LEGO TECHNIC Mine Loader 42049 Vehicle Toy

A soon to be Christmas gift for a 10 year old boy. He is very into the normal Lego sets and I thought this might be a little more challenging for him. With all it's moving parts, it should be better to play with than the standard building sets. It has two different building options to create a second vehicle so it does offer the builder different challenges.

Good technic. Solid build. My son loves it. Took him a morning to build it.After the build, i would suggest putting the mindstorm motors & controlling from a Raspberry Pi3 via WiFi remote login. It will be a remote control Mine Loader. If put a USB camera and AI machine learning. That will be a self-driving Mine Loader. Definitely any self-driving accident would be manageable :)

Even though I fall way outside the age range for this kit, it provided me with an enjoyable afternoon assembling it. I haven't tried the second assembly yet simply because I like the loader so much that I don't want to disassemble it. I am however studying it to see if I can adapt it to a loader using a scoop from the Bobcat tracked loader kit (42032).

Overall I think this is a good Lego from the Technic line. It's very well designed and seems sturdy like most of the other sets in the Technic line. It measures roughly 4" high, 4.5" wide, and just under 15" long when assembled. We have purchased several other larger models in the Technic line- such as #42009 Mobile Crane, and it seems to be appropriately scaled even when compared to that large model. The retail price for this set is 49.99, which works out to roughly 10-11 cents per piece. That's on-par for most non-motorized sets in the Technic line, especially ones that include such large pieces (like the huge wheels and large red barrel) It has three main adjustable functions, and they all work smoothly. There is a small black gear on top that works to turn the huge gear in the middle for steering. There is a second small black gear behind the driver's cabin that opens and closes the grabber arms so that you can "grab" the red barrel. The last function is a simple arm that raises and lowers the grabber arms so that you can "pick up" the barrel. That function isn't very complex- it just is a simple arm that revolves around two pivot points. It is nice that it sort of "clicks" into place when you raise the grabber arms.Other cool features include the HUGE 2.5" tires that are usually reserved for much more expensive models. The cylinders in the motor connect to the back wheel behind the driver so they revolve up and down when the model is moving, which is also neat. The gears that work the cylinders also works to make the fan blade spin in the rear of the motor too. The last thing that I thought was cool was the system that they designed to make grabber arms open and shut. It's hard to see in the photos, but the system uses two pieces that look like little trailer hitch balls on either end of a connecting rod in the front of the loader. The system works really well to transfer the movement of the gears inside the loader to the actual grabber arms.There are two things that I didn't like about the set. First, the black pieces that make up the two headlamps swivel. I'm not sure if this is by design or just the pieces that Lego chose to use. When my son and I play with the Lego, they always seem to move- and one gets left pointing up, while the other points down. I would have preferred fixed headlamps. The second issue that I have is that Lego only includes one red barrel with this model, which kind of limits playability. You use the loader to pick up the one barrel, move it someplace else, and set it down. Then you pick it up again, and move it back... that's about it. It would have been more fun if they had included three red barrels instead.Overall, my son and I had a great time building this model- and really enjoy playing with it.

Great Product!!! Exactly as expectedFun to build with my nephew, as always, and also been able to explain to him lots of mechanical concepts using this model.love the idea of 2-in-1, makes the fun doubled :))Looking forward for my next purchaseP.S.I bought one for me as well :))

It is a bit challenge for a 7-8 years old, but it is considered as a beginner level if you have assemble Technic set before. Help the little kids to do it and under the gear sets is very interesting. Beware small pieces that may drop on floor.

Simple and not very exciting, but the sale price was right.

This set was throughout fun to build. I was amazed at the utility of the app. Being able to rotate the picture was extremely helpful.

Came very quickly (quicker then estimated) No damage, Exactly as pictured. Thanks !

Delivered on time. Given as Christmas present and was greatly appreciated.

It's LEGO. What else needs to be said.

Exactly as advertised. High quality components and an excellent design.

Quick delivery, great product!