It’s combo model time!
These reviews for the Power Miners combo models are actually going to be a new experience for me, as I’ve only ever built one of them before, and even that was at least a decade ago. I’ve built these up specifically for these reviews, with my only prior interactions with them being the pictures in the back of the instructions.
There’s no need to look at the figures for these combiner models, as they’re just the combined figure selections of the component sets, in this case the two smallest sets of wave 1, the Stone Chopper and Mine Mech.
This combination model always looked extremely messy and unappealing to me in the pictures in the instructions, so I never bothered building it despite owning the component sets. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished building it, and I actually like it quite a bit. The single photo in the instructions does not at all do a good job of demonstrating what exactly this thing is supposed to be, but having it in person makes it much clearer: it’s not meant to really be a vehicle, it’s a tripod rig with a massive drilling device on the front.
All three saw blades are clumped together on this articulated and fairly well-detailed engine assembly, with the two claw pieces acting as adjustable legs to support the operator’s cabin and further angle the drilling device.
Each saw blade is also individually articulated, making good use of the Mine Mech’s ball joints.
The central portion of the machine features further details, such as storage for the dynamite bundle and two orange exhausts.
The operator controls the machine with a pair of handlebars, while a single small crystal is pegged into the side of the vehicle next to him.
The retail price for this model was simply the combined retail prices of its component models, totalling £10.98. This seems good value for the model, as it makes use of almost all the pieces from both sets.
I would recommend giving this model a try if you have the component sets, as it’s a nice quick build that results in a very unique new model. The best part is that you don’t even have to risk breaking the Mine Mech’s joint sockets, as all the joint pieces end up connected the exact same way that they were in the original set!
Overall, I’ve been really surprised by this one. It looked awful in the pictures, but it’s actually quite nice and fun.
7/10.
