What do you preffer small, medium or big sets?

[jorgeopesi]

But first of all we should decide how many pieces will have each of them... For me a small set would have less than 500 pieces and a big set more than 2000 obviously the medium set would be between them, but this is in my opinion... I said that because I like medium and small sets more and more and I practically escape from the big ones, they seem to me a bad summary, they escape too much from the optimization and they get lost in the baroque, I said that...?.

Edited September 26, 2018 by jorgeopesi
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[Carefree_Dude]

I really enjoy sets that are 1000+ parts. the level of detail in most of them is amazing. Also my wife's reaction to walking in and seeing the bucket arm subassembly of the BWE sitting on my lap was priceless. 

That said though, I'm not sure how I feel when a set seems to have huge part counts just for the sake of having huge part counts. The most recent All terrain crane for instance feels like it could have 1000 fewer parts but still get pretty much the same model

[Bublehead]

I like big complex flagship sets...max piece count isn’t a factor, functions and realism to existing real life machines, wether that means it does a function exactly like it’s real life counterpart or that it just performs the same task, only by way of a Technic engineered solution that fakes it. Like the steering modes on the Claas tractor... I doubt it has the same mechanical underpinnings as the Lego model, but the Technic solution of moving the fulcrum may be how they accomplish it on the real tractor, but in a more compact and implemented design. Then again, it may drive by wire and be a hydraulic marvel... I have no idea. That they simulated it fairly well with Technic was what makes it a neat model to me, and features and details like that are what I look for in a official TLG product.  I liked the RTC, not for it’s bloated piece count but that it was a satisfying build overall, has most of the features of a crane, and had a decent color scheme that wasn’t aqua, teal, sea foam green, chartreuse, or my favorite, Almost Black Blue.

[Aventador2004]

Medium sets for sure, around 900-1500 parts. They give the most fun mechanisms, creativity, and long enough build time.

[BrickbyBrickTechnic]

Go BIG or go home! 

[Akbalder]

Right now, my favorite sets are the biggest ones.

If the crane really has too much parts for its functionalities, I may change my mind.

[Maaboo the Witch]

For me, the Maaboo Scale of Set Size is as follows:

Between 1-500pts = Small

Between 500-1000pts = Medium

Between 1000-1500pts = Large

Between 1500-2000pts = Very Large

Over 2000pts = Titan

I'd say that the Large category is a sweet spot for me; it has great sets such as 42029, 42042 and 42053. Not too big, not too small.

[Seasider]

I don't think I have a preference for size. It's more about what the model looks like and how its functions work.

 

[Vectormatic]

Im partial to small and small/medium sets.

I really like sets like 42007, 42036, 42048 and 42075, they make for nice display models with good detail and plenty of functions, a good build which doesnt get tedious, and are affordable.

I feel the bigger the set, the more risk there is that you end up with an hour long fase in the build where you dont actually build anything interesting, just slogging through structure or bodywork (42077 is quite bad for this, 2/3rds of the build is just cosmetics). I havent tried anything bigger then ~1300 parts in recent times though, i find the price really puts me off, especially since i find flaws in most bigger sets. And while fixing/modding small sets feels rewarding, i just cant be bothered to fix 42077 (which imho should have AWD and/or a gearbox) or the even bigger things, not for that price anyway.

Part of this might be me not being able to spend big sums of money on myself easily (its a mental thing) and being overly critical. As much as i like the idea of 42056, the end result just feels weak, and it needs too much fixing to be of proper lego quality, while something like 42075 works perfectly out of the box and had me modding it (not fixing, just making it a different thing) for hours, without feeling like i was making up for designer laziness

[1gor]

I usually like sets with 1000-2000 parts because there is still good playability and decent functionality in sets this size...but I buy sets mostly for parts, so big is not bad at all 

[sirslayer]

Set that are under 1000 pieces or even 500 is good... I really like the Lego set 42075, its just the right size for the PF motors to handle 

[jorgeopesi]

I think that when you buy sets with more than 2000 pieces you are buying standard pieces at gold price IMO, I preffer one thousand times 2 medium sets that 1 titan.

[Eaglefan344]

I only buy the flagship sets. My budget is about $1,000 annually and between modulars, trains, fairgrounds and technic flagships I have about $150ish left. I am torn between buying the Super Car's (about $150-$175 per year avg since they come out every 2 years, or buying a medium/large sized set like the Claas or Mack) each year. I change my mind daily it seems. Any advice is appreciated.

Edited September 27, 2018 by Eaglefan344

[Bublehead]

@Eaglefan344, my advice on super cars, get them if you like them. From a build perspective, they are all a very similar build, the functions are usually very similar, steering, drivetrain, etc... I buy them used (usually) and only spring for a new one in the box when it has a new element that piques my interest, such as the wavy catch in the Bugatti.  I don’t tend to build MOC super cars, so my desire for super car parts is pretty low. Ymmv. I do buy sets as parts packs, and sometimes super cars may have an abundance of an element I want more of, but ever since the amalgamaters on BL bust up and sell the parts (usually) reasonably priced, I have lately been buying sets as display pieces more than parts packs. With the exception of the Arocs and the Claas and BWE which are awesome parts packs imho.

[Erik Leppen]

Personally I think I prefer the biggest sets, as they tend to have the most sophisticated techniques. But I think for the general public, medium-sized sets seem to bring most of the good models. Sets like First responder 42075 or the most recent forklift are I think very nice good-looking decently-functional affordable mid-sized Technic models. Some large-ish sets were also great; I really liked 42039 for example, and also the cargo plane 42025 (but that might be considered a big set) and the medium blue jet 42066. That said, I actually buy very few sets and only build sets once and after that they are just parts packs. I believe most recent Technic set I bought was 42066...

I'm still torn on the 42083 Chiron set. I'd really like it, both as a build and for the parts (and color), but upwards of 300 euros is a LOT of money for a Lego set, even one that I really like.

[roland]

I prefer the bigger sets.

I just wished they had some without power functions as I like the pure manual mechanical sets from the past.

It would also help keep the cost of these bigger sets down.

[shadow_elenter]

I used to like them BIG, for the part count, all the functions, the scale and the feeling of achievement after hours of building.
Now, I only make MOC's so I just buy interesting new parts via bricklink or sometimes specific parts I need for a MOC like for instance seats for 3D DIZZY.
 

 

[WvG_853]

I normally only buy the big sets (exception 42070 that I have not bought), unless a medium set impresses/interests me and I can get it for a decent price. I ended up buying for instance 42078 because of the new type of motor I had not seen before and the B-Model. Otherwise I would not have bought it. Typically I only buy the large H2 sets and maybe 1 medium/large set from H1.

It is not that I would not enjoy building smaller sets, it is just that I prefer larger more complex models that keep me busy multiple evenings/weeks in a row.

Edited September 27, 2018 by WvG_853
Added reason ...

[Bublehead]

2 hours ago, Erik Leppen said:

Personally I think I prefer the biggest sets, as they tend to have the most sophisticated techniques. 

+1 on interesting techniques and big, but to the defense of smaller models by some designers, their ability to pack more into less is mechanical engineering porn. I give the 42008 as my example, I didn’t expect the amount of satisfaction that build would bring. Flagship grade design in a medium model, yeah give us more of that...

[arijitdas]

Personally I prefer sets with 1000 - 2000 parts since I feel that they provide descent functionality, complexity and play ability. 

[grum64]

For me it’s not just the size of the set that draws me to it but the complexity. Big or small I want a build to be challenging, something that’ll really make me think.

I spend hours, sometimes days, when I build working out how best to approach the next days building. How can I attach parts to an awkwardly shaped subassembly, how do I manoeuvre something into place, how will I keep multiple parts aligned to fit another to them and in the case of the BWE just, how?

Every model I build, big or small, is challenging but the bigger that challenge the more enjoyment I get building it.

[MattL600]

Small/Medium sets are my favourite because then I can acctually afford them

[Lakop]

All sizes and I buy what I can afford or what will give me parts I need. It was always the larger sets that caught my eye but now I take a close look at all sizes. I think though with Technic you can go too small.

H

[kodlovag]

I prefer smaller sets, ~200pcs. They are in my display, and never disassembled. I have only two 300+ sets, for parts. And bulk Technic parts. Then I bricklink the missing parts for a new build. Big sets contain a lot of common parts, does not worth to pay for hundreds of unnecessary pins and axles.

[Andy D]

I think TLG has gone "off the rails" in terms of set size. One of the bestTechnic sets was the 8258 Crane Truck (considered by many to be the "gold standard" for sets) and it was under 2000 parts. However a couple of my other favorite sets were the 42042 Crawler Crane at 1400 parts and the 42009 Mobil Crane MK II at 2297 parts. As you can see all my favorite sets are under 2500 parts, two are under 2000 parts, yet all three have fantastic functions.

The new craze of 3000 to 4000 parts is just too much TLG showed us that you do not have to have a monster sized set to have great functions, yet they continue with "over the top" set sizes.

I have the 42055 (BWE) but i doubt I will ever build it, it is just too darn big, and takes up too much space for the functions available. Until they start producing sets more like the 8258, 42009 and 42042 I will pass on new Flagship sets and continue to build and disassemble my three favorite sets. I have already built the 8258 3 times, the 42009 6+ times and the 42009B at least 3 times. (Getting my money's worth out of those sets) and the 42042 just one time, most likely the 42042 will be my next larger set I will build.

My preference is for sets below 2500 parts that have great functions, as functions, build complexity and interesting techniques  are the most important things to me.

Andy D

Edited September 28, 2018 by Andy D