What are the arguments for and against an adult tackling a complex LEGO Technic kit as their first (and possibly only) build?

Question

Suppose I want to get an overall view of LEGO as an adult and can afford to buy an expensive kit.

I have the following abilities

1. Good eyesight with glasses

2. Good hand-eye coordination and manipulative ability

3. Good DIY and tool skills

4. A good basic understanding of mechanics, gearing, levers and so on

5. A good spatial sense

6. An ability to follow straightforward instructions and diagrams such as making flat-pack furniture or setting up home devices. Also the ability to make simple modifications like adding a hard-drive to a desktop computer and reassembling it successfully afterwards.

7. Advanced knowledge of computer programming and good general knowledge of electricity and electronics

8. Experience of building model aircraft - both flying and non-flying models

I wish to buy a kit that contains most of the functions (motors, gears, controllers, programming, drive trains, etc.) that will be found in Technic kits of all kinds.

As an example I might buy 42100 LIEBHERR R 9800 as described here https://www.newelementary.com/2019/12/lego-technic-review-42100-liebherr-r.html

Questions

Will buying the above kit be likely too much to start with, simply because I have not worked my way up through simpler models? Are there other arguments for and against?

Is there a smaller kit that has as roughly as many build techniques and features as the above kit but contained within a smaller space?

Answer 1

The set is marketed as "12+". So even without the skills you mentioned you already have, I doubt you would have issues during assembly.

Piece of advice - don't rush it, take your time during the assembly process. It will take more time to assemble than you think. Especially as this is the first set and you need some time to learn the parts and how they work.

For a challenging Technic set, my personal suggestion, is to look for set from much older "studful" Technic era. Something like 8880. It has fewer parts, but many more parts assembled per step and most of them are black. Don't follow this advice for your first ever Technic set though.

Answer 2

I recommend to buy one of the great classics of the Technic era around 2012-2015, such as the Mobile Crane MKII, 42009, the Arocs, 42043, or the 4x4 Crawler, 9398. I own both the Arocs and the Crawler. It really is fun to build them, and if you like the build you can buy extensions and modifications to create a special version of your set.

The 42100 needs a mobile phone and an app that will probably fail after the next Android update. I would avoid that frustration.

Answer 3

Your specific questions seem to call for opinions. (The moderators do not like that.)

Your questions as I seem them are:

Q1: Will buying the above kit be likely too much to start with, simply because I have not worked my way up through simpler models?

A1: The 42100 LIEBHERR R 9800 has over 4000 parts but only 225 different ones. I have noticed some posts about getting some of the mechanics to work properly. Keep in mind that even someone with a lot of experience could not build it in a few hours and enjoy it. If you did one part per second it would take over 66 minutes. Expect to take days. As a first time technic build I'd guess a week or more.

Q2: Are there other arguments for and against?

A2: Against, It's a toy, sort of like a 3d puzzle that needs batteries and a smartphone.

A2: For, It's a massive amount of Lego parts. He that dies with the most toys wins, so more Legos better chance of wining.

In all seriousness you should try a less complex build to see if it will prove a positive experience. It is a lot to spend for something that you could feel was a frustrating waste of time.

Of the currently available Technic™ models from Lego I would suggest the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane.