Old school technic bricks

[Darth Dino]

Hi

reading the forum makes me sure to start again with LEGO with the 8043 excavator and later (i hope not too late) the 8258 crane truck. Surprizingly i had to realize none of them having a mentionable amount (or even a single one) old school technic BRICK with studs. I guess i will be a complete new experience to build with those "new" studless technic beams that al actual set having in a mass.

I do not want to start a studless vs studs discussion.

I just would like to know if building with the new ones, that i never had, is so different from the one i still have in my mind (1980-1989). I think that i probably will feel limited, because o can not put something ON the beams except combining them with another one.

Can you probably recommend me a set that still have a lot of technic bricks? Maybe the older crane 8421 that is highly available via bricklink - and compared to other ones cheap.

thanks

Dino

[DLuders]

I would look at the various Lego Technic sets featured on Blakbird's Technicopedia. He owns ALL of the Lego Technic sets, and has good information for sets up to 1996. Once you find a set that you like, read the reviews for it on Brickset by typing the set number in the top-right corner of that webpage.

[Wiseman_2]

Building with the current studless system is quite different to building with old studded beams. Most of my sets are studless and it was only after I got a couple of older ones off eBay that I realised how different. With the older style, you build from ground up and use plates and bricks in construction, whereas studless rarely use these except for decorative parts.

Good luck finding 8421 cheap. It fetches a higher price than other old studded sets that I've seen, and still has more studless than studded parts. I would recommend 8460, it's a solid set which isn't too expensive due to it being re-released in 2002-3.

Or you could go for 8053. It is the only set sold by TLG right now that uses studded parts for functional purposes (that I am aware of).

Edited September 3, 2011 by Wiseman_2

[Burf2000]

Building with the current studless system is quite different to building with old studded beams. Most of my sets are studless and it was only after I got a couple of older ones off eBay that I realised how different. With the older style, you build from ground up and use plates and bricks in construction, whereas studless rarely use these except for decorative parts.

Good luck finding 8421 cheap. It fetches a higher price than other old studded sets that I've seen, and still has more studless than studded parts. I would recommend 8460, it's a solid set which isn't too expensive due to it being re-released in 2002-3.

Or you could go for 8053. It is the only set sold by TLG right now that uses studded parts for functional purposes (that I am aware of).

That reminds me I must buy a 8053

[Darth Dino]

Hi

actually i have an eye on the 8421 crane. It is available in Germany around 100 Euros via ebay. For the parts amount should this be a valuable purchase?

Dino

[Nazgarot]

Hi

actually i have an eye on the 8421 crane. It is available in Germany around 100 Euros via ebay. For the parts amount should this be a valuable purchase?

Dino

That is very cheap, even for parts i think that is a good purchase. Normally it's a least twice that, so I would definitely buy it if I was looking for it!

-ED-

Edited September 7, 2011 by Nazgarot

[Aqualize]

As wiseman points out, studded technic builds from ground up (at least official models). Studless have a building process that is more interesting and "3 dimensional".

E.g. 8868 Airtech claw rig that I have. You really put bricks on top of bricks almost through the whole building process. I prefer studless building.

[Darth Dino]

Hi

actually i do not know which i will prefer - i see both having their advantages, one have smoother and more even design, the other one can put typical and decorative bricks on it for more detail.

Dino

[Burf2000]

Hi

actually i do not know which i will prefer - i see both having their advantages, one have smoother and more even design, the other one can put typical and decorative bricks on it for more detail.

Dino

I believe the best result is from using both. My 5 foot 8 robot would not of works from Studless beams (I believe), I used studded and plate to make very strong parts and held them together with studless beams

[Sokratesz]

As wiseman points out, studded technic builds from ground up (at least official models). Studless have a building process that is more interesting and "3 dimensional".

E.g. 8868 Airtech claw rig that I have. You really put bricks on top of bricks almost through the whole building process. I prefer studless building.

It doesn't have that study LEGO feel though :(

Hi

actually i have an eye on the 8421 crane. It is available in Germany around 100 Euros via ebay. For the parts amount should this be a valuable purchase?

Dino

Very good value for that money, they usually go for 120e or more.

[SNIPE]

If you like old technic although there is even older stuff then I would recommend buying a Lego 8448 or something similar in that old technic theme but with around the same quantity of parts.

This can either for parts for free building, or to build the model(s) itself

i remember when i built mine and managed to have the gulling doors and the boot lid in the same model, I had to use some spare non pneumatic shocks for the boot lid because there was only two pneumatic shocks, one for each door instead of four.

I later went crazy and added tons of stuff but eventually is kept falling apart so I dismantled it, i used a few modern parts aswell.

Edited September 7, 2011 by SNIPE

[Darth Dino]

Hi

Ouch! The 8448 has something i really dislike: Those flexible design fibers - i do not know how they are officially called. They do not remind me in any case to be Lego, no stud nor holes for technic pins.

Dino

[mescalinum]

Hi

Ouch! The 8448 has something i really dislike: Those flexible design fibers - i do not know how they are officially called. They do not remind me in any case to be Lego, no stud nor holes for technic pins.

if you mean the flexible axles, its ends fit into a technic pin (either the black one, or the gray 1/2), so technically are suitable both for studded and studless construction