This is my Favorite Lego Technic Build ! The design/engineering is incredible, the build is challenging but very entertaining and fulfilling upon completion...... looks and works amazingly. Kudo's to the design team !

My second set.

Very complex build, a lot of technic and a lot of fun to play with. Adding full RC for all functions and it is the most complex set. Top set together with set 8043 also full RC.

DANGER - Long review ahead; read at your own risk!

I walked into a local Lego Store after my first paycheck one day to see what was available since my last purchase back in 2011 (8070 Supercar). Technically, that would've been a lie since I obtained the 42025 Cargo Plane exactly a week before I had this one. Of course, it had been 4 long years since I paid any attention to Lego; this was attributed to mainly studies and the only reason I bought the 8070 in the first place was purely out of interest for cars.

Anyway, let's just ignore the fact that I bought the 42025 earlier for now; I was looking around and I saw two giant boxes sitting side by side, they were the 42009 Mk II and the 42030 Volvo L350F. After standing around for what seems to be half an hour, I carefully made my decision to take the 42009 home; and I promise all of you, the box is big, heavy and really satisfying to carry around.

BOX/INSTRUCTIONS

So we have the 42009 box which weighs quite a lot compared to other sets of this size. This is to be expected since we have over 2600 parts in here and don't forget the 10 wheels this behemoth is supposed to run on! The box is huge and completely filled with parts unlike other boxes which seem to be only half full most of the time.

The box is the general flagship-type box, is square-ish and has a flap that opens to reveal some of the features of the model. On the top is a 1:1 scale of the wheels and on the rear, a depiction of the B-model; a 2-vehicles-in-1 model consisting of a reach stacker and a container truck. I opened the box on the sides which were taped; saves the trouble of destroying the box which I generally prefer to avoid.

Instructions come in the form of 6 separate booklets, Books 1-3 for the carrier, Books 4-5 for the rotating superstructure and Book 6 for the crane boom. I've read other articles stating that later production units used a singular booklet, but mine was not the case. I probably took one of the older units but that isn't an issue nonetheless.

On a side note, the separated booklets do help in a few ways:

• They help separate the build into distinct stages, good for stage-by-stage progression
• They help indicate which parts belong to which book as the parts bags are numbered
• They make parts breakdown simpler, though I'm not sure if it's any different with a singular booklet

All 6 booklets were placed in a bag along with the sticker sheet; no cardboard was present however. There weren't any instructions for the B-model as one might expect. Instructions were clear and easy to follow without being overly simple.

PARTS

Let's just say that if the first and only set you own is the 8070 (at 1281 parts), you're in for quite the build. Coming in at 2606 (!!) parts, this set is the largest Technic set known to date in terms of parts count; at least until the 42043 MB Arocs comes into play late in 2015. Hundreds upon hundreds of pins and axles in all sorts of different colors and sizes make up the majority of this set.

One might argue that the parts count comes from mostly the small stuff; not to mention having only a single L motor and a battery box in the PF department. While true, this isn't an issue since the end result is a large and rigid structure for you to admire; after all the pins are responsible for providing its rigidity. Aside from those, a vast variety of existing Technic parts are provided in the set, including quite a number of linear actuators; 2 regulars for the crane boom and 4 miniatures for the outriggers. More motors and RC functionality could be included; but that'd probably bump the price up considerably.

Sorting trays and a really large table are recommended as you will see lots of tiny parts lying around. I eventually ended up with a number of spare pins and even axles but I can't tell if this is intentional or if I've left something out during the building process.

BUILD

The build is straightforward as mentioned but continuously makes you guess the final size of the completed model. The segments to build are the carrier, superstructure and crane boom and these are independent of one another; one can simply build his or her preferred segment first instead of following any particular order. Again I'm not sure in the case of a singular booklet, but the fact that the 6 booklets contain instructions for individual segments allows for split, semi-modular construction.

Now for the actual build; I'll try not to spoil too much of the details!

Books 1-3 - Carrier

You start with the central frame and work your way to the front and rear ends; at this point the wheel insertion axles should be ready. Next is the gearbox for switching between outrigger extension and feet raise/drop functions. You then construct the similar but not identical outrigger modules and then the "caps" to cover the remaining blanks; this makes the assembly cleaner and as a feature, these are hinged so they can be folded up to see the sections underneath; a nifty tool for detecting problems in the assembly!

Work then begins to construct the cabin; I initially assumed the full length of the carrier had been reached but this actually increases by several inches after construction is done. The cabin comes with folding doors, two seats, wing mirrors, headlights and a steering wheel which can be placed on either side. A V8 engine sits behind the cabin and warning lights are placed on top of the cabin. Various panels are then used to complete the vehicle.

At the end of book 3, carrier construction is complete along with the 10 wheels and makes a good model to display on its own. It also comes with HOG steering with 8 of the 10 wheels being steered. Each pair of wheels also has a specific steering lock which is a nice detail. The third axle (middle) does not steer but has a differential.

The carrier, as per Lego's description, is a behemoth with 10 wheels; it's large and quite nicely decorated. The "caps" mentioned earlier are intuitive and the steering locks are a nice touch; although the turning radius is a little too large in relative scale. It's also heavy, as (presumably) more than half the parts count went in its construction. Despite the weight, it's extremely rigid and robust.

Books 4-5 - Superstructure

You start with a turntable secured with several beams. The next part involves adding axles and gears of all sizes and you'll soon find that the construction becomes incredibly complex. The single L motor that powers all functions is also added. Next are the linear actuators which raise or lower the crane boom. A technical and design error exists in which the gears for the actuators should be facing the same direction and not each other to avoid stressing of the parts; although this may have been intended for symmetry reasons.

In the upper half of the superstructure, a gear setup is used to control the winch. The set comes with roughly 3 meters of string so there's plenty of room for play later. Building then proceeds to create a gear selector for switching between the various functions. Fairing panels are then used to enhance the overall appearance of the superstructure. There is also a cab for the crane operator and a door on the left side which can be opened manually.

At the end of book 5, the superstructure is complete and can be attached to the carrier. An axle is threaded through the center of the turntable to the carrier, allowing mechanical motion from the superstructure to pass to the outriggers in the carrier. This also allows the structure to rotate 360 degrees without interfering with the mechanical components. Rotation of the superstructure is not motorized unfortunately and is achieved manually.

The superstructure is quite the compact, complex and heavy contraption; the entirety of it powers the 4 core functions using only a single motor and plenty of gears and axles. These provide the resulting weight although the batteries contribute a higher fraction. It is also nicely decorated and the panels give it a refined and smooth appearance. Stickers are also applied on the superstructure to indicate motor directions for the functions.

Book 6 - Crane boom

Only a single booklet is dedicated to the boom. This will cover its construction as well as attaching the assembly to the superstructure to complete the model.

Construction begins with the internal part of the boom, achieved using a series of racks, studded bricks and plates. We then move onto the casing made using several curved panels used to house the internals. The boom itself is telescopic and the effect is achieved using several strings with studs and a pulley system of sorts. A worm gear setup is used in the boom extension mechanism, giving it realistic speeds when used with the PF motor. A rolling wheel is also used inside the boom to assist with extension and retraction.

Not long after, the boom assembly is complete and ready to be attached to the superstructure. This section is the shortest and lightest by comparison and arguably uses the least parts of the three.

Final Assembly

The assembly is completed when the boom is attached to the superstructure and the string from the superstructure is threaded through the upper part of the boom, through a pulley and knotted to a point under the boom. The hook is constructed in-situ and is made of several thin beams and pins.

COMPLETED MODEL

Quick Facts

• Max. height - 77 cm (boom fully raised/extended)
• Max. length - 59 cm (carrier only)
• Max. boom angle - 65 degrees
• Weight - 2.63 kg (2.49 kg w/o batteries)

The model is deceptively large; it achieves an amazing height of 77 cm when the crane boom is fully raised and extended. Scale-wise, this is on the low side as real crane booms stretch much further but for a Lego model, this is impressive. The carrier alone measures at some 59 cm long, evidently longer than most large non-flagship sets; I say most because one exception is the 42025 Cargo Plane reaches a staggering length of 62 cm. The maximum boom angle of 65 degrees matches that of actual cranes, if not slightly lower. The model is also heavy, weighing in at 2.63 kg although this isn't an issue whatsoever as I prefer my models heavy and rigid.

The model is characterized by its rather "slow" functions; the only decently fast operation is the outrigger extension while the rest of the functions need time for them to reach the end of travel with most requiring about 30 seconds and is attributed to heavy gear reductions and frictional loss. In the model's defense however, these speeds match those of real cranes when scaled appropriately.

The outriggers aren't strong enough to lift the carrier off its wheels but are however able to prevent it from moving off. This was probably caused by two factors; the outrigger modules being too short due to small actuators, or simply the lack of torque. The string is of rather high quality and coupled with the light hook, slacks unless it's loaded. The set provides 3 meters of this string as mentioned earlier and thus allows the hook to reach underground levels even when the crane boom is fully raised and extended.

The model consists of mostly yellow and black except for parts of the carrier but these parts are unnoticeable while the crane boom is lowered. The cabs are nicely decorated with doors, wing mirrors and lights placed here and there. The HOG steering at the rear of the carrier is also built with appropriate steering lock angles, complementing the existing details of the model.

The stickers are a nice touch and this set is no different. I would've preferred printed parts however as prints don't need to be aligned and can't be easily damaged. The stickers in this set are mostly used as set indicators or warning strips. The only troubles I had were how they have to be aligned as well as ensuring they don't end up creased while applying.

OVERALL OPINION

Building took approximately 10 hours spread across 5 days including photographing. I believe one will get the most fun out of a set's construction not by rushing its build, but slowly piecing the parts together, understanding how each individual module works and watching it grow; in my case, the photography also adds sentimental value to the set.

Now for the ratings:

• 5 - Overall rating - It is a flagship, is large, is visually appealing, has 2606 parts and builds an impressive model
• 5 - Building experience - Complex and intricate yet simple and easy to follow at the same time
• 5 - Parts - 2606 (!!) parts consisting of a huge variety of existing Technic parts
• 5 - Playability - 5 motor functions, other manual functions incl. HOG steering and 360 deg. superstructure rotation
• 5 - Value For Money - For the parts count and variety, aesthetics and the size

Being the first ever flagship I bought, this set doesn't fail to impress at all. Generally, improvements can be made but for an official set, this set has quite a lot to offer to everyone whether or not it's from a typical person's perspective or otherwise.

I find the set great because of the following:

• Large box
• Large parts count & parts variety
• Complex construction but easy-to-follow steps
• Variety of power and manual functions
• Semi-modular construction is particularly intuitive
• Stickers decorate the model well
• Tiny but noticeable and appealing visual and functional details
• 10 wheels! (8 of which are steered, each pair with their own angles)
• Nicely detailed and plenty of smooth sections thanks to fairing panels
• Large overall model, makes a really great display item!

And of course, some recommendations I can suggest:

• To an extent, the addition of RC functionality
• Replacing some of the grey beams on the carrier with yellow
• Outriggers strong enough to lift the carrier off its wheels
• Reducing the gear reduction to improve function speeds
• Extended boom! (to scale correctly with real mobile cranes)

Last but not least, a tip to all builders; allow some spacing between gears as this eliminates any possibility of the mechanisms operating too slowly. Other than these, it's hard for me to find any faults in this set and it really is something to behold. It currently sits beautifully in my little family of various Technic vehicles, including the 8070 Supercar and the 42025 Cargo Plane.

For Technic builders, you'll want this set for its huge variety of parts as well as if you're a general fan of large construction machines; this is the largest crane to date as well.

For non-Technic builders, this will still be a joy to build in general and it makes an excellent display model too.

What are you waiting for? Go get one already!

EDIT 1: I've recently built the 8043 Motorized Excavator, they make a good pair!

EDIT 2: I've again recently obtained the 42030 Volvo L350F Wheel Loader; it's not constructed yet however but I'm excited to see what a full construction crew looks like.

EDIT 3: 42030 construction is complete; I basically have a yellow army now!

I have fond memories of building 8053 mobile crane, so when I saw it had been re-released, I had to have it, and pestered the wife until she bought it for my birthday.

Box/Instructions

It's a large box, but it's a full one. With 6 manuals covering the 3 build stages. Parts are in bags marked 1-3 depending on the stage. I would have liked to see more 'order' to the parts - they were very jumbles even with the build stage 1, and spent quite a bit of timing pre-sorting.

Parts

There are a good selection of parts in this set, with notable ones including 2 large LA's, 4 small LA's, a small motor / battery box, a 32l axle and of course the new frictionless 8 tooth gear - a great addition to the parts catalog.

Some have reported getting a spare 32l axle - I didn't get this.

The build

I was expecting a build similar to 8053 but really, there is very little in common with its predecessor. One key memory of 8053 was the complexity of the steering mechanisms, but they've stripped all this overly complex area into something much more simple & effective. which makes sense, of course.

the use of the 32l axle confuses me - it really doesn't need to be there - there's able room for a few shorter ones joined up, which I would expect to also reduce the strain on the 32l - it powers the outriggers, so being connected to the motor makes it prone to twisting.

There are a few tricky / fiddly parts, but nothing a seasonable builder will have any worries about.

The build is enjoyable, and surprisingly un-repetitive - something I see to recall 8053 being. Other than the building of the outriggers, there's very little duplication in build effort for this set.

Building the super structure is just pure genius seeing it all fit together with the 4-selection gear box. The boom was again a bit fiddly, especially as I kept fitting the wrong parts.

The completed model

The overall model looks amazing - but there are just a few criticisms

1. The motor, imo, is very weak and should have been a large one. The boom extension was really struggling at times.

2. The 'cable' doesn't feed / retract as the boom raises or lowers, so you have to constantly stop, switch the gear box to the winch, and slack the winch.

The above are minor technical details. However, my main worry is the colouring of parts. The yellows are without a doubt different shades - even beams of different lengths are different colours - it's really noticeable as you build. Thankfully it's less noticeable on the final build, but this is a real poor show from a company priding itself in qualify control, in my view.

Overall opinion

Regardless of the technical issues, and the colouring issue - this is still an incredible set. Different enough from 8053 for you to not feel like you're just rebuilding the same model, but close enough to bring back the nostalgia. A must for technics fans!

(sorry about the sideways photo - it's not like that on my server, so not sure how to change it!)

I had earmarked this set as a Christmas present when I saw it in a catalogue in mid 2013.

I wonder though if it is really the Mk III Mobile Crane. Set 855 is Mk I, Set 8421 is Mk II so that makes this set the Mk III Lego Technic Mobile Crane.

My Lego Technic experience was ignited with Sets 855 and 857 in 1980, 34 years ago. I have always cherished these two sets and I am fortunate to have recently returned them to original condition.

I was really looking forward to tackling this set and it has met all expectations.

The set is based on a Liebherr mobile crane. Liebherr have a reputation for being one of the world's leading manufacture of construction machinery. This set looks and feels very similar to their LTM 1200-5.1 crane.

Box/Instructions

The box is HUGE. It has some really great photos and graphics are terrific. You immediately get a feel for the magnitude of the build when you see that there are six instruction books.

Parts

There are heaps of parts. Reviews have made much of the number the blue and black connectors. With Technic Lego moving away from studs and to more realistic studless look, there is only one way to join those beams. A review of any other recent build will show that the proportion of the blue and black connectors is consistent in this model when compared to other sets.

With the move away from studs, there will be more connectors in future Technic models.

The density and complexity of the gear box in the crane house leaves little room to spare.

The L Motor fits nicely and there would be insufficient room for the larger XL Motor.

A second motor could have been used to power the engine and outriggers with the existing outrigger function being allocated to slewing the crane body. This is a modification I will be looking at in the near future.

Minifigures

While not part of this set, A slight modification to the seat in the crane cab by lowering the seat will enable an Emmet key light Minifigure to operate the crane. He is at the right scale and looks great sitting there in his construction overalls. A link to the recent Lego Movie.

The build

It took the best parts of two full days to build this model. It kept me busy during Christmas.

The completed model

This is fantastic. I have used this model to teach cranes, blocks and tackles, mechanical advantage, velocity ratios etc. There is a real feel for using cranes when operating this set.

While the outriggers take time to deploy, they add real stability to this crane. Lifting weights when the crane is at right angles to the chassis will soon show the need for these stabilisers. I used a pair of padlocks as the test weights.

While they are not strong enough to lift the crane up off its tyres, they have sufficient lift to stop the crane from driving off when fully deployed.

The delay in setting the crane up by deploying the outriggers matches the time taken to use such a crane in the real world.

The companion model Reach Stacker is realistically based on a Bellotii forklift. The forklift, 20' container and little truck all made from one set is impressive and is an indication of the size and complexity of the main model.

I like the use of two gear boxes and believe using these gears has educational value.

Overall opinion

There is probably room for Lego to create an accessory set for all their cranes and forklift trucks. Perhaps a set so that a 20' container, cargo pallet and associated lifting gear, chains and hooks to compliment this set.

This crane sets nicely next to my 855 Mobile Crane.

I am impressed with the 42009 Mk II Mobile Crane.