Jestingstorm Posted November 5, 2015 Posted November 5, 2015 Hi Guys, my names Lee, I'm new to the site but a veteran to the world of Lego. I'm rediscovering the enjoyment of it all over again with my son, and as such I've found that the phrase, 'they don't make 'em like they used to' very apt as a result. He's 9 now, so he's had Lego for a good few years and in that time as we've bought various sets I've noticed personally that the clutch power isn't as good as it was in the 80's and 90's! I find some sets almost fall apart, where as my old Lego pieces needed a decent grip, nail and elbow grease to separate. Is anyone else of the same opinion? Quote
lowlead Posted November 5, 2015 Posted November 5, 2015 Welcome Lee! This is a great place to hang around and discuss everything LEGO - the most active forums you can find, IMHO. With regard to clutch power, I think it's a combination of two things: First, LEGO parts become more brittle with age. I have noticed that older parts, especially plates, will creak and protest when either pressed together or pried apart. And when firmly pressed together, they are quite tenacious and unwilling to separate again. And yes, it can often be a painful and/or bloody process! To test this try bending two different plates (like a 6x8 or similar) one brand new, and one from the 80s. I think you will find that the brand new plate has a lot more pliability, and feels like it will bend quite a ways without cracking. Whereas the older plate may feel like it will split or crack in half with a lot less bending. I believe this loss of elasticity is inversely proportional to clutch, although I don't have a measuring device to quantify it. Second, TLG may or may not have revisited their clutch power formula in the latter years. It can be a controversial topic, and I have no concrete evidence that the company has elected to decrease the grip of LEGO parts. Perhaps others on this board can address that in more detail. Whether it's aging alone, or aging plus a clutch power decrease by design is beyond me. Quote
alois Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 Could it be that the strength in your fingers has grown since you were ten years old? I'm in the same situation as you, a 70's/80's Lego veteran who rediscovered Lego in 2010, and I never had any problem with the clutch power of modern bricks. Still the same feeling to my hands as I remember from the eighties. Quote
zux Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 I think there was discussion about clutch power already. The outcome was that clutch increases with an age. Having bought few old sets (Technic) that I've missed during dark ages and I found that new sets are nowhere near to old sets. Quote
dr_spock Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 LEGO changed the Technic pin design. The older pins were much harder to remove. That can be a problem if you don't have the finger strength. It could cause strain injuries to hands if shredding set with large amount of them. Quote
zux Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 Yes, non-slotted pins is a different story. For two oldest Technic models I have (8880 and 8858) technic bricks have much more clutch power than in newer sets. The first time I actually came to stack newer bricks I was amazed how poor clutch is. Quote
Fuppylodders Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 They have definitely made certain parts weaker in their clutch power. The 1x2 jumper stud is a perfect example. Take a really old one that has no groove around the edge, qnd has the central pin underneath it, then take a newer one with groove around the edge and the pin underneath it. Attach the top of the jumper stud to the underside of a plate, 4x4 for example. Now start attaching pieces to the underside of the jumper stud, specifically onto the centre pin (a stud with a hole in it is required). Then add more, and gently wobble it. The older one holds firm. The new one will easily give. The new jumper studs without central underside pin are just as bad. I do not believe it is age, but their elasticity as mentioned above, and perhaps, a slither of reduction in dimension to enable the pieces to be pulled apart easier without teeth. They clearly address that as an issue by implementing the grooved bottoms on certain tiles/plates... Maybe reduction in dimension was another method? Ill have to put a vernier on them and test it out! Quote
6ix Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 Could it be that the strength in your fingers has grown since you were ten years old? You used your fingers?! Quote
alois Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 You used your fingers?! Even if I used a brick a separator, the power would still come from my fingers. Or do you use your teeth? (or toes?) Quote
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