April's Technic Challenge Theme Is "Farming"

[DLuders]

From TLG's website http://technic.lego.com/en-us/competition/default.aspx :

"Take the Technic Challenge - Farming! This is the LEGO® Technic Challenge competition! - here you have a chance at showing the LEGO Technic designers your designs and your abilities with the Technic elements.

The competition is very simple

1. Build a model out of primarily LEGO Technic elements.

2. Take a picture of the model

3. Press the button below to Enter the competition

4. Enter your contact information

5. Upload your image

"What to build?

This month (April) the competition is all about farmlife - build a model that can be used on a farm or has relevance to the farm theme.

The model does not need to be actually usable on a farm, but resemble items/machines that are used on farms.

"How does it work?

Right now you can submit models - On the 19th of April - a panel of judges consisting of designers, marketing managers, building instruction artists and more will pick out (of all submissions) 10 finalists that will then be put up for voting here on the site. Considerations for the Nominees will be based on Model, Design, build to theme and age.

"The winner will receive a prize and also continue to the Big Finale in October."

[DLuders]

Besides the #8063 Tractor with Trailer set (pictured above), there have been these other farm-related sets (from Blakbird's excellent "Technicopedia" reference):

8 different Tractors total: http://www.ericalbrecht.com/technic/tractors.html

2 different Combines: http://www.ericalbrecht.com/technic/combines.html

So, there's never been a Hay-Baler, Conveyor Belt (to lift the bales up into a barn), steep-terrain tractor with TREADS, etc.....

[Zerobricks]

Already started building my machine :)

[DLuders]

Can anybody find a use for these #87751 "7-Blade, 6-Diameter Propellors" ( http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?P=8...&colorID=66 ) or the #4750 "Part 4750 Fabuland Plate, Round 13 2/3 Stud Diameter" ( http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4750 ) ?

Edited April 2, 2010 by dluders

[shimon]

umm first time seeing this part...

somehing related to farm is really hard because the most common things are tractors and harvesters which TLG already have..

i thought about a windmill or a seeder and the yellow part may fit as a windmill stand (the pin holes)

there are no pics though of a good real seeder so it will be very difficult to chose.

Edited April 2, 2010 by shimon

[DLuders]

Here's a robust, Pneumatic Tractor recently made by Nico71: http://www.setechnic.com/Forum/topic2892.html . Although the narrative is in French, I'm sure you can appreciate his creation from the pictures alone (only some of which are shown here):

Nico71 has links to his Brickshelf folders for more pictures: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=345089 and http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=382424 .

Edited April 3, 2010 by dluders

[roamingstop]

I have no time to build but had thought up a couple of ideas in case others are interested...

Obviously trailers to fit behind existing models. These could include

* muck spreader (flat bed trailer with conveyer belt linked to wheels + clutch; rotating flail beam at back)

* muck spreader (3/4 cylinder with rotating central flail beam)

* hedge cutter on mechanical JCB type arm

* rectangular hay bailer

* cylinder hay bailer

* crop / grass cutter / thresher like a mini harvester pulled behind tractor

* seeder (mentioned above)

* crop spray (with mechanical closing arms)

* drilling rig - to place the fence posts

* JCB type arms to lift hay bails on front / rear

* Mini Tele-handler (actually nothing different from previous TLG models)

More unusual mechanical vehicles often seen around the slopes of Switzerland

* Mini-Tractor with raised center for grapes / vines

* Tractor on tracks for all terrain / snow. Sometimes has flatbed section like a snow groomer

* Dumper style articulated tractors

* Large grass cutting mowers which are driven by hand

* Portable conveyor belts

* Large crop / cotton picking harvester