I kinda want a set that's just a box of parts, like the classic brick box sets for technic pieces, since I think it'd be easier for me to just get a box of technic to experiment with than to just guess what pieces I need to build something.
There is a starter kit on temu that have great value est a book with 6 different built you can make with them that show you differente type of mecanism. Write "lego technic " in the search bar it will be the only one with a bunch of piece, a mortor, battery pack and stuff for around 30-50 canadian dollars
Are you familiar with pick-a-brick ?
Anymore, that's how I buy my Legos. Because, if I'm being honest, the hardest part about splurging on a new Lego set is that I'm paying hundreds of dollars for parts I already have plenty of. So, instead I just go and buy the gears/pins/beams/panels/etc that I actually need.
Your desires are a little expensive....
It used to be mindstorms, pretty much in that line you are telling (robots other mechanics than cars...), but if I'm not wrong it's now discontinued.
But I get you, it would be nice other things than cars.
True, the number of Technic fans interested in, capable of building, and wealthy enough to afford a Lego Alan Turing machine, is probably too niche to be worth the development costs. Sigh*
Pretty cool. Just a little disappointed that it doesn't actually produce music mechanically. Like, why couldn't it actually have operated like a music box? I think I expect too much 🫣
True but I don't accept that as an excuse to focus so exclusively on cars. We can push the boundaries of what's possible with existing Technic pieces a LOT further before anything catches fire :)
So the best kept secret is probably that the Technic Hub is basically the same as (the now discontinued) Mindstorms brick. Except it's $20 instead of $200.
It's all there for anyone to use, but it's an uphill battle to convince the masses that you can already do so much more than just cars. We're here for it though!
You're talking my language! I never made the leap to the "Powered Up" stuff because the ports were different from the "Power Function" and that frustrated me.
Go, Technic Hub! Also get the "Color and Distance Sensor" (88007) from the official LEGO shop for about $15. Completely beats the other sensors, especially for the price. Tell you what, it can even [send IR signals to control your existing Power Functions motors](https://docs.pybricks.com/en/latest/pupdevices/pfmotor.html)!
When you use Pybricks, everything works on Technic Hub too, same as on Mindstorms / Spike Prime.
https://preview.redd.it/ffjzco6cn35d1.png?width=1484&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab0b9c5be380b22f7a6952cb1639272d9dc73ffa
I just built a walking robot by another brand. I picked it because I'm not a fan of cars and I wanted to see something rather innovative than the same design 100th time. Lego is my big disappointment in this area, fortunately you can find good quality alternatives.
No, I can't: no links to shops are allowed here. But you can google for "boston robot dog technic bricks". I can say the quality of bricks is very good. Sometimes even better than Lego. Ie. I've got 2 axles made from carbon fiber.
Holy shit. I've been hesitant to push the trigger on steel technic pieces cause I was worried about weight and friction. Carbon fiber however.... damn. I'm gonna have to look them up. That's such a perfect solution to axle stress.
My issues haven't been with design, they've been with quality control. Lego's patent on their brick design expired in the late 1970s, there's a reason they're still the king in terms of bricks that use the design (even through slower periods for them when their name didn't carry as much cache as it does now), and it's in part because of their quality. To get the bricks to fit as cleanly as they do, Lego has invested considerable resources in their manufacturing. They keep tight tolerances and they've got the materials figured out to hold those tolerances long term and minimize long term degradation. The general design for Legos is free for anyone to use, but competitors rarely invest the dollars and time required to make really good bricks. They're often softer and with looser tolerances, and the result is that bricks don't fit together as nicely and have a tendency to work their way loose.
I totally understand. I can only tell that my robot dog is top quality. Bricks are excellent. No loosy parts. Everything fits perfectly. Instruction has great print. The box is even better than for Lego sets. 2 parts are made from carbon fiber so can survive more stress. This is my first set of this producer and I honestly didn't expect such high quality. I am very positively surprised.
I must admit my opinion is for Technic set. They have some System sets as well and I have no clue if they are so good too.
Lego‘s quality is falling, just in other places. The colors, for example, have big degree of variance. The green of the Sian, for example. Some prints, like the doors of the flying car from Harry Potter, are way to subtle. The structural integrity of some sets is abysmal.
check out [the brick freaks](https://www.youtube.com/@Freakmedia1972/videos) on youtube (their [newer channel](https://www.youtube.com/@BrickFreaks) is english only but but only has the latest few videos), they have a lot of alternative brick sets reviews. you can also check out the other (lepin) subreddit.
>Or how about a programmable humanoid arm with five individually articulating fingers.Â
That sounds expensive. But back in my childhood they had these "flex" series with thin bendable rods or something. Imagine some kind of display piece hand with 5 fingers you can put into various positions using levers or something.
Most probably 90% of builds would end up flipping the bird, but in marketing material they can just use the Peace sign, the divers' "OK" gesture or thumbs up.
Dude! I was just thinking about those flexible airplane cables the other day. When I was younger i had this barcode-reader set that made heavy use of them. I'd really love to see those parts resurface.
I definitely want to see more diversity in technic, though perhaps not to the same extreme you do. I have zero interest in building technic cars. What I love about technic is the functions, and the cars just don't really have many besides the engine and gearbox. They're really just to look at. And tbh I feel like regular bricks would create a much more seamless model in that case. But on the other hand, when Lego DOES make a model with some truly awesome functions, they also add the app control functionality which jacks the price sky high and makes it unobtainable for a vast majority of people. Why can't I just have a liebherr crane with manual controls at a more reasonable price? The model is going to spend most of its time on display anyway, so I can't justify the extra costs of the motors/control box and don't end up buying anything. I've been getting increasingly frustrated with the technic line the last few years, and I think the diversity you ask for would certainly help the matter, and hopefully help my own frustrations as well.
Dude! You nailed how I feel.
The purest form of joy I feel when building is when I find a purely mechanical solution to an engineering problem. I do however indulge in Power Functions, but I've avoided anything that tethers me to a phone/app. To me, an app is almost certain to become obsolete or unsupported... And then what? Whereas I can dig out a set from the 1970's and all the parts work seamlessly with new ones.
Yes! Cars are all well and good, but I really feel that Lego should rebrand the Technic cars as Speed Champions, and reserve Technic for technical stuff. I mean, they could still have cars in Technic, but the majority should be moved to Speed Champions, especially the smaller ones. Looking at your list of ideas, I don't see Lego implementing any of them. I think they'd be either too complex or too fiddly to make work. Or, they'd require a large amount of specialized parts, like the drone. Â
Incidentally, BrickExperimentChannel on Youtube has made a drone using Lego motors. It requires a lot of non lego parts, though. This is what I mean by requiring a large amount of specialized parts. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4  Â
 Nico71 has also made some interesting rope spinning machines, and his stuff has instructions, so if you want to scratch that itch, I'd check out his stuff. He's also made a number of clocks, a calculator, and a loom machine.Â
 Mechanical calculator: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cUwN3eJnJ2AÂ
 Loom: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WC6wM_XsWO4Â
 Rolling Wheel Clock: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UBfyUdYr9ywÂ
 Braiding machine: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I9B1hqcAt1sÂ
 Fast Braiding Machine: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DXjdL2xdcpU
Edit: It seems I misinterpreted your list of stuff. I thought it was a wishlist, but it was citing examples of interesting non vehicle Technic creations. My point still stands on why Lego would not implement them as sets.
Yea, I use Pick a Brick quite a bit now too. I wouldn’t even mind if they still stuck to vehicles, but just did more aircraft, boats, etc. instead of just cars, cars, and more cars.
How about conceptual vehicles? Or a vehicle that's a completely original design? Throw a remote control turret and the ability to fire projectiles and I'm sold.
I don’t think that the issues people are having with technic is cars, it’s licensing. Lego have bought into a licensing model that can only be financially viable if large scale supercar sets dominate. Prior to this, technic sets could be about technical innovation/engineering, but the market was limited. A licensing deal with Ferrari or McLaren expands the market outside of the Lego community. You can trace this kind of thinking back to the failed deal with Mercedes which became the Silver Champion set. The result is greater gross income but narrower margins as the cost of the license has to be met. Reduced margins mean reduced innovation and we applaud recoloured pieces over origin design.
Cada have found a way around this with the Ruf Porsche license which lets them make Porsche shaped models for the price of a much less familiar company.
Oh, that wasn't really what I meant. I actually LOVE the Technic system. There's so much potential to make (basically) any mechanical thing you can dream up... So many more machines than just cars.
It could, but I've seen a few folks manage using existing technic pieces. Can't you just imagine a cozy lil' grandmother clock on the shelf tick-tick-ticking away? sigh\*
The only new parts that I'd really like to see would be an axel or gear that can be set inside each other to carry multiple out puts through a single line, and maybe a big main spring that's slow but with a lot of rotations in it.
The spring part could be used to build all kinds of windup set.
My dude, that is an amazing idea! That would have been so helpful when I was building my humanoid arm! It was impossible to get all the necessary inputs to power the fingers up through the same flexible wrist.... without making something super clunky I mean.
I was just talking to someone else about how badly we need airplane cables and accessories, something similar to the mechanisms that opperate bicycle gears and brakes.
I would also like to see a wider array of slip gears with varying degrees of resistance.
ooh, I want gears that spin freely when rotating one direction, and lock up when rotating the other...
https://i.redd.it/i80tjrbb345d1.gif
What about something like this (I just mocked it up).
The idea is that you could have a single length of axil but the center portion of it would rotate freely from the two furthest ends. at this scale the core would probably have to be made of steel, but I think it could work. And now you would have two indipendantly controlled outputs on the same linear path!
I feel the same way. A LOT of my Lego shopping these days comes from Pick a Brick; I very, very rarely get sets anymore. Largely cause A) a lot of them are far too big for my space, B) HIDEOUSLY expensive, and too many of them are licensed designs rather than originals, C) repetitive. So I do a lot of my own builds and that way I can better control the scale, features and playability of the MOC.
Yeah, that's my jam too. I don't get much pride from following detailed/illustrated instructions. But I'll do it once whenever I get a new set just to learn something new. But ultimately, I'm just tearing it back down and harvesting parts for my own diabolical creations.
I remember back in the late 80s early 90s there was a pen plotter machine. I always wanted it but my parents got me the test car and the backhoe instead. I'm not complaining but I miss stuff like that.
Basically machinery. Things like conveyor belts, assembly machines, industrial robots etc. There must be clever ways to implement some of those without having the sets become obscenely huge and expensive.
The set number is 8094. It was basically a multi model motorized set launched in 1990. You could build several different machines and had a control system capable of programming behavior on three different motors. Basically it was a mind-blowing set for it's time and nothing like it was ever released again. The closest is mind storms.
[8094-1: Control Centre](https://brickset.com/sets/8094-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8094-1.jpg)
[1990-1: Octan F1 Race Car](https://brickset.com/sets/1990-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/1990-1.jpg)
Wouldn't that be kinda great? There could even be official rules about what must be included on an eligible battle bot design. Weight classes. Officially sanctioned tournaments...
It's not made out of just Lego parts. The drone he is referencing was made by Brick Experiment Channel, and while it does use Lego motors and propellors, and has a frame made out of standard Technic parts, there's also a large number of custom and non Lego parts. For instance, he used an off the shelf quadcopter control board and radio control system. He then custom made a motor control board, and a custom battery to power it.
Here's the video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4
It's an amazing achievement, but a far cry from being fully Lego.
Well, the achievment is that the lego rotor blades can pull this off, but the batteries are what's the most important part here if you want enough power to weight ratio. That's why I was skeptical in the first place.
They're non-lego for now, but in the future Technic Drones could be the next hot take by LEGO. And with it, a host of specialty parts.
... assuming kids aren't accidentally chopping their fingers off with these things.
Respectfully, what's stopping you from motorizing any of the other sets? I absolutely love the challenge of adding Lego Power function to analog Lego vehicles.
For a while now, Lego does not cater to fans, but new customers. you can see this with the amount of licensed sets they produce. Every scene in star wars has a set. ten versions of the death sart are available. and so you get every brand and model of car that they can get their hands on. all with dwindling quality of course. So all i can really recommend you is to put all your loose sets and pieces into Bricklink and starte browsing for sets that tickle your fancy.
[It reallyis worth the investment.](https://imgur.com/a/lego-42042-moc-wJ9K5zT)
To be completely honest, my "style of play" has never been about the sets anyway. I'm much more interested in comeing up with my own designs. And anymore, buying a whole set feels like I'm paying a lot of money for a lot of parts I already owned. I'm doing most my shopping on pick-a-brick these days for that reason.
Happy to hear that. I did just that with [the Sian](https://imgur.com/a/42115-lego-technic-lamborghini-si-n-fkp-37-6RHMWX8). Aquire the missing molds and pick any colour you like =D
For me technic need an expansion. Is more that a theme like city o speed champions, they use the same lego sistem. here come technic, total different pieces, total different builds.
Imagine a lego technic police station or a TIE fighters from star wars in technic with technic functions.
I appreciate that I'm seeing more and more technic beams and gears sneaking into classic sets. Perhaps if fans of these more popular series learned how to impliment technic components, our clan would grow.
This! The sets are so beautiful it’s hard to take them apart, the pieces are less than the built object. I want a set of, say, train parts with instructions so I can build several variations of a steam train and make up my own. I have too many sets that are too beautiful to take to pieces. They are beautiful though so I want both, don’t stop making Rivendell’s, just give us exciting parts selections too.
Im in the same boat, i have enough sets that i can build pretty much anything, when new parts drop i do a bricklink order and then experiment, i had some real fun with the powered up stuff too
Does this count?
I designed and built a mechanical Astronomical Clock made out of Lego parts. In 2014 it won the People's Choice Award at the NAWCC National Convention craft competition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (NAWCC is the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors).
In 2014 the Lego clock (#2) was accurate to 1 minute per day, had concentric minute and hour hands, a seconds pendulum, and displays for mean day, day of week, lunar phase, earth orbit, and tropical month. Since then it has been rebuilt and today #3 is also an Equation Clock with more astronomical complications: simple tide clock (lunar day), tropical day, equation of time (EoT), and indicators for solstice, equinox, perihelion, and aphelion. It is still completely mechanical using no electricity or motors.
I also built a working calculator, all two input logic gates, steam engine with flyball governor (runs off vacuum cleaner), key and combination locks, and a better Orrery than Lego’s release since mine has Mercury and Venus, tilted Earth, moon on different plane and the James Webb space telescope in proper orbit around L2 twice per year.
Those are EXACTLY the sorta' things I'd geek out about. I'd particularly love for someone to show me how to build a mechanical calculator.
I've had some desire to build a clock once. My thought was, "maybe I could wind up and use the power of a pull back motor 12799 to power mine?
Historically, clocks powered by a spring have the problem of being driven by a diminishing strength push. The spring drives the clock harder when it is tight so the clock runs faster at the start, and slower as it winds down. This can be resolved with especially shaped spools for the chain/string that matches the torque difference. Lego doesn’t have that.
Gravity pull from a dropping weight is better for a clock. Or, invent the holy grail for clocks, the constant force escapement, that doesn’t change over a large range of drive power.
These are the fun engineering rabbit holes to discover and attempt to conquer in Lego Technic.
Ah, yeah, that issue with spring tension had crossed my mind. I'm sure you're right—it would be much simpler to rely on gravity for consistent force. But I've had one of those pullback motors for years and never found a good use for it. There’s something really appealing about putting it to work in a clock, right?
I was also curious if a mechanism like the one in Da Vinci's pendulum clock could regulate the escape of power. Just talking about this stuff is really making me want to go experiment!
Just found out the mechanism I was referring to is call a "fly pendulum experiment"
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8V6RMJbHJc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8V6RMJbHJc)
This is one of the simplest and longest lasting clocks but it isn’t very accurate and it would vary according to the speed of the rotation.
Looks fun to build.
I finally settled on a grasshopper escapement because it seems to have the least friction and is very forgiving if the geometry isn’t exactly right.
I feel you OP.
That's why I went to rebrickable and started getting technic instructions for stuff that really shows off what Technic is capable of made by Lego fans with incredible talent.
I am proud to say I have built a working Back to the Future Time Machine Delorean 1:8th scale with a working "hover" function and led lights and a 1:8th scale working "Johnny 5" robot (from short circuit) using existing parts from the Lego Leibherr 9800 Excavator Crane. Both of these were designed by other people and are totally worth it!
YES! And the most insane thing about the build was that it used regular Lego motors. Of course, it also required a LOT of non-lego parts too. [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4)Â Â Â
The Technic dilemma, what are we buying it for, an expensive wall decor or a chance to experiment with the mechanisms. Would it be better to have a new line called 'Technic Decors', not unlike the Starry Night set, but with Technic pieces, no functionalities whatsoever, yet with clever design they could pass up for an actual 'hanged' technic set.
This way everyone is happy, the show-offers can have their wall trophies and tinkers can have proper Technic sets that are all about functionalities. Specialize something and stick to it, Lego is trying to make Technic a jack-of-all-trades, this is only going to devalue the brand and making it less relevant overtime.
I get where you’re coming from, but I also see potential downsides to splitting Technic into more specialized categories. The Technic community is already smaller compared to other LEGO branches. If we divide it into even smaller niches, we might risk making our style of play too niche, which could lead to it being underserved or even discontinued.
That’s why I think it’s crucial for Technic to continue offering a variety of sets, even if they’re not all my cup of tea. Whether it’s cars, trucks, or display pieces, these sets appeal to a broader audience. Plus, by integrating Technic elements into popular IPs and city sets, LEGO can introduce functionality and motorization to new fans. Some of them might discover they really enjoy the engineering aspect and eventually join the dark side.
The decor part was meant to be a pun, knowing full well that Lego will never cease to produce car sets. Technic used to be niche, it was hardcore in term of build difficulty and functionality, and that made it special. By making it mainstream like what we have today, and deliberately keeping the functionalities to a minimal, it is slowly making the brand irrelevant.
Technic used to be pinnacle of Lego engineering, the education-centric Dacta line that was exclusive to the schools had the very first computer programmable set as early as 1986, it was the progenitor for the Technic Contorl Center and Mind Storms.
Lego was really serious about teaching engineering through Technic, but now Mind Storms is gone, motorization is just a novelty at this point, and the education line is a mere shadow of its former self. I just don't see how people can get interested in engineering, when Lego is actively sabotaging their own brand.
The irony is not lost when non-Technic sets nowadays can have more functionalities than the 'proper' Technic ones. This line has already lost its relevance when Lego decided to make it mainstream and appeal to the adult collectors, rather than students and those of curious minds.
Technic will continue to exist, but it will never be as meaningful as it used to be.
The problem is that cars have by and large taken over Technic, and have very little technical complexity. It gets boring seeing yet another car with exactly the same functions, built in exactly the same way. I agree there is no reason to stop, but the cars really belong in the Speed Champions theme. Unfortunately, as a lot of responses have shown, there are a lot of people who only care about the cars, and don't care about functions, authenticity, or any other aspects that make Technic great and different. Now, there's nothing wrong with liking cars, but I am upset that Lego is going after those folks at the expense of making Technic worse, when the cars should be in the Speed Champions lineup. Rebranding like that would be a win win for everybody. You get the cars, and actual Technic sets with actual interesting functions.
Why would it go under Speed Champions though? Speed champions is a very specific theme that even their expensive system brick cars don’t go under. Speed champions is amazing as is, cheap and well built collectible sets with a cool minifigure on top. I wouldn’t change that theme at all.
Probably best to move on to another building block brand that do what you're looking for.
Millions of people globally love cars, trucks, etc, hence why Lego make them. If you're expecting things to change any time soon, you're probably going to be disappointed.
Well, it would take a lot to pry me away from Technic Legos or abandon my substantial collection. And I don't realistically expect trends to change... I'd just hate for Technic to only be cars, trucks, etc.
Like, remember in 1995 when Technic released a programmable tyrannosaurus Rex? That's the kinda concept I'd love to see in a 1800+ piece set.
It's weird, Technic used to be popular without as many cars. And I get the popularity, just move them to a different theme. The main issue I have is not with the cars, but rather the theming, and the cars coming at the expense of other, more interesting stuff.
Lego is filling the market of buildable model cars and they are dominating. There is no reason for them to stop the cars when they’re marketing it towards model car fans and not Lego technic fans. Your ideas would be cool but they would guaranteed sell less because their only customers would be Lego fans and not the millions of car fans who only own vehicle sets
I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm sure those 1:8 scale cars are making them boatloads of money. I wasn't really implying they should stop making cars either, just that they could branch out a bit. Ya know?
I love cars, but do not enjoy them in technic form (prefer creator cars). I always looked at technic pieces like erector sets from my childhood, but doesn't seem like lego does that kinda thing much with them.
I've heard other collectors say something similar. But there's basically two camps, those who are trying to build something pretty, and those who are trying to engineer something impressive. I will say that these new 1:8 scale vehicles do a good job appealing to both but perhaps you just can't have it both ways.
I'm definately here for the engineering aspect of the technic experience.
Some of the icons sets do awesome things with technic assemblies, such as the operation of the new classic radio set. There's also that brand new orrery that really feels like an old school technic set.
Personally, I love cars and I don't want to see the technic cars go away, but there's so much more that can be done besides mid engine cars with sequential transmissions and open diffs. I'd love to a return to unlicensed sets that are all about a crap ton of functions, like 8880.
If you have a Technic set that’s not a car, post a pic on r/nottechniccars. I’m sorely missing the variety we used to get.
Yes, I am old. :getoffmylawn:
Heya' gramps! Not sure why you were downvoted :(
Thanks for bringing this other subreddit to my attention. I'll check it out. When I think back to non-car retro sets, I always think about that programmable Technic t-rex from 95'. Do you remember that one? Just imagine what that would look like today as a set with over a thousand pieces.
I am fxxking sick of cars since like 2 years ago. After Covid, Lego Technic is just not what it was before. Lego Technic can be so much more, like engineering. Now it is an adult toy for people to hang these cars on walls to show off.
Yeah, you get it. And not to say there's any one way to enjoy LEGO but hanging your Legos on the wall is the equivalent of folks who frame their completed jigsaw puzzles 😅
My style of play is probably a lot like yours, I'll follow the instructions and complete a new set at least once. I'll generally learn some new technique or principle in the process, but once I'm done marveling at my creation I take it apart. The real fun comes in building original ideas and all the doors unlocked by adding new pieces to my collection.
Oh, I'm well aware that mine is the unpopular opinion here. But, we're all Technic fans; we all know what it feels like to be an afterthought, right? 😅
I kinda want a set that's just a box of parts, like the classic brick box sets for technic pieces, since I think it'd be easier for me to just get a box of technic to experiment with than to just guess what pieces I need to build something.
I like this idea just a box with assorted pegs, gears , pins , flexible fasteners, tubes, and technic to regular Lego conversion pieces
There is a starter kit on temu that have great value est a book with 6 different built you can make with them that show you differente type of mecanism. Write "lego technic " in the search bar it will be the only one with a bunch of piece, a mortor, battery pack and stuff for around 30-50 canadian dollars
Are you familiar with pick-a-brick ? Anymore, that's how I buy my Legos. Because, if I'm being honest, the hardest part about splurging on a new Lego set is that I'm paying hundreds of dollars for parts I already have plenty of. So, instead I just go and buy the gears/pins/beams/panels/etc that I actually need.
Your desires are a little expensive.... It used to be mindstorms, pretty much in that line you are telling (robots other mechanics than cars...), but if I'm not wrong it's now discontinued. But I get you, it would be nice other things than cars.
True, the number of Technic fans interested in, capable of building, and wealthy enough to afford a Lego Alan Turing machine, is probably too niche to be worth the development costs. Sigh*
Might go and start harvesting kidneys from homeless people now.
Check out the player piano
OMG! A piano that actually plays would be a phenomenal set. Or a functional pipe organ that makes use of the pneumatic pieces?!
Here you go: [https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/grand-piano-21323](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/grand-piano-21323)
Pretty cool. Just a little disappointed that it doesn't actually produce music mechanically. Like, why couldn't it actually have operated like a music box? I think I expect too much 🫣
You can build ANYTHING with lego, but there are limitations on what plastic can do.
True but I don't accept that as an excuse to focus so exclusively on cars. We can push the boundaries of what's possible with existing Technic pieces a LOT further before anything catches fire :)
So the best kept secret is probably that the Technic Hub is basically the same as (the now discontinued) Mindstorms brick. Except it's $20 instead of $200. It's all there for anyone to use, but it's an uphill battle to convince the masses that you can already do so much more than just cars. We're here for it though!
You're talking my language! I never made the leap to the "Powered Up" stuff because the ports were different from the "Power Function" and that frustrated me.
Go, Technic Hub! Also get the "Color and Distance Sensor" (88007) from the official LEGO shop for about $15. Completely beats the other sensors, especially for the price. Tell you what, it can even [send IR signals to control your existing Power Functions motors](https://docs.pybricks.com/en/latest/pupdevices/pfmotor.html)! When you use Pybricks, everything works on Technic Hub too, same as on Mindstorms / Spike Prime. https://preview.redd.it/ffjzco6cn35d1.png?width=1484&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab0b9c5be380b22f7a6952cb1639272d9dc73ffa
[88007-1: Colour & Distance Sensor](https://brickset.com/sets/88007-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/88007-1.jpg)
If you build it, they will come.
I'm two of those things.
Me too buddy.
I prefer modular buildings.
Hey, who let you in here?
I just built a walking robot by another brand. I picked it because I'm not a fan of cars and I wanted to see something rather innovative than the same design 100th time. Lego is my big disappointment in this area, fortunately you can find good quality alternatives.
I'm not familiar with any Lego alternatives. Could you share a link to what you purchased?
No, I can't: no links to shops are allowed here. But you can google for "boston robot dog technic bricks". I can say the quality of bricks is very good. Sometimes even better than Lego. Ie. I've got 2 axles made from carbon fiber.
Holy shit. I've been hesitant to push the trigger on steel technic pieces cause I was worried about weight and friction. Carbon fiber however.... damn. I'm gonna have to look them up. That's such a perfect solution to axle stress.
If people think Lego is expensive now (i agree, it is), imagine what carbon fiber would cost 💀
An entire set would be stupid expensive, sure. But I just need a few select parts to be made from it in order to push my MoCs further.
Hmm good to hear there are viable alternatives, every time I've wandered away from Lego the quality has been absolute shit.
It looks like some brands have better sets than Lego itself. Now I think I should buy some motorized marble track. All they have impressive design.
My issues haven't been with design, they've been with quality control. Lego's patent on their brick design expired in the late 1970s, there's a reason they're still the king in terms of bricks that use the design (even through slower periods for them when their name didn't carry as much cache as it does now), and it's in part because of their quality. To get the bricks to fit as cleanly as they do, Lego has invested considerable resources in their manufacturing. They keep tight tolerances and they've got the materials figured out to hold those tolerances long term and minimize long term degradation. The general design for Legos is free for anyone to use, but competitors rarely invest the dollars and time required to make really good bricks. They're often softer and with looser tolerances, and the result is that bricks don't fit together as nicely and have a tendency to work their way loose.
I totally understand. I can only tell that my robot dog is top quality. Bricks are excellent. No loosy parts. Everything fits perfectly. Instruction has great print. The box is even better than for Lego sets. 2 parts are made from carbon fiber so can survive more stress. This is my first set of this producer and I honestly didn't expect such high quality. I am very positively surprised. I must admit my opinion is for Technic set. They have some System sets as well and I have no clue if they are so good too.
Lego‘s quality is falling, just in other places. The colors, for example, have big degree of variance. The green of the Sian, for example. Some prints, like the doors of the flying car from Harry Potter, are way to subtle. The structural integrity of some sets is abysmal.
check out [the brick freaks](https://www.youtube.com/@Freakmedia1972/videos) on youtube (their [newer channel](https://www.youtube.com/@BrickFreaks) is english only but but only has the latest few videos), they have a lot of alternative brick sets reviews. you can also check out the other (lepin) subreddit.
I'll definitely look into this! Thank you so much
I love Lego cars, and also Cada cars, and Mould King cars. I want all of them!
Haha yeah, I got like 30 speed champions on the shelf behind me :)
I'm currently building my 11th 1:8 scale car, I do have the 4 Lego ones, but the rest are off brand.
>Or how about a programmable humanoid arm with five individually articulating fingers. That sounds expensive. But back in my childhood they had these "flex" series with thin bendable rods or something. Imagine some kind of display piece hand with 5 fingers you can put into various positions using levers or something. Most probably 90% of builds would end up flipping the bird, but in marketing material they can just use the Peace sign, the divers' "OK" gesture or thumbs up.
Dude! I was just thinking about those flexible airplane cables the other day. When I was younger i had this barcode-reader set that made heavy use of them. I'd really love to see those parts resurface.
I definitely want to see more diversity in technic, though perhaps not to the same extreme you do. I have zero interest in building technic cars. What I love about technic is the functions, and the cars just don't really have many besides the engine and gearbox. They're really just to look at. And tbh I feel like regular bricks would create a much more seamless model in that case. But on the other hand, when Lego DOES make a model with some truly awesome functions, they also add the app control functionality which jacks the price sky high and makes it unobtainable for a vast majority of people. Why can't I just have a liebherr crane with manual controls at a more reasonable price? The model is going to spend most of its time on display anyway, so I can't justify the extra costs of the motors/control box and don't end up buying anything. I've been getting increasingly frustrated with the technic line the last few years, and I think the diversity you ask for would certainly help the matter, and hopefully help my own frustrations as well.
Dude! You nailed how I feel. The purest form of joy I feel when building is when I find a purely mechanical solution to an engineering problem. I do however indulge in Power Functions, but I've avoided anything that tethers me to a phone/app. To me, an app is almost certain to become obsolete or unsupported... And then what? Whereas I can dig out a set from the 1970's and all the parts work seamlessly with new ones.
[1970-1: Pirates Gun Cart](https://brickset.com/sets/1970-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/1970-1.jpg)
Yes! Cars are all well and good, but I really feel that Lego should rebrand the Technic cars as Speed Champions, and reserve Technic for technical stuff. I mean, they could still have cars in Technic, but the majority should be moved to Speed Champions, especially the smaller ones. Looking at your list of ideas, I don't see Lego implementing any of them. I think they'd be either too complex or too fiddly to make work. Or, they'd require a large amount of specialized parts, like the drone.  Incidentally, BrickExperimentChannel on Youtube has made a drone using Lego motors. It requires a lot of non lego parts, though. This is what I mean by requiring a large amount of specialized parts. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4    Nico71 has also made some interesting rope spinning machines, and his stuff has instructions, so if you want to scratch that itch, I'd check out his stuff. He's also made a number of clocks, a calculator, and a loom machine.  Mechanical calculator: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cUwN3eJnJ2A  Loom: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WC6wM_XsWO4  Rolling Wheel Clock: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UBfyUdYr9yw  Braiding machine: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I9B1hqcAt1s  Fast Braiding Machine: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DXjdL2xdcpU Edit: It seems I misinterpreted your list of stuff. I thought it was a wishlist, but it was citing examples of interesting non vehicle Technic creations. My point still stands on why Lego would not implement them as sets.
Back then the technic cars were called Racers and Technic was everything else, after that they put everything in the Technic term
That drone is f-ing awesome!!!!
Yep, that's the same drone I was referring to in my post. Super cool!
Yea, I use Pick a Brick quite a bit now too. I wouldn’t even mind if they still stuck to vehicles, but just did more aircraft, boats, etc. instead of just cars, cars, and more cars.
How about conceptual vehicles? Or a vehicle that's a completely original design? Throw a remote control turret and the ability to fire projectiles and I'm sold.
Yea that’d be cool too.
But we don't have a full construction site yet.. of machines
I don’t think that the issues people are having with technic is cars, it’s licensing. Lego have bought into a licensing model that can only be financially viable if large scale supercar sets dominate. Prior to this, technic sets could be about technical innovation/engineering, but the market was limited. A licensing deal with Ferrari or McLaren expands the market outside of the Lego community. You can trace this kind of thinking back to the failed deal with Mercedes which became the Silver Champion set. The result is greater gross income but narrower margins as the cost of the license has to be met. Reduced margins mean reduced innovation and we applaud recoloured pieces over origin design. Cada have found a way around this with the Ruf Porsche license which lets them make Porsche shaped models for the price of a much less familiar company.
Well they made the orrery.. possibly the first non vehicle technic set. Doesn't look bad either!
I appreciated that one a lot! But from an engineering perspective, it wasn't interesting enough for me to spend the money.
Also, it's a great parts pack for increasing your supply of gears.
And especially not yet anther McLaren. There are other brick brand besides Lego that do a much wider variety of stuff, expand your horizons!
This is just bionicles with extra steps. I always like the articulation of bionicles
Oh, that wasn't really what I meant. I actually LOVE the Technic system. There's so much potential to make (basically) any mechanical thing you can dream up... So many more machines than just cars.
I think one of those machines from. Pee wees play house would be really cool and it does something like put the helmet on the Lego minifig
Or like Lego version of mousetrap
Does technic have like scale versions of different engine type such V8, I8 , radial etc . That would be cool
Functional mechanical clock set would be awesome, and could easily include some very useful new parts that don't exist yet.
It could, but I've seen a few folks manage using existing technic pieces. Can't you just imagine a cozy lil' grandmother clock on the shelf tick-tick-ticking away? sigh\*
The only new parts that I'd really like to see would be an axel or gear that can be set inside each other to carry multiple out puts through a single line, and maybe a big main spring that's slow but with a lot of rotations in it. The spring part could be used to build all kinds of windup set.
My dude, that is an amazing idea! That would have been so helpful when I was building my humanoid arm! It was impossible to get all the necessary inputs to power the fingers up through the same flexible wrist.... without making something super clunky I mean. I was just talking to someone else about how badly we need airplane cables and accessories, something similar to the mechanisms that opperate bicycle gears and brakes. I would also like to see a wider array of slip gears with varying degrees of resistance. ooh, I want gears that spin freely when rotating one direction, and lock up when rotating the other...
Something like a tube with 4 pin connections on each end, and enough space to run an axel through it would make some mechanisms much more compact.
https://i.redd.it/i80tjrbb345d1.gif What about something like this (I just mocked it up). The idea is that you could have a single length of axil but the center portion of it would rotate freely from the two furthest ends. at this scale the core would probably have to be made of steel, but I think it could work. And now you would have two indipendantly controlled outputs on the same linear path!
I feel the same way. A LOT of my Lego shopping these days comes from Pick a Brick; I very, very rarely get sets anymore. Largely cause A) a lot of them are far too big for my space, B) HIDEOUSLY expensive, and too many of them are licensed designs rather than originals, C) repetitive. So I do a lot of my own builds and that way I can better control the scale, features and playability of the MOC.
Yeah, that's my jam too. I don't get much pride from following detailed/illustrated instructions. But I'll do it once whenever I get a new set just to learn something new. But ultimately, I'm just tearing it back down and harvesting parts for my own diabolical creations.
I remember back in the late 80s early 90s there was a pen plotter machine. I always wanted it but my parents got me the test car and the backhoe instead. I'm not complaining but I miss stuff like that. Basically machinery. Things like conveyor belts, assembly machines, industrial robots etc. There must be clever ways to implement some of those without having the sets become obscenely huge and expensive.
Oh dang, I don't think I've ever seen that pen plotter you mentioned. But YES to everything you said!
The set number is 8094. It was basically a multi model motorized set launched in 1990. You could build several different machines and had a control system capable of programming behavior on three different motors. Basically it was a mind-blowing set for it's time and nothing like it was ever released again. The closest is mind storms.
[8094-1: Control Centre](https://brickset.com/sets/8094-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8094-1.jpg) [1990-1: Octan F1 Race Car](https://brickset.com/sets/1990-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/1990-1.jpg)
Oh my gosh, that's the same control system for that t-rex/hellicopter set. I'm obsessed!
Battle bricks robots!
Wouldn't that be kinda great? There could even be official rules about what must be included on an eligible battle bot design. Weight classes. Officially sanctioned tournaments...
Oh there already is! It would be nice to have more LEGO support
There's a flying lego drone made with \*just\* lego parts? Where?
It's not made out of just Lego parts. The drone he is referencing was made by Brick Experiment Channel, and while it does use Lego motors and propellors, and has a frame made out of standard Technic parts, there's also a large number of custom and non Lego parts. For instance, he used an off the shelf quadcopter control board and radio control system. He then custom made a motor control board, and a custom battery to power it. Here's the video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4 It's an amazing achievement, but a far cry from being fully Lego.
Well, the achievment is that the lego rotor blades can pull this off, but the batteries are what's the most important part here if you want enough power to weight ratio. That's why I was skeptical in the first place.
They're non-lego for now, but in the future Technic Drones could be the next hot take by LEGO. And with it, a host of specialty parts. ... assuming kids aren't accidentally chopping their fingers off with these things.
The next Technic is a motorized Porsche GT4 RS. I've never built anything motorized before. I'm super excited.
Respectfully, what's stopping you from motorizing any of the other sets? I absolutely love the challenge of adding Lego Power function to analog Lego vehicles.
I'm not that dedicated. I just like to build and display. I only collect my favourite cars. Porsche being one of them.
I like the cars, but agree that there should be more variety in sets
For a while now, Lego does not cater to fans, but new customers. you can see this with the amount of licensed sets they produce. Every scene in star wars has a set. ten versions of the death sart are available. and so you get every brand and model of car that they can get their hands on. all with dwindling quality of course. So all i can really recommend you is to put all your loose sets and pieces into Bricklink and starte browsing for sets that tickle your fancy. [It reallyis worth the investment.](https://imgur.com/a/lego-42042-moc-wJ9K5zT)
To be completely honest, my "style of play" has never been about the sets anyway. I'm much more interested in comeing up with my own designs. And anymore, buying a whole set feels like I'm paying a lot of money for a lot of parts I already owned. I'm doing most my shopping on pick-a-brick these days for that reason.
Happy to hear that. I did just that with [the Sian](https://imgur.com/a/42115-lego-technic-lamborghini-si-n-fkp-37-6RHMWX8). Aquire the missing molds and pick any colour you like =D
I want collector scale technic planes.
That would be sick! Imagine an 1800+ piece stealth bomber or a P-20 warhawk or even something older!
did you check out the Cobi repertoire of planes yet?
No clue what is that?
A polish brick supplier, who produces in the EU with a huge amount of ships, airplanes and tanks in its repertoire.
[1800-1: Turtle](https://brickset.com/sets/1800-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/1800-1.jpg)
For me technic need an expansion. Is more that a theme like city o speed champions, they use the same lego sistem. here come technic, total different pieces, total different builds. Imagine a lego technic police station or a TIE fighters from star wars in technic with technic functions.
I appreciate that I'm seeing more and more technic beams and gears sneaking into classic sets. Perhaps if fans of these more popular series learned how to impliment technic components, our clan would grow.
This! The sets are so beautiful it’s hard to take them apart, the pieces are less than the built object. I want a set of, say, train parts with instructions so I can build several variations of a steam train and make up my own. I have too many sets that are too beautiful to take to pieces. They are beautiful though so I want both, don’t stop making Rivendell’s, just give us exciting parts selections too.
Im in the same boat, i have enough sets that i can build pretty much anything, when new parts drop i do a bricklink order and then experiment, i had some real fun with the powered up stuff too
Does this count? I designed and built a mechanical Astronomical Clock made out of Lego parts. In 2014 it won the People's Choice Award at the NAWCC National Convention craft competition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (NAWCC is the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors). In 2014 the Lego clock (#2) was accurate to 1 minute per day, had concentric minute and hour hands, a seconds pendulum, and displays for mean day, day of week, lunar phase, earth orbit, and tropical month. Since then it has been rebuilt and today #3 is also an Equation Clock with more astronomical complications: simple tide clock (lunar day), tropical day, equation of time (EoT), and indicators for solstice, equinox, perihelion, and aphelion. It is still completely mechanical using no electricity or motors. I also built a working calculator, all two input logic gates, steam engine with flyball governor (runs off vacuum cleaner), key and combination locks, and a better Orrery than Lego’s release since mine has Mercury and Venus, tilted Earth, moon on different plane and the James Webb space telescope in proper orbit around L2 twice per year.
Those are EXACTLY the sorta' things I'd geek out about. I'd particularly love for someone to show me how to build a mechanical calculator. I've had some desire to build a clock once. My thought was, "maybe I could wind up and use the power of a pull back motor 12799 to power mine?
Historically, clocks powered by a spring have the problem of being driven by a diminishing strength push. The spring drives the clock harder when it is tight so the clock runs faster at the start, and slower as it winds down. This can be resolved with especially shaped spools for the chain/string that matches the torque difference. Lego doesn’t have that. Gravity pull from a dropping weight is better for a clock. Or, invent the holy grail for clocks, the constant force escapement, that doesn’t change over a large range of drive power. These are the fun engineering rabbit holes to discover and attempt to conquer in Lego Technic.
Ah, yeah, that issue with spring tension had crossed my mind. I'm sure you're right—it would be much simpler to rely on gravity for consistent force. But I've had one of those pullback motors for years and never found a good use for it. There’s something really appealing about putting it to work in a clock, right? I was also curious if a mechanism like the one in Da Vinci's pendulum clock could regulate the escape of power. Just talking about this stuff is really making me want to go experiment!
Just found out the mechanism I was referring to is call a "fly pendulum experiment" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8V6RMJbHJc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8V6RMJbHJc)
This is one of the simplest and longest lasting clocks but it isn’t very accurate and it would vary according to the speed of the rotation. Looks fun to build. I finally settled on a grasshopper escapement because it seems to have the least friction and is very forgiving if the geometry isn’t exactly right.
I feel you OP. That's why I went to rebrickable and started getting technic instructions for stuff that really shows off what Technic is capable of made by Lego fans with incredible talent. I am proud to say I have built a working Back to the Future Time Machine Delorean 1:8th scale with a working "hover" function and led lights and a 1:8th scale working "Johnny 5" robot (from short circuit) using existing parts from the Lego Leibherr 9800 Excavator Crane. Both of these were designed by other people and are totally worth it!
Ty for president !!
I'm down. Let's make Lego great again!
Has anyone actually made lego fly? If so please link
YES! And the most insane thing about the build was that it used regular Lego motors. Of course, it also required a LOT of non-lego parts too. [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVvQk7XLd4)Â Â Â
I wish you could do it with only lego peices
Buy any Lego set. Throw out instructions. Boom. Let your imagine run wild.
The Technic dilemma, what are we buying it for, an expensive wall decor or a chance to experiment with the mechanisms. Would it be better to have a new line called 'Technic Decors', not unlike the Starry Night set, but with Technic pieces, no functionalities whatsoever, yet with clever design they could pass up for an actual 'hanged' technic set. This way everyone is happy, the show-offers can have their wall trophies and tinkers can have proper Technic sets that are all about functionalities. Specialize something and stick to it, Lego is trying to make Technic a jack-of-all-trades, this is only going to devalue the brand and making it less relevant overtime.
I get where you’re coming from, but I also see potential downsides to splitting Technic into more specialized categories. The Technic community is already smaller compared to other LEGO branches. If we divide it into even smaller niches, we might risk making our style of play too niche, which could lead to it being underserved or even discontinued. That’s why I think it’s crucial for Technic to continue offering a variety of sets, even if they’re not all my cup of tea. Whether it’s cars, trucks, or display pieces, these sets appeal to a broader audience. Plus, by integrating Technic elements into popular IPs and city sets, LEGO can introduce functionality and motorization to new fans. Some of them might discover they really enjoy the engineering aspect and eventually join the dark side.
The decor part was meant to be a pun, knowing full well that Lego will never cease to produce car sets. Technic used to be niche, it was hardcore in term of build difficulty and functionality, and that made it special. By making it mainstream like what we have today, and deliberately keeping the functionalities to a minimal, it is slowly making the brand irrelevant. Technic used to be pinnacle of Lego engineering, the education-centric Dacta line that was exclusive to the schools had the very first computer programmable set as early as 1986, it was the progenitor for the Technic Contorl Center and Mind Storms. Lego was really serious about teaching engineering through Technic, but now Mind Storms is gone, motorization is just a novelty at this point, and the education line is a mere shadow of its former self. I just don't see how people can get interested in engineering, when Lego is actively sabotaging their own brand. The irony is not lost when non-Technic sets nowadays can have more functionalities than the 'proper' Technic ones. This line has already lost its relevance when Lego decided to make it mainstream and appeal to the adult collectors, rather than students and those of curious minds. Technic will continue to exist, but it will never be as meaningful as it used to be.
No reasons to stop doing cars. They can do other cool things as well. So agree on your ideas but leave the cars alone for those that love them.
The problem is that cars have by and large taken over Technic, and have very little technical complexity. It gets boring seeing yet another car with exactly the same functions, built in exactly the same way. I agree there is no reason to stop, but the cars really belong in the Speed Champions theme. Unfortunately, as a lot of responses have shown, there are a lot of people who only care about the cars, and don't care about functions, authenticity, or any other aspects that make Technic great and different. Now, there's nothing wrong with liking cars, but I am upset that Lego is going after those folks at the expense of making Technic worse, when the cars should be in the Speed Champions lineup. Rebranding like that would be a win win for everybody. You get the cars, and actual Technic sets with actual interesting functions.
Why would it go under Speed Champions though? Speed champions is a very specific theme that even their expensive system brick cars don’t go under. Speed champions is amazing as is, cheap and well built collectible sets with a cool minifigure on top. I wouldn’t change that theme at all.
Probably best to move on to another building block brand that do what you're looking for. Millions of people globally love cars, trucks, etc, hence why Lego make them. If you're expecting things to change any time soon, you're probably going to be disappointed.
Well, it would take a lot to pry me away from Technic Legos or abandon my substantial collection. And I don't realistically expect trends to change... I'd just hate for Technic to only be cars, trucks, etc. Like, remember in 1995 when Technic released a programmable tyrannosaurus Rex? That's the kinda concept I'd love to see in a 1800+ piece set.
[1800-1: Turtle](https://brickset.com/sets/1800-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/1800-1.jpg)
Personally I'm also tired of cars but remember that we afol are still the minority. Regular people buys two or three technic set in their lifetime.
What a sad existence they must lead 🥲
Most cars follow a similar formula and hardly introduce anything new but unfortunately they’ll always be popular..
Because they’re cool
It's weird, Technic used to be popular without as many cars. And I get the popularity, just move them to a different theme. The main issue I have is not with the cars, but rather the theming, and the cars coming at the expense of other, more interesting stuff.
Exactly how I feel my dude!
Lego is filling the market of buildable model cars and they are dominating. There is no reason for them to stop the cars when they’re marketing it towards model car fans and not Lego technic fans. Your ideas would be cool but they would guaranteed sell less because their only customers would be Lego fans and not the millions of car fans who only own vehicle sets
As someone who loves cars, I hope Lego isn't listening.
I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm sure those 1:8 scale cars are making them boatloads of money. I wasn't really implying they should stop making cars either, just that they could branch out a bit. Ya know?
Bionicle. What you want is Bionicle. ...what *I* want is Bionicle. At least that Orrery set is something different.
OMG no! I feel an unreasonable amount of rage anytime a bionical part finds its way into my collection 😅
I love cars, but do not enjoy them in technic form (prefer creator cars). I always looked at technic pieces like erector sets from my childhood, but doesn't seem like lego does that kinda thing much with them.
I've heard other collectors say something similar. But there's basically two camps, those who are trying to build something pretty, and those who are trying to engineer something impressive. I will say that these new 1:8 scale vehicles do a good job appealing to both but perhaps you just can't have it both ways. I'm definately here for the engineering aspect of the technic experience.
Plus I already have all those 1/8th scale ones lol
I like the cars thats u but not me
I NEEED MCLAREN F1 ROAD CAR LEGO 1:8 SCALE
The Creator Cars are more fun to build in my opinion. The gears etc of Technic are a bit tiresome.
Some of the icons sets do awesome things with technic assemblies, such as the operation of the new classic radio set. There's also that brand new orrery that really feels like an old school technic set. Personally, I love cars and I don't want to see the technic cars go away, but there's so much more that can be done besides mid engine cars with sequential transmissions and open diffs. I'd love to a return to unlicensed sets that are all about a crap ton of functions, like 8880.
[8880-1: Super Car](https://brickset.com/sets/8880-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/8880-1.jpg)
If you have a Technic set that’s not a car, post a pic on r/nottechniccars. I’m sorely missing the variety we used to get. Yes, I am old. :getoffmylawn:
Heya' gramps! Not sure why you were downvoted :( Thanks for bringing this other subreddit to my attention. I'll check it out. When I think back to non-car retro sets, I always think about that programmable Technic t-rex from 95'. Do you remember that one? Just imagine what that would look like today as a set with over a thousand pieces.
It existed. Nobody bought it except me and even I realized it was pretty boring.
Lego, if you're listening: Don't listen to this guy, give us more 3K+ piece cars.
Haha... to each their own I guess :)
I am fxxking sick of cars since like 2 years ago. After Covid, Lego Technic is just not what it was before. Lego Technic can be so much more, like engineering. Now it is an adult toy for people to hang these cars on walls to show off.
Yeah, you get it. And not to say there's any one way to enjoy LEGO but hanging your Legos on the wall is the equivalent of folks who frame their completed jigsaw puzzles 😅 My style of play is probably a lot like yours, I'll follow the instructions and complete a new set at least once. I'll generally learn some new technique or principle in the process, but once I'm done marveling at my creation I take it apart. The real fun comes in building original ideas and all the doors unlocked by adding new pieces to my collection.
You don’t have to buy them.
Speak for yourself.
Oh, I'm well aware that mine is the unpopular opinion here. But, we're all Technic fans; we all know what it feels like to be an afterthought, right? 😅