Customer reviews from LEGO
LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 51515
Average customer rating
3.7
(26 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 26 reviews
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
7
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
1
1 Star
4
77%of customers recommend this product.
(
20 out of
26)
Customer Reviews for LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 51515
Customer Rating
4
A Great Upgrade, but also a downgrade
on October 17, 2020
Posted by: PowerFunctionsOnTop
Overall, I really love this set! You get the amazing new Large Technic Hub, which is perfectly compatible with the powered up motors. Instead of having to use the large bulky motors as with previous motors, you can simply use the much smaller and better powered up motors! Which is awesome! The new mindstorms motors are also pretty awesome, since they come equipped with absolute positioning. This is perfect for synchronizing walkers, and you don't have to use touch sensors to synchronize motors as with previous models, like the NXT 2.0. Absolute positioning motors are absolutely a game changer! I also do really like the new hub! It's much smaller than any of the previous intelligent bricks we got. I like the Tetris style screen a lot, it's very clean, minimalistic, and futuristic. And most of all, because this screen is so unique, it will not feel outdated at all in seven years (I'm looking at you EV3). I love every single one of the five robots, they each have a unique feature of some sort, and they're all amazing. Coding with scratch 3.0 is pretty cool, and a nice stepping stone into more advanced coding. My favorite feature is the ability to natively code with python out of the box. I also really appreciate that the mindstorms software comes equipped with the most common commands you need for python, making it easy to learn even for beginners!
So what's the downgrade?
For one, as of right now, daisy chaining is not supported. I have checked the specs of the new large technic hub, and it seems to be able to support daisy chaining, it's just the software that needs to be updated.
Two, the lack of a converter cable from the previous NXT cable to the new powered up cable means that all the previous sensors and all the third party sensors made for the NXT and EV3 are no longer compatible with the new system.
Three, Data logging is still possible, but it must be done on the app while the hub is connected to your computer or mobile device. You cannot do data logging on the hub itself.
Four, the removal of the test pad. The test pad in lego mindstorms sets has been around since the days of the RCX. It was one of the best aspects of LEGO mindstorms. One of the activities for the robot tricky required him to follow a line. Many people don't have colored tape to simply make a line on their own. I had to use the older test pad from my NXT 2.0 for this activity.
Overall, I love pretty much every aspect of this set other than not being able to use daisy chaining. LEGO, please make a software update fast so that daisy chaining is supported.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
Most functional build I’ve seen
on September 14, 2021
Posted by: Worm65
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I think this might be the best LEGO set ever made. It’s got the 4 motors sensors and lots of pieces. I’ve made gearboxes, cars, clocks, a radar and even a code that makes an essentially learning vehicle. The builds on the app are great but if you’ve got the mind you could make so many things that even the ev3 with multiple hubs couldn’t do. I don’t see why people complain about this compared to ev3. This is far superior. The one issue I have is that the motors aren’t very strong and they stop with small amounts of force. But with 4 motors most of the time the issue comes up a have a second and maybe even third motor that I could put on there to increase the strength. I have seen multiple people who have made balancing vehicles with this. Absolutely amazing set well worth buying for anyone who likes STEM
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
4
Amazing set!
on May 23, 2022
Posted by: LegoHeadYT
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is a great step up from the previous Mindstorms EV3, It's compatibility with Powered Up gives it an endless amount of possibilities and the fact that they brought back daisy chaining allowing you to connect multiple hubs together for one big program. The start up time of this hub is also way faster than the EV3 which is amazing. This set also allows you to use Python to code it. The only thing is that there is no compatibility with the EV3 which yes I know that they use different connecters but they could have used the same technique that they used to get Powered Up working with Power Functions where they used the IR and color and distance sensors to make them talk to each other I know this set doesn't have a color and distance sensor but Powered Up does and that works with this set so I think it could work, or they could use bluetooth since both of them have that too. Also there isn't an external gyro sensor for this set I know there is one built into the hub which I love that it saves an extra port and space on the model but I wish they also had an external gyro sensor just incase you needed it because there are some builds where I wish they made an external gyro sensor.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from LEGOBy Alina, LEGO® Customer Service, May 24, 2022
We’re super happy you enjoyed Robot Inventor set. It looks like we could’ve done more to turn it from awesome to super awesome! Thanks for letting us know what would make your LEGO® experience even better.
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
4
Exciting potential, lacking some documentation
on October 17, 2020
Posted by: GearRatio
This is an excellent set overall. The Scratch programming is surprisingly versatile, and it's nice that it can all be done on my phone! This kit is near perfect, but is missing a few things to make it truly perfect for an advanced user.
For the pros, you have a very nice group of functional parts here, and performance is phenomenal. The smaller form of the motors and intelligent brick are VERY much appreciated compared to older Mindstorms models. The part selection here is solid, and will give you everything you need to make some good robots. Finally, programming is a breeze, and everything can be done with your phone!
There are a few cons, most notably for me the lack of Python support at the moment. The feature is considered to be in Beta, but there is next to no documentation for the Python functions at the moment, so I can't do anything too advanced just yet. I imagine that this will get fleshed out further in the near future though, so I look forwards to it!
My only other complaint is the limited cable length. I really think that Lego needs to add some cable extension pieces so that custom robots can be larger. A minor complaint, but one I do hope gets addressed in the future.
My only other complaint is the limited cable length. I really think that Lego needs to add some cable extension pieces so that custom robots can be larger. A minor complaint, but one I do hope gets addressed in the future.
Overall it's a great set and I'd recommend it if you found the EV3 or NXT to be a bit too bulky to build with. Scratch support is more versatile than I first imagined, and once we get some Python documentation and examples, I expect this set's potential to really take off. Looking forwards to what the future holds for Mindstorms!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
Great set and a great product line
on February 1, 2023
Posted by: Joey
Lego Mindstorms never disappoints, it's a phenomenal set and lots of fun; a true classic with lots of memories to come after purchasing
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
Amazing Education Tool
on January 15, 2022
Posted by: FusionBolt
This set is not cheap, but worth every penny IMHO.
I see it as a priceless investment in my son's future. Bought this for my son who loves playing with Lego and loves building little projects. This was perfect for him and he has already built several of the standard models as well as several others from the internet and a book we got for him.
As an engineer I see incredible value in this set as a way to develop a love for STEM in kids. I've done a lot of research into STEM toys/products and this is by far the best I've found.
I see it as a priceless investment in my son's future. Bought this for my son who loves playing with Lego and loves building little projects. This was perfect for him and he has already built several of the standard models as well as several others from the internet and a book we got for him.
As an engineer I see incredible value in this set as a way to develop a love for STEM in kids. I've done a lot of research into STEM toys/products and this is by far the best I've found.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
5
BEST KIT YET!
on March 20, 2024
Posted by: Mr. mindstorms
this kit is the best kit lego has ever sold! I wish you guys wouldn't retire it though. it is definitely a lot better than the spike prime set.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO
Customer Rating
4
Very good!
on October 18, 2020
Posted by: Dranities
I would say this LEGO set is good, but in my opinion I liked the old lego mindstorms better. I really wanted to get another one but it was out of stock. Sad
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting LEGO