Schleich 72102: Large Farm with Black Angus

Released in 2017, this Schleich large farm with Black Angus supersedes the Schleich Big Red Barn that held the title as the most popular set in the Farm Life series. This now 'Farm Word' upgrade aims to be the center of attention. Still flat packed with assembly required, made from plastic with no wooden parts - this toy barn has more features than ever before.

The Large Farm Set

What you see is what you get with this incredible Schleich large farm playset. Assembly will be needed before play can commence, but once it's up and running the barn is of a design unique to Schleich.

It is a long rectangular building with an extended part situated at the front and a pointed roof.

Traditional to barns, the sliding door is centrally located, thereby access is available down the middle of the Schleich cattle barn with the cattle pens naturally set to each side.

There are three material effects that make up the realistic features on the barn; the red is made to look like wood panels, with a stone effect lower foundation and an overlapping tiled roof - well the whole thing is sat on a concrete effect base.

We could instruct you how to assemble this Schleich (72102), but we would prefer if visit the Schleich manual page to download the instructions for this playset (pdf required).

Interior Insights

And that takes us to what the interior has to offer the young farmer, with plenty of bits and pieces to inspect, and lots of interactive features that set this barn apart from the rest.

Viewed from the big opening situated the the rear, this is where play is mostly set, with unrestricted access to the inside of the barn.

This one was designed cleverly, well the metal effect beams, wood effect posts and cement base really look the parts, it also serves an important rule. That it is the foundation of the Schleich barn, unable to be assembled without this realistic, yet practical component.

The center of the barn is a wide walkway and an access point through the sliding door for the Schleich farmer and the animals, before being put away in the pens situated on the left and right of the barn.

Schleich farmer runs the show

You can't operate a cattle farm without a figurehead to run the show, thankfully the Schleich farmer it perfectly suited to the job; dressed in his work wear and ready to look after the bull and calf.

Unique to this farm figure is his ability to stand up with ease on his big feet, with a pile of hay stuck to his shoe that also acts as an extra wide balance base - so he stand up where he's needed.

He is a functional action figure as it were, as the arms can spin around as he goes about his daily duties needed around and inside the barn.

This feature is farther improved with his hands positioned in a grasp, this serves as a hook so he can grip the wheelbarrow that accompanies this figure regularly around the farm.

Centered around the Bull/Calf

You might say this is multi-use Schleich barn set, and it certainly is with an assorted number of toy farm animals able to live on this barn set.

But what Schleich have done here is fully equip the barn to house bulls, toy cows and calves, so thereby it's really a toy cattle barn for keeping Schleich cows.

Take the corral pen set up to the right and left, this is designed specially to hold large heavy farm animals - namely cattle. Running along this cattle corral is a built-in feed trough.

This layout is not compatible with all Schleich farm animals, but exclusively build with there cattle range in mind - most noticeable with the complimentary toy Black Angus bull and calf that comes with the set.

Open/closing doors

Fascinating insights to toy barn sets always come down to what the doors have to offer; an interesting feature that kids love and want on there barn set.

Schleich haven't disappointed here, they've made sure this important feature comes in not one or two opening closing doors - but a huge seven opening doors.

This includes the big and bold sliding barn door located on the front, fixed to a metal effect beam that acts as the sliding rail and should become a solid fixture.

More fascinating is this Schleich large farm comes with two hayloft opening doors, which set's itself apart from all previous barn toy releases from Schleich and similar brands.

Finally, there's a double door situated to the left of the sliding one, with a single door around the corner to the left, and a pair of single doors opposite on the right.

Multi-functional winch

Unique to this Schleich large farm set only (including similar releases), this is multi-functional winch system that both winches up and down, and can be swung around inside the barn on a railing system.

Designed to move heavy loads (like hay bales) around the barn, this railing system is also the metal effect beam that keeps the barn standing, and stretches the width of the cattle barn.

Use the clip on the end of the winch to pinch a bale, winch it up through one of the hayloft doors, and simply slide the attachment on the beam across the railing, which meets a curve and then eventually ends up at the second hayloft door.

This is used to lift bales of hay and accessories to be stored on the top level with both hayloft doors acting as access points, but can be used to position the winch on the railing to a point in the barn where you can lower the winch to drop off the load to the ground or inside a cattle pen.

Unrestricted access

Schleich know that unrestricted access is a must for unhinged access to the interior workings of the barn, and where most farm play happens.

With that in mind they have created a big opening situated on the rear of the barn without needing to remove the roof, unlimited access to the barn can happen hear with limited issues.

Though Schleich have gone much farther, especially when more kids join the action or a play group gather around this joyful Schleich large farm set - so the entire roof section can be removed.

Its only when the roof panel is removed you can then guarantee unrestricted access, more importantly, the winch and railing system can now be fully played with - and no objects in the way.

At this point the railing system is the only feature in the barn now that does create a little restriction, but naturally this will become irrelevant as time goes by, but from the start should course no issues.

Areas below the top level will also become a little restricted, but again this is only a miner issue.

Corral/fencing system

Located on the inside is a special 'metal effect' corral panel system designed to contain Schleich cattle like bulls and cows - with an area designed to house calves separately.

This Schleich large farm with Black Angus doesn't just have pens for the cattle to go, but a real life setup. Take the feeding trough bars with a dip, this is so the cattle can put there heads through and feed out of the fitted trough - used for water or feed.

Take the cattle pen on the right (if viewed from the rear opening), it has one big pen to keep the bull or cow. Next to this pen - with access through a sliding corral panel - is a pen for more cattle to be kept. The biggest pen as an access door so the bull can go outside and graze any time.

Its perfectly situated for easy access to the outside via the double doors, and you'll notice its beautifully made with loose effect hay on the ground.

Opposite this system two single pens designed to keep the toy calves with two single doors allowing the calves to roam outside in two corral pens.

Accessories

Exclude the barn and associated fixings for a moment, Schleich have supplied the set with a helping of fun farm accessories to keep the joy going, well allowing the young farmer to create extra jobs.

The set also includes: the Schleich farmer, Black Angus bull, Black Angus calf, a wheelbarrow, bucket, pitchfork, cabbage, beats and a set of three bales.

Then there's a ladder for accessing the hayloft above, a water trough to add to one of the pens, a massage machine - fixed to the wall for cleaning the cattle, and finally an inter-connected fencing system to use as a boundary for the pasture where the cattle feed.

This fencing panel set can be used as a stand alone fence, or use it up again the barn wall to create an extra animal pen for the barn - to keep more cattle, sheep, goats or chickens - it's entirely up to them.

Expand later

You'd think this complete Schleich cattle barn set would be all that is needed for farm role play, but you might be wrong, as the set will cry out for more accessories to be introduced at a later date.

The go to add-on would be the Schleich tractor, perhaps the conveyor (but the winch does the same job), and the chicken coop playset is popular with this set.

What you will want to do is consider adding more cattle to the barn, this can come from the Schleich Holstein to the Highland cow or bull. But the more the cattle the busier the young farmer will become, hence more fun to be had - especially when friends are over to visit.

A Schleich farm animal set with a mix of animals like a horse, cat or dog will be much welcomed and nice addition to the set - try to keep an eye on sets with animals - plus vehicles, fencing, etc.