Technic

Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023 with Crane

A tough little Unimog that packs working pneumatics into a compact frame.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 42242 · 2026

Pieces1,189

Minifigsn/a

Year2026

Set number42242

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The verdict

This one won me over slowly.

The moment I worked the pneumatic pump and watched the knuckle boom crane lift its pallet, the Unimog stopped feeling small and started feeling like a proper working machine. It's not the 2,048-piece 8110 flagship some fans were praying for, and at 129 dollars for 1,189 pieces you're paying more for the function density than the size. But if you love trucks that actually do things, this is a genuinely satisfying build.

Best for: Technic fans who care more about working functions than shelf size

The full review

What it is

The Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023 with Crane is a 1,189-piece LEGO® set, and it's carrying a heavy legacy on its little shoulders. It's the first proper Technic Unimog since the beloved 8110 back in 2011, a set that earned near-perfect scores and still gets talked about like a legend. So the first thing to understand about this set is what it isn't. It isn't a giant flagship. It's a compact, dense, function-packed truck that trades size for cleverness, and once you accept that, it's a lot of fun. You get 4-wheel drive, a live-axle suspension riding on four shock absorbers, working steering, a fake 6-cylinder piston engine under an opening hood, opening doors, and the star of the show, a pneumatic pump that lifts and lowers the knuckle boom crane. Drop the outriggers, work the pump, swing the boom, and grab the pallet. It's the kind of hands-on play that makes Technic worth building.

The catch

Here's where I'll be straight with you. The size is the sticking point, and it's a real one. A lot of builders wanted another 8110, a massive centerpiece with portal hubs and heft, and this Unimog is roughly half the size of the Zetros. If you were expecting a flagship, you'll feel the gap the moment you open the box. The price stings a little too. 129 dollars for 1,189 pieces works out to around 11 cents a piece, which is on the high side even for licensed Technic, so you're really paying for the pneumatics and the mechanical density rather than raw part count. And the color scheme is going to be a personal thing. That lime and yellow-green combo matches real agricultural Unimogs, but plenty of people look at it and wish for classic red or a workhorse black. None of these are dealbreakers, but they're the honest reasons this lands as very good rather than a must-own.

Who it's for

So who should grab this one? If you're the kind of builder who cares more about what a model does than how big it looks on the shelf, you'll get a lot out of it. The pneumatic crane and the off-road suspension give it genuine play value, and the compact footprint means it won't dominate a display or empty your wallet the way a 2,000-piece set would. If you're chasing that huge 8110 flagship feeling, or you're the person who counts every cent per piece, this probably isn't the set that scratches the itch, and I'd wait for a sale or set your sights on something larger. But taken for what it is, a rugged little working truck with real mechanical charm, it's an easy set to enjoy.

The parts story

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

Building this Unimog is a nicely paced few-hour job that never feels like a slog. You start with the chassis and the drivetrain, laying in the 4-wheel-drive setup and the rear differential, then the live-axle suspension goes on with its four shock absorbers, which is the point where the truck starts to feel bouncy and alive in your hands. The pneumatics come next, and routing the air lines to the pump and the crane cylinder is the most satisfying stretch of the build, the part where you keep stopping to test it. The bodywork and the opening hood and doors close things out, and the knuckle boom crane assembly on the back is a rewarding little sub-build in its own right. It's mechanical and hands-on the whole way through, exactly what you want from a Technic truck.

On the parts front there are some nice finds tucked in here. Sharp-eyed builders spotted the thin 5L beam (element 32017), a part that hadn't shown up since way back in 2002, so it's a genuine throwback for collectors. The lime and yellow-green panels are rare colors that have barely appeared in the last few years, so if you build your own creations, this set is a useful little pot of unusual panel colors. The pneumatic pump, cylinder, and air lines are the parts most people will care about, since a working air system in a set this affordable is a real draw. The value story here isn't about hitting a low price per piece, it's about function: you're getting pneumatics, 4WD, suspension, and steering all in one compact package.

Fun facts

01This is the first proper Technic Unimog since the legendary 8110 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 400 in 2011, which had 2,048 pieces and earned near-perfect review scores that fans still bring up today.
02The real Unimog U 5023 uses portal axles, where gears drop the drive down below the axle centerline to give huge ground clearance, and it can ford water up to 1.2 meters deep.
03LEGO gives the model a fake 6-cylinder engine, but the real U 5023 actually runs a 5.5-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel making around 231 horsepower.
04The real truck has a torsionally flexible frame that lets it twist and flex over rough ground, plus three differential locks and a central tire-inflation system for serious off-road terrain.