Technic

Mack Anthem

A proper big rig with a working crane trailer and a straight-6 you build by hand.

4.3/5

Set 42078 · 2018

Pieces2,595

Minifigsn/a

Year2018

Set number42078

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

If you want a large Technic truck that looks the part on a shelf and gives you a couple of evenings of proper building, this one's an easy yes.

It's honest value for 2,595 pieces and the container crane trailer is genuinely clever. Just know that some of the functions are more fun to build than to actually play with, and the whole thing is huge once it's done.

Best for: Technic fans who love big trucks and rebuilding into a second model

The full review

What it is

The Mack Anthem is one of those LEGO® sets that just makes you grin when the box lands, because it's big in every sense. At 2,595 pieces it was the largest Technic set of 2018 and the fifth largest the theme had ever done at that point, and it splits into two proper builds: the tractor cab up front and a self-unloading container carrier behind it. The cab is packed with the sort of manual functions Technic fans keep coming back for, and the trailer is the real party trick. It carries a shipping container and can lift that container off the ground and onto its own bed using two folding cranes. When you finish it and roll it across the table, it genuinely reads as a serious American semi.

The catch

Now for the honest bits. That container crane is brilliant to assemble, but once you've got the container loaded the operating knobs take real muscle to turn, so most people fiddle with it a few times and then leave it parked. The trailer is also massive, and in person it looks a little more bare and blocky than the glossy box photos suggest, so temper your expectations there. The steering works and even turns the wheel inside the cab, but it's driven by a slightly unsightly thumbwheel poking out the back of the cabin, and the ratio is so gentle you barely see the front wheels move. A few sections of both the truck and trailer feel a bit weak if you handle them roughly. And the instructions come as one enormous 420-page book that's almost too heavy to keep open on your lap without stressing the spine.

Who it's for

So who's this for? If you love big Technic vehicles, enjoy the actual process of building, and like the idea of getting two completely different models out of one box, grab it without much worry. The community rates it 4.3 out of 5 for good reason, and the parts-per-dollar value is strong. If you mainly want a motorised, endlessly playable function machine, or you're short on shelf space, this probably isn't your set. But as a satisfying weekend build that ends in an impressive display piece, the Mack Anthem holds up really well years after release.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building the Mack Anthem is a two-act affair. Act one is the tractor, and it's the more rewarding half. You put together a fake straight-6 engine where the pistons are actually axles with bushes pushed up by a camshaft made from six short beams, since real cylinder pieces would be far too big at this scale, and it chugs away as you roll the truck. You link the steering to the wheel in the cab, build opening doors and a tilting cab, and generally get that lovely Technic rhythm of frames, gears and linkages coming together. Act two is the trailer, which is more repetitive but pays off with the folding container cranes driven by linear actuators. Pacing is steady rather than fiddly, and it's very approachable for a set this size.

The headline piece here is a fun one: despite 2,595 parts, the set introduced only a single brand new element, the Pearl Gold Bulldog hood ornament that sits on the nose, a nod to Mack's real-world mascot. Beyond that you get bucketloads of the black, red and grey Technic staples that make this set a fantastic parts pack for MOC builders: panels, beams, gears, two big linear actuators, and a small pile of the newer wheel hubs and large tyres. There are no printed stickers doing heavy lifting on the identity, and no minifigures since this is Technic through and through. For the money, the sheer volume of useful structural parts is a big part of why fans keep recommending it.

Fun facts

01For all 2,595 pieces, the set introduced exactly one brand new element: the Pearl Gold Bulldog hood ornament, a tribute to the real Mack Trucks mascot.
02At launch it was the biggest Technic set of 2018 and the fifth largest the theme had ever produced.
03The straight-6 engine has no cylinder pieces at all, its pistons are axles with bushes lifted by a camshaft built from six little beams.
04It's a 2-in-1 set, so the whole thing rebuilds into a detailed Mack LR garbage truck for a completely different build.