Bucket Wheel Excavator

W.O.W. This set is so detailed & intricate! The manual (one HUGE book!) is well made & will hold up over many builds & rebuilds. The box is gorgeous, the packaging convenient. There are lots of extra pieces, so no worries about missing something. The gears are smooth & slow, just like the real machine. Beautifully recreated, incredibly accurate, hours of building pleasure.This is a MUST HAVE for the crazed LEGO fan in your life. more less

Die-hard Technic fans will ignore all the criticisms and have probably not only bought this already but will be working on modifications and improvements to solve some of the issues we've talked about. But for those who are wavering… £180 is a lot of money to spend on a set that has limited play value, is awkward to put on show due to its size, and struggles to carry out the functions for which it's designed. more less

It is a fascinating and in some ways unusual build, resulting in a truly giant piece of mining equipment. Aside from the various functions I have described throughout this review there are a lot of fulfilling play features, including the addition of the white mining truck. However the main function, the scooping and transportation of dirt, only works well if you give it a hand; the bucket-wheel does not always move in a constant fashion and is jerky. Like the real thing, most of the other motorised functions are sluggish to the extreme but this merely emphasises the physical limits of how big a LEGO Technic set can become. Indeed, perhaps 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator stretches the boundaries of what is possible with axles, gears and beams. more less

It's a great set to build and to behold but its operation lets it down a bit. Also, its size -- while impressive -- will make it difficult for many people, myself included, to display. It's not something you could take into work and put on your desk, for example! I am therefore not able to wholeheartedly recommend this set: Personally I think it's pushing the boundaries of what's possible with Technic, particularly the Power Functions system, a bit too far and the model has suffered as a result. more less

If the 'rocks' were LEGO footballs and 1x1 spheres (which don't exist) I am sure it would work perfectly, but as it is, yes, it works, but not without problems. Nevertheless it's a very interesting machine to construct and operate and if you have the opportunity to build it for yourself I encourage you to so do. Perhaps you'll come up with some fixes for the other issues... [Editor's note: This review is for the alternate model.] more less

What can I say other than to utter lots of superlatives? This is the biggest Technic model ever in terms of dimensions and in terms of parts. It's complexity is right up there with the best, it works great, and it is a wonderful parts pack. Yes it costs a lot, but if you were starting a Technic collection from scratch this one model would provide everything you need for years of building (except, strangely, wheels). more less