As I mentioned in previous years, I’m a big fan of the LEGO Technic Pull-Back Racers series, and have been collecting them since they were first introduced in 2013. These sets come with a special pull-back motor rarely used outside this series. They let you manually wind the racers, then release them with a quick burst of energy.
LEGO has been reliably releasing two Pull-Back Racers per year. In some years, the two models could be combined, and in other years, each set came with its own alternate instructions. In the first 10 years of the series, each set was an affordable $19.99. However, in 2014, the price jumped to $26.99 each, and this year to $27.99 each.
I like these sets because they are big enough to give a good introduction to the capabilities and building techniques of LEGO Technic, but not too big to be overwhelming. And because of the pull-back feature, they are fun to play with after building them. Unfortunately, it looks like the series is starting to lose its uniqueness and creativity that were present in the earlier years.
Up to 2020, the LEGO Technic Pull-Back Racers were generic vehicles dreamed up by LEGO designers. This allowed them creative freedom to add cool features and interesting shapes. From 2021, the LEGO Technic Pull-Back Racers became licensed collaborations with Monster Jam motorsports. Initially, this collaboration seemed like a great idea as Monster Jam has some wild and imaginative vehicles. Thus, we got the #42118 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger and #42119 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Max-D in 2021, the #42134 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Megalodon and #42135 LEGO Technic Monster Jam El Toro Loco in 2022, and the #42149 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Dragon and #42150 LEGO Technic Monster Jam Monster Mutt in 2023. All came with fun colors, shapes, and accessories based on real Monster Jam racers.
However, last year it seemed like the collaboration with Monster Jam got discontinued, as the two vehicles for the year came with other licenses; the #42165 LEGO Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 Pull-Back, and the #42166 LEGO Technic NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team. Fans of the series appreciated this change after three years of Monster Jam vehicles, as it brought something fresh again. The Mercedes F1 vehicle is an especially beautiful model that was still able to seamlessly incorporate the rather chunky pull-back motor. It’s one of my favorite vehicles in the series to date.
Interestingly, this year, LEGO brought back the Monster Jam Pull-Back Racers with the #42199 LEGO Technic Monster Jam DIGatron Pull-Back and the #42200 LEGO Technic Monster Jam ThunderROARus Pull-Back.
While the first few Monster Jam Pull-Back Racers were fun and unique, unfortunately, the most recent two models are too similar to earlier sets. In fact, while I was building them, I thought I might have already built them before. Did I accidentally buy the sets twice? No, it’s just that they are very similar to the previous ones. The ThunderROARus comes with teeth just like the Megalodon from 2022, and the DIGatron looks so much like the El Toro Loco. Also, all the Monster Jam pull-backs have the exact same front bumper assembly, so once you build it one time, you can easily build the others. IN addition, the vehicles in the Monster Jam series cannot be combined, nor do they have alternate models like the earliest sets.
Overall, I think those of us who have been building this series from the beginning will probably find these last two vehicles too predictable and repetitive. And especially considering the significant price increase, may skip them altogether. Nonetheless, they are solid models, and I think those who are new to the collection will get much enjoyment out of them. They are also great for kids (the recommended minimum age is 7) who like to build and play rough with their LEGO sets. These vehicles can take some beating and happily run into walls and obstacles without falling apart. If you want to check them out, they are available at the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? Do you have any of the LEGO Technic Pull-Back Racers? How do you like them? And what do you think of the most recent additions? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
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