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I just got some Jack Stone sets:
All data from boxes (prices from S@H invoice):
4605 Fire Response SUV, 30 pcs, $9.99, 2 figures
4606 Aqua Res-Q Transport, 40 pcs, $12.99, 2 figures
4609 Fire Attack Team, 94 pcs, $34.99, 3 figures
4610 Aqua Res-Q Super Station, 89 pcs, $49.99, 4 figures
I picked these four Jack Stone sets to find out what they were all
about. Each set had an interest point for me, so here are my comments:
The theme in general:
This is definitely a new "junior" theme. I think young kids are going to
like them, and AFOLs are going to find reasons to curse, and want to
figure out how to get some of the useful parts without paying a fortune.
The figures as expected are Creator style. The theme uses large clunky
parts, though I think many will find good uses. One nice thing is that
there are lots of technic pin holes. There are some interesting
decorative parts. Instructions are minimalist.
4605: 2 figures, Fire Fighter #7, Jack Stone in grey shirt and blue
pants. This set makes a small fire engine which looks no worse than a
minifig scale 30 part set. The vehicle uses a red 4x14x3 one piece
chassis which has Technic pins for 6 wheels. It has molded in springs
over each axle, and has a 2x12x1 "cockpit". Between the front and rear
wheels are 3 Technic holes, and at the bottom on the front and rear are
also 3 Technic holes. 2 decorative printed white fairing pieces (approx.
1x3) snap onto the sides. A decent looking bumper bar snaps onto the
front, it has two more Technic holes (I think folks will find some uses
for this piece). A new steering wheel is included. It is about 2x2 and
fits over a rod. A 2x2 brick with an angled top with a rod sticking out
at an angle mounts the wheel. Another pair of useful pieces. The printed
smoked 4x8x4 cockpit canopy attaches by a single click hinge to a red
2x4x4 tunnel/arch piece shaped something like:
top
__
/ \
| |
| |
------
<- 4 ->
The top has two click hinges, the slope matches a 1x2 medium slope. On
the back, a similarly shaped red 4x4x4 piece which also has 2 hinges and
a 2x2 stud area in the center, has two white angled door pieces which
snap onto the click hinges and make a closed box. The door pieces have 2
rows of 3 Technic holes. A new hose reel attaches to one door. The part
which got me interested in this set is the two trans light blue flames.
The wheels have white hubs (of the common large System style which fit
on a Technic pin using 30.4x14 tires [all Jack Stone sets seem to use
these hubs and tires).
4606: This vehicle uses a black 4x14x3 frame and yellow hubs. The
cockpit is a yellow 6x6x5 piece with a printed smoked 4x6x5 canopy. The
cockpit base has a 1x1 45 degree angle at each corner. There are two
studs at the top behind the click hinge for the canopy. A grey bumper
bar attaches to the front. Another interesting new piece is an
antifreeze 1x4 "light bar" piece which has two studs on the top
(actually, the piece is slightly longer than 4 studs - this is an
interesting piece). The figures are Jack Stone (blue shirt and pants)
and a helmeted pilot in darg grey. The back of the truck uses a yellow
6x10 junior truck bed/lift ramp w/ramp attachments. Two dark grey 1x6x2
train fences form the sides of the bed. A grey 4x4 Technic beam square
(3 homes on two sides, 1 hole on two sides) has a black 1x4 piece w/2
Technic pins and a click hinge attached which then has a grey 1x6 brick
w/click hinges at ends and a grey 1x4 brick w/click hinges at ends
attached to form a small crane. It mounts on a pair of yellow 2x10x2
junior archesand a pair of black 1x10 plates to form a dock for the
prize piece of the set, a black rubber raft. Other parts of interest
include a steering wheel (which also fits over a stud), a blue
megaphone, a blue 2x2 round tile w/crane loop, a dark grey radio, a
large grey click hinge hook holder and a dark grey hook. A blue tall
antenna/flag is also included.
4609: 3 figures (Fire Fighter #1, Fire Fighter #7, Jack Stone) man this
fire truck. The truck uses a red 4x14x3 frame and tows a red 8x30x3.3
trailer. This trailer is similar to the Town Junior trailer, but
probably nicer. It has a slotted chevron pattern for the main bed, and
doesn't look quite so ridiculouus at the rear wheels because the deck is
4 studs between the wheels. The pin on the trailer fits conveniently
into holes in the truck frame. A red cockpit like the one in 4606 is
provided with the same canopy (but different printing). 2 printed white
fairing pieces attach to the truck frame. Exhaust is provided for with
two chrome exhaust pipes which are similar to the current System ones
except they attach with a Technic pin instead of sticking into a rod
hole. A black bumper is used, and a black spoiler attaches to the rear
of the trailer (using 2 pins sticking into a white 4x4 Technic square
box beam). 3 trans blue dome lights are used. White hubs are used. A red
and a trans light blue 4x4x4 box are provided with 3 black doors. A dark
grey Fabuland type ladder attaches to a red mount. 2 new style click
turntables (red 4x4 base, black 4x4 turntable) support the ladder and a
crane. The crane is built using a white 1x3 Technic beam, the 1x4 piece
w/2 Technic pins and click hinge holds 2 red 1x4 bricks w/click hinges
at ends, a white hook holder and a dark grey hook. A hose reel and
another grilled decorative piece attach to the doors on the trans light
blue box.
The building uses a dark grey 10x10 brick w/2x2s sticking out of each
corner (so the overall size is 12x12). The upper stories are grey 4x12
bricks. 4 black 2x2x8 grooved columns provide the vertical structure. As
I suspected, the vertical grooves (on all 4 sides) are "garage door"
compatible. A transblue panel slides in to provide a wall for the first
floor. A white 1x8x2 railing is on the 2nd floor. A black 2x10x2 junior
arch tops the roof, with a white 1x4 brick w/Octan printed on the side
identifying the building.
Other parts include a 2nd white railing, a grey pipe wrench, a black
hatchet, 2 white 2x2x2 cones, 2 trans blue 1x1 cylinders (which go on
top of the cones), a trans light blue flame, a 2x2 tile printed with
guages (style seen before), a white 2x2 medium slope printed with
buttons and 15.00 LED, a $100 bill, a grey megaphone, 3 trans orange 2x2
cylinders, 3 trans orange flames.
This set is awfully expensive for what you get. The buildings seem to be
expensive.
4610: 4 figures (dark grey helmeted pilot, dark grey chap with cap, red
shirt dark grey pants blue cap, Jack Stone red shirt, blue pants). This
set makes a boat (10x32 floating boat hull - bummer, I was hoping for
yellow 10-Wide boat bow bricks), a small car (very nice looking), and a
medium size building (two sections, one uses 2 of the square floor
bricks with 4 columns and one panel, the other is more like a dock with
a single floor, two columns, and a town junior arch at the top of the
columns). I'm getting tired so I won't list all the pieces, but it
includes several of the 2x2 steering wheel bricks (which incidentally
also allow bricks to be attached, the base of the pin is actually a
stud), RES-Q printed airplane tails, an orange life ring, an antifreeze
6x6 webbed dish, a nice 3x4 low slope w/RES-Q print, yellow unprinted
vehicle side fairings, antifreeze 1x4 dome lights, antifreeze 2x2 medium
slopes, a dark grey reel (like the hose reels above but with hook -
attaches to the front of the car), a dark grey 4x10x1.3 car frame (with
Technic holes and 4 wheel pins), 2 grey 1x6x2 train fences, a dark grey
4x4x4 box, a grey box door, a dark grey spoiler, and a smoked 4x8x4
canopy. This set seems a much better value than 4609. For you $10 extra,
you get a nice looking boat, a very nice looking little car, and a much
more substantial building.
Overall, like I said above, folks are going to be looking for ways to
get some of the parts without shelling out megabucks for the complete
sets. The building system looks decent, but you never get enough to
build much of a building (except 4611 which looks like it gives you 4
floors worth). The vehicles look much better than Town Junior vehicles
because of the decorative pieces, and the more detail to the frames.
The 2x2 steering wheel brick looks like it has lots of interesting uses
since it can hold any brick which can fit over the rod, or anything
which can attach to a rod. The wheel being a separate part which fits
over a stud or a rod will prove usefull (you can even use them as wheels
on the small axle pins since those are rod thickness). A decent variety
of figures is included (though no women in the sets I got - but then I
guess these sets are aimed at boys). It will be interesting to see how
all the parts are used. The other small sets look promising (4600 is a
police car, 4601 a fire car, 4603 a tow truck, and 4604 a helicopter).
4607 is a helicopter transport (yellow truck and trailer - probably will
be overly expensive comparatively just like 4609). 4608 may be a decent
set with a pair of cars and a small jail wall. 4611 is a big police
station and as mentioned above, has a substantial building plus 2 cars
and a helicopter.
4606 is a decent buy to get the black rubber raft (aka zodiak). 4605
gets you a few truck parts and 2 trans light blue flames. I will
probably get a few more 4605 to get several black zodiaks for a commando
squad.
Once place the truck frames might be put to good use is to combine them
with ZNAP to make bridges.
FUT: lugnet.reviews
Frank
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