LennyRhys

Hey Robin - you did indeed get the last bucket on ebay, and your bucket has been shipped today along with all other outstanding orders (that's 7 buckets altogether going to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the UK!). So that's a wrap folks - all of the cast buckets have been sold and shipped out. A huge thank you from me for your support and encouragement over the course of this project. I would love to get stuck into casting more buckets but at the moment I simply don't have the time. I'd also love to see if TLG would consider taking on my design (or something similar) and start producing a large excavator bucket instead of the existing ones, especially the new ones featured on 42055 which are very similar to the existing small bucket. Perhaps if TLG release another large excavator or backhoe loader (like 8455 but bigger) they would see the need for a specialized part. Perhaps they are reluctant to do it because of how much it would cost them in tooling and they don't see such a specialized part selling many units.

Nazgarot - thanks so much for your kind words! I'm very glad that you are pleased with the bucket and I hope that it lasts you a long time. Unexpectedly I now have only one bucket left to sell so I hope my customers are happy with their purchases. The remaining orders will be shipped on Tuesday. As always, please share your builds/experience with this bucket here in this thread. Thanks!

Thanks Myers and Rishab! I don't own 8043 either but I love a challenge and really enjoyed this project. It's especially nice for me to see the bucket on a model.

Thanks for the order - three more buckets shipped today, so hopefully you will have it within a week! :)

As I posted in the Technic forum, these buckets are now available through ebay UK. I have 14 left and a small number of B-grade buckets which I may sell at a later date.

Just a heads up for everybody who is still interested in buying one of these buckets - they are now available through ebay UK and I will ship worldwide. I don't have any plans to make more, so when they are gone that's it! For those of you who have already purchased one, please feel free to share your projects. Thanks!

You're probably thinking of lithium batteries (as opposed to their rechargable counterpart, lithium-ion). Lithium batteries are by far the best batteries that money can buy because they keep their voltage for most of their usable life, e.g it will take a long time for a 1.5v AA to fall below 1.4v. The only reason people favour rechargable batteries is because they are cost-saving, but the trade-off there is the lower voltage of 1.2v.

Hi folks, So I built this a few months ago and it's sat on my shelf gathering dust whilst I've been too busy to do anything about it, so I thought that I should take a little time to share the idea with the community. I should mention that this is my very first attempt at building a MOC with the new style of Technic, so please be kind! The images of the model more or less speak for themselves. It is based on a Kalmar DCF 370 but I don't have much red Lego so I chose to make the prototype in Hyster colours. The model contains five motors to control all the functions via IR remotes on three channels, but this configuration has not been completed in the prototype (I have to attach a battery box for the cab function). 1) drive, XL motor 2) steering, L motor 3) forks, L motor 4) mast, L motor 5) cab, M motor The first part of the model to be tackled was the steering. Real forklifts have incredible steering systems allowing almost 90 degree angle on the innermost wheel, and also featuring ackerman steering geometry. I developed a system that would allow this, but it was too flimsy given the size of the Unimog wheels and I had to settle for a poorer steering circle but much stronger steering linkage and configuration. I spent quite a lot of time developing the forks so that the width could be adjusted and that a set width could also be shifted from left to right, just like the real machine. I decided to leave it as a manual function using chains, as LAs have far too short a travel for it to be a good feature IMO. With chains, the forks can either be just a few studs apart to opposite ends of the rails. I also spent time developing the mast so that it could telescope with minimal friction, allowing the use of a winch and pulley system rather than gears and racks, which is terribly inefficient for this sort of thing. With my current setup of a winch (using the nice thick braided thread from 42042), the forklift is able to hoist a battery box containing 6xAA batteries, but it does struggle a bit because the mast itself is already quite heavy. My first impression of the new style of technic is that it's really hard to build solid structures, eg. to stop the long chassis from sagging in the middle, especially with all the weight from the motors and the large battery box. Beams and plates would have been much better, but as you know it's very hard to use them in conjunction with lego elements that are designed around the odd-number system. Anyways, I hope you like the model and perhaps take some inspiration from it. There are many talented builders in this community who could make a wonderful forklift, better than this one (and some already have!).

The buckets are not so much new as they are merely an updated version of the existing 3-tooth bucket. The shape is slightly different but the general size is the same; the width is the same (4 studs). The biggest difference is the mounting arrangement, which has been designed for the new technic system, so there is just one central lug that runs along the back of the bucket. TLG will eventually come out with a bucket that is suitable for larger excavator projects!

Sorry for the delay folks - I've been very busy but I still have buckets available and it's nice to hear that my buckets are being put to good use! I have replied to all new PMs in my inbox and it looks like I will be making a trip to the Post Office today or tomorrow with more buckets going overseas. Please continue to post pics / share your experiences with the bucket. Thanks!

I'd sell them - you've already as good as said you won't get the use of them, so there's no point in keeping them (even 8). Priced reasonably, IMO £15-20 for a pair (going by completed ebay listings), you'd easily sell £100 worth of wheels. As others have said, it's less about how much money you'd make and more about letting these sought-after wheels see some use, especially if you're not going to use them. (Trust me, I know - I have two kids as well and I rarely get a chance to open any of my Lego boxes.) I recently got an additional eight unimog wheels (for a specific build) and I feel like a total hoarder with 12 of these wheels haha!

Thanks folks, and thanks Bulga for sharing pics of your new bucket!

I have completed and shipped all the orders that I received in the past week. If anybody wants to place an order, please make sure it's today because after today I'll be taking a break from posting orders out until after the (busy) Christmas/New Year period! Also, can I please ask that those who ordered buckets, can you post pictures in here when you receive the bucket and install it on 8043 etc. Thanks!

Great review. I bought this model several weeks ago and the box has sat on my shelf, so I think after this I will be digging it out for Christmas and I expect my son will have a lot of fun with it when it's built. PS. these Tumbler tyres look amazing on this model, and indeed amazing in their own right!

Replied to olf999! If anybody wants a bucket (or even two) please let me know by PM, because when they're gone, they're gone. Thanks

Thanks Jurgen, and yes they are still available. There is a For Sale thread in the forum, and you can message me your details if you would like to buy one (or two!). I'll be away today but I plan to post more buckets tomorrow.

I think it might be a bit too large for Jurgen's backhoe, but you could perhaps use it in another MOC

Short video of the bucket uploaded - go check it out!

I can use anything that the buyer wishes. All payments thus far have been done through Paypal. :)

Another three buckets sold, so I've got 20 left (I think). I'll try to update this page soon with more pics and possibly a quick video of the bucket compared to the official Lego buckets.

Hi Lundgren! Just send me a PM with your address. I will invoice you the full amount including shipping and upon payment I will post the bucket (probably tomorrow because it's getting late today!). :)

Haha thanks SevenStuds! :) I'm sure they will sell, but first it will be good to see one on 8043! It's been a long wait!

For Sale thread is now up here, Yesterday I finished up the buckets by drilling approx. 150 holes first using a Dremel and then again by hand using a vice and 5mm drill bit. All buckets are test-fitted with a LEGO shim (3 bricks wide) to ensure that the holes are aligned and not too tight. The final stage was an overall sand with 600 grit paper and now the buckets are ready to be packed. I will try to update this thread with more photos when I have the time.

So the buckets are now ready to ship worldwide, and I have 24 available at this time. PLEASE read this carefully before placing an order as there is some important information to consider before buying. Cost per bucket is GBP £20 plus shipping to your country of residence. Shipping should not exceed £10 but I will let you know if it does. Within the UK, shipping is a flat rate of £5. Exchange rate: GBP £20 = US$ 30 = EU €28 Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery outside the UK. Where possible, I will try to post the package on the same day that payment is received. There are a few things I'd like to note, some of which have been printed and will be supplied with each bucket: The bucket is NOT a Lego element, and therefore it should not be treated as such. Polyurethane resin is hard plastic but it is likely more brittle than injection molded ABS, so please handle the part with care. All cast parts will be physically identical because they came from the same mold, however there may be some very small air bubbles on one or two edges of the buckets which will vary from part to part. The finish of each bucket may have some minor blemishes (e.g. patches of shine) which is a result of the casting process - sometimes the release agent left a sheen on the part, which is why I have chosen to give each bucket a very quick spray with matte varnish. You may wish to further coat the bucket with varnish, or even paint it as I did the prototype. Geometry is good but not perfect - that's what you get with handmade parts. If you do happen to have an accident and break or damage the part, don't worry - it should be relatively easy to repair with good quality super glue. And I think that about covers it. Of course if any of you have questions or are unsure about anything, please let me know and I'll answer here in the thread for the benefit of everybody reading it. Here's what you will receive - each bucket is individually packed in a tough cardboard box and padded with bubble pack:

A small update - the buckets are now all finished and ready for shipping, so I will be posting a For Sale thread later today. I've already received a significant number of requests here on the forum and through my Facebook page but I still have buckets available if anybody would like to purchase one. Please stay tuned for more information!