When I was a kid I had a choice between Meccano and Lego Technic. Lego won every time mainly because the time it took me to get something interesting made in Lego was about ¼ of the time for Meccano.
Lego wins because is has the variety of components, most of which can be used in a number of different ways - take for example the standard Lego Girder: It can be joined to other bricks by the normal bricks and holes on the to & bottom. But you can also push the bumps into the holes on the side. You can also use the holes on the side to join the girder to other holes using the spring-loaded pegs or the rods.
The best system of all was Fisher Technic - that was what we used in design & technology class at school. Fisher has all the best robotics & sensor kit years before Lego had it. The system of plastic blocks that could be re-enforced with metal rods was incredibly strong.
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When I was a kid I had a choice between Meccano and Lego Technic. Lego won every time mainly because the time it took me to get something interesting made in Lego was about ¼ of the time for Meccano. Lego wins because is has the variety of components, most of which can be used in a number of different ways - take for example the standard Lego Girder: It can be joined to other bricks by the normal bricks and holes on the to & bottom. But you can also push the bumps into the holes on the side. You can also use the holes on the side to join the girder to other holes using the spring-loaded pegs or the rods. The best system of all was Fisher Technic - that was what we used in design & technology class at school. Fisher has all the best robotics & sensor kit years before Lego had it. The system of plastic blocks that could be re-enforced with metal rods was incredibly strong.