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These Are The Most Difficult LEGO Technic Sets To Make

These Are The Most Difficult LEGO Technic Sets To Make

The LEGO Technic sets bring the LEGO game to the next level, by creating more advanced models that have more complex technical functions. But, what are the top of the top? Which are the most difficult LEGO Technic sets?

Because different people find different things more difficult, to see what are the most difficult LEGO technic sets I have researched online and collected all the answers I could find. In total, I have collected almost 100 votes and collected here the 7 most difficult LEGO Technic sets. Here is the list!

  1. 42009 Mobile Crane MK II (16 votes)
  2. 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig (11 votes)
  3. 8880 Racing Car (6 votes)
  4. 42043 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3245 (6 votes)
  5. 8002 Destroyer Droid (5 votes)
  6. 8480 Space Shuttle (5 votes)
  7. 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator (4 votes)

Let’s have a look now at each specific one and what makes them so difficult.

The 7 Most Difficult LEGO Technic Sets To Make

42009 Mobile Crane MK II (16 votes)

This mobile crane is, without a doubt, the most difficult Technic set to make. With this set, you can see how a real crane works. You can steer the truck or raise the boom between other things.

What makes this set so complex is the number of steps in the instructions, which makes it easy to make one mistake and mess up the whole set. In addition to that, the motor is not very powerful so, unless everything is set perfectly, the vehicle will not function properly. These two items together make this the most difficult Technic set to be built. However, the experience of building it is amazing, and, once you get it right, the result is extremely rewarding.

If you would like to buy in on Amazon, follow this link.

If you would like to see the instructions on lego.brickinstructions.com, follow this link.

8868 Air Tech Claw Rig (11 votes)

This Air-tech claw rig is the second most difficult set to build. This black truck has a motor pneumatic compressor crane.

What makes this set so difficult is the pneumatic hoses. Despite having less than other sets, the space to fit them is much smaller so you need to get it just right. Otherwise, it will not work.

This product is quite old and cannot be found on Amazon at the time of this writing, however, we recommend this alternatively difficult set on Amazon, the 8043 Motorized Excavator.

If you would like to see the instructions on lego.brickinstructions.com, follow this link.

8880 Racing Car (6 votes)

This racing car is, together with the Mercedes-Benz, the third most difficult set to build. This car has a multi-speed transmission, 4-wheel steering, front and rear differential, and fully independent suspension.

The difficulty in making this car is that, even though it is an extremely complex set with more than 1300 pieces, the instructions just give you 34 or 36 steps (depending on which type of car you are building). This makes it extremely challenging because each step actually includes a lot of mini-steps that you need to understand by yourself.

You can find this product on Amazon by following this link, but it is no longer available so we suggest another fun race car from LEGO Technic, the 42096 Porche 911 RSR.

If you would like to see the instructions on lego.brickinstructions.com, follow this link.

42043 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3245 (6 votes)

This construction vehicle is considered the third most difficult Technic set to be built together with the racing car. This set includes a large motor and an advanced pneumatic system.

Regarding what makes this set so difficult, there are different opinions. Some people found the crane part very challenging to build, whereas others mentioned the pneumatics or the outriggers. Once finished, though, you will be filled with a feeling of pride and joy for the result.

This product is available on Amazon through the following link.

For the instructions, you can find them on lego.brickinstructions.com following this link.

8002 Destroyer Droid (5 votes)

In the fifth position on our list of the seven most difficult LEGO technic sets to make is the Destroyer Droid, from Star Wars.

The two main challenges from this set are, first, the instructions, which are wrong in some places and make the process even more challenging. Second, the mechanism, which is quite different from what you normally get from LEGO.

To purchase this set on Amazon, you can follow this link – note, this set came out a long time ago so finding them online is difficult and Amazon may be sold out. As an alternative we recommend the Star Wars Imperial Drone 75306

If you would like to have a look at the instructions, you can find them on lego.brickinstructions.com following this link.

8480 Space Shuttle (5 votes)

This space shuttle is also in the fifth position of the most difficult sets. It is a motorized set with a fiber optic system.

What makes this set one of the most difficult to build is how compact it is. Because of that, placing the pieces becomes quite a challenge. Moreover, the structure is not stable in the first stages of the construction, which adds to the challenge of building it.

This set can be found, but not bought from Amazon on the following link. We recommend the similar LEGO Technic NASA Space Shuttle Discovery 10283.

For the instructions, they can be found on lego.brickinstructions.com if you follow this link.

42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator (4 votes)

The last set from the list is this excavator. This set has some power functions such as forward and reverse driving or rotating bucket wheel to name but a few.

This is the biggest Technic set ever made and that is why it has made it into the list. With almost 4000 pieces. The number of pieces and the number of mechanical parts make it a real challenge but also a great reward when finished.

You can purchase this set from Amazon by following this link.

The instructions, from lego.brickinstructions.com, can be found following this link.

Five additional difficult LEGO Technic sets

Just in case you didn’t have enough with the 7 sets above, here are 5 additional sets that got three votes.

  1. 8043 Excavator (3 votes)
  2. 8865 Car (3 votes)
  3. 8466 4×4 Off-Roader (3 votes)
  4. 42054 CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC (3 votes)
  5. 42070 6×6 All Terrain Tow Truck (3 votes)

Let’s have a look at them in detail.

8043 Excavator (3 votes)

This fully remote-controlled excavator is a challenging set to build. It features double remote controls tracks to run back and forth, an arm to raise and lower and shovel to dig

What makes this set challenging is the complexity of the mechanisms, especially a very elaborated gearbox.

If you want to buy this item from Amazon, you can do so by following this link.

As for the instructions on lego.brickinstructions.com, follow this link.

8865 Test Car (3 votes)

This car is an old favorite. It features a V4 Engine, adjustable Seats, 3 Speed Gearbox, pop-up headlights, and independent suspension.

What makes this set challenging is the number of pieces that need to be mounted on each step of the instructions.

This is an old product so it is not available on Amazon at the time of this writing.

You can find the instructions following this link.

8466 4×4 Off-Roader (3 votes)

This 4×4 is one of the best Technic lego sets released. It is a true 4 wheel drive. It has some of the largest tires that LEGO has ever released.

This set is difficult to make because of the number of different black pieces, which makes finding the specific one you need a real ordeal. Also, the doors seem to be tricky to get perfectly.

This excellent set can be found on Amazon by following this link.

The instructions can be found here.

42054 CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC (3 votes)

This farm tractor features motorized functions such as a crane arm and includes the tractor tires and a trunk element.

The difficulty in this set lies in its sheer complexity, which makes it a challenge to both mount and dismount.

You can purchase this set on Amazon if you follow this link.

As far as the instructions are concerned, you can find them following this link.

42070 6×6 All Terrain Tow Truck (3 votes)

The last set from the list is this impressive truck. This set features a medium motor, a battery box, a receiver, and an array of remote-controlled functions.

The truck is a difficult set to make for several reasons. The first one is some mistakes in the instructions, which make it more complicated than what would be otherwise. The second main reason is the fact that it has more than one differential. If you don’t keep an eye for the correct setup with the differentials, the truck will not move.

If you want to buy this set from Amazon, you can do so by following this link.

Should you wish to check the instructions, you can find them here.

Final words

And with this last set, we have arrived at the end of this post. We have covered the seven most difficult LEGO Technic sets to make, plus five additional ones that are considered a bit less difficult but that still got at least three votes.

If you liked this article, you will enjoy reading “Our Favorite LEGO Plans For Airplanes”, where we explain airplane sets we enjoyed the most.

Learn More

If you are interested, here is a link to the entire Lego section found on Amazon.