Set Review ➟ 42233 Mighty Machines Series 1
To reuse the famous quote: and now for something completely different! We’ve reviewed our fair share of Technic sets with high 3-digit numbers of parts, not uncommonly extending into respectable four digits too. In other words, sets that require significant time, space, dexterity and concentration. But now with this new series, LEGO aims for the opposite: small, fun sets one can build while waiting for the coffee to brew, or during the soccer half-time break (dexterous builders could finish one even during the hydration break, however).
Instead of the typical approach of each mini-set having its own number, in this case they are all united under a single number 42233, with the underlying idea of them forming a collection one may want to complete. There are eight such mini-sets in this series, packed in boxes which are indistinguishable from each other (apart from the QR code which, however, doesn’t indicate the set inside!). We received them in a box of sixteen, which is clearly intended to be opened and offered in a store. And with LEGO emphasizing this is the Series One, we can expect further such mini-set series in the future.
As their collective name suggests, these mini-sets reside in the very well-known Technic territory: construction and service vehicles, all in the yellow livery - the most common one for this theme. Some among them are rather similar to each other, but not irritatingly so: looks like eight was the sweet spot between the series simply being too small, and the actual mini-sets becoming too similar and repetitive.
What can be collectively said about the eight mini-vehicles is that they rely almost exclusively on usual Technic parts, of which there are thirty-ish, forty-ish or so, and that they pack one or two mechanical functionalities in the tiny volume. E.g. the hauler can lift its bowl, the truck can steer and tilt its cargo, the excavator has the shovel arm articulated via two joints, etc. Where conveniently possible, the controls for these features are pointed out in red (typically as bushings or axle extenders).
To be sure, due to size and the low part count, these features are of course very elementary - typically based on a hinge, a simple gear movement, or a quadrangle linkage. But they work all right, and bring a smile to one’s face. LEGO is no stranger to interesting tiny Technic sets: not long ago I had great fun with the 42218. And these here are even smaller!
Apart from the single-sheet instructions, each of these mini sets includes its playing card. Builders can use those along with the vehicles to play a round-based tabletop game, with the rules available online. Why not? I personally like the idea of widening the spectrum of ways one can apply LEGO, even if it steps into a different territory than building.
Building these vehicles is really, really easy and takes at most just a few minutes. The instructions are very straightforward, with one or two parts per typical step, which made the step part boxes unnecessary. The official age rating for these sets is therefore 7+, which is noticeably younger than the Technic average - and as such a good starter for any young builder’s venture into the Technic world. And I’d go far enough to say that such newcomers to Technic can learn some mechanical fundamentals in a simple and approachable way, preparing them for more complex stuff. Indirectly I thus admitted this is also a cute little gift for a Technic builder.
My personal favorite is probably the excavator, cleverly combining the angled arm (the “boomerang beam”) rotating around an axle, with a ball joint linkage to enable control of both excavator arms independently from the chassis, using just a dozen parts. I hope poetry fans will not mind me saying this is a nice example of a Technic haiku: minimalistic but functional. Which sometimes requires just as much ingenuity as the larger models do.
Sure, nothing that would surprise weathered builders, but that’s not the point: these little collectibles play a different role in the Technic portfolio than the heavyweights with their complex mechanics. And that is, in my opinion at least, fine; as long as the emphasis is on mechanical features, it is legitimate Technic, whether made of forty or 4000 parts.
The more difficult question, however, is the one of price. While 5€ is not really much, the price-per-part ratio here is somewhat tight, especially considering the supplied parts are mostly small and standard. And if you want to collect all eight vehicles, on average you will need around 22 purchases.
I think I’ll keep three or four on my desk in the office, to keep my hands occupied during gruelling meetings, or to offer a nice distraction for visitors.
Number of parts: approx. 40
Age rating: 7+
Dimensions: Vary, but around 7 x 5 x 4 cm
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