It was quiet in TLCB Towers over the past few days. The Elves were out foraging for creations, thus allowing TLCB Staff to get whatever it is they do done, away from any Elf-related shenanigans. That productivity ended today.

Three creations were found, and – as is almost always the case – this started an Elf fight. This time though, one Elf had a distinct weaponry advantage…

Usually our smelly little workers employ the use of stationary, kitchen utensils and other office supplies to tip the odds in their favour. Unfortunately for the two Elves equipped as per the above, one of today’s combatants brought along an enormous remote control combine harvester…

It’s safe to say that a hand whisk is no match for several kilograms of remotely controlled whirling plastic.

The machine in question – a Bizon ZO56 – was found on Brickshelf, and whilst it is responsible for quite a lot of Elf blood on the office carpet, it’s also a damn good build. Trawson21 is the builder behind it, and there’s lots more to see, including a link to a video of the harvester in action, on Brickshelf at the link above.

Following the launch of LEGO’s 42043 Mercedes-Benz Arocs set earlier in the year the online Lego community has been churning our new variants at a prolific rate.

The latest to feature here comes fitted with a giant piece of Agrar agricultural equipment on the back which is remotely controlled by a Power Functions motor, with another powering its all-wheel-drive, a third controlling the steering, and a fourth operating the transmission.

Eric Trax is the builder behind it and there’s more to see on Brickshelf, the Eurobricks discussion forum here, and in the YouTube video below.

YouTube Video:

Farming is tough work, but you do get to drive some very exciting machinery. Often both more expensive and more exotic than most supercars, farming vehicles have got seriously high-tech. At the forefront are Claas, with tractors like this Xerion 5000. Built by Flickr’s Jakeof_ it’s packed with neat detailing and there’s more to see via the link above.

Today’s second piece of agricultural equipment, and looking like some sort of mechanised harbinger of doom, is this fictional ‘TUC’ combine harvester from Flickr’s Smigol. If and when the Zombie Apocalypse happens, we want to be in one of these! There’s more to see at Smigol’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump.

…but so is this one. Like Lamborghini, Porsche started from very humble beginnings. This is their 1950s Super tractor and it’s been recreated beautifully by Flickr’s DB_Kit Fisto. There’s an accurate three-cylinder engine, a two-speed gearbox, working steering with positive caster angle, and a functioning rear power-take-off. There’s more to see at Kit’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump.

Following his appearance here last week, Flickr’s Jakeof_ is back with another beautifully recreated Soviet oddity. This is a Belarus MTZ-52 tractor and approximately 200,000 were built from the mid ’60s until production ceased in the mid ’80s. Powered by a 4.7 litre four-cylinder diesel engine the all-wheel-drive MTZ-52 made around 50bhp, giving it a top speed of about… 17mph. Don’t worry though, we’ve sent the Elves out to try to find something fast to rebalance the blog a bit later in the week! You can see more of the Belarus at Jakeof_’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump.

This neat little farmer’s pick-up truck comes from Сергей Антохин of Flickr. It’s only 6-studs wide but some clever construction means that two mini-figures can fit inside the cabin, whilst their three pet pigs ride in the back.

As well as featuring opening doors, the tailgate and sides of the load bed can drop to enable the pigs to be unloaded when they get to their destination, as you can see here. We wonder where they’re going?

The pigs have disappeared, probably to happily root around in a field just out of shot, and Сергей has attached this superbly proportioned wood chip/meat mincing device to the rear of the truck. You can see more of Сергей’s lovely Town-scale truck at his photostream via the link above, whilst we put the sausages on for lunch.

It’s been Harvest Festival at TLCB Towers this morning. One of the Elves returned triumphantly from Michal Skorupka’s PhotoStream driving this superb remote controlled Claas Lexion 760 combine harvester. With thirteen Power Functions motors powering everything from the drive and steering to the combine head rotation and elevation, the feeder, and the rear spreading mechanism, there was plenty for the aforementioned Elf to do.

As is traditional with Power Functions models, he proceeded to use the machine to reap his colleagues. So whilst we clear up the mess, we suggest that you enjoy the video of the harvester in action below. Michal has chosen a rocking backing track for his video.  Those of our readers who might prefer a more traditional track should follow this link.

This beautifully-built Bizon ZO56 combine harvester comes from Flickr’s Damian Z. aka Thietmaier. Abounding in detail, Damian’s model faithfully recreates one of the most well-known and recognisable Polish harvesters, although if like us you’re neither Polish nor a combine harvester expert that probably means little! We’ll trust Damian that it’s accurate, and it also allows us to write a title that tenuously links the model in this post to Christmas. Points for us! You can see more of Damian’s Bison ZO56 on Flickr – click the link above to gather the crop.

It’s time for another official LEGO set review here at The Lego Car Blog, and it’s a big one. Welcome to the Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC.

This TLCB staff member has wanted to get his hands on LEGO’s 42054 Claas Xerion set ever since he first saw it. A large lime-green tractor now sits next to him as he types, so has it met expectations?…

42054 sits, a little surprisingly, in the middle of the current Technic range. A little while ago it would have probably been the Technic flagship, but so huge are the current models getting that the Claas is less than half the price of the Volvo L350F and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. However at almost 2,000 pieces 42054 actually features a few hundred more than the big Volvo.

Many of these are new too, with brand new (awesome) tyres, and a wealth of new bushes and pin connectors making their debut in this set. LEGO have employed a few interesting techniques in building with these, as some of these parts are used purely as a construction aid (think an unseen bracket on a car bodyshell that serves no purpose once the car is built, but allows a robot to align a laser or something during manufacturing), and all are coloured in a way that aims to assist with the build process (as opposed to the colour being chosen to best suit the finished model’s aesthetics).

If that makes you concerned about how authentic the Claas looks, don’t be. 42054 is one of the finest looking Technic sets ever produced, and it continues the trend of featuring almost Model Team levels of detailing, with Technic lift-arm holes concealed by smooth plates, lights, mirrors, and some very well chosen stickers.

The downside of the aforementioned colour choices is that black and dark grey parts can look almost identical in the instruction booklet, and when you first come across one of the new pieces you may spend ages looking for it amongst a sea of 2,000 bricks, scanning for black, when it is in fact nestling in a pile of grey. Not that this reviewer did that of course. He’s far too experienced to make that mistake.

Colours aside the instructions are clearly laid out, and feature some huge sub-assemblies. Which brings us neatly on to a new phenomenon that the Claas Xerion demonstrates wonderfully; Density of Engineering.

Yes, we have just made that phrase up, but 42054 features some of the most compressed and tightly-packed mechanics of any LEGO set. Ever.

It’s the first set where the design has genuinely amazed us in its complexity – it’s so far above our building ability that we could never hope to better it. Some of this engineering brilliance fulfils relatively simple tasks, for example when the motor isn’t in use the battery box is automatically switched off (a thoughtful piece of design), whilst other elements, such as the three-mode steering, are mind-bendingly fantastic.

So, the steering. Like the real Claas Xerion, 42054 can be steering by the front axle (as it would be in road use), all-wheel (for tighter turns) and crab (to avoid furrows). All three work perfectly, and – as always with LEGO sets – all three have an absolutely appalling lock. It’s good thing this set has all-wheel steering as you need it just to navigate household furniture.

42054 also includes a bit of a steering party piece though, as the cab can rotate through 180 degrees, rising subtly as it does so to clear the hood, to allow the driver to see the rear-mounted crane. This is the first function controlled by the Medium Motor, and it works beautifully.

A gearbox and a set of clutches split this single motor’s drive to allow it to a) power a number of functions and b) run continuously without stress. The power sent rearwards controls a slightly awkward-looking crane, allowing it to rotate and elevate courtesy of a linear actuator. Both functions are controlled via two easy to use (and easy to access) levers mounted at the very back of the set. The crane also includes a few mechanical functions too, with the boom extension, stabilising legs and grab all controlled by hand.

And this is where the Claas earns big points here at TLCB. Too often with the more recent Technic sets we’ve got the feeling that Power Functions electric components have been included at the expense of mechanical functionality. And sometimes even any functionality at all. Not so with 42054, where the use of the Medium Motor absolutely enhances the set, yet it would remain a magnificent Technic model even if a motor weren’t included. Aside form the brilliant three-mode mechanical steering, crane boom extension, grab and stabilisers, two more hand-powered linear actuators raise and lower both the crane at the rear and the counterweight at the front of the Claas. These are complicated mechanisms that probably didn’t need to be included, yet they have been, and we love 42054 for it.

LEGO’s 42054 Claas Xerion 5000 is – quite simply – a triumph. It looks fantastic, it works brilliantly, it’s challenging to build, it’s a delight to play with, and it’s quite possibly the most superbly engineered LEGO set yet. It’s also good value, with nearly 2,000 pieces for less than half the price of the current flagship sets. If you’re reading this and you don’t own 42054, buy it. Buy it now.

★★★★★

LEGO’s 42054 Claas Xerion 5000 tractor is one of the very best sets that we’ve ever reviewed. It’s so good in fact that we can think of little that could be done to improve it. But that’s not to say it can’t be enhanced with a little MOCery. With an adjustable hitch both front and rear that includes a power-take-off, a wealth of attachments can be developed to accompany LEGO’s brilliant set.

Which is exactly what MajklSpakjl of Eurobricks has done. Coupling neatly to the rear of the Claas Xerion tractor Majkl has constructed an enormous Krampe HP30 dump trailer, complete with steering axles and working suspension, and utilising the tractor’s rear power-take-off to drive the dumping mechanism remotely. The complete rig functions beautifully and you can watch it in action and see all of the photos at the Eurobricks discussion by clicking the link above.

Today’s blog post is brought to you by the letter ‘T’. Plus the Elves are learning about alliteration, which means that we have not one but two Technic tractors to show you.

They’re both remote control too, which also meant that we had something of an Elven showdown in the corridor this morning. Unable to squash any of their colleagues due to their finds herculean slowness, each Elf decided that the next best route to carnage was to turn their respective machines on one another. Cue the slowest vehicular joust in history, at the end of which the tractors calmly bumped into one another and the Elves at the controls left in disgust.

Well they may not be impressed, but we are, as each build is a masterclass in Technic engineering. Above is newcomer Brick_Sticker’s enormous Case 620 HD, driven by an XL motor and featuring an unusual (but very clever) pneumatic articulated steering mechanism, with an on-board compressor powered by a Medium motor providing the air pressure. Another Medium motor drives a power-take-off, and there are four pneumatic lines where tools could be attached.

It’s a spectacular machine and well worth your click – you can check out all the images and details via both Eurobricks and Brickshelf.

The Case’s gladiatorial opponent in the corridor joust comes from previous bloggee Damian Plesniak, and if anything it’s even slower. Driven by twin Medium motors, Damian’s tracked mini loader features skid-steering, plus a tilting and raising bucket powered by a third Medium motor and an XL.

It works a treat too, and you can see all of the (brilliantly taken) images on Flickr here, plus you can watch a video of the loader in action by visiting the Eurobricks discussion forum.

A seemingly inevitable fixture in old-timey race movies, a car or plane will crash through a barn and emerge out the other side covered in hay and miraculously unharmed chickens, and followed by a wildly gesticulating farmer. Exactly as per this glorious action-shot by Flickr’s PigletCiamek, who has absolutely nailed it! Click the link above to follow the aeronautical shenanigans!

This weird agricultural oddity is a Lanz Bulldog tractor. 220,000 of these were built in Germany from the early 1920s up until 1960, making it one of the most popular European tractors of all time. Many Germans still use the word ‘bulldog’ as a generic name for tractors today.

The Bulldog’s popularity was down to its incredibly crude single cylinder hot bulb engine. Yup, just one cylinder, which came in a capacity of up to 10 litres, but which could run on just about anything – crucial in war-torn and then recovering (and then war-torn again) Europe.

This Town-style recreation of the vintage tractor comes from previous bloggee Peter Schmid on Flickr, and you can see more of his Lanz Bulldog build at his photostream by clicking here.

After a thorough ploughing you’re ready to spread some seed, and the bigger the tool you have, the better. In farming terms obviously.

This is one such tool, a Vaderstad RDA 800C, being towed (and powered) by a mighty John Deere 9560R tractor. This enormous rig is the work of Flickr’s Eric Trax, and it’s a seriously impressive bit of kit.

Eric’s 1:18 scale John Deere 9560R includes SBrick bluetooth-controlled all-wheel-drive with diff locks, central articulated steering, and a working piston engine, whilst the Vaderstad seeder behind it features a pneumatically operable seeding mechanism that can raise and lower for road and work configurations, powered by an on-board compressor and operable remotely via a second SBrick.

There’s lots more of both the 9560R and Vaderstad seeder to see at Eric’s Flickr photostream via the link above, plus you watch the combination in action courtesy of the video below, where Eric demonstrates what his giant seeding tool can do.

YouTube Video

We made it through this entire post without mentioning your Mom! Apart from this bit.

This lovely Town scale tractor is the work of Flickr’s Jakeof, and it’s an all-wheel-drive Russian MTZ-52. No, us neither, but it has actually appeared here before so you can read more about it here. Anyhow, the mini-figure farmer’s carrots are now ready to take to market, so Jakeof has built him an Autosan D-44 trailer with which to do it. See more at the link above.

Iiiiin the red corner, weighing in at 12,676 pounds, the Belarusian bruiser…. the DT Seventy Fiiiiive! Aaaaand in the blue corner, also weighing in at 12,676 pounds, the Soviet smasher…. the DT Seventy Five Eeeeemmm!

We hope your internal monologue became suitably boxing announcerish as you read that. Anyhow, now that we’ve affected the voice inside your own head, you can see more of these beautifully built town-scale DT 75 and DT 75M tractors at Jakeof_’s photostream. Click the link to go ringside.

This neat John Deere 7930 complete with duel-axle trailer comes from Flickr’s keko007. Realistic on the outside, the inside is packed with functionality, including full Power Functions remote control and several mechanical features too. There’s more of keko’s creation to see on Flickr – click the link above to take a look.

*We’ve expanded into Taylor Swift songs for titles. Sorry.

This is a Soviet Kirovets K-700A heavy duty tractor, and it’s a vehicle of which we know absolutely nothing. However our trusty friend Wikipedia has come to the rescue and let us know that, amongst other fun facts, Kirovets were once a foundry for cannonballs. Well there you go. That interesting factoid shows just how old the company is though, being established way back in 1789.

This particular Kirovets product was launched in 1962, finally ending production in 2000, and features a turbocharged V8 diesel engine and all-wheel-drive. The Kirovets factory now produces the hateful Dartz T-98 Kombat, so frankly we’d rather they were still making cannonballs, but you can see more of this impressive machine from their back-catalogue courtesy of previous bloggee Jakeof_ at his Flickr photostream here.

This is a Deutz-Fahr 6040 combine harvester (no, us neither), but vehicles such as this are vital for the continual feeding of the Earth’s 7.4 billion human mouths. This incredible fully remote controlled Technic version comes from Flickr’s Krešo Krejča and it’s absolutely packed with mechanical wizardry. The drive, steering, and the rotating, raising and lowering cutting bar are all powered via LEGO Power Functions motors, plus there’s a trailer to tow the cutting bar for road use, a detailed cabin, and opening hatches galore. There’s lots more to see of the Deutz-Fahr at Krejca’s photostream – click the link above to bring in the harvest.

It’s every petrolhead’s dream to unearth an amazing classic car, unknown to the world for decades, hidden away in an unopened garage, workshop or barn.

It’s TLCB Master MOCer Andrea Lattanzio aka Norton74‘s dream too, so he’s decided to build his very own barn find, depicting the moment a farmer reveals the old Bugatti racing car that’s been sleeping untouched for half a century beside his hay.

This particular barn find would be sure to raise some global interest, with Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix’s fetching around $1.5million at auction. Do you think he’ll sell it? Head over to Andrea’s photostream to ask the farmer really nicely.