Technic 2022 Set Discussion

[keymaker]

1 hour ago, artemisovsky said:

Maybe amount of purchased sets is a bad determinant but every odd year was interesting for me.
For example, below is a list of the number of sets that I have bought:
2017 - 3
2018 - 0
2019 - 6
2020 - 1
2021 - 3
2022 - 0
2023 - ?
Based of this summary, 2023 could bring good sets (at least for me if regularity will remain correct). We haven't seen any leaked images yet so let's stay positive.

Interesting, for me (considering Technic theme) it looks like this:
2017 - 2
2018 - 2
2019 - 3
2020 - 5
2021 - 6
2022 - 1
2023 - ?

So I would say: or 2022 was a year with not interesting Technic sets or I achieved collection which doesn't need so many new "part packs" (but unlikely :P)

Edited November 9, 2022 by keymaker

[TeamThrifty]

8 hours ago, Maaboo35 said:

Nothing like a discussion about a set from the previous, better year to enliven a discussion about the current year. 

Oh well. Better luck next time, TLG! Bring on 2023. 

I got a theory....

Perhaps there are people better placed/closer to TLG than me able to comment ( @kbalage @Jim ), but whats the lead time from concept to release for flagship sets.. 2 years? 2.5 years? 

If so, is the current below-average set situation a result of lockdown/covid?

Just a thought....

[kbalage]

10 hours ago, TeamThrifty said:

If so, is the current below-average set situation a result of lockdown/covid?

Not sure what you mean by "below-average" set situation, and I don't know either why you think 2022 was a "complete failure". We got the Ferrari Daytona for 1:8 scale sculpture fans, the Airbus is the biggest and most technically accurate helicopter ever, the ATV is a great compact set with a finally properly labeled 2-speed gearbox and lots of cool parts in a compact package, even the small Chopper was cool. 

The development lead time is rarely confirmed, I think projects like the 1:8 cars and other flagship sets (which is not an official label btw) might take 2 years from the idea to the shelves, but it depends on many factors. Sometimes they already have concept models ready that needs to be reworked when the project gets a green light, in other cases they have to develop from scratch. We've seen delays and redesigns previously (remember the 6x6 Zetros concept?), if the crane really got delayed for some reasons I'm glad they did it and I hope it means a more reasonable end result.

Honestly I would love to see TLG focusing more on mid-scale sets with interesting functions rather than giving us another gigantic $500 motorized set that struggles under its own weight. 

[Jim]

10 hours ago, TeamThrifty said:

the current below-average set situation

I was about to answer more or less the same as Balasz. This is an opinion, not a fact.

Let's not forget the BMW, which is the first big motorcycle.

For me, 2022 isn't  such a bad year. Especially considering we should have had the Liebherr.

[artemisovsky]

2022 as well as 2020 has this same anomaly with more than 2 pullback sets which automatically limits the number of non-car models - maybe that's the problem. On the other hand, it is a pity that TLG didn't take this situation to introduce a new soft spring pullback drive which seems more useful for me.
Btw, if designing medium and big sets take 2 years in 2023 wave we should finally get models using unavailable parts from canceled Osprey 42113.
DBG panels curved 5x13x2, panels 5x11x1 tapered, panels curved 3x13 and panels fairling #1 & #2 could be used in 42156 Peugeot 9x8 Hypercar (if it's in that color).
Not sure which set could use orange panels 5x11x1 tapered and wheels 31 x 15. Maybe small snow groomer will be in orange?

[howitzer]

Since I got into Lego after my years of darkness, I think 2016 has been the best year overall, with many cool models and great new parts. 2017 on the other hand seems to be the overall low point of recent history. 2018 again had some neat models but not much in the way of building techniques or new interesting parts. 2019 introduced PU, which many people don't like, but I still think the Liebherr and few others are pretty cool models from that year. 2020 had the Osprey fiasco, otherwise it would've been a much better year. In 2021 the biggest star is of course 42128, but the Cat dozer is nice and properly Technic set too, with Zetros also breaking some new ground and Buggy offering nice new tyres along with lower entry-cost to PU, in total a fine lineup. 2022 has some good sets but I'd still rank it below 2021. While 2016 is clearly the best and 2017 the worst, other recent years are much harder to rank. Every year had something really good and something bad.

[Jurss]

4 hours ago, kbalage said:

Honestly I would love to see TLG focusing more on mid-scale sets with interesting functions rather than giving us another gigantic $500 motorized set that struggles under its own weight.

Agree on this.

In fact, I got tired building CAT, it was just too much for me. Don't know, maybe getting old :)

[Maaboo the Witch]

42136 is featured in the latest issue of Farm Machinery Journal as a recommended farming-related Christmas thing. Apparently it's available at the official John Deere shoppe, so it's not strictly D2C in the UK.

[Unbrickme]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:56 PM, Jim said:

Especially considering we should have had the Liebherr.

No there is a 2 year pattern. 2019 had the 42100 excavator, 2021 had the cat d11 bulldozer, and according to that two year pattern, 2023 will be the year to get the next giant technic set in october. I don't think that the rumored crane was delayed I think its release schedule was just pushed back to meet the 2 year pattern

[Jim]

1 minute ago, Unbrickme said:

No there is a 2 year pattern. 2019 had the 42100 excavator, 2021 had the cat d11 bulldozer, and according to that two year pattern, 2023 will be the year to get the next giant technic set in october. I don't think that the rumored crane was delayed I think its release schedule was just pushed back to meet the 2 year pattern

Pushed back = delayed  

[kbalage]

9 minutes ago, Jim said:

Pushed back = delayed  

It's called a strategic delay  

[Unbrickme]

11 minutes ago, Jim said:

Pushed back = delayed  

Right, what I meant to say was, that the delay had nothing to do with redesigns or perfecting the functions or anything like that. The delay was purely for marketing

[AVCampos]

How do you know that? I could also have a flaw discovered late in the design process, and TLG decided to fix it before launch instead of giving fans another reason for whining.

[Jim]

2 minutes ago, Unbrickme said:

Right, what I meant to say was, that the delay had nothing to do with redesigns or perfecting the functions or anything like that. The delay was purely for marketing

Maybe. Maybe not. If TLG has a two year pattern, it would not have been in the line up in the first place (if you ask me). On the other hand; have we seen an official line-up or where they only rumors?

1 minute ago, AVCampos said:

How do you know that? I could also have a flaw discovered late in the design process, and TLG decided to fix it before launch instead of giving fans another reason for whining.

I still think this is the case. Apparently Allegedly TLG scaled it down.

[Unbrickme]

8 minutes ago, Jim said:

Maybe. Maybe not. If TLG has a two year pattern, it would not have been in the line up in the first place (if you ask me). On the other hand; have we seen an official line-up or where they only rumors?

The crane was only rumored to come out in 2022, it was never confirmed by LEGO. It's possible that the leakers simply got this wrong. Maybe the design process of the crane is already finished, which is why leakers thought it would be released this year, but LEGO just decided to hold off on releasing the product, not because they need more time developing the set, but simply because they want to align with the 2 year pattern. Not all rumors end up being true. The farm truck was rumored to be the delorean time machine but nope it turned out to be a farm truck. 

[Jim]

3 minutes ago, Unbrickme said:

The crane was only rumored to come out in 2022, it was never confirmed by LEGO. It's possible that the leakers simply got this wrong. 

Usually when a set is on the "rumored list", it's bound to be released. I still think there were last minute issues with the design, which led to the delay.

But, as usual....we will probably never know 

[Unbrickme]

Just now, Jim said:

Usually when a set is on the "rumored list", it's bound to be released. I still think there were last minute issues with the design, which led to the delay.

Yeah rumors do have a very high success rate. I mean, I guess LEGO can break the two year pattern on occasion. the bucket wheel excavator, rough terrain crane, 42100 excavator, and the cat d11 bulldozer are all considered to be part of the same series. Their release schedule, respectively, is this: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021. However, notice that 2019 was the first year in lego technic to get the new control+ system, which possibly led to the excavator being released a year earlier. In fact it was supposed to be released in August of 2019 because it was supposed to be the set that introduced the control+ system, but due to production issues it got pushed back to october. So that's the main reason for the breaking of the two year pattern here, control+. There are plenty of other sets that follow the two year pattern, such as the 1:8 supercars.

porsche 911 gt3 rs - 2016

bugatti chiron - 2018

lamborghini sian - 2020

ferrari daytona - 2022

Also the small $50 cars

chevrolet corvette - 2019

mclaren senna gtr - 2021

bugatti bolide -2023

Maybe the $50 pullback sets of 2022 can be put into this category as well? That would break the two year pattern, but those sets are pullback so they don't really count in my opinion. But if the two year pattern follows, I guess we can expect $50 pullback sets again in 2024

Also the 1:10 scale cars have a 2 year pattern

porsche 911 rsr - 2019

ferrari gt3 rs - 2021

According to the pattern we should have seen a 1:10 scale car in January 2023, but we didn't. According to rumors though, we will see a $200 Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar on May 1st. Perhaps LEGO still follows the two year pattern with the 1:10 scale cars but  the release just got pushed back a few months. I mean, fair enough, considering January isn't the best time to release expensive sets, since people just bought expensive things a few weeks earlier for christmas.

I mean, it's always possible that the two year pattern breaks, but I feel like LEGO already had a very strong schedule with these two year patterns.

[Jundis]

Guys, it's easy to settle:

If it still has the number 42146, it's been delayed/pushed back. If not, then not :D

[Jim]

44 minutes ago, Jundis said:

Guys, it's easy to settle:

If it still has the number 42146, it's been delayed/pushed back. If not, then not :D

 

[deehtha]

Maybe the crane wasn't redesigned, but was pushed back so as to let the Eifel Tower be the tallest set (for awhile at least).