Oct
28
2009
Crystal Sweeper
By i-prai
From the Manufacturer
Hungry rock monsters are on the loose, gobbling up crystals and causing havoc underground. Unleash the Crystal Sweeper and get them first. This massive mining vehicle spins its auto-rotating harvester wheel to collect a huge cargo of crystals and drop them into its rear-mounted bucket. Use the side-mounted laser crane to drill through rock, or deploy the motorcycle and ramp for emergency escapes and rescues. Just watch out for the monsters and their double-launching catapult.
Product Description
Hungry rock monsters are on the loose, gobbling up crystals and causing havoc underground. Unleash the Crystal Sweeper and get them first. This massive mining vehicle spins its auto-rotating harvester wheel to collect a huge cargo of crystals and drop them into its rear-mounted bucket. Use the side-mounted laser crane to drill through rock, or deploy the motorcycle and ramp for emergency escapes and rescues. Just watch out for the monsters and their double-launching catapult. Awesome underground equipment! Awesome green construction! Watch out for rock monsters! The Power Miners are here to get the best stuff on earth out of the earth! Roll the vehicle to activate the rotating harvester and scoop up the crystals into the bucket. Extend the drilling arm and pivot into position. Includes 2 miner and 2 rock monster minifigures. Measures over 9″ long and 6″ wide. 474 pieces.
Though we are big LEGO fans, and have a houseful of them, this set is only good for display. The actions shown on the box cannot happen because the toy breaks as soon as you try to move it. You can make your own creations with it, and the rock monster is cool, and collectible, but the set is a disappointment. Thunder Driller and Claw Digger are much better.
I just got this for my son. It took us a little over an hour to put it together. Pros: 2 rock monsters, 2 miners, a catapult for the Rock monsters. Crystals, a dirt bike, which is located on the sweeper, and 2 dynamites. It holds rather well. There aren’t too many pieces to knock off accidentally.
Cons: One has to remove the top of the cabin in order to get the marine in or out. Sweeper functions well on flat surfaces, however, I wouldn’t recommend using it on carpet, which the sweeper tends to slide and it won’t function properly. Crystals are easy to lose (as it usual with small Lego parts). Would be much better if the rock monsters had vehicles also.
Overall, it is a lot of fun. He is certainly looking forward to add more Power Miners to his collection. Worth the value.
I’m not sure why my 5 year old loves the Power Miners, but he does. He received this as a gift a few weeks ago.
He needed a little help to put the turbine and things together, but he built the rest by himself. I found the “sweeper” part of the rig didn’t always sweep properly. It seemed reliant on the proper positioning of two gears on one side of the toy, along with a ramp-like contraption being in *just* the right place. Even the slight misalignment of any of these would make the turbine either stick or spin ineffectively.
That said, he played with it for quite a while and it stood up well. He’s since disassembled it and combined it with another set to make something he calls a “Crystal Crawler.” I do like how there are instructions on the website to make new toys with the existing sets.
Overall I’d say this is a hit for LEGO, even if I don’t entirely understand the allure.