Author Topic: 4821 fire engine  (Read 16732 times)

Offline Richard

  • Retired Playmobil
  • Wargamer
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 4965
  • Gender: Male
    • Garden Wargaming
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2010, 13:12:27 »



It's another £35 and I'm not sure I want to spend that much on something I may not use all that much. 



Hope you do decide to get it, Gordon.

Having a remote control vehicle would be really nice. Especially, as one gets older ...  :klickygrin:

The getting up and down isn't something that any of us probably thought very much about when we were kids ...  ;D

Would really like to see a good review of the new RC system in a vehicle the size of your new fire engine.

All the best,
Richard


Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2010, 20:27:37 »


Hope you do decide to get it, Gordon.

Having a remote control vehicle would be really nice. Especially, as one gets older ...  :klickygrin:

The getting up and down isn't something that any of us probably thought very much about when we were kids ...  ;D

Would really like to see a good review of the new RC system in a vehicle the size of your new fire engine.

All the best,
Richard



The problem is that at the moment I'm meant to be running down my stock of Playmobil so Diane doesn't even know that I've bought this yet!  I suppose that if I bought the RC unit I could always argue that the fire engine belonged to someone else and that it had strayed into our house by accident!  :lol:
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Offline Richard

  • Retired Playmobil
  • Wargamer
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 4965
  • Gender: Male
    • Garden Wargaming
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2010, 20:31:34 »



The problem is that at the moment I'm meant to be running down my stock of Playmobil so Diane doesn't even know that I've bought this yet!  I suppose that if I bought the RC unit I could always argue that the fire engine belonged to someone else and that it had strayed into our house by accident!  :lol:



That would make a really great photo-story, Gordon! ...  :lol:


Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2010, 20:37:04 »


That would make a really great photo-story, Gordon! ...  :lol:



So would the follow up story of Diane using a 4821 as an offensive weapon!  :hissyfit:
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2010, 21:50:31 »
Well, here's today's addition, and we're looking at the assembly involved with the front and rear of the machine.  I'm not following the instruction order here for all parts  but rather trying to limit the number of photos and posts to a minimum.

There are quite a number of items to be fitted to the front of the machine and these are shown in the first two photos.  (In gathering the bits for the first photo, I missed the small blue lights which appear some way through the instruction booklet.)

The white piece in the first photo is a blanking piece which fits in the centre of the front bumper, allowing either the front number plate or the winch to be fitted to it.  The number plate is easily detachable but the winch is slightly more difficult to withstand the demands of winching cars out of ditches and the front crashing into furniture or other obstacles.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2010, 22:13:30 by playmofire »
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #15 on: February 16, 2010, 22:09:10 »
The winch is the new design which I think was first introduced with the 4079 ADAC recovery truck (that was certainly the first occasion I came across it).  It's in three parts and, unlike the older design, doesn't have the plastic "wavy washer".  Instead, a peg on the winch shaft and indentations in the side of the winch frame mean that the winch can be locked at any point by pushing the winch shaft in.  To free the winch drum, the winch shaft is pulled out slightly.  The winch has a neat handle for operating it.  The winch is fitted to the front with two of red System-X connectors.
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #16 on: February 16, 2010, 22:17:53 »
Lastly on the front are the two repeater blue lights and the rear view mirrors.  The blue lights are very realistic clear blue plastic pieces (someone on klickywelt has already converted a 4821 to have these operating) while the rear view mirrors, although they capture the shape well are a bit of a disappointing on the actual mirror side as they are simply hollow.  It would have been nice if they had had the moulding for a silvered sticker to represent the reflective surface of the mirror.
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #17 on: February 16, 2010, 23:04:57 »
The last set of posts for today looks at the rear of the fire engine. 

In the first picture, I have already fitted the pump unit and the suction hose connector.  The pump unit is the same as the one used on the portable pump introduced with the 3880 in 1996.  The suction connector is new to the 4821. By using the pump unit in this way, it means that the new fire engine has built-in pumping capacity using one or other of the Playmobil water units.

Two blue lights go on at roof level, again, very nice and neat mouldings and, again, already "electrified" on klickywelt.

The doors are straight in profile, unlike the ones on the 3880, but the access ladder is the same.  The "dimple" on the right hand door takes a yellow System-X connector onto which the hose reel unit from the 4825 accessory set fits.  I'll show this fitted later in the review.

Well, that's it for today.  Tomorrow we're probably going out so it will be Thursday before I can do any more photos; then it will be fitting the shutters to the sides and fitting internal equipment.
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Offline Richard

  • Retired Playmobil
  • Wargamer
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 4965
  • Gender: Male
    • Garden Wargaming
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2010, 01:08:45 »


Gordon ...

Your excellent review shows that the 4821 Fire Engine is an exceptional model from Playmobil.
Looking at Geobra's attention to detail, and the number of pieces included with this set, made me curious about the price of this vehicle.

A quick look at PlaymobilUSA's website ... $49.99! WOW!
Fifty dollars is a lot of money! It was probably even more expensive in the UK!
(No wonder you were a bit concerned about Diane's reaction.) ...  :shhhh: ...  ;D

However, it seems to be very good value for what you get!

Looking forward to your next installment.

All the best,
Richard



Offline playmofire

  • Klicky Firemeister
  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 10894
  • Gender: Male
    • Copt Hewick Volunteer Fire Brigade - probably the world's smallest fire brigade!
Re: 4821 fire engine
« Reply #19 on: February 17, 2010, 07:46:32 »

Gordon ...

Your excellent review shows that the 4821 Fire Engine is an exceptional model from Playmobil.
Looking at Geobra's attention to detail, and the number of pieces included with this set, made me curious about the price of this vehicle.

A quick look at PlaymobilUSA's website ... $49.99! WOW!
Fifty dollars is a lot of money! It was probably even more expensive in the UK!
(No wonder you were a bit concerned about Diane's reaction.) ...  :shhhh: ...  ;D

However, it seems to be very good value for what you get!

Looking forward to your next installment.

All the best,
Richard




Over here, Richard, it was £34.99 which at eBay rates works out at $55.17, so, yes, we do pay a bit more relatively (if that exchange rate gives an accurate reflection of things).  However, it's still better than the days when the US price was simply the UK price with a $ sign in front! 

I was thinking about its cost compared with the 3880 which was £24.99 in 1997 when it appeared over here.  So that's a rise of £11 in 12 years which doesn't look too bad and works out at 3.7% a year (about the latest UK figures for inflation), if my maths is right.  And it's certainly a bigger and more detailed model than the 3880, excellent though the 3880 was with those roller shutter doors.

The turntable ladder is £39.99 which compares very well with the £49.99 which the 3182 was selling for (and still is where they are in stock) last year.
“Today well-lived makes every yesterday a day of happiness to remember and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”