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Vote: Meccano vs LEGO
It’s utility versus fun factor in this week’s Wall of Fame, as Suzi and Jason put their arguments forward for their respective construction kits. Not since metal pipes and bamboo fought to become scaffolding have we seen such a tussle in the construction area. So who will win? Meccano or LEGO? Let the debate begin…
Meccano’s the undoubted grandaddy when it comes to construction kits, launched in 1901 during the days of the Empire! It originally came with just 17 pieces but had instructions to make 12 different models. The premise took off and Meccano went global. Such was its success and usefulness, Meccano was even was for real feats of engineering – Alex Issigonis, for instance, used it to work out the transmission of the original Mini! A more British institution? There is none!
But don’t discount LEGO. Arguably the true legendary construction toy. LEGO bricks started to roll of production lines in Denmark back in 1949 and their success was immediate. To put into context the dominance of the little plastic building bricks LEGO sells 7 sets sold a second and produces 15 billion bricks a year! It even makes celebrity sets, such as Harry Potter and Star Wars kits and even creates LEGO robotics!
So, which is it to be? The old man of construction, Meccano, or the Scandinavian upstart, LEGO? Watch the video to find out Jon’s verdict then have your say in the poll below!
User comments (28)
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tardisman18 August 2009
lego is so better macono is annoying and confusing
Report as inappropriateSimon Burfield18 August 2009
I used to build with both and though mecanno is stronger (the old metal stuff) its just not got as many cool parts and intelligent bits like the mindstorms range. Lego is also used in schools to teach kids robotics
Report as inappropriateJoe Harrison18 August 2009
I Have Played With Mecanno and it is enjoyable and very strong but for me lego wins it for me because it was a wonderful toy to play with and very simple. ps:love the lego wall of fame im trying to make one and its going good
Report as inappropriateDavid18 August 2009
The original patent for the interlocking bricks made by Lego was bought by Lego from a British company in the 1950s.
Report as inappropriateSteve18 August 2009
MECCANO!!!! Great metal engineering with real nuts and bolts vs push together plastic trash??? No contest really.... Perhaps if the architect of the Wolverhampton Civic Centre had had Meccano for Xmas instead of Lego we might actually have a building of note now and worth preserving in years to come! (BTW it's locally known as 'Lego House')
Report as inappropriateSteve18 August 2009
MECCANO!!!! Great metal engineering with real nuts and bolts vs push together plastic trash??? No contest really.... Perhaps if the architect of the Wolverhampton Civic Centre had had Meccano for Xmas instead of Lego we might actually have a building of note now and worth preserving in years to come! (BTW it's locally known as 'Lego House') Come on!!! Lego is barely one step on (not even a crawl IMHO) from babbies alphabet blocks!
Report as inappropriateFalcon492519 August 2009
Maccano Is the best as it led the way for all engineers to cut thier teeth on somting subsantial. Lego was fine but the British version was ten times better as it was more realistic when you finished building a house... and that was Better Builder!!!!!!
Report as inappropriateChrisr50021 August 2009
Lego is a bit more creative and colourful, cause you can have Lego technical which is a bit like macarno.
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Judi Rastall24 August 2009
Lego is for builders but Meccano is for engineers. Lego is ok for a bit of quick fun but Meccano needs thinking about.
Report as inappropriateMark24 August 2009
Yes, we all know that Lego has got a bit more clever and you can now build things with wheels that really turn, gears that really interlock and even now robots that can actually be programmed. But, let's face it folks, Meccano has always had wheels that turn, gears that lock, pulleys that pull and a whole host of simple parts you could use to build complicated working machinery. I even made a working (though not very good) steam engine when I was twelve! You can't beat that, Lego - not even now. Meccano should win hands down.
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howard booth26 August 2009
the fact is that mecano has always been my favourite as it take some form of skill to use wereas lego you just slap block together and hope it looks like what you want and now lego has lost any for of engineering aspect as they come in kits now to tell you what it should look like the old box of lego all miss matched has gone out of the window it was more fun back then i still reckon mecano should have won it teaches kids alot of how mechanical things work its amazing
Report as inappropriatePaul Ayres27 August 2009
Lego is a childs toy requiring a limited imagination to play with. Mecanno is a seriuos construction set that develops the minds of those capable to understand it. Engineers have come from Mecanno and its contribution to British engineering is unrivaled.
Report as inappropriateLEGO RULES LEGO RULES02 September 2009
EGGS SMELL LIKE LEGO BURP
Report as inappropriateCaroline16 September 2009
Did you know that the name Meccano comes from the phrase ' Make and know '?
Report as inappropriateDave Spencer02 October 2009
I was fortunate to have a reasonable amount of both Meccano (which I still have somewhere) and Lego when I was young. Its not like it used to be though.. Both companies have lost their way- Lego now theres too many specilised parts, only useful for one part on one model.. Meccano - all plastic, not like the orginal metal sets, both are too expensive to build the big models like you once could.
Report as inappropriateadriano22 October 2009
lego is so much better than meccano meccano need instucton tiy bits where you cant put your hands through and lots of little things lego on the other hand is imagination think of the object and built it no instuctions no missing bits simple as that
Report as inappropriateTim20 November 2009
When I was 10 I made a LEGO car with rack and pinion steering, pneumatic suspension and a gear box. That was in 1982. Dont tell me LEGO only just got clever, it's always been clever and the innovation continues to improve year on year.
Report as inappropriateTrevor25 January 2010
No competition - meccano wins. Meccano teaches mechanical engineering, real gearboxes, pulleys, fulcrums, mechanical power etc & makes you think like an engineer.....lego just teaches you to follow instructions and that's it. Meccano designs can be used without falling apart like fragile Lego designs.
Report as inappropriateMalcolm Hanson04 September 2010
These two are difficult to compare. One is an engineering toy the other is more of an architectural toy. One demands skill and dexterity for constructions the other is far simpler to work with. However, both stimulate creativity and permit imaginative outcomes. In the end Meccano allows of more complex model building with much more sound construction, so it wins. If the responses here are anything to go by it also helps develop a greater command of the English language!
Report as inappropriatePhilip06 September 2010
Well done Jason on crashing the two Lego models together and seeing them disintegrate! A good reminder of what was always a fatal weakness, but hey, it's a toy! Meccano on the other hand has been both toy and model engineering system - laboratories around the world are full of the stuff and for good reason. Many engineers and architects have credited their early interest to Meccano - I have never heard of any of them saying "I owe it all to playing with Lego"
Report as inappropriateMichael Walker06 September 2010
Why should we have to choose between the two systems? They are catering for different styles of construction. Meccano is the better choice for anything mechanical, and Lego is better at making models of buildings.
Report as inappropriateJim Bobyn07 September 2010
Most Lego supporters like its simplicity. That's because it is a simple system allowing for easy assembly of standard and special-purpose parts. Meccano involves basic parts that are used in innovative ways. It requires, and teaches, thought, design, planning, careful assembly, tuning, and problem solving skills. It is a more advanced and complex system, closer to real-world engineering. In summary, simple (Lego) is good for fun, but more sophisticated (Meccano) is better for skills development.
Report as inappropriateJan Andreasen09 September 2010
Hi there. I have played with both Meccano and Lego. I find meccano better, because it´s more stable and You can make more complex models, than with Lego. I like Lego very much, because I'm danish.
Report as inappropriateJosh B.27 December 2010
Lego is better; you can make lots more things and there are many more different elements to chose from. Just by coincidence, Lego means "I put together" in Latin.
Report as inappropriateLegless Legolas18 January 2011
Glad I never had meccano. To me, it always looked like a kit designed to slice fingers. Lego is finger friendly, doesn't leave metal filings around and won't make your hands smell like a CDT classroom. Plus, look at the success and fun to be had with the recent Lego computer games.
Report as inappropriateMuhammad-9718 February 2011
Meccano is 100000000000000000 times better than Lego . Lego is just boring but Meccano is what I call real engeneering
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