8959 Claw Digger Review

[squidman85]

My review of the Power Miners 2009 first Wave set 8959 Claw Digger.Sorry,but there is not so much time,so i will do it quick.

Box and instructions

Front of the box:

Back(with functions and combo-model)of the box:

Instructions(part list,poster,random instruction page):

The set

Minifigures(Sulfurix and Miner Rex-Engineer)and accessories(pickaxe,dynamite,saw and two light-green crystals):

There are very good accessories and minifures,and i so like the Sulfurix rock monster minifigure.

Sulfurix with crystals:

The digger:

Digger is very interesting,thought.A lot of lime green,nice functions(i very like the use of the orange as "tools"),but there are so many holes and the digger is so "rainbowish".

Up view:

As you can see,the wheels at the front and back are not simillar.

Side views:

Back view:

White pieces are OK,but i don't like those small holes near them

Awesome engines!

"Interior"

Digger at work:

Other photos:

Final thoughts:

Playabilty(functions):10/10Nice functions with claws.

Design:5/10Design is good,but there are a lot of holes,and sometimes it "bulky".

Build:8/10Nothing hard,but it's not very simple.

Parts:9/10A lot of great and rare lime-green parts.And good minifigures,too.

Price:8/1016.99 will be better.

Overall:40/50It isn't perfect,but if you like Power Miners and you need lime-green pieces-you should buy it.Or maybe not

Edited December 28, 2009 by WhiteFang
Indexed and poll added

[Dunjohn]

Yeah, I got this set a while ago and liked it. It has a great attention to detail, particularly with that engine. There was one glaring oversight, though, that hurt my overall opinion: The claws just hang there, dead, when it's moving. It surely couldn't have hurt to have them move up and down, even by attaching a bumper or something to the front wheel axle, which they already rest on. A missed opportunity, made worse by the fact that the rest of the set is so good.

It's kind-of the half-way set between the Thunder Driller and the smaller models, and as a result, fails to really stand out in my opinion. But still nice, with loads of room for upgrading and customisation.

Edited December 26, 2009 by Dunjohn

[BreedingtheSpawn]

Going to have to get this set.

[JackRaines]

good review,bad set I don't think that I should get this set as it isn't really a mining tool but...lego isn't about realism so it's a possible maybe that I will get it afterall

[Milargo]

Thanks for the review.

I like the color combinations in this set, can never get enough of lime green.

And that vehicle looks pretty cool too, granted the Digger's "arm tools" appear a bit too fragile, still the design works.

Really love the engine.

I've enjoyed some of these Power Miner sets, but they're just not as cool as the Rock Raiders.

They don't have, that 1990s cool. On a side note, anyone know how successful this theme's been? Wonder if there will be more sets in 2011.

[Dr. Marc]

Thanks MantaMan. I must agree with Milargo. I love the colour scheme, but I would still much prefer a Rock Raiders set. None the less, Power miners is one of the better LEGO themes in recent years, in my opinion.