cbt

Thanks a lot, Eric. Actually, I'm an engineer too, and yes, I do have an interest in agricultural equipment, as well as in construction vehichles, trucks and cars. However, my #1 hobby is not LEGO Technic, but model trains (H0 DC) - LEGO Technic is "only" my #2. I do show off my Technic models online - however, it's in Danish. You can find it all on the Danish LUG site called Byggepladen by searching for 'Dieselund' (use the 'Søg' button in the top right corner), and perhaps use the Google translation. (You can find a search link here). For instance, 'Dieselund Maskinstation' means 'Diesel Valley Machine Pool' - the owner of all the farm equipment and a great customer of my Technic Workshop. Well, it’s all just aliases for myself, however, Technic Workshop is the name of my BrickLink shop too. I enjoyed reading your reviews long before I signed up on EB, and I would just like to say keep up the good work, Eric . Well, sorry, this was all a bit off-topic. Let's get back on topic again.

Well, I really like the idea of doing a LEGO Trial Truck that really works as do the real life TT's. If I was to do such an 8-wheeler I would make a frame of the parts of two Dirt Crushers or Outdoor Challengers. They are tough as hell, and that vehicle would definitely work - no matter the weather or the state the tracks are in. On top of that frame I would place a Tatra or MAN style light-weight body made of "real" Technic parts - and then you're off... and leaving all the others behind.

What's with all the Technic hate? Might be due to the lack of studs in today's Technic sets ?. Might be needless to say, that the classic studded Technic beam was more or less displaced by the development of today's Technic theme towards liftarm-based designs and is to be found - often in rather large numbers, actually - in today's minifig sets. Anyways, the winds of change keeps blowing, and if you don't like what's cooking in today's steaming bowl of Technic innovations, then perhaps the steaming bowl on another stove might smell somehow better...

Could TLG Ever Market a Technic Set Sold by an AFOL? Generally I hope not! At least not as an officiel set. Generally, the Technic MOC's I have seen (including my own!) are years behind LEGO's own developmental stage. Furthermore, many of those MOC's are far too brittle, too "studded", too heavy, not as well-made, with use of "forbidden" building techniques, and the piece count is far too high. During the process of designing a model the LEGO Technic designers spend hours on rebuilding and optimizing in order to minimize the piece count (and thus the cost) and on weeding out among the "forbidden" building techniques, thus making it easier for children to build those things. Yes, the main target group even for Technic still is children... Even a first quick glance on most of the Technic MOC's I've seen clearly reveals that there are still so much to do if they should ever catch up with original LEGO Technic sets, both on optimizing, stability, etc. Furthermore, ask yourself if you would ever want to pay that much for a high piece count Technic model, that might look good but lacks severly in stability, ruggedness and "up-to-dateness" ?. Well, I wouldn't...

Well, even as an age 40+ AFOL I prefer the newer studless Technic sets over any of the nostalgic studded oldschool type of pre-2001 Expert Builder/Technic models. Can't hide that I'm so much into New Style Technic that my all-time favorite might as well be a future model that the world haven't even seen yet, and that I prefer to be looking forward - in stead of being retrospective when this type of questions comes up. Perhaps a future Super Car becomes my all-time favorite - if there will ever again be such a Super Car model in future. Anyways, if I were to point out a current all-time favorite, it must be the #8284 Technic Tractor. This model is designed so brilliantly and it's so suitable for various modifications and for rebuilding - and it encouraged me to fulfil an old dream of building Technic Tractor MOCs (you can look them up at Brickshelf).