We round off a busy day here at TLCB Towers with this, TLCB debutant eastpole77‘s charming vintage Lanz Eilbulldog tractor. Inventive parts use, clever building techniques, and excellent presentation are all present and there’s more of eastpole77’s creation to see via the link above.
This is a fully remote controlled Case QuadTrac 620, built by mktechniccreations, and it’s really very good at squashing Elves. It’s also one heck of a build, with no less than six Power Functions motors, two BuWizz bluetooth batteries, and a pneumatic system with on-board compressors. And that’s before we get to the Elmer HaulMaster 2000 trailer.
Back to the Case, where two L Motors drive the fully suspended tracks, whilst a Servo articulates the pivot steering (the rear section of which can also oscillate independently from the front to keep the vehicle level on uneven ground).
Two M Motors power the on-board pneumatic compressors/switches, a third drives the rear PTO, there’s a suspended cab, swing-out ladder (that automatically pivots out of the way of the tracks when the tractor articulates), a rotating driver’s seat, and pneumatically operated hitches.
The Elmer HaulMaster trailer features a few trick of its own too, with the Case’s PTO driving the conveyor belt and auger worm-gear, pneumatically operated auger boom extension, and pneumatically deployed support legs.
It’s an unfathomably complex and wonderfully engineered build, and there’s lots more to see of mktechniccreations’ incredible creation at the Eurobricks forum via the link above, where complete technical details, further imagery, and a link to building instructions can be found.
You can also see all the amazing working functions of both the Case Quadtrac 620 and Elmer HaulMaster 2000 in action via the video below; click play to take a look at one of the best models of 2021 so far.
YouTube Video
Flickr’s Damian Z is one of our favourite farm-vehicle creators, thanks to exceptional detailing, ingenious building techniques, and top-notch presentation. His latest creation continues the favouritism, being this fantastic Fendt Favourite 514C with a fitted front loader. That’s a whole lot of F-words, which are common in TLCB Office but are usually of the unprintable sort. Today’s ‘F’s are fine though, and there’s more to see of Damian’s F-bomb on Flickr via the link above.
We often link to music here at TLCB, but not today, because drill music – named after the power tool that is simply horrific to listen to – sucks.
Thus there’ll be no link to an appropriate drill track at the foot of this post, because you don’t need that in your life, but there will be a link to this; Eric Trax’s remarkable Pottinger Terrasem R3 seed drill.
Towed by a version of his previously featured fully remote controlled, SBrick-programmable New Holland TM140 tractor, the Terrasem R3 both looks and sounds like a sci-fi creation you’d expect to find on the Brothers Brick, but is in fact one of the many mechanised wonders that quite literally feed the world.
A Claas telehandler is pictured below filling the Pottinger with seed (snigger), and there lots more to see of it and the excellent tractor pulling it via Eric’s ‘Pottinger Terrasem R3 seed drill‘ album on Flickr (where you can also find a link to a video of it in action and another to building instructions) via the link above, or via Brickshelf here.
The Lego Car Blog is full of sports cars, supercars, and trucks. But for the braver builder, there’s a whole world of fantastically complicated machinery ripe for harvesting into Lego form.
Not many builders have the skills to take on the complex mechanisms found in agriculture, and as such farm equipment remains a relatively rare genre to appear here at The Lego Car Blog.
However one ridiculously-talented builder has managed it, and has appeared here with more superb brick-built pieces of agricultural equipment than probably all other builders put together.
Yes, Michał Skorupka (aka Eric Trax), whose fully operational replicas of real-world tractors, harvesters, balers, and manure spreaders have consistently wowed the entire team here at TLCB, has finally been recognised by our team of supercar-and-truck focussed writers, becoming the latest builder to be inducted into the Master MOCers Hall of Fame.
Eric Trax joins us as the eighth builder of Master MOCers Series 2, the nineteenth Master MOCer of all time, and the first to build a machine specifically for throwing poo.
Take a look at Eric’s story, find out his favourite LEGO piece, and learn who he’d have in the passenger seat of an Audi R8 via the link to his Master MOCers page below! Congratulations Eric, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
Don’t worry, that video of your Mom hasn’t resurfaced again. This lovely vintage tractor was discovered by one of our Elves on Eurobricks today, and it looks rather splendid pictured here against an actual agricultural backdrop.
Proran is the builder and they’ve included functioning steering, a three cylinder engine (with working pistons and valves), a rear power-take-off, and high/low gearbox, along with some rather clever parts usage.
There’s more of Proran’s vintage tractor to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum and you can head out to the farm via the link above.
We’ve never thought about the villainous Blacktron empire’s more mundane needs before. But even an evil space organisation needs to eat. You can’t go thieving satellites on an empty stomach.
Fortunately Flickr’s Dario Đipić has thought about it, and the result is one of the most alien-looking vehicles we’ve ever published, even though the design is rooted in those in common usage today.
That might be because, despite the wonderful work they do feeding the planet, combine harvesters looks absolutely terrifying, and thus are weirdly suited LEGO’s classic space baddies theme.
Head out into the alien fields via Dario’s photostream, and keep the empire of evil from going hungry.
After recently publishing an other-worldly Blacktron combine harvester (what it harvests we have no idea, but we probably don’t want to know), here’s one that’s far more terrestrial. And just as terrifying.
Despite the fact that this Claas Lexion 750 will be harmlessly harvesting wheat, barley, maize, or some other cereal, it – like all combine harvesters – looks like a post-apocalyptic doom-bringer, not helped by the fact that its various components are called names such as ‘reciprocating knife cutter bar’.
Accurately recreating the whirling thresher, spiky blades, rear-wheel steering, and unloading auger of the Claas Lexion 750 is previous bloggee Keko007, whose Lego version looks so life-like we’re surprised he didn’t lose a finger building it.
We’ll be keeping our extremities well away from it then, but you can take a closer look at Keko’s Lexion on Flickr. Click the link above to make the jump and start reaping.
Try as we might we couldn’t think of a Christmassy title for SaperPL‘s Technic JCB Fastrac with rotary rake and tipper trailer, but it’s appearing here nevertheless (a hundred TLCB Points if you can).
Working steering, power-take-offs, a raising three-point hitch, a folding and spinning rotary rake, and a mechanical tipper all feature, and there’s more to see at the Eurobricks forum. Click the coloured text above to take a look, and try to think of a Christmas link.
It’s wheat season. Not here in TLCB’s home nation, where everything is under a thin layer of ice, but somewhere it probably it is.
Regular bloggee 1saac W. is bringing in the wheat harvest back in the 1950s, with his lovely brick-built Ford 8N tractor and ’49 Chevrolet pick-up.
A neat Technic-pin field of wheat stands behind the classic farm due, and there’s more to see of both the Ford 8N and the Chevy at 1saac’s photostream.
Grab your hay fork and head to 1950s rural America via the link in the text above.
Everyone’s favourite vehicle as a toddler was a red tractor, and as we’re basically toddlers here at TLCB, that’s what we have here today. Proving you don’t need a million bricks to build something blogworthy, Stefan Johansson‘s Massey Ferguson tractor recreates the toddler favourite beautifully, and there’s more to see at the link.
There has been no finer sight in 2022 than that of Ukrainian farmers pulling abandoned Russian tanks out of the mud during the Russian invasion and claiming them for the Ukrainian Army, having been deserted by their crews due to poor logistics, low moral, incompetent navigation, or all of the above.
Unless you’re a viewer of Russia-1 television of course, in which case the story is one of grateful Ukrainians helping the brave Russian tank crews in their noble quest to rid Ukraine of ultra-nationalist Nazis. Or some other bullshit.
Stefan Johansson is the builder behind this wonderful depiction of Russian military ineptitude / Ukrainian ingenuity, and there’s more to see of his creation ‘Spring Harvest in Ukraine’ on Flickr via the link.
You can also help the relief efforts in Ukraine required due to Putin’s war via the Disasters Emergency Committee and many others. Whilst wonderfully brave Ukrainians have indeed pulled abandoned Russian tanks from the mud for repurposing, an estimated twelve million Ukrainians have now fled their homes, or what’s left of them. If you can, help.
The European Bison is one of Poland’s national animals. Hunted to extinction in the wild (as late as the 1920s – surely we knew better by then?), the heaviest land animal in Europe has now been reintroduced successfully across multiple countries, led by Poland, and has progressed from ‘Extinct’, through ‘Threatened’, and is now classified as ‘Near Threatened’, which has got to be a win for nature.
Cue this rather formidable looking classic combine harvester by Flickr’s Montgomery Burns (no, not that one), a Polish machine which shares its name with their national animal. The whirly thingies, spikey thingies, and the tube out the side (we’re not farmers…) are all accurately recreated in brick, and there’s more to see at Montgomery’s photostream. Click the link above to take a look.
It might sound like the sort of giant automaton usually blogged by The Brothers Brick, but the Zetor 25K is in fact a vintage Czechoslovakian tractor produced from 1946 to 1961.
This neat Technic replica of the Zetor comes from rhplus, and features a two-cylinder engine, drag-link steering, and – rather cleverly – a three-point hitch and a switchable power-take-off, both of which can be operated by levers from the cockpit.
It’s a lovely little build and one of which you can see more at both Eurobricks and Brickshelf. Unless giant automatons are more your thing.
We love B-Model building here at The Lego Car Blog. It’s LEGO in its purest form, as even a limited quantity of pieces can generate infinite creative possibilities. Cue Thirdwigg, who has repurposed the parts from the LEGO Technic 42136 John Deere 9620R Tractor set to create this articulated dump truck. Working steering and a tipping bucket provide the Technic functions, and there’s more to see of Thirdwigg’s alternate – including building instructions – on Flickr and at the Eurobricks forum.
This is a Lanz HL12 Bulldog, a 1920s German tractor powered by a single cylinder ‘hot bulb’ engine that was so ubiquitous, in some parts of Germany tractors are still known as ‘bulldogs’.
‘Hot bulb’ engines featured very few moving parts, no carburettor, no cooling system, and – much like the flux-capacitor in Doc Brown’s time machine – could run on almost anything.
This one has been recreated wonderfully by Nikolaus Löwe, who has replicated not only the engine but the Lanz’s full suite of 1920s mechanicals, and there’s more to see at his ‘Lanz HL12 Bulldog’ album via the link above.
Technic used to look rather, er… basic., with early sets such as the 8859 Tractor a far cry from today’s ultra realistic (and complex) offerings.
Cue TLCB debutant Christoph Ellermann, who has recreated the primary-coloured 1981 set for the modern Creator era. Gone is the Technic functionality, replaced by a more realistic aesthetic, and yet hidden inside is a full remote control drivetrain.
There’s more to see at Christoph’s photostream, plus you can check out the original set – and see just how far Technic tractors have come in four decades – via the links in the text above.
This is without doubt the loveliest Lego Land Rover we’ve seen this year. Because the loveliest Land Rover is of course a green Series 1 80″.
Built by recent bloggee FanisLego, this utterly beautiful recreation of the definitive Land Rover captures every aesthetic detail of the wonderful 1950s original, with brick-built leaf-spring suspension, a replica of the simple 50bhp 1.6 litre engine, holes for the power-take-offs (can you imagine a modern Defender including the ability to run farm equipment from the engine!), flipping seats, a folding windscreen, plus opening doors, hood, and tailgate.
Photographed and presented superbly, FanisLego’s Land Rover Series 1 80″ is available to view on Bricksafe, where fifteen stunning images are within in the model’s album. Better yet, a link to building instructions can also be found, so if – like us – you think the Series 1 Land Rover is probably the best vehicle ever built, you can create your very own in brick form.
Head to Bricksafe via the link in the text above, where you can find full build details, the complete image gallery, and a link to building instructions.
This is an ŁM-50 tracked front-end overhead loader, a Polish device characterised by two curved metal bars that allow the bucket to pass from the front to the rear of the machine over the head of the driver.
Which provides something of a conundrum when recreating it out of Danish plastic, because LEGO don’t make Technic bars in curved form. Or rather, they don’t any more…
Back in 1998 LEGO were in trouble. The perceived threat from electronic toys and rival construction brand K’nex sent the firm down some very dark alleyways, and the darkest of the lot* was Znap.
Essentially a K’nex rip-off, the Znap range lasted just two years across nineteen sets, and its most notable feature was that it had virtually nothing to do with LEGO bricks whatsoever.
It did however feature curved beams, beams that Flickr’s Maciej Szymański has somehow integrated into his superb fully-RC ŁM-50 front-end loader, enabling the bucket to slide over the model just like it does on the real thing.
A suite of third-party CaDa electrics power the movement of said bucket, plus the skid-steer tracks, but seeing as they’re about as genuine LEGO at Znap was, we’ll let it slide.
Excellent attention to detail and top quality presentation complete Maciej’s model, and there’s much more to see (including a video of the model in action) at his ‘ŁM-50’ album. Click the link above to bend and Znap!
*Except for Galidor of course.
**Today’s tenuous title link. You don’t get quality like this at The Brother’s Brick.
A vintage tractor parked for children to play on is a common sight around TLCB Towers. Today the happy scenes from outside farm shops and pubs across TLCB’s home nation are playing out in miniature within the crumbling carbuncle that is our office, thanks to Thirdwigg‘s lovely Technic vintage tractor and TLCB Elves. There’s working steering and a functional tow hitch, with more to see on Flickr. Take a look via the link above.