I'm a bit confused as to what this is exactly. From the instructions, there's this trailer thing that holds the battery boxes, but I guess you could also add your own weights in addition and watch the vehicle tug things along the floor? I think that's correct, but there's not an example of that shown so I don't get what's going on exactly other than continuously adding more and more engines to the front of this dragster thing. There's this whole bit of changing where the battery box sits on that trailer and that also has some sort of an effect, too, but I'm still confused.

@Meppers said:
"here's what was on the VHS tape that came with every copy of this set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkm3jIjrQKM"

This is the most 90s thing I've seen in a LONG time!

So many engines... it’s beautiful.

@Meppers said:
"here's what was on the VHS tape that came with every copy of this set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkm3jIjrQKM"

Thank you so much for posting this video. So great.

The important thing here is that this set comes with a (mostly yellow) technic figure!

@PDelahanty said:
" @Meppers said:
"here's what was on the VHS tape that came with every copy of this set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkm3jIjrQKM"

This is the most 90s thing I've seen in a LONG time!"

The parts where it's real people putting parts on the tractor then cuts to 'you' doing the same on the model, tell me that's not marketing 101 right there for kids. Oh man I would be screaming for that toy.

I went with my cousins to a local tractor pull once. Very redneck event if I am going to be honest, but not quite as redneck as the annual demolition derby they hold in the same arena!

Why is there Bionicle packaging on this strange, never before seen, inverse Blacktron-coloured Technic set?

I saw the packaging and expected to see Manas or something. I want a refund.

@Meppers said:
"here's what was on the VHS tape that came with every copy of this set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkm3jIjrQKM"

This is one of my favorite Technic sets but I didn't know the real thing existed. Thanks for sharing the video.

Ah yes, the legendary Power Puller tires, and as many cylinders as a Bugatti Chiron.

The madlads actually measured the horsepower for the video; 0.0007 HP. Best RSOTD in recent memory by miles

From a time when lego technic models weren’t just trucks and cars. Tractor pulls are huge in the USA. One of their best historical efforts ever.

I've been watching this live in the Netherlands decades ago with afaik only or mostly Dutch competitors, pretty impressive! The thing that kept me from buying this set at the time was that I felt the motor wouldn't be powerful enough to pull of anything appealing.

@extremepayne said:
"wow that is ugly. nice chrome wheels tho."

The wheels aren't chrome, but rather metalic silver. As someone else in this thread has pointed out, the wheels are some of the largest LEGO has ever produced, so making them chrome would have probably cost a fortune.

I watched these events from time to time when I was about in my mid-teens and remember most of the best teams appeared to be either from the Netherlands or Denmark. Long time ago though.

I remember the 2002 catalog dedicating a 2-page spread just for this set alone.

@Thunbear said:
"I remember the 2002 catalog dedicating a 2-page spread just for this set alone."

Which is weird, because this set actually came out in the year 2000, not 2002.

I remember looking at this for hours in one of the 2001 catalogs, I still think it looks pretty cool even though Technic sets have improved a lot in terms of aesthetics over the years, it might be rose colored glasses but I still like the old school exposed frame Technic vehicles.

@theJANG:
In the US, remember that being something that rednecks enjoy is often all it takes to dissuade others from even giving something a try. This is an event that commonly gets paired up with monster truck shows, demolition derbies, and state/county fairs (which themselves skew heavily to the farming crowd). Europe and other parts of the world are a little different in that regard. Heck, country is just a generally American music style to the rest of the world, to the point that even the Beatles put a few cover songs on their early albums.

Love the youtube video, glad to see Lego sponsoring some grass roots fun at the farm for the next generation. Although there are some negative criticisms about these petrol head shows this is how kids get an interest in mechanics and engineering, which is what Technic is all about.

There is a clip showing the toy in action slowing pulling the trailer with battery box, the later instructions do show a double motor configuration if you have one spare to obtain more power but with double the battery weight. The instructions also show the battery box sliding across the trailer to do wheelies or I'm I getting confused?

This would have made a good STEM project with the electronic timer 5206 which would stop once the beam at the end of the track was broken to see how more weight on the trailer affects time, but as no differentials or clutch gears (not invented yet) need to be careful not to overload the motor. Would also be interesting to see if the choice of either 5 4stroke engines, 3 6stroke engines or 2 8 stroke engines made any difference to time apart from increasing friction? Sadly, the steering uses plastic strings so practically non-functional as in the real model.

Oh hey, I did NOT see the technic figure lurking back there at first... he blends in very effectively with the colour of his vehicle.

...which I also didn't have a clue what it was until today, so thanks to everyone in the comments for enlightening me!

@LegoDavid said:
" @Thunbear said:
"I remember the 2002 catalog dedicating a 2-page spread just for this set alone."

Which is weird, because this set actually came out in the year 2000, not 2002."

I don’t know about the 2002 catalogue, but the continental European H2 2001 catalogue did feature this set. The feature bled across the gutter to the facing page which may be what @Thunbear was recalling.

@ambr:
The tractor will pop a wheelie just because of how much power is being sent to those rear wheels. If you floor it _without_ the sled, it might just flip the front end over the back.

The sled has wheels in the back and a skid plate in the front. The weight starts out centered over the wheels where you’re towing like a normal single-axle trailer. As you move forward, the weight shifts forward on the sled, bearing down on the skid plate and increasing the amount of friction that you have to overcome, which has the same effect as tossing more weight in the sled, making it harder to pull until you stall out.

What... is... this... thing?

@Butteredwaffles said:
"What... is... this... thing?"
Read the comments above. ;-)

Seriously, this "sport" is just as stupid and useless as Drag Racing, and watching can be just as fun... :-)

I had this set! I remember loving it, I was already very keen on cars, engines and technic at that point so it ticked all the boxes for me

This is one of the first sets I bought after my last one 8860 back in 1980. Still have it, also the VHS tape. It is a very nice set if you know what tractor-pull is. I have been to quite a few tractor-pulls back in the 80s , but I have never seen this one live. I like that that there is 3 different engine configurations to build it , 5 V4 engines like on the picture, 3 V6 engines or 2 V8 engines. It is a very realistic set. It is battery operated and works really good. It comes with one electric motor, but is designed that you can slight a second motor in it for more power, and it really works. I think I'm gonna build it tonight again.

I remember desperately wanting this as a boy but never getting it, I did manage to pick up a 99% complete copy for £30 as a teenager and brought it back to life with a few spares from Bricklink though. Just as well as it now fetches considerably more on eBay.

I had always thought this was quite a well regarded Technic set from Lego's rocky early noughties period but judging by the comments above, it has more of a cult following. Then again, that mirrors the tractor pulling sport this set is portraying.

@AustinPowers:
Well, they are pretty much direct counterparts, of the “most speed” and “most power” variety, both occurring in a straight line over a short distance. The vehicles even bear a slight resemblance to each other, if you focus more on the “penny farthing” look of the wheels, and how much of the vehicle is engine. Slap some wings on this thing and you’ve basically got a Geebee.

This is my grail set and I got one two months ago on eBay ! It's wrapped under the tree! cant wait to build it ??it's all there!

One of the alt builds for this year's Monster Burger Truck is a pulling tractor like this.