Quick look: 42203 Tipping Dump Truck
Posted by Huw,
42203 Tipping Dump Truck is the smallest and cheapest of the March Technic releases, but its realistic appearance and appealing livery suggest that it punches above its weight.
Let's find out...
Summary
42203 Tipping Dump Truck, 462 pieces.
£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 | 9.7p/10.8c/10.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Functions are basic, but they work well and it looks good.
- Dark blue
- Looks realistic
- Very few System parts
- Slightly expensive
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
At 28x11cm It's bigger than I imagined it to be and I was going to suggest that it looks to be to scale with some of the recently released excavators and other plant, but there's been a dearth of them in the Technic assortment lately.
Dark blue is seldom-used in unlicensed Technic sets so it's good to see it employed here, and with a reasonable quantity of pieces rather than just a handful that give the impression of the colour. There are a total of 43 dark blue parts in 12 designs.
Stickers are used for hazard stripes, branding and number plates but are not essential for the overall aesthetic.
Functions are limited, but everything you'd expect a model of a tipper truck to have has been implemented: steering via the knob on the cab roof, a tipping bed, and opening cab doors. There's no engine, but they are largely superfluous in models of this size, adding only complexity and cost.
The bed is raised by turning the gear on the side. The end flap opens automatically as it rises.
Flat-fronted cabs are standard in the UK and Europe, although I understand that they are not that common in the USA. This one has been modelled exceptionally well without resorting to System pieces to achieve the shape, which I appreciate.
Overall it's a competent, albeit not terribly exciting, model of a common vehicle. It looks good, works well, and incorporates rare colour pieces. Other than the price, which is slightly on the high side, what's not to like?
The 462-piece set will be available from 1st March priced at £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99.
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24 comments on this article
I don’t know, I think there’s significant value to be found in relatively dull vehicles. I would have eaten this up in my Bionicle phase.
I cant unsee the "eyes" made by the mould marks. It looks a nice set.
There is not much to dislike and it certainly looks nice.
But for that money it would be nice to have a few more functions.
It feels like Technic has had this truck scaled down with the same functions for a third of the price. (42147, 42084, 42060)
A simple crane with a bucket? or even a moving engine? Tilting cab with just engine detail?
A simple unsprung bogey suspension in the rear axle? A removable bed like 8052?
8273 did this same truck in blue a lot nicer 18 years ago.
@Lego34s said:
"I cant unsee the "eyes" made by the mould marks. It looks a nice set."
And now I can't either, thanks for that :D
For $50, I’d want an alternate model option.
Should be lots of possibilities with +460 pcs.
I kinda like this model but I just don't see a £45 set here. I don't know why, it's just so plain and unimaginative that it doesn't inspire any real feeling. Heck, every time I look at it I keep thinking it's one of the £9 sets.
Very good introductory set. A couple of functions and a few other moving parts. Surely kids will get 50$ worth of fun out of it. Would be interesting to see it next to 42112 - same company? (wheels of 42203 are 43.2x22 and 42112 's are 49.53x20)
An engine would mean a driving shaft and at lease one differential which would complicate the lifting mechanism as there is not much space to work with. Normally these trucks have huge telescopic cylinders which does not exist (yet - would be so cool) in Lego form.
I will most likely not get this because of 42043 (which is very hard to beat) but might be a good gift for a nephew.
Another nitpick: Lego managed to put narrow tires on the front and wider tires in the back in a small set (this one: 42203) but cannot do the same for large "premium" formula one sets?!?!?
@HuskyDynamics said:
" @Lego34s said:
"I cant unsee the "eyes" made by the mould marks. It looks a nice set."
And now I can't either, thanks for that :D"
Haha, +1 to that!
@HuskyDynamics said:
" @Lego34s said:
"I cant unsee the "eyes" made by the mould marks. It looks a nice set."
And now I can't either, thanks for that :D"
I've noticed mold marks or "nip" marks/gouges becoming more prominent and 'moving' from the underside of elements to a more visible face. I especially notice and dislike it on system tiles.
"Very few System parts"
As someone who grew up with studded beam/technic brick Technic sets, system parts in Technic have never bothered me. Do people generally hate studs in Technic these days, or is Huw just pointing this out for a rabid minority?
It is hard to see this without saying the B-word. Boring. For the size, the functions are very pedestrian.
The set 42147 is fantastic in comparison, and has a great B model.
Then again, I can see that it is well designed, and I think all kids who get it should be very happy indeed.
It doesn't look bad, but €50 for a rather simple, unlicensed truck with besides steering only one not very special function, less than 500 parts (half of which are pins and the likes) and obviously no longer a B-model? Dare I say that's just pretty terrible value?
I mean, for the same money you can also get any of those sports cars, which have way more pieces, and even when it's basically the same thing over and over again, they have far more interesting builds.
I think they could have went two ways to make this set work. Or, well, actually three ways:
1) Keep it as it is and lower the price to like €30, maybe €35 at most.
2) Make it a lot smaller and even cheaper, just like indeed 42147.
3) Instead of making this just a dump truck set, include a lot more pieces as well as instructions for a bunch of alternate models, and sell it as kind of the Universal sets back in the day.
So simple, yet I really like it.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"So simple, yet I really like it."
yeah its cool
50€???
Looks good for a Technic set
I kind of like it but the price of 50,- euro suprised me by a lot. I think it's because it's subject matter that has been popular for the 10-20 euro pricepoint, and that from a distance there aren't that many details that make it feel like a medium sized set. Up close the panels and especially those box elements at the back make it look simple. And nowadays simple is not something you'd usually get for 50,- euro. That said, there doesn't seem anything wrong with it, and up close it does look larger than you might think, judging from the pictures.
I think it's a really nice-looking model, which (no offense) isn't something you can always say about Technic sets, especially ones that don't use many system parts.
I agree it seems a bit pricey for what it is, although as the review notes it's a bit larger than one would expect so there must be a good proportion of large-ish parts in the inventory.
A Technic truck that really looks spot on. Great shape and colour scheme. Looking forwards to it hitting under £30 on Amazon!
Thanks for the review. I'd have to agree with @WizardOfOss though, it's really pretty bad value. It looks decent, and I'm glad to see it does contain a linear actuator (on a side note - have the full sized linear actuators been phased out? I don't think I've seen one since 42097, with the exception of the Cat dozer recolour). However - it looks like a £30 set at most. It'll probably hit £30 at amazon and when it does I might consider it..
On a smaller fun scale 42147 has the same steering and tipping functionality plus B model. So at a medium scale and higher price this needs another function like engine (it's just empty space under seats), sliding out stabilizers or even a crane (but this would probably make it large scale) and a B model. May purchase eventually in secondary market for the actuator and 3x19 frame.
Also looking back on more recent sets, this still feels like a weird thing. I mean, last year we got the 42167 Mack garbage truck: Licensed, more pieces, much more interesting mechanisms, yet only €35. Or the 42168 John Deere 9700 Forage Harvester: Again a licensed set, even more pieces, €43.
What were they thinking here? I just don't get this set.....
@HOBBES said:
"Would be interesting to see it next to 42112 - same company?"
To me they are of different scale, see
https://brickshelf.com/gallery/rothw/technic/42203/351_wri_35988k.png
https://brickshelf.com/gallery/rothw/technic/42203/352_wri_35985k.png
https://brickshelf.com/gallery/rothw/technic/42203/354_wri_35989k.png
@tmtomh said:
"I think it's a really nice-looking model, which (no offense) isn't something you can always say about Technic sets, especially ones that don't use many system parts.
I agree it seems a bit pricey for what it is, although as the review notes it's a bit larger than one would expect so there must be a good proportion of large-ish parts in the inventory."
Yeah, this one looks bad on a price per part basis, but I wonder what price per gram comparisons would show...