Sets (For a Relative Newbie)

[arieben]

Hello all,

I did quite a bit of exploration into Technic in around 2013-2014, lots of browsing Eurobricks, buying parts and a few sets, etc. It is all so far behind me that I decided to just make a new account. But as it's been 6-7 years almost, I feel I've fallen behind on the latest and greatest in terms of Technic sets and parts. Having looked over just a few recent threads, I'm pretty overwhelmed by the quantity of new pieces and sets. Many of them look very exciting to use.

In a way, I could go about getting them by simply ordering them from bricklink.. but I think I'd be missing out, not seeing the way they're used in sets (plus I'd surely miss quite a few, and it would take lots of searching through here.)

So my idea was to simply buy a few of the most important sets from the past five or six years, and wanted to know - which ones do you all deem to be most essential for that purpose?

Really excited to be back into Technic. Still makes me giddy even after years of hiatus. :)

[Rudivdk]

Hi there, welcome (back)! If you did not already see it, you might want to read up on (the last few pages of) below topic. Lots of tips for some of the better big and small/medium sets in one convenient topic (it's a 13 year old topic with 48 pages of posts, so much of the older posts can be discarded by now...):

 

[CrankyCraig]

Rudivdk suggested a good starting point. It will mostly depend on which flavour you find tastiest. Are you intending to display them, or will you use them for parts to create your own MOCs? Do you prefer looks, functions, pneumatics, RC, small, large, certain colours, etc. The cumulative effect of all of the releases over the years means that there's now a lot of variety, if you can get them at a reasonable price.

42043 is the one set that stands out above all others for me as a technical marvel, but there are lots of really great sets throughout those years.

[Mechbuilds]

After a couple of years of doing this, i can say, just pick a color you like and buy the set that has lots of parts in that color. 
And also the best thing you can do is buy a big expensive set right away. If you buy lots of small sets, it'll take forever till you can actually start building anything. 

My collection is over 7000 parts and i can barely start making anything i want if i disassemble all previous mocs to do it. 

Also highly recommend using www.brickowl.com to get specific parts for your moc. 

[howitzer]

Yeah, sets like 42055 and 42082 are good starting points, as they include a wide parts palette with very affordable price (though the former has been discontinued so there might be a bit of effort finding it, Bricklink should have plenty of sellers though). If you are for example interested in building cars, you could then buy a few smaller car sets to get a good selection of wheels and more panels. Functionally, not much has changed in the last 6-7 years (a few new parts but nothing groundbreaking) so you should be able to get into it fairly quickly. I had a bit steeper learning curve, as I came back after 25 years or so, and practically everything had changed, even the most basic connection was no longer the stud, but the pin.

[MinusAndy]

Pick up a used bucket wheel excavator set. That seems to be pretty good value for money in terms of stockpiles of parts. 

[arieben]

Thanks, all. I think I'm going to pick up 42055, 42082, and the Arocs. See how I feel after that. I already have a smallish collection of parts so those three might be enough for my purposes.

By the way, is there a way to post in a thread here without bumping it? At the same time that I'm happy to express my gratitude, I do realize now that this thread is a bit spammy (thank you Rudivdk for redirecting me to the proper thread).

Anyway, I'll certainly refrain from making any other threads like these. Mods, please close this if possible. Thank you:)

[howitzer]

40 minutes ago, arieben said:

Thanks, all. I think I'm going to pick up 42055, 42082, and the Arocs. See how I feel after that. I already have a smallish collection of parts so those three might be enough for my purposes.

By the way, is there a way to post in a thread here without bumping it? At the same time that I'm happy to express my gratitude, I do realize now that this thread is a bit spammy (thank you Rudivdk for redirecting me to the proper thread).

Anyway, I'll certainly refrain from making any other threads like these. Mods, please close this if possible. Thank you:)

Funny, I have exactly the same Technic sets, plus 42096 and a bunch of 80's and 90's sets from my childhood :) 

Very nice set of parts most of the time, though you might want to expand your panels collection with loose parts, to enable proper bodywork for your vehicles.

[allanp]

43 minutes ago, arieben said:

Thanks, all. I think I'm going to pick up 42055, 42082, and the Arocs. See how I feel after that. I already have a smallish collection of parts so those three might be enough for my purposes.

By the way, is there a way to post in a thread here without bumping it? At the same time that I'm happy to express my gratitude, I do realize now that this thread is a bit spammy (thank you Rudivdk for redirecting me to the proper thread).

Anyway, I'll certainly refrain from making any other threads like these. Mods, please close this if possible. Thank you:)

You're off to a great start with those 3 sets. 42100 might be a better source for parts than 42082 as you'll get the new linear clutches, some new size gears and a bunch of pneumatic tubing to help with pneumatic MOCs, plus the larger track sprockets and a bunch of PU components.

TBH I've been here for many many years and I still don't fully understand the whole bumping topics thing. If you bump a topic people complain, if you start a new topic they complain you didn't post in the existing topic. 

[howitzer]

7 minutes ago, allanp said:

You're off to a great start with those 3 sets. 42100 might be a better source for parts than 42082 as you'll get the new linear clutches, some new size gears and a bunch of pneumatic tubing to help with pneumatic MOCs, plus the larger track sprockets and a bunch of PU components.

TBH I've been here for many many years and I still don't fully understand the whole bumping topics thing. If you bump a topic people complain, if you start a new topic they complain you didn't post in the existing topic. 

42100 is much more expensive though, for it's price you could get 42082 plus some other nice set. Your point stands for the parts though, especially the gears. PU is a matter of taste I think, as it has great potential but it's currently quite a hard to get into except for the official sets.

[CrankyCraig]

1 hour ago, allanp said:

TBH I've been here for many many years and I still don't fully understand the whole bumping topics thing. If you bump a topic people complain, if you start a new topic they complain you didn't post in the existing topic. 

So, is reviving old topics the preference around these parts? Or does doing so also result in complaints?

1 hour ago, howitzer said:

42100 is much more expensive though, for it's price you could get 42082 plus some other nice set.

For less than the cost of 42100 (£350 new) I bought 42082, 42043, 8110 and 42030 - all used though. And I would again given the choice between additional copies of them or 42100. It's an impressive set though, and there's certainly nothing else quite like it.

[Rudivdk]

2 hours ago, CrankyCraig said:

So, is reviving old topics the preference around these parts? Or does doing so also result in complaints?

Yes and No, in no particular order  

As far as I have experienced, bumping old (MOC-)topics is only allowed if you have something of real importance to add to that topic. Not something like asking for instructions after 5 years... 

In case of the 'what set do I buy' or 'look at my working place' generic kind of questions/topics it will be allowed because it is created as a generic topic with the specific purpose to not have numerous similar individual topics going about everywhere. No one would frown on these kind of topics being bumped (or should I just say: 'used').

Generic topics can be hard to find sometimes, but pinning every generic topic to the forum header would make no sense, it will fill the 1st page with pinned topics. The Technic index (still) needs a proper revision (it is a slow WIP atm), but in the end you should be able to find these kind of topics over there.

@Jim or @Milan please correct me if I'm wrong here.

 

@arieben that is a nice selection of sets, giving you a lot of possibilities to go about (L and XL PF-motors, 3 sizes linear actuators, 3 sizes pneumatic actuators + airpump, 3 sizes of common wheels + thread links, loads of frames, gears, gearracks, turntables, suspension parts, the list goes on).

Only thing is: color wise the 3 sets hardly match, so building larger MOCs might leave you buying loose parts in a certain color to beautify it. Still, gotta start somewhere...

Edited May 22, 2020 by Rudivdk

[CrankyCraig]

2 hours ago, Rudivdk said:

Not something like asking for instructions after 5 years... 

Thanks for taking the time to explain the etiquette. It's just as well you did, because I had planned to do just that with one particular MOC.   So by 'real importance', would having a meaningful contribution to an older set (I'm a bit behind the rest of the pack), such as a modification to a set, qualify?

I think it makes sense, but even so, I'd just like to apologise in advance for when (not if) I get it wrong.

 

[Rudivdk]

Usually it is better to send a PM to the MOC designer when the MOC is old (a bit arbitrary: old = 1year...?), to check whether they are still active and to ask for instructions. Once you have instructions and you've built the model, you can post that (with some pics ofc) in the old topic.

MOCs to a(n older) set (or MOC for that matter) can be posted in the topic for that set/MOC, or if extensive enough to be a near stand-alone can also be posted in a new topic (while giving credit to said set/MOC). It's a thin line and some gray area... You could always ask Admin/Mod when not sure...

[Bolt1970]

I am after some help

After doing the chiron and rough terrain crane I've started 42100 and finished section 1 but I can't test as the app says wrong connection which is not the case it also asks to

Turn on the upper hub which is still in the box. The book just shows open app and track. Any help would be very helpful