42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader - Mods and Improvements

[Jundis]

Not the visually pleasing one but an easy fix for the bucket with just 2 x 3749, 2 x 32054 and one 4519.

Give a little better angle for bucket tilt in lower arm position:

[jorgeopesi]

3 hours ago, Jundis said:

Not the visually pleasing one but an easy fix for the bucket with just 2 x 3749, 2 x 32054 and one 4519.

Give a little better angle for bucket tilt in lower arm position:

These small changes make the difference I like to solve myself but any help, idea or advice are wellcome.

[Appie]

4 hours ago, Jundis said:

Not the visually pleasing one but an easy fix for the bucket with just 2 x 3749, 2 x 32054 and one 4519.

Give a little better angle for bucket tilt in lower arm position:

(removed images)

Thanks! I was messing with trying to improve the mechanism of the bucket earlier today, but got nowhere, but this gave me alot of room to experiment some more and I think I have a fix that's nearly perfect for the movement of the arm. So the tilt LA can stay fully extended the whole up and down. Combined with your fix, I made this z-arm:

Bright colours to see the parts properly. Basically changed the 4L thin liftarms to other parts (L-shaped 2x4 and 5L thin liftarms)

And how it's folded in the lower position:

And how it looks with a quick mod on the model (note the 2L pin of the old 6L thin liftarms still being there):

I said this fix was nearly perfect, because at the very bottom you get some resistance from the lift LA's, that like the original geometry, won't fully go inwards. However, this resistance is at the point where you'd tilt the bucket downwards to start digging again, so I still think it's alot better than what the default model did.

Thanks Jundis for the great starting point!

 

Edit: checked how the bucket handled at the bottom and if it was level at the top, but forgot the dumping at the top, for which this z-arm is very poor. Back to tweaking. Sorry for the waste of time, maybe my fail gives somebody else better ideas

Edited June 9 by Appie

[Paul B Technic]

Great to see the mods and improvements.

[jorgeopesi]

A lot of people playing with a Z linkage and I thought I was the only crazy, maybe we should open a new z forum  .

[mpj]

Funny thing is that real Volvo L120 has different linkage, with the actuator on the bottom, maybe you should try to mod it like the real one 

[Timewhatistime]

19 hours ago, jorgeopesi said:

A lot of people playing with a Z linkage and I thought I was the only crazy, maybe we should open a new z forum  .

Very good idea!

The Z kinematics have given me some sleepless nights (way before 42209).

I wonder if there is a better method than trial and error... 

There must be a way to solve this problem analytically: given the geometry of the bucket and the range of the mini-LAs; with the pivots and the levers' lengths as variables.

Does anyone know?

Edited June 10 by Timewhatistime

[Stereo]

I thought the point of the Z-link was to have this kind of 'automatic' change in bucket tilt as you raise it.  If you just want the bucket to stay parallel to the ground then you'd just have a parallelogram linkage where one rotates the bars and the other moves the bottom corner of it.

[Appie]

After reading Jundis' very informative topic about kinematics of wheel loaders, I gave it another whirl to fix the z-linkage and I do believe I have a very good fix now and it only takes a small adjustment with 6 4 extra parts.

• An 8 or 9L axle 
• A frictionless 3L pin
• 2 half bushes (re-used from parts left over from the original build)
• 2 liftarms 2x4 

The main difference is that I changed the turning point of the z-linkage upwards to the next best available slot on the default model.

Placing the L-liftarms in the middle might be a little tricky, I don't have a solution for this yet except for placing the liftarms that hold the bucket outwards like in Jundis' mod.

Range of motion compared to the original model in the back (both without Jundis' earlier mod btw)

it's slightly less level than the original, trade off is that it can dip a little deeper:

The whole lift up and down can now be done without adjusting the tilt halfway through. At the very bottom of the lift LA's motion you get some resistance, similar to the orignal when the lift LA's are about 2mm away from being fully turned in. Since this is the best position to lower the bucket on the floor, I don't mind this. I wished the thing was level like the original at the top, but I can live with that for easier controls.

Edited June 10 by Appie

[Paul B Technic]

Nice change :)

[Milan]

Mods topic has been created.
We can use this topic to show our mods and improvements.

[Appie]

Still working on it, but it's getting close to being finished, busy modifying the set with PoweredUp:

As you can see, a few things are different from the original, but I tried to minimize this as best I could. I still need to finish up the rear, but the model is fully functional. I managed to keep the pendular rear axle as well. The rear wheels just miss the m-motors behind them when tilted.

My other wheel loader MOC could do wheelies thanks to the hub on the rear, I didn't try with this one yet, but I think it can do it even better 

[jorgeopesi]

Talking about wheel loaders I have to leave here this epic tractor of another designer we lost, a very good linkage. I will try to improve the 42209 linkage too.

Class Torion by Klein creations

[Paul B Technic]

LEGO Technic 42209 - Mod - Quick Change Hitch

 

I have recently purchased and built the  LEGO Technic 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader, with a view to designing and building some different attachments for the front of this.

After looking at the current way it had the large bucket attached, I decided to make some modifications to this, both to improve the function and also allow me to be able to easily mount different attachments. This has included adding 2L lift arms to the end of the axels with stoppers, to allow me to easily pull these out. I have also replaced the thing lift arm on the bucket tilt arm with 7L beams in light grey. This allows me to easily swap attachments.
 

 

 

 

[Paul B Technic]

LEGO Technic 42209 - Mod - Loading Forks Attachment

 

One of the things I love most about LEGO Technic is how it invites experimentation and customization. While the official sets are impressive on their own, it's the aftermarket creativity that really unlocks their potential. That’s exactly what inspired my latest project—a new Loading Forks Attachment for the LEGO Technic 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader.

Designed Around My New Quick Hitch System
This attachment is the first in what I hope will be a long line of add-ons for the 42209. It makes full use of my recently developed quick hitch system, allowing for fast and easy swapping between tools. Whether you want to go from a bucket to forks or something entirely different, the hitch system adds flexibility and realism to play and display alike.

The design maintains full lift and tilt functionality and integrates smoothly with the set’s existing controls. Because the forks are built to LEGO Technic proportions and structure, they remain lightweight enough not to overload the lifting mechanism, while still being strong and stable for play scenarios.

Expanding Usefulness and Play Value
The official set is already a compact powerhouse with a great parts selection. But adding swappable attachments like this takes it even further—opening up new play scenarios like:

• Pallet lifting and material transport

• Warehouse simulation

• Forklift vs. loader comparisons

You’re no longer locked into just one configuration, and that modularity means more hours of engagement, especially for younger builders or display-focused AFOLs (like me).

What’s Next?
This Loading Forks mod is just the beginning. I have several other ideas planned that will take advantage of the same hitch setup, including:

• A snow plow

• A log grabber

• A dozer blade

• And more…

By building onto the base 42209 set, I aim to create a whole ecosystem of tools that will make it one of the most versatile small Technic sets in your collection.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video - https://paulbtechnic.blogspot.com/2025/06/lego-technic-42209-mod-loading-forks.html

[Appie]

Nice mod Paul! New attachments would be great for this set. 

 

For my own mod earlier of the z-arm, I noticed that in the lower part of raising the bucket that the tilt of the bucket would change to the front which could result in cargo falling out. To counter this I tweaked my mod a little more. 

I used camshaft pieces to get an additional 1/2 stud offset compared to my previous mod. This keeps the bucket tilted backwards a little more. 

Added bonus is that the bucket is now level at the top (like the set) where with my previous mod it was slightly off. The tilt of the bucket to dump load at the top is also the same as the set now.

As for me making the model RC, it's done, but waiting on a few last parts to show it. Might be best to show in a separate topic I think. 

[Paul B Technic]

6 hours ago, Appie said:

Nice mod Paul! New attachments would be great for this set. 

Thanks. I have some ideas for other attachments.

[efferman]

Nice mods.

Iam working on an RC mod. Sorry for the bad quality.....and my toe.

The driving speed is much to fast, but up and down seems to bee good.

[efferman]

It is almost complete. 

The steering has unfortunatley some slack.

[Paul B Technic]

Nice work on adding RC.

[Paul B Technic]

LEGO Technic 42209 - Mod - Loading Claw Attachment

 

I have recently been working on designing and building a front mounted loading claw for Lego Technic 42209, Volvo L120 Electric Frontend Loader. 

 

Over the past couple of days, I have spent some time design and building this attachment, it is attached using my normal front quick mount attachment points. While the opening of the claw is not quite as large as what I would like, I found overall it seems to work fairly well and allows me to pick up loads and driving around using the L120.

 

I chose the colour schemes as I wanted a little bit of contrast to the yellow and black from the L120 itself. Overall this works quite well and I’m very happy with it.

 

 

More photos and video - https://paulbtechnic.blogspot.com/2025/06/lego-technic-42209-mod-loading-claw.html

[Jundis]

Another very tiny tweak:

Flip the 90° axle connector on the backend of the model and use a black 2L pin instead of 2L axle pin.  

 

I wonder why they didn't to this in the first place... as designer nowadays try to hide the blue pins as much as possible.

[Appie]

@Jundis I didn't understand that choice either. Maybe they want to make it easier for young builders to install that minibuild? The set has more of those axle pins sticking out in places where a normal pin could have also been placed.

@Paul B Technic Nice grabber claw mod.

@efferman Works awesome! The beefed up bodywork looks great too!

[efferman]

1 hour ago, Appie said:

Works awesome! The beefed up bodywork looks great too!

Thank you very much

[Paul B Technic]

LEGO Technic 42209 - Mod - Lift and Carry Crane Attachment

 

I have recently been working on designing and building a front mounted lift and carry crane attachment for Lego Technic 42209, Volvo L120 Electric Frontend Loader. 

 

I came up with the idea for this last night and after some research online, I built this today, it only took about half an hour. It is attached using my normal front quick mount attachment points. 
 

Overall it seems to work fairly well and allows me to pick up loads and driving around using the L120. I am impressed with how high it can lift items.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Video - https://paulbtechnic.blogspot.com/2025/06/lego-technic-42209-mod-lift-and-carry.html