Dollar Tree Lego Knockoffs, Part 5

Apparently I am writing a followup to Part 4. I still find these Lego knockoffs intriguing, even if I can't recommend them as stocking stuffers for youngsters due to inferior bricks and flimsy construction.

All four boxes share the same UPC barcode. I assume this simplifies inventory for made-in-China crap. Instructions are the same tiny, poorly laid out single sheets as previously seen. The bricks just don't feel nice. Real LEGO precision is completely absent on the tactile level. Some of the clip pieces showed stress discoloration with the very first assembly, and I don't expect them to hold together for long. Apparently, Chinesium comes in plastic as well as metal.

Most of the bricks are clearly duplications of LEGO designs, but there is some dye variation from brick to brick even within a single set. Do any of the bricks below have official LEGO counterparts I have overlooked, or is this evidence of actual innovation in China?

There is a 2x2 plate with an integrated slope, some 1x2 slope bricks that are taller than what I have seen from LEGO, a double-studded 1x1 round plate (top and bottom), a sort of spade handle piece, a 2x2 turntable with a single stud in the center, a 2x2 plate with a clip that fits the center if a round 2x2 round plate with a center hole, and a 1x1 axle plate.

The transparent bricks are a tad cloudy compared to LEGO, although the transparent hinge brick on the helicopter is neat. The transparent blue water piece has ribs on the side, so it is a bit different from the flame copy used on the previous fire engine model I bought. This again leads me to believe that there are several factories churning out these sets before Greenbrier International packages them under a single logo.

I don't find these models very interesting. The police ATVs are not very cool, and the strange drivers make them look even worse. The fire helicopter is only identifiable as a fire vehicle by the name on the box. The fire engine driver can't really fit in the space behind the cab, although that is an option, but it looks even sillier due to the obvious cab design. However, I should note that this kit at least plays around with the bricks to get that half-width offset. One point to the fire engine.

I am thoroughly unimpressed overall, though. If I did not have some ideas for repurposing some of these elements in addition to writing this blog post, I would not have paid $4.00 + tax for this collection of not-Lego. But I do have plans, and I have even more sets to discuss in a future post, so stay tuned!