[HELP] Which Technic Set Should I Buy?

[Jockos]

1 hour ago, GBTechnic said:

I would buy the 42030 bucket plus spare parts necessary AND 42042 since it seems you don't have it.  Both sets are/will be out of production soon and are worthy purchases.  The Claas is the best set of the ones you listed but as others have said, it'll be around for at least another  1 to 1.5 years.  42030 can be had for 20-30% off new and sometimes cheaper used.  I would NOT buy the Article Truck... it's looks nice but unless you have wheels to swap for the tracks it's playability stinks.

Assuming you were seriously asking a question vs gloating... I wouldn't buy a second set of any of the 2013 year except 41999 (if found for a deal) and 42009 (to mod/build an ultimate model).  All the others are worth one purchase but not two.

Well, to be honest, I meant the whole 2013- sets (all 48?). But, thanks for your answer.

[GBTechnic]

8 hours ago, Jockos said:

Well, to be honest, I meant the whole 2013- sets (all 48?). But, thanks for your answer.

I was referring to all the 2013 sets.  I may be missing something but the app I use to lookup Lego Technic shows only 12 sets released in 2013.  I was making my comments based on these 12 sets. 

 

Having said that... as a thought exercise I looked back on all the last six/seven years of Technic sets and if I were to purchase one year in its entirety over again, it would be 2015 with 2016 a close second. 2015 has three sets I absolutely love to rebuild/mod over and over: 42039, 42040 and 42042 plus it has 42043.

Edited January 29, 2017 by GBTechnic

[Kmuffin]

I was thinking of buying something thing for the money for the sets this year. I was thinking between 8285 and 8258 I really wanted those sets for a long time and they're still some of the best looking Lego technic sets. Which set is worth a buy?

[WvG_853]

23 hours ago, Jockos said:

Well, not really the question what should I buy as I own every single Technic set from 2013, but should I purchase all of them again for future investigation or not?

Is your idea to use them or to keep them sealed in order to sell them in the future for a higher price?

I also count only 12 sets: http://brickset.com/sets/theme-Technic/year-2013

I would guess that over the years most people are willing to pay only considerable more money for the flagship sets. The price of the 42009 will certainly rise over the years. Price of 41999 is already excessive ...

 

[Jockos]

4 minutes ago, WvG_853 said:

Is your idea to use them or to keep them sealed in order to sell them in the future for a higher price?

I also count only 12 sets: http://brickset.com/sets/theme-Technic/year-2013

I would guess that over the years most people are willing to pay only considerable more money for the flagship sets. The price of the 42009 will certainly rise over the years. Price of 41999 is already excessive ...

 

I meant the whole 2013-2016 sets (48 I think). So, would it be profitable if I bought them and sell them later as a whole?

I'm sorry if it is too difficult to understand my thinking

Edited January 29, 2017 by Jockos

[GBTechnic]

22 minutes ago, Jockos said:

I meant the whole 2013-2016 sets (48 I think). So, would it be profitable if I bought them and sell them later as a whole?

I'm sorry if it is too difficult to understand my thinking

The profit margin on the smaller sets isn't worth it in my opinion.  I would stick to sets over 1,000 to 1,500 pieces.  And from a profitably perspective I would also ignore getting 100% of a year's sets and focus on sets still in retail stores as they are discounted towards the end of their "retail life"... specific sets like 42030, 42042, 42043, 42056 when the discounts come.

As a relatively new AFOL, I have never looked to buy new/used sets from past years that aren't for sale in stores that are small sets (sub 1,000 pieces) EXCEPT for the crane 8288.  Otherwise, I want the flagships like 8043, 42009,  and 41999.  I own 41999 and paid ~150% of its retail cost and I would never do that for a small, non-flagship set.  If you do nothing else, get 42042 as cranes seem to sell well no matter how big or small, new or old.  I own 2 of 42042 and want to pick up a third if the price was right in stores.  It's the only set I have ever considered wanting 3+ Of the same set.

Edited January 29, 2017 by GBTechnic
Grammar

[Jockos]

1 hour ago, GBTechnic said:

The profit margin on the smaller sets isn't worth it in my opinion.  I would stick to sets over 1,000 to 1,500 pieces.  And from a profitably perspective I would also ignore getting 100% of a year's sets and focus on sets still in retail stores as they are discounted towards the end of their "retail life"... specific sets like 42030, 42042, 42043, 42056 when the discounts come.

As a relatively new AFOL, I have never looked to buy new/used sets from past years that aren't for sale in stores that are small sets (sub 1,000 pieces) EXCEPT for the crane 8288.  Otherwise, I want the flagships like 8043, 42009,  and 41999.  I own 41999 and paid ~150% of its retail cost and I would never do that for a small, non-flagship set.  If you do nothing else, get 42042 as cranes seem to sell well no matter how big or small, new or old.  I own 2 of 42042 and want to pick up a third if the price was right in stores.  It's the only set I have ever considered wanting 3+ Of the same set.

Thank you for your answer! I'd better buy something else. Anyway, I'm trying to get all the modular houses. It might be a better way to spend the money on new sets instead of buying again.

[offroadcreations]

Hi everyone,

I recently found a used 8461 Williams F1 Team Racer for $200. I was wondering the community's opinion on whether I should get it or not. I have read that it is a great set, but there are a lot of cons: 

The suspension components are known to break in F1 cars like this 

It is non-refundable, so If I don't like it, that's a waste of $200, which could've been spent on a better set.

The stickers on this set are often damaged.

I don't know if 100% of the pieces are there.

However, I will have the chance to inspect it to look for any of these problems, but they might not be found until after the purchase. So what do you think, should I skip a great bargain and miss a possible problem-free set, or get it and risk wasting money?

Thanks very much in advance.

 

Edited January 29, 2017 by Offroadcreat1ons

[technic_addict]

22 minutes ago, Offroadcreat1ons said:

Hi everyone,

I recently found a used 8461 Williams F1 Team Racer for $200. I was wondering the community's opinion on whether I should get it or not. I have read that it is a great set, but there are a lot of cons: 

The suspension components are known to break in F1 cars like this 

It is non-refundable, so If I don't like it, that's a waste of $200, which could've been spent on a better set.

The stickers on this set are often damaged.

I don't know if 100% of the pieces are there.

However, I will have the chance to inspect it to look for any of these problems, but they might not be found until after the purchase. So what do you think, should I skip a great bargain and miss a possible problem-free set, or get it and risk wasting money?

Thanks very much in advance.

 

I love the set and it is a beautiful looking set.  I haven't seen or heard of any suspension pieces breaking in any of the F1 cars.  I was very lucky to get sets which have perfect stickers but typically the stickers are in terrible condition.

I personally would ask a lot of questions and ask for pictures.  There are several rare and expensive pieces so if they are missing, the $200 set will cost you a lot more to complete it.

[offroadcreations]

9 minutes ago, technic_addict said:

I love the set and it is a beautiful looking set.  I haven't seen or heard of any suspension pieces breaking in any of the F1 cars.  I was very lucky to get sets which have perfect stickers but typically the stickers are in terrible condition.

I personally would ask a lot of questions and ask for pictures.  There are several rare and expensive pieces so if they are missing, the $200 set will cost you a lot more to complete it.

Thanks for your opinion.

Here is the topic where I read about broken pieces: (And I've experienced them in the 42000.) 

 

[Jay Psi]

$200 seems a bit steep for an 8461 with damaged stickers. For reference I bought a stickerless 8461 for £100 (~$150 at the time), only to find an unused mint condition sticker sheet in the instructions.

If the pieces were in mint condition then I might still plump for it, but get a good look at the suspension to make sure the pieces aren't broken. I've had them break in my 8674 so it does happen.

[Freekysch]

Have this set for over 2 years in my collection and all the pieces are in perfect shape. It is and was always in display.

It is a great set but 200$ is a bit much (i paid for mine 100 euro with almost all stickers worn out and cracked). There are some hard to get / unique parts so maybe it is worth it. 

I would buy it at this price only if all the pieces are there and the stickers are in good condition. However, keep in mind that this is a awesome ser and LEGO will never make one like it ever again, so if it is in good condition go for it.

[Kmuffin]

I'm in love with both the sets but don't know which to buy cause I don't have enough money foe both of them

[offroadcreations]

Thanks everyone for your opinion. I have decided that I'll go for it, but only after checking the condition.

[teos]

For those that have built 42053 (volvo ew160) and 42055 (big bucket excavator), which one did you like the most.  I would like to get one new set, though I cannot decide between these two (& no I cannot get both).

Sets I have, if it helps with recommendation:

42042, 42052, 42050, 42054, 42036, 42038, 42039, 42040, 42041, 42030, 42009, (+ almost finished collecting parts for 42025).  Zero interest in Arocs 42043.  

[HallBricks]

43 minutes ago, teos said:

For those that have built 42053 (volvo ew160) and 42055 (big bucket excavator), which one did you like the most.  I would like to get one new set, though I cannot decide between these two (& no I cannot get both).

Sets I have, if it helps with recommendation:

42042, 42052, 42050, 42054, 42036, 42038, 42039, 42040, 42041, 42030, 42009, (+ almost finished collecting parts for 42025).  Zero interest in Arocs 42043.  

Difficult question... Those are two very different sets. I have built both and I liked 42055 more, because it involved some very interesting building techniques and complex mechanisms. The final model has it's flaws, it doesn't word very well... If you're gonna have it as display model, this is probably not a good choice, it's not beautiful so to say. If you plan to disassemble it and use the parts for MOC's, the 42055 is a great choice.

42053 isn't an advanced model, but I'm a big fan of pneumatics so I enjoyed that. The final result looks good and works well, but it's a bit flimsy. 

I would choose 42055, because of the interesting model and the many parts.

[deathman20]

5 hours ago, teos said:

For those that have built 42053 (volvo ew160) and 42055 (big bucket excavator), which one did you like the most.  I would like to get one new set, though I cannot decide between these two (& no I cannot get both).

Sets I have, if it helps with recommendation:

42042, 42052, 42050, 42054, 42036, 42038, 42039, 42040, 42041, 42030, 42009, (+ almost finished collecting parts for 42025).  Zero interest in Arocs 42043.  

That's a tough one.  I have the 42053 and it's nice, relatively nice functioning with a motor to take over the pump function.  It is flimsy but for the price it gets the job done.  

For the 42055, I've had minor interest in this and starting to pick up due to the parts and possibilities from them. The set though is double the price but also 3.5x more pieces.

It's also new like the volvo so if you get on one now and one later it's not going to disappear over night.  That being said do you want pneumatics or power functions?

 

 

[teos]

35 minutes ago, deathman20 said:

That's a tough one.  I have the 42053 and it's nice, relatively nice functioning with a motor to take over the pump function.  It is flimsy but for the price it gets the job done.  

For the 42055, I've had minor interest in this and starting to pick up due to the parts and possibilities from them. The set though is double the price but also 3.5x more pieces.

It's also new like the volvo so if you get on one now and one later it's not going to disappear over night.  That being said do you want pneumatics or power functions?

 

 

I haven't had a set with pneumatics, so I'm not sure what I would be missing if I went with 42055.  There seems to be a good amount of modding on the 42055 to resolve the power issues, though the price is about double (+ extra motors / parts to fix it).

[WvG_853]

9 hours ago, teos said:

Zero interest in Arocs 42043.  

I would nevertheless recommend this set. I don't know your reason for zero interest in this set, but I think from a building and parts perspective it is more interesting than the two sets you are citing. There are also some interesting C-models including a GBC module.

[HallBricks]

Yeah, I agree with @WvG_853, in my opinion 42043 is way better than both 42053 and 42055. It offers a nice combination of functions, and a very interesting building experience. Why zero interest?

[teos]

5 hours ago, HallBricks said:

Yeah, I agree with @WvG_853, in my opinion 42043 is way better than both 42053 and 42055. It offers a nice combination of functions, and a very interesting building experience. Why zero interest?

I'm not skilled enough with Technic to be a MOC builder, so I only build the main models and 42043 is just a big truck w/ a crane.  I do not see anything exciting about it to spend over $200 on (well, in actuality I did have it for about a week, but decided to return it).  

There are plenty of people who offer instructions to their MOCs that I'd be thrilled to build, though the cost is prohibitive.  A 2000 piece MOC could cost upwards of $600 or so, whereas a Lego set with that many pieces might cost $250-300 (w/ fancy tech features).

[HallBricks]

1 hour ago, teos said:

I'm not skilled enough with Technic to be a MOC builder, so I only build the main models and 42043 is just a big truck w/ a crane.  I do not see anything exciting about it to spend over $200 on (well, in actuality I did have it for about a week, but decided to return it).  

There are plenty of people who offer instructions to their MOCs that I'd be thrilled to build, though the cost is prohibitive.  A 2000 piece MOC could cost upwards of $600 or so, whereas a Lego set with that many pieces might cost $250-300 (w/ fancy tech features).

Okay, I think 42043 is a great set because it involves both suspension, drivetrain, power functions and pneumatics. That's of course my own opinion. I would then still recommend 42055...

[aminnich]

If the toss up is between 42055 and 42053, I would go with 42055 without a doubt.  Have you looked at the amount parts you get with that beast?

It might not look the prettiest, but if you are not planning on showing it off, then who cares

[DaFokka]

If money wasn't an issue, I'd go for the 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator since it's a much bigger set. However, if you do consider price I think you should go for the 42053 Volvo EW160E:

• It has a respectable amount of functionality:
  1. steering
  2. slewing 
  3. front outrigger/shield
  4. rear outriggers
  5. arm elevation
  6. arm extension
  7. bucket opening/closing
• Many Technic sets are gear boxes with wheels. In contrast, this set only has 6 gears. Most of the functionality is provided by pneumatics and/or linkages. This is an interesting change
• It just looks great

[Kmuffin]

Man it's rare to see a person not interested in the arocs. I would also reconmmend buying a 42055 for the parts and all (I do not have it but one of my close friends have it) By the functions and all it's a great set but has some problems at the same time and the looks not so good but it does look like it packs some functions which it does. Whilst the 42053 is also a great set because I love pneumatics   It also has a good amount of functions and the b model is also great if you add a another bucket like the one from 8043. On a note the arocs is great set with almost everything,  diffs, pneumatics, suspension, one LA, a 6 cylinder inline engine, and an ingenious steering system.