this model combines four elements into one bigger, situated behind the drivers cabin.

The bed is nearly finished, and you can see the battery box where the sleep cabin normally would be.

Cab finished, moving on to the arm. The arm works similar to that of 8479 Barcode Multi-Set.

The claw is very simple, like the one of the main model. Two axles are joined with a set of 14T bevel gears, with an intermeshing 14T gear on each side. The claw's teeth are fixed at an angle on each axle. As either one of the axles turns, the claw is closed.

All done! The only feature is grabbing somehing, and tossing it in the bed, which doesn't tilt. This would be fixed in the next model, the 8479.

Comparison

8479:

8110:

The verdict

The main model works fantastic, looks almost like a real truck, and is as solid as a brick. The pneumatic functions are a joy to use, and this remains as my most played-with set to date. The only thing I missed was the in-cab steering wheel, but I don't think there would be any room for it.

The secondary model is somewhat of a letdown. It takes a lot of time to build, but doesn't have an engine, and lacks the number of functions the main model has. Still, it is a good looking truck, and the 4 wheel steering is a nice touch. Too bad you'll have to cut the tubing twice to make both models, but maybe pneumatic tubing was cheaper in 1992.

What a fantastic way of demonstrating the possibilities of the Lego pneumatic system! All the features are used in these two models, utilizing piston expansion as well as contraction to power different functions. The way the main models compressor is made is widely used by todays AFOLs. This set ranks among my top 10, and is certainly worth the 100 bucks I paid. I would even say it would be worth an Unimog on its own!

Thanks for reading/watching pics. As always, big pics are availible @ Brickshelf.

Edited January 17, 201312 yr by Lost_In_Noise

very nice and informative review!

WTH! This is the first time i ever see that the turntable is actually turned by pneumatic cylinders...

I never knew that (since i don't own the set)

Nearly all of the pneumatic parts in this set are new this year; the Pneumatic cylinder(pump), the smaller cylinder and the pump are all introduced with this set.

I think it's little bit misleading to say that Pneumatic cylinder made it's first appearance in this set (or year). Although the cylinders in earlier sets originally had yellow top (whereas this has a black top), they were otherwise identical to this. And at least one of those earlier sets (8862 Backhoe) got these newer cylinders at some point, because when I got mine back in early '90s, it had these new cylinders in it.

But still, this is a great set and one of my all time favorites, and you made a great review which it certainly deserves. Thank you.

I think it's little bit misleading to say that Pneumatic cylinder made it's first appearance in this set (or year). Although the cylinders in earlier sets originally had yellow top (whereas this has a black top), they were otherwise identical to this. And at least one of those earlier sets (8862 Backhoe) got these newer cylinders at some point, because when I got mine back in early '90s, it had these new cylinders in it.

But still, this is a great set and one of my all time favorites, and you made a great review which it certainly deserves. Thank you.

I'm sorry, I just checked the part number @ Bricklink. I forgot that the 8862 has cylinders as well. Fixed.

Thanks for the review!

This set is on my top 5 of TECHNIC sets. The looks might look dated, but remember this set dates back to 1992. Compared with some other sets from that age, it doesn't look too bad at all. I only miss a steering wheel, even if it was a dummy.

I think this set has to score on functionality anyway, and it succeeds in that. It's a lot of fun to control the crane with the four levers. Unfortunately, my copy had the older rubber belts, and they are prone to break. The newer rubber belts are more elastic, but I don't know when they first appeared in this set (my copy was a 1994 one).

Awesome review for an awesome set! There's so much to love, the way they used rigid hose for the straight sections and flexible hoses for the bendy sections (as in real life), the way everything is controlled from levers at a single point and not from a knob right next to the function (as in real life), the way all of the tubing (ok, except for the ones connecting the pump tp the valves) are all very dark grey (as in real life), the way every function of the crane arm is powered by a single motor/pump (as in real life), even the way the engine turns quite fast relative to the wheels (as in real life). Along with the unimog there are no other sets released to date as authentic as this. On top of that it's a joy to "operate". I say operate rather than play with because the pneumatics, even the sound of the compressor (kinds sounds like a truck engine!) was so darned life like in this set to me as a kid that it's like operating the real thing, that's what I found so cool about this set as a kid, cooler than any other toy or computer game or anything. Those were just toys and games, but 8868 just felt like having the real thing.

This is a very special set for me. It is the set that pulled me out of my dark-ages into AFOL-hood. I remember pondering over it in the toyshop. Converting the price to crates of beer (yeah student years ). It was my girlfriend (now my wife ) who pushed me into buying it. It was a great set to start my collection with and within two years I had collected all the big models (and most of the smaller models). One year later my wife followed me to Denmark to work at the Lego company. A dream job to come true. But I will never forget that it all started with this set...

I must admit that I had forgotten how old the set actually was. It even featured this 3651 element!

Thanks for the review

Leg godt

Jeroen

Excellent review!

I can't help thinking this classic model now looks somewhat dated when compared against recent sets.

Why are u calling it a material handler it's an air tech claw.

Great review by the way!

Edited January 17, 201312 yr by davidmull

Why are u calling it a material handler it's an air tech claw.

Great review by the way!

material handler is the B-Model...

I Love this set, the only one for ages that a proper compressor, mine is till on a shelf right behind me form my childhood, stayed in the loft during my dark ages only to be removed and worked first time, the only issue I have is the turntable is not that quick, but other than that amazing. Nice review thanks for taking the time

material handler is the B-Model...

We don't name b models, it's just confusing as the new 42006 is called a material handler when I seem the heading I taught the review was about it too.

Hi,

That set inspired me to get pneumatic parts which i'm using right this moment. I did not realise I had seven large pneumatic cylinders, a smaller one and I also have the parts to make a compressor (which i am using now). I'm in the middle of making a multi function contraption. Reading this has just inspired me yet again. I could do with the instructions for 8868.

H

I forgot to say. Using the pneumatics to move the turntable is good. They have so many uses.

We don't name b models, it's just confusing as the new 42006 is called a material handler when I seem the heading I taught the review was about it too.

Why not name B-models? The 42006 is in fact called "Excavator" by TLG, Even though it's not an excavator, can't dig and is a material handler

Thanx for yet another exellent review L_I_N

Very good review.

I did not know how well the set actually was until now. Hrmm, I guess I have to start looking for one now!

B-model: Materials Handler

The secondary model also starts at the bottom, but it doesn't use the differential, making the drivetrain much simpler. The first cylinder is controlled by a switch at the right side. When I built this model, I realized how you have to cut the original tubing to fit. Glad I got some spare tubing from a previous order. Unfortunately this means the B-models trans tubing will be (mostly) of the grey kind.

How come you need to cut original tubes?

I built both versions of the set few times and I did not have to cut tubes of the truck to make the B model.

Most of the tubes are used by both models, you need to cut only very few tubes form leftovers from 8868.

Our young chap was given this set from my aunt. The tubing had never been cut, and so the Air Claw Tech Rig had never been built. I would say cutting the piping to the right length is very important. Getting the tubing fed through the turntable, and in the right positions was a headache - even for an adult. if you cut the tubing right, then you will have a nice supply of spare stuff, unlike the pre cut cost cutting measures of today.

Also the B model had an interesting operating sequence, where it grabbed, lifted, opened and then lowered the arms to the front again. This was some sort of pneumatic loop. It was an interesting model and worthy of being built.

In regards to cutting the pneumatic hose/tubes: When I bought this set, it only came with the tubing for the A-model pre-cut to size. I found them to not fit when I was building the B-model(the one I built first for this review), and replaced some of them with spare tubing I had laying around. . I used a too long piece somewhere earlier, I cannot see a way of making the B-model without additional tubing.

Edited January 17, 201312 yr by Lost_In_Noise

Thanks for the great review! It's impressive to see what the LEGO designers could come up with while using the limited parts selection they had. The pneumatic boom slew is a great function, and I like that both rear axles turn a differential.

Where does the weight go? Rear of the superstructure?

Is the tubing any differant in this set than the tubbing now adays, it looks more dull?

I used a too long piece somewhere earlier, I cannot see a way of making the B-model without additional tubing.

I got this model as a Christmas present shortly after it was released (one very happy 11 year old ). I recall that the original tubing wasn't cut and just came in a single long piece. There were some additional lengths that had to be cut just for the B model, but there was enough tubing provided to cover both models, but a fair amount left over. You'll probably find that the seller forgot to include the extra tubing required for the B model in your set.

Since more than 15 years I own this one and I love it!

Can you tell me the product-id of the white ruber strap? My own cracked after this long time.

Regards Mike

Great review, it sure brings back memories! This was the last LEGO set I got when I was a kid, guess I saw myself as too old afterwards, and moved over to other things. In '92-'93 I was 7-8 years old.

After my return from my dark ages, I have located most of the parts from my old 8868, and all the pneumatics work. After some cleaning, the batterybox and motor worked as well. Even the rubberbands still hold up, 20 years later!

This set is truly a pinnacle of Technic design, and alongside the 8880 has to be the best studded official set ever made!

Thanks for the review!

This set is on my top 5 of TECHNIC sets. The looks might look dated, but remember this set dates back to 1992. Compared with some other sets from that age, it doesn't look too bad at all. I only miss a steering wheel, even if it was a dummy.

I think this set has to score on functionality anyway, and it succeeds in that. It's a lot of fun to control the crane with the four levers. Unfortunately, my copy had the older rubber belts, and they are prone to break. The newer rubber belts are more elastic, but I don't know when they first appeared in this set (my copy was a 1994 one).

Take a look at my studless interpretation of what it might have looked like today! Even comes with a steering wheel!

Only thing I didn't like was the design of the driver's cabin windscreen

I got this set in 1994 as a Christmas present from my parents, so it has a special meaning to me. IMO 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig is still the BEST Technic model ever released by TLG. I have (or had) all the Technic flagships from the beginning to this day so it is not pure nostalgia. I was so lucky back then (thanks to my father) that I could choose between 8868 and 8880, but my decision was univocal and I've never regret it. The building of this set took hours under the Christmas-tree and nearly midnight it was completed. Words can not describe the feeling when the truck's compressor and pneumatic system was first put into order. Personally I like it's robust and clear aesthetic very much (even if there is no steering wheel) but of course the function is the strongest part of the rig. The 9v engine driven compressor system produces air constantly and the only thing you have to do is controlling like in real life by the four valves settled on the sides. And the compressor sound is also like the real thing. I love the small details on it (two differential, rigid hoses). It is my only set which has never been disassembled and still works as if it were new. My original rubberbands also still hold up like D3K's. LEGO miracle and quality from 1992.

Thank you for bringing back such great memories with this nice review.

BTW, does anybody know that who was the original designer of this set? Maybe an interview somewhere?

Edited January 18, 201312 yr by Interceptor