jason-l

I have also been waiting since email correspondence in August. Phoned Lego in mid-November to chase it and was told I had "slipped through the net" and to expect it within a couple weeks. Still no sign in mid-December so another call and now told to expect delivery on 23 Dec.

Have any folk in the UK received their Service Pack yet? I received confirmation that I would receive a pack in an email from LEGO dated 21 August... just wondering whether I should be expecting it soon?

I'm another with multiple answers. I built the Excavator and was unhappy with some of the issues. Then built the delightful B-model (I'd recommend it to anyone waiting on the Service Pack). Then rebuilt the Excavator with a more than usually obsessive attention to detail in the gearbox, checking each axle spun as freely as possible at each step... and it still has problems but for different functions suggesting at least one sub-par motor. I have bought (ouch ££s!) the extra components required to build Jurgen's 'Ultimate' and that rebuild is the next plan. Though part of the set's beauty is its complex gearbox so fear this may be a temporary experiment while I wait for the Service Pack (my name is on the list) and another rebuild. I enjoy building more than displaying

...or email from Lego My correspondence in UK was all by email following using the online contact form, and after my second email re-explaining the issues I was experiencing I was told they'd added me to the 'Service Pack' list. I bought from Argos and Lego didn't even ask for proof of purchase - very trusting. .

I just had a reply to my second email from LEGO, a quote from it below: This is an impressive response - many companies would try to sweep this kind of thing under the carpet. Bravo LEGO! Of course, one thing does occur to me... Like many of us, I also own 8053 (Mobile Crane) and 8265 (Front Loader). That's 4 other presumably 'defective' LAs. If the new versions look identical on the outside we're going to end up with 'good' and 'bad' LAs mixed-up in our spares/sets with no way of telling which is which. If LEGO were to replace ALL LAs sold with ALL Technic sets to date, it could be tens of thousands?? So I doubt that will happen!

I emailed Lego UK's customer services a couple days ago, explaining my experiences and problems with the Excavator. Received what appeared to possibly be an automated email - just generic comments with no specific response at all to by issues and the 8043 set (I may be mistaken, but that's how it read) It invited me to phone them, quoting the email's reference number. Perhaps I'll give them a call on Monday.

I have disassembled the (delightful ) B-model and revisited the Excavator. You'll have possibly read earlier in this thread that I'd had several of the reported problems - motor straining to raise main arm, unreliable gear-switching, 'lazy' right-hand tracks. I was very meticulous, testing the gearbox at several stages to ensure gears running as smoothly as possible. I'd forgotten how wonderfully complex this model is - but this does mean some of the functions pass through many clutch gears acting as idlers, all increasing the friction. I've placed both bevel gears on the same side for the pair of main arm actuators (as discussed here) and that has improved things a little. Unfortunately, the bad news is all the other issues remain just the same I also did Jurgen's simple gearing mod for the gear-switching - but that is still unreliable as before, sometimes the clutches not being fully engaged. In it's current form, I really think this set could be very frustrating/disappointing for some younger builders.

I'm curious - the couple folks on this thread who are getting refunds from Lego... am I right to assume you all bought from Lego Shop online? I'm asking since I am considering what I want to do myself, having had most of tomacwhite's issues (if anything my carefully constructed Excavator performed worse than you video, tomacwhite) before I built the B-model instead to remove my frustrations(!), but I bought from Argos (UK).

Thank you, Jurgen. I read your new thread after I posted. I will be improving the mechanical advantage as you suggest when I rebuild

Yours works noticeably BETTER than mine did with brand new Duracell Ultras. I'm sorry I didn't video it before disassembly now. The main arm on mine would barely lift from horizontal with the arm fully extended, applying max leverage. I was unhappy with the straining of the motor. I also noticed your gear change is very crisp and fully engages. Mine often needed 2 or 3 attempts to get full travel thus fully engaging the clutches. Wondering now if I have a batch of sub-standard motors? As always, I was very careful during the build to ensure all gears turned freely/loosely on their axles.

Much faster main arm operation than my now-disassembled Excavator (enjoying the B-model at them moment). Mine could barely move if the arm was fully extended and horizontal, thus applying maximum leverage. I also had slewing to the right due to extra friction on the right tracks' drive path. But... one of the reasons for dismantling was to take on the rewarding challenge of ironing-out these issues when rebuilding I agree with others' comments that it's much more than a shelf ornament. It would be boring for AFOLs if it worked too easily, and the complexity of the gearbox is wonderfully complex and satisfying to understand

Now I've found this link TB - Linear Actuators - Part II I've since realised, of course, that this will be the clutch(es) in the LA rather than the bevel gears jumping This is developing into a great thread. Glad I found this forum

I built the B model this weekend, and I have to agree. After the slight frustrations of the Excavator's motors struggling, the B-model is an absolute joy to build and 'drive'. Much more efficient operation, which is hardly surprising when you see the number of unused gears! Only criticism is the simpler gear trains mean more speed/torque reaches the LA bevel gears, which seems to cause them to jump teeth if you hit their travel limit.

Do you have any photos of your mods, Buffalo? I'm going to disassemble so check the friction of the drive ring extensions on shafts - make sure they spin freely. There are a LOT of gears for those motors to turn!

Hello all - First post. I've been a lurker on this forum for a short while and found it very useful I was delighted to get this set earlier this week and just love it, one of the reasons being it is so compact and functional. It is my first Power Functions model. I'm also having problems with the motor struggling to raise the main arm and have ensured the paired actuators are evenly matched. This has not solved the issue and closer inspection in the gearbox shows that when the clutches are engaged on the 'crane' side, some of the 'drive' side gears still turn/drag slowly. Stopping them with my finger reveals considerable drag/load. For example, the 2nd motor from the left drives the main arm actuators pair and left tracks (left stick on remote). When the clutches fully engage to the crane actuator gears and I operate the main arm (left stick) the left tracks' drive gears sometimes turn/drag slowly. It's as if the clutch gear is dragging on the spinning shaft? Is this a common occurrence? Anybody else seeing the same in their 8043's gearbox? I'm having a similar issue with the track drives - the right tracks (using the outer, clutch drive through the turntable) have much less power. I think I need to dissasemble to solve this During assembly, I am always very careful to ensure all gears/shafts spin freely.