Today I’ll be looking at 2 new LEGO® sets released in January 2021: 40460 Roses and 40461 Tulips. At first glance they appear to be smaller versions of the 10280 Flower Bouquet that Thomas Jenkins reviewed recently. I’ve built that set myself, and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall build experience and end result, so I’m curious if these 2 smaller sets will bring some of the same colour and joy as well.
Parts in LEGO 40460 Roses
More than half of the parts (62 out of 120) in the 40460 are red, as is clearly apparent in this overview of the set’s contents.
The set brings us 4 recolours: The Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 Hexagonal with Handle appears for the first time in Dark Green/ Green (6341913 | 27262).
In Earth Green/ Dark Green we have 3 newcomers, which also appear in the 10280 Flower Bouquet:
- Steering Wheel with 4 Studs on Center (6329283 | 67811)
- Technic Driving Ring Connector Smooth (6330196 | 42195). This element also appears in the 2020 set 4002020 Employee Gift
- Technic Axle and Pin Connector Angled #3 - 157.5 (6344177 | 42128)
Parts in LEGO 40461 Tulips
Despite only having only 111 parts, 40461 Tulips has a number of interesting parts for us.
Let's start with the recolours, the first 3 of which are currently exclusive:
- 6 x Large Figure Limb Cover / Claw / Spike Large with Axle Hole in Bright Green (6335184 | 15362).
- 21 x Technic Driving Ring Connector Smooth in Bright Yellowish Green/ Lime (6335185 | 42195)
- 4 x Wedge Curved 2 x 3 x 2/3 Two Studs, Wing End in Cool Yellow/ Bright Light Yellow (6335187 | 47456)
- 2 x Brick Special 1 x 2 x 1 2/3 with Eight Studs on 3 Sides in White (6312480 | 67329) also appears in 5 sets released in the January wave of 2021. Tim Goddard also mentioned this element in his review of the 71386 Super Mario Character Packs.
Next up, the rare colours. These are elements that have appeared in 3 sets or less, or haven’t been seen in a set for a long time:
- Slope 30° 1 x 2 x 2/3 in Bright Light Yellow (6296510 | 85984) has only been in 1 set before this wave, and also appears this wave in 60277 Police Patrol Boat
- Technic Axle Connector Smooth [with x Hole + Orientation] in Lime (6302735 | 59443)
- Technic Pin Connector Hub with 1 Axle in Lime (6308234 | 22961) has only been seen in the 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Seeing the price tag on that one, the 40461 will be a much cheaper way to get 9 of these parts
- Wedge Curved 2 x 3 x 2/3 Two Studs, Wing End in Medium Lavender (6335183 | 47456) has last been seen 1 time in 2016 in 41178 The Dragon Sanctuary.
While Flame Yellowish Orange/ Bright Light Orange has been around since 2004 but this is the first time I personally have found a colour problem. One of the 3 Plate Special 2 x 2 with Groove and Center Stud (Jumper) is a significantly different shade. Since there are only 3 of this element in the set, I can’t say if this is an isolated incident or part of a bigger issue, perhaps the materials supply issue described by LEGO Quality Director Bjarke Schønwandt.
The Build - 40460 Roses
The construction of the roses is very similar to the roses in 10280 Flower Bouquet, with only the outer petals and the stem being different. The core is made out of 4x Plate Special 1 x 1 with Tooth on a Brick Special 1 x 1 with Studs on 4 Sides. It’s placed at a 45° angle, so it fits perfectly between the 4 brackets surrounding it. This all is placed on top of 2 steering wheels onto which the petals clip.
I’m not a flower expert, so maybe I’m complaining in vain, but there was one small issue I had with the build. The new Steering Wheel allows clips to be attached around all 360 degrees of the outer rim. However, at the points where the ‘spokes’ are attached, you can’t rotate the clips very far. Because of this, the outer petals can’t be set at a neat 45 degree angle from the other layer of petals, which bothers me a bit.
A simple solution is to replace the Plate Round 2 x 2 between the 2 steering wheels with a Tile Round 2 x 2 with Center Stud. I’ve used a Dark Pink one in the example to make it stand out, but I recommend using a less noticeable color like Red, Olive Green or maybe Reddish Brown. I could swear I had seen this part in more colours from the green family, but I can’t find them. Thanks to the centre stud, you can rotate the steering wheels so they line up nicely. You will need to replace the 5L Axle at the bottom for a shorter one. Also, the flower becomes a bit more fragile, which I assume is the reason LEGO didn’t use this tactic in the first place.
I must say, I really love the end result. Although the build is very similar to the roses in the 10280 Flower Bouquet, I prefer this version, mainly because the Red pops more than the Light Nougat. I also like the Bright Green leaves at the bottom of the flowers; it gives a nice contrast.
The Build - 40461 Tulips
The build of the tulips is pretty straightforward.
The centre of the flower consists of 2 SNOT bricks, with the petals attached to the sides.
The stems are made up of the axle connectors. It’s simple, but it works.
The end result is a pretty-looking flower, but a bit dull in colour. If I had to make a change, I would probably use colours that pop more, like Bright Yellow/ Yellow instead of Cool Yellow/ Bright Light Yellow, and Bright Reddish Violet/Magenta or Lavender instead of Medium Lavender. But that’s just a matter of personal taste.
Conclusion
I enjoyed building 40460 Roses. It’s a clever design with a good-looking result, well worth the money (£11.99 / €12.99 / US$12.99). With 4 recolours and 16x Slope Curved 3 x 4 x 2/3 Triple Curved in Red (6204665 | 93604) as well as being the cheapest set to contain the new steering wheel Thomas Jenkins recently examined, the set also lends itself well to being a parts-pack.
40461 Tulips was a bit too simple for my taste, and I would prefer a colour change for the flowers. Still, with 111 parts for £8.99 / €9.99 / $ 9.99 including a couple of useful recolours, while also bringing some other rare elements, it can still be an interesting in a low-budget package to pick up.
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