42131 - CAT D11 Bulldozer

[TeamThrifty]

18 minutes ago, AVCampos said:

I might sell you mine for £2000, just to make you feel better.

I should have been more specific!! 

44 minutes ago, JaBaCaDaBra said:

At this moment Intertoys in The Netherlands for €349,95
Mine just came in.

Thats £297... Bingo! 

[Jim]

On 10/3/2021 at 4:44 PM, AVCampos said:

I made a short program in Pybricks to control the Cat from a LEGO PU remote. Although it lacks the app's niceties such as tilt information, route drawing and especially proportional control, I found physical buttons more pleasant to use and it switches functions a lot faster (not to mention the calibration only takes a few seconds). @kbalage's tutorial for the buggy and Zetros was invaluable for this!

In the program, I set the remote's +/- buttons to directly control the treads. The red buttons control the active function. Pressing the green button cycles through the four functions, and the remote's LED indicates which one is active:

• Blue: blade lift
• Green: ripper
• Yellow: ladder
• Red: blade tilt
• White: function switching in progress

...

Just tried this program. Very cool!

[AVCampos]

Thanks! As with the 42124, I just can't handle virtual controls and look at the model at the same time.

[Jim]

6 minutes ago, AVCampos said:

Thanks! As with the 42124, I just can't handle virtual controls and look at the model at the same time.

Your program proves that a physical remote is so much better.

I recently met up with Laurens to lend him one of my models, so we did some testing with firmware updates and remotes etc. Pybricks is impressive  

[Ngoc Nguyen]

27 minutes ago, AVCampos said:

Thanks! As with the 42124, I just can't handle virtual controls and look at the model at the same time.

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-85933/nguyengiangoc/42114-pf-conversion-servo-motor-steer/#details

 

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-92919/nguyengiangoc/42131-pf-conversion/#details

Edited November 17, 2021 by Ngoc Nguyen

[anyUser]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before and I cannot find (immediately, no full search) any remarks:
In Step 122(Book 1) a cardanic transmission is shown that does not look right to me:

Is this the correct alingment of joints for optimum transmission?

i found this image in another discussion that indicates a different setup:

 

I found this:

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by anyUser
Link to Arocs thread added

[AVCampos]

This video shows it:

 

[allanp]

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

I don't know if this has been mentioned before and I cannot find (immediately, no full search) any remarks:
In Step 122(Book 1) a cardanic transmission is shown that does not look right to me:

Is this the correct alingment of joints for optimum transmission?

i found this image in another discussion that indicates a different setup:

 

I found this:

 

Looking at the instructions (as I don't have the model myself) you are correct. The UJs would be better aligned as you suggested though probably wouldn't make much of a noticeable difference given that it's spinning pretty fast.

[Johnny1360]

On 11/17/2021 at 2:31 PM, Jim said:

 

Please ignore, lol.

3 hours ago, allanp said:

Looking at the instructions (as I don't have the model myself) you are correct. The UJs would be better aligned as you suggested though probably wouldn't make much of a noticeable difference given that it's spinning pretty fast.

I always thought the issue got worse with speed.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Johnny1360

[allanp]

5 hours ago, Johnny1360 said:

I always thought the issue got worse with speed.

Definitely yes in a real world application where you can feel the vibrations. Maybe the same is true for the CAT as well. I was thinking that as it's turning quite fast then the change in speed would happen too quickly to see. But yes it would work more smoothly if the UJs were aligned properly.

[Nazgarot]

I have a possibility to buy one for € 290,- 

Is it worth it? I'll probably mod it heavily to get individual control of the right and left lift cylinder for the blade, and I'm already designing a Dozer from scratch (Started before this became known). Problem is I lack parts for the Dozer I'm designing, so I'm considering buying this as a base and modify it with what I already for for my own dozer. So, how good a parts pack would you consider this at € 290?

_ED_

[2GodBDGlory]

I think that U-joint thing came up in a Defender thread, as a possible culprit for gearbox roughness.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

4 hours ago, Nazgarot said:

I have a possibility to buy one for € 290,- 

Is it worth it?

If you put PF into it, it's totally worth it. I bought a version with no electronics for 300 EUR, and I'm totally happy with that decision as well as how the PF mod turns out.

[anyUser]

22 hours ago, AVCampos said:

This video shows it:

...

Thanks, that is the video I had in mind - but could not find any more.

[Nazgarot]

12 hours ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

If you put PF into it, it's totally worth it. I bought a version with no electronics for 300 EUR, and I'm totally happy with that decision as well as how the PF mod turns out.

Thanks! That is the push I needed! 

_ED_

[TeamThrifty]

I bought myself this for xmas... I paid £329 which is a little more than i would like, but sometimes you do these things.

I've just finished it and i have absolutely loved the build. @Jim review a few months back resonated with me, the way he described the build itself and the speed builds online all screamed one thing - Proper Technic. No obsession with filling gaps or a 1000 bricks just to make it look good on a shelf, this felt like the modern day equivalent to my very early technic sets (8860, 850, 851 etc). 

The finished model is a chunky little fella! And i also love that.. its size suits it, the building style suits it. I'm not sure how else to say it, but its Proper technic. A few pounds more than i'd ideally like to pay but overall this i think this set is exceptional. I know for others the price is a major issue, and i get that, but i tend to only buy 1 or 2 sets a year, so other a 12 month period my total spend is probably lower than a lot of people... but pleasure per pound spent? This set surely wins!! It really is magnificent!!

[Richombx]

On 12/28/2021 at 12:43 PM, Ngoc Nguyen said:

If you put PF into it, it's totally worth it. I bought a version with no electronics for 300 EUR, and I'm totally happy with that decision as well as how the PF mod turns out.

It’s a pity you’re so narrow minded and stuck in the past, pf controls are poor and the battery box is flawed in most models due to needing to be removed to access both sides. 42131 works just fine with C+ and if you add another set of LA’s to the ripper it’s easy to make it fully adjustable. Move on, the horse is dead

[howitzer]

7 minutes ago, TeamThrifty said:

I bought myself this for xmas... I paid £329 which is a little more than i would like, but sometimes you do these things.

I've just finished it and i have absolutely loved the build. @Jim review a few months back resonated with me, the way he described the build itself and the speed builds online all screamed one thing - Proper Technic. No obsession with filling gaps or a 1000 bricks just to make it look good on a shelf, this felt like the modern day equivalent to my very early technic sets (8860, 850, 851 etc). 

The finished model is a chunky little fella! And i also love that.. its size suits it, the building style suits it. I'm not sure how else to say it, but its Proper technic. A few pounds more than i'd ideally like to pay but overall this i think this set is exceptional. I know for others the price is a major issue, and i get that, but i tend to only buy 1 or 2 sets a year, so other a 12 month period my total spend is probably lower than a lot of people... but pleasure per pound spent? This set surely wins!! It really is magnificent!!

Ok, so now I'm back to really wanting this, as your description of the set makes me think why Technic is my favourite theme in all of Lego and how well the Cat would probably fit into there.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

19 minutes ago, Richombx said:

Move on, the horse is dead

My need for immediate control and haptic feedback isn't, though 

[Ric079]

Richombx - it is likewise a pity that your manners are also narrow - some of us (and I am 82) do not cope  well with cellphones and find programming the PU for MOC's a painful exercise. I have both systems and still find PF more practical on a day to day basis. So - to each his own, and try to show a little respect in  future.

[howitzer]

1 minute ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

My need for immediate control and haptic feedback isn't, though 

You can have that with PU and BrickController or Pybricks. Yeah, not as easy as PF but not rocket surgery either. (But let's not turn this thread into another PU vs. PF discussion...)

[1gor]

13 minutes ago, Ric079 said:

Richombx - it is likewise a pity that your manners are also narrow - some of us (and I am 82) do not cope  well with cellphones and find programming the PU for MOC's a painful exercise. I have both systems and still find PF more practical on a day to day basis. So - to each his own, and try to show a little respect in  future.

This is the way of thinking and communication 

[Richombx]

47 minutes ago, Ric079 said:

Richombx - it is likewise a pity that your manners are also narrow - some of us (and I am 82) do not cope  well with cellphones and find programming the PU for MOC's a painful exercise. I have both systems and still find PF more practical on a day to day basis. So - to each his own, and try to show a little respect in  future.

Well timed jump in but here’s a fact. Your age and inability to move with the times isn’t a defense here and MR negative nelly on C+ adds little to no benefits to a conversation at any time. This thread is about a C+ product that works just fine out of the box. That’s it, end of story. I get tired of seeing the same people on here and Facebook groups constantly whining about issues that aren’t really issues. 

[keymaker]

I bought it for 340 EUR. I had fun during building it, I had fun during playing with it. And I am happy as it is a great part pack. Maybe it is a bit out of proportion, but still it looks good and this is proper technic set.

Edited January 2, 2022 by keymaker

[1gor]

1 hour ago, Richombx said:

Well timed jump in but here’s a fact. Your age and inability to move with the times isn’t a defense here and MR negative nelly on C+ adds little to no benefits to a conversation at any time. This thread is about a C+ product that works just fine out of the box. That’s it, end of story. I get tired of seeing the same people on here and Facebook groups constantly whining about issues that aren’t really issues. 

You have to realize that there also number of us who are software developers and want to have simple things and this over depending on technology will not end in any good. You have to accept that people who want to have simple and peaceful life have right to it and hobby should fun and relaxing.