42134 - Monster Jam Megalodon & 42135 - Monster Jam El Toro Loco

[astyanax]

1 hour ago, Gray Gear said:

@Igor1 Thanks m8, this is a real livesaver 

If the bar slides out without taking the pin with it, try using instead a bar in a transparent color -- those seem to have more friction.

[Gray Gear]

@astyanaxI am not trying to pull the pin out using a bar, but to mount a bar permanetly without spinning. Still, that is a very nice trick to know 

[2GodBDGlory]

7 hours ago, astyanax said:

If the bar slides out without taking the pin with it, try using instead a bar in a transparent color -- those seem to have more friction.

Odd! I always found that transparent ones had less friction!

Either way, I'm very happy about these friction stud-pins. I'll no longer have to do workarounds, such as sticking a flick missile part into a 2L pin!

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Apparently Sariel did not receive these two sets from Lego for review, so he had to go buy his own copies. 

@kbalage How's the situation with you?

[kbalage]

10 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

Apparently Sariel did not receive these two sets from Lego for review, so he had to go buy his own copies. 

@kbalage How's the situation with you?

Bought them, built them, review coming later today ;) 

[kbalage]

And here is the video :) 

 

 

[Ngoc Nguyen]

@kbalage  I'm surprised you didn't mention the part that you did not receive them from TLG and had to buy them yourselves.

[kbalage]

Just now, Ngoc Nguyen said:

@kbalage  I'm surprised you didn't mention the part that you did not receive them from TLG and had to buy them yourselves.

Why shall I mention this? Getting sets for review from TLG is not automatic, I'm not getting offers for everything that is released. I regularly buy sets for review, it's not a big deal. 

[Maaboo the Witch]

Good review! Love the enormous amount of time spent on Megalodon while El Toro Loco gets the bish-bash-bosh treatment. 

El Toro Loco is still my fave despite the awkward stickers (I bloody hate orienting them on beams!). To me it has the classic monster truck aesthetic and appeal; Megalodon is just a bit too out there, at least for me, and the blue looks a bit washed out. Blue rims would have been cooler as well. El Toro Loco ain't perfect either (those flamin' horns won't stay still!) but it's the better truck in my view.

[kbalage]

2 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

Good review! Love the enormous amount of time spent on Megalodon while El Toro Loco gets the bish-bash-bosh treatment. 

El Toro Loco is still my fave despite the awkward stickers (I bloody hate orienting them on beams!). To me it has the classic monster truck aesthetic and appeal; Megalodon is just a bit too out there, at least for me, and the blue looks a bit washed out. Blue rims would have been cooler as well. El Toro Loco ain't perfect either (those flamin' horns won't stay still!) but it's the better truck in my view.

Thanks! The Monster Jam series is practically unknown around here so I had no preference, Megalodon was simply a more interesting build with more new parts to show.

[Kostq]

I believe the horns prefer to go downwards to prevent impaling children or poking something in a pullback crash. by design.
You can't bend flex axles in this shape, so it's the only way to get ANY safety other than the crashbeam.
It's the only thing I don't like about the Monster Jam series is that beam in the front /that looks like crap, but I'm an adult and don't crash it that often/.

That beam is still there from 42046...

Edited January 5, 2022 by GTS

[anyUser]

On 1/5/2022 at 11:39 AM, kbalage said:

Bought them, built them, review coming later today

My impression on the colour of the 42134 Megalodon is dark azure rather than medium blue. Also from the video review. Anybody else too? Or do I have to check my screen settings?

[Jundis]

Nice review @kbalage ! Thanks very much :-)

For the wheel question: On my Grave Digger set, the tractor wheels have a significantly higher roll resistance. With them put on, the monster truck only reaches about half the distance in comparison to the balloon tires on laminate flooring.

[Maaboo the Witch]

14 minutes ago, Jundis said:

Nice review @kbalage ! Thanks very much :-)

For the wheel question: On my Grave Digger set, the tractor wheels have a significantly higher roll resistance. With them put on, the monster truck only reaches about half the distance in comparison to the balloon tires on laminate flooring.

How do they compare on carpet?

[Jundis]

31 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

How do they compare on carpet?

I don't have enough carpet to compare :D

[kbalage]

1 hour ago, anyUser said:

My impression on the colour of the 42134 Megalodon is dark azure rather than medium blue. Also from the video review. Anybody else too? Or do I have to check my screen settings?

Better check the screen settings :) You can verify the part list already on rebrickable, and they are 100% medium blue.

1 hour ago, Jundis said:

For the wheel question: On my Grave Digger set, the tractor wheels have a significantly higher roll resistance. With them put on, the monster truck only reaches about half the distance in comparison to the balloon tires on laminate flooring.

I made a video test last year and there was no significant difference in speed, distance or bounciness.

I did a quick test now with the Megalodon and the different tires. I have 60x60cm tiles in the room, and with 60 cm windup distance the truck went 560 cm on the stock tires and 490 cm with the tractor ones, that's only ~13% difference. I don't have carpet around here for such comparison. 

[SaperPL]

The megalodon could be a perfect set if they used the same fin on the tail. The odd number of those fin pieces is weird, but it seems to be coming from how they used the tail piece in the B-model.

[Mattallica]

anyone moc'd any other trucks in this style?

i want to make a Bigfoot

[msk6003]

In my 3 screen(samsung notebook, iphone se2, unknown brand desktop monitor) megalodon looks like dark azure. Even my actual model is really medium blue. And seems like El toro loco's orange is lot more brighter than normal. I think your camera setting is something little wrong.

[Void_S]

4 hours ago, msk6003 said:

In my 3 screen xn(samsung notebook, iphone se2, unknown brand desktop monitor) megalodon looks like dark azure. Even my actual model is really medium blue. And seems like El toro loco's orange is lot more brighter than normal. I think your camera setting is something little wrong.

The camera or software to edit photos just sets the vibrance too high. The resulting pictures looks tasty but a bit unnatural. My screen also show Megalodon in 100%-trustworthy Dark Azure, with no any doubts... 

[kbalage]

Apologies for not aiming at a 100% accurate color representation, I think if I tried to replicate the medium blue correctly then the orange and other colors would be totally off :) Different shades of LEGO pieces are notoriously difficult to replicate on photos or on video, I use a similar color grading for all of my content produced so there was no specific setup this time either. 

[Kostq]

Remember when this guy was an alt-build? 42033 + 42034 sets.
The coolest pullback combo build after the 42046-42047 for me. The rest were all kind of meh. Quirky designs for sure, but this looks almost like a set of his own.
I wonder how it stands size-wise to the current Monster Jam line. Besides the dual pullback action.

Edit: I've rendered it with the old pals. FITS.

Edited January 12, 2022 by GTS

[Maaboo the Witch]

Someone order another video review? Sariel has you covered:

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Maaboo35

[msk6003]

RC mod of El Toro Loco

 

[Maaboo the Witch]

Woohoo, another Sariel review! Get it while it's hot.