One of the things I like most about the new generation of Technic sets is the ease with which various features are motorized or capable of being operated with the new Power Functions remote control. It’s great to have loads of mechanisms, but I find manual control of these gets boring quickly. The fact that this set comes with a motor and battery box makes it fun to play with right out of the box, but even better, it’s easy to add an additional motor and PF receiver so that both the rotation and lift of the boom and bucket can be remotely controlled.

The set comes with 4 detailed instruction books. The first two books cover the build of the main model, and the second two cover the alternate model. The build, like most modern Technic sets, is almost entirely studless construction. I found the build very enjoyable, and had no problems following the instructions. The front cab section consists of a mixture of studless Technic and SNOT construction, giving the final model a less skeletal feel than most Technic sets. A moderate number of stickers are included, but they all feel appropriate and enhance the realism of the completed model. The model is scale is too small for a Technic figure, but I found that a Jack Stone figure in the bucket added to the realism. I did not build the alternate flatbed tipper model, but the pictures in the instructions and box illustrations look good. My sense is that this is better than many Technic “B” models.

The completed model has a number of functions:

• Motorized bucket and boom up/down
• Motorized bucket rotation
• Hand of God steering (via knob over cab)
• Opening cab doors
• Manual boom extension

Of course, the chassis also rolls on the six rubber tires. There is no drive train or engine included. The two motorized functions are selectable via a transmission gear and a lever on the side of the chassis. The two mechanisms cleverly utilize the single motor located in the chassis and both mechanisms operate smoothly. Happily, there’s room inside the cab to add a PF receiver so the motor can be remotely operated. There’s also room behind the battery box to add a second motor to switch between the two boom functions for full remote control of the boom / bucket operation. With the all the weight from the battery box and motor, the chassis has a little too much flex for my liking, but I’m sure scale and cost would have been affected if it were beefed up. Also, I wish the side mirrors had a silver tile or sticker to make them look more realistic.

Some have criticized the cost of this set versus the number of mechanisms. However, when I look at the size and cost of other Technic sets that have included a motor and battery, I think this set represents good value for money. It’s certainly a better value than the new 8264 Hauler recently released.

In summary, I found this set to be a very enjoyable build. The completed set looks very realistic, and the boom functions are great fun to play with, especially when modified with a remote control receiver.

Pros:
• Cheapest motorized Technic set for many years
• Great Model Team look with Technic functionality
• Easy to add PF receiver and second motor for remote control
• Nicely designed B-model
• Base chassis customizable for a variety of vehicles

Cons:
• Too much flex in chassis when handling

I got this set for christmas from my fiancee.
It is my first set after 10 year pause and i must say it is absolutly great reminder how great technics really are.

It took my 3 hours of fast building to complete the model.
1 power motor gives you big possibilities to train your construction skills while modifiing original set [you can decide if you want to power up wheels , make it 4wd or to expanse the basket options].

As i said before it is my first set in a long time, but it is so good that im going to make it my hobby and im already looking for another sets:).

The last Technic Model I bought was in 2001, the Street Sensation Super Car.
After that, I thought that the Technic Line was going down, but this brought my mind back to Technic (along with the Bulldozer, but that's expensive).

Anyway, it's a great set to get back to Technic, nice design, good feeling when buidling it, good prize.

I recently picked up this set from the local TRU. It is one of my favorite sets. It was a decent built, with a good result, But what really stool this kit out was when i equipped it with the power functions motors/reciever from the 4958 kit. This set makes a GREAT RC kit. It easilly lends itself to modification to do so. If lego had sold it as a remote control unit, I would have given it a 5.

This is my second set since getting back into Lego. My reviews at this point are therefore from the perspective of a newcomer as far as novelty of the models and pieces goes, but also from the perspective of an experienced builder. I chose this set over the less expensive, but higher piece-count 8273 because it has the M motor and battery box from the new Power Functions system. Subtract their respective individual prices from the cost of the kit, though, and you get a very good cost per piece.

This kit is also good, as another reviewer pointed out, due to the minimal number of highly specialized pieces. Only one piece from the boom arm really falls into this category for me. As this is my second set so far, adding to 8296, this kit also gives me new wheels, and a very large number of beams.

Construction was great fun, and I was impressed with a number of new-to-me developments like a torque-sensitive slipping gear, and a two-way clutch system for splitting the motor's power between two functions. The model feels a bit heavy, though, and flexes somewhat under its own weight. Definitely a kit for older, more experienced builders who can give it a delicate touch.