RohanBeckett

you just won the award for biggest first post ever! great work.. amazed you had the dedication to take so many photos during so much building/testing/rebuilding! Studless does take a while to get used to.. although it's much easier these days with all the frames available It was good to read how you encountered problems, then solved them! I've haven't had time to build a good, original moc, for a while.. but I think I might soon.. maybe a smaller tank with a grabber claw at the front!! thanks for a bit of inspiration! :) RB

heh.. always amazed when I see the price of an odd part, that I have quite a few of! (2 dumpers, and 2 telehandlers!) funny.. don't think I've actually used them in anything much! RB

When I get a 2ndhand dusty set off Ebay, I take them apart and wash them, so I get the fun of building it again! it's Lego, remember! RB

A couple of years ago.. before toddler: Sadly.. apart from the 8480 Shuttle, 8880, and 8455, they are all packed up in boxes.. awaiting a time in the not-too-distant-future, where little boy can join in with the 'little lego' building.. (he's almost out of Duplo! haha) RB

I've often thought about that. There's quite a few system-sets that I've built over the years, (eg; Creator), where a certain step has an odd part (eg; 2 * 1x4's, rather than a single 1x8)... and then you built the alternate models, and realise that they need them! Technic... not so sure.. but in any case.. the best B Models use nearly all the parts too.. and I too love it, when they are something completely different (Shuttle and Submarine would be about the best!) RB

Great mod... I might actually built it myself, since I've never owned this set.. but pretty sure I have all the parts to build it.. since I have the 8862 Backhoe (and I had the 8843, when I was a child) I've always wondered why TLG decided to design the first generation of Pneumatics in such an awkward way. The suction is very weak, and the distribution block just adds to the complexity. I'm trying hard to think of a good reason why the '2nd gen' didn't exist first? RB

I think you should alternate between the both! Do another year... then another set of instructions/renders! While I do enjoy all the animations of the geartrains/mechanisms... maybe just limiting yourself to the main ones in each model... eg: skip some of the boring steering ones Yes, the site is looking a bit dated, but really.. it doesn't matter as much as the content.. I'm sure you could get Sariel or someone to give it a little facelift! ;) I agree with Interceptor, about the text... it's actually great when a site like this is written solely by one person.. you really get a sense of passion from the one voice.. (rather than multiple opinions).. and that's a strength, sometimes! Videos would be good.. but the site could still hold it's own, with just text and pictures. I love reading about an old set, (usually an overlooked one) that has some neato function that I never realised... makes me want to obtain it.. or at least build it myself from parts... RB

I'm an IT System Admin.. so I'm in front of a PC all day.. I actually don't even own a laptop, or Ipad so when I decide to get away from the PC.. it's nice to sit at a table.. and build.. and just have a booklet next to me I do wish that they'd consolidate *Some* of the steps.. I do understand that kids (TLG's primary audience), have lots of trouble with super complex instructions.. but surely there should be no reason that a technic set should *ever* have a step with just 1 part I personally always loved the challenge of 'find what's new with the next picture.. and really.. if you collected all the pieces required for each step.. you'd always find them.. and of course, I'll admit, building an old step, (even in the last few years), I'd rush ahead, and go to attach a piece.. and... wait a minute! I missed something.... and then flick back 2-3 pages to find where I missed it!! (all part of the fun of building!) RB

ohh.. I'll consider myself lucky then! I have a stash of 5 micromotors, and they are all working fine! (one is bit noisier) I've had 1 9V seize up.. out of about 8 and no dead buggy motors, out of 4

Ok.. now you're just deliberately stirring Allanp (and me!) The only bad bit about 8868 was the pneumatics driving the rotating of the arm/cabin.. while an ingenious mechanical design.. it was far too touchy in real life, which detracted from the otherwise fun play of the set. Yes.. it's looking a bit boxey, compared to the modern version, but it definitely still looks very much like a 'truck' Personally: I don't count any slizer/bionicle/starwars.. I agree with blakbird.. some of them are excellent sets in their own.. but really aren't true technic Although I don't own 8433, I can see it's a very poor set... but I own 8434, and I think it's equally as bad... I rank personally as the worst technic set I own.. *TWO* functions.. (manual spinning props don't count!!)... and to top it off.. the B model is extremely bad too.. uses less than half the parts to get an even less functional, and ugly helicopter! At least the year 2004 had 2 other redeeming sets: 8435, and 8436 (although 2004 was a very below average year for technic) 2005 picked up.. and really.. there hasn't been too many duds in the last few years RB

although I personally won't count that as 'true powered-lego-flight'... I will admit that that video is *hilarious*, and looks like you had a lot of fun! c'mon... you used trash bags as wings... (non lego part).. just go ahead and get 10metres of cheap/lightweight wire.. and be done with it.. heck.. you could probably make some sort of control-line plane, that goes in circles (add another motor for elevator control??)

+1 for being patient with eBay... I've got 2 RC Racers (so 4 buggy motors), and I paid around AUD$40 each set make some saved searches.. for either the RC Racer set numbers.. or some other keywords.. then just try and run the searches every week or so RB

Looking it up on bricklink: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=69c02 chromed taps only existed from 1974-1980.. and only in white and blue... it seems that it 'appears as alternate' in the 858 / 8858, and 8860 ..whereas it's a regular part in the 3 Homemaker sets.. I'm guessing they just had excess leftover from the 232 bungalow, and just used it in the much-more-popular Technic sets! by bricklink prices.. looks like it'll cost around $10 to get 4 chrome ones from a single seller... not too many around, though!! RB

Yes.. they have a much softer/smoother feel than modern silicon hoses.. and also different from the pneumatic hoses of the 80's and 90's I was lucky with my 8860 that I bought a few years ago, and it came with the original chromed taps! :)

FYI.. to add to this thread: 2 old DACTA interfaces going on Ebay Australia at the moment: http://www.ebay.com....tm/321046208357 Apple IIe/gs interface card) http://www.ebay.com....tm/321046211990 Control unit -> Serial cable RB

heh.. that's been on my to-do list to build, for a while now... that 2008 model is pretty cool, and will be hard to beat! :)

Merry Christmas! although it's an old camera.. what I wouldn't give for some 64bit windows drivers for it, so I could fire it up again!! I have a feeling they were rebadged DLink Cameras... RB

dammit.. now I want it more than ever! one of the few remaining '90's era sets that I really want.

The video isn't loading.. all I'm seeing is a black box with a blue ! symbol... do you have a link, rather than embedding it?

I'm pretty certain, when the speed controller was developed a few years ago, it's main purpose would have been for Power Function Trains... indoor trains... that have no need for steering if you want high performance, accurate RF remote control, for outdoors, then get a hold of the RC Buggy gear! apart from people building truck-trial vehicles, and the odd boat... Lego is a 99% indoor toy! Maybe if sales of the Rock Crawler go nuts, they might come out with a better PF Remote that's more suited to cars RB

It's because that gear ratio is too high to enable the car to be pushed smoothly Install the 4.5 motor, and it works OK (since the motor replaces the piston engine, it's now working 'opposite' to the push-along gearing... check out the instructions - the pages at the end, about installing the motor tell you what to do RB

This guy on Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com.au/ile9os has a great selection of Technic/PF/Pneumatic parts.. pretty reasonable prices too.. USD$8 for 3 metres of tubing, and either 4 of the new connectors, or 8 T pieces RB

I bought it through nostarch, and got the PDF as soon as they had it available (and about a week before the physical book arrived) So far, I've only peeked at the PDF.. and the book is still unopened.. awaiting Christmas morning (to be read Christmas afternoon, with a full belly! :) RB

I think the best outcome (for us!) of Grohl working for TLG, is that we might get some Technic sets that not only have a 'B' model, but a C, D, E, F, G, H, I J.......Z RB

My hardcopy arrived here in Melbourne Australia today! Sariel - have you gotten yours yet?? :D RB