Phoxtane

I think I'll stick with the stock Lego tires, because they're what I have and I'm assuming these third-party hardcore hobby tires are pretty expensive. I like the dual spring suspension system used on this crawler!

DISCLAIMER: I am waiting on a replacement part from Lego Customer Service to arrive before I get on with making the review video! Well, this is my first review of a Lego set: the 60018 Cement Mixer! ...Or it would be, at any rate. Unfortunately, one of the most important pieces - a half-drum that makes up the mixer - seems to have cracked and bent in such a way that I can't actually use it. However, I did make a timelapse-y video of me assembling the set. Music: Airport Lounge by Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com [http://incompetech.com/] So, I picked up this set as an impulse purchase at the local Wal-Mart. I had a hard time of choosing between this one and three others that were priced the same - 4432, 60016, and 60017, to be exact. Since 60018 is a construction vehicle, I figured it would have the most play functions and thus I could review it properly. Some initial thoughts, good and bad: - This set feels fairly big and chunky for 20 USD. Not that I'm complaining... - Eight wheels makes this set irresistibly cool. - While the tilting front cab allows the minifigures to get at the plastic engine, it also makes the set a little awkward to pick up. - A good solid chassis composed primarily of a 2x16 plate and two 1x12 bricks adds to the swooshability. - The back end feels unfinished with all of its exposed studs compared to the front end, which has tiles as far as the eye can see. - A few pieces feel out of place, a couple could do with some printing, and quite a lot continue the tradition of throwing seemingly random-colored parts into odd places. My initial rating for this set: Good - consider buying if you have the spare cash! [This opinion might change once I get a proper review all figured out]

The original version uses two M-motors

Is this project dead? I would have loved to see it completed...

I tried building this a while back. It didn't crawl very well, for reasons unbeknownst to me

Zip-top and other plastic bags work, until the sharp edges of the bricks poke holes in them. I speak from personal experience... that was a mess!

The mixing drum from my new 60018 Cement Mixer won't stay on its axle... but that's because one of the drum pieces has cracked and bent in such a way it can't lock onto the studs

Around here, the police department is making the switch from the older Crown Victoria cruiser to the Dodge Charger. Looking at the taillights I'm guessing this one is based off the Charger?

I love the intricate mechanical solutions people devised before we had computers Your video has some sort of weird side-to-side "wave" effect going on, though

Das ist ein schön Käse Haus! Nice work with the cheese slopes to make cheeses on display! There really isn't a better part to use for that, is there?

How about... - Anti-aliasing options, please! - More flex elements to use. There are quite a few flex elements listed in the parts list, but only four or five are actually able to be used with the flex tool! - A better flex tool. I'm thinking of a thing where you can choose what "hole" you want to thread the flex element through, which could act a lot like choosing two holes/pins for the Hinge Align tool. - More stock backgrounds, or the option to use custom backgrounds. Both would be the best-case scenario I imagine!

Looks like you can now buy all things EV3-related off the Lego Education website, except for the retail kits! Link

I think what Pugsly is try to say is that you're supposed to rotate the 1x1 Technic piece on the axle so the stud on the top is pointing at the gears and the pearl-gold piece is butted up against the light grey Technic frame piece. Never mind - it won't fit that way! I'm surprised that they just didn't throw in a full and half bushing to fill that space. That's how I would have done it, at least.

Off the top of my head, it'd certainly be interesting to see Lego produce a tunnel-boring machine.

I have too many of the small fiddly bits to try the setups with small drawers. Whenever I do get around to sorting my Technic properly, I'll have it sorted into general categories and find parts from one of seven or so drawers.

I wouldn't support the Mirage concept, even if it was viable. In my book, using irrelevant tags on your project that are related to other posts/videos/whatever that have a lot more publicity than yours is a big no-no.

I've used Lego Education before, to buy a pneumatics add-on kit intended for the simple mechanisms kit along with three air tanks. I haven't been able to use it properly though since the hand pump's broken down and the small pumps leak air like crazy.

I bet Lego's Design Lab has a 3D printer, or will very soon, just for this purpose.

I suppose one way to do it would be to look up a set with that piece in it on Brickset, then check the inventory listing for that piece to see what colors it came in. I'm sure there's a faster way to do it though.

What if I already plan to spend hundreds of dollars on Lego sets?

I love this tool

I've got a theory for there being an uneven number of motor ports and motors: Maybe the fourth is a dedicated data port for daisy-chaining the bricks together so you don't need a special connection cable.

I've noticed that if I turn on the outlines, the model renders a lot faster and gains a cel-shaded look, much like the Borderlands art style. What is it about the outlines that makes it render faster?

I'm gonna have to add the Mindstorms NXT EV3 kit to my list of must-haves this year... So, in total: 2x Horizon Express 1x 42000 Grand Prix Racer 1x new Technic Mobile Crane 1x Mindstorms NXT EV3 And an indeterminate amount of PF track to expand my layout. I think it may be time for me to move my entire train system over to PF, and sell off the 9v stuff

Well, color me impressed. I figured this would happen, but in a few years from now! You're gonna be cutting it pretty close. Not only are the two motors going to have to lift themselves, they will have to lift the frame connecting them. Eventually they'll have to lift four (!) battery boxes, which aren't known for being light. When rocket scientists start drawing up plans for a new rocket, they have to consider the payload and then build stages around that payload. Every bit of extra weight cascades into a need for stronger engines, more fuel to run the stronger engines, and so on, which translates into yet more weight. If they're not careful, the rocket design becomes exponentially larger (and more expensive) for each stage that must be added on. I doubt you'll reach that scenario, since you probably don't have a few billion dollars to pour into a Lego Flight Progam, so good luck