Jim

Thanks!! I have posted my setup in the other review topic: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=89088entry1752497 Not very professional, but I indeed did use special lighting.

I have closed the topic and thus the contest! There are some very nice creations. Overall the builds are pretty good, so my compliments. Well done and thanks for participating Further information about voting will follow tomorrow.

Check them out on Bricklink: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32063 Here are the set its in: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=32063&in=S

No, I am afraid not, I just have these prices. Thanks for the kind words guys!! I really appreciate it. I'm using a kind of Three-point lighting setup. I have also bought a photo cube, but it's pretty big and this does work very well.

I am about to close the entry topic.... If you missed it, please send me a PM and I will see what I can do. More information about voting will follow tomorrow!

I spoke to Nathanael at Legoword in Utrecht. He mentioned we was working on that review. Looking forward to finding out what he thinks of it

Thanks Conchas! Means a lot coming from you I will keep an eye on your site for the other reviews.

Thanks! I haven't used any special software, just a Javascript (jQuery) file which does the magic.

Hehe, I read your comment in my mail and I tend to agree. I have changed my sticker philosophy this year and started applying them. Sets look way better and I figured....why not. If I need the part without stickers, I will order them on Bricklink. My second review is online as well! 42024 Container Truck Review

Thanks Jantjeuh! I'm still having a though time deciding whether this set is Average or Above Average. Reading my own review, I decided it is just Average

Just post some pictures!! I will leave the thread open for a little while.

REVIEW - 42024 - CONTAINER TRUCK This review contains a 360 degree view of the finished model. Visit the Technic forum and check it out!

REVIEW - 42024 - CONTAINER TRUCK One of the first images of the 1H 2014 sets which appeared was the 42024 Container Truck. It's is what you'd call a skip truck. A skip is a large open-topped waste container designed for loading onto a special type of lorry. Instead of being emptied into a garbage truck on site, a skip is removed, or replaced by an empty skip, and then tipped at a landfill site or transfer station. As usual the first opinions where very divided, varying from great looking truck to looks unfinished and ranging from color vomit to I love the colors. My first thought was that the cab indeed looked a bit unfinished, but the color scheme, although having a lot of primary colors, did appeal to me. Luckily I had the opportunity of reviewing this set, so let's find out what it's all about! Note: Pictures where taken with a Canon EOS 600D (18-55mm kit lens). Every image can be clicked to show a high resolution version. 360 DEGREE VIEW For this review there is a 360 degree view available. Unfortunately I cannot embed it here on Eurobricks, so I've created a support page for this. Please note that this 360 view is experimental and not yet as I would like it to be. First I tried a big rotating home made turntable, but the results weren't fantastic. Then I came up with the idea to make a Technic PF stand, which works better. The bottom of the stand needs to be upgraded, probably using white studded Lego (with SNOT, studs not on top) to make it look better. And I am contemplating making an NXT version, so I can hook it up to a computer. When I manage to get my own software communicating with the camera, I can fully automate the process. There's even the possibility to do multi-row, so you can rotate up and down to change the vertical view angle. Anyway, check it out further in this review! Loading can take a while since it's 42 images, totalling 16MB of data. SET INFORMATION Set Number: 42024 Title of Set: Container Truck Theme: Technic Released: 1H 2014 Part Count: 948 Box Weight: 800 gr Set Price (MSRP): DE 69.99 EUR / UK 59.99 GBP / USA 79.99 USD Price per Part: DE 0.074 EUR / UK 0.063 GBP / USA 0.084 USD THE BOX The box measures 48cm x 28cm x 9cm. It's the same width and height as the 42023 Construction Crew box, but slightly thicker, 9cm instead of 7cm. The set does have more parts, so it makes sense. FRONT SIDE The front side shows the truck, loaded with the container and in the upper right corner it's shows some functions, like extending the outriggers and tipping the container to empty it. BACK SIDE The back side shows that the container can be emptied or it can be removed to replace it with an empty one. It also shows the optional Power Functions setup. B-MODEL ROAD GRADER The back side also shows a fairly detailed image of the B-model, a Road Grader. There's a 2-in-1 sign and a reference to the building instructions, which can be found online. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Opening the box reveals seven unnumbered bags, a sticker sheet and two booklets. The set doesn't contain a card board back for the instructions, like the flagship sets do. The booklets and sticker sheet are in near mint condition. The instructions are divided over two booklets. Opening the bags and collecting the liftarms provides the color vomit people have refered to. Luckily things where sorted out pretty quickly. This set contains a nice collection of liftarms, perfect for young or starting builders. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS The set contains some new 2014 parts and some existing parts in new colors. 49.5 x 20 TIRE Already mentioned in my Construction Crew review, which has these tires as well, and I quote: 2014 would be a year in which new tires would be released. Well, here they are. These tires are perfectly suited for smaller scale vehicles. They use the same rims as the Tire 43.2 x 22 ZR, but as you can see the diameter is 49.5mm instead of 43.2mm. This provides a more realistic proportion, especially suitable for trucks and construction vehicles. Basically they are small Unimog like tires. Big thumbs up for TLG! 5L Axle with Stop One of the new parts for 2014 is the 5L Axle with Stop (or Axle 5 With Stop), basically the same part as the 4L Axle with Stop only one unit longer and in dark tan (looks like normal tan in this picture) color. BIONICLE CHAIN LINK SECTION Not a new part, but never seen in a Technic set before, is this very nice looking Bionicle Chain Link. My guess is that these will sell a lot more on Bricklink, starting today. 1x6 THIN LIFTARM This is a very rare part since it has only be released in one set, the 8457 Power Puller from 2000. No more 3 to 6 bucks a pop for a new one on Bricklink. 1x5 THIN LIFTARM WITH AXLE HOLES Already present in some of the 2013 sets, but still this fairly new part is worth to mention. 5x11 PANEL PATE IN BLUE The 5x11 Panel Plate has been around for a while, but never in Blue! It seems blue is getting special attention this year, so here it is. Next to it is a picture of all the panels included in this set. PART LIST This set contains 948 parts and then some. THE BUILD The build starts with the front of the truck. A 1x7 Gear Rack is used for steering the front wheels, much like the 8109 Flatbed Truck. The front part of the truck, located below the cab, is starting to take shape. The axle for HoG steering is clearly visible. After the front section, the gear box will be built. This gear box is not used to drive a fake engine, but it's used for driving the two main functions (besides steering), and switching between them. The two functions are operating the boom and extending the outriggers. Here you can clearly see the two new 5L Axles with Stop which will be connected to the Linear Actuator in one of the next steps. The LA's are used to operate the boom, for raising/lowering and emptying the bucket. The Technic Cam is connected to the Technic Changeover Catch which will switch between operating the boom and operating the outriggers. Building the gearbox almost takes up every gear in this set. At the rear (which is on the left side in this picture) the Mini Linear Actuator is visible. This is used to operate the outriggers. Switching between functions is done at the front of the truck, near the cab. To transfer controls from the gearbox to the front, the mechanism shown below is used. Movement of the lever is limited by the 18x8mm wheels with fake bolts. This image shows the end of the first booklet. Stickers are applied on each side, to explain the functions and switching between them. The functions are activated by turning the Black 12T Double Bevel Gear at the right side of the truck. It's not the easiest way to operate, since turning the gear is quite cumbersome. And you need to turn it a lot to fully extend the boom. The second booklet starts with building the cab. The picture below shows the finished grill. It's your average joe truck grill, nothing out of the ordinary, but it looks okay. The license plate reads CU11014. As far as I know there aren't any designers with the initials CU, so it remains a mystery what this plate means. Some have suggested it might be the release date, See You in 2014 10th of January. If anyone knows the actual meaning, let me know! With the grill attached the cab, the truck is almost done. The seats are grey for a change, not the commonly used blue seats. The doors of the truck can be opened manually. This picture shows the steering wheel in a vertical position. Obviously it needs to be tilted a bit to have some angle. Otherwise, steering this truck would be quite a challenge. The next two pictures show the finished model, without the container. I must admit that the truck looks way better, than in the first box image. The cab doesn't look that unfinished anymore. It is a very simple can though. For starters, an extra liftarm could have been used to fill the gaps at the back sides of the truck, behind the doors, like in the 42008 Service Truck. So the cab is not bad, yet relatively simple. There is indeed a (yellow) 5x11 Panel Plate at the back of the cab, as some suggested. And there are two 4L Thin Liftarms which will be used to hold the battery box, when operated by Power Functions. MISCELLANEOUS BUILDING STEPS CONTAINER After finishing the truck, the skip (container) is left to build. Liftarm galore, if you will. The build is pretty straightforward, connecting pins to liftarms....and more liftarms. The back of the container shows two 3x3 L-Shape Thin Liftarms which are used to tilt the skip, when emptying. Here you can see the Bionicle Chain Links attached to the sides of the container. The chains are attached to an axle which is attached to the boom. That way the container can freely rotate when emptying or replacing it. The color combination of blue and grey, combined with the stickers, does make this container look very realistic. I like it!! PARTS LEFT I am still wondering whether I missed using two friction pins and two 3/4 pins. FINISHED MODEL Like most Technic models, this one looks better in real life than in pictures. The colors are very vibrant and having three different colors for the cab, loading bed and the skip is pretty common on a skip truck. The use of different primary colors actually improves this model. Otherwise it might look a bit dull. The yellow Axle Connector with Axle Hole is used to switch between operating the boom and operating the outriggers. The stickers show the corresponding action for the position of the lever. Looking at this picture, reminds me of a movie quote from Falling Down (1993) with Michael Douglas: "Can anybody tell me what's wrong with this picture?". Well, can you? Although being a simple compact cab, it does look good on this truck. At the back you can see the mechanism used to tilt the container when emptying it. The 4L axle between the two 3x3 L-Shape Thin Liftarms on the truck will be stuck behind the Perpendicular Double Split Axle and Pin Connector which will tilt the container when operating the boom. With the outriggers fully extented, the skip won't tilt when operating the boom. Instead the container can move freely and therefor be put on the ground behind the truck. Replacing the container takes a lot of manual turns. It's nice to have optional Power Functions, but I would almost say it's mandatory for having some playability in this set. This picture shows the bottom of the truck, where you can see most of the functionality in place, switch lever, operating gear, mini LA, part of the gear box and steering rack. Chck out this cool 360 degree view of this model. You can swipe from left to right to rotate. Loading can take a while since it's 42 images, totalling 16MB of data. MISCELLANEOUS PICTURES OF FINISHED MODEL SUMMARY So what do I think of this model. I am halted between two opinions. First of all this set does look great. It's vibrant colors do this model justice. Compared to the 8109 Flatbed Truck and the 42008 Service Truck the new tires are way better for building in this scale. Secondly, the new tires and some new parts are introduced. In my opinion these parts are not as interesting as the ones in the 42023 Construction Crew set. Unless your name is Conchas and you really need those blue panels for your Dunechaser. So it all depends on your needs. Besided opening the doors and HoG steering, this set offers two main functions: Operating the boom Extending the outriggers Operating both functions by hand is very cumbersome. It takes a lot of turning until the boom is fully extended and the container is on the ground. For having actual playability using Power Functions seems mandatory. I hate to start a Linear Actuator vs Pneumatics discussion again, but Pneumatics might have enhanced the playability. Obviously this would have been hard, since both functions use LA's but when emptying the container, the LA's aren't fully extended. So I do understand why LA's have been used. Somehow it feels that this set might have been better with pneumatics instead of LA's. So I do like this set, but it is missing a clever mechanism, like the 8109 Flatbed Truck to make it a great set. PROS Authentic looks New tires Lots of liftarms in different colors (great for starting builders) Power Functions optional (which reduces the price) CONS Operating the outriggers and boom is cumbersome without Power Functions Cab design is very simple New parts have very specific use No wow factor anywhere in the build SCORE Design 8: When fully built, it does look great. Build 7: Nothing spectacular. No wow factor. Functionality 7: Besides HoG steering, two main functions, which is okay. Playability 7: Operating the outriggers and boom needs Power Functions. Parts 7: Some new, yet very specific, parts. Does have new tires. Value for Money 7: Average value for money. Might be valuable, depending on your needs. 7,2 A Bit Too Average For Greatness Thank you for reading! And special thanks to Bonaparte and TLG for giving me the opportunity of reviewing this set Please rate this set at the top of this topic! All review images can be found on my Flickr page.

True that!

Thanks! At first I had the same feeling, but this set is better than you'd expect. My 42024 Container Truck will follow later today btw.

That's too bad le60head! Nice ride Daniel. A shame you weren't able to finish the two other models.

My first Eurobricks Technic review is online! Hope you like it. Feel free to comment. View 42023 Construction Crew Review. The 42024 Container Truck will follow later today.

REVIEW - 42023 - CONSTRUCTION CREW FINALLY, THE TECHNIC FIGURES ARE RETURNING?! The title of this set made a lot of people wonder about the Return of the Figures. Unfortunately this was not the case. Nonetheless, this still is a special set, because recently we've started a Technic Triple Build contest and one of the competitors came from an unexpected quarter. It seems TLG was way ahead of us and already anticipated our contest. Let's see whether they have a chance of winning with their 42023 Construction Crew entry Before I start, I want to thank TLG and Bonaparte for giving me the opportunity to do a review on this set. It's my first official review and I appreciate it very much! Since I didn't have a DSLR at the time, I borrowed a Canon EOS 600D and started experimenting with it. So special thanks to my friend as well, for letting me use his camera Note: Every image can be clicked to show a high resolution version. SET INFORMATION Number: 42023 Title: Construction Crew Theme: Technic Released: 1H 2014 Part Count: 833 Set Price (MSRP): DE 59.99 EUR / UK 49.99 GBP / USA 69.99 USD Price per Part: DE 0.072 EUR / UK 0.060 GBP / USA 0.084 USD THE BOX The box measures 48cm x 28cm x 7cm. The size of the box seems about right for a set with around 800 parts. FRONT SIDE The front of the box shows a Dump Truck, an Excavator and a Front Loader collaborating in their construction activity. Looking at the image I wasn't filled with joy or excitement. Just three small vehicles, right? Noticeable are the new tires on the Front Loader. At this point I was anxious to see which other new parts are in this set. BACK SIDE The back side shows the build being divided in three models, each using two bags. It also shows some of the functionality per model. B-Model The lower left corner shows a laptop with what appears to be the B-model for the Front Loader, a Road Grader, no it isn't, it's a Scraper. Makes you wonder whether there are alternatives for both other models as well. The box says Find inspiration model on Lego.com/technic but doesn't mention building instructions. There's also no 2-in-1 logo, so it's not entirely clear whether this is an official B-model. Although it would be confusing to have a 6-in-3 or 4-in-3 or something CONTENTS OF THE BOX Opening the box reveals the six bags, numbered in pairs. Since every model has it's own color, it's immediately clear which bags will be used for which model. Every model has it's own instruction booklet and there's a single sticker sheet combining the stickers for each model. O my, what's happened to the Excavator booklet?! The downside of not having a card board back, like the bigger sets have, is pretty clear. The booklets and instructions are loose in the box and, therefor not protected and susceptible to damage. Luckily the sticker sheet was in mint condition. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS One of the most exciting things about new sets is new parts, or existing parts in new colors. Turns our that this set contains a ton of cool parts! 3x5 I-FRAME (BEAM I -FRAME 3X5 90 DEGR. HOLE Ø4.85) First of all there's the 3x5 I-Frame previously dubbed the Dog Bone Frame. Some people where pretty accurate in predicting the looks of this part. 3L LONG AXLE PIN (CON. BUSH 2M FR. + CROSS AXLE) You might have never missed it, but now it's available, it can be very useful in certain situations. 3L WORM GEAR (3M WORM GEAR) The new Worm Gear is an alternate solution for the Worm Gear Screw. The main difference is that it needs two axles, instead of one going through the gear. So the new gear doesn't slide freely over axles. 49.5 x 20 TIRE 2014 would be a year in which new tires would be released. Well, here they are. These tires are perfectly suited for smaller scale vehicles. They use the same rims as the Tire 43.2 x 22 ZR, but as you can see the diameter is 49.5mm instead of 43.2mm. This provides a more realistic proportion, especially suitable for trucks and construction vehicles. Basically they are small Unimog like tires. Big thumbs up for TLG! SMOOTH AXLE AND PIN CONNECTOR IN BLUE Since Blue is the new Black these, it's great to see TLG made this parts available in blue. THIN 3x5 L-SHAPE LIFTARM WITH QUARTER ELLIPSE IN WHITE Although not very rare and not in very high demand, this part has not been released since the Cool Movers (2004) PART LIST Here's the complete list for all 833 parts. THE BUILD The build consists of three vehicles. Each vehicles uses two bags. Excavator Dump Truck Front Loader EXCAVATOR Let's start with the first bags, the excavator. The base uses the new Long Axle Pins in collaboration with a Long Pin with Stop Bush. This is a combination we will probably see more often, since we end up with an uneven symmetrical construction, which is commonly used in studless models. This is the first time we see the new 3x5 I-Frame (a.k.a. Dog Bone Frame) in action. It is used to connect to the Small Turntable (Small Turntable Base and Small Turntable Top). A 6L axle is connected to a 8T Gear Type 2, which is used to turn the body of the excavator. An I-Frame on each side of the Small Turntable. At the rear you can see the axle used to operate the mini Linear Actuator, which is used to raise and lower the boom. The body of the excavator is starting to take shape. The mini LA is connected to the boom and one of the 11L Liftarms is connected to the I-Frame. FINISHED MODEL The excavator has three functions, rotating the body, raising/lowering the boom and operating the bucket, which can be done by using the Pole Reverser Handle on the boom. TLG hasn't made many small excavators. Besides the 8047 Compact Excavator, which actually is a different vehicle, there's the 8419 Excavator. This excavator looks way better and much more realistic than it's predecessor, if you can call it that. I think it's safe to say that this is the first proper small scale Excavator. EXCAVATOR MISCELLANEOUS BUILDING STEPS DUMP TRUCK The second model is a blue dump truck. Like lots of other vehicles, we start building the steering mechanism. In the image below you can see the new Long Axle Pin used to pivot the 7L Liftarm. At the same time it is used to connect a 3L Perpendicular Axle and Pin Connector. At this point the front of the truck is finished. A 12T Double Bevel Gear is used for HoG steering. I was surprised by the looks of the cab. It looks so realistic, even in this scale. This set is growing on me! After the cab it's time for the dumping bed. The bottom of the bed is attached to a mini Linear Actuator and the sides are made up of two grey panels. There's a hatch at the back, which will open automatically if you raise the bed, using the beforementioned mini LA. The stickers give the dumping bed a more realistic look. Especially the sides look way cooler with the stickers applied. FINISHED MODEL After attaching the dumping bed to the chassis, the build of the truck has finished. The 12T gear is used for HoG steering and the black axle connectors are used to operate the dumping bed. The turning cycle is pretty big, but that's expected for a small set like this. Raising and lowering the bed does work pretty good with the mini LA's. DUMP TRUCK MISCELLANEOUS BUILDIING STEPS FRONT LOADER Last but not least is the Front Loader. The new Worm Gear and new Tires are used in this model. The build start with the rear end, where the HoG steering mechanism is located. Two 8T gears are used to drive a 24T gear, which is connected to the front section. The new Worm Gear is used to drive a 24T gear, much like the current Worm Gear. The main difference is that the axles don't go all the way through the gear, so you'll need two axles or an axle and axle pin. The new gear is more compact than the other version, so it's easy to integrate into your model. This part won't entirely replace the other version, since that one can be used in different ways. But this new version will probably be used much more in future sets. It does make me wonder whether it would have been possible to lose the Bushings and just have a 1L Worm Gear. Here you can see the new Worm Gear driving the 24T gear, which is connected to the boom. Like the HoG steering the worm gear is connected to a 12T Double Bevel Gear, which is located on the back. FINISHED MODEL The finished model looks stunning. Obviously the new tires are the stars of this model. It would have been hard to make a small scale front loader without them. Like the excavator, the bucked is operated on the boom, without gears. FRONT LOADER MISCELLANEOUS BUILDING STEPS PARTS LEFT At first sight there's a lot of parts left. But having three models, means three small batches left. SUMMARY At first I wasn't very excited about this set. The fact that it matched our Triple Build Contest made me a bit more curious. After building the excavator I realized that it looks good, it has the functions you would expect and that it reflects the real deal pretty well. The truck was the least appealing model, but after the build I was also enthusiastic about this model. The front of the trucks just looks very nice and realistic. In my opinion the Front Loader is the best looking model of the set. The new tires are great! The build was fun, but not very challenging. The fact that you are building multiple models, does make up for this a little bit. Every model does have two or three functions, which makes for great playability. The downside is that the functions are fairly simple. Great thing about this set is, that it has loads of new exciting parts! PROS Loads of new parts. Lots of variation in parts (wheels, tracks, mini LA's, small turntable, etc). 3 models in one set. Lots of functions (8 main functions, divided over three models). All three models look very realistic. CONS The build is never really challenging. Functionality remains pretty basic for a set with around 800 parts. SCORE Design 8: All models in this set look very realistic. Build 7: Three fun builds, but it never gets very challenging. Functionality 7: Lots of (simple) functionality divided over three models. Playability 8: Especially for kids this set offers lots of playability. Parts 8: Loads of new cool parts. Value for Money 8: Having all these new parts makes this a set worth buying. 7,7 Surprisingly Cool Thanks for reading and please rate this set at the top of this topic! All review images can be found on my Flickr page

REVIEW - 42023 - CONSTRUCTION CREW Visit the topic in the Technic forum and read all about it!.

With the [ m e d i a] tag. Nice review Conchas!!

The plane does look ugly without stickers

I agree on this. Having lots of sets means having a basic inventory. I use BL to buy specific parts, mostly in larger quantities than available in sets. True! Bricklink inventories are very useful.

Nice entry! I like the engine on the boat.

Very original! Well done

Around noon.