Grand Carousel (10196) - Final Thoughts

I have to admit that I was generally disappointed by this set. Previous Lego sets that we have built have all been sturdy and well designed. This set, unfortunately, smacked of something that an in-experienced designer but forth and the QC department flubbed on by allowing it to pass in its current state.

The base of the carousel was far too flimsy, with pieces popping off with the slightest touch or adjustment. The movement was also rough, resulting in the motor stalling out constantly when attempting to use the power function. I was tempted to blame this on Lepin and their (possibly) less precise fit of their pieces. However, after reading similar reviews from users who have built the Lego set and found the exact same issues, I have to conclude that the issues are due to Lego's design and not to anything Lepin may have done.

The canvas top once again struck me as being shoddy and incomplete work. The attachment mechanism between the support struts and the canvas pieces was lazy and lacked rigidity and security. The floating struts with no bottom anchor only served to reinforce this impression.

The saving grace of the set is its vibrancy of color and how it catches the eye. I would, however, only use this as a display piece. It is far too brittle and temperamental to hold up to any play. Overall, I must say that I would NOT recommend this build. There are other, equally colorful sets out there that have a much stronger design, meaning less headaches during the build and more play functionality upon completion.