Opinion on 42009 - Mobile Crane Mk II

[JimDude]

I ~like~ that the outriggers are slow (they're still ten times faster than on a real crane). It does take tinkering at every step to keep the friction under control, but, isn't tinkering the whole point of Technic LEGO?

The B-model is astonishingly ugly, but the gearbox on the container-arm is pure genius, and the self-centering containergrabber is purer pure genius. I kept staring at it for hours wondering why I'm so stupid if I'll ever come up with anything that clever.

Do note this is only my second after-dark-ages-set, with the VOLVO being the other, so perhaps I'm still easy to be blown off my socks. The VOLVO has unmatched playability (read: my son does not want to give it back), but the MkII has… "Technic". Written all over it. Literally, even.

(I've studied the 8043 instructions until the point where I think I know them by hard ;) , and I do think that set was even better still from a functional point of view, but there's just something inexplicable about >2600 pieces staring at you)