thatrabidhobo

Every kid is different so I can only share my experiences with my son of 4 years and 10 months. He cannot build with Technic yet since he doesn't have the hand strength but is working with System/City/Creator just fine. Avoiding frustration is key. Even though my son can follow the instructions for more complicated sets, his excitement turns to boredom then frustration if he repeatedly adds parts page after page and still can't recognize the component he is building. So, we focus on smallish sets or sets where recognizable components are finished often enough i.e. finishing a vehicle cab, finally adding wheels, installing a completed plane wing, etc. Something that helped him really start to understand the potential of Legos is the Creator sets. Having a fixed set of pieces and seeing clearly all the different uses for these pieces... not sure how to describe it. It's like a light bulb went off in his head and can now come up with some decent build ideas. His understanding of the Lego instructions leaped, too. Once he gets into Technic I will introduce him to B and C models instead of buying many different sets. A great moment we had is he got to build one of my old System sets and I bought a Technic set for myself. We assembled our respective sets at the same table, and we shared and talked about them as they were completed. He got to see how my set came together, how it worked, and now knows someday he will get to build it, too. He now has something to look forward too.

I don't want to derail the current discussion, but would like to still answer this question. Yes, at 4 years and 9 months, he is too young, and is currently on System/City Legos. I just wanted to experiment to see what he could do with a very basic Technic set from 20 years ago. It was revealing to see the hand dexterity and fine motor skill gap that is between System and common Technic pieces, which is why I now appreciate the simpler 1H Technics has a attainable step in between System and the Technics that have more interesting mechanics. Currently I see 42065 as a great first or second Technic set to get him excited about all things mechanic.

While I used to agree with this sentiment for all 1H sets I've come to realize that simpler sets are needed for kids so they do not become frustrated and give up. My four year old, for example, does not have the ability to put more than a couple of technic pieces together because he doesn't yet have the dexterity. In a year he might be able to do a small set, but it was a bit of an eye opener to watch him struggle even though he understood the instructions and basic concepts well enough.

This set looks like a good idea to me. It intices adults into buying a child a cool RC that is also Lego while The Technic team just got a possible new future technic buyer. Isn't that the whole point of 1H Technics? And, as Sariel said, AFOLs now have another means of getting RC. Perhaps 42065 will be a hit and will be a means for new RC models. Perhaps it will be a flop and no one will care but a select few AFOLS that the set wasn't really targeted for anyway.

Another reason for outriggers on wheeled machines is that wheeled machines are designed to operate within the local laws of public road use, which means that the vehicle width and height is constrained so the outriggers allow the vehicle to have a wider width and stance for better stabilization. All this allows the wheeled machine to transport itself, unlike tracked machines, which must be transported by trailer. I am unsure if there is a universal name for the striped warning marks but in my profession they are called chevrons. We use large red and yellow chevrons so it is unmistakable for motorists that are hundreds of feet away that something large is in the roadway ahead. Below is an example (not my picture).

I see, that does clear things up a bit. Is it safe to say PF 2.0 is mostly speculation?

After a 25 year absence from Legos, I recently bought the 42040 Fire Plane and now I'm hooked again. So much as changed in the Lego world and I'm confused about all the different PF versions and pieces. My question is; should I wait until the new 2017 PF (2.0?) comes out before buying sets that included PF or is it okay to buy sets with the "older" PF like 42030 and 42043? I don't mind waiting since I can spend some time with non-PF sets like 42039, 42053, etc.