DarkShadow73

Is this the body of the 8294 Excavator? Although I can't see the entire crane, it looks really interesting and would like to see the whole thing. Looks like a better looking one just from the partial pic than the 8288 Crawler Crane. That one was too tippy and the tracks looked out of scale, I actually put the 8294's tracks on my 8288, and though those were actually a bit too large, they looked better than the original ones and gave the crane more stability.

Any opinions on pneumatic cylinders vs Linear Actuators? I loved the 8455 Backhoe Loader and its ooziness of pneumatics, there had to be 10 feet of tubing alone in that model, it is my all-time favorite and as long as you oil the cylinders, they stay nice and I've had 2 of them since 2005. Wish it had had an airtank like the 8464/8439/8459 Front End Loader, but there was really no realistic way to incorporate it into the superstructure and still make it look real-life, and kudos to the designer of the 8455. I thought after the release of the 8049 Pneumatic Log Loader that Lego was going back to pneumatics and thought we would see more models with them this summer. Odd how they came out with them just in that model, and it was nice being able to add PF elements to create a compressor for the pneumatic log arm.

Just curious of what you all think of the 8053 Mobile Crane from this summer as compared to the 8421 Pneumatic Crane from 2005. I rather like the new 8053 Crane, while it wasn't the monster that the 8421 was, I like the split 8 wheels in the 8053, it looks more realistic to the real thing than the 8421's wheel setup was, and the smaller PF motor looks better than the huge old battery box on the back of the 8421. Another thing is that the crane actually stays up when you have the boom in the up position due to the LA keeping it up rather than the 8421's pneumatically operated boom that by the next morning had sunk back down. I actually resorted to taking a 9L axle and a black 16-tooth double bevel gear to 'prop' the 8421's boom in the up position so the boom wouldn't slowly sink overnight. I'm not a huge fan of linear actuators since they can be troublesome (can anybody say 8043 Excavator), but in some applications they are really advantageous like keeping a crane boom up. Would have been nicer to see 2 actuators, one on each side of the 8053's boom for more realistic look, but it still is real nice crane for the money, but you definitely need the PF motor and battery box, all that winding manually of the LA can be a pain as has been noted in all the releases in the past couple years, the 8294 Excavator, and especially the 8295 Telehandler.

Exactly my point, I should have had them by now for sure considering the first part of the order shipped 9/27 and I received it 10/4. I called immediately to report the error in picking the pieces and supposedly they shipped on 10/5 and I'm in the USA and of course took into consideration the Columbus Day holiday on Monday thus my call to Cust Svc which got me no answers, heck one lady couldn't even find my order. Where are my parts? Sorry to beat this one to death, but seems to I should have had them by now. I know this is a Lego fan user website, and I love Lego, but if I could have found these things locally I surely would have gotten them. When ordering from Amazon.com or Lego S@H, never an issue, granted they are in the USA, but still Cust Svc should have at least been able to give some more answers. One lady said she could track them when they crossed into the US, one today said that was not true, it wasn't possible. I get so many conflicted stories from their staff that I have no faith unless I can place the order myself online and track it myself.

My, my what a flurry of activity this has created. I wasn't calling Lego 'idiots' per se, only that I got so many differing opinions on when my additional LA's were shipped and by what method, so I would sort of know when to expect them. It seems really odd that I requested the initial ones in late September, they were immediately shipped on 9/27, the following Monday and I received them on 10/4, exactly 1 week later. According to the 2 calls I made, one said they shipped Fed Ex on 10/5 and I would receive by 10/14, the other lady I called later in the day said they shipped 10/9 by Global Mail and I would receive by 10/20, that prompted my frustration over communication between Lego Cust Svc and their distribution operations. And both times the 2 people I talked had to put me on hold to check with yet another person to find out because the first lady I talked to said there was no record of my order, period, except for the 1 service pack. Since these aren't trackable on their website like all other S@H orders are, I am sure 'some' might see my frustration and general pissed-offness at Lego in general. I realize Lego has gone out of their way to produce these packs as quickly as possible and I commend them for that, but their cust svc people need a bit more education or training or whatever in looking up orders. Had I known from the first person I talked to that I would not receive them until possibly 10/20, I would not have pre-sold the 2 sets I had listed on BL, I have since pulled them from my inventory on BL until I have the service packs in hand. I hadn't actually received money for them, only told my 2 interested customers that I would most likely be getting them by the end of this week, didn't happen, I still have not received the additional service packs, and it appears if I do get them it 'might' be next week, but I'm sick of calling, being put on hold, and then not getting any real straight answers, or differing answers than the last call. All I wanted to know is when they ACTUALLY shipped, WHAT method, that's it, period. Now you tell me, wouldn't one of you be a bit perturbed by this? 2 different answers from 2 different people, one of which couldn't even find my order. As far as gouging and trying to stockpile additional new style LA's as some might suggest, I don't even sell loose parts on BL, only new, sealed sets. And I legitimately did buy 4 each of the 8043 set at TRU here in the USA in late July before this problem arose in mid-August. The packing slip for the 1 SP I did receive clearly said 4, but I am guessing whoever was picking product at their Denmark warehouse mistook it and shipped me 1 pack, which contains 4 actuators, not 4 packs as I requested, 1 for each set I own.

Hold on Blakbird, I ordered 4 packs, received 1, invoice said 4. I called 10/4 and they said they would get them out. I hadn't received by 10/13 so I called to find out where they were at, that's all, where they were at and if I could obtain a tracking no/shipping method, they said they shipped 10/5 by FedEx which isn't subject to US holidays, then I was told to call back because they couldn't figure out where they were at. I called back later in the day, was told they shipped 10/9 and by Mail. Two different stories, two different shipping methods, and was put on hold later in the day for almost 15 minutes because the woman had to consult with somebody else, that I call poor customer service and not really knowing what is going on. As far as my Bricklink store, I made it KNOWN that I had 2 for sale and had inquiries about whether they came with the updated LA, I said yes I was waiting and based on the fact that the original LA's shipped 9/27 from Denmark and I received 10/4, I assumed I would get them in at least a week and a half, and I gave myself an extra couple days leeway in case of shipping delays since they were coming overseas. I notified my 2 customers that I would ship by end of the week, no promises, just good estimates, but now I called today and they are saying I probably won't get the LA's until 10/20, now that seems pretty poor on Lego's part, they screw up my order, I call them on 10/4, and they can't get the service packs until possibly 10/20, that is piss poor. It also seems rather poor that Lego hasn't stocked a bunch of the service packs here in the US since the demand for the 8043 was high here and sold out so quickly in local stores, at least around my area. I'm not bashing Lego so much, they tried to make the problem right with this set, but their cust svc has got to get their communication straight with all facets of distribution. I know others have had similar experiences with sets/replacement parts.

Yeah Anio - that was the same problem I had, what is up with the parts dept in Denmark? Are they just plain idiots??? It clearly said on the sheet that came in the envelope that I had requested 4 packs and I got 1!!! I called the idiots at Lego twice and have gotten nowhere with them, one said they shipped on the 5th, the next call the lady said they shipped on the 9th(Oct). Nobody can seem to get their stories straight at Cust Svc. I have 2 po'd customers from my Bricklink store who I promised the sets with the service packs included, because I was due to get them on the 13th, now I was told today it could be the 20th before I get them...I give up on Lego, I do believe this is the last set with LA's I buy... Eric

I ordered 4 service packs for my 8043 Excavators, and Lego botched up and only sent 1 of the 4 to me. They shipped on 9/27 and I received a partial shipment on 10/4 in the US mail. I immediately called Lego and they said it was indeed a screw up and they would ship the other 3 to me, that was 10/4. I called them today wondering where my 3 were and the woman I talked to and even somebody she consulted with couldn't figure out where they were at. They shipped 10/5 according to them, but geez, considering I got the others in a week and taking into account the Columbus Day mail holiday (I live in the USA), I rather expected them today. They couldn't even give me a definitive answer on when I would get them or how they were coming since they said it might be Fed Ex or the mail, I couldn't really get them to answer definitively, I think they were as perplexed as I am. Any of you in the USA have experience in how long it is taking from calling to receiving your service packs? Apparently they shipped from Denmark so I expected a bit of time, but considering I got my first service pack in a week's time, I expected they would be here today. I wonder if they are taking more time now because of possibly a huge run on them. I had pre-sold 2 of my excavators and had sort of given the 2 buyers a promise I would have the service packs and the sets shipped by the end of this week, but I might have put my foot in my mouth. The other 2 I was going to build myself. Thanks for the feedback, Eric

Only problem is getting a hold of 8851 or 8862 bucket for my 8043. Eric I agree, I am a fan of real-life construction equipment so am big into the realistic Technic construction models of the past few years and so I know about the digging buckets typically used on excavators. The 8043's bucket as well as the 8294's bucket was more of a yard or mud bucket like you say. But in this case, thought I might try to installing the 8294 bucket on the 8043 after I build it just to see how it looks. From the instructions looks like it might work with a few different elements to hold it on, and actually might eliminate a bit of excess weight from the digging arm so the linear actuators don't get stressed as much as I am familiar with recall of the LA's on the 8043. I received a service pack for 1 of mine, but bought 4 total, 2 for reselling down the road a few years after retirement of this model and 2 to build. 1 of them I'm just going to install the originally packed LA's lubed with olive oil to possibly eliminate the friction issue that plagued the LA's, and just use it for display and install the service kit on the other one to use for a fun toy for a 37 yr old AFOL to play with...

Sorry, new to this site, kind of confusing, didn't realize I was posting in the wrong section of the site. Eric I agree, I am a fan of real-life construction equipment so am big into the realistic Technic construction models of the past few years and so I know about the digging buckets typically used on excavators. The 8043's bucket as well as the 8294's bucket was more of a yard or mud bucket like you say. But in this case, thought I might try to installing the 8294 bucket on the 8043 after I build it just to see how it looks. From the instructions looks like it might work with a few different elements to hold it on, and actually might eliminate a bit of excess weight from the digging arm so the linear actuators don't get stressed as much as I am familiar with recall of the LA's on the 8043. I received a service pack for 1 of mine, but bought 4 total, 2 for reselling down the road a few years after retirement of this model and 2 to build. 1 of them I'm just going to install the originally packed LA's lubed with olive oil to possibly eliminate the friction issue that plagued the LA's, and just use it for display and install the service kit on the other one to use for a fun toy for a 37 yr old AFOL to play with...

Sounds less messy than olive oil, but how in the heck can you get it inside the sealed LA? Silicone Grease, which can be obtained at Dick Smith & a few other hobby shops is good for any plastic parts, even Lego elements!

Anybody agree that the bucket on the new 8043 Excavator is too large and out of scale for this model? I realize Lego has to re-mold new parts and it is generally more cost-effective to reuse old molds for new models, but I think the digging bucket is just too large for the excavator much like it was on the 8294 Excavator from 2008. I am thinking of trying to retro-fit that bucket which was used in many sets (8294, 8453, 8283 come to mind) on the 8043, though I am betting that would be too actually a bit TOO small for the 8043, something in between probably would have been more suitable IMHO, but am wondering what anybody else who owns this set thinks... Eric

I thought about something like Crisco (the solid stuff in the can) on the completely extended actuator, but from what I can tell from the images Conchas posted the screw is larger than the actual cylinder itself and so a solid type grease wouldn't penetrate onto the threads of the screw or where the screw turns inside the sleeve. The olive oil sounded like a good, albeit messy, deal because it coated the inside threads of the sleeve and screw. The Crisco or any kind of solid grease, or even the grease I and others noted on the new LA would coat the screw and threads better, but since there is no way to disassemble the sleeve without breaking or cutting it, liquids seemed the only option, and only liquid lubes that would not kill the plastic.

Well, I opened an 8043 and filled a dish with olive oil and completely immersed 4 the old LA's extended to complete length but no so much that the oil couldn't seep into the sleeve and left overnight. Messy as crap picking them out and cleaning them off, but they are definitely oily now. When I put a 4L axle in and turned the rod back into close the LA and I could see the olive oil oozing a bit out of the 2 small gray squares on the side of the LA and also a bit around the orange axle hole where the axle hole meets the sleeve, so there is definitely oil inside the sleeve. My only worry is that repeated extension/retraction the LA will cause more ooze and an oily mess since these sleeves aren't completely sealed, which is a good thing cause the oil gets in there unlike pneumatic cylinders where you can only oil the exposed piston itself which I have done many times with my pneumatic 8455 Backhoe and 8464 Front Loader, but it could cause quite a mess if the oil leaks from the sleeves especially with repeated use. I will assemble the excavator this weekend and extensively put the boom raise function to the test and see if it starts slowing down as was the problem described. I am really curious if any of you have ever tried the olive oil trick and had success in solving the 'burn-out' or 'slow-down' issue with the 8043, and also did you have a lot of oil ooze from the sleeves? Thanks, Eric

Ok, then a couple of questions on lubrication of the older LA's. I did receive my service bag for the 8043 but Lego screwed up and only sent me 1 bag instead of 4 as I own 4 of the 8043 Excavator. I don't personally like the freeplay at the end of the new LA, it is too loose and appears to wiggle at full extension. At any rate, my question is about the olive oil. I am wondering in regards to that whether since the 1 person here mentioned friction as the main cause of the problem with the old LA's raising the boom, whether simply soaking the old LA's in olive oil would solve the problem and eliminate the need for the new LA's? Would the olive oil evenutally dry out and then the LA need to be resoaked? I don't how this compares to say a silicone oil or lithium grease? As far as soaking them in the olive oil though, do you extend the LA completely and immerse in the oil? Does it seep into the LA body itself to reach the threads, or do you have to periodically as you soak wind the LA back into its cylinder? I am looking at this olive oil idea as maybe a fix so I can build the other 8043's I have using the originally packed LA's and also possibly to soak the LA's from older sets like the 8258 Crane Truck, 8295 Telehandler and 8294 Excavator. The 8258 and 8295 especially had a lot of load on them to raise, extend the respective boom assemblies and at least those 2 sets' LA's had a hard time (even the 8295 motorized with an XL-motor instead of the M-motor) and struggled to perform their functions without a lot of strain on the motors and jerkiness. I am wondering if lubing the old LA's would solve that issue with these sets as well? Thanks for feedback. Yes, for the OLD (non-36XO) version of the Lego Linear Actuators, soak them in Olive Oil and remove the excess. It won't affect the plastic at all. Folks can brush this off as a flippant idea, but if you want to save your investment, you can salvage the LAs with more LUBRICATION. TLG found what the problem was with the 8043 set -- it was basically TOO MUCH FRICTION in the LAs.