| |
|
Review: Technic Truck 8436
| | At-a-Glance
Item#: 8436
Ages: 10+
Pieces: 1027
Availability: June 2004
Price: USD90/CAD130/EUR100
Stud Count: 99 :)
96 page manual 1 for chassis, 41+47 primary steps for chassis
108 page manual 2 for 3 attachments, 41/28/42 primary steps each
Ratings
Set: Must-Have
Models: Excellent
Playability: Excellent
Highs: High value, 4 instructions, lots of modding room, pneumatics, no stickers
Lows: Chassis twists. (Bionicle hook? New grays? Only 99 studs?)
|
Old Plus New Equals Cool
As the flagship offering of the 2004 Technic line, 8436 comes in a box that will
catch you as cool. Wicked cool. It loosed the yellow Make & Create colour
scheme, replaced by one where things all have white glow, over heavily “studded”
grounds, on a black background. It also has a flap that, as you flip it open,
reveals the 3 variations and what they are meant to do. Just by looking, you
know this is a set for the big boys. Embossed flap or not.
Getting 8436 means you will meet with a series of nostalgia. For your first
dose, just look at the gen-1999 Technic insignia.
Opening the box reveals 3 numbered inner boxes and two instructions books (well
preserved thanks to the inner boxes), all neatly packed. I must have seen this
arrangement before. Oh yes, the 8448 SSS.
There is no decals.
Nostalgia Meets Nouveau
Instructions book 1 combines boxes 1 (chassis) and 2 (cab) to give you the truck
base.
As you start building with box 1, more nostalgia strikes: older style Technic
body panels with the bigger holes of all 8 styles, six Barcode Truck wheels,
and six cylinder heads in (the new) gray. It is a welcome change after seeing
clear cylinders for years.
There are new stuff too. Black gear rack, and two 48989s used in the steering
mechanism, which is really worthy of the title “newly developed.” I have only
seen that in a few MOCs. The drivetrain, on the other hand, is a simple V6
engine geartrained to the rear differential with doubled-up wheels, routed
around the steering linkages. Move along, there’s nothing to see here.
The results 4 hours later is a red, European-style tractor truck (did someone
say Actros?) with a cab that hinges on two pins on the front, locked in place by
two red pins at the back. Pull them out and you can tilt the cab to see the
engine. Exactly as advertised. Too bad the model still flexes a lot as the
Backhoe did.
Instructions book 2 gives you an option of 3 attachments from the pile of pieces
from box 3, each with full instructions, to go on the truck’s back, giving 4 as
advertised.
Before I began with book 2 I came across a little treat: instructions for a
fifth wheel. Now someone build a trailer to mate with!
Attachment 1 is a foldable crane arm. With two studless pneumatic cylinders, and
a telescoping forearm section with a -gasp- Bionicle hook at the end. The pump
is installed horizontally under the turntable, opposite two studless new
pneumatic switch mounted at an angle. This crane arm brings back memories of the
alternate model of 8460.
Attachment 2 is a wheel lift tow arm. The wheel lift pivots via a tan axle pin,
meaning it can be easily detached. When installed it will be hard to not think
about 8462. Many illustrations imply that it
can be used to tow 8435, but no, it won’t fit
without modding. As it is, the best car to tow is
8408 or 8280.
Attachment 3 is a pneumatic claw. It opens and closes. It turns. It raises and
lowers. That’s about it. The claw’s linkage, and it being controlled by a big
cylinder, resembles the one from the very first pneumatic set offered,
8040.
Without any attachments, the truck makes me think of Optimus Prime. See? Any
way I build it up, nostalgia gets to me!
Now, to the Nouveau part.
Crane arm and claw used a new element never before seen:
48452 studless turntable. It is just
like the original Technic turntable, but only 3L high with no studs. Eliminating
the studs means not having to accommodate Technic bricks, allowing for its lower
profile which allows for the compact base design of the crane arm.
No matter which attachment you choose to build, the truck is equally playable. I
like to push it along with my Studless
Desert Ranger in tow on the floor.
It Begs to be Modded
When built, every part of this model begs you to mod it.
The empty spaces between the two axles, where the fairings go, on both sides,
are just enough for an air tank. Put in both, build the tow arm, and you have
yourself a Tow Truck 2004!
The cab falls short of fitting Technic figures well, so making it so is on my
to-do list.
The towing apparatus just begs to be enlarged to fit the 4404/8435 wheels.
Build the claw arm, and you will soon find yourself with the burning desire to
turn it into Airtech Claw Rig 2004. I mean adding to the pneumatics and fitting
in a motorized compressor and battery box. Fitting the ATCR’s pneumatic turning
mechanism into this baby is left as an exercise.
And to think outside the box: for building your own stuff, 8436 also gives you a
very nice studless Technic parts collection.
In the End
There are people in the AFOL community that claims to have no interest in 8436
simply because of the colour change, or the Bionicle hook. Not me. On the other
hand I became very excited after I placed my order for one, until it arrived at
my doorsteps. I encourage you to get this set, schedule 4 hours of quality time
with yourself or your 10-year-old, and enjoy this 1027-piece of (to quote my
favourite comment on Brickset) Adultness Technic Excellency!
Afterword: The Corporation Does Listen
Believe it when someone says Lego does listen to us.
The box is the same size as the 4404 box, just thicker. I hate Lego boxes
because they have lots of wasted space, and they costs a lot to ship around.
Just take a Backhoe box and try getting a shipping quote. So thanks Lego for
downsizing the boxes.
The idiocy of “ages 10-99” of last year is gone too. Why gave such a idiotic age
range when it meant anyone older than 10 years should enjoy the set? It’s not
like those HP sets where kids over 12 may outgrow them. Thanks again for getting
rid of my pet peeve.
Of course, thanks Lego for bringing down the price from last year!
|
|
Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Review: 8436 Truck
|
| Thanks for the review. Even though I'm not too impressed with all this studless stuff it's still on my wish-list.... There's one sentence that made me laugh and feel old: "...nostalgia strikes: older style Technic body panels..." For me nostalgia (...) (20 years ago, 26-Jul-04, to lugnet.technic)
|
7 Messages in This Thread:
  
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
