Review: MOULD KING 18001 Desert Remote Controlled Racing Car

ByKerry Gehman Hours

When it comes to speed, the MOULD KING Desert Racer is definitely one of the fastest building block toys in the market.

Made up of 394 pieces, this desert racer has a simple, solid structure, making it very lightweight. But it’s not just about the structure, it’s also about power. It’s equipped with two MOULD KING Black Furious Hyper Speed L motors.

According to customer feedback, its top speed can reach up to 40 kilometers per hour. That’s almost as fast as a car, making it impossible for people to catch up.

What the Set included:

This LEGO set comes with one servo motor, two large L motors, a remote control, and a battery box for power.

There are four big tires.

In terms of parts, there are six bags. Even though only five of them are numbered, you can open them one by one following the instructions during the building process.

The battery box uses a micro USB cable for charging, not a Type C interface. I tested it and it takes 4 hours to fully charge, and a fully charged vehicle can run for 30 minutes.

The guide to operate the remote control is very detailed. It supports both remote and app control. MOULD KING has its own app in the app store. Once you choose this product in the app, it connects automatically via Bluetooth, which is very convenient. The app also supports sensor control, which adds lots of fun to racing.

The quality of the instruction booklet is very good. If you’re used to viewing instructions on an iPad, you can also download the high-definition PDF version of the instructions from the Mould King official website https://mouldkingcorp.com/pages/building-instructions.

The Assembly Process

Upon opening the instruction manual, the first page suggests we test the power module first. I think it’s because the power module is the most expensive part of the set. If there’s an issue with it, it’s best to reach out to MOULD KING’s customer service for a replacement right away. If you only discover a problem with the power module after finishing the entire model, it can be quite troublesome. Even if MOULD KING sends you a new power module, you’d have to take apart the model you’ve built, replace the faulty module, and then rebuild. That would indeed be very frustrating.

The instruction booklet is detailed in some aspects, like Step 2, where it reminds players to pay attention to which side is facing up.

However, the manual also has less meticulous parts, like in Step 60, where the scale is incorrect.

When I got to Step 80, I noticed the battery box was different from what was shown in the booklet.

After contacting Mould King’s customer service, they told me the entire battery could match with the 18001 model. Under the guidance of MOULD KING’s customer service, I first pulled out the connector indicated by the arrow, lined up the new battery box’s hole with two blue connectors as the arrow shows, and then attached the battery box.

At Step 105, two 3cm cross bolts are used to secure the battery box, ensuring it won’t shake during high-speed driving.

OK, the desert race car was quickly assembled~

You might encounter this situation when you first finish assembling: when you press A or B on the remote control, only one rear wheel moves. At this point, you need to press the E key on the side, then the A key will control both rear wheels. But a new problem arises, ‘one wheel spins forward and the other spins backward’. In this case, you need to hold both A keys for a few seconds, then the direction of the rear wheels will align!

Here are some things I really liked about the desert racing car

  • The model stays true to the LEGO Technic type construction dynamics, which I appreciate.
  • The remote control is straightforward and efficient. To control both motors with a pair of A buttons on the remote control, you need to connect them together. The instructions on how to do this are clearly indicated in the user manual (refer to the images below). Pressing the E button on the remote control will establish this connection.

However, there were a few things that could be improved

  • The car could be made more resistant to shocks for better durability during rough play.
  • The connecting axis between the car and the rear needs reinforcing. Currently, the sprung rear axis falls off quickly when the car moves at high speeds.
  • The chassis mainly uses black parts which can lead to confusion during assembly, resulting in potential construction errors. Using different colored parts might make the building process easier.

Overall, despite these minor drawbacks, the MOULD KING 18001 is a high-quality product that offers great value for its price.

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