DarkShadow73

Oh my Lord - 308 pages!!! I don't think one hi-cap printer cartridge is going to do. Do believe this is the largest alternate instruction pdf I've ever printed. Got enough paper, but the color cart I had in only had a bit left in it, went up and bought another one, but think it is for sure going to take 2 at least. BTW, the low-res pdf seems to print quite clearly. Wishing I had a color laserjet about now...I have a good Canon Inkjet, but man I started almost an hour ago and only through about 2/3 of the first pdf...well 5/6th of the way through my first 107 pages (first pdf) and I do think it will take 3 hi-cap carts to do it, the one I put in at the beginning of the print job is gone down to about half. As I sit here and look at the progress of the build, it looks already to be the length of the main model, possibly even the 8285 Tow Truck, looks really long...

I, among many others I am sure, would like to extend a very well deserved thank-you to DLuders for taking his time and effort to make the 9397 'b' model instructions available to us all. He has gone above and beyond on a weekend no doubt. Thanks very much, Eric

Just talked with Lego Tech Support and they said the drop box file is permanently disabled by the TLG, it was a mistake that they sent them out to a single person, and they will not be available for some time after speaking with her. So no point in continuing to try linking to this drop box file, Lego has no link between their pdf files and the drop box, apparently it is a separate service not associated with them.

@DLuders- I hear you there, I still don't believe in it though, but I didn't even receive a call back, seems if many of us here are interested we should keep bombarding them with calls, I got the same schpeel, or however you spell it, from this Jessica. If the 'b' model is printed on back, the instructions should be available at release date. Now I understand not being able to get them when TRU or Argo's in the UK jumped the gun, TRU is where I got my sets from, but it was posted on 3/1 as launch as they said it would be, but without the plow instructions. Maybe I'll e-mail them this time, but it seems its always a real 'automated' type reply from them. I know first you get the e-mail that says they will look at your e-mail and get you a response within 24-48 hours or some such thing, than an actual person e-mails you, but it seems like a canned reply. "Thank you for your interest in our product, however, the item you requested is not available but should be soon", that sort of thing with an actual person's signature, but that's about it whenever I've inquired about things in the past which is seldom, I don't think the US Customer Service Dept in Enfield really knows their business too well. The first lady said she'd check into it and give me a call yesterday, 2nd one I called said she could see pdf's of them and called the Product Development Team or whomever does the instructions uploads, kept me on hold with baited breath for about 5 minutes and said they had made a mistake and it would be several weeks before the instructions were posted. Poor customer service really. All I wanted is the pdf's e-mailed to me, but at least she e-mailed me back later and apologized for the lack of the instructions being available, why don't they charge $5 more for the larger sets and just include the 'b' model instructions in the box like they used to. Hell, it costs me at least a large capacity color cartridge and a half or more of a black one just to print them and tons of paper. So, just to print the instructions, which sometimes have like one step on some of them (like experienced Technic builders are stupid or something) instead of bulking multiple parts in one step like they do with the instructions that come with the main model, it prints nearly 200 pages for a large set's 'b' model, so about $30-35 between ink and paper for an alternate model if I like it well enough. Many may have a laptop or large desk surface with a desktop PC, but I don't, I work off a tiny corner of my living room, so I have to print and then go out to my garage and assemble them. If anybody does get the pdf's in their e-mail (DLuders I am thinking since he has had most luck with Lego) of the 'b' model, could you please post them for the rest of us? BTW DLuders- I'm not big into computers, you alluded to posting them to Skydrive, can any newer PC with Windows 7 open these types of files, or do you need special software? Thanks much, Eric

@Paul- they weren't in any store around here, I have 4 of them nearby, but I haven't checked in a while anyway, I got them at TRU online. Technic seems to be a small niche at TRU now, I hardly ever see any of the larger sets in the stores anymore, just the smaller ones. @dr_spock- it has been on the USA TRU website nearly continuously since end of January, went out of stock for a couple weeks, but it was still listed, then it has been in stock ever since, even the 8043 has been on there and in stock the whole time. Lego S@H has it available on the USA website since 3-1, I suspect their official release date from what I have gathered from this site. @dr_spock - couple of ideas on just the wheels joined together as a log, the 8049 had a better setup with the 2x2x2 round bricks with axleholes in brown. Could probably get my hands on a bunch from Bricklink, but I've gotten a bit creative. I went to a hobby store and bought a bunch of wooden dowels, 36" length and careful cut them with a razor blade, takes a lot of them to make a load for the truck, but the dowels are like $.30 a piece at Hobby Lobby, a hobby/creative type store here in West Michigan. I also bought a bunch of copper pipes at a local Lowe's hardware store(any hardware store would do, but the big chains tend to have them cheaper) that are used in plumbing and used a heavier duty blade cutter to cut in lengths, I bought a few different sizes of pipe and also got some heavier grade, and cheaper, galvanized pipe or electrical EMT 1/2" metal conduit(I am an electrician by trade) and with a good electrical/plumbing cutter (the kind that tightens on the pipe and you twist the cutter round and round until it finally goes through). Works quite well. Cheaper, better looking than the wheels tied together with a long axle and more cost-effective than buying more wheels from BL'ers and all is available at a hardware store. EMT electrical conduit is thin-wall and usually comes in 10 foot lengths, but at Lowe's and some other chains, they have it in 5 foot lengths for us people with just cars, can't fit a 10 footer in my car without risking it going through the windshield if I stopped fast. @Blakbird- that is a good idea, real wood would be the most realistic of all, but where I live I am in urban central without many limbs I could cut and create the look you did. Very impressive. Must be an MOC? Awesome looking truck...

DLuders- These are the main model ones we got in the box, though, we are looking for the plow/dumper alternate model ones. Seems like they should have those available at the same time since somebody designed and built that model and it is listed on the back of the box. I kind of agree though, I didn't realize how little you got for the price. Its a great model, nevertheless, but it seems like it should have been about same MSRP as the 8070 Supercar from March of last year, they are about equal, $119 would have been a better MSRP. Of course I bought mine from TRU, which notoriously marks up their products, but I was thinking once it was released by S@H it would more line of $129 or so USD. If anybody has any luck in obtaining the plow directions, please post the links. Thanks...

DLuders- I saw the 9397 was available today on the Lego S@H site. I know you have done some extensive research in getting the 'b' model instructions too. They are posted on the both the main and Technic websites, but only the 'a' model. I called and talked to 2 different people and got 2 different answers. One said she would send an e-mail to the product development group, I mean obviously if the 'b' model is on the back of the box, somebody designed and built it, therefore there would have to be instructions, right? Never got a reply in my e-mail or call as she promised. The other one I contacted later, Jessica believe her name was, put me on hold for a few minutes and talked to somebody and said the pdfs for the 'b' model were available and she would e-mail them to me. That didn't happen either, I got a simplified e-mail from her later, saying she was wrong and they didn't have them. I was sitting there thinking, what the h---?? I bought 2 of them to build the 2 different models, the plow looked more lifelike to North American plows than the Unimog's 'b' model plow was and smaller in scale too. It seems if they are going to release the set, they should have 'b' model instructions available day of 'official' release, even though most of us got it from other stores way before official release. Its kind of like false advertising, they put a pic on the back of the box, tell you go to this website for the downloadable instructions and they aren't there. I'm rather sure I'm not the only po'ed by this. The main model is great in and of itself, but being a fan of snowplows I wanted to actually build the 'b' model first. That looked more interesting to me than the main model. They also kind of bit themselves, by being cheap and not including the 'b' model instructions in the box like they did prior to 2008 or 2009. They still charge a lot for the sets, but for a while you got rumpled up sticker sheets and instruction booklets, then they just stop including the 'b' model instructions, bad move on their part. Unless you sit in front of a computer and have a lot of space to spread the model out to build it, which not all of us have, you have to print out some 150-200 pages for larger models and it gets pretty expensive with printer ink, not to mention they include a lot of steps with like 1 piece to put on instead of multiple ones in the printed booklets, so the page count is much higher. BTW Fernando, the part nos you put up all link to the 'a' model.

Well, it is finally officially available on the Lego S@H site, but still no plow/dumper instructions...wonder why...

Ya no DLuders - this seems to be the way almost every batch release. No offense, but why do a lot of European S@H sites get them before we do. My theory is that they are closer to where their manufacturing facilities are, but still doesn't make it fair. In my mind all countries, overseas or not, should have same release date even if they get the product before we on the other side of the big pond do, along with the 'b' model instructions. I have 6 of the 9397's now, going to sell 4 later down the road after 'retirement' of the model, and keep 2, 1 for each model, but I really wanted to start the plow. Yes, TRU has almost always jumped the gun, at least in Michigan, on new releases. The smaller models, including the mid-sized 9395 Tow Truck were available before Jan. 1 official release, but the 9397 has been available since about Jan 26-27 on TRU's website with a 3-week or so stint between them selling out quickly, then the BOGO sale, then they went out of stock again, now back in stock. SOMEHOW, their distribution centers are getting them from Lego. Haven't seen any in the retail stores and probably won't, usually they don't market the really large Technic sets at least in West Michigan, we have 4 TRU's in my general area and none even have any information on them, except for online sales. Maybe they figure if the Lego reps saw them on the shelves sooner than they should, they could get in hot water, who knows... @Rodeown- bet that kindness doesn't extend beyond your inquiry though, I admit they are nice to you on the phone, I've had a couple of questions on older instruction booklets for models I built, threw the booklets away, then wanted to build them again at some point and a lot of times they still have booklets available years later, this was long before the age of online printable instructions like they have now on their site, but probably as soon as you hang up with them, they never do anything with the note, otherwise maybe they would learn from their mistakes. Argo's in the UK and TRU in the US are getting the product from somewhere via Lego at the beginning of the chain, seems funny that TRU (not complaining though) and Argo's got a shipment in January, over a month before the official release, seems like a long time to storehouse a lot of product... quote name='Rodeown' date='22 February 2012 - 05:41 PM' timestamp='1329928912' post='1213969'] Same story as what Lego UK just gave to me today, Instructions will be available in March & Argos have been very wrong in selling at the end of January 2012. I pointed out that as it was available all over europe now why not have the instructions out to improve sales as people will be able to build the B model and show how good it is? the reply was that she will forward my comments to the relevant people and to wait for March in the meen time lol. I must admit though, the Customer service and politeness of their staff is exempliary.

Hi DLuders- I ordered 2 more today on the sale. I feel, well, even if they aren't supposed to do this, if they are available I'm getting them before sell-out, though being on a weekend, I may well not get them, it all depends on how many others ordered ahead of me between their warehouse close on Friday and tomorrow morning when they reopen. It's happened to me before, last summer with the 8109 Flatbed Truck. I ordered it once it became available, again before official launch date through TRU, and I kept waiting for a shipping confirmation, after 2 days I called them and they said there were so many other orders ahead of mine, the truck became out of stock before my order, apparently TRU doesn't update their website for In Stocks on the weekends.

DLuders- It is very odd, I see you are from the US too. I didn't contact Lego as I figured they would be unavailable, but thanks for checking and all the time you took. They have been available from TRU since about 1/28, they ran out of stock in 1 day, but this time it appears they have a lot more since they became available last Wednesday morning again, I signed up at TRU to receive an e-mail when they came back in stock again and ordered another figuring I would be able to find alternate instructions by now. It isn't the end of the world, but I did buy a 2nd one so I could build the plow truck. Kinda sucks that they are elusive to find. I don't think TLG would observe the holiday tomorrow, I think its only for mail and banking, but who knows. If you get any information from the supervisor, please give us a reply. Thanks, Eric

This doesn't make a lot of sense, if they have it available in another country, why would it redirect to US website? mean obviously Austrians can purchase it in their country from their S@H website? Weird... As far as the alternate instructions, I have actually seen them post some of them even before a model is released on the US website. Again, weird... As far as the 'b' model instructions, Lego's gone cheap on us since about 2008 I believe, possibly summer 2007, I recall the bulldozer didn't have alternate instructions in the box. This only applies to the larger models, the smaller Technic models have the 'b' model instructions in box. At least they started putting sticker sheets and 'a' model instructions in cardboard and wrap, I can't tell you how many times I opened a larger Technic set with 2 or 3 booklets only to find the sticker sheets and booklets crumpled in one end and a lot of times a few stickers pulled off the sheet, rendering them useless. I had 1 of my 8043 Excavators where the sticker sheet was so crumpled and stickers had come partially off the sheet and stuck to other stickers. It was ridiculous considering the high cost of that set. I called Lego, but being in the US, it took them almost 3 weeks to get the new sticker sheet for me seeing as their parts and replacement instructions/stickers all come from overseas.

@chorlton: I said SOME European locations, Austria is one that does have it available, can't recall the other country. TRU in the USA has had in stock for a few days and they must have plenty of them, or they are not selling too quickly this time around. I bought 1 on 1/28 also, but they were out of stock in a matter of hours.

Thanks DLuders- I'll check it out, but like you said doubtful. I know it is set as a March release in the US, but got 2 from TRU Online late January, hence no 'b' model on official Lego sites, but I know in Europe a lot of places have it available already, and thought they might have 'b' model instructions on the other country S@H websites, but it always redirects me back to the USA Lego S@H, I can look at the products, including the 9397, but when I click the links to go instructions, always sends me to back here to the USA website... (quote name='DLuders' date='16 February 2012 - 02:47 PM' timestamp='1329400056' post='1207416'] No, the B-Model instructions are not yet posted on this Lego Customer Service website or Yup Dluders, just checked his Blog and the links all take me to the Lego S@H site, so no dice. Thanks for the thought anyway...

I have 2 of the 9397 Logging Truck and was intending on building the 'b' model plow/dumper. However, Lego does not have them available on their S@H or Technic Alt. Building Instructions websites? Anybody have them posted anywhere? Thanks, Eric

This must have been a New Ray product, I have seen it on Amazon. It is 1/32 scale, so much smaller than the 9397. Wish they had done the Lego product with an actual tractor/trailer 18-wheel setup, but this would have added mammoth length and a lot higher price too, though it is a more true to form replica. I have modified the 8063's trailer and bought 3 of them and took out the cheesy looking side panels and replaced the floor panels with black or red and moved the LA so it could not only be used to drive other construction vehicles on to the bed but also could be used as a flatbed trailer too, connect them to the 8436 with a modified rear bumper with for a hitch, cheap on Amazon a while back, believe because it was not popular, at least here in the USA. Of course had to skelp out some 8041 race trucks and a couple 8109 Flatbed Trucks for the black panels and 15L black beams. But the couple is superb, both almost match perfectly for a 4L axle with endstop to connect the 8436 to the modified trailer.

Just a thought to put in your mind Squelch - 8043 has had a long, long run for a flagship, but the 8275 Bulldozer was gone in like 3 months and never to resurface, 8258 if I recall came in about Aug 2009, then was sold out by Xmas and pulled from the S@H website, then it made a re-emergence some time after Xmas in the USA...and hey if they do go for some reason I bought 6 of them for my BL store set to re-open in the spring, but you could buy one from me and since you are in the USA shipping wouldn't be too bad I wouldn't think, its a big set but I sold an 8285 Tow truck and had to ship it Fed Ex Ground because of its size, about same as the 8110, to a guy in California and I'm in Michigan and it was like $26.00. I haven't reinputted my inventory as of yet in BL, I know its against the rules to do 'under the table' sales if its in your store's BL inventory

@Allanp - agreed, the 8459 and rereleases of same loader in set nos. 8464 and 8439 are far superior than the 8265. @Cwetqo - I agree, the 8297 looks ok, but the set was disappointing in all, the 2 motorized functions for the body lift and the winch were ok, but the winch worked quite badly at keeping the string from releasing or retracting unless you had some force on it either way. The 8070 was quite a nice car, not as great as the 8448, but still a very realistic looking car if you can ignore the motor hanging out of the rear. @Technic Gearhead - if you are in the US, look out the price might surprise you, the 8421 is going for crazy prices here on Amazon or BL since it is ranked among the best flagships. @Technic Gearhead - I agree the prices, especially for the 8421 are ridiculous no doubt, the other ones you mentioned are reasonably priced and most still available for MSRP on Lego S@H, with the exception of 8051, 8052, 8053, 8063, 8264 and 8265, TRU online in the US still has some sets though, 8051, 8052, and 8053, but I'm betting not for long since they were 2010 summer releases. My thoughts are all are decent sets, personally would take the older pneumatic front-end loader, 8439, 8459, or 8464 over the 8265, the 8265 is way too large in scale to fit in with the other sets you mentioned and as noted unless you motorize it, forget it, the hand cranking is nuts. The 8063 is still going for reasonable prices, it wasn't a real popular set, dippy looking green trailer, though I liked the black/red color scheme on the tractor, it had a few differences between it and its brother from 2006, the tractor set 8284, didn't like the lime coloring, it was really meant as a dune buggy, but most built the 'b' model tractor, kind of like Lego decided why not rerelease another set that besides the trailer on the 8063, looks nearly identical, I tossed the green panels and used the chassis of the trailer with black panels to make a flatbed trailer to hook to my 8436 Truck. The 8264 is still fairly decently priced, a good looking model, but as far as Technic goes, it was a bit of a disappointment, only 1 gear in it to make it articulated, the 'b' model was more fun. Might want to consider the 8292 Cherry Picker too, both main and 'b' models were really cool and eye catching. Might want to snap up the 9395 Tow Truck which is readily available everywhere and if you can find it, the 9397 Logging Truck, TRU in the USA must have had a huge run, it was in stock and out of stock in 1 day, or they only got a few and I here Argo's in the UK has them too. S@H doesn't have it available yet, heard it was set as a March release. Just my 2 cents worth... Yeah I would get the 8043 soon, its still available at TRU online and at S@H but probably not for long, its been out since July 2010, the Unimog will be available for a while I'm betting, but I recall the 8275 Bulldozer was a short run of like 3 months and they were never again seen except on BL or Amazon. @Squelch - I wouldn't hold your breath on the Unimog, the 8275 Bulldozer came and went fast on online sites, suprising since it was so popular back in the day. I'd get it while you can.

@Kristian - had this happen one time now that I recall, with set #8292 Cherry Picker, they were very nice and shipped me the part. Only bad thing is parts come from Denmark, so being the USA, had to wait about 2 weeks, but started another model at same time, so just put the 8292 on hold. @Blakbird - you know, I'm not sure why, but I had thought this set had pneumatics (saw the preliminary pics but all I saw was what looked like smaller pneumatic cylinders at the top of grabber arm) or that Lego was going to them after last summer's Unimog. I guess there are arguments for and against both LA's and pneumatics, pneumatic valve switches can be real touchy (8049 Log Loader comes to mind)and fly up or down unless you have extreme patience in feathering them, but LA's can strain under load (case in point 8043 Excavator or 8295 Telehandler)and move real slow and gobble up batteries too. Received the set today from TRU online and upon looking it over, all LA's and mini LA's which I assuming are the versions we saw on 1H2011's Backhoe Loader. One thing that really sticks out with the 9397 though is that is gigantic for a 1H release, it could easily have gone into 2H batch. Last spring we got the 8070 Supercar, a monster set too. Seems Lego is releasing larger sets in the wintertime now too, even the 9395 Tow Truck was impressive for a 1H model. @Technicfan - it is smaller in width than the 8285, not sure about length yet. I like both for different reasons, but being an American I do love the American style cabs they put on the 8285, which mimicks 9397's snout, and the American style 9395 Tow Truck. I love the MB Unimog, never seen one in the US, but it is an incredible model too. European style trucks for the most part are shorter cab-overs, whereas lots of American style trucks Lego modeled these after are snout-nosed, engine in front, cab in back of it.

Guessing TRU was shipped some of them early, imagine they got just a handful of them, I ordered 1 on 1/28 believe it was, and thought about buying another for the 'b' model as it looks pretty cool, a smaller version of the 8110 Unimog's 'b' model snowplow, more in scale with a lot of models. It usually happens that way, Lego doesn't post it on their site until its 'official' release date, but a lot of times 'b' model instructions are available before S@H actually posts it. TRU must have ran out of them fast here in the US, by that evening, they were out of stock. I actually called them just to wonder if it was a mistake on the website and if it would actually ship, and the woman I talked to said yes, but that apparently the US distribution center only received a few cases of them, but that it would be available again sometime later in February. Should get mine tomorrow or Wed, supposed to get some bad weather, freezing rain, snow and fog in Michigan tonight, so it might hold up the carriers from moving, happened before.

Have an 8436 Truck I bought in 2004 that had a couple of pieces missing for the claw version, luckily had enough in black color, still looks a bit odd as the claw is dark grey, but wasn't worth making a claim with Lego, but none others have missed a piece, exception being 1 of my 8053 Mobile Cranes had a 13 or 15L yellow liftarm (can't remember which)had both ends 'open', almost like the molder they use cranked out a bad piece, odd but luckily it still went together ok with the open ends, wasn't a vital piece that had strain on it or anything. Ii was wondering same thing, have seen images of the plow truck 'b' model, usually Lego has the 'b' model instructions available on their exclusive Technic website, sometimes way before a set is available at S@H

Just checked the USA TRU website. The awaited 9397 Logging Truck is up on the site available. Couldn't find in store though yet.

Excuse me, Peppermint, but this was posted in the Eurobricks and Technic forum. This truck, if you will check your facts first, was posted in THAT part of the forum. What the hell is it with you people anyway, are you against Americans??? BTW - I'm moving it back to the Technic/Mindstorms forum. You got a problem with it, PM me...

Just checked the USA TRU website. The awaited 9397 Logging Truck is up on the site available. Couldn't find in store though yet. Bought it online Saturday afternoon, then thought I might buy a 2nd one for the 'b' model, but by evening they were out of stock already, incredible they sold all they had so quick, but could be that TRU Distribution Centers only were sent a small amount.

From what I have seen, most sets seem to be released in the UK first, like all the 2H2010 sets. Wanted that 8043 Excavator bad, but it took more than a month after it appeared on UK S@H site to get to the USA. I don't quite understand Lego's theory on this at all.