Erector Metal Construction Set

Just like Meccano of old
As construction toys go, people who are buying Meccano/Erector should probably understand from the outset that this is a toy designed by Frank Hornby before WWI and it is not for people who want instant gratification. This toy is solid metal.

Yes, it is not easy to put this stuff together. Technical Lego is considerably easier to work with.

Despite the name, this set is actually made by Meccano in France. Meccano was the company that originally invented the idea over a century ago and licensed the idea to Erector. This kit was made on the original Meccano machinery. So the quality, fit and finish is easily as good, if not better than the Meccano of old, even though some parts may be slightly different to the Erector versions.

There have been some changes in the design. Most notably they have gone to using hex head screws rather than slot headed (good) and they have gone back to using square nuts rather than the hexagonal ones on some of the older sets. All in all this is a much better kit than Meccano was selling in the 1970s.

This kit has lots of metal pieces and plenty of parts to build a lot of models. They have added some plastic parts, but they all seem to be pretty sensible and useful. The plastic carry case is fantastic.

What you don't get is many of the larger 25 hole strips or any large angle girders. But those are fairly plentiful on Ebay as the large parts tended to survive much better than the small. Also missing (and hard to find) are any of the gears. But those pretty much disappeared from the kits shortly after WWII, so not exactly a surprise.

Good use of brain power
My boys really enjoy this set. As with all sets you could really use more pieces to build bigger and larger products but we are very happy with this set.

Awesome fun but maybe not for everyone
We received a box labeled special edition with 643 pieces and 25 designs. All the pieces were accounted for and there were a few extras of the smaller components too. We built the super cool crane which used up almost all of the parts (hint: build this first if you think you will lose pieces over time). Open play is possible but there is so much to be learned about the parts from the models themselves.

There are some adults for whom I'd never recommend this toy because of the need for patience, attention to detail, and nimble fingers. Mistakes will happen and skills will develop for greater efficiency in building. If you've got the time though, even my toddler spent most of the day in rapt attention, being a good assistant, experimenting with the constructed mechanisms, and cheering me on. These are really great exercises for spatial visualization, understanding physics, and for the youngest folks... counting! To that end though, it'd be nice if additional tools were included to make this more of a shared versus solo activity. I was also disappointed that there is no ordering form for replacement parts.

I never had an erector set as a child but these pieces seem pretty solid. It is possible to over tighten and thus strip the threads off the plastic pieces.

Very Good, But Not Your Father's Erector Set
I bought this for our 10 year old son who is very fond of building and/or assembling anything. The set arrived in good condition and we haven't discovered any missing parts. He was quite impressed with the package and did find the assembly work a bit more challenging than his previous experience with Lego models. More than a few times he had to backtrack in the directions to get it right.
A couple of caveats: If you are recalling an Erector set from your youth, this is probably not going to match it. Keep in mind that the 600 plus pieces include hundreds of screws, nuts, spacers, and washers, so the actual construction metal looks a bit paltry. Secondly, the pieces are not formed as were the sets of old. These pieces are flat and smooth whereas in the older sets they were formed with ridged edges. One thing those interlocking edges did was allow 2 pieces to be fastened with 1 screw/nut set. I'm also not certain free-form building is going to be as robust an experience with this set as I recall from the one I owned as a boy. All of that said, our 10 is quite impressed with it, which I guess is the main objective.

Perfect for busy boys!
My 9 year-old son received this set for Christmas. Here we are 2 months later and he is still playing with it. Great value for children with an active imagination. I love that there are instructions to build multiple vehicles and all of the parts work together.