When was the first Gears set released?

The earliest listed sets, the Gear Set (801-1) and the Gear Set with Motor (800-1), are from 1970.

Which year closes the theme?

The theme ends in 1975, the year of the Gear Farm Set (814-2, 88 pieces).

Is Gears related to Technic?

It is its own sub-theme under Universal Building Set, but its gear-driven models are an early form of the mechanical building that Technic later developed.

Gears

Sets: 9
Since: 1970
Newest set: 1975

Gears is a small sub-theme of Universal Building Set covering nine sets from 1970 to 1975. These kits introduced gears and moving mechanisms several years before Technic arrived.

Sets per year

9 sets

1970s

About Gears

Before Technic

Technic launched later in the 1970s, but the idea of building working machines was already present in these sets. They combined standard bricks with gears and axles, so builders could make wheels turn and models move. The 1970 releases set the pattern: the Gear Set (801-1, 113 pieces) and the Gear Set with Motor (800-1, 120 pieces), followed in 1972 by the Gear/Wheel Set (803-2, 163 pieces).

Machines with a purpose

Later sets gave the mechanics a clear subject. The Gear Crane Set (811-2) from 1974 is the largest in the theme at 181 pieces. The same year brought the Gear Bulldozer Set (813-2, 130 pieces), the Gear Truck Set (810-3, 112 pieces) and the Gear Supplementary Set (812-1, 101 pieces), which added extra elements. The Gear Farm Set (814-2) followed in 1975 with 88 pieces.

Rebuilding vintage mechanisms

If you have old gear elements in a mixed collection, the parts lists show exactly which pieces each set used. That helps when you are restoring one of these models or checking a second-hand lot. With nine sets, Gears is also the smallest of the four sub-themes under Universal Building Set.

FAQ

When was the first Gears set released?: The earliest listed sets, the Gear Set (801-1) and the Gear Set with Motor (800-1), are from 1970.
Which year closes the theme?: The theme ends in 1975, the year of the Gear Farm Set (814-2, 88 pieces).
Is Gears related to Technic?: It is its own sub-theme under Universal Building Set, but its gear-driven models are an early form of the mechanical building that Technic later developed.