Review: 42199 Monster Jam DIGatron
Posted by benbacardi,Six previous Monster Jam sets have been released, two a year since 2021, each based on a specific vehicle from the popular American motorsport event, and two more have recently been announced: 42199 Monster Jam DIGatron Pull-Back and 42200 Monster Jam ThunderROARus Pull-Back.
Just like before, they're relatively small Technic models centred around a pull-back motor and featuring large oversized tyres and exaggerated features. Let's dive in and take a look at the first, the JCB DIGatron!
Summary
42199 Monster Jam DIGatron Pull-Back, 218 pieces.
£22.99 / $27.99 / €27.99 | 10.5p/12.8c/12.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A fun entry-level Technic model that captures the aesthetic of the original vehicle pretty well.
- Great colour scheme
- Pull-back motor works well
- Decent size vehicle for the price
- The front beam detracts from the look of the vehicle
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Before we look at the set, first some background on the vehicle it's based on. Introduced last year, the JCB DIGatron is a collaboration between JCB and the organisation behind Monster Jam, Feld Motor Sports, and is modelled on the construction company's most well-known vehicle, the backhoe loader. Apparently, JCB equipment is now used to build up the dirt arenas, and audiences are also sometimes treated to a display of their "dancing diggers" in addition to the monster trucks themselves. The JCB DIGatron is outfitted with the jaws of a loader at the front and a backhoe arm at the rear—both non-functional—and bears the distinctive black and yellow livery that is so synonymous with JCB.
Now to the LEGO version! At only 218 pieces, it comes in a couple of unnumbered bags, with the tyres and pull back motor loose in the box. Assembly was relatively quick, though as it is Technic younger children will find some parts fiddly or the instructions potentially unclear.
Aesthetically, it does a pretty good job of capturing the overall look of the real vehicle, although the proportions are slightly off—it's too long, and not squat enough, and the horizontal beam that sits in front of the wheels is a LEGO-only addition.
That said, it does fit in well with the the rest of the LEGO Monster Jam sets, and it's very clear which vehicle the model is based upon. Even without the stickers to apply, the black and yellow colour scheme would leave you in no doubt.
The front features the JCB's distinctive loader, which is also purely for decoration, as in the real thing. Once again, it's a shame about that horizontal beam, as it detracts somewhat from the other aggressive look to the front of the model.
There's a very simple miniature replicator of the backhoe arm on the rear of the model, which can be tilted slightly up and down.
The illusion of suspension is given by silver corrugated pipes above each wheel, but this is just an illusion—there's no suspension at all on the model, which follows the rest of the line. LEGO have successfully achieved suitable suspension in models of this size before, so I do wonder why they're left out of these monster trucks. Perhaps it would have a negative impact on the efficacy of the pull-back motor?
As you can see below, the model looks fine without the stickers applied, but it really is worth the effort in my opinion. I actually quite enjoy the process of sticking them on, carefully with a pair of tweezers, so a relatively large sticker sheet is not a negative to me!
Conclusion
The Monster Jam trucks aren't amongst the largest or most complicated Technic sets, and nor do they have many complex mechanics or moving features, but there's no denying they're fun, and at a very reasonable price too. The pull-back motor works well, particularly on a hard surface like a long table or a kitchen floor, and I can see why LEGO release them in pairs each year—they're great to face off against each other with a friend.
The DIGatron follows in the same vein as those that have come before—while it's not perfect in terms of proportions, it does a pretty good job of capturing the overall look and shape of the original vehicle, even if you do feel you need to add the stickers to fully complete the set.
As they're released in pairs, look out for the upcoming review of 42200 Monster Jam ThunderROARus Pull-Back, and perhaps these will make a great gift for somebody in the new year!
The set is not yet listed on LEGO.com, but listings at other retailers indicate that the price will likely be £22.99 / €27.99, which is an increase from last year.
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16 comments on this article
Might pick this one up. Looks like a good parts pack and I like the colors.
A JCB set, finally!
And here I was hoping that the first JCB license would bring more than a Monster Jam pullback set. TLG literally releases a backhoe in January after so many years and it's just a tiny no-name model.
I'm glad they are continuing, I got the previous ones and enjoyed running them up and down my hallway and over jumps but that price rise isn't nice.
Hi,
could you please confirm on the colour of the parts from the set:
Bright Yellow (https://brickset.com/parts/colour-Bright-Yellow)
or
Flame Yellowish Orange (https://brickset.com/parts/colour-Flame-Yellowish-Orange)
Thanks
I need it!
These are great fun. I was disappointed that none were released in 2024, but glad to see them returning for 2025. And with the correct tyres this time!
These are the first Monster Jam sets that feature proper tractor tires! All the previous entries in the series had baloon tires. So that's a nice improvement.
But overall I'm still bummed about the retirement of B-models. Monster trucks do nothing for me, and five of the six previous entries' B-models appealed to me far more than the A-models (both models of 42150 were weak, and I only got that one to complete the set). Here's hoping some creative people on Rebrickable will come up with good stuff!
@chefkaspa said:
"Hi,
could you please confirm on the colour of the parts from the set:
Bright Yellow (https://brickset.com/parts/colour-Bright-Yellow)
or
Flame Yellowish Orange (https://brickset.com/parts/colour-Flame-Yellowish-Orange)
Thanks"
They're Flame Yellowish Orange.
@TheNameWasTaken said:
"These are the first Monster Jam sets that feature proper tractor tires! All the previous entries in the series had baloon tires. So that's a nice improvement.
But overall I'm still bummed about the retirement of B-models. Monster trucks do nothing for me, and five of the six previous entries' B-models appealed to me far more than the A-models (both models of 42150 were weak, and I only got that one to complete the set). Here's hoping some creative people on Rebrickable will come up with good stuff!"
Despite reviewing most of them, I'd completely forgotten they had B-models! That was remiss of me, well spotted.
Finally proper tires for these Monster Jam trucks!
Still think these make for great toys for kids, and this one in particular is one of the better looking ones, especially without stickers. And as for tbat front bumper: Seems easy enough to leave that off?
Too bad about the price, as I wonder if most kids pocket money follows the wild inflation correction Lego uses. And lack of B-models still is a shame indeed, that always was the cheapest way to add value for kids.
Oh, and obviously (especially considering the price) should have included a sound brick with the Nizlopi song!
It feels like we've had dozens of these things
I'm Luke, I'm five, and my dad's Bruce Lee...
I never had any real interest in these things, not having been interested in monster trucks since I was a kid, although if Bigfoot were still in Monster Jam, and had gotten a set, I'd have picked that one up. As it is, though, the only one in the line whose name I recognize is Grave Digger, as that's another name that was around during my childhood (in fact I bought 42118 as a present for my second nephew). I might get this one, though, just because its name sounds like a Decepticon.
Excellent writeup!!
Honestly, I don't really care for the set itself, but am hoping LEGO does more with the JCB license. Especially given they appear to have color-matched their trademark color.