Future Set Wishes and Speculation

[Ngoc Nguyen]

2 hours ago, allanp said:

But what about a new forklift that's the flagship, full RC and fully pneumatic with new micro motors/servos to control the valves, 3 section telescopic main mast with reeeeeeeeally long cylinders to raise the middle section directly, with the inner section being raise by chain/string and side shift on the forks and the power to pick up and move the Sian, oh any why not throw in a new rotating beacon light. Take my money!!!!

But then is there any real lif forklift whose wheels' diameter is 1.8 meter? A model only gets the scale it merits.

[Maaboo the Witch]

We need another backhoe.

[pleegwat]

3 hours ago, allanp said:

No Technic set fails because of the subject matter it is based on. It's all in the execution.

From an AFOL point of view, sure. For the younger audience, I suspect whether it looks cool in the catalog/on the shelf is the more important item, and bad execution does not so much reflect on the model as on the brand as a whole.

[Bartybum]

1 hour ago, Maaboo35 said:

We need another backhoe.

I thought about it for a bit a while back, but if we want a full RC backhoe with CLAAS tyres, we need a new cable splitter for PU. At the CLAAS wheel scale you can have a minimum of five motors, one of which runs a gearbox alternating between drive/tipper and backhoe modes. And at that scale it'd be a challenge to fit two smart hubs, a gearbox and five motors that all route through the gearbox :S

[Mantarri]

I'd love to see some sort of backhoe, or tractor flagship, but non-RC.

For the past 4 years, 3 had an RC flagship, and in one year the sub-flagship was also RC.

 

I'd really like another fun to play with model like the arocs, and a backhoe, or tractor could lend itself very well to that.

[kristl]

8 hours ago, Maaboo35 said:

We need another backhoe.

I agree. I don't think many AFOL's understand or value enough how challenging it is to design a funtional backhoe with proper functions (not even counting sideshift, boom extension and alike) out of Lego. I mean we even only had a handfull of tractors, even they struggling to fit all the components in the narrow nose and space limited rear end because half of it's width is occupied by beffy rear wheels.The 8455 was a masterpiece at it's time but it's drawbacks were at least a lot of pumping and poor steering design. With today parts it could be done better (maybe a compressor on board in case of pneumatics or LA's with a distribution gearbox and accesible controls on the machine) and a bit bigger to fit 1:17 trucks like Arocs. Or go even bigger scale and full RC but I think that would blow the price trough the roof.

[1gor]

@kristl there are 2 possible sizes for backhoe with appropriate functions - 18 and 23 studs width based on buckets...I'm not sure if Liebherr bucket is useful here...18 studs wide is 8455 set and 23 studs wide JCB was made a while ago by @Sariel

[allanp]

9 hours ago, kristl said:

I agree. I don't think many AFOL's understand or value enough how challenging it is to design a funtional backhoe with proper functions (not even counting sideshift, boom extension and alike) out of Lego. I mean we even only had a handfull of tractors, even they struggling to fit all the components in the narrow nose and space limited rear end because half of it's width is occupied by beffy rear wheels.The 8455 was a masterpiece at it's time but it's drawbacks were at least a lot of pumping and poor steering design. With today parts it could be done better (maybe a compressor on board in case of pneumatics or LA's with a distribution gearbox and accesible controls on the machine) and a bit bigger to fit 1:17 trucks like Arocs. Or go even bigger scale and full RC but I think that would blow the price trough the roof.

Yes, a fully functional backhoe is very difficult and my hats off to anyone who can pull it off cleanly with all the functions. I'd love to see a roughly 23 stud wide scale, pneumatic, non RC backhoe. This is where TLG could produce something better than any MOC as, for example, they could have a new piece for the base of the back hoe and side shift, which is where I feel all MOCs and official sets get a bit messy, two piece opening front bucket and, just to really be awesome, a new compact (about 3 stud diameter), six piston axial pump! 

[kristl]

9 hours ago, I_Igor said:

@kristl there are 2 possible sizes for backhoe with appropriate functions - 18 and 23 studs width based on buckets...I'm not sure if Liebherr bucket is useful here...18 studs wide is 8455 set and 23 studs wide JCB was made a while ago by @Sariel

I believe 8455 does not have the necesary reach to fill for example Arocs high dump bed (I have the 8455 assembled but I don't have Arocs to test). Although 8455 is wide enough for scale, it think it should be made taller. Also when we mention MOC's of backhoe we should not forget to mention the Jurgens bachoe, which I have built and compared to some others backhoe MOC's it is very functional and playable. Also it is probably the only one that comes with instructions. 

So my vote goes to a backhoe with CLASS rear tyres and new front tractor tires.

Edited August 24, 2020 by kristl

[Bartybum]

2 hours ago, allanp said:

two piece opening front bucket

That just adds another function to a set that already has 8 other functions. I could really only see another backhoe flagship as being pneumatic like 8455, but with a motorised compressor

[allanp]

16 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

That just adds another function to a set that already has 8 other functions. I could really only see another backhoe flagship as being pneumatic like 8455, but with a motorised compressor

Yes fully pneumatic, with more functions than 8 potentially. Add front bucket opening, backhoe side shift, telescopic section, there isn't an upper limit to functions you can have when it's pneumatic! 

[Maaboo the Witch]

20 hours ago, Bartybum said:

I thought about it for a bit a while back, but if we want a full RC backhoe with CLAAS tyres, we need a new cable splitter for PU. At the CLAAS wheel scale you can have a minimum of five motors, one of which runs a gearbox alternating between drive/tipper and backhoe modes. And at that scale it'd be a challenge to fit two smart hubs, a gearbox and five motors that all route through the gearbox :S

Scale actually wouldn't be an issue for me; I'd just be happy to have another backhoe. The size doesn't matter - 42004 proves that.

[1gor]

5 hours ago, kristl said:

 

So my vote goes to a backhoe with CLASS rear tyres and new front tractor tires.

Honestly I'm not that optimistic. But deep inside I hope you are clairvoyant.

[Zerobricks]

I think we are overdue with a proper mobile crane. I think a 5 axle crane with the new front tyres from Batmobile and PU would be a very good start. At this larger scale, all wheels could be easily suspended and driven using new diffs and planetary hubs.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

25 minutes ago, Zerobricks said:

I think we are overdue with a proper mobile crane

Isn't 42082 proper enough for you

[Mantarri]

1 hour ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

Isn't 42082 proper enough for you

He did specify 5 axle, so that would be a crane like 42108, or 42009, not 42082.

[allanp]

Also had a mobile crane this year, although in the first half. I don't think there will be another one soon, but a 4 or more axle fully RC PU mobile crane feels somewhat inevitable at some point. 

[Jundis]

17 hours ago, Zerobricks said:

I think a 5 axle crane with the new front tyres from Batmobile and PU would be a very good start.

Not sure, if it has to be a crane, but hopefully Lego uses these wheels more often.

A little bit off-topic here, but still related to the thread: Is it just my imagination or are other Lego themes are more likely to get very unique parts way more often, while the technic theme just get new parts, when there are absolutely no other options.

[howitzer]

1 hour ago, Jundis said:

Not sure, if it has to be a crane, but hopefully Lego uses these wheels more often.

A little bit off-topic here, but still related to the thread: Is it just my imagination or are other Lego themes are more likely to get very unique parts way more often, while the technic theme just get new parts, when there are absolutely no other options.

System parts often have much wider scope of potential applications, as System is the standard way of building Lego. Technic, being a minor theme with its own special parts, naturally gets less new parts. They also are often complex and expensive to make, like pneumatics or linear actuators or frames. For System, most new parts seem to be introduced when a completely new theme is designed, like Trolls or Super Mario. I'm not sure if City for example gets many new parts, unless they are also needed elsewhere?

That being said, wider selection of parts would naturally be useful, like more of different kinds of angled beams. But it's true enough, that new parts are not usually introduced unless it's absolutely necessary. When I came back to Technic after my years of darkness, almost every part was new to me and I accepted them as the "default" parts selection. Later I learned that many of them had only been introduced recently and somehow sets were made to work, say, 10 years earlier with much narrower parts selection.

[2GodBDGlory]

16 hours ago, Jundis said:

Not sure, if it has to be a crane, but hopefully Lego uses these wheels more often.

A little bit off-topic here, but still related to the thread: Is it just my imagination or are other Lego themes are more likely to get very unique parts way more often, while the technic theme just get new parts, when there are absolutely no other options.

It does seem that way. It seems that the big-selling themes get new minifigure molds en masse, but Technic doesn't get much. This does have pluses though, because too much specialization can stunt creativity. (I do still get excited about our new parts, though. Why can't Lego make a few more clutch gears, and a 32T gear?)

[howitzer]

6 hours ago, 2GodBDGlory said:

It does seem that way. It seems that the big-selling themes get new minifigure molds en masse, but Technic doesn't get much. This does have pluses though, because too much specialization can stunt creativity. (I do still get excited about our new parts, though. Why can't Lego make a few more clutch gears, and a 32T gear?)

Minifigures are a bit special though, as they must be unique and recognizable to a theme and they can't be put together from generic parts like the sets are. So new molds/prints are introduced with almost every set including a minifig. They are also highly valued by customers (kids and AFOLs alike) so they easily return the value invested in them.

[mpj]

So, are there any rumours about 2021 sets? In the past years, when are the first infos revealed?

[1gor]

3 minutes ago, mpj said:

So, are there any rumours about 2021 sets? In the past years, when are the first infos revealed?

It depends, but in October usually some constructive info leaks. In last few years TLC is very careful because of Chinese copycat's...

[richthelegodude]

I would like to see the following things:
1) A 'creator expert & Technic' weight driven mechanical clock, imagine a nice Technic clock mechanism surrounded by system such that it looks ornate...

2) Universal Sets - my first technic set was the 8044. I would like to see such sets make a return.

3) A mechanical model of a simple car (not based on an actual car such that there are no license costs), which aims to create simplified versions of all major elements, suspension springs with separate shocks, gearbox, rack and pinion steering etc. Pneumatic brakes would be wonderful too...

[Jundis]

1 hour ago, richthelegodude said:

2) Universal Sets - my first technic set was the 8044. I would like to see such sets make a return.

Technic models seems to head in exactly the different direction, as in 2020 only the small sets had B-models.