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Hi from UK , thinking of getting my first set

Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
in Introduce yourself
Firstly thanks for approving my membership. 
I've spent the last few years collecting Russian watches but feel its time for a new hobby , and I've been eyeing the Technic Lego sets for a while. 
Looking around here and YouTube etc I've seen some amazing stuff , especially the way experienced builders adapt and change stuff , although I get lost how .
So its that time of year when my asks what to buy me. The 6x6 all terrain tow truck , set number 42070 , has become a firm favourite , looks good but not ridiculous money, I've been shocked at some prices. 
So a couple of questions.
Is this set a good place to start?
As a complete beginner roughly how long to build ?
And one from my wife : Will you ever grow up ? No

Thanks for your attention and any advice.
Kev
BumblepantsSumoLego

Comments

  • BumblepantsBumblepants Member Posts: 7,730
    edited November 2018
    If that is your clear favorite I say go for it! It will be challenging but just go slowly and double check your work along the way. It is pretty awful having to go backwards and figure out what went wrong earlier in a Technic set. #42070 seems to be discounted on Amazon and the rest quite a bit. If you track sales on the main page of this site you can be notified when good deals are happening as well as the threads here in the forum.

    Also, check out some of the other members displays and collections in some of the other threads. You can show the wildest photos to your wife and say 'hey, at least I'm not this guy!' (and then quietly in your head think 'YET!')
    bandit778dmcc0
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Thanks Bumblepants . I am looking for challenging so thats good. 
    I've been looking at some threads and the " at least I don't have this many " excuse worked with my watches , around 80 , so hopefully here too. Might need a bigger disay case though. 
  • MaffyDMaffyD Member Posts: 3,579
    Hi Kev - welcome to the forums. There are some awesome Technic sets out there - I don't collect them myself (apart from one Porsche) but would agree with @Bumblepants
    advice, especially about checking your progress. . If you are looking for a deal and are not wanting a specific set, this link might also be helpful:

    https://brickset.com/buy/country-uk/vendor-amazon/order-percentdiscount/theme-Technic

    And if you want to know which sets are 'worth it' (it's a bit subjective) then you might want to look here:

    https://brickset.com/news/category-Set-review/author-huw
    https://brickset.com/news/category-Set-review/author-flagsnz

    @Huw and @flagsnz do a lot of Technic set reviews (and a lot more, you'll have to filter out the others), and if you want 'normal user' Technic reviews, go here:

    https://brickset.com/reviews/theme-Technic

    Good luck!
    Kev80e
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Ok so I'm hooked. The Mack and the extreme adventure look great. Thanks MaffyD. 
    I also made the error of searching Trains , this could get out of hand. 

    MaffyDSumoLegosid3windr
  • BrainsluggedBrainslugged Member Posts: 2,278
    @Kev80e - it WILL get out if hand now. Turn back before it's too late.
    Kev80edrdavewatfordbandit778Baby_Yodagmonkey76Mr_Cross
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Member Posts: 599
    @Kev80e Just make sure you don’t search for ‘modulars’ either. That’s another line of Lego that’s expensive to get hooked on.

    By the way, do you happen to have the time? My watch has stopped ;-)
    Kev80e
  • BrainsluggedBrainslugged Member Posts: 2,278
    @GeordiePaul - It's ok - only 79 of my watches have stopped. It's 8.20pm GMT.
    sid3windr
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Brainslugged said:
    @Kev80e - it WILL get out if hand now. Turn back before it's too late.

    I think it's already too late . 
    GeordiePaul said:
    @Kev80e Just make sure you don’t search for ‘modulars’ either. That’s another line of Lego that’s expensive to get hooked on.

    By the way, do you happen to have the time? My watch has stopped ;-)

    I'll make sure not to Google modulars , honest. 
    It's 20:35 here, fix the watch its not addictive honest :)

    sid3windr
  • FauchFauch Member Posts: 2,712
    I don't have the 6x6 all terrain tow truck but from what I hear it's disappointing for something that expensive (well, I guess as a first build you would find it amazing) personally I only have 3 modern technic sets, the claas xerion, extreme adventure and mack anthem. I've built the A and B models for 42054 and 42069 and only the B model for the mack anthem. so far I think the claas xerion is the best one. the Mack Anthem B model felt significantly easier to build than the others, functions seem simpler but they are nice.
  • Baby_YodaBaby_Yoda Member Posts: 1,295
    Brainslugged said:
    @Kev80e - it WILL get out if hand now. Turn back before it's too late.
    Don't say that! Curved track costs a fair bit and you need eight parts to turn around completely...
    BumblepantsKev80esid3windr
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Fauch said:
    I don't have the 6x6 all terrain tow truck but from what I hear it's disappointing for something that expensive (well, I guess as a first build you would find it amazing) personally I only have 3 modern technic sets, the claas xerion, extreme adventure and mack anthem. I've built the A and B models for 42054 and 42069 and only the B model for the mack anthem. so far I think the claas xerion is the best one. the Mack Anthem B model felt significantly easier to build than the others, functions seem simpler but they are nice.


    Thanks Fauch for your ideas. The extreme adventure is an alternative I've been looking at. Or the next one :)
    The xerion looks fantastic and one for the future once ive got some experience , a video on YouTube shows it motorized which I really like but obviously trying to do a modification on my first build would be ridiculous.  
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Member Posts: 5,566
    Kev80e said:
    Fauch said:
    I don't have the 6x6 all terrain tow truck but from what I hear it's disappointing for something that expensive (well, I guess as a first build you would find it amazing) personally I only have 3 modern technic sets, the claas xerion, extreme adventure and mack anthem. I've built the A and B models for 42054 and 42069 and only the B model for the mack anthem. so far I think the claas xerion is the best one. the Mack Anthem B model felt significantly easier to build than the others, functions seem simpler but they are nice.


    Thanks Fauch for your ideas. The extreme adventure is an alternative I've been looking at. Or the next one :)
    The xerion looks fantastic and one for the future once ive got some experience , a video on YouTube shows it motorized which I really like but obviously trying to do a modification on my first build would be ridiculous.  
    #42054 comes with a motor, so it is at least partially motorized from the get-go.
    Kev80e
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Thanks for all encouragement guys , its really appreciated. 
    I decided to try one out before Christmas so ordered 42065 tracked racer from Amazon as its on offer and i was ordering something else anyway. My excuse anyway and im sticking with it :)

    Thanks to GeordiePaul I've checked out the modulars and love them. 
    sid3windr
  • PJ76ukPJ76uk Member Posts: 974
    Kev80e said:
    Thanks for all encouragement guys , its really appreciated. 
    I decided to try one out before Christmas so ordered 42065 tracked racer from Amazon as its on offer and i was ordering something else anyway. My excuse anyway and im sticking with it :)

    Thanks to GeordiePaul I've checked out the modulars and love them. 
    #42065 is a great little build. Well worth picking up, especially on offer, should be a good introduction to using technic and motors for you before you graduate to something more advanced.
    Kev80e
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    PJ76uk said:
    Kev80e said:
    Thanks for all encouragement guys , its really appreciated. 
    I decided to try one out before Christmas so ordered 42065 tracked racer from Amazon as its on offer and i was ordering something else anyway. My excuse anyway and im sticking with it :)

    Thanks to GeordiePaul I've checked out the modulars and love them. 
    #42065 is a great little build. Well worth picking up, especially on offer, should be a good introduction to using technic and motors for you before you graduate to something more advanced.
    I'm hoping just this. A good starter kit. I'm sure as I progress I will have questions. Is there a thread for asking for advice ?
  • The_RancorThe_Rancor Member Posts: 2,626
    Welcome! There might be a thread in the building and techniques section relating to powered Technic models but you might need to dig a little to find it. If the thread was really old and there's nothing similar right now people probably won't mind if you create a new one.

    When you're ready to stretch power functions to their limit (using the instructions), try the Bucket Wheel Excavator. It seems to have reductions in price quite often now. It is a beast in size though - I keep poking myself in the face with it on my desk
    MaffyD
  • MaffyDMaffyD Member Posts: 3,579
    ^ I can't imagine what shapes you are throwing in order to poke yourself in the face with Lego whilst sat at your desk, but trying to picture the deskercise is keeping me happy.  Thank you! :-)
    Baby_Yoda
  • PJ76ukPJ76uk Member Posts: 974
    The_Rancor said:
    Welcome! There might be a thread in the building and techniques section relating to powered Technic models but you might need to dig a little to find it. If the thread was really old and there's nothing similar right now people probably won't mind if you create a new one.

    When you're ready to stretch power functions to their limit (using the instructions), try the Bucket Wheel Excavator. It seems to have reductions in price quite often now. It is a beast in size though - I keep poking myself in the face with it on my desk
    Isn't the BWE now tagged "retiring soon" at S@H? Might not want to leave it too late before you decide to pick it up @Kev80e
  • MaffyDMaffyD Member Posts: 3,579
    Kev80e said:
    Thanks to GeordiePaul I've checked out the modulars and love them. 
    Dread it, run from it, the modular collection arrives arrives all the same.
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    @The_Rancor- Thanks for pointing that BWE out , another on the list. Looks awesome but sounds dangerous :)

    @PJ76uk - I can see your going to be a bad influence on me , keep it up ;)

    @MaffyD - I've resist the modulars so far but like the idea of a winter village for next Christmas . Can't see that getting out of control . Surely safe. 
    MaffyDsid3windr
  • BrainsluggedBrainslugged Member Posts: 2,278
    Just gonna throw this out there, but you know you can't have a modular city without having the neighbourhood fairground, right?
    SumoLegoBaby_YodaMr_Crosssid3windr
  • SumoLegoSumoLego Member Posts: 15,241
    Brainslugged said:
    Just gonna throw this out there, but you know you can't have a modular city without having the neighbourhood fairground, right?
    And a railway.  And don't forget lots of roadplates...
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Brainslugged said:
    Just gonna throw this out there, but you know you can't have a modular city without having the neighbourhood fairground, right?
    SumoLego said:
    Brainslugged said:
    Just gonna throw this out there, but you know you can't have a modular city without having the neighbourhood fairground, right?
    And a railway.  And don't forget lots of roadplates...
    I'm not looking............fairgrounds look brilliant . And as I'm a train driver obviously a railway is a must. 

  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Administrator Posts: 6,756
    SumoLego said:
    Brainslugged said:
    Just gonna throw this out there, but you know you can't have a modular city without having the neighbourhood fairground, right?
    And a railway.  And don't forget lots of roadplates...
    Nah - brick built roads are much better. And more costly.....
    Kev80estluxsid3windrgmonkey76
  • Baby_YodaBaby_Yoda Member Posts: 1,295
    Have you ever tried brick-built railways? That way you can make them a bit wider so the trains have a bigger interior. Of course, that means you need to scale everything up, but who needs money, right...?
    Kev80esid3windr
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Member Posts: 599
    @Kev80e You really shouldn’t be thanking me about the modulars. Once you pick up all the currently available sets, you start eyeing the retired sets and seeing how much more expensive they are in the aftermarket. If it’s something you genuinely might be interested in though, it’s worth heading over to the ‘retired sets’ thread because two of the current modulars (Brick Bank and Detective’s Office I believe) are retiring before the end of the year and are being discounted on Black Friday.

    Whatever you decide to start with though, happy building and we all look forward to seeing more from you elsewhere on the forum!
    Kev80esid3windr
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Member Posts: 599
    edited November 2018
    Here’s the link for the retiring thread by the way...

    https://forum.brickset.com/discussion/29480/retiring-soon#latest

    Someone said the Old Fishing Store is retiring soon too, which technically isn’t a modular, but still looks great as part of a modular collection :-)
    Kev80e
  • Kev80eKev80e Member Posts: 44
    Thanks all for your help and encouragement , I've been made to feel very welcome. My first set has arrived , the tracked racer and I hopefully will start on it Tuesday , our house is,a bit unorganized at the moment due to a heating upgrade.  
    I will let you know how it goes . 
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