Technic 2014 Discussion and Speculation

[Anio]

Any word on whether its a model that can accept BB, etc..., like 42024 or 42006 - nevertheless,

There is room behind the seats for that purpose, and it has a gearbox (for the winch and to tilt the skip). The yellow lever is behind the right door, and the changeover catch is in the middle of the model (like 8070).

Nonsense

Certainly not dude. :o

[Technic Gearhead]

I fully expected to see the Bulldozer by now.

Has anyone seen it posted anywhere yet?

[Kumbbl]

Certainly not dude. :o

Of course... It would only Not reactive enough if you Need return to center but as explained already above for a heavy and very slow front loader RTC is Useless and nonsense, even for kids... Therefore LAs would be much better solution than this jerky servo steering... Dude ;-)

In Addition this is not a simple car but you need different degrees of steering... How to do this with the servo+standard PF-controller!?

Edited January 28, 2014 by Kumbbl

[Blakbird]

An LA for steering would not be reactive enough.

I'm convinced the servo is the best option here.

I am not sure what you mean by that. You mean it would be too slow? I have 3 different R/C loaders right now which use a LA for steering and they work wonderfully. The movement and speed are very proportional to the real thing. From the video, it appears that the articulation with the servo is much too rapid and results in wobble at the joint. A return-to-center function is almost a must for a car, but for an articulated loader it is not very important at all. Because you are not simply rotating some wheels but the entire vehicle, it needs to happen slowly and smoothly.

[Anio]

for a heavy and very slow front loader RTC is Useless and nonsense, even for kids...

Denied.

The model must be simple for kids. And it must not move too slowly as you suggest it.

Morever, with LA, it would be a pain to go exactly straight forward after steering.

How to do this with the servo+standard PF-controller!?

You don't. It doesn't make the model unplayable nonetheless.

[Kumbbl]

Denied too... But anyeay... let us agree that we completely disagree...

[z3_2drive]

Actually...I think the servo steering with the stop-go remote would be harder to control than with LA's, and getting LA-steering to center is easy because it doesn't move so fast. I can only imagine the servo struggling to steer when pinned up against something or on a very high grip surface. If they were so concerned about speed and playability then the raising/moving of all the gear would be faster. It seems like a nice model though. I absolutely love the Pickup-I can already see a dozen ways to MOD it!

[JGW3000]

I'd wait for more info before criticizing the steering - we may have been dealing with an inexperienced operator in the video. However, it is curious that the servo motor is not giving RTC steering, unless there is some gearing between the servo and the steering mechanism, such as some type of catch, that the servo motor can push one way or the other to effect turning. In other words, the servo is not steering direct, but operating a mechanism that does the steering. Can't wait for more details.

Edited January 28, 2014 by JGW3000

[Anio]

I am not sure what you mean by that. You mean it would be too slow? I have 3 different R/C loaders right now which use a LA for steering and they work wonderfully. The movement and speed are very proportional to the real thing. From the video, it appears that the articulation with the servo is much too rapid and results in wobble at the joint. A return-to-center function is almost a must for a car, but for an articulated loader it is not very important at all. Because you are not simply rotating some wheels but the entire vehicle, it needs to happen slowly and smoothly.

Yeah, and when you have steered to the very left, and then you want to go straightforward, you must actually steer on to the right. I am sure a 12 yo kid will find this intuitive. :-S

And if you want to steer to the very right, you have to wait 3 seconds for the model to drive in the right direction ? Again, I am sure a kid will love that. :-S

You are talking about a Lego model. An official Lego model. The kid simply do not car that the steering is an exact replica to the real system. He just want to have fun.

[Cwetqo]

does somebody knows the partcount of the volvo?

1626 pieces - 200euro

[Kumbbl]

You are talking about a Lego model. An official Lego model. The kid simply do not car that the steering is an exact replica to the real system. He just want to have fun.

Do not underestimate kids... This Model is not Lego duplo and it is Not meant for 3 to 6 year old babies/kids. It is meant for older kids around 9 and above and these Kids would have much more Fun with a smooth LA steering than with this woobling jerky crappy binary servo steering, period.I know many of these kids (incl. mine) and i see them playing and what makes Fun and what not... Such a kid needs max. 10 min to learn how to drive a LA steered loader but with this servo steering there is nothing to learn it just don't work...

Edited January 28, 2014 by Kumbbl

[Blakbird]

You are talking about a Lego model. An official Lego model. The kid simply do not car that the steering is an exact replica to the real system. He just want to have fun.

I suppose you may be right that a child won't care and just wants to have fun, but this seems to conflict with the Technic team's rule of "authenticity". Real loaders move slow and steer slow. The 8043 excavator was slow, and that was good because the forward speed was reasonably accurate. I also have a fundamental problem with the argument that "kid's won't care". I think if kids didn't care about accuracy they would not even buy LEGO Technic. Many kids do not care about these things and they play with other types of toys or balls or figures or video games. But the kinds of kids who buy Technic do care.

In any case, it is very hard to judge from just a few seconds in a video. My data comes mostly from driving loader MOCs which use LAs and I know that they work very well and intuitively. I have never tried to drive a loader with a servo, so I guess I will have to reserve final judgement until I try it. I have a 12 year old son and he has no trouble driving my loaders. By that age almost any child should be able to learn to reverse the control to return to center. However, if the child has experience with R/C vehicles then it could be confusing. On the other hand, model aircraft require manual return-to-center. An airplane will not easily return to level to flight after an aileron input (unless it has very large dihedral) and a helicopter won't return to anything. Both require manual correction. In both cases these "toys" are for more advanced users. Maybe the servo is a way for LEGO to market to even younger customers.

I thought the servo steering in 9398 worked very well. That was a case in which return-to-center makes a lot of sense.

[Rishab N]

I think we should all stop complaining as someone can always mod it with mini LAs . Lego will always make errors in the models they create and its up to the buyers to fix these things.At least for me that's part of the fun of Lego--having the satisfaction of improving a model

[Kumbbl]

Blakbird, i agree almost at 100% but i don't think TLG markets these technic flagships for Even younger kids.. The portfolio of lego has for every age a certain theme/topic/segment, fir the younger there is chima, Star wars, smaller technic etc. But the technic flagships are meant for kids 9 and above... So there is no Need for oversimplification...

I think we should all stop complaining as someone can always mod it with mini LAs . Lego will always make errors in the models they create and its up to the buyers to fix these things.At least for me that's part of the fun of Lego--having the satisfaction of improving a model

As an AFOL i agree almost but why not facing critics for something really bad designed ?

AND: not every kid has the skills and the Money to redesign such a design flaw...you and other AFOLs are not the main target group ;-)

Edited January 28, 2014 by Kumbbl

[Anio]

I suppose you may be right that a child won't care and just wants to have fun, but this seems to conflict with the Technic team's rule of "authenticity". Real loaders move slow and steer slow. The 8043 excavator was slow, and that was good because the forward speed was reasonably accurate. I also have a fundamental problem with the argument that "kid's won't care". I think if kids didn't care about accuracy they would not even buy LEGO Technic. Many kids do not care about these things and they play with other types of toys or balls or figures or video games. But the kinds of kids who buy Technic do care.

This is the art of the compromise (efficiency of the build / stiffness / playability / simplicity / realism / quantity of part used / cost etc.).

[Blakbird]

I think we should all stop complaining as someone can always mod it with mini LAs . Lego will always make errors in the models they create and its up to the buyers to fix these things.At least for me that's part of the fun of Lego--having the satisfaction of improving a model

Fair enough, but I think making technical observations about the first videos of the new Technic sets is a perfectly valid use of this forum. I like lots of things about the new sets, and I'll be getting all of them. I just don't like the decision to use a servo.

[Lyichir]

As a kid, I loved Lego Technic, but I didn't care about accuracy that much. I cared that it worked like it was supposed to. And if it worked faster than a real one? I'd consider that better, not worse.

Kids are concerned about accuracy to a certain degree, but the most important part is the "wow factor" and I think that loader has that in spades.

[Paul Boratko]

Looks like we'll be getting the new 5L thin liftarms with double axle hole ends in yellow... At least I think that is what the new truck is using to stablize the front steering arms...

Edited January 29, 2014 by Paul Boratko

[Anio]

Looks like we'll be getting the new 5L thin liftarms with double axle hole ends in yellow... At least I think that is what the new truck is using to stablize the front steering arms...

I think it is a regular 5L thin liftarm attached with tan 3/4 pins.

[Sato]

This truck is badass as hell .I dont know, but I fall in love instantly.I looks like more some pimped 2WW american truck.

Could just be me.

But the seats in this truck look out of proportion, There simply too small in relation to the cab and model size.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Sato

[Paul Boratko]

I think it is a regular 5L thin liftarm attached with tan 3/4 pins.

Yeah, you're probably right.. I forgot they made that 3/4 pin in tan... I seen the tan and thought that it was a tan axle-pin... Couldn't really get a good look at the other side to see if an axle was coming out or not, plus it seemed like it would have been a little more reliable with an axle pin and a liftarm with axle holes on the ends... Not that there is any resistance on the bottom steering arm anyway as it is just going along for the ride...

Edited January 29, 2014 by Paul Boratko

[marder]

So, what about bulldozer? I prefer construction units and it's too late to buy 8275.

[-SD-]

First video of the Volvo! Enjoy! :classic:

Thanks for posting that, I showed it to my son this afternoon...... you should have seen the look on his face (and probably mine too). This looks absolutely awesome, I can't wait until it's available.

[therealjustin]

I admit that I'm a little disappointed with the loader. The tires look too small(something I did not expect with them coming from the Unimog) and there seems to be a lack of fit and finish with this set. Too much open space and too many compromises to fit the R/C functions. It nearly ruins the looks.

My Technic sets spend most of their time looking good on the shelf so for me, 8265 is still number one in terms of design. I don't get the quarry loader feel from 42030 just yet. We need more photos!

[theultimatetoa001]

I`ll honestly say that I don`t care at all about what motor`s they use.If they want to use servo motors,just let them use them. I only care that the functions works,and I think that speed in functions is a good thing.But I guarantee you that this WILL be my birthday gift,It`s just to good to not pick up.