valenciaeric

Another point is the prefab house. Those panels have to be used in the B model or it seems like a bit of a waste. It´s also weird that the box is so thick as there is no bucket or extra large item and it doesn´t seem to be a 3000 part plus set.

I´m going with new dog bones too. Those are full sized panels on the boom - compare to the engine cover panels and the parts used on the end of the boom. If you have seen the more recent better quality pics, it´s apparent.

Looks like you get a portacabin or house with the crane, that could epxlain the box size.

When Lego was going through its crisis period in the late 90s, one of the decisions they made to turn around the company was to go back to more realistic looking models away from stuff like Jack Stone. It could be part of that same philosophy that they started using panels in Technic but there has definitely been an increase in the last 3 years. 42025 was one of the earlier exponents with panels making up a huge % of the inventory.

Top video @kbalage Thanks so much! A pic of the parts lists for this and 42077 would be great when you can.

I don´think we need one. Every end of year a bunch of sets retire and Technic retirements are very predictable. All you need to do is see when they were first released. 1hy sets releases in Jan (42052) usually have a 2 year life and retire in December of the following year. 2HY sets released in August (Volvo 42053, Claas 42054) usually have a 1 year and 4 month life cycle, except for flagship models (arocs, Volvo, Mk2 Crane) which have an extra year.

Not exactly. 1hy sets releases in Jan (42052) usually have a 2 year life and retire in December of the following year. 2HY sets released in August (Volvo 42053, Claas 42054) usually have a 1 year and 4 month life cycle, except for flagship models (arocs, Volvo, Mk2 Crane) which have an extra year. There have been some exceptions such as 42021 Snowmobile and 42061 Telehandler and also some 1HY sets get delayed release in the US.

The trend seems to be towards more panels covering less tech on the sub 1300 part sets. You have to go to the flagship models to get anything more sophisticated.

His name is on the roof above the doors.

Why would they include 2 differentials if the axles were not connected to the motor? It would have been simpler and cheaper just to make them freewheel like on the Claas.

Mack seems to be a Milan/Markus collaboration judging by the licence plate or MK could also be short for Mack. Maybe one did the A model and the other did the B. No Power Functions on any set makes me think that they are going to introduce PF2.0 in the summer or maybe this year we will get a supercar and there will be no PF models at all to make way for pf2.0 in 2019 with fanfare. Rally car is a Wabra design. I am guessing Pedersen did the fire truck.

Yes, it´s clear there are 2 cycles for 1hy flagships - mid sized sportscars and aircraft. However, that does not oblige them to repeat exactly the same functions over and over on the cars. One could argue that the aircraft line has been more inventive in recent years; rescue chopper to cargo plane to heavy lift chopper to fighter jet with some interesting functions - within the scope of the models. With cars, there is so much more that can be done than just doors, bonnet and spoiler. Milan´s 42039 B model proved that with the neat headlights. Heck, even the Kart and 40th anniversary cars have working engine gearboxes! It looks like I´ll go a full year without buying any Technic sets as the summer ones don´t appeal much either. Guess I am spoiled from 2015´s wonderful summer range! I doubt it will be a 4x4 at that scale and price. Probably just the name.

I dunno. Another rinse-and-repeat rear-engined, rear-drive car with the usual lifing engine compartment and spoiler as most technical features is nothing to look forward to after 42000 and 42039. I hope the Mack truck is more original.

Another possible reason is the migration to PF2.0. Perhaps the Mack could be the last set with the old system and the summer flagship will have the new system. Proper pictures of 1H models should be just around the corner, anyway.

That is exactly what I AM saying about 2018! Porsche should retire net year so they can overlap sets for a quarter.

Mack Truck is probably a 1HY release as there will likely be another IP supercar in the summer and they don´t want to take sales away from it. In 2015, there were too many attractive models in the summer, whereas the 1hy sets were pretty average.

9398 and 8110 also use unis on live front axles and 8880 even manages it with independent suspension.

Crazily, it only has about 50 more pins than 42068. There are a lot of small non-technic parts but it does seem to be a fairly good parts donor, especially with the 4 new wheel wing panels.

About 50% of the content are all the different pins. Actual beams, panels and rods are down to the minimum.

42051 and 42012-19 are missing set numbers that have never been used so it´s not a first for Technic, or indeed for other themes. I agree that the sticker has some significance to the designer more than being any conspiracy theory. SOmetimes sets can get cancelled late on in the design stage or pushed back with another number, like 42051-68.

Unfortunately RRP isn´t so it is still going to be more than it´s really worth. Sorry to go back to the price issue but if 42070 had cost 200 euros RRP, I think that the reviews would have been more lenient. For up to 270 Euros, people have a right to expect a finished, functional model and not a shell. No new parts, no new PF just different colours meanse there is little to justify that price. I´m in at 130 euros but not a cent more, Lego have just been too greedy this time.

If one front wheel loses traction then all torque will go to that wheel with an open centre diff. If you lock the front diff then you will have less efficient steering and any slip from the rear wheels will transfer torque to them. Ideally, it is best just to eliminate the centre diff as the turning circle is so wide anyway and there are no drive shafts to break, just uni joints on the front.

The priority for locking would be 1) centre 2) rear 3) front Locking only the front would make it a 2wd with no steering capabilty. Locking the centre would give you min 3wd - one wheel on each axle.

This is probably the set requiring the most mods to be playable efficiently since 42008 tow truck. I look forward to seeing many proposals that will focus on an offroad chassis and get rid of all the crane parts and weight. I imagine the front suspension could be employed from Unimog or Crawler without too much difficulty and the Arocs solution to the rear.

Maybe they removed the second motor to save weight!