Jim

It don't think it's that bad. The part count is relatively low. I have had worse. Agreed. At first I had to get used to it, but I quit like it (the orange details).

That is absolutely true. The functions are rudimentary.

Reviews will probably be posted 13:00 CEST, when it's the 1st of August in all time zones.

Well, as a software architect, I sure hope that MS Office won't be my main tool hehe. I will do more high level stuff, but I have said that I have no problem with still doing some coding. As long as I am not a full time software engineer/coder. We'll see! I still have a lot to learn in the field of Architect, so slowly moving towards that position sounds right to me. @All thanks! I also hope it will a good step forward.

If I am not mistaken @nico71 used the same chassis as the main model for the front loader. It cannot be that many weeks, right? Three maybe?

Hi BabaGanoosh (love your name hehe), If budget is not an issue I would think about getting the new 42082 - Rough Terrain Crane (my review will be published tomorrow). But of course there are other great sets which will retire before that one. The 42054 - Claas Xerion if you can still get it. Also depends on your budget and what you like or dislike.

"Can be motorized" is different than "No motorization" But I see what you mean

I edited my post, probably after you saw my initial response

Yup. See my post. I added a few

Fun fact: the 42024 had that too https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=42024-1#T=I My first review, so I still remember the cumbersome controls. And the https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=42006-1#T=I And the https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=8053-1#T=I (the 8053 is from 2010 and the 8063 from 2009?! That's odd) Mack Anthem https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=42078-1#T=I Are you sure we are talking about the same thing?

Sorry....what is it?! So, this is indeed exactly the same unit as in the new train sets. I am still not entirely sure what to think of the new Powered Up elements. Great work on the review though. We'll see what happens. Your video made my laugh out loud. Delicate controls The sound is pretty annoying btw. The train makes the same sound.

Thanks! I hope so too I have been working for the same company for the last 17 years, so it's quite a change.

I am used to sitting behind the computer during the evening, so that won't bother me much. As long as I enjoy what I do.

Tomorrow I will be starting my new job as Solution Architect. This boils down to coming up with software solutions. So I won't be programming that much anymore. At least that's the gist of it. I will be spending more time at customers, which does mean that I won't be online during the daytime anymore. And I won't be responding that fast to PM anymore. Unfortunately that's the downside, but obviously work comes first.

Thanks mate! I will tell a bit about my job in the pub.

REVIEW - 42079 - HEAVY DUTY FORKLIFT INTRODUCTION With 592 parts the smallest of the 2H 2018 sets. Of course, less parts doesn't mean a lesser model. It looks interesting enough and it has a promising B-model. The previous forklift (not counting the mini 8290) was the 8416 Fork-Lift from 2005, the year I got out of my dark ages. Needless to say this is a while ago. Like cranes, lots of people tend to like forklifts. Probably like those people, I am hoping that TLG will some day release a big forklift flagship, full RC, so you can fully control it like the 8043 - Motorized Excavator. But I digress. Let's see what this Heavy Duty Forklift has to offer. If you see this icon, you can click the image on the left or right side of the image, to cycle through alternative images. PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. More pictures can be found in my Flickr album. DISCLAIMER This set has been provided by the CEE Team of TLG. It's not my goal to promote this set. It's my goal to give you an honest opinion about it. Therefore, the opinion in this review is my own and is in no way linked to TLG. SET INFORMATION Number: 42079 Title: Forklift Truck Theme: Technic Released: 2018 Part Count: 592 Box Weight: 1,24 kg Box Dimensions: 37,7 cm x 25,7 cm x 9,0 cm Set Price (MSRP): £ / $ 69,99 / € 49,99 Price per Part: £ / $ 0.118 / € Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX Apparently the size isn't important, or impressive, enough to mention on the front of the box. It only shows the Forklift transporting a drum with dangerous content. The picture in the top right indicates that the carriage can go up and down. That's great, being a forklift and all. BACKSIDE At first glance, this doesn't seem to be a very special set, but the backside reveals a very good looking B-model. This alternate model could almost have appeared on the front of the box. Other than that, it has an interesting color scheme, some nice dark blue panels. Color me interested! CONTENTS OF THE BOX This set contains: 2x Instruction booklet 1x Sticker sheet 4x Tire 6x Unnumbered bag INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS We have seen this before, but I was still pleased with getting the second booklet out of the box. STICKER SHEET Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a couple of stickers to provide some details for the bodywork, and of course the DANGER sign for the drum. TIRES Probably some of the most commonly owned tires by AFOLs, but we haven't seen these last year (2017). Last set to use these tires is the 42049 - Mine Loader from 2016. BAGS The set contains six numbered bags. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS Unfortunately, this set doesn't contain any of the new parts. Or any interesting parts for that matter. I have highlighted the following parts as the most interesting of this set. GEAR RACK AND HOUSING This Gear Rack Housing and Gear Rack can be found in six other Technic sets. The light bluish grey housing is only available in two sets though. DARK BLUE PANELS If you want these dark blue panels you are limited to just a couple of sets. And I probably don't need to tell you that two of these sets are pretty expensive. PART LIST Here's the complete part list showing you 592 parts. THE BUILD Early in the build, the chassis already contains a lot of the functional parts. The front wheels with differential, connected to the axle and gears for the fake engine. Two universal joints (U-joints) are used to connect the axle in the mast. In the picture on the right you can see the steering mechanism. Forklifts usually steer with the rear wheels, which is also the case for this vehicle. This profile view shows part of the cabin taking shape, and the 2-cylinder fake engine has been placed. Behind the driver's seat is an axle going down in the chassis. It's connected to the axle leading to the mast of the forklift. BODYWORK The bodywork gives the forklift a finished look. I like the shape and color scheme of it. The light on the top of the vehicle is not the Hand of God steering. In this case, it's the Hand of God lifting hehe. CARRIAGE The carriage is lifted using a Short Worm Screw Gear. The lifting height of the forklift is 16 studs. Thanks to M_Longer for measuring it. I forgot to do that and I currently have the B-model assembled. Always build the B-model first if you are writing a review and you will be covering both models. In case you are wondering how this is measured, here's the exact quote: "I have put a 16L link under and it fit perfectly ;)" LEFTOVER PARTS The usual selection of small parts. COMPLETED MODEL The completed model has an exhaust which provides Hand of God steering. I do like the position of the steering mechanism, but I don't like the fact it is connected directly to the gear rack. This not only results in inverted steering, but also in rather direct steering. I would have liked to see some gear reduction and reversal of direction. I can understand there is little place for an intricate system, but I still think it was feasible. This being a minor gripe, I do like this model a lot. I love its looks and its simplicity (in a good way). I had this model standing on the table and my five year old nephew immediately started playing with it. I only had to explain the tilting mechanism, which is located at both sides of the cabin, but besides that, he quickly started turning the knobs. LIFTING MECHANISM Click on the image below to show the lifting mechanism. REAR The rear of the vehicle does show some unused space. This gives me reason to believe a better steering mechanism could have been concocted. I do like the looks of the rear though. The solution with the two small panels is nicely done. From a slightly different angle the forklift does look those big boys driving around in harbor areas. Another picture from the rear. I can only conclude that it's a good looking model. B-MODEL Since the instructions for the B-model are included in the set, it's only logical to include it in the review. Lucky for me, my lovely partner @Kitty was willing to spend some time building this alternate model. She is not really into Technic, but she is willing to help me out every now and then. Usually, she is taking sets apart, but occasionally she assists building them, like now. Unlike the forklift, the fake engine is placed at the front of the chassis. So is the steering mechanism. Here's a side view with the crane attached. There is no mechanism to extend the boom. You simply need to operate it by hand. The finished model is actually very good looking. And it has the basic functions you would expect from a tow truck, steering, working fake engine and a crane/boom. Granted, a mechanism to operate the boom is absent, but this being the B-model, I can live with it. Shooting pictures for models with some sort of hook is always a challenge. The hook never hangs as you would like and it takes a couple of minutes for the hook to completely hang still . After putting the model on the table you wait...or go about some other business. And a picture from the rear. This is one of those sets which is actually 2-in-1, having a proper alternate model AND instructions to build it out of the box. Below is a picture of the left over parts. SUMMARY For a Heavy Lift Forklift it feels a bit too compact. Like I said in the introduction of this review, it would be cool to have a Heavy Lift Forlift, which is actually massive, like the real machine. Of course, this has nothing to do with the quality of this model. Lifting the forks/carriage is done via the beacon light on the top of the model. Tilting the mast is done via the levers on both sides of the cabin. Both functions work properly. Steering is done via the exhaust at the rear of the model. Steering is very direct and above all, it's inverted. This could have been done differently. At this price point, getting basically two proper models is great value. All in all I really do like this set. Nothing extraordinary, but if will definitely make for a nice gift. Downside for AFOLs is that most of us will be able to make this with our own inventory, since it doesn't contain any new parts. PROS It's affordable. Two very nice models. Functions work properly (steering can be improved though). CONS No new parts have been used. Steering is inversed (minor gripe). SCORE How do I rate this set? 8 DESIGN Two very good looking models, especially for a set this size. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Nothing really special, as expected. But still fun to build. 8 FEATURES Properly working manual features. 8 PLAYABILITY Lots of playability. 7 PARTS No new parts were used. Other than that is an okay selection with some nice dark blue pieces. 9 VALUE FOR MONEY The cool B-model adds a lot of value to this, already great, set. 7,8 FOR LIFTING AND TOWING FINAL WORDS @M_Longer has created an LXF file which he has share in this topic. And @JunkstyleGio has created two wonderful renders. Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found here.

REVIEW - 42081 - VOLVO CONCEPT WHEEL LOADER ZEUX INTRODUCTION Cranes, forklifts, cars....can we please get something different for crying out loud?! Well....here it is, something different. Of course, one can argue that this is yet another a front loader, and technically they might be right. But it is a unique in a way. Volvo and TLG make the most of their ongoing collaboration and present us the ZEUX, an Autonomous Concept Wheel Loader. An autonomous car (also known as a driverless car, self-driving car, and robotic car) is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input (source wikipedia). This boils down to the front loader being capable of navigating without human input, therefore lacking the cabin. In order to perfectly sense the environment, it uses a drone sidekick! Some people think this thing is as ugly as....an autonomous concept wheel loader, but I will tell you straight away I absolutely love it. I love the concept, I love the looks and I love the fact that TLG and Volvo actually made a Technic set for this vehicle. And that's that for an objective review. Of course, I will try to be objective in my review, but I won't hide the fact that I am very enthusiastic about this model. Let's deploy the drone and....grab a beer, since this thing will be driving itself. If you see this icon, you can click the image on the left or right side of the image, to cycle through alternative images. PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. More pictures can be found in my Flickr album. DISCLAIMER This set has been provided by the CEE Team of TLG. It's not my goal to promote this set. It's my goal to give you an honest opinion about it. Therefore, the opinion in this review is my own and is in no way linked to TLG. SET INFORMATION Number: 42081 Title: Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX Theme: Technic Released: 2018 Part Count: 1.167 Box Weight: 2,33 kg Box Dimensions: 57,5 cm x 37,0 cm x 11,1 cm Set Price (MSRP): £ 109.99 / $ 139.99 / € 119,99 Price per Part: £ 0.09 / $ 0.12 / € 0,10 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows the model with its flying sidekick. The background shows a pile of sand and behind that a skyline with scryscrapers. Apparently, this vehicle is not only meant to be used in remote mining facilities, but also in urban areas. The bottom right tells us the vehicle measures 59 cm in length. If you don't own the 42030 - Volvo L350F Wheel Loader, but you do want the big bucket, now's your chance. You will get four nice big Claas tires with it, in case you missed those. So, this set might be interesting enough for the unique parts alone. BACKSIDE The back is divided in two sections, a top section for the main model and a bottom section for the B-model, another Volvo Concept, called the PEGAX. Needles to say, I am more enthusiastic about this alternate model, than the one for the Rough Terrain Crane. I actually quite like this one, but more on that later. CONTENTS OF THE BOX This box contains: 1x Sealed pack with booklet and sticker sheet 4x Tires 1x Big bucket 1x Bag with rims, actuators and gear rack housing 9x Unnumbered bag BUCKET AND TIRES I didn't think to see another set with the big bucket, but here it is. And four Claas tires, which are turning into a common presence in my collection. I absolutely love these bad boys and I sure hope TLG will some day release a smaller version as well. RIMS AND ACTUATORS A bag containing four rims, two linear actuators and a gear rack housing. BAGS A total of nine numbered bags. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS I was about to show the pictures of the bucket and rim again here, but that's rather useless, since I already posted them in the content section. Other than those parts, there aren't any new or interesting parts. I can hightlight the propellors, but that's about it. 7 BLADE PROPELLOR This propellor in flat silver isn't very rare, but you don't see it every day either. Comes in seven other sets. PART LIST Two pages showing the 1.167 parts. THE BUILD We start by building the front of the chassis. An interesting technique is used near the gear rack. The white part behind the 12T Gear is not a 1L connector. It's actually a 2L Liftarm with Pin and Axle. It rotates between two 5L thin liftarms. I could be mistaken, but it's probably just for proper alignment of the front and rear wheels. Here's a better view of the 2L Liftarm. I should have taken a better picture. REAR The rear wheels are connected to this assembly. Both the front and rear wheels don't implement shock absorbers or any other form of suspension. When you operate the final model, you are inclined to push it down to test the suspension. Unfortunately, to no avail. I reckon autonomous vehicles don't need suspension BOOM This is the boom which will connect to the bucket. Operated manually via a Linear Actuator. Usually manual operation and LA's don't combine very well, because it makes operating the functions very cumbersome. I wonder if this is the case for this vehicle as well. And the boom connected to the chassis. This is actually turning into some sort of vehicle. Feels more like an excavator than a front loader, but that will probably change in a bit. Next we are going to build the.....the.....uhmmm......what is it that we are building here?! It does seem to be sliding out. Ahhh here it is, the....uhmm.....the.....counterweight I presume. This entire big block can slide out to compensate for the weight of a filled bucket. T = F x L comes to mind. Looking at the left image, you see three (six, if you count the other side as well) panels with stickers, red and green lights and "chromed" grills. A couple of steps further down the road you will cover them with other panels (image on the right) and you will never see those decorated elements again. Is this a way to sneak in some parts for the B-model, which uses these panels in a more prominent way. Either way, I was hoping to be able to see these panels in the A-model as well. Ohh wait, you actually can see the panels inside this big paper weight At the rear you can see the 12T Gear, which is not the Hand of God steering, but it is used to move the weight back and forth. The rear is almost done now. We only need to add the antenna and the drone. I am not sure why the drone is positioned like it is, because it is not able to fly off by itself. The antenna is blocking one of the four propellors. I'd say, move it a couple of studs to the front. After adding some panels, the wheels and the bucket to the boom, the Zeux is finished. I enjoyed building this vehicle. It's not that different from a regular Front Loader, but it does have some unique elements. The usual leftover parts. COMPLETED MODEL Of course, it is a matter of personal taste, but in my opinion this vehicle looks awesome! I love the Tech-look with the black and yellow color scheme. I also love the orange accents to highlight important and/or moving parts, like railings, footsteps, etc. And I also love that TLG (and Volvo) went all out and said....let's do this! This collaboration is proving to be very fruitful. Here is video with some background information on how this project started. A cool fact is that kids actually helped shape this model and made some design decisions. The boom has been properly finished with panels at the right place. Feels solid. Operating the functions manually works better than expected. They are actually quite responsive. Here's the list of implemented functions: Four wheel steering Raising/lowering the bucket Raising/lowering the boom Raising/lowering the chassis Extending/retracting the counter weight The three raising/lowering functions are operated by turning the 12T gears, all located near the front wheel. An interesting fact is that the antenna at the back is actually an eye. You would think it is used to look at the environment, but it's primary function is to interact with people walking near the vehicle. By looking at the eye you can see that the vehicle has seen you. The following video gives you some insights: The back looks even more "Techy" than the front, with the drone and the antenna. Click on the image to raise and lower the chassis. Granted, the looks of this vehicle are relying heavily on the applied stickers. It will probably still look cool without them, but you would lose lot of the details. The front loader in attack mode. Ready to strike There has been some debate about the reason to raise and lower the chassis. At first I agreed that ground clearance was a logical reason, but the axles are still near the ground, so that doesn't make sense. Therefore, I think it has to do with transporting the vehicle. If you put this on a truck it will be quite high. Lowering the chassis will solve this issue. And it can be used to change the angle of the boom without moving it. Not sure if this is an actual purpose, but maybe it doesn't cost as much power, since the arm is longer. Just guessing here. And a final image from the left rear of the vehicle. B-MODEL I haven't been able to build the B-model, so I have no idea how the build is. However, by looking at the picture I have a pretty good idea. It is an odd looking vehicle, but at least we get to see the six grey panels Again, one can discuss the looks. It's not the best looking vehicle I have ever seen, but for an autonomous vehicle, it does what it does, haul a payload. I am not entire sure why this vehicle needs to adjust its ride height. Maybe to prevent from the load falling out of the bed. Anyway, I will most likely get a second copy of this set and build this PEGAX hauler. For me, it's two thumbs up for this alternate model. SUMMARY At the beginning of the review I mentioned that I was very fond of this model. Well, that didn't change upon completing the build. I like everything about it. And I find it particularly interesting, and audacious, that TLG and Volvo actually went ahead with this project. This proves that two major brands working together can accomplish great things. I do understand that not everybody will like this model, but if you are remotely interested in robotics and autonomous vehicles, this should appeal to you. Then there is the discussion about manually operating the functions on an autonomous vehicle. Some claim that it should have been full RC. But if you think about it a big longer....an autonomous vehicle being remotely controlled?! That doesn't make sense either. The perfect solution would be to integrate Mindstorms, but that's not feasible for a retail set. It will even be challenge to add the functionality, even for the avid Mindstorms builder. There's simply not enough room in the chassis to place all the motors and sensors. All things considered, I am very happy with these manual functions, and the way they operate, even with Linear Actuators. Not sure whether this is considered a Pro or a Con, but it is worth mentioning that this set doesn't have numbered bags. Both previous Volvo models didn't have numbered bags either. Makes you think that Volvo has something to do with this. For those of you wondering...the MACK did have numbered bags PROS Unique vehicle Cool design and color scheme Another chance to get the big bucket (and big Claas tires) Manual functions work properly CONS Lots of stickers No intricate gearbox. Functions are directly connected to the LA's. Oddly placed drone (is this even a Con?!) SCORE How do I rate this set? 9 DESIGN I know this is highly subjective, but I love the looks of this vehicle. 8 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Enjoyed the build, but there is no intricate gearbox. 8 FEATURES Enough features to keep it interesting. 8 PLAYABILITY For manually operated LA driven functions, they are surprisingly responsive. 8 PARTS Depends on your needs, but another chance to get the big bucket, in case you missed the Volvo L350F. 8 VALUE FOR MONEY Price per part is not particularly low, but you do get a big bucket and four Claas tires. 8,2 I'M LOVING IT FINAL WORDS One last thing to mention is this page at the end of the instruction manual. It contains some of the prototype (I presume) vehicles which have been created during the design process. Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found here.

REVIEW - 42080 - FOREST MACHINE INTRODUCTION This has to be the least appealing set of the second wave of 2018 sets, when it comes to aesthetics. Of course, this is a personal preference, but the use of two different shades of green just doesn't cut it (you get it?) for me. And the RRP (recommended retail price) of 129 euro doesn't help either. Basically, this is a rather expensive not so good looking set. So, why am I interested in it anyway?! Because it packs some pneumatic functions, and even a new pneumatic valve (two to be precise). After longer pneumatic cylinders, TLG again listened to certain Eurobricks members hehe and designed new elements to work with the Pneumatic V2 system. And judging by some visible gears here and there, this set probably packs more than meets the eye. Nuff said, let's start our engines and do some logging...sustainable of course! If you see this icon, you can click the image on the left or right side of the image, to cycle through alternative images. PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. More pictures can be found in my Flickr album. DISCLAIMER This set has been provided by the CEE Team of TLG. It's not my goal to promote this set. It's my goal to give you an honest opinion about it. Therefore, the opinion in this review is my own and is in no way linked to TLG. SET INFORMATION Number: 42080 Title: Forest Machine Theme: Technic Released: 2018 Part Count: 1.003 Box Weight: 1,67 kg Box Dimensions: 47,5 cm x 37,0 cm x 6,2 cm Set Price (MSRP): £ / $ 149.99 / € 129,99 Price per Part: £ / $ 0.15 / € 0,13 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows the model, with quite an impressive logging apparatus. You don't want to get cought in the claws of this bad boy. It will turn you into minced meat in no-time. As I said before, I am not a big fan of the color scheme on this thing, but I am very interested to find out what this thing is packin'. The right side of the box is already showing some spoilers. Not only does it pack a battery box and a large motor, like the Rough Terrain Crane, but it also contains quite a few Pneumatic V2 elements, including two brand new valves. I can only say....whoop whoop BACKSIDE Like the Volvo Zeux, the backside is divided in an upper and a lower section. The upper section, for the main model, tells us that this model has a Motorised Pneumatic Crane, Articulated Steering and the cabin with boom can rotate about 270 degrees. The bottom section shows the B-model, a Log Loader. At this point, I am somewhat indifferent about it. It utilizes the Pneumatic and Power Functions elements to have some functionality, but it seems to be more or less the same as the main model. CONTENTS OF THE BOX The box contains: 1x Sealed pack with booklet and sticker sheet 1x Bag with tires and large motor 1x Bag with pneumatic hoses 7x Numbered bag BOOKLET AND STICKER SHEET The sealed bag with booklet and sticker sheet. BOOKLET A single booklet with instructions for the main model. STICKER SHEET The sticker sheet with various stickers. TIRES AND LARGE MOTOR The bag containing eight balloon tires and the large motor. POWER FUNCTIONS ELEMENTS As usual the battery box comes unbagged, while the large motor resides in its own bag within the bigger bag. PNEUMATIC HOSES Pneumatic hoses, to go with the cylinders. How convenient. BAGS And of course, the numbered bags. Seven in total. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This set does come with some interesting parts. PNEUMATIC PARTS First of all the new pneumatic valves. These are new molds and are an improvement over the older ones. We will see why later in this review. This set also contains two of the new V2 longer pneumatic cylinders and a small cylinder. I forgot to include the blue pump. TIRES Eight balloon tires. No sure why I am highlighting these, because they are quite common. Only 41 sets have used these in the past RIMS These rims aren't very rare either, but in this color you will only find them in three sets. Flat silver if I am not mistaken. BLADE AND SPIKES Here are two odd-looking fellas. One of 'em is a Circular Saw Blade, found in lots of themes like Ninjago, Power Miners, etc and the other is a 2x2 Round Brick with Spikes. The round brick with spikes has been used before, but this is the only set which has them in Yellow. PANELS I almost missed these ones, but upon building the model, I suddenly realised that these panels might be new in green. And indeed they are. These small panels are new in Lime Green. PART LIST The part list showing 1003 parts. THE BUILD The build starts with the front steering linkage. Here you can see the new valves attached to the back of the cabin. The main difference with the old ones is the axle going through the valve. This means that they can be operated using an axle (most likely with a gear attached). This gives us lots of opportunities for better pneumatic models. Like the old valve, it isn't very easy to switch. This must be due to the nature of the valve, but there is quite some resistance when you try to switch the valve. The new valve also implements the slightly smaller ends, to make it easier to attach the hoses. The battery box, motor and valve are neatly packed in the rear compartment of the vehicle. The rear is connected to the front using thew new large turntable. Both rear axles have pendular suspension. Albeit a very basic implementation, but it's worth mentioning. At this stage the front and back of the vehicle are done. The rear can be opened and closed to easily replace the batteries in the box. After building the crane, and some added details (two logs, a chainsaw, a small log and some sort of rest for the log) the model is finished! To be honest; I am not completely sure what to think of it. Still looks a bit messy to me, but maybe the functions can compensate for that. COMPLETED MODEL Here you can see the completed model, with the added extra's. You can click on the image to see alternate versions of the boom position. The picture below clearly shows how big the head on the crane is. It packs the grabbers/grinders and the saw blade. The weight is rather high, especially when you look at the size of the crane boom. It's not a real problem for the crane itself, but it does tend to get top heavy and it can easily tip over the vehicle over when moved to the side. These semi-new macaroni parts sure are popular. They come in every Technic set, don't they?! I do love 'em btw, so keep 'em coming. And one final image from the rear. It is interesting, and to some even useful, that TLG included two new green panels (not counting the lime panels) and green parts, but I think this vehicle would have looked better with a dark bluish grey chassis, and more lime green parts for the rear compartment. FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES Below are two videos demonstrating the functions. Both videos are basically the same (take 1 and take 2), but I figured I might as well include the both, so you will see the grabbers work at least once I have said this before in previous reviews, but to me, Pneumatic models often are proofs of concept, instead of actual working models. Admittedly, the big cylinders work like a charm. These have enough power to do the heavy lifting. But the small cylinder simply doesn't have enough power to operate simple functions. As you can see in the video, I sometimes have to help the grabbers near the saw blade to contract. Besides that, it takes a long time before they open and close. They are not very responsive. The valves are very hard to operate. You really need to apply a lot of force to the 12T gear, which makes you wonder whether the axle isn't breaking. I love the new design, but operating them by gear/axle doesn't feel safe or comfortable. I'd rather use the lever. The pump is located in the rear of the vehicle. When it's turned on, that part of the vehicle tends to move a lot. You can see it shaking a lot. This is caused by the lack of weight, but the suspension doesn't help either. The crane is rather heavy, so when you rotate it, the vehicle is bound to tip over. This is partially caused by the suspension and partially because the head of the machine is too heavy. All in all I am afraid that the functions don't compensate for the overall look of the machine. I really appreciate what TLG has tried to do with this set/model, but the execution is not that succesful. A full blown Forest Machine might have been a better choice, because the appearance and functionality of this model doesn't justify the price of the set. B-MODEL The alternate model isn't very exciting, an eight wheeled vehicle with a pneumatic crane. At a glance I had to look twice to see it's a different vehicle. It looks poorly executed and the placement of the battery box is rather awkward. It's not the worst B-model *cough* 42082 *cough*, but I do think it could have been better, if the designer hadn't focus on a vehicle with eight wheels and a crane. SUMMARY Before building this model I was hoping that the functions would compensate for the poor exterior of the model. Unfortunately, they don't. There are simply too much negative aspects to make me enthusiastic about this set. I would think twice, or thrice, before forking out 129 euro for a couple of new panels and some Pneumatic parts. Even at a decent discount I think it's better to order these Pneumatic parts via S&H or Bricklink. PROS New pneumatic valves Decent selection of other pneumatic parts Three panels in new colors CONS Doesn't look good, especially two different green colors Small pneumatic cylinder doesn't have enough power Valves are hard to operate Vehicle tends to tip over Rear sections shakes a lot when pump is turned on Suspension makes it wobbly/instable Price SCORE How do I rate this set? 6 DESIGN Color scheme and overall design is so so. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Kind of okay, but there is much fiddling going on. 7 FEATURES There are enough features, but they don't work very well. 6 PLAYABILITY Functions should work better to improve playability. 7 PARTS If you are into Pneumatic models (or MOCs), this is a nice parts pack. 6 VALUE FOR MONEY At 13 cents a piece, this set is rather expensive. 6,5 MEDIOCRE MACHINE Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found here.

REVIEW - 42082 - ROUGH TERRAIN CRANE INTRODUCTION The biggest set of the second wave of 2018 sets is the Rough Terrain Crane. Actually, it is THE biggest Technic set ever, with 4057 parts, surpassing the 42055 - Bucket Wheel Excavator, which has 3929 parts. This set contains 128 parts more than the BWE. Which immediately raises the question; has TLG purposely made this set bigger, so it has the highest part count ever? The reason I am asking out loud, is that there has been some debate in the Technic Forum about the growing size of the sets, related to the functions. Some say that the part count is intentionally high, without adding significantly more (or better) functionality. While I do see a trend in sets getting bigger (i.e. higher part count, thus higher price), I don't think that TLG designers are filling their workday finding out ways to add lots of unnecessary parts. I do like to think that the style of building is adapting/evolving to the contemporary standards/requirements. Of course, I don't want to sound too naive, because at the end of the day, it's all 'bout the money. It's all 'bout the dun dun do do do dumb. I don't think it's funny to..... Anyway, why not use this review to dive into this delicate matter. Before we start I like to point out that I do like big sets. The experience of opening the box and seeing the plethora of parts is overwhelming. On the other hand, with Technic sets getting more and more expensive, I can understand that people stop buying the (bigger) sets. In this review, I simply want to find out if this set could have been made with, let's say, 3000-odd parts while maintaining the same functionality. Another thing I'd like to address in this review is the use of extra elements (playable items), like a chains, tools etc. There has been some debate about this in the Technic forum, so I like to give you my opinion. If you see this icon, you can click the image on the left or right side of the image, to cycle through alternative images. PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. More pictures can be found in my Flickr album. DISCLAIMER This set has been provided by the CEE Team of TLG. It's not my goal to promote this set. It's my goal to give you an honest opinion about it. Therefore, the opinion in this review is my own and is in no way linked to TLG. SET INFORMATION Number: 42082 Title: Rough Terrain Crane Theme: Technic Released: 2018 Part Count: 4.057 Box Weight: > 5kg (I forgot to weigh the box, because my kitchen scale couldn't handle it.) Box Dimensions: 57,5 cm x 47,2 cm x 16,5 cm Set Price (RRP): £ / $ 299.99 / € 229,99 Price per Part: £ / $ 0.074 / € 0,056 Links: Brickset, Bricklink So, with an RRP of 229 euro, the price per part comes down to 5,6 cent per part, which is a steal. It's even slightly less than the BWE (5,9 cents per part). This makes it one of the cheapest Technic sets in terms of price per part. Let's compare some stats with previous flagships. COMPARISON WITH OLDER SETS 2011 - 8110 - Unimog - 189 euro, 2048 parts, 9,3 cent per part. 2012 - 9398 - 4x4 Crawler - 169 euro, 1327 parts, 12,8 cent per part. 2013 - 42009 - Mobile Crane Mk II - 199 euro, 2606 parts, 7,7 cent per part. 2014 - 42030 - Volvo L350F - 219 euro, 1636 parts, 13,4 cent per part. 2015 - 42043 - Arocs - 199 euro, 2793 parts, which is 7,2 cent per part. 2016 - 42055 - BWE - 229 euro, 3929 parts, 5,9 cents per part. 2017 - 42070 - All Terrain Truck - 249 euro, 1862 parts, 13,4 cent per part. 2018 - 42082 - Rough Terrain Crane - 229 euro, 4057 parts, 5,6 cent per part. All of these sets have Power Functions, some more than others. The Volvo is literally packed with Power Functions, which explains the high price and low part count. A potential candidate for a comparison with the 42082 - Rough Terrain Crane is the 42009 - Mobile Crane Mk II. The 42009 packs 2606 parts for 7,7 cent per part, while the 42082 packs 4057 parts for 5,6 cent per part. So, the universally praised Mk II crane has a 37,5% increase in price per part. Or the 42082 has a 27,3% decrease in price per part, depending on how you want to look at it. That is 5 years ago, and I'm not taking inflation into account. In other words; for 30 euro extra you get 1451 extra parts. This comes down to 2,1 cent per parts, which isn't bad at all. Some of you might argue that this is not the way to compare two sets, but these numbers are based on RRP and part count, which are numbers we can work with. Since this set has four of the big Claas wheels, a gearbox, and not a lot of PF, I could also compare it to the 42070. But that set was way overpriced, so I don't think that would be fair. The average price of a part in a flagship, based on these 8 sets, is 9,4 cent. So for 229 euro you can expect 2155 parts. You get 1901 more than that. Thus drawing the preliminary conclusion that this set is big, but the price is more than reasonable. Of course, the original debate wasn't focused on the price per se, but whether the models are getting unnecessarily big. Let's carry on unboxing so we can find out. THE BOX The front of the box shows the model and its Power Functions components, a Battery Box and a Large Motor. No sign of new Powered Up elements yet. It also shows a picture of the model with an extended boom, measuring 100 cm high till the end of the boom and a chassis size of 48 cm long. Going by the size this isn't some two-bit crane. But size doesn't always matter. The box has the same width and height as last year's flagship (42070 - 6x6 All Terrain Truck), but it's a couple of centimeters deeper. INSIDE FLAP Like the 42070, this box also has the flap, common to flagship sets. The inside shows a big picture of the model, which is most likely almost 1:1 scale. It's pretty impressive, that's for sure. You can also see that the upper body with the boom can rotate freely, thus 360 degree. This means that most of the mechanics, and battery box, are probably placed in the upper body and not in the chassis. This makes sense, and we have seen it before. Another picture shows the boom can be raised up to 60 degrees. BACKSIDE The back is divided into two sections/sides. The left side shows the functions of the main model, while the right side shows the alternative model, a Mobile Pile Driver. I will express my love for the B-model later this review CONTENTS OF THE BOX The box contains: 1x Inner box 1x Sealed pack with two booklets and the sticker sheet 4x Rim 4x Tire 25x Numbered bags (8 of which are in the inner box) INNER BOX The inner box contains the sealed pack with instruction booklets and sticker sheet. And it contains the bags for steps 1 to 4. INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS Two instruction booklets. One for the chassis and one for the crane. Makes you wonder if one person can start building the chassis, while the other starts working on the crane. STICKER SHEET Quite a few stickers to decorate this model. A construction vehicle just isn't the same without black and yellow stripes. And of course, a bunch of stickers indicating how to operate the functions. POWER FUNCTIONS ELEMENTS A battery box and a large motor. TIRES These, so called Unimog Tires, seems to be very common nowadays, but they have only been used in two Technic sets before. RIMS Four big red rims, also used in the 42054 - Claas Xerion and the 42077 - Rally Car. TIRES ON RIMS Here a picture with the tires fitted on the rims. NUMBERED BAGS A total of 25 numbered bags. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS Actually there is only one interesting part in this set and that is the 11 x 11 Curved Gear Rack (or banana gear as some call them) from the 42055 - Bucket Wheel Excavator in a new color black. I am very happy that this gear has appeared in a color which can more easily be used in a MOC, for example an EV3 Robot Not sure why I forgot to take a picture of the part itself, but here is a picture of the subassembly. This set contains a total of eight of these curved gear racks. PART LIST A whopping 4.057 parts, but still only two pages with parts. THE BUILD Bags, bags, bags and more bags. Lucky for us, they are numbered. If you like a challenge, open all the bags and create a big unsorted pile. That will keep you busy for quite some time. I will simply go from step to step As expected we start with the chassis. And to be more precise; with the gearbox in the chassis. Really, orange pins?! Yes, really! Right off the bat, lots of gears are added to the chassis. A white clutch gear is used in the bottom of the chassis. This indicates that these gears/axles will be connected to the Power Functions. At the end of the first step the center of the chassis has finished. This chassis with center gearbox is kind of reminiscent of models like th 8110 - Unimog and the 8258 - Crane Truck. Lots of gears, densily packed in a small space. There's little room left. The bottom of the gearbox. This set contains the 5x7 frames in two colors, light bluish grey and black. This is what you can do with two different color frames. I am not really fond of these kind of solutions, but I understand it can be convenient. Ohhh, and then there's the green liftarms. Because we need green in a red vehicle. I reckon someone opened up the bucket with green dye, so we do need to use more of these of parts in green Actually, I am being semi-serious here. The Forest Machine uses these liftarms in green, so it's probably cost-effective to use them in multiple sets. We are seeing this with other parts as well. For example, the beforementioned orange 3L pins with bush and white 1L connector, etc. TLG tends to minimize the overall number of different parts used in (Technic) sets. I reckon this has something to do with optimizing their warehouse space. New parts are added every year and storage space is limited. Instead of using five different colors TLG uses one (maybe two) color. Doing this over the entire range of sets will save up a lot of space. Technic seems to be the ideal theme to use these kind of strategies. And it adheres to the "color vommit in the chassis" strategy. One of the wheel assemblies. As you can see there is no actual suspension. Not even pendular suspension. Which seems odd for an Rough Terrain Crane, but I am no expert. Here's the subassembly attached to the center of the chassis. An almost similar assembly attached to the other side. Instead of green liftarms, this one uses orange ones. This way you can more easily tell the sides apart. This is actually not a bad thing. I have mentioned it before, but I am actually a big fan of the color vommit approach. Altough I must admit that using these orange 3L pins with bush is definitely pusing it. Blue might have been a better choice, but that would have confliced with the Bugatti color scheme. Therefore, I think TLG made the decision to use orange in this as well. By the way; this set does also contain 40 of these 3L pins with bush in black. The picture below shows how you can align the wheels. After aligning them, you slide the 16T gear in position. When I was building the set, I wondered why there was space between the gear and the liftarm, but it soon made sense. A subassebly for the outriggers. I do like the design, but as with most outriggers on Technic models, they op...e....ra.....te.....ve......ry......slow......ly. I would love to show you a video of the outriggers, but since it's Tuesday now, I don't have enough time to lower them before the embargo date of this review Just kidding of course. They do take a while, but since they are outriggers I find this acceptable. As long as the other functions aren't that slow. The chassis with front and rear wheel assemblies, and the front and rear outriggers. This is what you would expect from a crane this size. No unncessary use of extra parts so far. Next stop is the V8 engine with white oil filter and orange propellor/fan. I really like the oil filter. It's simple, but it adds detail to the model. The choice of orange as the color for the propellor seems odd, but it's likely a safety precaution. The emphasize that this is a part you need to watch, since it will be rotating when you move the crane. Not entirely sure, but it must be something along these lines. After the engine you will be building the connection between the chassis and the upper structure (crane body). This is done by using eight curved gear racks and an ingenious system in between. Click on the images to construct the ring. At that point you will attach the rims and the chassis is done. Worth noting is that the wheel caps in the rims use a lot of extra parts. Per cap approximately 12 parts are used, which boils down to 48 extra parts, just for the caps. This picture will be very hard to shoot with the crane attached, so I will give it to you now. This model implements Ackerman Steering Geometry. Or Reversed Ackerman Steering. Or even Reversed Reversed Ackerman Steering hehe. Not sure what the consensus in the forum was. I am no expert on steering assemblies, but Ackerman Steering boils down to the inner wheels turning at a different angle than the outer wheels, due to the fact the outer wheels have to travel a wider diameter. Ackerman Steering is something Technic fans like to see in models. For more information I suggest you start with Wikepedia and go from there SECOND BOOKLET This is an interesting part in the build. Reminds us of the 8043 - Motorized Excavator. Admittedly, I didn't think of this myself, but it has been addressed in the forum. Since the two 20T Bevel Gear with Pinhole have been placed on opposite sides of the actuators, this results in them turning in a different direction when the boom is raised (or lowered). Basically, this means that when the boom is raised, one of the LA's extends, while the other retracts. If one of the 20T gears was placed the other way around, this problem would not occur. Of course, the turning direction of one of the axles feeding the LA should be reversed for this to work. Since the gears attached to the LA's only rotate a tiny fraction when raising the boom, it leads me to believe that this is a calculated flaw. In this video I try to demonstrate the issue at hand. You continue to work your way back to the rear of the superstructure. Again, lots of gears and space which will be filled with gearboxes. This is the point in the second booklet where you can't build any further, untill you finish the first booklet. At this stage you will attach the upper section to the chassis. The boom is really massive. Feels solid like a rock. I am impressed with the sturdyness of this boom. It does a lot of panels and H-frames, so it's only logical, but I was still impressed. No wormgear to extend the boom this time. The other side of the boom with a white clutch gear for safety. The boom attached to the crane. Needless to say I am having a hard time getting the entire boom in the picture. The back of the upper section is closed with panels. The black ones can be removed for easy access to the battery. There are two gearboxes on the top of the crane. The left (bottom) one is to switch between crane and chassis functions. The right (upper) one is to switch between raising/lowering the boom, extracting/retracting the boom and lowering/raising the hook. The chassis functions are rotating the super structure and raising/lowering the outriggers. COMPLETED MODEL It is rather difficult to shoot decent pictures in the photo studio. I sure hope sets won't get much bigger than this. Looking at this model, I think TLG has done a remarkable job with this Rough Terrain Crane. The black chassis, with red elements, combined with the red super structure looks spot on. Lots of technic gears and elements provide an interesting build. I love how the two (or three) gearboxes work together. Here you can clearly see the gearbox on this side of the chassis is used to rotate the crane. Because of the weight, the chassis tends to bend a little, but nothing to worry about. The boom of the crane can exend way more than this, but that makes is impossible for me to take pictures. A close up from the front of the vehicle. The cabin door swings open to reveal the interior of the cabin. And one from the reaar. I'm sorry I don't have anymore pictures of the completed model, but I think you have seen most of it. You can find out more by building it yourself FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This model packs features you would expect from a mobile crane. Raising/Lowering the boom Extracting/Retracting the boom Raising/Lowering the hook Raising/Lowering the outriggers Four wheel (Ackermann) steering Working fake engine Other than that there are some details like two cabinets which can be opened to store some gear. TLG has even added some walls which can be turned into part of a house or cabin. OUTRIGGERS Okay, let's get this out of the way. The outriggers are slow, really slow. I turned them on this morning and when I came home from work, they were halfway. Obviously, I am joking...I didn't go to work today. It's not that bad, but it would be nice if they operated a wee bit faster. You do need to use the four plates for them to properly reach the ground. STEERING AND DRIVING For a set this size steering and driving work properly. Even better than I expected. CRANE The thing I am most impressed with are the crane functions. These work like a charm. And, unlike the 42043 - Mercedes Arocs, this gearbox (or rather gearboxes) is very easy to understand. One look at the stickers is all it takes to be able to operate this thing. It offers a ton of playability. Linking gearboxes, instead of direct connection to a motor, can cause some slack. This can be seen when turning the crane. But this is just a minor gripe, just like the outriggers. DOOR A nice detail is the sliding door. PLAYABLE ITEMS It's time to talk about the added playable items, like this toolbox. Some people don't feel this is necessary and some even seem to be a bit annoyed by it. I have addressed this in my 42069 - Extreme Adventure review where I state that I like these added details. And I still do. The Forest Machine also packs some extra's like a chainsaw, some logs etc. Actually, I see it in most of the Technic sets. What I have seen is that this greatly enhances playability for younger LEGO fans. I am absolutely aware that this is a 11+ set, so it is not designed for a 5-year old. But seeing a 5-year old play with these Technic models and use all the extra items in the set for his "story" makes you realise that by adding playable items to a Technic set, it suddenly becomes a set for all ages. So, a handful of extra parts might be enough to prepare a 5-year old for Technic enthusiasm later down the line. After all, he (or she) is the future Technic target audience. Therefore, I am 100% in favor of adding these little details to Technic sets, even if these sets are 11+. PART COUNT And now for the part count discussion. No doubt this model could have been made using less parts. It you take away the playable items, wheel caps, grey construction panel and outrigger plates, you already save a couple of hundred parts. In the old days a Technic model used to be liftarms with gears inside. These days are over. Models are becoming more and more realistically looking, which means that less of the interior is visible. This also goes for the boom for example. In the old days we would have seen the interior of the boom and now it's covered with panels. I am not convinced that TLG is deliberately adding parts to the boom just to have more parts. I think TLG is doing this because they need to compete with other toys in the stores and these toys look like the real thing. Therefore TLG wants its models to look more like the real thing to, resulting in adding panels and other embellishments. Granted, TLG's marketing department won't mind having the biggest Technic set every year, so they can use this in Ads. Like I said in the introduction; I am a fan of big sets. I love putting together a 4057 part set. But I reckon people are more upset about the price of bigger sets than the part count. This can be a false assumption, because I know not all AFOLs think like this. But if TLG had used 3057 parts instead of 4057 they could have easily maintained the same RRP. 3000 parts at 229 euro is 7,6 cents a piece, which is still rather cheap. So my conclusion is that TLG might have upped the part count a bit, but still presented this set at a very affordable price. We already see this set popping up for around 179 euro, which boils down to 4,5 cent a piece, which is extremely affordabl for a Technic set. For me it would have been an issue if TLG priced this set at 349 euro RRP. Then I would have figured TLG was doing it on purpose. Basically, this is a UCS-like Technic set and you get it for 229 euro, or less if you do some online shopping. Personally, I think this is extremely good value for money. Of course your mileage may vary, but this is how I see things. B-MODEL The B-model, a Mobile Pile Driver, is a cop out, nothing more, nothing less. I mean, seriously?! 4000+ parts and we get a model that is 95% the same as the original model. And if that's not the worst part, it's ugly AF, as some people would like to phrase it. The Pile Driver extension looks like something I could have built....when I was four . Maybe, well probably, I am insulting someone at The LEGO Group, but I can only hope that they were lacking time and/or resources, so they came up with this at the last moment. The argument of time is rendered invalid, because this is what you can in a couple of days. Well, maybe not everybody, but @nico71 was able to turn this set into a front loader. Nobody will probably argue that this would have been a better B-model. Not sure what TLG's policy is regarding alternate models but the 42030 isn't in production anymore, so I don't see any reason not go for something like this. The rear view of the model. And even the grey construction elements can be turned into something useful. SUMMARY I am a big fan of this set. It packs a lot of functionality and parts, for a decent price. The forum contains pages and pages with potential improvements, but that's out of scope for my review. Almost every set gets improved by AFOLs, so that's no surprise. Bottomline is that this is great set for existing AFOLs and new AFOLs alike. I can remember coming out of my dark ages in 2005, building the 8421 - Mobile Crane, which had a whopping 1885 parts. I remember the endless quantity of parts coming out of the box. Imagine a set with more than twice the part count. And again, this doesn't automatically mean a better set, but you will be impressed when you open this box. Much has been said about the color vommit in the chassis of this model. I have grown fond of color vommit, because I like the variety in the parts. I do enjoy seeing all the colored parts. However, using orange 3L Pins with Bush is pushing it to the limit, especially on a red model. I would have preferred blue instead of orange. My final conclusion is that for around 200 euro, you do get a LOT of value for money. I can see myself getting an extra copy, just because of that. I would almost go as far a stating that this could be considered a UCS Technic set. PROS Good looking model Properly working functions (even Ackermann steering) Several (linked) gearboxes Great parts pack (especially for people new to Technic) Very affordable, almost cheap CONS Some slack due to drivetrains and gearboxes Outriggers operate very slowly No suspension No special parts besides the new curved gear rack in black SCORE How do I rate this set? 9 DESIGN I love the looks, color scheme, everything. 9 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Very enjoyable build with several gearboxes and other functionality. 8 FEATURES Great features, with some room for improvement. No suspension though. 9 PLAYABILITY Implemented features provide lots of playability. 8 PARTS Mostly common parts, but you do get a lot of them. 10 VALUE FOR MONEY Price goes down to 4,8 cent per part if you shop around. It doesn't get any cheaper than this. 8,8 UCS ANYONE? Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found here.

I am finishing the final review as we speak. And I must admit....I'm done with it Four reviews are ready to be published. I will try to do this tomorrow morning before I leave for work. It's my first day at my new job, so the timing isn't perfect.

Impossible

Apples and pears.

I can confirm

Hi, Welcome to EB! Some spare parts is usual. Mostly small bits and pieces.

BWE is a great parts pack. No doubt about it. I own two copies, which says it all. Ordered the second one for the frames.