Random set of the day: Motorised Base Pack
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 5221 Motorised Base Pack, released during 2000. It's one of 34 Technic sets produced that year. It contains 55 pieces, and its retail price was US$40.
It's owned by 60 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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19 comments on this article
vroom?
First impression: no.
Can we go back to the Advent Calendar?
The inventory here on BrickSet seems to be missing the motor, which is kind of the important part ;-)
In all fairness, individual Mindstorms motors were always pretty pricy when sold on their own, but if it's really a "base" to build off of why include other parts at all? Wouldn't make more sense to sell the parts separately to keep the price of the motor down?
"Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come. I'm waiting on the good times now."
Do not need this in my collection... :p
What is a base pack, anyway? Some kind of base in a bag? And what good would it do to motorise it?
But look at that giant car piece. Doesn’t look like you can take it apart. LEGO should not sell such things.
(And this is from the same year that gave us Swamp).
It appears that when that lever on top hits something it either turns the battery off or switches the polarity and it reverses?
@MCLegoboy said:
"vroom?"
No. No vroom.
@GSR_MataNui:
So, this doesn’t appear to have any relation to Mindstorms, so it’s not something where they expect you to have a base kit of parts.
So, which advent calendar was this from?
Only 60 people own this? Wow! Must have been Shop @ Home or something...and even then, limited availability.
Just like the Racers RC chassis, these limit what parts one can put where, as opposed to spreading battery boxes and motors throughout the frame.
I had planned to replace the 2008-ish Technic RC chassis I had, and they're around $30 on Bricklink. These, on the other hand, despite being available not as long, are only selling for a few bucks. The one I found from a US seller was $3.40. That being said, at that price, I may get one of the chassis to fool around with.
Why?
It's pretty inexpensive.
It is capable of climbing a 45" incline.
Other sets using this chassis (8279) were 4WD, and presumably, this set can be geared to 4WD. '
Less fiddly than the old Racers RC chassis.
So who is bringing us the lore of this one?
Rest of the car sold separately
I cannot imagine that this sold many units on its a own, but contained within 8279 makes more sense. I like the idea that the battery box is contained with the motor, however, really needs steering which the RC Racers like 8183 included.
@GSR_MataNui said:
"In all fairness, individual Mindstorms motors were always pretty pricy when sold on their own, but if it's really a "base" to build off of why include other parts at all? Wouldn't make more sense to sell the parts separately to keep the price of the motor down? "
I remain shocked at Lego's pricing of individual motors and electronics in general. Not sure why they are so pricey, but mixing in some plastic pieces maybe lowers the average and hides the high cost item, I guess?
@PurpleDave said:
" @GSR_MataNui:
So, this doesn’t appear to have any relation to Mindstorms, so it’s not something where they expect you to have a base kit of parts."
I think you missed the point of my comment. This is an electronic part. Mindstorms, Boost, LEGO Mario Starter Kits, that RC Batmobile from a few years back, the Manas... anything that's got electronic motors or sensors gets a price hike. This is a motor, so it gets a price hike.