Tag Archives: 8110

Honey I Shrunk the 8110

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First appearing here in December with a suitably rubbish Christmas pun, Thirdwigg’s Mercedes-Benz Unimog U423, complete with working steering, suspension, piston engine, power take-offs and free building instructions, is just the sort of creation we like.

Of course to be a proper miniature Unimog, an array of attachments and implements should also be available, to which Thirdwigg had duly obliged, with a snow plow and gritter, three-way tipping bed, and knuckle-boom crane all able to be mounted to the truck.

One combination that was missing however, was the set-up from the spectacular and considerably larger official 8110 Mercedes-Benz Unimog set, where a tipper is combined with a rear-mounted triple-boom crane and stabiliser legs.

If you missed the chance to get hold of an 8110 set when it was available, Thirdwigg may have added just what you need, creating a small-scale version of the 8110 configuration for his 1:20 scale Unimog U423.

As with the previous iterations, free building instructions are available so you can create your very own miniature 8110 at home, and you can see more of Thirdwigg’s excellent model on Flickr by clicking these words.

Mini-‘Mog

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LEGO’s incredible 8110 Mercedes-Benz Unimog was one of the first officially licensed Technic sets and – we think – still one of the all-time greats. With a vast array of functionality, motorised, pneumatic and mechanical, it’s one of the finest ever showcases of what LEGO can do. But LEGO’s not just about the big stuff, and little builds can be equally brilliant – case in point, this beautifully presented Town-scale version of the 8110 set.

Built by previous bloggee Nikolaus Lowe it not only looks absolutely brilliant, it kinda functions too, with a posable crane, steering, and working stabiliser legs too.

There’s more to see of Nikolaus’s fantastic mini-figure Unimog at his photostream via the link above, you can read our review of the huge 8110 Technic Mercedes-Benz Unimog set via the first link, and you can read some tips on how to create images as stunning as Nikolaus’s by clicking here.

Technic 42043 – Mercedes-Benz Arocs – Set Preview

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Lego Technic 42043 Mercedes-Benz ReviewThere’s been much excitement here at TLCB Towers today. Following our preview of the 2015 Technic line-up some time ago, the final piece of the 2015 jigsaw has been found! We’ve had a few images of the missing 42043 set sitting in the office for a while, but unfortunately they weren’t of sufficient quality for us to share here. And we forgot. But let’s go with the quality control aspect as it makes us look more professional.

Anyway, thanks to an intrepid troop of Elves we now do have images of a high enough quality to publish! So this is it – LEGO’s new 2015 Technic flagship, building further on their partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the 2,800 piece 42043 Arcos crane truck.

Based on Mercedes’ real 4-axle tractor unit 42043 surpasses even the previous standards set by the incredible 8110 Unimog set. Featuring both Power Functions electric motors and the next generation pneumatic system (containing all-new components), 42043 features a huge range of functionality.

Three new pneumatic cylinders are used to move the crane arm and grab, with a fourth employed as a pneumatic compressor. A gearbox allows the Power Functions system to perform a variety of tasks, including powering the aforementioned compressor and tipping the bucket, whilst unpowered mechanics take care of the steering, piston engine and suspension.

Lego technic 42043 Review

We expect the new 42043 flagship set to cost upwards £165 when it arrives towards the end of the summer, and if one of TLCB Team saves really hard we’ll be able to bring you a set review. In the meantime you can read our reviews of LEGO’s previous releases, including the Arocs’ predecessor – the 8110 Unimog – by clicking here.

Top Of The Line

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Lego Scania Topline Truck

This enormous black truck was unearthed by one of our Elves on Brickshelf. Built by Havoc it’s a Scania Topline and it features some simply incredible detailing. Havoc’s enabled this by building big; those wheels are from the official (and huge) LEGO Technic 8110 Unimog set. The full Brickshelf gallery is well worth your time – check it out via the link above.

Powder Pusher

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Lego Technic Unimog 8110

It might be the middle of summer here at the TLCB Towers (causing us many hot pant/mini skirt related distractions whilst driving), but our worldwide readership means that many of you will be reading this with your heating cranked up and a jumper on. If you’re one of our winter-bound readers then today’s post is just for you!

It’s the work of Brickshelf’s stefanbetulapendula, and he’s done a superb job fitting LEGO’s own 8110 Unimog set with all the equipment needed for a snowstorm.

Up front is a fantastically intricate looking snow blower, whilst a grit/salt hopper and dispenser has been mounted on the Unimog’s load-bed. Stefan has also retro-fitted Power Functions receivers and motors, making his Unimog fully remote-controlled too.

You can check out all the modifications via the complete gallery on Brickshelf by clicking the link above, and you can read TLCB’s expert review of the original LEGO Technic 8110 Unimog set by clicking here.

Unijeep

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Lego Technic 8110 Jeep 4x4

The LEGO Technic Mercedes-Benz Unimog (8110) might be the best model The LEGO Group has ever made. At 2000 pieces and including both Power Functions and Pneumatic systems, as well as a huge array of mechanical functions, 8110 is one of the most sought-after sets the company has produced to date. However, unlike most other Technic sets, it didn’t really come with instructions for an alternate – or ‘B’ – model.

Eurobricks member djshiver (aka Mr. Tekneex) has rectified this with his creation built solely from the parts found within the 8110 Unimog set. His Jeep features the Unimog’s superb 4×4 drive system and couples it to a two-speed gearbox whilst utilising the original model’s compressor motor to power a front-mounted winch. The Jeep also includes an inline 4-cylinder engine up front, superb all-round suspension, working steering, and full Power Functions remote control compatibility. Everything LEGO could’ve included had they designed a ‘B’ model themselves!

You can see all the photos, design details and discussion for the Unimog alternate model at the Eurobricks forum via the link above, or alternatively you can visit  Mr. Tekneex’s MOCpage here.

Honey, I Shrunk the Unimog

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Lego UnimogThe Elves, told yesterday to include more oranges in their diet, have taken the advice to heart and as such one of them brought this back to The Lego Car Blog office today. Promptly rewarded with an orange Smartie (they’re the best kind) the happy Elf has wandered off to find other orange things and we’re free to elaborate on this rather brilliant creation.

The work of [Maks] on Flickr, it’s a Town scale replica of LEGO’s own superb 8110 Mercedez-Benz Unimog set, to date the largest and most complex Technic set produced. [Maks] has recreated visually all the working aspects of the 2,048 piece Technic original, right down to the grab attachment on the rear-mounted crane. To see more of this superb mini-‘Mog click on [Maks] name, and you can read The Lego Car Blog’s review of the 8110 Technic set via the hyperlink above or by typing ‘8110’ into the Search function at the foot of this page.

It’s That German Off Road Truck Again…

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You know the one, first made in Lego Technic in 1981 and 1,000 times since. Still, this Unimog, by Dikkie Klijn of MOCpages, is well worth a look. It has more and better features than the 8110 set and it’s half the size. Elf size, in fact, which might be why they like it so much.

Lego Technic 8110 Unimog Review

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The most exciting release from Lego Technic for a long time. This very faithful representation of the Mercedes Unimog go-anywhere light truck could mark the beginning of a return to form. We can but hope…

First Impressions… it’s a big and vividly illustrated box, promising great marvels within. The pieces are bagged according to sub-assembly, but since the main ‘sub-assembly’ is about three quarters of the total this isn’t as helpful as it might be… still, I somewhat absurdly quite like trawling through masses of bits. Instructions are good and clear, with no colour mysteries but such tiny incremental build steps you suspect they could be followed by a reasonably gifted 7 year old. Nothing wrong with that, but it does make for a lot of pages…

The build. What can I say – a revelation! It’s a really enjoyable thing to put together, especially as this set brings elements I haven’t seen before and cleverly combines electric motive power and pneumatics (in the same way as the old 8868 Claw Rig but no less effective for that). It’s a long process, mind – give yourself most of a day to wallow in it.

There’s no shortage of features to delight and intrigue (and in one case infuriate, but we’ll come to that…), so in no particular order:

Engine. An in-line four cylinder nestling in a quiet corner of the undercarriage and driven (rather slowly) by all four wheels. There’s only a single ratio fixed transmission but there simply wouldn’t be room for anything more.

Suspension. Live axles at both ends, sprung by a single, very firm, spring for each wheel. Ground clearance is convincingly high, thanks to gear blocks at each wheel that send the drive down to them from high-mounted differentials. The suspension’s movements at first appear to be corrupted by the Panhard Rod that helps to locate the axle, but then you appreciate just how thorough the designers have been : It’s supposed to be like that . Hats off to Lego for that one, especially as the springs seem to be correctly resilient, there’s ample travel and an amusing lack of stiffness in roll. That’s probably correct, too.

What can’t be correct is the steering. As standard, this model has the turning circle of a supertanker, with an action so sloppy it makes you fear something will break! And WHY, in Lego’s flagship model, can’t we have the in-cab steering wheel connected ? End rant. It can be corrected. Omit the three quarter pins that so restrict the movement, gear it down so that there’s less strain on the control wheel and change those STUPID ‘knob wheels’ for bevels and it feels much better. Still not as nice as most of Lego’s early Technic models, but no longer terrible.

Pneumatic crane. My favourite part. I could play around with this for hours (yes, I know…), it works very well and is completely capable of doing what it looks like it should. The working of it is a little jerky and hard to modulate, but can be done with practice and a light touch. Or airtanks. The air feed and alternative mounting point to the front allow it to work equally well there, too. The built-in retractable stabilisers do their job superbly, not something you can say about every Lego model that has such things… All in all, this part is a triumph.

The winch on the front, to which can be switched the motor’s power, works well, too, although it’s rather low-geared – I suspect to protect the motor. Easy enough to fix that, of course.

The cab. So big, so bright, so orange! It looks great – better than in the pictures on the box. An easy thing to put together, it comes as a bit of light relief after the complexities of the chassis. There’s enough detail here to satisfy, as well, including the welcome use of some actual old fashioned studded bricks (remember those ?) on the front. It’ll tilt by releasing the long red pins at the back, but you’ll need small fingers for this.

Verdict

Overall, this is both a superbly playable toy (once you’ve fixed the steering…) and a delightful display object, well worth the (steepish) price of admission. If only the steering didn’t let it down so badly, it would merit an easy 10; as it stands it still earns 9/10. Recommended.