I’m Really Not Sure About This One…
Posted by
LegoCoastalPatrol
in United Kingdom
on
02 October 2009
I’ve recently picked up a few of the later City sets (7686, 7990, 7991) and out of them all this is my least favourite. I looked at Argos for this (£13.99) but it was constantly out of stock, but I found mine in John Lewis at the Trafford Centre for £9.99! For that price I think the set is OK but if I had paid full price for it I would have felt a little cheated.
Essentially there is nothing wrong with the concept of the set; I just think it could have been done better. I must admit I was in two-minds about returning mine as some of the decals (stickers) seem discoloured and some of the parts didn’t fit as snugly as I would have hoped. The set is divided into 2 main parts:
The Jeep:
The jeeps looks OK in my opinion, I am not sure if it is based on a production car at all, it doesn’t look much like the current models offered by Toyota, Land Rover etc. It also looks unfinished; there are two minifigs with the set but only one seat! There is room in the rear of the jeep for the second minifig to sit, but this involves removing the cab roof and then the roof next to that, which results in the roof rack and associated ‘vents’ coming off! There is no dashboard or control console. The wheel arches seem a little high in comparison with the wheels and tyres and the rear number plate is attached to a sloping panel which faces down towards the ground! The mirrors could also have been better. It is also rare to find a jeep without a spare wheel on the tailgate. I like the grill and provision of ‘spot lights’ low down, but if this jeep is supposed to be representative of the high-end Range Rovers etc, why not offer those Xenon headlights (blue headlamps)?! I like the colour scheme of the jeep and the use of the transparent panels, the roof rack area is also good.
The Horsebox:
The horsebox is very, very basic and although it is provided to do a job, I think it takes minimalism too far! There is no dedicated storage area for tools, riding equipment or provisions (not that any of these items are provided with the set). Also, horseboxes usually have a side door for personnel access to the box, this does not, nor are there any windows in the box. Additionally, every horsebox I have seen comes with a spare wheel usually under a cover, this does not. The rear ramp / door is OK but doesn’t make a good contact with the sides of the box when it is in the closed position. There is also a roof-mounted floodlight which doesn’t seem to fit in somehow. Lastly, there is no undercarriage at the front of the trailer, and although the trailer has two axles and does stand alone, it looks odd when disconnected from the jeep.
The set also comes with two minifigs; these are quite attractive and fit the scheme of the set well. The one piece of fencing and the horse are also fine.
This is the first and only Farm set in my collection, the rest of the series doesn’t interest me so I won’t be expanding this line at all, I’m glad I got this set while it is available but having built it once and already dismantled it, it’ll probably remain boxed for a long time to come.
It has however, provided me with the inspiration to build a proper coach built horsebox complete with office, over-cab sleeping area and two stables – so something good came of the purchase.
Why didn’t Lego do this?
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