Back in 2012, one of the LEGO City sub-themes focused on mining, more specifically, mining for gold. The series included some pretty substantial vehicles, like the #4200 LEGO City Mining 4×4, the #4201 LEGO City Loader and Tipper, the #4202 LEGO City Mining Truck, and the #4203 LEGO City Excavator Transporter. But, the jewel of all the mining sets was the #4204 LEGO City The Mine. The set had everything a kid would ever want; drilling machine, crane, truck, train, conveyer belt, caves, hidden safe, shiny gold pieces, dynamites, detonators, rocks and explosion warning signs. The play-features included lots of blasting, drilling, breaking and hauling, providing hours of fun and imagination! 🙂
At the beginning of 2018, LEGO reintroduced the LEGO City Mining theme, but interestingly, they kept it relatively small, in both selection and size. In 2012, we got five medium to large sets, plus a couple of smaller polybag sets. This time, we only get four sets; two are small, one medium, and one large. The largest #60188 LEGO City Mining Experts Site is comparable to the #4204 LEGO City The Mine, but because the mine area is much smaller, it doesn’t feel as exciting as the older set.
The #60188 LEGO City Mining Experts Site does have some neat features though. The highlight of the set is a large grinder/crusher that runs on tracks, and can strip the gold nuggets off the mine’s wall with a drill wheel. It’s a good idea, and the feature works well, but the mine’s wall is small.
The other nice feature of the set is the use of the new roller coaster tracks and cars we talked about before (see: New LEGO Roller Coaster Tracks System). This is the first time we get the roller coaster tracks in light-bluish gray (2 straight + 1 curved), and the bases of the cars in black. This makes the set useful for those who would like to try out the new roller coaster system. However, I wouldn’t buy $100 set like this just for the roller coaster parts – there will be better ones in the future (or, you might also consider the #70922 LEGO Batman Movie Joker Manor, which has a full circle of functioning roller coaster tracks in purple). However, if you like both the mining feature, and the roller coaster tracks, then this set might be a good way to get your first roller coaster parts.
Let’s see… what else… you also get a front loader with raising shovel and a dump truck with tilting bed. As you will see in the video-review below by JANGBRiCKS, they have some flaws working with each other, but otherwise they are pretty solid. And there are also six minifigures, an always desirable bear, a glow-in-the-dark spider and a dozen of the new type of golden nuggets.
I’m not going to talk about the other three sets in the new LEGO City Mining collection, because, frankly, there is not much to talk about. The sets are small, and their play-features are very basic. However, I have included video-reviews of the sets in the player below, if you would like to check them out in more detail. And I have also included the video-review of the older #4204 LEGO City The Mine from 2012 for comparison.
All in all, I find the 2018 LEGO City Mining collection lackluster. The #60188 LEGO City Mining Experts Site is a good set, and I would recommend it, but I feel that it doesn’t match the awesome look and play-features of the #4204 LEGO City The Mine from 2012. Seeing that the price of the older set is around $120-$150 on the secondary market, I’m inclined to recommend that one over the new sets: LEGO CITY MINE SETS ON AMAZON. But don’t let my opinion scare you away from the new sets. After all, we all have different tastes. If you prefer the 2018 LEGO City Mining sets, they are available at the LEGO City section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the 2018 LEGO City Mining sets? Do you own any of them already? Or are you planning to get them? How do you think they compare to the older LEGO City Mining sets? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉
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That new gold nugget piece is great!
Yes it is! 😀
I agree that the older mining sets were better, but the new big one has some great features too. I like how it scrapes the gold nuggets! So satisfying! I wish mining gold in real life would be that easy! 😀
The appearance of the new mining sets os almost like what we get in Juniors sets. Too simple, big pieces, etc. But the largest one is cool. Too bad the mine is so small. I guess we will have to use a lot of extra pieces to make it bigger.
Yeah, that mine needs some expansion! 😀
I was looking forward to the mining sets because I really enjoyed the Arctic sets. I have the base camp and the outpost and the helicrane and it was just FUN. But for some reason the mining set isn’t catching my eye as much. Maybe I’m comparing apple and oranges? I do like the front end loader and the dump truck though. I may bump them up on the wish list.
Melanie, I love the Arctic sets too! I also have the base camp and some of the other ones. If you are not happy with the mining sets, you might want to wait some. The Arctic line is coming back later this year with some really cool sets. 🙂
Cool… Although I only own a single Arctic set (bought on an open flea market), I like the shtick…
I guess it was this one. I recall I got it pretty cheap, but the instruction manual and all parts seem to be present.
https://brickset.com/sets/60033-1/Arctic-Ice-Crawler
That is great news. I’ll definitely look forward to that!
Really! Another Arctic theme is coming ? Yay! I love the arctic theme . I have everything but, the supply plane. The huskies and the polar bears are so cool. As for the mining theme , I have some of the power miners sets and some of the construction sets. You put them together and add some of the smaller sets from this years theme. I almost have a mining theme of my own.
Yes, and the new Arctic sets are going to be great with some new animals and all. I think you will be very happy with them. Power Miners were awesome! One of my favorite themes! The colors were great, the machinery was cool, and the crystal eating monsters super cute! And yes, if you mix them all, you can have a whole epic underground layout! 😀
And now when Teal is returning, you can have a Rock Raiders Revival!
Oh, yes! That too! 😀
I’m trying to remember the one Power Miner set that had that Buildable rock monster. I have that set but, I put the buildable rock monster in with my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme . I figured it’s something big the Turtles can fight. Lol!
All of the sets are listed here.
https://brickset.com/sets/theme-Power-Miners
It seems to be this one.
https://brickset.com/sets/8962-1/Crystal-King
It’s time to skewer the sewer evil-doer!
Yes, that’s it. Thanks for looking it up for me. I think that was my first Buildable figure. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Of course now there are so many of them.