Customer Reviews

LEGO Technic Excavator

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I somewhat balked at the price at first.(College student, minimum wage job, you get the idea)

It's larger than the images would lead you to believe. Once its assembled its quite large.

The instructions are VERY GOOD! You cannot go wrong, if you pay attention.

My only real complaint, is still the price, if it were 30.00, it would be a lot more accessible. But with it being 59.99, I can only buy one at the moment, and I would like to have bought a couple more.

One set would stay as the TrackHoe, and then the other one I could build the alternative model, and then with the last one, I could have spare parts to build my own creation.

The Lego pieces are all very High Quality, everything snaps together like a charm. It's amazing to see a toy/model/machine, this well engineered.

I used to love legos, then kinda grew out of em. But now I am getting into Diesel Mechanics(college), and I just wanted to change my thinking, my perspective to some degree. It seems like my creativity has went down a WHOLE lot, compared to when I was younger, and trying to get that back. Trying to get that spark back so to say. To do good at your job, or at your college work, you have to be enthusiastic about it.

So that is what made me purchase this set, and I can honestly say it was well worth the money!

I really look forward to the Track Crane set that Lego is bringing out next year in January. (hopefully it will be in a good value)

Late 2009 update: This was a very good set for the money, but since it has gone out of production, prices are now unreasonable. There will be a new excavator complete with Power Functions (and infrared remote control) in 2010; the set is 8043. Expect it to be over one c-note.

Original review: Lego released this set mid-2008. The design is very good, and for the money ([...]) you get quite a few valuable parts that are useful for building your own designs. The set is the first to have the new linear actuators (the two pistons that move the excavator arm). It also includes a good number of the relatively new treads that were introduced in 2007 with the bulldozer (8275) and snowmobile (8272). The turntable, track suspension parts, transmission ring and catch (somewhat rare), and large number of studless beams are also handy. As for the design, the excavator has great playability, though I do recommend the Power Functions motor set (8293) because the linear actuators require large amounts of winding.

This is a review of the "A" model Excavator and not the "B" model Tracked Dumper(we haven't done the "B" model yet because were having to much fun with the Excavator "A" model):
Well Engineered toy, Directions were spot on, no errors I could find, was a pleasure to assemble with my 4 year old son. He's been playing with it for weeks! He brings it with him wherever he goes, to say he likes it is an understatement. This set is a must have if your son/daughter likes to experiment and build like mine does.
It is a very durable toy, it fell off the dining room table onto a hardwood floor and the pieces breakaway but don't shatter, and you just reassemble it, no harm done.
The only drawback is that it doesn't come with the Power Functions kit(#8293, an extra $30) and it is a must have. The kit transforms the excavator into a real scale functioning excavator (I own real heavy equipment myself), which can actually dig dry sand, sifted loam. We attached a small jewelry chain to it and it can lift things like Transfomers Bumblebee and some surprisingly heavy objects just like a real excavator does! So dont hesitate to get one of these, it is worth the money.

Good value for money.
The two new linear-accurators are a must have for the LEGO technic builder. The model is build to add a electric motor afterwards, for the main arm movements.

Easy to build.
On www.lego.com are downloadable instructions for a second model.