This is going to be very similar to the LEGO 30002 City Police Boat Review. It’s nearly identical in the number of pieces, and has the same price. You can view a comparison between the 30001 City Police Boat and 30002 Fire Chief (that is a flickr gallery) if you are curious.
What you are looking at is the 30001 City Fire Chief, a small 33 piece impulse set that comes with a Fire Chief minifig. It’s basically a 4-wheeler/All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV).
Again, no idea on the availability outside of Target stores or the US in general (or outside the US for that matter). I will say up front that if I had to choose between the two, I would pick this one. If you are picking for a small child, definitely buy this one in my opinion.
By the Numbers:
Set: 30001 City Fire Chief
Year of Release: 2010
Type: City / Impulse
# of Pieces: 33 (including 2 extra)
# of Extra pieces: (2 extra, see photo below)
# of Minifigs and what kind: 1 – Fire Chief / Firefighter
Stickers? No
Price: $2.99 at Target (US)
Ages: 5-10
Time to Complete: Less than 10 minutes
Click on the photos to see larger images at flickr (Full 30001 City Fire Chief gallery at flickr)
Bag Art:
Set Instructions:
The Parts:
Some photos of the assembly:
Extra pieces:
Completed:
Thoughts – Pricing, Design, and Build:
It’s $3.00 for 33 pieces, including a fire chief/firefighter minifig. You really can’t go wrong. It has a minifig-sized all-terrain vehicle/4-wheeler, similar to other sets. As for the design, it really fits into the Fire subtheme of the City. Just ignore the fact that the water cannon does not hook to anything and that no water can be carried on the vehicle. Seriously, it’s $3.00. If you find yourself upset over a water cannon that doesn’t connect to anything, then this set is not for you. It’s a great design for $3.00, so enjoy it. The only drawback is the limited maneuverability of the water canon – you may need to remove the blue “emergency lights” that are sitting on the fenders.
Thoughts – Parts:
It’s a good value – no really weird parts. The hose apparatus can easily be used elsewhere, especially with the other City/Fire sets.
Thoughts – Minifigs:
It’s a great minifig, especially since you get it and 29 other pieces for $3.00.
Thoughts – Swoosh factor, playability and integration with other sets:
High swoosh factor for the kids, it fits in well with the City/Fire subtheme.
Conclusion:
Between this and the 30002 City Police Boat, I would pick this one because it’s a wheeled vehicle. Either one is a good value though and you really can’t go wrong with this unless you aren’t into the City/Fire sub-theme or don’t need any more firefighters. If you have a decent collection built up, you could probably build this out of pieces you already have. I can’t really find any criticism, given the cost. The only drawback is that this maybe a limited edition set – I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these sets on a year-round basis in other retail stores.
I would love to see more of these types of sets being made available in other themes. We do have impulse sets available in other themes, but this is a really good price point.