DarkShadow73 Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 Is it just me or is the 42009 MkII Crane not all that great? Yes, I've just built it even though its been out for 2 years, more a time thing and I got into a lot of MOCs and MODs. I didn't find the build real interesting or the finished product. Yeah, I have 2 8421's from 2005, and I believe that model was far superior (even with the chunky battery box and odd 8287 motor, best in my opinion though, just a bit noisy, and about 700 less pieces(cripes there we're so many pins out of those 2606 pcs)) to the 42009 in terms of the build and playability. And yes, the pneumatic boom of the 8421 was troublesome, you almost couldn't feather the valve to let it down without it coming down fast, and it didn't stay up overnight, even with a completely closed pneumatic system. I found a way to keep it up, as well as the heavy backhoe part of the 8455 Backhoe Loader. Its not that I don't like the 42009, its a pretty shelf model, 8421 is as well, but I guess I was awestruck when I was building and finished the 8421, not so much with the 42009. I'm just wondering if any others share my opinion, especially if you may own both sets. Quote
L3gonut Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) Last year I bought 2 42009's.1 to build and one as a spare parts kit. I build the mark II first and I do have to admitt that it wasn't all that exciting plus I couln't get the outrigger function work properly. That said, later on I decided to build the Ultimate 42009 ( http://rebrickable.c...=1&ignore_alt=1 ) which has way more power functions & has the outriggers perform like a charm . Additionally there are a lot of Xtra mods that you can include. Tip; Google the Eurobricks forum and you'll find them. From experience I advise you to go for the ultimate. (the 8421 is still on my bucketlist) Edited October 25, 2015 by L3gonut Quote
aminnich Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 I disagree I also bought 2 of them; one for the crane and another for parts. What is their not to love about it???? Quote
MaxSupercars Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) I love the 42009 very much too... Of course that the designer must made compromises but it is one of the best sets ever made... I buyed 3 of them to build my super mobile crane... Max... Edited October 25, 2015 by MaxSupercars Quote
nerdsforprez Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) Is it just me or is the 42009 MkII Crane not all that great? Yes, I've just built it even though its been out for 2 years, more a time thing and I got into a lot of MOCs and MODs. I didn't find the build real interesting or the finished product. Yeah, I have 2 8421's from 2005, and I believe that model was far superior (even with the chunky battery box and odd 8287 motor, best in my opinion though, just a bit noisy, and about 700 less pieces(cripes there we're so many pins out of those 2606 pcs)) to the 42009 in terms of the build and playability. And yes, the pneumatic boom of the 8421 was troublesome, you almost couldn't feather the valve to let it down without it coming down fast, and it didn't stay up overnight, even with a completely closed pneumatic system. I found a way to keep it up, as well as the heavy backhoe part of the 8455 Backhoe Loader. Its not that I don't like the 42009, its a pretty shelf model, 8421 is as well, but I guess I was awestruck when I was building and finished the 8421, not so much with the 42009. I'm just wondering if any others share my opinion, especially if you may own both sets. I loved the model. But then again, I was in the dark ages for 8421, so I don't have much to compare it against. But one thing that I don't understand, is all the gripe people are giving about all the pins of the 42009. IMO, all the pins made a lot of sense. When you have a build like the MK II, you have a whole section of the build that is filled with redundancy (the boom). Lot of repeating parts there... but not a bad thing. That is what one will get with a boom. And to make it strong, you need a lot of pins. 8288 was similar. Also, b/c a crawler crane, and the main booms were made of lots of lift arms. But no one gripes about that b/c LFTARMs are so useful. Which they are yes..... BUT, redundant. You can't complain against redundancy, IMO, when it is part of the inherent nature of the machine..... Edited October 25, 2015 by nerdsforprez Quote
DarkShadow73 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Posted October 25, 2015 So I guess I'm not the only one, the outriggers are jittery for sure and I made sure I put everything together correctly, checking each step double where gears, or an entire gearbox was involved. I will check out the ultimate 42009, I have plenty of PF parts, so that might be a good idea. Especially since I bought 3 of them, 1 to build main model, 1 for alternate model, and 1 to keep for later resale. Thanks for the idea. Last year I bought 2 42009's.1 to build and one as a spare parts kit. I build the mark II first and I do have to admitt that it wasn't all that exciting plus I couln't get the outrigger function work properly. That said, later on I decided to build the Ultimate 42009 ( http://rebrickable.c...=1&ignore_alt=1 ) which has way more power functions & has the outriggers perform like a charm . Additionally there are a lot of Xtra mods that you can include. Tip; Google the Eurobricks forum and you'll find them. From experience I advise you to go for the ultimate. (the 8421 is still on my bucketlist) I should have worded the topic name differently, 42009 vs 8421. I definitely liked the 8421 better, but with all things Lego, it is hard to make a criticism or praise without actually building it. Yeah, between the black friction pins and the blue 3L friction pins, there are without checking nearly 800 pins, and yes they are definitely needed on not only the boom, but on the superstructure as well. Who knows, I loved the 8258 Crane Truck, but the crane was subpar at best, and no motorized winch and such, but the overall looks and the build we're incredible. The gearbox alone was genius. I disagree I also bought 2 of them; one for the crane and another for parts. What is their not to love about it???? One little criticism about today's cranes. What happened to the standard black metal hook? The jibs are fine, but as is with most wheeled and tracked cranes, there is almost always a hook. I believe the last time the black metal hook was used was in the 8285 Tow Truck from 2006. Quote
Henkl Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 This crane isn't it for me. I found the build very boring. I will never build it again. 8421 was the crane who got me, actually it was my wife, out of my dark ages. Including 2 tow trucks in one buy. 8421 is still the best. Quote
MacKaiwer Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 I have this set 42009 unopened and I'm thinking to build MrTekneexs' great looking C-model Flatbed Tow Truck from it... Maybe that is right decision because I have my doubts too towards the original A-model... Quote
Samer Posted October 25, 2015 Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) I came back to LEGO only in 2015. Recently I notice that 42009 is getting great discounts but still considering buying. I also know that I should decide soon before it starts to phase out. Looking at its parts list, I feel bored. Looking at people's opinions, I feel interested. What is the main point of 42009 lovers? In what is it better than 42030 other than more pins and elbows ). I love the 42009 very much too... Of course that the designer must made compromises but it is one of the best sets ever made... I buyed 3 of them to build my super mobile crane... Max... Can you show picture of the super crane? I have this set 42009 unopened and I'm thinking to build MrTekneexs' great looking C-model Flatbed Tow Truck from it... Maybe that is right decision because I have my doubts too towards the original A-model... Wow, that is so cool C-Model. Also the D-model is insane! but If I buy it I wouldn't miss the joy of building the A (talking about any set I would buy). Edited October 25, 2015 by Samer Quote
Karle Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) The 42009 crane was the kit that got me interested in Lego. I've built the base model and then upgraded it to the Ultimate version with Christophe Moittie's extended boom. The new boom makes a better looking model and can be fitted to the base 42009. As to the operation of the outriggers you have to leave some end play in every gear and connection in the drives to minimize friction. If you want a challenge try building the Grove 6400. Edited October 26, 2015 by Karle Quote
dr_spock Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 One little criticism about today's cranes. What happened to the standard black metal hook? The jibs are fine, but as is with most wheeled and tracked cranes, there is almost always a hook. I believe the last time the black metal hook was used was in the 8285 Tow Truck from 2006. 8258 crane truck had the metal hook in 2009. That's the last time I've seen them in a set. Quote
BachAddict Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 I came back to LEGO only in 2015. Recently I notice that 42009 is getting great discounts but still considering buying. I also know that I should decide soon before it starts to phase out. Looking at its parts list, I feel bored. Looking at people's opinions, I feel interested. What is the main point of 42009 lovers? In what is it better than 42030 other than more pins and elbows ). Can you show picture of the super crane? Wow, that is so cool C-Model. Also the D-model is insane! but If I buy it I wouldn't miss the joy of building the A (talking about any set I would buy). 42009 gets you one (or two) 32 axles, five 16 axles, twelve 13 long gear racks, nineteen new reinforced 8 tooth gears, five new sliding 8 tooth gears, two large and four small LAs, ten wheels... that said I am considering selling mine and bricklinking the useful pieces. Quote
MaxSupercars Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) Samer, why I love 42009... the main reason is always that the man has to like the defined type of model... in this case it's mobile crane what I generally like very much also in real life and I always wonder how it works at all... On 42009 I like the overall look and design... I like that via 1 L motors are powered such many functions... I have build this crane and after few weeks I started to modify it... I like higher amount of axles, at the moment it got 8 axles, finally it should have 9 axles and it should be mix of Liebherr LTM 11200 and other cranes... At the moment it is still WIP and half disassembled so there is nothing a lot to show... I haven't worked on it since last months and it will last maybe half a year to finish it... I let me time because I work on other projects like my version of Tatra 8x8 that I will present you... :) On the other hand a got 2x 42030 and I have never build it because I'm not big fan of Front loaders... so that's always about it what you like... Although it's a great model which I will maybe build in future but for now I use many parts from it in my other models... :) Max... Edited October 26, 2015 by MaxSupercars Quote
Samer Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 42009 gets you one (or two) 32 axles, five 16 axles, twelve 13 long gear racks, nineteen new reinforced 8 tooth gears, five new sliding 8 tooth gears, two large and four small LAs, ten wheels... that said I am considering selling mine and bricklinking the useful pieces. You reminded me why some months ago I bought a used 8462 from 1998. I calculated the cost to buy its expensive parts and it was like double the used set price. Also, talking about the metal hook, 8462 has it. Samer, why I love 42009... the main reason is always that the man has to like the defined type of model... in this case it's mobile crane what I generally like very much also in real life and I always wonder how it works at all... On 42009 I like the overall look and design... I like that via 1 L motors are powered such many functions... I have build this crane and after few weeks I started to modify it... I like higher amount of axles, at the moment it got 8 axles, finally it should have 9 axles and it should be mix of Liebherr LTM 11200 and other cranes... At the moment it is still WIP and half disassembled so there is nothing a lot to show... I haven't worked on it since last months and it will last maybe half a year to finish it... I let me time because I work on other projects like my version of Tatra 8x8 that I will present you... :) On the other hand a got 2x 42030 and I have never build it because I'm not big fan of Front loaders... so that's always about it what you like... Although it's a great model which I will maybe build in future but for now I use many parts from it in my other models... :) Max... I notice most of you guys who like the 42009 share something: You buy gigantic amounts of LEGO. For me and maybe for those us who want only to accumulate average amount, 42009 does not provide variety of pieces compared to its piece count which we have to manage storage for. Thats only what I think and only for now, so don't judge me me if I come jumping later happy with my new 42009 :-) Quote
doug72 Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) I enjoyed build this mobile crane and later modifying it to the Ultimate version with 8 PF motors. Crane now dismantled in order to utilise the parts and motors for the crane contest. I also much prefer building cranes to building a succesion of front end loaders. Cranes offer much more variety with some very unusual examples making them a good challenge when building them using Lego Technic without modification of any parts. Lego should re-issue the metal crane hook as a spare part. Edited October 26, 2015 by Doug72 Quote
cehtunger Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 Looking at its parts list, I feel bored. Looking at people's opinions, I feel interested. What is the main point of 42009 lovers? In what is it better than 42030 other than more pins and elbows ). This depends what are you looking for in the technic sets. 1.Parts source In this case both sets are must have if you don't already have substantial amount of older sets. 42009 have lots of gears an LAs, and 42030 have big wheels, rc and motors. 42009 is also second largest technic set ever, so it is a good part donor in any case. 2.Final product Both sets are great and offer lot of playability, volvo with RC, and crane with lot of different functions. Here it is good to mention that RC is more suitable to volvo, because without it it would be almost useless, but for crane manual switching of functions is more than enough to offer good playing experience. 3.building experience Here the crane is absolute winner. Building all those gearboxes and functions while trying to figure out how they will work in the end is something which i really enjoy in lego. It is also the reason why crane is still my favourite set. Quote
Erik Leppen Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 I fully understand the sentiments of topic starter and some other people. I haven't bought 42009 because after 8421 I didn't see the point. Yes, it has one more axle, and yes, it has the awesome double-acting outriggers, and yes, it is a marvel of engineering. But. On of the things I really disliked about it is that it's out of proportion. The boom is too small and awkwardly shaped, ()and just looks messy in general with all the panels). The position where the boom is attached looks odd, the boom doesn't fully retract, and doesn't extend as far as I would have liked. Also, and ultimately the reason I didn't buy it, was that for 2600 parts it didn't have a lot of interesting new pieces I didn't have already. Yes, a few red 8t gears an 16L axles, but all the rest is more of what I already have. So, not worth 150 EUR or whatever the price is. On the other hand, when I got 8421 I was really delighted. It looks much more "beefy" and imposing, and was the first crane I know of with a two-stage extension mechanism, and offered a lot in terms of cool parts for me at the time. That said, I think in general 42009 has a nicer design cabin, much better outriggers (with the added bonus of having power functions on them), and an actual alternative model. It is a great set. But don't forget thatin thw 42009 era other sets are also getting (much) better. Technic in 2005 was much worse than technic in 2013. When we got 42009, we had already had 8258 and 8043 for example. However, as far as mobile cranes go, in my opinion, nothing beats good old 8460. Quote
pyro690 Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 I'm not a crane guy, but every site has a crane and 42009 was the only one on S@H when I re-found Lego. I liked the build, if you need the parts its a ok buy at the $175 I have seen it for. The only thing I didn't like about it was one function at a time. Quote
plethorabricks Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 When we got 42009, we had already had 8258 and 8043 for example. However, as far as mobile cranes go, in my opinion, nothing beats good old 8460. This is the crux of it right here. When we got 42009 we already had 8258 (motorized outrigger extension and very large Technic model), and 8043 (fully functional and fully rc in one package). But what you don't get with 42009 is the fast response time that the playability of 8421 gives you. Yes in 8421 the pneumatics can't hold up the boom forever or lower the boom smoothly enough, and sure the outriggers are not realistic. But they sure do deploy quickly by turning only one central knob, and the boom raises very quickly as well. This makes a very positive impression, no matter what technology is used to implement the functions. What you achieve in mechanical mastery and full operation of 42009, you give up response time compared to 8421. For some this bargain is not sufficient to own 42009, but at least with 42009 you get a full-on completely different B-model - with 8421 you got only a bucket lift on top of the main A chassis. As for the metal hook - IMO, the metal hook works best on 8460 and its re-issues. On 8421 it is ok but not great, and on 8258 it's not very good. Any weight on the 8258 crane will make the crane flex uncomfortably, and the hook doesn't help in this regard. So for me it is not missed in 42009, and I am still deciding myself whether to own this set. Quote
Samer Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 This depends what are you looking for in the technic sets. 1.Parts source In this case both sets are must have if you don't already have substantial amount of older sets. 42009 have lots of gears an LAs, and 42030 have big wheels, rc and motors. 42009 is also second largest technic set ever, so it is a good part donor in any case. 2.Final product Both sets are great and offer lot of playability, volvo with RC, and crane with lot of different functions. Here it is good to mention that RC is more suitable to volvo, because without it it would be almost useless, but for crane manual switching of functions is more than enough to offer good playing experience. 3.building experience Here the crane is absolute winner. Building all those gearboxes and functions while trying to figure out how they will work in the end is something which i really enjoy in lego. It is also the reason why crane is still my favourite set. I agree with all you said but I opened so far EV3, 42008, 42033, 8462, and some 500 BrickLink lose parts. I also have but not opened yet 42030, 42039, 42029, 42024, 42036x3. I also ordered this week 42042, 42026x2 and plan to get next year 42025, 42040, 42047(for White color), 42050 and 42051. So my exclusion is 42009 and 42043 which I know are the tough big guys of Technic. My problem with them is their lack of anything special not found in the above sets and the boring colors: all sets offer black and grey and 42030 + 42024 offer enough of yellow. I may like to build the 42009 in Blue and white or red and white out of my sets rather than buy it. I may miss few parts but this is another cool challenge to create replacement. 8421 may not be buildable using the above parts and then, this is a set to regret. How that sounds? :-) And thank you all guys who answered my query. Really appreciate it much. Quote
ChrisYe Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 I recently bought the 42009 after seeing it drop in value. Its my first studless flagship set I've built. I really enjoyed the build, the models functions, and how it looks. This maybe because it was a new type of build for me (previously only built studded models). The only real disappointing aspect is the friction when lowering and raising the outriggers. Whenever I build my models I continually check that there isn't too much friction on the moving parts, however it seems nearly impossible with the amount of gears in the mechanism. Overall I still think its a great model though. Quote
Gnac Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 I notice most of you guys who like the 42009 share something: You buy gigantic amounts of LEGO. I fit into the leftover group of people who don't have a huge budget (and I only started collecting a while back anyway), so 42009 was a great way to address the lack of many things in my parts stash. My only concern with the set regards the copious amount of yellow dust that I found on the end-stop axles inside the carrier when I finally dismantled it. When builing, I made sure to wiggle every axle after sliding things onto them, to minimise points of friction on the geartrain. I may have actually played it too safe. Quote
mh84 Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 My only concern with the set regards the copious amount of yellow dust that I found on the end-stop axles inside the carrier when I finally dismantled it. When builing, I made sure to wiggle every axle after sliding things onto them, to minimise points of friction on the geartrain. I may have actually played it too safe. I have the same problem so I assume that it's normal and you can't avoid it entirely without lubrication. Quote
andythenorth Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 Build the 42009 B-model, it's interesting and playable Quote
Samer Posted October 30, 2015 Posted October 30, 2015 (edited) Just if useful to anyone thinking to buy MK2: I was deciding today to buy 42009 or not as its almost last chance to get it discounted from one place (160Euros including shipping). However, I took my final decision not to buy it when I found on Rebrickable.com that my sets (mentioned above and not including 42042 or the ones not bought yet) scored 88% on color and 98% colorless. Most of the missing 12% are black/gray and only few missing inexpensive yellow pieces that can be readily available on BrickLink, of course excluding the 32 axle and the 16 axle. Edited October 30, 2015 by Samer Quote
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