LEGO City Great Vehicles Forest Tractor 60181

The Lego City set 60181 Forest Tractor is a smallish set of 174 pieces and, if one follows the instructions, these pieces can be used to build one minifigure, a tractor, a log stand, two logs, and a chainsaw. Opening the box reveals two numbered bags, four giant wheels, a sticker-sheet for six stickers, and a 64-page-long instruction manual with approximately 48 steps from start to finish. The sticker-sheet, wheels and manual are all loose inside the box. Bag 1 contains only 30 pieces, including those for the single minifigure, two logs, a log stand, a chainsaw, a shovel, and a small spruce tree (which is a single piece). Bag 2 has the parts for the tractor which is equipped with a moving log grapple and two chains. There was a total of five spare parts in my set. I was somewhat baffled when the instructions in my set started with step number 1, the next page had a completely different step number 1, and the next page showed step number 56. The rest of the build went without a hitch, and, in my opinion, the stickers were the most difficult part of the build. I have to admit the two dark gray technic hubs with four shafts (element ID 4222192) which serve as the legs of the log stand were a tight fit, and when assembling the tractor's huge wheels, I found it surprisingly difficult go get the rims inside the somewhat floppy tires. The minifigure in this set is a male forest worker. Unfortunately he is not that remarkable a figure: his torso (a reddish brown shirt covered by a high-vis vest and dark gray gloves) has been available since 2015, and the same goes for the red helmet with black ear protectors. His legs are unprinted and blue. The only curious thing about the figure is his single-sided crookedly smiling and stubble-bearded head (element ID 6218244). It is nearly identical to that in 60095 Deep Sea Exploration Vessel, except for the dimple in his cheek, which is black in the older set and light brown in this set. The older version also has a different element ID number (4261572). Undoubtedly, the main attraction of the set is the forest tractor, which has that certain "je ne sais quoi" that prompted me to purchase this set. It is a bright yellow-green, gray and black behemoth with a movable red arm that ends in silver metallic claws used for grabbing trunks of felled trees. There are two clips at the back of the tractor which the forest worker can use to transport his shovel and saw. There are neither doors for the tractor's cabin, nor a driver's seat, but there are side mirrors and a really fancy exhaust pipe. I tried to fit a seat on a turntable inside but there is simply not enough room for the seat to turn so that the minifigure can use both the steering wheel and the arm controls. Usually placing a minifigure inside a Lego vehicle involves removing its roof. In this case the cabin windows are so high that I found it better to remove the whole cabin, windscreens and all, before I could get the minifigure properly seated. In my opinion, the red and gray chainsaw was a really cool mini-build, and I also liked the log stand which shares the colors with the saw. The two reddish brown logs are identical, and both consist of six round 2x2 bricks (4211166) with a 2x2 round plate sprouting four vertical shafts (4648118) in the middle. The small green spruce tree was a much appreciated addition. There are two new parts in this set: the new-for-2018 black bullbar/push bumper (element ID 6207258), and the bright yellow-green 1x2 brick with 2 knobs on the side (6208291). The latter is a recolor for 2018 and currently available in only three 2018 sets, while the bumper appears in seven 2018 sets, but I presume it will be used more widely in the future. Every play feature works nicely: the moving arm has a good reach, the logs stay firmly inside the log grapple (I managed to stick in both of the logs simultaneously), and can be dragged behind the tractor using the two chains provided with the set. There is even a function for the small spruce tree: the back of the box clearly demonstrates a lesson in ecology by depicting the forest worker planting a new tree to replace the one he felled. However, there is always room for improvement: the claws can be a little awkward to open and close, especially if one hand is occupied with keeping the tractor stationary, and a second minifigure would've been a great addition, though forest workers tend to work alone (at least in my country). There is also an extremely nice-looking newish piece, a 2x2 round tile printed with a tree's growth-ring pattern (element ID 6182435), currently available in sets 60171 Mountain Fugitives and 10738 Snow White's Forest Cottage, which would have been absolutely perfect for this set. I wonder what would happen if the tree-costume guy from 60174 Mountain Police Headquarters happened to be in the vicinity of my forest tractor..?

As soon as I saw this set I had to get it. Straight away it reminded me of the technic tractor that I bought my husband for Father's Day, same colour scheme and all. Great set that's real value for money. Love the little logs and Minifigure with a chainsaw.