LEGO® City review: 60409 Yellow Mobile Construction Crane

Loftus? Lofty? There's a joke there somewhere. Anyway, today we take a look at LEGO® City 60409 Yellow Mobile Construction Crane. Confusingly, it's anything but LEGO yellow. Instead, it sports a bright light orange colour scheme and brings with it a host of recolours, new moulds and prints.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

60409 Yellow Mobile Construction Crane
US$109.99/ £94.99/ 109.99€/ AU$179.99
1116 parts

Release Date: 1 June 2024 / 1 August (US)

Set 60409 on LEGO.com

The parts

There are two new moulds in the set, both of which are currently exclusive.

Crane Section 3 x 8 x 4 with 6 Pin Holes (LEGO part 3777)

The first is this snazzy 3 x 8 x 4 Crane Section (6468170 | 3777). Five are included and together form the slick outer shell of the crane's boom.

At 3 bricks high, 3 modules wide and just 8 modules long, the part isn't as bulky as it appears. Especially when compared to its predecessor:

Last seen in 2009, Design ID 52041 is 4 modules longer, 1 module wider and fits a chunkier boom arm. Cranes using the old mould would rely on its internal ridges to position the boom. Since the new crane employs a separate mechanism, the updated mould favours minimal friction instead.

Integration with other parts can be challenge because the studs and anti-studs are offset by half a module. And yet, it's worth the effort to see how the rounded edges marry up nicely with LEGO System and Technic System parts alike.

With the help of some SNOT bricks, four segments form a satisfying '+' shape. Better still, the outermost Technic holes end up being 2 modules apart; perfect for 45° building possibilities.

Tile, Modified 2 x 8 with Catchers on Underside for Gear Worm Screw 6L (LEGO Part 3776)

The second new mould is a welcome addition to the worm gear family that Toby discussed in 2023. 

Plate Special 2 x 8 with Gear Catchers on Underside in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6468171 | 3776) is another companion to the worm gear (73763). A generous, yet necessary, 7 are included here. It's handy for linear action in situations where the 2 x 2 gear cube (73764) isn't suitable. 

A sneak peek at the completed model is the best way to demonstrate how the new plate interacts with the worm gear. 

That's just the intended function of the plate though. Now for the left-field part analysis you're here for:  

A familiar hollow stud and lattice pattern and lack of antistuds make it an honorary member of the inverted tile club.

Its chamfered edges prevent a worm gear snagging as it traverses one plate to the next. They also allow two plates to sit neatly in a 90° corner, just like these hinge bricks. It's a pretty useless arrangement for mechanisms, but great for ornate stone walls or sci-fi detailing.

Our next element of interest would also work well for those...

Towball Hitching Plate 2x4 (LEGO part 3779)

Plate Special 2 x 4 with Ball Receptacle on Top in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6469207 | 3779) is the latest greeble in town.  It's available in 3 other sets so far: 60440 Yellow Delivery Truck, 76966 Dinosaur Missions: Allosaurus Transport Truck and 60408 Car Transporter. The latter two do not release in the US until 1 August.

Hopefully it'll stick around and provide some much needed consistency to LEGO trailer hitch design. For more on this part, see Kev's wonderful analysis. 

String, Cord Medium Thickness 200cm (LEGO part 101043)

The final new-ish 'element' of interest is a 2000mm length of high tensile, industrial grade, dark grey cable (6492336 | 101043). Which, on closer inspection, is actually just some string. Mind you, as string goes, it's very nice and a big improvement to the thread we used to get. It first appeared last year in 42146 Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000, which was reviewed by Toby.

It is the same length and of a similar thickness as the black string produced in LEGO MINDSTORMS sets in the early 2000s.

Recolours 

Starting with the abundance of Bright Light Orange, this first batch are new for 2024 and appear in 2 other sets or less:

• 2 x  Plate Special 2 x 2 with Horizontal T-Bar Underneath (6484950 | 5066) - New for June 2024, 2 other sets 
• 2 x 1 x 2 Tile with Stud Notch - Left (6510125 | 5091) and Right (6510139 | 5092) - New for June 2024, also found in 60420 Construction Excavator
• 14 x Tile 1 x 8 with Groove (6490803 | 4162) - Exclusive
• 2 x Brick Curved, 3 x 1 with 1/3 Inverted Cut-out in (6490806 | 70681) - Exclusive

Some lesser seen parts next, most returning after several years hiatus:

• 2 x Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 Inverted (6445339 | 99207) - 1 other 2023 set, 60380 Downtown.
• 18 x Tile Special 2 x 2 Corner with Cut Corner (6166896 | 27263) - 1 other set, 70354 Axl's Rumble Maker from 2017. 
• 13 x Tile Special 2 x 2 Inverted (6132853 | 11203) - Found in 3 June 2024 sets, its only other appearance was 41179 Queen Dragon's Rescue from 2016.
• 4 x Slope 18° 2 x 1 x 2/3 with 4 Slots (6110043 | 61409) -  1 other set, 70227 King Crominus' Rescue from 2015.

Rounding out the Bright Light Orange recolours is this trio. Their rarity is waning, but are still worth mentioning:

• 4 x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni (6453948 | 79393) - 4 other sets
• 4 x Panel 1 x 3 x 1 (6385484 | 23950) - 4 other sets
• 3 x Slope Curved 4 x 4 x 2/3 Triple Curved with 2 Studs (6178466 | 45677) - 5 other sets, last seen in 2018, also in 60420 Construction Excavator

Back to the headline recolours, these three are currently exclusive to the LEGO City construction sub-theme:

• 1 x Windscreen 3 x 4 x 3 in Transparent/ Trans-Clear (6491972 | 84954) - Also found in 60420 Construction Excavator.
• 2 x Grille with 1 x 2 Plate, Racers Car in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (4246898 | 50949) - Also found in 60420 Construction Excavator.
• 16 x Wheel 18 x 14 with Pin Hole, Fake Bolts and Shallow Spokes in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6490807 | 55981) - Exclusive.

Some miscellaneous part of interest, each appearing in 2 other sets or less:

• 2 x Plate Special 2 x 2 with Grills in Sand Blue (6405003 | 41862) Shockingly, this recolour only dates back to 2022. How was it not around in the early 2000s? It feels so Alpha team! 
• 1 x Beam 1 x 2 with Ball Joint Holes in Ball in Green (6462446 | 67697) - Also found in 60420 Construction Excavator
• 1 x Technic Beam 1 x 2 Thick with Pin Hole and Axle Hole in Bright Red/ Red (6390264 | 40147)
• 4 x Slope 45° 2 x 1 Double with Inside Stud Holder in Medium Nougat (6475291 | 3044)

Finally, here's a quick look at some of the useful 'itsy bitsy' elements in the set - the kind of parts that get snapped up the fastest during parts drafts. Note the 1 x 2 Tiles with 45° Stud Notches - Left (6510125) and Right (6510139). Despite only being introduced in March, they can be found in 13 sets already.

Prints

It's danger stripes galore in the prints department:

• 1 x Tile 2 x 4 with Robot World Roller-Coaster Park print in Bright Blue/ Blue (6480750) - A nice nod to fellow LEGO City set 60421 Robot World, this print wouldn't look out of place in a sci-fi workshop.
• 14 x Tile 1 x 1 with Red Danger Stripes print in White (6493199) - Plus x 2 spares.
• 2 x Tile 2 x 2 with Red Danger Stripes print in White (6480752) - Exclusive.

For a simple print, the 1x1 danger stripe (6493199) has surprising mileage for pattern-making. Surely there are some interior spaces that could handle a bold colour combo like this?

Minifigures

Four minifigures are included. The two Reddish Orange torsos with and without bib are new this wave - (6492292) and (6492300) respectively, as are the printed legs (6480747). 

Frankly, the boss's lack of a high-vis jacket is a safety concern. Perhaps they stay away from the work site and the hat is just for show. If that is the case, communication could prove a challenge as there's only one walkie-talkie between them!

The completed model

After an uneventful yet satisfying building experience, the completed crane is an impressive sight. 

Smart colour blocking and a whole heap of tiles create a clean looking model. It's packed with functions too – extending the outriggers, raising the boom and operating the hoist are all joyful actions to perform. The few stickers are easy to apply and blend well with the orange plastic.

A fixed 16-wheel chassis makes turning difficult and at 48cm (19 in.) long, the crane dwarfs even the largest LEGO City buildings. As such, it's not ideal for metropolitan areas but looks great alone or in industrious settings.

The little actuators on the outriggers may only be a few pieces, yet they add so much realism. As for the spots of green and blue Technic? Not so much. Thankfully they're few and far between.

Two wheels control the major functions: one for the hoist and one for the extendable boom. They disguise the play features well but turning them is a bit stop-start, especially with the main turntable being a bit wobbly. Perhaps stowaway handles could've been used instead? 

Switching to and from drive mode is bit clunky too. The slots for the foot pads are neat but the whole counterweight section must be removed to allow the cab to rotate 180°. 

This breaks the flow of play a bit as we then have to imagine a supplementary vehicle to transport the vital componentry. That said, the whole drive mode transformation is more of a bonus than a main feature so the above shouldn't be taken as harsh criticism.

Closing thoughts

For once, the price isn't a big sticking point. A set this size at this price point is a rarity; both in 2024 and years past. No corners were cut to achieve the desired size either. The main body is hefty, and extremities like the boom and outriggers are fairly substantial assemblies in their own right. 

Is it bigger than a LEGO City crane needs to be? Yes. But my goodness doesn't it look pretty?

READ MORE: LEGO® DREAMZzz™: all its new parts for August 2024

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