LEGO Technic 42009 Mobile Crane

LEGO Technic 42009 Mobile Crane MK II (Toy) I used to build the LEGO Technic vehicles when I was young teenager in the Eighties. They were mechanically and design-wise simple to assemble and operate. I learnt a great deal about the mechnical engineering by experimenting with various assemblies and different ways of 'reinventing the wheel' so to speak. They also helped me develop the logical thinking process of starting in small steps toward the completion, especially when doing the school projects at the university later in my life.

After a long absence, I succumbed to my inner child and bought a LEGO Technic Mercedes-Benz Unimog two years ago. I was blown away by the sheer mechanical complexity and extraordinary attention to the functions. I spent many hours carefully assembling the components and enjoyed every moment immensely. Not to mention playing with Unimog as stress buster!

When LEGO introduced a new Mobile Crane MK II, I decided that Unimog could use some companion and bought it. Mobile Crane MK II is surprisingly heavy and feels more solid. The stickers placed next to the switches were more helpful than Unimog. I could see right away which function and direction this or that switch does. They are also colour-coded to eliminate the guess work. On Unimog, I sometimes forget which setting would facilitate the certain pneumatic strut in the crane and scoop. The steering is absolutely fun to do with eight wheels turning in an arch! LEGO even made the outriggers fully motorised!

I spent more time than I anticipated because the instruction can be little unclear at times. I had to examine the drawing very carefully to see where to place the gear, stud, or beam. I didn't realise I had incorrectly put together one component until half way later, and I had to disassemble in order to correct the mistake. Sometimes I feel like I am playing the spot-the-difference puzzle comparing the assembled component with the drawing to find out where to insert the stud or tiny gear wheels.

There is a couple of mistakes in the instruction books. The electric motor must be removed in order to fit a medium gear even though the instruction showed otherwise. The tiny gear (used for the differential gear) inside the crane came loose at one point, and I spent lot of time tracking down the problem. The rod wasn't fully inserted, causing the tiny gear to become unseated.

One flaw with the Mobile Crane MK II is the hoist. When the crane is lifted up or boom extended, the hoist moves up and could stop either from lifting or extending. I had to manually pull the cable as to give more slack. I am hoping that LEGO would find a way to remedy this flaw in the next generation.

The whole experience is truly enjoyable for me. I look forward to see my friends getting all perked up and bringing their inner child out for a moment!


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