Technic General Discussion

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Guess what a shocking discovery I just made.

Lego no longer offers instructions for Technic B models, even for past models. I just looked up instructions for a couple of sets (8043, 42043, 42009), and only instructions of A models are listed. 

Try it yourself: https://www.lego.com/en-my/service/building-instructions/42009

[Auroralampinen]

28 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

Guess what a shocking discovery I just made.

Lego no longer offers instructions for Technic B models, even for past models. I just looked up instructions for a couple of sets (8043, 42043, 42009), and only instructions of A models are listed. 

Try it yourself: https://www.lego.com/en-my/service/building-instructions/42009

That's really sad:(. Lego has been now turned into the modern gaming era where every game is only online and the game developer can switch off the servers and the game is gone forever:(. 

I have now created a general discussion topic for the "lost media" Instructions:). 

 

[Toastie]

4 hours ago, Auroralampinen said:

I have now created a general discussion topic for the "lost media" Instructions:).

The Internet Archive seems to be another good place for archiving/preserving, doesn't it? It works perfectly well for pre-1990 "electronic" LEGO stuff, such as the Technic Control (4.5V) line - thanks to folks like @evank and others. 

Best
Thorsten

[evank]

Thank you @Toastie for bringing up the Internet Archive. I found that if you go to Archive.org and just put 'Lego manual' in the search bar, there are already hundreds of results.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

HI everyone, this is a call for action from RacingBrick 

 

[StudWorks]

46 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

HI everyone, this is a call for action from RacingBrick 

I one million percent agree. The biggest plus is that if LEGO consolidates its Technic cars to a theme like Racers, they wouldn't have to rely on using such minimal system brick usage (which has caused many inaccuracies in Technic cars).

But it's very unlikely LEGO would actually do this, insert obligatory fan rants about cutthroat-capitalist LEGO. 

Edited October 21 by StudWorks

[Lipko]

Be honest, most Lego fans are not interested in custom design MOCs anymore. Even though it was the "standard" a decade ago, it became a niche. Ever wondered why Crowkillers disappeared and Madoca went silent for almost a decade? Even the more hardcore fans are only interested in licenced sets for their shelf.

[idlemarvel]

16 hours ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

HI everyone, this is a call for action from RacingBrick 

 

I completely agree with the sentiment - too many cars, too much licensing, too little functionality. Not sure about the proposed solution which was a bit tongue-in-cheek if I interpreted it correctly. But the Technic theme needs a complete reset.

[Jundis]

1 hour ago, idlemarvel said:

I completely agree with the sentiment - too many cars, too much licensing, too little functionality. Not sure about the proposed solution which was a bit tongue-in-cheek if I interpreted it correctly. But the Technic theme needs a complete reset.

Same here, we need a change. But I think TLG doesn't really know how to do it properly, as there is the Speed Champions series and some "fast things" in the Creaters series.

Another Racers series would mean another splitting of themes... maybe include Technic cars in Speed Champions?

As always, even with the horrible 2026 line-up in mind, I am somewhat hopeful (the Lego Box is always half full for me). We are nearing the 50 year anniversary in 2027, maybe we see a recollection of what Technic makes Technic once again.

[Toastie]

40 minutes ago, Jundis said:

But I think TLG doesn't really know how to do it properly

Hmmm - I believe they do know how to do it properly, it depends on the perspective, doesn't it?

As far as I am hearing people discussing this issue, Technic as it is/as the sets are designed right now sells/sell very well. For a for-profit "organization", that seems to be the proper goal. I believe every other company out there does it the same way: If you can sell way more of would-be-Technic-sets with a Technic tag slapped on them, then why make true-Technic-sets, even a few, with a Technic tag slapped ion them?

(Of course I know why one should do that: Because this would be the true spirit and idea of Technic. But spreadsheet programs having a column "profit" rule.) 

TLG is just another of the large businesses out there.

Best
Thorsten  

[Auroralampinen]

14 minutes ago, Toastie said:

Hmmm - I believe they do know how to do it properly, it depends on the perspective, doesn't it?

As far as I am hearing people discussing this issue, Technic as it is/as the sets are designed right now sells/sell very well. For a for-profit "organization", that seems to be the proper goal. I believe every other company out there does it the same way: If you can sell way more of would-be-Technic-sets with a Technic tag slapped on them, then why make true-Technic-sets, even a few, with a Technic tag slapped ion them?

(Of course I know why one should do that: Because this would be the true spirit and idea of Technic. But spreadsheet programs having a column "profit" rule.) 

TLG is just another of the large businesses out there.

Best
Thorsten  

Yeah, i agree:). 

 

[kbalage]

40 minutes ago, Toastie said:

As far as I am hearing people discussing this issue, Technic as it is/as the sets are designed right now sells/sell very well. For a for-profit "organization", that seems to be the proper goal. I believe every other company out there does it the same way: If you can sell way more of would-be-Technic-sets with a Technic tag slapped on them, then why make true-Technic-sets, even a few, with a Technic tag slapped ion them?

I don't think Technic sells because of the Technic tag on the box, they sell because of the content, which is almost always a licensed vehicle :)The solution I proposed in the video was definitely ironic, I do not think LEGO would actually bring back Racers. However, splitting the "licensed display models made mostly out of Technic elements" into a separate theme would help keep the Technic spirit alive. We could get half or even fewer sets per year labeled as Technic, but these sets could really prioritize function over appearance.

[gyenesvi]

Not sure what you guys would expect from all the race cars being split out to a different theme? The amount of true technic models would not increase by that. We get more sets these years because we get more cars that are all very similar and simple, so they are easy to do one after the other. If you take those out, what's left is similar to how it was 10 years ago, as @kbalage notes above too. Maybe today there's somewhat less focus on the details of the more function-rich models, that's an unfortunate side-effect, true.

But we have to accept that cars sell, and it does not really matter which theme they are in. So I think the way of improvement would rather be making those cars more functionally interesting. And not all cars need to be function rich, it's not possible to cram much more into the smallest ones. However, there's room for improvement on the mid and larger scales. That's where I'd put my hopes and wishes. And even there, there's no need to invent convoluted new functions. Just make the basic functions better: more realistic and more compact suspension and drivetrain components! That would already make a big difference for me. So many possibilities there! Some examples: portal and planetary hubs were great ideas implemented in a bad form factor, time to update the molds! Lego springs are either too small/strong or waste a lot of space, time to make longer/softer ones. And then suspension geometry, gears in different sizes, etc..

For the record, we recently got some new suspension arms in the McLaren and the F1 cars. Nice, nice, but when you try to build something different than what they are designed for, you realize they are not so versatile.. More focus should be on generic reusable parts than on one-off pieces. And systematicity. When they come out with a 7L suspension arm, that needs a 7L steering link too to match.. Luckily the new suspension parts in the Bronco / Nissan are more versatile/reusable, so I hope that that direction continues!

[idlemarvel]

1 hour ago, Toastie said:

...(Of course I know why one should do that: Because this would be the true spirit and idea of Technic. But spreadsheet programs having a column "profit" rule.) 

TLG is just another of the large businesses out there.

Best
Thorsten  

I think most of us realise this Thorsten, and we need TLG to continue to be profitable, but a man can dream! 

[StudWorks]

1 hour ago, idlemarvel said:

I think most of us realise this Thorsten, and we need TLG to continue to be profitable, but a man can dream! 

I too want TLG to continue to be profitable as well, but the monstrous $2 billion the group focuses on making in profit each year has had a toll on actual set quality and pricing.

8 hours ago, Lipko said:

Be honest, most Lego fans are not interested in custom design MOCs anymore. Even though it was the "standard" a decade ago, it became a niche. Ever wondered why Crowkillers disappeared and Madoca went silent for almost a decade? Even the more hardcore fans are only interested in licenced sets for their shelf.

While most LEGO consumers aren't interested in MOCs, I disagree about your statement that hardcore Technic fans don't like MOCs anymore. While Speed Champions car MOCs are all the rage on Rebrickable (because they're cheaper), Technic MOCs like alt-builds (like the F1 LM McLaren P1 alt) and Lox Lego's 1:8 scale car MOCs are still hot on the site.

Edited October 22 by StudWorks

[Auroralampinen]

36 minutes ago, StudWorks said:

I too want TLG to continue to be profitable as well, but the monstrous $2 billion the group focuses on making in profit each year has had a toll on actual set quality and pricing.

While most LEGO consumers aren't interested in MOCs, I disagree about your statement that hardcore Technic fans don't like MOCs anymore. While Speed Champions car MOCs are all the rage on Rebrickable (because they're cheaper), Technic MOCs like alt-builds (like the F1 LM McLaren P1 alt) and Lox Lego's 1:8 scale car MOCs are still hot on the site.

Yes, i agree with the speed champions. My youtube has started to recommending me a bucket load of 100 ways to make speed champions cars or alternatives or something videos:). 

Edited October 22 by Auroralampinen

[howitzer]

Did you guys notice how huge the drop was in terms of quality of the non-car sets when comparing this year and previous? Last year there were multiple good non-car sets such as the Emirates yacht, Mack garbage truck, Apollo lunar rover (no I don't count it as a car in this sense), the orrery and Volvo truck+excavator set. This year? Only the Volvo loader is worthwhile, all others are cars, tiny sets or half-assed in design. I just made this comparison and I think this stark contrast in the lineup quality has affected my thinking about the current state of the theme. Even 2023 was much, much better than 2025, as was 2022. Hopefully there will be something nice next year or the year after that, otherwise Technic theme is doomed.

And yeah, the cars should be more interesting functionally.

[Auroralampinen]

Hmm, i got a interesting thought. When power functions died the last motor what they used was L motor. And seemingly the control + is in the last legs. And c+ system only remaining motor is also L motor. This is really insteresting coincidence🤔. 

[gyenesvi]

3 hours ago, Auroralampinen said:

Hmm, i got a interesting thought. When power functions died the last motor what they used was L motor. And seemingly the control + is in the last legs. And c+ system only remaining motor is also L motor. This is really insteresting coincidence🤔. 

Not so much a surprise as that's the most useful one in both lineups in terms of power / form factor / size. Not to mention that in PU, the L motor serves the purpose of servo as well.

[Lipko]

19 hours ago, StudWorks said:

I too want TLG to continue to be profitable as well, but the monstrous $2 billion the group focuses on making in profit each year has had a toll on actual set quality and pricing.

While most LEGO consumers aren't interested in MOCs, I disagree about your statement that hardcore Technic fans don't like MOCs anymore. While Speed Champions car MOCs are all the rage on Rebrickable (because they're cheaper), Technic MOCs like alt-builds (like the F1 LM McLaren P1 alt) and Lox Lego's 1:8 scale car MOCs are still hot on the site.

CUSTOM, non licenced. I wasn't talking about abot MOCs ingeneral.

[aeh5040]

On 10/21/2025 at 3:42 PM, Ngoc Nguyen said:

HI everyone, this is a call for action from RacingBrick 

 

I'm not completely convinced. The core complaint seems to be: there are now more technic sets of the kind that we don't particularly like, but roughly the same number as before of the kind that we do like.

As my phrasing implies, I broadly share the opinions about which ones I like. But logically this phenomenon itself should not be a concern. We can just buy the sets that we like. It should not really matter whether there are other sets that happen to bear the same theme name. This has happened in the past with Bionicle etc.

Perhaps there are deeper suspicions that the kind of sets we like may be phased out on grounds that they are less profitable. To be honest that has always been a concern for me. Has it become more likely recently? I don't know. All we can really say is that it has still not happened yet.

[allanp]

6 hours ago, aeh5040 said:

I'm not completely convinced. The core complaint seems to be: there are now more technic sets of the kind that we don't particularly like, but roughly the same number as before of the kind that we do like.

As my phrasing implies, I broadly share the opinions about which ones I like. But logically this phenomenon itself should not be a concern. We can just buy the sets that we like. It should not really matter whether there are other sets that happen to bear the same theme name. This has happened in the past with Bionicle etc.

Perhaps there are deeper suspicions that the kind of sets we like may be phased out on grounds that they are less profitable. To be honest that has always been a concern for me. Has it become more likely recently? I don't know. All we can really say is that it has still not happened yet.

I agree that having sets that are just plain cars isn't necessarily a bad thing, so long as there are other more interesting and "true Technic" options. But I'd hate for proper technic to be phased out in favor of cars. Wouldn't that just be the way of it though? 

Step 1) Release a really bad flagship excavator which any one of us here could point out the shortcomings.

Step 2) See it didn't sell as well as it could have done.

Step 3) Somehow conclude that excavators don't sell!

Bonus step) Wonder why long time fans are pissed!

[Mikdun]

On 9/22/2025 at 4:46 PM, Ngoc Nguyen said:

Guess what a shocking discovery I just made.

Lego no longer offers instructions for Technic B models, even for past models. I just looked up instructions for a couple of sets (8043, 42043, 42009), and only instructions of A models are listed. 

Try it yourself: https://www.lego.com/en-my/service/building-instructions/42009

Chcecked it now and the B-model instuctions are still there.

[Auroralampinen]

33 minutes ago, Mikdun said:

Chcecked it now and the B-model instuctions are still there.

Yeah probably by fan backlash and critcism lego decided to brought them back:). 

[8868]

On 10/22/2025 at 7:18 AM, Lipko said:

Be honest, most Lego fans are not interested in custom design MOCs anymore. Even though it was the "standard" a decade ago, it became a niche. Ever wondered why Crowkillers disappeared and Madoca went silent for almost a decade? Even the more hardcore fans are only interested in licenced sets for their shelf.

Hi. Speaking of Crowkillers. Does anyone know how to contact him? I am not allowed PM and his page is down. I would like to buy instructions for his Phantasm Twin Turbo supercar and I don't know vhere. If anyone knows how to get them, please let me know. Thanks