DLuders

@ Zblj: Jernej, I have 6 ea. of those big white Lego Education 89509 "Propeller 1 Blade 14L with Two Pin Holes and Four Axles" parts that I could mail to you. Please let me know what your address is by sending me an e-mail to LudersDG@MSN.com . You can keep them if you want -- I'm not using them and they've been sitting around for 1-1/2 years in my basement. I want to prove to Blakbird that Lego REALLY CAN FLY (in expert hands, like yours)!

David G. Luders 7430 N. Prairie Crest Road Spokane, Washington 99224-8966 December 29, 2012 USA Jeppe Juul Jensen and Niels Henrik Horsted LEGO System A/S Åstvej 1 7190 Billund Denmark Dear Sirs, You may recall signing the attached March 2012 letter concerning the tardy posting of PDF Building Instructions for the alternate, B-Model LEGO Technic sets. Unfortunately, the problem still persists. Even when sets are offered for sale at the official Shop.Lego.com website, the B-Model instructions were not posted until I personally alerted Lego Customer Service through multiple e-mails and telephone calls. Specifically, here are the three incidents involving LEGO Technic sets during the last 9 months: In March 2012, the 9397 Logging Truck B-Model -- http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=66348&hl=9397 . In early Dec 2012, the 42010+42011 Dragster combination -- http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=76837entry1454320 . In late Dec 2012, the 42006 Excavator B-Model – http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=76891&st=25#entry1468731 . In your letter, you stated that you “…were committed to preventing building instruction delays and are taking action to make sure that this does not happen with future set releases.” Alas, those steps have not prevented this recurring, systemic problem. You also wrote to me to “Please continue to voice your thoughts, so we can work together in making TECHNIC the best it can be.” I’m hoping that you can both find out why new 2-in-1 Technic sets cannot have their B-Model PDF Building Instructions posted in a prompt manner, without having a customer (like me) acting as your LEGO website Quality Control person. I have completed at least 10 of those pop-up Customer Surveys that I see when visiting LEGO websites, to outline the problems noted above. Nothing has changed. There could be hundreds of disappointed customers who also seek the advertised B-Model instructions, but do not find them. Surely there are some additional steps that you could take to solve this problem, once and for all. Sincerely, David G. Luders, P.E., Licensed Professional Engineer

When I telephoned Lego Customer Service this morning at their Enfield, Connecticut USA office (near where I grew up), I explained the situation with the incomplete 42006 A-Model PDF Building Instructions and the missing B-Model instructions. I was told (after a few minutes of waiting) that this set "was released early", and that the instructions would probably be available in a week or so. I replied that I'm writing a personal letter to the two Lego executives (who signed that letter above) to get this persistent problem resolved, once and for all. I want to know what THEY think of the four different incidents I've experienced over the last 9 months.

@ allanp: Do you happen to have one of the Power Functions AAA Battery Box, or the PF Rechargeable Battery Box, to replace the HUGE, ugly PF Battery Box on the tail? I'm curious to see if a smaller, more attractive Battery Box would work....

Then Jeppe Juul Jensen can see to it that HIS model has ALL of the Building Instructions posted on Lego.com/Technic, as advertised. His signed letter said he would see that situations like this would not happen again:

There is less than 2-1/2 days are left in the 2012 Lego Technic Competition! Here is "Group 7" of compliant submissions, to join the previous polls in the Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 topics. Any new entries posted hereafter will likely not get enough "official votes" to be competititive in the "Top 10" Final selection. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (PART 7) Which of these entries (for the 2012 Lego Technic Competition) would you buy, assuming that the price is the same as the basic 9398 4x4 Crawler set? Click on the URL above each image to link to each entry's Gallery, and to check on the number of "Votes" it has. Your poll answers are private; you can pick one or more choices. You can add your public opinions as "Replies" to this topic if you'd like. I will be adding additional (compliant) entries to this topic until midnight on New Year's Eve (December 31, 2012). You can adjust your poll selections as required. Again, in this poll you can indicate more than one entry that you would consider buying. Be sure to add your official "Votes" to each entry below that you "Like"! The entries appear in "oldest-to-newest" order; the creation titles are not necessarily what the creators named them. If you would not buy any of them, then select the "None of the above" answer in each Poll group. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (Group of 19) Johnm71's "Merry Christmas" crawler -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=89 : hellraiserrocky's blue Loghead 4x4 Crawler -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=84 : salvodipter2113's offroader with winch -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=74 : matteoc98's orange offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=73 : rm88's Musclecar-bodied offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=71 : eleanor67's offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=68 : MCFSlabbers' Mars Surface Explorer -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=62 : yigito1's RedFlame offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=57 : pjudit's yellow offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=55 : crazy_1993's Highway Enforcer offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=52 : Matt_Watson's Lunar Crawler -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=51 : KENO-2002's offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=46 : haiout's lime-green Buggy: http://technic.us.le...latest&index=45 : santigg13's offroad excavator -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=42 : HIPAWARDJOKER's offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=39 : Kaledon1G's Mars 4x4 Crawler -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=38 : Booker04's offroader with trailer -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=37 : LegoGabriel2312's yellow offroader in snow -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=36 : Tristan4689's All Terrain Power Crane -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=35 : * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (Another Group) yevg2009's offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=24 : LP_Technic's red offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=17 : j-t-peacock's telehandler -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=14 : marinaio14's orange-and-black offroader -- http://technic.us.le...latest&index=12 : adrilip1720's offroader with pneumatic grab arm -- http://technic.us.le...=latest&index=9 : Olwen49's offroader with front bucket and pneumatic grabber -- http://technic.us.le...=latest&index=7 : osemD's orange offroader -- http://technic.us.le...=latest&index=6 : ultben316's offroader -- http://technic.us.le...=latest&index=4 :

@ bbqqq: You should put one of these outside in a local park and have it roll down the sidewalk on a windy day, to see people's reactions!

Yeah, that was one of the excuses The Lego Group told me. I work for the US Government (far larger, and with more bureaucracy, than The Lego Group). We have checklists that we follow to fly aircraft. When The Lego Group "launches" a new set for sale, they obviously don't use a checklist because the SAME, systemic problem keeps happening. It's happened now 4 times this year (as documented with the 9397 Logging Truck on this Eurobricks topic), the 9468 set in this topic,the 42010+42011 Dragster in this topic, and now the 42006 Excavator in this topic). I have filled out ~10 Customer Feedback surveys (that pop up automatically when I visit Lego websites), telephoned them, wrote e-mails to company execs, got a signed letter that appeared above, etc. Does anything change? No. I must have wasted 10 hours chasing their problem, to no avail. They can waste my time, but they're not going to waste my money. If I'm going to pay USD $80+ for a 2-for-1 set, and the PDF Building Instructions for the B-Model are only available online, those instructions better be there. When they're not, it's called "False Advertising" & "Fraud".

@ Boxerlego: Welcome to Eurobricks! In regards to your apparatus, could you confirm that: 1) You used a total of 12 ea., new 1.5-Volt AA ALKALINE battteries (to get 18V), and not 12 ea., 1.2V RECHARGEABLE AA batteries (14.4V)? 2) The motor(s) don't get too hot (and burn up) with an EXTENDED test, lasting far longer than the 6-second demonstration you have in your video? 3) The Power Functions IR Receivers are the old (version 1) type, and not the newer v2 type? See Philo's below:

I have been lied to, and misled, now 4 times this year about the same recurring problem. I want 1/2 of my money back. The executives who signed the danged letter can manage the problem. Why the heck should a CUSTOMER like me do their Quality Control, time after time? It's pitiful.

It's looking like another PDF Instruction fiasco like the 9397 B-Model topic from March 2012. Where is the QUALITY CONTROL when posting new sets? This letter isn't worth the paper it was printed on. They wrote "We are committed to preventing building instruction delays and are taking action to make sure this doesn't happen with future set releases." What a bunch of bunk:

The A-Model PDF Instructions for the 42006 Excavator is available for download here . The link to the B-Model instructions is just a one-page image. Anybody who has the model should ask for half of their money back, since The Lego Group advertised a 2-for-1 set and did not deliver.

Simple Solution: When The Lego Group posts a new set for sale online, they post the Building Instructions at the same time. How simple can that be? They've learned nothing.

There are not that many similarities between the red 8294 Excavator from 2008 and the new, yellow 42006 Excavator from 1H2013:

@ Paul B: What ever happened to your "Semi MOC Bin Loading Truck" that you presented in this Eurobricks topic from April 2010? In this Eurobricks topic, GuiliuG presented his "Side-Loader Garbage Truck":

A fellow named SNIPE has been waiting a long time for parts like these:

Will it be used for this?

@ Tomik: Thanks for the instructions! They are always very high quality.

@ Zblj: Very nice! Your LDD .lxf Building Instruction file is in your description -- "Download LDD file:http://www.brickshel...p/autompump.lxf ." Do you have plans for installing your Autopump in an existing MOC or set?

In the USA, Shop.Lego.com now has the 42006 Excavator for sale at USD $79.99. When you click on the "View Larger" image hyperlink below the minifigs, lo and behold the Excavator appears! That's typical of recent Technic sets placed on the Lego website -- no Building Instructions and poor attention to detail. I suppose I'll contact Lego Customer Service yet again (for about the 10th time in the last 2 years) about their systemic problem....

Here is the link to haiout's entry in the 2012 Lego Technic Competition (if you want to vote for it): http://technic.us.lego.com/en-us/Creations/Details/Default.aspx?projectid=944efdaa-9075-4b60-b3ec-bf020d02acb2&sort=latest&index=11 .

Here is the rough French-to-English translation of that SeTechnic topic (with links to those 2H2013 Lego Technic set pictures) -- http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.setechnic.com%2FForum%2Fpost119452.html%23p119452 .

It looks massive!

That 64272 "Bionicle Shoulder Armor, Vorox" part comes in Black, Dark Purple, and Dark Red colors:

It could be that The Lego Group is providing one Power Functions motor, with an OPTION of adding additional motors and PF Receiver for full remote control. That would help keep the overall cost of the set down. Much of the world is in a recession (or near-recession). For those who like MANUAL functions, they are somewhat happy and for those who like AUTOMATED functions, they could buy additional motors (like the L-Motor available for putchase in March 2013)....