Tag Archives: Farm

Baling Bricks

We love well-engineered small-scale Technic almost as much as we love toilet humour. So you can imagine our delight when one of our Elves found this neat Technic tractor and baler, because it looks like it’s, um… laying a brick. Cutting some rope. Pinching a loaf. Dropping a deuce. Releasing the kraken. Building a log cabin.

Anyway, the aforementioned amusing farm machinery is the work of TLCB Master MOCer Thirdwigg, it features functioning steering and a rear hitch, and Thirdwigg has also pictured the tractor pulling a tipper trailer. But that doesn’t look anywhere near as funny.

There’s more to see at Thirdwigg’s photostream, where a link to free building instructions can also be found, and you can relieve yourself on Flickr via the link above.

Trailer Park

This TLCB Writer is from age of the VHS tape, when you had to hold down the fast-forward button to skip half-an-hour of trailers before you could watch the Disney movie your grandparents had actually bought you.

But there’ll be no trailer-skipping today, because we have two of them, each loaded with items which are – of course – the reason the trucks pulling them exist in the first place.

Cue regular bloggee Arian Janssens, and this excellent (and very orange) classic DAF FT2800 and Asser Oplegger trailer (we think… our Dutch isn’t up to much), loaded with… um, things. It’s a beautifully detailed creation and if the trailer’s enticed you in you can take a closer look on Flickr via the link above.

Rather smaller, but no less excellent, is Keko007‘s Mercedes-Benz Actros and Faymonville Max510 trailer, hauling his previously-blogged Claas Jaguar self-propelled forage harvester. Some very clever techniques indeed ensure Keko’s model is mightily accurate despite its small size, and there’s more to see of truck and trailer on Flickr via the link above.

The Devil’s Lawnmower

TLCB maintains that farm machinery is the scariest vehicular category there is. Take this Claas Jaguar-900 self-propelled forage harvester, which looks like a cross between the monster from Stranger Things and something the used to garner confessions in Medieval Europe.

Terrifying thought it may be, it’s a class (hah!) build, and comes from Keko007 who has teamed it with his previously blogged MAN TGS / Krampe KS 950. There’s more to see on Flickr, and you can take a look via the link above whilst this writer heads into the cute kei car archive to rebalance himself.

Kramping Our Style

This is a MAN TGS Agro truck, and it’s pulling a Krampe KS 950 Off-Road trailer, which can carry (and tip) twenty-five tons of harvested crops. We’re hoping the contents is barley…

It evidently doesn’t take much to prompt TLCB Staff to think about beer, so whilst we track one down (or several), you can see more of this excellent build courtesy of Keko007 on Flickr.

Household Crap

Right, that’s enough far-fetched other-worldly rovers for a bit, here’s a bland 1990s truck, pulling an even blander trailer, filled with bland plastic kitchen products. But built beautifully…

This Curver-liveried DAF FT 85.360 ATI and trailer comes from previous bloggee Arian Janssens, and mundane though a mid-’90s DAF may be, the techniques Arian has deployed to create it are exceptional. Subtle custom decals and chrome wheels add to the authenticity and there’s more of the model to see here.

But we’re not just about humdrum haulers of household items today, because Arian has also turned his building talents to something altogether weirder. This is the Vervaet Hyrdo Trike XL, ‘the best self-propelled liquid manure (slurry) processor’, according to, um… the people that make it. And who are we to argue with that!

A giant rolling tank of poo, there’s more to see at Arian’s ‘Hydro Trike XL’ album, and you can process your slurry via the link above!

Heady Stuff

A multitude of working functions is normally reserved for Technic sets. Except this one. Rarely do Town/City models feature much more than opening doors and a smiling mini-figure.

Not today though, as previous bloggee Reddish Blue‘s John Deere X9 1100 combine harvester features as many – if not more – working features than many Technic sets ten times the size.

Suggested by a reader, Reddish’s combine packs in a height-and-tilt-adjustable feeder (via HOG controls) driven by the front wheels and selectable via a mechanical switch, a hinged header with rotating cutterbars, HOG rear-wheel-steering and oscillating suspension, an adjustable unloading auger, and an adjustable chopper tile angle. And we don’t even know what that last one means.

There’s also a front track option, rotating ladder, opening sides and cabin, and a smiling mini-figure. This is a Town/City creation after all.

There much more to see, including a link to building instructions, at Reddish Blue’s ‘John Deere X9 1100 with HDF35 header’ album, and you can head there via the link above.

Scrumping Season

Scrumping – the thievery of fruit from orchards – is a traditional English pastime. Said bounty is then often fermented into cider, which encourages more thievery. We realise we’re not helping to dispel the myth that rural Britain is stuck in 1933 here…

Anyway, the aforementioned low-level fruit-based criminality leads us nicely to a low-level fruit-based vehicle, and this neat Case IH 695 orchard tractor.

Constructed by Jacob Sitzberger a whole basket of imagery is available on Flickr, and you can head to the orchard for a bit of scrumping via the link above!

Great Combination

This excellent creation is a John Deere S790 combine harvester, and it comes from previous bloggee damjan97PL (aka damianPLE), who has forgone motorised features, instead combining wonderful old-school Technic mechanical functionality with modern System detailing to great effect.

A series of small cogs accessible on the outside of the model operate a variety of Technic functions, including the rotating raising/lowering and removable header, which can also be connected/disconnected from the drive wheels, and working rear-wheel-steering, plus the model features a swinging discharge tube, detailed cabin, and an opening grain hopper constructed from more traditional LEGO System bricks.

There’s much more of Damian’s excellent combination of Technic and System to see at both Bricksafe and Eurobricks, where a link to building instructions can also be found, and you can head there via the links above to bring in the harvest.

Activision Blizzard

We like simple mechanical models here at The Lego Car Blog. LEGO’s 1988 Town set 6524 ‘Blizzard Blazer’ (or simply ‘Snow Plough’ in TLCB’s home nation) was a small, fairly ugly tractor, featuring Technic tyres, a posable plough, and a smiling mini-figure. It’s also the inspiration behind previous bloggee Thirdwigg’s upscaled Technic version, which – whilst somewhat larger and considerably more complicated – still flies the flag for mechanical simplicity.

Equipped with a posable plough, a rear-mounted rotating thresher thingy, or a neat drawbar trailer, Thirdwigg’s creation is nicely adaptable too. A working power-take off, adjustable hitches, and ‘HOG’ steering add to the playability, and you can see more – including a link to free building instructions – at Thirdwigg’s ‘Blizzard Blazer’ album, plus you can read his interview in TLCB Master MOCers series via this bonus link.

Cometh the Harvest

It’s been a relatively quiet week here at TLCB Towers, but we can end it with three thoroughly excellent models in one. This fabulous ‘Van der Vlist’ liveried DAF XF-105 truck, Gebruder Recker gooseneck trailer, and Claas Tucano 320 combine harvester are all the work of TLCB Master MOCer Ralph Savelsberg, who has captured each in astonishing detail.

More amazingly, each model is only mini-figure(ish) scale, yet packs in as much realism as models several times the size. There’s more to see of the whole superbly presented rig and its constituent parts at Ralph’s ‘DAF XF-105 and Claas Combine Harvester’ Flickr album, plus you can read his interview here at TLCB via the first link in the text above.

Case Study

Whilst we are predominantly a Car Blog, we do like a Big Red Tractor. Because we’re children. And this one is excellent.

Constructed by newcomer Jacob Sitzberger it’s a Case IH 395, the smallest of Case’s 1990s 95-series tractors.

No only is Jacob’s model beautifully detailed, it also includes a working three-cylinder engine, a steered front axle with pendulum suspension, a rear power-take-off and three-point-hitch, and it comes with a variety of attachments.

An extensive gallery of images is available to view at Jacob’s ‘Case IH 395’ album on Flickr, where a link to its LEGO Ideas page can also be found. Click the link above to make the jump if you like Big Red Tractors as much as we do.

Greeble Farm

‘Greebling’, one of many nerdisms from the Online Lego Community, involves outfitting a creation – usually a spacecraft – with a myriad of tiny grey pieces to add texture, complexity, and to make them look more science-fiction-y.

But those little grey parts, so often individually lost in sea of their neighbours, can look brilliant in insolation, as proven here by previous bloggee Andre Pinto, and this wonderful vintage tractor.

Comprising only a handful of pieces, they form the engine, drive-line, light brackets, exhaust, rear hitch and PTO, and have been perfectly selected for each task.

There’s more to see at Andre’s ‘My First Tractor’ album, and you can head to the greeble farm via the link above.

Trailing Fast

The Lego Car Blog Elves are very excited today, because – after a few were inevitably run over – they are now riding around the office in this stupendous JCB Fastrac 3185 and Oehler ZDK 180 combo.

Built by TLCB Master MOCer Eric Trax, this incredible Technic replica of the world’s fastest production tractor (and a trailer about which we know nothing) is powered by four Technic motors controlled via bluetooth thanks to a third-party SBrick. These power the steering, all-wheel-drive, rear three-point hitch and power-take-off, whilst a fifth is fitted within the Oehler trailer.

It’s this we’re about to surprise the Elves with, as Eric’s trailer can remotely tip by up to thirty degrees in two directions, dumping the contents very effectively indeed.

Whilst we have some fun with the trailer’s Elven cargo you can check out more of Eric’s astonishingly detailed JCB Fastrac tractor and Oehler trailer in tow at his Flickr album by clicking here, you can read his Master MOCers interview via the link above, and you can watch the model in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

Take Me Home, Country Roads

We’re back! With the alcohol in our blood gradually being displaced by hazy memories and regret, The Lego Car Blog Elves – imprisoned over the holidays – have been released, and are keen to recommence their hunt for the best Lego vehicles on the ‘net. By which we mean, they’re keen to earn something to eat.

One of their number was super quick off the mark, already returning to TLCB Towers with this gorgeous vintage truck diorama entitled ‘Country Roads, 1933’ by Flickr’s Nicholas Goodman. With beautiful presentation and photography matching the superb construction techniques, it’s an excellent first blog-worthy creation, and you can take the country roads home via the link above, whilst we award an Elf a well-deserved meal.

*Today’s title song.

LEGO Technic H1 2024 | Set Previews

It’s time! After a period lost in space, and with the Elves that managed not to become German-Shepherd-snacks safely back at TLCB Towers, we can reveal the brand new for 2024 LEGO Technic line-up. And it’s such a good one…

42163 Heavy-Duty Bulldozer

LEGO have released several Technic bulldozers over the years, with recent incarnations being large enough to actually bulldoze. However we kick-off the 2024 Technic range with one that marks its entry point, the lovely 42163 Heavy-Duty Bulldozer.

Aimed at ages 7+ and with under 200 pieces, 42163 is the best starter set we’ve had in a long time, and includes rotating tracks plus a neat worm-gear driven blade elevation mechanism, controlled via a cog on the roof. A few System parts add realism and – joy – it needs no stickers whatsoever. Top work LEGO.

42164 Off-Road Race Buggy

The excellentness continues with the second new Technic set for 2024, the 42164 Off-Road Race Buggy. Aimed at ages 8+, the 219-piece ORRB looks a bit like ‘RC’ from ‘Toy Story’, and it seems LEGO have remembered more than just that computer-animated movie from 1995, having equipped 42164 with proper mechanical functionality that we thought they’d all but forgotten in recent starter sets.

Harking back to those mid-’90s Technic sets, 42164 includes working rear suspension via a single-shock, a miniature V4 piston engine turned by the rear wheels, opening doors, and – more unusually – tilt steering (like a skateboard).

The set also features good visual details, some almost comically generic stickers (what should be written on the side of a buggy if not ‘buggy’?), and some rather non-off-roady tyres, but overall we think the 42164 ORRB looks great, presenting another fine way for newcomers to begin Technic building…

42166 NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team & 42169 NEOM McLaren Formula E Team

…unlike these two. OK, that’s a little unfair, because LEGO do seem to have got their head around ‘Pull-Backs’ after some dismal efforts, with recent sets being visually appealing and bringing some unusual licenses to the range. 2024 continues this trend with the 42166 NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team and 42169 NEOM McLaren Formula E Team sets.

Aimed at ages 7+ and 9+ respectively, the new sets recreate two of McLaren’s non-F1 race teams, both of which are electrically-powered. Each does a decent job of reflecting its real-world counterpart, although via the assistance of a million stickers, whilst the 452-piece 42169 Formula E car (the most pieces for a Pull-Back ever?) also includes working steering alongside the obligatory kinetic motor. Operating this whilst deploying the aforementioned motor is probably the trickiest thing you’ll ever do however…

42167 Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck

The electric and officially-licensed trend continues with the next new addition to the 2024 Technic range, the superb-looking 42167 Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck.

Constructed from just over 500 pieces and aimed at ages 8+, 42167 resembles a miniaturised version of the 42078 Mack Anthem B-Model, and features some lovely mechanical functions, including working steering, a side-mounted bin emptying mechanism, and a tipping compactor, all controlled by hand via various cogs.

Wearing thoroughly excellent messaging and with a few new parts too, 42167 could be the pick of the range when it reaches stores early next year.

42168 John Deere 9700 Forage Harvester

Away from the starter sets and things are getting bigger, although not by much. This is the 42168 John Deere 9700 Forage Harvester, a 559-piece replica of the ‘self propelled forage harvester’ fitted with ‘ProStream Cropflow’ and ‘XStream KPTM’, according to the excerpts we took from John Deere’s website. We’re not really sure what any of that means, nor that 42168 needed to be an officially licensed set, but we suppose it’s nice to have the added authenticity.

Working rear steering and an elevating and spinning harvesting header (via many yellow cogs linked to a small jockey wheel on the ground) are the working features, which is actually a little less than the smaller 42167 Mack and 42164 ORRB. Still, if ‘Farming Simulator’ is your thing, then the 42168 Forage Harvester may be your cream of the crop when it reaches stores alongside the rest of the 2024 Technic range in January.

42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R

The final new Technic set in our H1 2024 preview is this, the 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R. Yup, LEGO have partnered with another motorcycle manufacturer following their successful collaborations with BMW Motorrad, Yamaha, Harley Davidson, and Ducati, bringing Kawaski’s legendary Ninja to the Technic line-up.

In doing so, 42170 doesn’t actually bring anything new to the Technic Superbike genre beyond the new partnership, but it does offer as much in the way of working functionality as its predecessors, with working steering and suspension, a foot-peg operated two-speed plus neutral gearbox, and a piston engine buried somewhere inside the frame.

Aimed at ages 10+ and with 643 pieces, the 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R will join the rest of the 2024 Technic line-up in stores early next year, which – in case you missed it – includes a few new additions we really weren’t expecting.

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Let us know your favourite new 2024 Technic set in the comments. Us? We’ll be picking up the trash in the 42167 Mack LE Electric Garbage Truck. Although… there is one set number as yet unfilled…