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[00:00] Hi everyone, this is Balazs from RacingBrick and this is our first review from the August 2025 LEGO Technic Relief Wave. I've received literally hundreds of comments in the past two months asking for the Bronco,

[00:14] but when I ran a poll, this has somehow won. So here it is, the 42115 Volvo EC500 Hybrid Excavator. It's an ASIN Plus set, so of course we get the usual boring black background and oversized

[00:27] logos. In the back, there's a bit more going on, you can see the excavator with an alternate tool attached, some dimensions, the gearbox layout with a motor marked, range of motion and a photo of the wheel machine.

[00:40] Let's open the box. The SEAT has 2,359 pieces with a price tag of 400 euros or 430 US dollars and it will be available from the 1st of August with 300 already live in certain countries.

[00:55] Inside, we get 16 numbered bags, the bucket, a motor, a hub, an unnumbered bag and a cardboard envelope. The bucket is huge, it gives a good sense of the final scale.

[01:07] The motor comes with a new packaging, basically a cardboard holder for the cable. The other box contains the good old done battery box, no changes there. There were rumors about a rechargeable battery box but mostly due to poor translations on

[01:22] non-English websites. In fact, lego.com in French, for example, still claims the set includes a USB-C rechargeable battery. Spoiler alert, it doesn't. We get the same battery box that takes six AA batteries.

[01:35] This small bag has a few extra pieces, and now let's check out the templates. We get two manuals with the sticker sheet tucked between them, which hopefully helps it survive shipping. The first pages of the manual give us a comparison photo with the real thing, a brief history

[01:51] of the LEGO Volvo partnership and a short introduction from the Technic Design team. Here's the part list, pause if you want to analyze it and let me know if you find anything interesting. And now, let's start building.

[02:03] Here's our first assembly, which already contains 7 small wheels, we have 2 more on top, these also have tires. Then come the big sprocket wheels, followed by a surprising mix of studied Technic and

[02:15] system parts. We build the other side, and here's something annoying, the sprocket wheel orientation is rigorous compared to the first one. It doesn't affect functionality, but it still bugs me. The turntable goes in the middle. This wraps up phase two. So, here's a puzzle for you.

[02:32] We are building the tracks in phase three. You see something two times, nine times, and 90 pieces. So, how many pieces do you have per side? Yes, 45, but it wasn't so obvious at first glance,

[02:45] and there are no spare pieces this time In the next phase we build a wall and then lots of gears Now it time for the big linear actuators new in black Here how the build looks at the end of phase 5 still not much to test There are a lot of slutches in this set these are the ones that are always a challenge to engage

[03:03] We continue with more gears and gearbox elements. Mounting this part requires inserting a dozen axles and pins. Another small error in the manual, among many others, the color of the large motor is

[03:15] I added more gears, don't miss any like I did, can you spot where I messed up? We build another wall full of pinholes and the first stickers and attach the gearbox cover with the selector, make sure all drippings are in neutral.

[03:29] Then we open the super char-said battery box, add six AA batteries and screw each up again. We add a few handling helpers, slide the battery box into place and secure it with a pin.

[03:42] and to attach the motor to this grey axle between two black pins. The manual isn't very helpful here, if the axle isn't aligned, the motor won't go in. Rotate these blue gears on the side carefully to adjust the position, then push it in.

[03:56] After some cable management, we connect the motor and follow the testing plan. Turn the hub on, this gear on the left should rotate continuously. Then we can test all four switches, each controls a separate output.

[04:08] The two big actuators move in the last position. If something isn't working, remove the gearbox cover and check all gears before proceeding. We now build the boom, added the big bobble stickers, with two axles already running through it.

[04:22] A third axle and another large linear actuator are added, end of bag 9. We continue with the boom, this step requires aligning a few things. It's time to attach it to the main build, we also need to connect the linear actuators,

[04:36] now we start to feel the dimensions of the excavator. Next, we connect the boom axles to the corresponding gearbox outputs. After reinforcing everything, we finish book 1 and do a test. Boom elevation works, and both axles in the boom rotate, but don't try the fourth function yet,

[04:53] the upper actuator is still at a sharp angle, and you will risk damaging the universal joint. If it happens, it can be fixed easily, then just lift the actuator slightly to relieve the tension and retest.

[05:05] We continue with bag 11, adding larger sub-assemblies and decorative parts. Here's the most interesting piece in the set, the triangular panel with axle connectors on the short end. Can't wait to see how people use this.

[05:18] We build the cabin with a teal seat, similar in color to the real one. Then we cover the side width panels. You also get the small triangular panels in yellow. There's some neat brick build texture on the other side, looks great.

[05:32] Now comes a tedious step, adding all the railings. The excavator gets a lot of orange here. Then we build the rear cover a bit tricky to attach but looks nice when done After finishing the paneling we finally go back to building mechanisms and things get complex again We attach this assembly to the boom and can open the final bag This mechanism here has a rubber band and a worm gear at the top

[05:56] It is connected to the arm. The massive bucket is easy to attach and remove thanks to the rubber band. Then we build a hammer. The second rubber band goes here and you operate it with this small knob. It attaches just like the bucket and that's the build done.

[06:10] So, here is the finished Volvo EC500 hybrid excavator, and yes, it's massive. Here it is with the bucket, and here with the hammer. The yellow and black design looks great, and the new triangular panels work really well.

[06:25] There's a sharp contrast between the fully covered upper section and the exposed gears in the boom and arm. The gearbox is completely hidden with no easy way to check what is going on there, but everything on the arm is totally exposed.

[06:38] The cabin is nicely detailed with the steel seat, controls and an opening door. There's also another door at the back, giving access to the on-off switch of the hub. Manual functions include rotating the upper structure, smooth and quick, and pushing the model around.

[06:54] The tracks work better on grippy surfaces, they tend to sleep on smooth ones. Now let's see the motorized functions. Open the back door, switch on the hub and use the selector to cycle through the four motorized functions.

[07:07] They are fairly straightforward if you look at the excavator. We have linear actuators here, here and here whose controls already cover three of the functions. This is the normal speed and this is the full range with the footage sped up.

[07:29] The fourth function is the coupling mechanism. It works, but you need to be careful not to overdrive it. the clutches will complain loudly. But honestly, you can't just push this tow home manually and get the same result,

[07:42] especially since the hammer is also a manual tool. This knob here controls the hammer manually, and that should have been the fourth motorized function. It makes far more sense. You asked how it looks next to the 42114 Volvo articulated holder, well, here they are.

[07:59] Probably not the exact scale, but close enough for place. And now the elephant in the room, the price. This set is 400 euros or 430 dollars. You get 2,359 pieces for this, one hub, one motor.

[08:13] The first excavator that comes to mind from the control pass era is the 42100 repair R9800. That had 4,108 pieces, two hubs, seven motors and a retail price of 450 euros or dollars in 2019.

[08:31] Adjust it for inflation that over 550 US dollars today but still a way better deal with all those parts included Then there was the 42145 Airbus helicopter in 2022 2001 pieces same hub same motor similar gearbox concept

[08:48] and a price tag of 210 EUR. That's exactly 200 bucks less than this set in today's money. Sure, this one looks bigger, maybe has more plastic in it, but still.

[09:00] And if we look at the classics such as the AT43 motorized excavator from 2010, fully remote control with 4 motors, one motor controls a gearbox, and we had 2x3 RC functions,

[09:13] all these for $200, which would be around $300 today, still much cheaper than today's set. Classics with a distribution gearbox are often praised, such as 42082 aka Big Red,

[09:27] with a single battery box and a large power functions motor. That set had many more motorized functions, and although they also had to be engaged independently, For a crane it works better. For an excavator, this setup just isn't fun.

[09:41] But there's a big difference between the Volvo Excavator and all the other motorized Technic sets you could see here. This one prides itself on being 18 plus, and as the website says, it's a construction gift for adults,

[09:54] a detailed building project with an impressive model to display. Well, it was a fun build, nothing special, a few nice solutions here and there, and if you are someone who wants to put an excavator on display, it might look impressive on the shelf.

[10:10] But none of that justifies the price, because if a motorized LEGO Technic set like this isn't meant for play, then it's worth even less to me. This price tag is just crazy and makes no sense at all.

[10:23] This RRP should be under $300, and even then I would ask questions about the execution of the features and playability. Just like the 42131 CAT D11, this one feels too big for what it offers and lacks engaging play value.

[10:38] We need diversity in the Technic lineup, small, big, manual, motorized, but for me, if a set includes electronics, it should be fun to use and not something with a massive adult text, simple as that.

[10:53] So, that was my detailed build-in review of the 42115 Volvo EC500 Hybrid Excavator. What do you think about the set, the functions, the look and of course the price? Let's talk about it in the comment section.

[11:06] If you enjoyed this video then please give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe with notifications as more exciting LEGO videos are coming soon. See you next time! Bye-bye!

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