tomacwhite

Mine just arrived, it has to sit on my desk at work and stare at me all day now until I get home so I can build it! :)

I have just this evening finished building the B Model for the 8049 "Forest Tractor with Log Loader", "Log Handler", and I have to say I think I prefer the B model! For starters it has a claw which is controlled by the pneumatics which the main model was lacking (it should of had a small cylinder for the claw but there you go) and the design of the machine with its rear-wheel steering is more unique than the very basic tractor and trailer from the main model. Also, the design of the claw is really neat as the air cylinder fits inside the rotating piece allowing full 360degree movement without tangling cables up (again, the main model suffers from this). The main model feels fragile and flimsy whereas this is more solid and definitely more playable.

Wow. That looks incredible! I really think I am going to have to buy two of these models to keep them both built up at the same time, it looks fantastic!

For those of you in the UK who are still interested in this model, Argos have reduced the price to £94.99 (£35 cheaper than normal)

The question is, what will Lego do next year to beat this awesome machine? The Crane Truck was cool last year but this is a real stunner.

Brillaint review, thanks! Can't wait for this model, I am going to get it tomorrow (hopefully). Looks amazing!! :)

It sounds from the descriptions that secondary instructions are included with the model (all of the new ones) instead of them being online only.

UK prices are on the store now Excavator: £139.99 Mobile Crane: £74.99 Container Truck: £49.99 Motorbike £34.99

I thought that was how. That's pretty damn impressive, it must be fairly complex with lots going through the superstructure.

That looks AMAZING, gotta buy that model!! I love how you can spin the tracks around in 360 degrees but the body stays still, how on earth does that work? Impressive!! I am looking forward to the crane, its just a shame it doesn't have an engine in the set. The B Model of the excavator looks brilliant too, will tempted to double-dip to have them both along side 8275 :D The motorbike B model looks brilliant, but what one earth is 8052? It looks rubbish and rather lazy.

The Mobile Crane is kinda simple in its design, I was hoping for a more chunky look like the older model. No drive chain is a shame too, esp at the price and when comparing it to the recent Front Loader. The worst part is the Excavator price, it will probably be £199.99 in the UK!! :| Ouch. The Crane Truck is £129.99 over here versus $149.99.

Hi, thanks :) If I get chance this week, I will rip the guts out of my Cherry Picker and add them to the Log Loader for the PF option.

After waiting ages before being able to build it, I finally got the chance last week, however I found myself with a missing piece! Arrggh! It wasn't a friction pin or beam either, but the short blue air cable that is required for the pneumatic system, so it stopped me dead in the build. It arrived after a few days directly from Lego, so tonight I finished the model off. Hurrah! Firstly, and most importantly, I like the model. It's quite a simple design, with very little in the way of complex gear systems or a detailed transmission for the tractor, but it's nice, and it looks great. There are a few flaws in the design which I'll go into later. First though, some shots of the front of the box, and its contents. I was surprised by how compact the new boxes were for Lego this year. Fair play to Lego for actually trying to reduce waste, this is smaller than the Cherry Picker model, and waaaay smaller than the Front Loader (although that does have double the parts count of this). The new Race Truck's box is exactly the same size as this model, in case you were wondering :) Numbered bags, which I guess makes sense for the age group this particular model is aimed at. It's quite light on number of parts to be honest, but there is fairly decent selection of colours and beams here, and of course it has pnematics AND a compressor included. Also to note, there are many parts left over when you complete the model, and these are used to add PF to the Loader, and instructions are included at the back of the 2nd manual. The Tractor is first up to be built, and its a nice looking model. I love the lime green colour Lego use here, and the white roof is a good match. Regarding technical features, the tractor is very limited, all that is included is HOG steering. The body is simple and lacking detail such as doors, and what body there is, is just floating on the sub-frame. It's a shame, but then the price point is lower. A engine with piston and some doors would of finished the model off nicely, but never mind. Completed tractor: Next up, is the trailer which of course has all of the good stuff in the model, and is more complex (but still relatively simple) than the tractor. Early stages of construction with piping added It's not long before you have a nearly completed trailer, and you realise it's fairly lightweight on detail. Crane arm construction. I love how the piping is routed, its really neat and looks great. Completed model. I wish this had been given the pneumatic treatment too. It's also fairly weak and the logs slip through the claw design. Overall I do like this model, playing with pneumatics is lovely, and brings my childhood memories right back. It's a nice model, but it is fairly basic on technical features. Do I think it should of had more complex systems to it? Yes perhaps, but that would of also put the price right up, and I assume Lego are testing the waters with the air system before committing to a full-on technical marvel. I guess that's why there isn't a pneumatic model for the 2H year yet, they'll see how this one sells first. Pros + Pneumatics are back, and they're great + Nicely designed tractor and trailer, if a little simple + Well priced, especially in ripoff Britain (£45.00) Cons - Claw could of had a mini pneumatic cylinder - Logs fall off the back of the trailer too easily, or through its base - Not much complexity with gears/transmissions 7/10

I got my replacement tubing from Lego yesterday (quick delivery and free!) so I can continue with the build. I'll take some more photos and write a small review once I've completed it.

Argh! After 25 years of playing with Lego I have finally had a set with a missing piece. But oh no, it wasnt a friction pin, or even a beam that was missing, but a piece of piping for the air system in this set! It was the short blue pipe to be precise, what a pain. I had been taking photos on my new D-SLR camera too and was going to do a nice long review of it, then BAM! I was stopped dead in my tracks! So annoying. I have emailed Lego, hopefully they will send a replacement out sharpish!

I have finished my build and I love the model, it looks fantastic with its big chunky bodykit and tyres. The panels give it a real smart look and the decals are nice too (there are lots of them!). Technically its quite simple; it has a V8 engine with diff, and the cab tilts forward showing.. well nothing really. This model is more about the looks than the functionality. There is definitely space in there for a battery pack, IR unit and (M for Steering) motor. The chassis is fairly stiff although when you have the cab tilted the very front of the chassis does flex a little. For the price though I think this is a lovely model. Sure, its not technical, but it certanly looks lovely on my desk at work :)

Hi! A great set from 2009 is the Wheel Loader (or Front Loader depending what country you live in), there is a great review of it here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=31846 I bought this recently and it really is a lovely model, with lots and lots of gears creating a very complex model. It has over 1,000 elements too so its a fairly chunky model. Obviously there is the Crane Truck from 2009 too (8258) which also has lots of complex gear systems in it. It's very expensive though (in the UK and Europe at least) I normally build my models on dinner table which has a decent sized working area. As a child I'd build on the floor though, but I am too old for that now! I helped my nephew build some Indiana Jones Lego at Xmas on the carpet/rug, it was hurt by back lots!!

I should have it done by this lunch time, I'll take some pics then and upload them. I like the model, it really isn't very Technicy, but it looks lovely :)

I am building mine during lunch times at work. So far I've only had an hour or so on the build, and its good. It's quite a simple build, similar to the Snow Groomer from last year I suppose. It's nice though, and there is a decent amount of traditonal lego pieces too. well, the grid 2x1 pieces for the engine grill and radiator at the back (a nice touch).

Ahh OK, I'll let you know when I have built mine... :)

There is nothing in the manual about it at all, its very strange.

I don't know how this could be confused with 8258: http://www.flickr.com/photos/martiger/4238189996/ To quote: "Bring your Race Truck to life with Power Function accessories"

Mine arrived today, finally! It is strange that Power Functionality is mentioned in the 2010 catalogue, but there is no sign of it on the box or in the instructions. I can only assume it was either a) a typo during creation of the catalogue, or b) Lego will release official instructions later..

Excellent, maybe we will get the image then! Looking at the remotes for the Excavator, one of the sticks is coloured red; do you think this could be used for a motor to switch a driving ring? So it's coloured red to match the driving ring colour. It would kinda make sense. I hope this drives (like 8275) as well as having full rotation on the main part, that would be amazing :)

That is epic, so excited about getting my hands on that and the new Off-Road Mobile Crane. As this image has appeared, do you think that same book will have images of the Mobile Crane too? I will hopefully get my new sets tomorrow, they have been delayed due to the crazy weather in the UK. I got this on my tracking: 01/07/2010 07:30 Weather or Natural Disaster Related COVENTRY SERVICE CENTRE