8047 - Compact Excavator

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2010

Set Year: 2010
Set Number: 8047
Set Parts: 252
Building Instruction: No
Currency: na

This set 8047 of a compact excavator is very realistic in the proportions. In real life the proportions of these type of equipment always feels off. Probably mainly caused by human safety precautions, causing the pretty high designs compared to width and depth. This set is fully mechanical, mimicking the usually applied pneumatics in real life examples.

Despite the small size this set is rich in features:

Working luffing boom and dipper via two gear knobs at the back
Slewing of the house of the excavator on the undercarriage
Tracks the wider ones which have enough grip to drive it on a table as well.
Decent sized and realistic bucket out of one piece though

What I like about this set is the eye for detail, because it has warning lights, a decent seat which even fits the old minifigs discontinued in 2001 with last set containing one 8463 - Forklift Truck. On top it has a 7L lift-arm at the back which to my opinion represents a backfill blade. This type of blade is in the style of a bulldozer’s blade normally, helping with a number of tasks and giving the excavator greater versatility.

Finally in traditional color setting for construction theme. A lot of yellow and black and a blue/gray seat. I consider this for the size of number of parts a set rich of features and high level of playability.

Main model
Features
Luffing Boom			The main boom can be luffed mechanically. It has a fixed angle of about 135 degress in the middle, but rotates about the base of the boom. With the lever you can lower and raise the boom, from the back with a Black Technic, Gear 12 Tooth Double Bevel as knob a Light Bluish Gray Technic, Gear Worm Screw, drives the Light Bluish Gray Technic, Gear 24 Tooth Crown which links with the Dark Bluish Gray Technic, Link 1 x 9 Bent which is connected to the luffing-boom which hinges via a Dark Bluish Gray Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Block 4 x 3 x 2 1/2 (Linear Actuator Holder) at the base of the excavator house. The worm wheel is to keep position when weight is on the boom as is the bucket is loaded with debris. Nice compact construction for raising and lowering the luffing-boom.
Slewing			Slewing at first sight seems over designed with this big turntable that can carry the house of the famous 8043 - Motorized Excavator released in the same year. But while building this set it is a clever way of providing slewing function and the necessary angorages between the undercarriage and the house of this excavator taking the limited space in such a small sized set. Due to the big size compared to the set it slews easily by hand and is adding heavily to the playability. Good choice to my opinion.
Dipper			The second mechanism for dipping is also from the back of the house with a Black Technic, Gear 12 Tooth Double Bevel as knob. This drives directly a Light Bluish Gray Technic, Gear 16 Tooth and another one next to it to redirect the drive to the middle of the house just underneath the seat towards the base of the luffing-boom. In the Dark Bluish Gray Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Block 4 x 3 x 2 1/2 (Linear Actuator Holder) two gears redirect the drive upwards the boom into another Light Bluish Gray Technic, Gear Worm Screw. Via a Dark Bluish Gray Technic, Gear 8 Tooth the drive is moved perpendicular to the lever driving the dipper-boom and indirectly the lever for the bucket. Again a very compact mechanism fitting this set. In this way you can fully stretch the boom for maximum reach with the bucket.
Bucket			The black bucket has a realistic form and size of 4 x 4 x 9 with 3 Teeth and 2 hinge points giving it the necessary realistic movements. In this set the bucket is indirectly moved in and out via the dipper-boom a lever linked from here to the bucket. So when you raise the dipper boom the bucket is turned upwards. If you then lower the luffing-boom and then lower the dipper-boom the bucket will turn inwards and downwards and so you can then dig-in and excavate. A neat way of mimicking the multi-functional real equipment with just two controllable movements.
Seat			This set has a good size compared to the minifigs because one fits in well on this seat. The seat is traditionally build and dito color combination of blue and light bluish gray.
Wheels and Tires			This set contains 4 track gears for chains of type: Black Technic, Link Tread. Light Bluish Gray Technic, Gear 16 Tooth.