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review Review: GBC 25 Sweeper (42049 C model) by PV Productions
mostlytechnic posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
GBC 25 Sweeper This is a slightly different review than normal. This is not a set review; it's an instructions review. PV Productions publishes a line of GBC instructions, made from existing Lego sets. This makes it very simple for new GBC builders, since you don't have to hunt down an array of parts via Bricklink. If you have one of the Technic sets, you have everything you need. Name: GBC 25 Sweeper Set Number: uses parts from 42049, Technic Mine Loader (originally retailed for $50; currently used sets are available for $30-40 on Bricklink) Pieces: n/a Price: €9.95 for the instructions Minifigs: 0 Theme: Technic, GBC I (and my sons) love watching GBC setups. The mechanisms used are fantastic and just fun to watch. I've seen the massive discussion threads in the Technic forum here recreating Akiyuki and other GBC designs. One drawback is the need to assemble an array of pieces, and there's often the need for rare pieces (like the chrome silver reflector dish that's beloved in GBC setups and so sells for multiple dollars EACH). PV Productions publishes a line of GBC instructions, where each design is a "C model" of an existing Technic set. As long as you have that set, you have all the pieces you need to build the GBC (except for the balls, which PV Productions also sells compatible, non-Lego balls). I bought a couple instruction sets to convert Technic sets I own into GBC modules. I did not buy the PV Productions balls - I didn't want to pay international shipping. After some googling for alternatives, I saw recommendations for 9/16" Delrin bearings. I ordered a bag of 100 of them on Amazon for $11.25 shipped. The Instructions PV Productions provides their instructions as downloadable PDF files. They are designed to be printable, but that would be costly, since they have the solid light blue backgrounds like many Lego sets do. Instead, you can easily use a computer or tablet to view it electronically. The files are password protected and have your account information (email, purchase date) across the bottom of each page to prevent piracy. Given that, I don't know why they restrict you to 3 downloads of each file. It seems like an unnecessary complication to the process and would cause extra customer support issues to arise. The instructions are reasonably easy to follow. The image quality is slightly less than Lego and occasionally the steps are difficult. It's obvious that they're generated by computer rather than hand-curated. Some steps aren't turned the best way to view the connections being made, and some steps would be easier to do in a different order. None are TOO difficult, so it's not too much of an issue. It is definitely a significant step up in difficulty though - not for small kids or someone who hasn't done much Technic building. Personally, I liked it. I'm a fan of the older instructions that added more pieces at once and were more complex. The current instruction style feels over-simplified to me. The GBC This GBC is designed to look like a trailer. There are wheels and a tow point at the front. However, it's not really usable as a trailer. The wheels are attached to pins, not axles, so they don't roll easily. That could be modified if you wanted; there's axles left over. And when you are operating it, there's a tool to lock the wheel in place (it's the assembly with the dark grey axle connector just above and to the right of the tire in this photo. The light grey axle goes through the pinhole in the wheel and into the frame of the GBC to keep it from rolling) There's also a few spots that feel like part usage just to use up pieces - such as the "light" made of a stack of clear studs on the upper edge. PV Productions also followed the Technic standard of including a piston engine in the set. In this case it's a tiny single cylinder design, but it works. It is pretty fragile and fiddly during the build process though. At the front, there is this axle with a pair of light grey 3L perpendicular connectors on it. It can rotate, flipping the connectors up. The only purpose I see is that adjusts the angle of the GBC by the tiniest of amounts. The feed tray for the balls is connected by this single point. That does make it wobble around, but that also is part of how it works. I have a feeling that if it was more rigidly attached, you'd have more ball feeding issues. The right-side tire is held out from the machine by this red bush. That is because it'd rub on he yellow liftarm if it wasn't out so far. That does make it feel a little unstable though. Since you can't really roll the unit around anyway, I removed that red bush on my setup to make it a bit more compact and stable. The Video This GBC runs very smoothly most of the time. If you don't put enough balls in, it does sometimes mis-feed and the ball not drop under the "antenna" piece. With 5 or so balls, it runs great. The manual does walk you though how to get the timing right of the lifting mechanism, but I found that if you just position them as shown in each step of assembly, it comes out working right. If you weren't paying that much attention to detail, you just need to remove the black gears, rotate each tan gear correctly, and put the black gears back on. The video also demonstrates the other party trick of the set. If you rotate the exhaust piece at the top of the path, the balls fall straight ahead, making it able to feed into a different GBC instead of returning them. The Conclusion This is a great introductory GBC set. It's easy to get the parts for, since it's all from one set. It runs well, and is a nice level of challenge to assemble. I think it makes a nice display on its own, but there's also room to modify it if you want. You could make it longer, improve the return ramp, etc, and that's part of the fun of GBC. The price seems reasonable on it's own, but when I look at the other, much larger, GBC designs that they sell, in comparison it feels a touch overpriced. This small set was ten euros, but instructions for much larger models are 13 to 25 euros. Given how much work must go into designing and then digitally modeling each set, none of it seems unreasonable. Now time for me to go work on the GBC 14 Strandbeest, built from the 42054 Tractor set... -
2016 Lego technic 42049 Mine Loader replica
Zerobricks posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Built in some 4 hours using this picture: Of course its not perfect, but you get the general idea. -
42025 VS 42030 VS 42039 VS 42043
TheNextLegoDesinger posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
hy i am now looking at a lot of of technic sets. I'm looking at set that have either: -independent suspention -a lot of PF things -small liftarms -pneumatics -(RC) following "new" sets that i found have these: -42025 -42030 -42039 -42043 For the 42025 i like this: -small LA -a lot of panels for the 42030 i like this: -the PF's -The bucket -The wheels -RC For the 42039 i like this: -the independent suspention -the smal liftarms -possibility for RC -green panels For the 42043 i like this: -Pneumatics -front suspention -panels -cabin i like the b models of them all. thanks for helping