Single Book Building Instructions

[Mowikan]

Am I the only one who don't like these new one piece building instructions for the big set's?

I think they are to bulky to work with and they are not handy when it comes to filing.

[Technic-Kobaltz]

You may well just be Mowican

I love them, nothing better than a good substantial instruction book to work through on a cold winters night.

We have waited long enough for the return of the one big instruction book, lets hope it is here to stay this time.

Far better quality than the pamphlet instruction books!!!

Edited November 29, 2014 by Technic-Kobaltz

[miguev]

I personally prefer PDF instructions, and find it sad that the ones for A models suck so much (low-res). I can only build on my desk, and there's very limited space, no room for a paper book of any thickness, but the screen is always there so it's the perfect support / media for the instructions.

So for now I keep all my paper instructions stored for my kids to maybe use them in years from now, it's true there's something that feels great about paper pages

[Josephiah]

Came back to technic with 42009 after a break since 8880 and the control centre II, and was one of the first things I noticed as a difference from the old style (and not for the better in my opinion). The old sets would fit both A and B models into one big book, and the number of steps required was much less (and of course that means usually more parts/more challenge per step).

42009's instructions could easily be fitted into half the number of pages without increasing the difficulty level - the number of steps which require only a single piece (or occasionally even a full page spread with no pieces added at all) seems a little ridiculous! :)

[DrJB]

In the old times, instructions were in a single book. I still have mine for the 8448 Super Street Sensation and the 8466 4×4 Off-Roader.

[N-4K0]

I don't care if they're in a single book or several.

[krtwood]

I understand what you mean. With 42030 it wouldn't sit flat enough on its own to be able to see the needed parts for the step without having to hold it open for the first 1/4rd and last 1/4rd of the build. I would have rather had the separate thinner books while building it, but after it's easier to store the one book.

[5imon]

I haven't had one of the new books yet. I think it all depends on how easy they are to keep open. If they are of better quality than the old books, then I'm in.

However, I agree with miguev: since my desktop is already quite cluttered when I'm building, I'd prefer useable PDF instructions on my screen. But if the new book is rigis enough to stand in front of the screen, it's about the same.

[veryrusty]

I think I prefer the new books. Having the b model as a pdf works. One book is enough.

[nxtstep101]

Personally I prefer the detailed instructions, because in the event that I make a mistake I can easily go back and find out what I did wrong. I also do use a different building technique for the more detailed instructions, to make it less time consuming.

[Blakbird]

I prefer the single books, but I can't say exactly why. Perhaps it is just because they feel more substantial and now do not have breaks in random places.

[VKTechnic]

Who even uses instruction manuals these days?

[Mowikan]

This is why i dont like the new books and how i store my books.

[Richard Dower]

^ storage of instructions is a problem + the easy damage/creases they encounter. For storage reasons i think a single booklet would be best.

[dr_spock]

I prefer the spiral bounded if the instruction booklet is going to be thick. They did that with the instruction books for the UCS Imperial Star Destroyer.

[afoldad]

Some of the architectural sets are also spiral bound and are printed on much higher quality paper. The paper probably has to be much thicker when spiral bound.

[nerdsforprez]

Personally, I don't like juggling multiple books. Perhaps that reflects some organizational limitations of mine or something :) anyways, if I can limit the things that I have to juggle.... then I am all for it. I like the single book instructions......

[hrontos]

Since I like LEGO as a building toy and not as a collector, the storage of the books is not that important. What I like about the separate books is at least some possibility to distribute them among my kids and let them help me building the model (or they help each other) by building submodels of the main model from different books. They do not argue and we have a family fun. But I admit that this is a really rather specific advantage.

[miguev]

Since I like LEGO as a building toy and not as a collector, the storage of the books is not that important. What I like about the separate books is at least some possibility to distribute them among my kids and let them help me building the model (or they help each other) by building submodels of the main model from different books. They do not argue and we have a family fun. But I admit that this is a really rather specific advantage.

Parallel building FTW! :)

If it wasn't for the kids, I'd sell booklets and keep PDFs safe. But they're already all over the place.

[TheItalianBrick]

I don't really care, but there could be a good point for the single book: imagine you have a shelve with these fat books, they can easily stand up like any normal book....where the thin ones can't! So somehow it's nice to have them all together close to eachother....like a LEGO library!

[miguev]

I don't really care, but there could be a good point for the single book: imagine you have a shelve with these fat books, they can easily stand up like any normal book....where the thin ones can't! So somehow it's nice to have them all together close to eachother....like a LEGO library!

I wouldn't store them standing like normal books, they may look like they can stand it for a long time but I don't think they can, they'd deform rather quickly

[Mowikan]

Interesting point of familie building!