DrJB

We're all entitled to our opinions but I have a hard time picturing a piece of 'art' selling well worldwide. If you do not visit museums and have an appreciation for the abstract ... well, wait and see. Unless TLG is 'exploring'. After all, expensive 'art' is like super-cars ... too pricey for the hobbyist.

If your prediction is confirmed ... I'd hate to be an outlier, but then again, it's just a poll, no right or wrong either way.

Thank you. I gave it a 3/10 ... Interesting that so far, it looks like we'll have equal wedges on those pie charts :)

This has got to be the busiest thread ever ... my phone keeps on beeping every time there is an update. Either people are very passionate about this topic, or this confinement is making us very 'engaged' hobbyists. We've heard many opinions so far, so, what's the final verdict? Have we reached a consensus or is it all over the spectrum? I'd lean towards the latter as we all come here with different interests, expectations, history, time, budget, ... disappointments too. It would be interesting to move past the venting/praising and turn this topic into a Poll, with each of the original questions graded from 0 to 10. Maybe then, we can give some feedback to TLG as to how "We, the dedicated/faithful AFOL Community who refuses to buy any copykat from PRC and willing to spend $450 on the CAT dozer, truly feel". Of course we can also add questions like: 1. Technic is getting expensive 2. It is the beginning of the end for TLG - or another cycle ? 3. All of these are perceptions from the older AFOLs ... with the new younger hobbyists, they have nothing to compare to, and thus will be happy whatever you throw at them ... Thoughts?

Those springs were very expensive a while back, especially the yellow version (on red bike). I was hoping to get 2 springs, then when I saw the car assembled, I thought it was a mistake ... only today I realized it was a B-model ... live and learn.

Now I realize what the issue is. I bought my Dirt Crusher used/assembled off eBay. It came with only one shock absorber. However, I just checked the instructions, and there seems to be 2 models (A&B). Apparently, the one I bought off eBay was the B model. The A uses two springs, the B uses only 1. Fair enough, I learned something new today. Was not aware of A vs. B models on the Racers series. Look at page 40, where they remove the rear spring, for the B-model. Here are the building instructions: https://www.lego.com/cdn/product-assets/product.bi.core.pdf/4248620.pdf I'm not dismissing the entirety of the archive ... all of us have different experiences with the archive. There were times where their inventories did not agree with what I have. If you check the forums within BL, there were many instances where users reported on incorrect listings ... nothing new nor unique here. Are we beating down on BL? ... absolutely not!

Good point. I was thinking of a different car (not 8369, but something similar) ... and the inventory sometime back said it had 2, when in fact the one I have has one. Maybe they corrected it after all. In any event, it seems the part I'm after does not exist after all in dark purple ... yet its color looks very close to dark purple ... This is just some parts fading after years in storage. What I found 'strange' is that all parts that have remained blue are from one mold, and those that faded are from a different mold. I recall reading sometime back that Lego builds parts at various locations ... With the mold information above this suggests that different plants have better color/chemistry control than others. The more the merrier :)

Thank you @Murdoch17. I've seen sun-faded bricks, and the fading is usually not uniform (especially visible in white bricks as some sides are yellowish, others white). How do you explain that the colors are uniform? Plus, the parts have not been exposed to sun at all. They were in storage in a closet in plastic containers. Also, the true blue parts have all the same mold, whereas the 'purple' parts have different mold markings. Could TLG have sourced parts from 2 different plants/locations, and one of them had non-stable color chemistry ? I said dark purple because the color matches those bionicle parts ... my own color expert (my daughter) says it is Dark Purple :) So the issue then is ... unstable chemistry formulation that leads to discoloration? If so, is there a way to recover the original color?

Correct. There are many reasons why the CAT has 1 sprocket and 2 free idlers. One of such reasons is better durability. Also, that concept is found primarily on large machines. On small machines the configuration is 1 sprocket and 1 idler only (as in the picture I posted). For sure though, the left and right track frames are articulated though a bit different from what I showed. One of the consequences of such elevated final drive design is, because the tracks wrap around the sprocket over a smaller angle, the teeth on the sprocket must be much stronger, to deliver the needed/high tractive forces against the ground. One more detail. the CAT machine most likely has a fully mechanical transmission i.e., the power is transferred from the engine to the final drives via gears, and there is a mechanical differential between the left and right tracks. On smaller machines, the transmission is typically hydro-static i.e., the left and right tracks are fed by a combination of hydraulic pump+motor, both with variable displacements. In such case, the differential is purely hydraulic. There are pros/cons for each design and some machines use fancy closed/loop controls to assist in straight line-driving and steering. Those machines use very fancy mechatronic solutions and we have software engineers working full-time on optimizing their performances. In your typical car, it's very easy to travel in a straight line. In a hydro-static transmission, and uneven ground (one side of the machine traveling on mud, the other on gravel), one needs very fancy control algorithms. The recoil springs serve multiple purposes. For example: if a hard rock gets trapped between the track and the sprocket, the springs offers some 'flexibility' so the system does not self-destruct, as it enables the track to 'jump' teeth. I have to call a colleague of mine to remind me of the other functions of such spring. Needless to say, there is a lot of engineering and safety features built-in such machinery.

Thank you. I have about 250 sets, and going through them will be long and laborious. I started buying Lego in 2003. Back then, TLG did NOT provide parts lists in the instructions. I did ask a question in the BL forum, and now waiting for answers there as well. Well ok, not often, but sometimes ... happy now? I have proofs and would keep a list but who has the time for that? In any event, here is example to prove this point: Look up the part below 48912c01 https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=48912c01&idColor=85#T=C&C=85 BL says set Set 8369 has two of such part ... WRONG, I have such set, and it came with only one. Oh yes, I did inform BL many years ago about this, it has not been corrected yet. Correction - It turns out I have the B-model. The A-model uses 2 springs, the B-model only 1. BL is thus correct and I am wrong... but I learned something new today... that the Racers came in A & B alternate builds. Now, your point about BL being community driven ... this means it's volunteer work i.e., no rigorous checks & balances process, and this means most likely there are mistakes in there. I'll add this, many men (17%) have some sort of color blindness, where they cannot tell the difference between blue and purple (true fact). Could it be possible that, the set that has my purple parts was inventoried by a well-intentioned man, who was also color-blind? Not criticizing BL, just trying to find possible explanations. Here are photos. In fact, I suspect these were mixed in set 4957 Ferris Wheel. The set comes with 32 such parts, and I only have 32 of them (total). Could this be color variation? Incidentally, looking at the underside of the parts (photo below), it appears the two colors came from different molds. The set was manufactured/sold in 2007. Did TLG have color consistency issues back then?

I have these dark purple parts mixed in with many (blue) from set 4957. Could it be possible that somehow blue got discolored into dark purple? Typically discoloration happens unevenly (whichever part is facing the sunlight). Unless somehow I got a set with mixed colors ??? Edit: Yes, all parts were blue when I got the set new. After few years in storage, some have decided to morph into a different shade ... that some on here call 'Brittle Blue'.

Thank you Alexandrina. Those are definitely from a set as that's typically my only source. The only extra parts I buy are usually 'new' from bricklink, and they are Technic. Also, I recall, I have several Ninjago sets (the kids were into that a while back) and the dark purple was a common color in that theme (same as lavender is for friends today). My suspicion is that the bricklink inventory could be inaccurate (I've seen that few times). Is there another site out there that would have such information? I tried Peeron but to no avail @Brickbuilder0937. These are definitely not megablocks as I only buy new lego sets. Plus, the studs have 'lego' on them. I did check the color again, against parts from set 2263 (I have such set). There are few parts in there that are dark purple(visible in the photo below), and the color matches perfectly. So, it is a definitely dark purple. Which set is it from? ... that's the nagging mystery.

Correct, the 42099 planetaries can be retro-fitted, but you missed the point. My argument is more about 'realism'. I work on Construction machines for a living, and the Final drive is a heavy/bulky gearbox that is attached to the dozer's chassis. For $450, I would expect TLG to come up with somewhat of an 'authentic' design. Also, another piece of 'realism' that is totally missing in 8275 is the fact that the two track frames are 'articulated'. This is done to allow the dozer to travel easily (and not lose grip) on uneven terrain, where the two tracks need not be parallel to one another. In the picture below, the sprockets (with teeth) are on the left, and they connect to the final drives (where I hope they'll put planetaries) i.e., fixed to the chassis. To the left, there are smooth wheels (no teeth, called idlers) and those can move up down (with the track frames) to accommodate for uneven terrain. Those idlers are mounted on spring-loaded 'tensioners' for recoil. In the middle, the equalizer beam in red is attached to the chassis in the middle, and with cylindrical joints to the left and right track frames... Just a quick/short lecture on dozer kinematics :) As you can see, for $450, I have high expectations ... beyond the remotes and fancy App.

I'm not sure if the hub from 42099 will fit. That one is a combination planetary reduction + Steering knuckle. Unless they package it somehow in a new housing. Still, curious to see how they'll manage that. In the end, I'm after 'function+realism', and all dozers I've worked on do have a final planetary (multi-stage) drive.

I see potential for multiple NEW parts, and not talking about just colors. Given the size of the final drive, I suspect a planetary gear system ... And if the tag price is confirmed (US $450), most likely a combination of LAs and Pneumatics. Any photos yet?

Regarding the 18+ labeled sets ... I am not sure what this really means, as it could be interpreted in many different ways: 1. So that us AFOLs do not feel too bad about buying toys for ourselves 2. The set is very difficult, if my 14-year-old son can build it, it's proof he's a genius, way ahead of his time. This lego stuff is a true investment into my kid's brain development. 3. Up the WAF (Wife-Acceptance-Factor) ... this is not wasted money on a toy, it's an adult thing 4. Set includes minifigs with more realistic anatomical features I have not bought any 18+ sets yet ... but I bet the instructions are still written for a 6-year old i.e., one part per step per page.

I concur, you're absolutely correct. This has happened as well in the Target next door. They did a whole store renovation few months ago (in the middle of the pandemic), and they now have a dedicated section for adult Lego ... I guess they were anticipating more grown-ups to purchase such items, in light of the home confinement. What I also noticed is now many Target stores tend to have a larger Technic/Star-Wars selection. In the past they only had small sets, and the larger sets were available only on-line (I bought my 4083 from Target.com). Now however, they carry large sets ($150-200) in store as well. To @nerdz4prez point, and based on which store you go to, the selection tends to vary. They do cater to the neighborhood, and if a specific area does not have big spenders, the store has a smaller selection. This is true not just for Lego, but I've also seen it for drones and Smart-Home devices as well. Target has been looking for ways to redeem themselves and attract more customers, ever since the large data breach they had a couple of years back. Walmart is 'everywhere' and has stuff for everyone ... whereas Target is still searching for its own niche. Need to venture a bit more into other neighborhoods I guess.

Very valid arguments you have here. Regarding your first question, I'll add this: I'm an AFOL with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. As such, I come to Lego (primarily Technic) not for the flashy colors, but to reproduce and explore functions and mechanisms I learned while in school. Whether it is the clever adder/subtracter contraptions with differentials, the paddle-shift transmissions, the Torsen differentials, holonomic/meccanum wheels, the pneumatic machines with intricate Boolean logic, Platonic Solids (my avatar) and Tessellations. All of these, and there is a much bigger list, are really NOT for kids. In a sense, I see Lego as a prototyping platform for mechanical engineers, very much like Arduino is for electrical/electronics. Then you can always mix the two and move into Mechatronics. For that, need to go see how Mindstorms got started, after a joint venture between Lego and MIT in the mid 90's. Incidentally, that is what sparked my renewed interest in Lego back then ... we had micro-controllers and plenty of gears, axles, and technic beams (lift-arms were not that big back then), and had to build functional/programmable machines (fighting bots). As to question #2, those of us old enough to remember the old lego sets (My first was 851), would have a different opinion here. We've come to expect 'more' from lego than just build it once and display it (and let it collect dust). In the old days, there were universal sets too, and instructions to build multiple contraptions. After one has acquired/purchased many sets, one should have enough parts/colors to build 'anything' they want. However, this seems to pose an existential threat to Lego as not many people would buy sets anymore. Hence TLG keeps on coming up with new parts, new colors, and authentic vehicles that many of us relate to (and dream of). There will be a mix of opinions here for sure, but I'm with the camp that says Lego sets are becoming too expensive here and especially now that you have to buy a specific set to get that special part. This is not true only for Technic, but also others. A while back my son wanted the Green Ninja from the Ninjago series, and that minifig was exclusive to a single top $ set. Yes there is Bricklink if you always want the latest part in a unique color ... and many of us will always find a way to b*tch about any aspect of this hobby. In the end though, it's a personal choice, and if you want the top toys (rarest parts), gotta be willing to pay the price.

Granted, we already have plenty of StarWars inspired sets, but really, the Federation and its allies/foes has a great collection of fantastic ships. Any reason (documented) as to why TLG has not done any official Star-Trek set? WOuld that be an overkill? Does the Star-Wars licensing/agreement prohibit TLG from pursuing any other Sci-Fi theme? Many SW fans out there while, religiously following everything SW, are equally Star-Trek fans. Of the many potential ships I can name the NextGen Enterprise, the Romulan WarBird, DS9 station, .. and many many more. Or is it that TLG has missed the boat on this, and Star-Trek fans are older nowadays, and the market is not as big ?

Regarding ALL other parts (non-metal). What I found to be very effective is dishwasher soap (not for hand washing). That stuffs 'eats' up the dust and does not leave many bubbles behind. I'd fill a kitchen sink with hot water and dishwasher liquid, dump all the parts in there, let soak and mix few times, then rinse and put on a towel to dry. No brush, air-spray or anything that's too much work. As for the metallic parts (LAs, pneumatics, shocks, ...) wet cloth, one item at a time. The last thing you want is moisture then rust/corrosion

About 15 years ago I bought a Lego Williams F1 (8461). My intention was to build it but I already had the Silver Champion 8458. I paid $200 + $50 shipping from Germany. Today it's worth about $1000. It's still in its box. So BusterHaus is correct, after 15 years, it increased 4× in value. BusterHaus is also correct about investments i.e., use the stock market ... you do not need storage space and concern that the box gets damaged or the house catches fire. You must also keep in mind that in the past, most people would buy lego to play with. This trend of collecting/investing is fairly recent. Which means, many people out there have the same idea as you do, and in 20 years, there will be many of such vehicles available from collectors. Proof? Look at 41999, its original price was $200, it sold for $400 about 7 years ago (they were in high demand), and today, 7 years later, it still hovers around $400. This investing/collecting trend might not be as lucrative as it once was ... at least my personal opinion.

For a while I thought the arms holding the warp drives were made up of thin 1×2 lift-arms and I could not figure out how a cross-axle would connect at both ends. Then ... looking at the parts list, I see you're using a 1×2 plate with round corners (shown below). Such part is rather new to me as I've been away from lego for few years now. Plus, I build primarily in Technic. The more I look at this model, the more I appreciate your build technique. Fantastic job!

That's beautiful! A while back, a fellow member on here posted photos of 2 vehicles but he later deleted him and his account is no longer available. I hope he's well. Nonetheless, with a couple other members from the community, we did LDDs of the 2 vehicles, and they turned out alright. Check them out in the thread below. TO me, it was very refreshing to see vehicles that are 'not' supercars, yet with many functions. Look towards the end of the discussion. That's were the final screenshots and LDD files are.

Yes, the same basic information is there, but on the page I shared, all the info is tabulated in a single table, near the bottom right .. very concise and easy to have lots of information in one shot.

I have one question for the Technic Parts Experts :) Today we have a multitude of tools when searching for parts. One of the best sites (to me) out there is peeron.com, as it offers, for any given part, all available colors and what year they were produced. I have not found such tool on other sites. Yes, the information is there, but a bit difficult (requires many clicks) to extract. For example I'm looking for all available colors for the various angled connectors. Anyone knows an easy way to obtain/compile such information? Here is a sample page from peeron.com http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32015 One more question. Any way to tell whether these are genuine lego parts? It's on aliexpress so, I have my doubts https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001697480769.html?src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=494-037-6276&isdl=y&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&aff_platform=google&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&&albagn=888888&albcp=9765961330&albag=100795971798&trgt=893380455986&crea=en1005001697480769&netw=u&device=c&albpg=893380455986&albpd=en1005001697480769&gclid=CjwKCAiAouD_BRBIEiwALhJH6MrQgj10Jt5S67XsqtZpE5SKiEzbNr8g3AQDgIQ69L-um34FVVZlrBoCXA8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds By the same token, that website offers metallic cardans, that appear sturdier than the original Lego-branded ones. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001253321277.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000060.2.5d9045e122wMFF&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.169870.0&scm_id=1007.13339.169870.0&scm-url=1007.13339.169870.0&pvid=5e0882c1-54b7-47f5-b253-3675011dda88&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller,scm-url:1007.13339.169870.0,pvid:5e0882c1-54b7-47f5-b253-3675011dda88,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%236_668%23888%233325%237_668%232846%238113%231998_668%232717%237567%23917_668%231000022185%231000066058%230_668%233468%2315608%23160 Ok, should stop 'promoting' non-lego stuff.