MrAugs
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MrAugs's Stats
- 4.6Average Rating
- 367Helpfulness Votes
- 0Featured Reviews
- 24Review Count
- August 5, 2012First Review
- May 10, 2015Last Review
Kraang Lab Escape
Kraang Lab Escape
Posted:July 6, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
Good little set
" My six year old son worked hard over the last two months to earn money so he could save up to buy his own lego set. This TMNT is what he chose. It should be noted he has never seen a TMNT TV show or movie, or read TMNT comics, etc. The set just caught his eye.
He did all the building himself, so I cannot comment on that went (he built it quickly). He has enjoyed this set! He likes the "jail", the turtle character and the pizza tile the best. He thinks this was a good purchase, and it seems to be given how much he has played with it.
My adult observations: The Kraang fig is interesting, I have never seen something like that before in Lego. Michaelangelo the turtle is also well done, reminds me very much of the TMNT cartoon I watched in the 80's. The jail escape function works well on our set. If you are a minifig collector and like to have at least one main character from each theme, this is a good set to get a turtle for a small amount of money.
It seems the TMNT line is mostly for kids, as the sets try to have some play functions. Adults who grew up with TMNT will like these sets, too (I kind of want Shredder and Splinter minifigs now...).
Bottom line, this is a good set for TMNT fans, or if you just really want a turtle minifig.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
4
/
5
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+6points
10of 14found this review helpful.
Flexible and Straight Tracks
Flexible and Straight Tracks
Posted:June 2, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
More Straight, Less Flexible needed.
" Lego train track is pretty standard. There is not much to say about it other than if you get into Lego trains, you will need more of it. Generally, it snaps together easily and stays together pretty well.
My complaint with this specific set is all of the flexible pieces. These pieces come in handy to make some final connections to maximize track space or if you have a complex track setup with switches. If you put too many of these together in a row, the track is wavy (looks silly for a train fan; kids think its funny however).
You don't need all the flexible pieces this set provides. Two more regular straight pieces and a reduction in flexible pieces would be great.
One other note: Some people have mentioned trains slow down on these flexible tracks. We have not noticed that. What we have noticed is that the trains are louder when the roll over these tracks compared to the normal straight and curve tracks.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
2
/
5
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+36points
37of 38found this review helpful.
Constitution Train Chase
Constitution Train Chase
Posted:June 1, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Great Lego Train!
" Even if you are not a big Lone Ranger fan, this is one of the best train sets Lego has come out with when it comes to overall value.
A big disappointment with previous themed train sets (Toy Story, Hogwarts Express) was the lack of track. The kids build the trains, then they just sat there like a building because there was no track to roll them on. Lego seems to have finally understood that all trains run on track, not just sets with Power Functions included. My younger son prefers pushing trains around the track rather than using the PF remote.
This set is great. A generous loop of track is included. There are plenty of minifigures, too (another complaint I have had in the past with bigger sets). The set has good detail and playability.
Train fans will appreciate the nicely detailed steam engine. In my opinion, the engine and tender are worth about 2/3's of the price of the set, they look so nice.
The other two train cars are OK. A train fan will scratch his/her head at the "gun on flat car", but the kids like that. The prisoner car is good, and can be modified easily for a train fan's needs. The water tower is cool. The exploding rock is a little cheesy, but again that's aimed at kids.
The build was decent, and it was very satisfying to build the train, setup the track, and play with it. Well done, Lego.
Very pleased with this set. It is an outstanding value.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+46points
60of 74found this review helpful.
Fierce Flyer
Fierce Flyer
Posted:May 19, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Cool Eagle!
" I was really surprised by this set. The eagle is fantastic looking and has great poseability! The other two animals are not as good, but the eagle is so good it does not matter. The eagle can sort of hold a minifig in its claws, but minor modification to the claws will give a strong grip (you have got to have some minifig fun with Lego :-) ).
The build is decent for a small set. I'm really pleased with this purchase, its one of the best $15 and under sets we have ever bought.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+7points
7of 7found this review helpful.
X-Wing Starfighter™
X-Wing Starfighter™
Posted:April 15, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
Nice X-Wing
" Destroy the Death Star and smash TIE fighters with this X-wing! Great update on a model that has had several versions over the years.
From my son's point of view: Awesome! He loves having two sets of pilots and droids so he can change them out. The wing opening/closing mechanism works well for him. He dislikes the proton torpedos (or whatever the bombs on the side are supposed to be). He would actually prefer flick-fire missiles. His friends think this ship is awesome, so my son's street cred is on the rise. :-)
From my point of view: Not bad at all, but the new TIE fighter is a better deal overall (better redesign, better minifigs, better price). I do appreciate the Jek Porkins and especially the R5 droid with the new head design. Luke and R2 are pretty standard.
The build is good, my son needed a little help with the wings and getting them attached to the opening/closing mechanism. I like sets that have some basic Technic building; helps my son understand and learn more advanced building skills.
We had the original Lego X-wing (7140) for awhile. That one was fun, but the TIE fighter from that era was terrible (fell apart if you looked at it wrong), so that x-wing did not get much use. This new X-wing and new TIE make a great pair.
A few details are strange, namely the aforementioned "bombs", and the tan pieces used on the wings and engines. Maybe my memory is bad, but I don't remember tan colors on the movie X-wings. Also, it should be noted that the droids sit sideways in their socket. You have to pop off their heads and turn them if you want them to look forward when flying in the X-wing. Not a big deal for us, but those looking at this as a model might want to know that.
There are only a few stickers (hooray!), and they are not that bothersome (engine grilles).
Overall, a very nice set. I recommend it, especially if you plan to get the TIE fighter too.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
4
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+4points
4of 4found this review helpful.
Passenger Train
Passenger Train
Posted:April 13, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Excellent Lego Train Starter Set
" This is a great set if you are looking to get started in the world of Lego trains. It comes with track, minifigs, power functions and so on, everything to get up and running.
This set is also a good parts sets. We bought Hogwarts Express, which is not motorized. We built a baggage car for Hogwarts Express and put the power functions from this passenger train into that. Now I have two happy boys. My six year old loves driving the Hogwarts, and my four year old loves pushing the passenger train around.
This is a good, sturdy and fun train. Before we took out the power functions, we would pull this train up to the platform to pick up passengers. The fun part that the kids love is anyone can ride this train. Darth Vader, Spongebob, Harry Potter, pirates, knights, crooks, police and more have taken rides!
Lego trains are great. You can setup the track quickly on the floor and get trains running quickly, or if you have the space, you can build a more permanent Lego display and have a train running through it. This train is sturdy, it has survived tip-overs and other crashes and general kid handling easily.
The build is not too easy, not too hard. My six year old only needed help with a few things, mostly getting the power functions into place.
About the only downfall with Lego trains is the requirement for 9 AAA batteries. First, you have to buy the batteries separately. While the batteries for the remote control will last for a long time, the six batteries in the train will drain more quickly. I suggest investing in Lego's rechargeable battery box or in rechargeable nickel-hydride batteries.
My other complaints are minor. One more minifig would be nice. The set comes with three, but that seems lacking considering this is a passenger train. Also, the platform is basic. It has a nice printed route map piece, but it still seems lacking. Not a big deal to us, we spiced ours up a bit with pieces from our Lego collection.
Overall, this is a great set for someone looking to get into Lego trains. If you already have Lego trains with power functions, this may not be the set you're looking for, unless you need it for parts (the Horizon Express is a better passenger train for those already into Lego trains).
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+13points
14of 15found this review helpful.
The Mine
The Mine
Posted:March 9, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
Fun, expensive set
" Both of my sons love the action this set provides between the little ore train, conveyer belt, drilling car and delivery truck. There are some great "rock/mountain" pieces.
Its an OK build and I personally love the drilling car- it is nicely designed and works well (does not fall apart when you put it into action). The truck is pretty standard, nothing special. The ore train and conveyer belt are nice.
Other observations: The miner helmets are well done, love them. The "gold ore" pieces are disappointing. They are not really gold in color and the shape is strange (although I can't blame Lego for not wanting to mold new pieces just for this set). Other details are good, like the dynamite.
The price is where I have a complaint. At this price point, this set needs one more minifigure, especially when you consider all the action taking place at this mine: truck driver, ore train driver, conveyer operator, supervisor in the office, drilling car driver, etc.
Also, its clear this mine is designed after a mine you would find in the mountains (as opposed to a strip or pit mine). A couple of the classic Lego evergreen trees would help sell the fact this mine is indeed in the mountains.
The build could be better. We had it built fairly quickly. To put into context, we got the latest Millennium Falcon on sale for about $10 more than this Mine set. The Falcon took a lot longer to build. The pre-molded rock walls in The Mine are to blame- they help make the set look bigger and mountainous, but offer very little build challenge.
Final thoughts: This is a tough call. The set provides a lot of action and has some nice features and pieces. It is expensive, though, and needs a few more things included to make it a good value. We like the set, but I keep thinking the money spent on this could have been used for several smaller sets to build up our City or Star Wars collection. Or, the money could have went towards a set with a more challenging build, like the Horizon Express.
If you like the Mining spin-off of Lego City, you should get this. If not, I would say you should pass unless you can find it on sale. To me, this is a set that I say "if only it had ____ or ____, it would be great." (you can fill in the blanks with minifigs or trees, or lower price or more challenging build, etc).
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+11points
21of 31found this review helpful.
LEGO® Harry Potter ™ Building the Magical World
LEGO® Harry Potter ™ Building the Magical World
Posted:February 16, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Nice Book!
" If you want a short review, here it is: My six year old son who likes Harry Potter Lego sets LOVES this book.
Longer review:
As an adult who does not know too much about the Harry Potter books and movies, I still found this book interesting. I enjoy reading through it with my son.
My understanding is that this book does not include descriptions of every single Harry Potter set ever made. So what? Its not a collector's guide. Its a nice big book with nice paper quality and lots of nice pictures of most major Harry Potter sets. Its filled with interesting facts and information about the Lego Harry Potter world.
The Harry Potter minifig is a nice bonus. Any child (or adult!) fan of Lego Harry Potter will like this book!
I think its a decent value at full retail, but if you can find it on sale, definitely grab it!
*I rated the play experience as "average", because this is a book, you do not play with it.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
3
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Very Easy
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+1point
1of 1found this review helpful.
Maersk Train
Maersk Train
Posted:February 16, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Nice American Train
" Lego has been creating trains for a long time, and has made a lot of nice sets based on European trains. We bought 7939 Cargo Train for our boys and really like the set, but we always lamented the fact the engine is European (no offense to those in Europe; our boys just love the American diesels they see here on a daily basis).
Finally, an outstanding looking engine based on a modern American diesel (we missed the Santa Fe/BNSF sets; wicked expensive now). This is a great looking set altogether!
The build is fun, and its easy to add Power Functions to motorize the train, so it fits right in with our Lego train setup. The train looks GREAT. I can't say that enough.
The downsides? As always, stickers. There are quite a few with this set. Also, I think a train set built for action like this (drive the train, load/unload cargo, delivery truck, etc) should have 1-2 more minifigures than Lego supplies. No big deal if you already have some city train, construction or delivery sets, though.
Also, there are not enough cargo well cars! There should be at least one more. In fact, I would gladly give up the truck that comes with this set for another cargo car. A freight train with only two cars of freight looks a little strange.
Overall, I like this set a lot. Keep in mind this set is aimed at Lego train fans, and is not a beginner's train set (if you are looking to get into Lego trains, buy a complete set with track and Power Functions). If you are a Lego train fan, odds are you already bought this set. If not, what are you waiting for?!
Price: Some might say this is priced high, but it is a branded train set. The locomotive is very nicely detailed and probably worth 3/4's of the price itself. I have no problems with the price other than what I mentioned about minifigs and lack of more cargo cars.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
4
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+1point
6of 11found this review helpful.
R2-D2™
R2-D2™
Posted:February 10, 2013
MrAugs
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Overall:
5
/
5
Fantastic R2-D2 Model
" FIrst, I should mention that I am reviewing this as a model, not a toy set like I have done on my other reviews. While my six-year-old son helped build this set, this R2 is not a play set and is meant for display. Most sets we buy are for our boys, but this one was for mom (huge R2 fan) and dad.
Now, the review:
R2 comes in a big box stuffed full of pieces. Very little air space in this box! The build can be challenging because there are a lot of white pieces. Its easy to get lost in the sea of white. The instructions have you place a strategic orange brick inside R2 early in the build to help you orient the build. Replace this brick with white and the build would be really challenging! Depending on your build speed and available time, this build can take many hours.
The finished model is incredible looking. I especially love how well the legs look. The only possible nit-pick someone could have with the model is the proportions of the legs relative to the body (when compared with pictures of the real R2) are a little off, but I don't care as R2 looks great!
Functions are great. Retractable third leg, spinning head, opening panels and flip-out tools add to the realism. It looks like a determined Lego fan with knowledge of power functions and/or Mindstorms might be able to make the head spin by remote and/or add lights. The model also comes with an R2 minifig and information plaque, nice touches.
Obviously, this is a pricey set and not for everybody. If you are a fan of the classic Star Wars movies and R2, then this set is well worth it!
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From: SALT LAKE CITY
State:
Utah
From:
United States
Age:
35-44
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Intermediate LEGO builder
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+4points
8of 12found this review helpful.