Jim

I do understand your point of view. It can be a kind of limited for that price point. Let's wait and see if this goes for the CAT as well. I reckon you feel more comfortable in the other review topic

You probably mean "as a con" instead of "as a plus". It's a minor con for people who are into gearboxes. I do like gearboxes, but I also like proper working functions...like the ones in this set

I haven't experienced any noticeable color differences. I was planning on doing so, but I have stored some of my LEGO at my parents, because we are planning on renovating the top floor. One of the stored boxes contains my tires. It really wasn't intentional to have the cat appear in my video, but he is so curious. You simply can't do anything in home without him checking it out

I love that all of these functions are manually operated. Adding the pneumatic airtanks is a nice addition, instead of a compressor. That is where I draw the line hehe

Looking forward to seeing your mod! Not sure about that. Not exactly a cheap set and lots of people will probably wait for a nice discount. Time will tell Interesting. Which options do we have for the rims?

Agreed! The Arocs is a class apart, but I do agree that this set packs enough functionality to compete. Adding PoweredUp will be difficult given the tight space. Maybe someone is up to the challenge. This Thank you so much for the kind words. I really enjoyed reviewing again, so expect more to come The lift at the end is a bit jerky, but the crane operates very smoothly. I should have included a video, but I was a bit pressed for time at the end. Absolutely and thank you! Yup, they probably will. Liebherr like fortune. For around 120 euro it's definitely a no-brainer. I hope to see it make an official appearance some day (the hub). It sure was hollow. Great display piece, but not a fantastic set. This one is in a different league. Thank you! I might continue the stickerless route, but I will probably do an inquiry at TLG on their stance regarding stickerless reviews. I do think they are beneficial, because lots of AFOLs don't like stickers, so the stickerless reviews are a way to show how the set will look without them. Of course, I can apply most of the stickers afterwards, but that will be a PITA. I need to think about it. Both these models gave me the stickerless vibe, because they simply don't need them. I do see the pneumatic switch in a strange position, but other than that it's still sorted by color, right? Funny thing is that there is no 3x7 orange panel in this set, which did appear in the promo pics.

I have no knowledge of such a set. It's the Arocs, right?! (Now, I really do regret breaking down the partially built 42053)

Huw did a nice job there! Great solution. I would lose the blue thin liftarms too btw.

I was tempted to apply those. They are actually useful. It sure is!! My pleasure! Enjoy the build. Definitely, this is what Technic is all about. Thanks for pointing that out. I will make sure to pay attention next time He (or she) won't be disappointed. People who are not into LEGO as we are will be amazed, I'm sure of that. Great value for money. No doubt about that. This set is hard to skip Usually, I would agree, but given the price and what you get, I do think the value of A-model offers enough without B-model. Yup, they all are operated by one of the gears on the side.

I retried the couch challenge with the bumper attached correctly and it was definitely the 1M that did the trick. I stand corrected I have updated my review.

It's a well deserved positive review in my opinion. Given your comment, that must mean that most other reviews are negative. I haven't had the time to check out other reviews. If you know me and my reviews, you know I tend to focus on the good stuff instead of the bad stuff. Of course, the bad stuff needs mentioning, but I still like to focus on the positive side of things. I can totally understand when people say that 300 euros is too much for a set like this. But I don't think it's fair to grade a set based on the price alone. I know you are building within defined limits given certain parameters. And I do think you did a very good job. The build is solid, locking diff works great (and was interesting to build). The only problem is that the front bumper is 1M too far to the front....hmmm now wait a minute You are absolutely right. That's a stupid mistake (I tend to make those once every set). Funny thing is, that I have reattached the front bumper after shooting the video and now it's how it's supposed to be (without reading your comment). I will to the couch test again ( I do feel stupid for not seeing this myself, thanks for pointing it out) Don't get discouraged by the negative reviews. You deliver quality builds and I hope you will keep doing that for years to come. Tow truck is 150 euros for 2000 odd parts. That set has no license. This set has a license (probably adds abour 20-30 euros to the set) and five PU elements which also add another 100 euros. I agree it still feels a bit steep and I would wait for a nice discount instead of paying top dollar. You do get waaaay less action than depicted on the box. That's for sure. I have changed my MO a bit. Instead of writing useless comments between the pictures afterwards, I immediately write a section when I have completed a step/assembly. I helps me express my feelings better and I don't struggle afterwards. I like to include some short videos and I will do my best to improve on that, but it's definitely not my goal to "compete" with video reviewers like @Sariel and @kbalage. They do a waaaaay better job than I do, so I definitely agree there there's enough room for all of us That's a valid point! I was focused on the climbing ability that I actually forgot to shoot a simple driving and steering video. I do thing there is little play value, because of the geared down drivetrain. Not sure kids these days will keep there attention. The build is definitely interesting and I do like to see what people come up with. I will probably be keeping this set built until there's a nice alternative model on Rebrickable. Or maybe a modded version here on EB. Yup, I agree. What I wanted to do (but lacked the time) was replacing the green with various other colors. It's very easy to swap colors if you are not into green.

I am perfectly fine. Thanks for asking. I am near Rotterdam and the floods are near the German border. Very sad for the people who live there. I would hate to see my house flooded. At the front (in the hood) there seems to be an intentional use of a black 3L pin with axle instead of a blue 2L pin with axle. Thanks for the compliment. I will be reviewing the Ford and hopefully the CAT as well. I really enjoyed building and reviewing, so I guess "I'm back in the game". I do wonder if this set would sell better if it were 150 euros like the tow truck and have manual controls. This is definitely a great "starter pack". Packs a lot of the stuff you need to s experiment with. Scoring is always difficult. I sometimes read my own reviews after a while, wondering why I scored an item a certain way. I liked the build way better than expect. It's a solid and interesting build. Milan did an outstanding job, as we have come to expect. I am not a big fan of the latter parts of a build either (bodywork, etc) Maybe you can pick it up with a discount. Or second hand. Or not at all

Value for money could have been a 6. But 2000 parts is around 200 euro plus a bunch of electronics. Guess I am kinda used to this price point. And it won’t be 300 euros retail. Maybe it’s because I was surprised by it. I genuinely like this set.

and

REVIEW - 42129 - 4X4 MERCEDES-BENZ ZETROS TRIAL TRUCK INTRODUCTION This is the second set of the 2H wave of 2021 I will be reviewing. To be honest; this wasn't a set I was really looking forward to building. We've seen a few preliminary pictures of this model and it has changed quite a bit since its first appearance. This model started as a 6x6, but ended up as a 4x4. Due to the smaller sized wheels, it got dubbed "sausage dog truck". While I absolutely agreed and had a laugh about it, I do think the final design looks better than I expected. The smaller diameter of the wheels provide more torque, so I do expect outstanding performance. I am looking forward to seeing this bad boy climb hills like there's no tomorrow :wink: This set is designed by Milan Reindl who has been working at TLG for nine years now. Time flies. It seems like yesterday, he was churning out B-models here on Eurobricks hehe. In those nine years he has really made a name for himself and he has delivered an impressive list of cool models. Let's find out if this one can be added to that list. Made for extreme conditions, the 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck has the power to tackle the roughest terrain. Now you can build your own LEGO® Technic™ version of this mighty machine. Enjoy a challenging build then use the CONTROL+ app to steer the truck and operate the differential locking. Set up obstacles and use the flags to create a trial course. Can anything stop this mighty truck? PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. My Flickr album contains all the photos taken for this review. DISCLAIMER The CEE Team of TLG has provided this set. 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: 42129 Title: 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck Theme: Technic Released: 2021 Part Count: 2108 Box Dimensions: 57,5 cm x 47,2 x 8,4 cm Weight: 3210 gram Set Price (RRP): 299.99 EUR / 274.99 GBP / 499.99 AUD / 299.99 USD / 399.99 CAD Price per Part: 0.142 EUR / 0.130 GBP / 0.237 AUD / 0.142 USD / 0.190 CAD Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front of the box shows the trial truck in action. Apparently, it's perfectly fit to deal with rugged terrain. Looks like a ton of action. Makes you wonder how aggressively this model will climb steep hills. The back of the box is used to emphasize the Control+ functions. The picture at the bottom right show a pretty steep incline. That definitely needs to be verified in real life CONTENTS OF THE BOX The box contains: 1x Instruction manual 1x Sticker sheet 1x Inner box 5x PowerUp elements 5x Bag for steps 1 and 2 4x Tire 11x Bag for steps 3 to 6 BOOK AND STICKER SHEET The book and sticker sheet were a bit wrinkled. I sure hope we will get the cartboard envelope packaging for all bigger sets soon. I have tried to straighten the book a bit. The sticker sheet before recovery. The sticker sheet after having it pressed tight between the pages of the instruction manual. TIRES Four new tires. INNER BOX There is an inner box inside the regular box. This inner box contains all of the PoweredUp elements. And the bags for steps 1 and 2. BAGS HIGHLIGHTED PARTS 81 x 35 TIRES The most obvious new part is the new 81 x 35 tire. It's the smaller version of the "Claas tire". This tire will make a lot of tractor builders very happy. ELECTRONICS This set contains four motors. Three PoweredUp L motors and a WeDo 2.0 motor. I would have prefered a new PoweredUp M motor, but it does show that other motors can be used in Technic models as well. MODIFIED LIFTARM PERPENDICULAR HOLES THICK 1 x 11 This set contains two 15L and nine 11L perpendicular liftarms. 2x3 QUARTER ELIPSE LIFTARM This part already appeared in the Ferrari and two other 2021 sets. Actually, I have taken the wrong picture, because this set also contains these parts in dark bluish grey, making its first appearance. CLUTCH AND CV JOINTS New-ish clutch parts and a new longer CV joint part. PLANETARY HUB This part already appeared in the 4x4 off-roader. It's great to see it make it into another set. The name on Bricklink has a nice ring to it: Technic, Steering Axle with 2 Pin Holes, 2 Axle Holes and 2 Tow Ball Arms with Dark Bluish Gray Wheel Hub (46490 / 92909) 28T DOUBLE BEVEL AND DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING This part isn't new either, but I do think it's worth mentioning. It consists of a gear and housing. 5L LIFTARMS In case you need a couple of 5L liftarms in olive green, this is the set for you PART LIST The complete parts list consisting of 2108 parts. THE BUILD Upon opening the bags for the first step, I found a selection of various black panels and frames. These are used to build the center section of the chassis. The manual shows we will be using three of the four motors, which are probably used for the drivetrain. Besides two L motors, the WeDo motor will be used. I wonder how that motor is incorporated in the chassis and which function it operates. Let's find out! As with most trucks, we start by building some sort of gearbox, placed in the center of the chassis. Two motors are connected to the center differential and the WeDo motor is connected to the gearbox. While I am not really sure, it looks like the WeDo motor is used to lock the center differential. It is linked to the gearbox which incorporates the two clutches. Same picture from a different angle. Having a gearbox makes a build more complex and interesting. While this step wasn't very complicated, it was less straightforward than the tow truck build. I almost missed an axle connector, which could have been hard to add at the end of this step. I strongly recommend hooking up the hub and testing the build with the Control+ app. At the time of building, I didn't have the update Control+ app to test the build. Of course, I could have used other apps to test my build, but I took the plunge. Who needs testing anyway?! Here's the entire chassis at the end of the first step. The second step is all about adding the rear suspension to the chassis. The bags for this step reveal another modest selection of black panels and frames. The parts also contain the new differential housing and as expected the recently releases planetary hubs, commonly referred to as Technic Steering Axle with 2 Pin Holes, 2 Axle Holes and 2 Tow Ball Arms with Dark Bluish Gray Wheel Hub The rear differential will be locked simultaneously with the center differential. The video below demonstrates locking the rear differential. https://youtu.be/saLTXnHbv2g The picture below shows the rear suspension added to the chassis. While this build is totally different from the tow truck, I am equally enjoying it. It's been a while since I built Technic, so it's great to be building a gearbox and suspension again. The mechanism to lock the differentials is genuinely intriguing. I love the number of gears packed in such a small space in the rear suspension. I am looking forward to building the next step, which is the front suspension with steering mechanism. Bottom view of the rear suspension, where you can see part of the locking mechanism. The last motor is used for the rack-and-pinion steering. The front suspension assembly also uses the new differential housing. When I first saw this new-ish part, I wondered why it wasn't just a 3x2 liftarm. The picture below demonstrates how doubles as a "panel extension". Bottom view of the front suspension added to the chassis. Here we are at the end of the third step. I noticed my building speed is significantly lower than during build of the tow truck. Not that this is a difficult set to build, but it definitely is more advanced than the tow truck. So far it's a solid build. I'm not an experienced trial truck builder, but I reckon the experts will be quite happy with the chassis. The fourth step is the one with the most parts. We will be adding the cabin and hooking up the wires to the hub. In my review of the tow truck I mentioned the huge number of pages. This manual isn't too shabby either, counting 634 steps for 2108 parts. Again, a nice selection of panels, but this time they are dark bluish grey. A nice overall selection of dark bluish grey parts in this step (and this model entirely). We also get the smooth axle pin connector toggle joint in dark bluish grey. This set is turning out to be an incredible parts pack, in case you don't like the main model. The cabin packs some nice details, like the windscreen wipers, exhaust and floodlights. Quite a few left-over pieces, even some duplicates. Made me wonder whether I missed a few. But since they all are the usual suspects, I'm probably cool. The doors feel a bit flimsy, but that might improve when we attach the hood and secure the cabin assembly. This will be done in the next step. Looking at the bags, this step won't take long. The hood is attached to the chassis/cabin and it has indeed been reinforced with two liftarms. The doors (and entire assembly attached to it) still feel somewhat flimsy. Nothing to really worry about, but this being a trial truck, I'd expect it to be firm to stand a chance to the rugged terrain it will be traversing. But like I said, no biggie. Like the tow truck I have built this model without stickers and really think it looks awesome at this point. One can argue that it looks a bit boring with the grey and black, but I actually like it. Time to open up bags numbered #6 and finish the model. This step will add some color to the model, so it won't end up in boring grey Pay attention when you attach the rims to the tires, because it's easy to mess up. Like the Claas and other models, there will be a lot of "you attached the wheels incorrectly" comments on social media. COMPLETED MODEL Here is a selection of pictures of the completed model. I apologize for the cat hairs in some pictures. We used to have a cat...now we have two...and it shows FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This being a trial truck is only fair to judge the set by its capacity to handle rought terrain. I have composed a video to show the truck in action. I'm sorry that one of the cats is photobombing the video, but he has severe FOMO, so I can't do anything without him checking it out. He is sorry for the hairs in some of the foto's Edit: Milan (@grohl) was kind enough to point out that the front bumper is mounted 1M too far to the front. My bad. I didn't notice that when I built the model. Funny thing is that I automatically reattached the bumper after shooting this video....the right way. After reading Milan's comment I retried the "couch challenge" and the model passed this time. That 1M made a difference. As you can see in the video, the truck is basically worthless if you keep the front bumper attached. If you want to climb a steep hill, you really need to lose the front bumber. The ground clearance is also a limiting factor. Not as much as the front bumber, but the wheel base is rather long, so it's easy to get stuck on a bump or small hill top. The rear lights are prone to fall off when you are bumping into something. This is a minor gripe, but I would expect everything to be rock solid. If we ignore these limitations, the performance is outstanding. Its capability to climb steep hills is very impressive. Without the differential lock, the front wheels aren't up to the task, but with the differential lock engaged, the sky is the limit. More torque means less speed, so it's no surprise that this set doesn't move that fast. Its top speed is rather low. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. Mods will start pooring in quickly and I am looking forward to seeing them. Slightly shorter wheel base, bigger wheels, higher ground glearance, stuff like that. That being said, I am very pleased with the out-of-the-box performance. SUMMARY This set has really surprised me, in a positive way. The build was way more enjoyable than I expected and I do think the finished model looks great. It's definitely not the sausage dog we feared hehe. Is it a proper trial truck? Since I am no expert, I am not the right person to judge. I do think it has two obvious limitations, which could have been avoided. One possible solution would be to lose the license and the need for this set to resemble a Zetros. Its capability to climb hills is impressive, so the picture on the back of the box is justified. This is an outstanding set, with lots of potential. It will generate lots of interest, especially in the modding scene. Somehow, this set reminds me of the Unimog, which was immensely popular back in the days and still has a decent following. Personally, I do like this set better than the Unimog. So in my book, this is another win for Milan! Job well done. PROS Outstanding climbing performance (high torque) Gearbox with intricate differential lock mechanism Enjoyable build New tires Great selection of drivetrain parts Lots of black and dark grey panels (and frames) Great parts pack overall Looks great without stickers. CONS Front bumper needs to be removed for proper climbing (edit: I hadn't mounted the bumper correctly) Ground clearance can be limiting It's a bit slow (is only logical given the high torque) Rear lights fall off easily SCORE How do I rate this set? 8 DESIGN I do like how this set turned out. 8 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Build was better than I expected. 7 FEATURES It does what you would expect. 7 PLAYABILITY Okay, but the front bumper and ride height are kinda limiting. 9 PARTS This set packs a lot of interesting parts. 7 VALUE FOR MONEY Price is a bit steep but you do get a lot of interesting parts. 7,7 AWESOME SET, BUT NEEDS A TWEAK OR TWO

REVIEW - 42128 - HEAVY-DUTY TOW TRUCK INTRODUCTION It's been a while since I have done a Technic review and I was actually looking forward to building a cool set with lots of functions. That is the main reason I started with this set instead of the Mercedes. It wasn't exactly love at first sight. I wasn't really fond of the color scheme when I saw the preliminary pictures. Not sure why, because I do love the orange-white color scheme on the 42052 - Heavy Lift Helictoper. You can probably guess by my tone of voice that this will change during this review. This set is kinda reminiscent of the 8285 - Tow Truck from 2006. Feels like ages ago and Technic has come a long way since then. However, both models represent a heavy duty tow truck. The 8285 was a cool looking set, but it did lack some polishing, and possibly some functions. Its main function was looking cool on the shelves. Let's start building this tow truck to find out if it packs more functions than its "predecessor" if you will. When it comes to rescuing stranded vehicles, this LEGO® Technic™ Heavy-duty Tow Truck takes any job in its stride. Take your time building this mighty truck then check out all its neat features and classic design details. With realistic pneumatic and mechanical functions, this model is the perfect way to experience the power of a classic tow truck. PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. My Flickr album contains all the photos taken for this review. DISCLAIMER The CEE Team of TLG has provided this set. 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: 42128 Title: Heavy-duty Tow Truck Theme: Technic Released: 2021 Part Count: 2017 Box Dimensions: 57,5 cm x 37,0 x 11,0 cm Weight: 2937 gram Set Price (RRP): 149.99 EUR / 139.99 GBP / 269.99 AUD / 149.99 USD / 199.99 CAD Price per Part: 0.074 EUR / 0.069 GBP / 0,1334 AUD / 0.074 USD / 0,099 CAD Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX Comparing it to the box of the Mercedes, this box is slightly thicker but less high. The box was a bit dented, which shows at the left side of the picture. The back of the box shows a lot of functions and it tells us that the model is 58 cm long. CONTENTS OF THE BOX The box contains: 1x Instruction manual 1x Sticker sheet 11x Numbered bag 3x Unnumbered bag INSTRUCTION MANUAL AND STICKER SHEET Packed as usual, not in the new paper envelope. INSTRUCTION MANUAL One thing that immediately stands out is the size of the booklet. The number of pages, to be more precise. 688 steps for a set containing 2017 parts. That's an average of 3 parts per page. I wouldn't be surprised if that's a record. STICKER SHEET The sticker sheet, which I won't be using for this review (spoiler alert). BAGS HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes some of the interesting parts. PNEUMATIC PARTS An awesome selection of pneumatic parts. The pneumatic switch can only be found in the 42080 - Forest Machine and the 45400 - BricQ set, whatever that may be Anyway, this is your chance to get three of them, which is a good deal. You will also get two of the smaller longer cylinders, which are very useful in my opinion. GEAR RACK 1 x 14 x 2 HOUSING First seen in the 42043 - Mercedes Arocs 3245, these gear racks have made an appearance in a total of 12 sets. However, this is the first time we see the Gear Rack 1 x 14 x 2 Housing in blue. MODIFIED LIFTARM PERPENDICULAR HOLES THICK 1 x 11 I was pretty sure that these parts already showed up in another set, but since I haven't built last year's sets, I wasn't entirely sure. Apparently, the 15L variant appears in the 42124 - Off-Road Buggy. These are the liftarms that completely mess up your storage solution. Especially if they start appearing in different colors and lengths. I can't help but think this is TLG's answer to some clone brands using these. Picture below shows 16 x 11L liftarms. This set also contains 7 x 15L liftarms. Sometimes I'm baffled by the logic behind packaging. The 15L ones were packed in numbered bags while the 11L ones were provided in a separate bag. Mind blown. ORANGE T-SHAPED LIFTARM THICK 3x3 Eventhough Bricklink shows that this parts exists in orange, it immediately caught my eye, since I don't have any in my collection. Upon further investigation I noticed that the entire list of sets containing this part does not include orange. This can be attributed to the Osprey set being cancelled. LIFTARM THIN 1x7 The blue version of this thin liftarm appeared in only three sets, last seen in 2003. PART LIST The complete parts list consisting of 2017 parts. THE BUILD If feels like ages ago, building a LEGO Technic set, so I am anxious to get started. The build consists of only four steps, so let's start by opening the three bags for the first step. Step 27 shows me something which cannot be unseen. I sure hope I can catch some sleep tonight, because this is messing up my brain. The two bushes pointing in the same direction?! This can't be real! ;-) The person in charge of the instructions probably doesn't care, because it happens on numerous occasions. The picture below shows I was a rebel and simply ignored the dubious orientation of the bushes. This set implements a double differential. "Why are my rear axles turning in a different direction and blocking my drive train" questions incoming. This time I paid attention and placed them correctly right off the bat. After building the lower part of the chassis, a sub-assembly is added which is used to rotate the boom and raise/lower one of the rear axles. Here is a short video demonstrating the inner workings. The picure below shows the end of step 1. In can honestly say that I thouroughly enjoyed the build so far. For me, this is what Technic is all about. I can appreciate a full RC set as much as the next guy, but having loads of manual functions is the core of Technic. There is no gearbox in the chassis, so all manual functions are directly linked to their respective function. It's too early to be sure, but I will throw out a bold statement saying this set might be one of the best recent sets, looking at the functions and price point etc. And we haven't even started using the pneumatics. By the way; the pic also shows the left-over parts for the first step. Needless to say, I figured to have missed some of the pins. I back-tracked the entire manual and I couldn't find a step where I could have skipped the pins. After starting the second step, I did find the obvious mistake. On both sides I missed the perpendicular liftarms, which both use two pins. You can probably figure out where they need to go. This video shows the four manually operated functions. The second step requires some of the pneumatics to build the wheel-lift. No stickers are used in the first step. Early on in the second step the first sticker needs applying. I have decided to build this model without stickers, because I think it will look great without stickers. And some of you are probably interested in how it looks without. I might decide to apply some stickers after the build. That depends on the outcome. For now, I will omit the stickers. The boom of the wheel-lift can be raised and lowered and the rack at the end of the wheel-lift can be retracted as well. The picture below shows the wheel-lift assembly connected to the chassis. One of the gears is used to raise and lower the boom. This marks the end of step 2. This time the left-over parts are the ones we can expect. Like the first one, the second step was very enjoyable to build. This set keeps getting better and better. By the way; I do have a picture showing some of the internals behind the orange panels, but it is terribly out of focus, so I didn't use it in the review. Check out my Flickr album if you are interested. During the third step we will be building the front of the truck, starting with the fake engine and rack-and-pinion steering. The 7L thin liftarms are used on the doors of the cabin. I am not entirely sure why TLG decided to bring back the blue ones, because they could have easily used a 7L thick white liftarm, to match the rear of the truck. Hand of God (HoG) steering can be seen at the top of the completed cabin. I don't regret omitting the stickers, because I still think the truck looks awesome. The vibrant orange-white with a touch of blue color scheme is really working out. Come to think of it; I was very enthusiastic about orange-white in my review of the 42052 - Heavy Lift Helicopter. I'm not really sure why I didn't like it on this truck when I saw the first pictures. Let's continue the fourth and final step of the model, in which we will finish the front of the truck and the crane. The hood can be opened and closed, albeit not very smoothly. It requires a certain technique to open the hood. Or simply pull a little harder hehe. When you open the hood (or bonnet) you can see the working fake engine. Some people love it, other people hate, but I do like the smaller scale engine setup. Before completing the crane, the rear of the truck is covered with panels. The model has very few gaps, while maintaining a genuine Technic look. This is something I am absolutely on board with. The penultimate step, before the obvious tire placement, consists of completing the pneumatic crane with double winch. Both winched are manually operated by turning a knob at the top of the crane. There's also a manual lock for both winches. That brings us to the end of this fantastic build. The build wasn't very complex and I completed the steps pretty fast. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the build. On the contrary; this build is everything you can hope for in a Technic set. Loads of manually operated functions. The only thing missing from this set is a gearbox to switch between different functions. That and suspension are probably the only things that are missing compared to bigger scale sets. And missing isn't exactly the right word, since this set packs so many features, you hardly miss the suspension or gearbox. COMPLETED MODEL Here is a selection of pictures of the completed model. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This set is packed with functions. So many thing packed at the back of the vehicle. I do like to highlight the pneumatics in this set. I have said it in a previous review, but pneumatics usually feel like some sort of proof of concept. That is definitely not the case with this set. Especially raising and extending the boom works like a charm. The list of functions goes on and on. I probably missed a couple of them in the list below. Driving Steering Working fake engine Opening doors Opening hood Rotating the boom/crane Raising/lowering the crane Extending/retracting the boom Raising/lowering the rear stabilizers Raising/lowering the wheel lift Extending/retracting the wheel lift Raising/lowering the rear axle Double winch with manual release Side outriggers Rear outriggers SUMMARY I might go as far to say that this is the quintessential Technic set of the last decade. I know there are bigger sets, motorized sets, remotely controlled sets and all that jazz, but this is a prime example of Technic at its core. A smaller scale Technic truck with loads of manually operated functions. This set packs it all. Another big plus of this set is the lack of license, which you can see in the price. 150 bucks for 2000+ parts is about 7,4 cents a piece. And 150 bucks is the MSRP, so you will probably pay less. Not to mention the inevitable discounts you will find later on. I can see people buying two or more sets for the pneumatics alone. I couldn't resist looking at the price of the 8285 - Tow Truck from 2006. You had to fork out 120 bucks back in the days. In return you got 1877 parts, which is in the same ballpark as this set. Inflation between 2006 and now is approximately 25-30% (did some quick Google searches), so the price is about the same as the old tow truck. The main difference is that this year's tow truck is packed with functions. All things considered this set hits it out of the park. Must have for every Technic fan. PROS Loads of functions Pneumatics actually work this time Loads of functions No license Very affordable Great value for money Loads of functions Looks great without stickers Loads of functions CONS No intricate gearbox (if that's your thing) SCORE How do I rate this set? 9 DESIGN Great gapless design. Looks great even without stickers. 9 BUILDING EXPERIENCE So much fun to build. Thoroughly enjoyed it. 9 FEATURES Deserves a 10, but I will leave some room for improvement. 9 PLAYABILITY Lots of functions offer loads of playability. 8 PARTS Great selection of pneumatics and perpendicular liftarms. Other than that a nice selection, but mostly common parts. 10 VALUE FOR MONEY It doesn't get any better than this when it comes to price vs what you get in return. Insane value if you can get this at a discount. 9,0 TECHNIC HOW IT'S MEANT TO BE

Here is some updated information about the voting scheme. There will be a public voting phase. The top-10 will continue to the jury voting phase, where @Milan and myself will pick the top-3. Points from the public voting scheme won't count towards jury voting. We will start with a clean slate in the jury phase. We will give you a brief explanation how we picked our top-3, but we won't go into an elaborate discussion afterwards.

True that. The thought crossed my mind That's great to hear. Thanks. On behalf of my fellow reviewer hehe

Yes, I will be reviewing both sets. They will be online tomorrow around 15:00.

That feels a bit weird indeed, but let's not derail this review topic.

Hi. Closer to the original is better. That's what this contest is all about. Of course you can do some modernization, but I won't slap on panels without proper reason.

I have tried it and the pistons don't move when you steer/turn the front wheels.

Interesting observation. Maybe they get the lot shipped to the packaging facility.

Nope.

Not sure if it's "illegal", but you are okay to use it.