Answers.Body: <p>The new brick separator is smaller, therefore uses less plastic and is cheaper to mass produce, it also means it can fit better into tighter spaces. </p>
  
  <p>It has a pusher to remove Technic pins and a chiselled edge to pry off tiles, there is a middle hole in the two female stud connections which allows you to remove 1X2 'jumper tiles'. </p>
  
  <p>The additional Technic axle connection gives you a little bit more freedom to incorporate the part into <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/7340/132">other LEGO creations</a>. </p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.brickwiki.info/wiki/Brick_separator" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brick Wiki</a> has no  reference for this, but it also seems like a sensible decision consideration:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>A new style of brick separator was introduced by LEGO in late 2011.
    To the satisfaction of many AFOL's, the new style comes in orange. <strong>(Many AFOL's had wished for brick separators to be made in orange for
    years, so that they could be spotted easily when needed.)</strong></p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-12-23T18:31:34.550Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-12-23T18:31:34.550Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.Body: <p>My guess would be that they wanted to include one in more sets; so they made a smaller (cheaper) version and took the opportunity to add functionalities, such as the technic axle remover or the flat end for removing tiles easily. If I'm not mistaken, this version works on jumper plates too; which wasn't the case with the old one.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-19T14:21:13.643Z
Answers.Text: do certain sets actually include a brick separator in the box? I haven't seen any. and it still doesn't seem like LEGO would do it just to put it in the box. their motto *is* "only the best is good enough"
Answers.UserDisplayName: tuskiomi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-19T14:24:45.630Z
Answers.Text: According to brickset, 320 sets at the moment include an orange one, and 7 a green one: http://brickset.com/parts/design-96874
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-19T15:07:03.447Z
Answers.Text: oh, I'm talking about the OLD green one, the one that looked bulbous.
Answers.UserDisplayName: tuskiomi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-19T15:31:38.467Z
Answers.Text: Ha, sorry - not a lot, indeed; as I said I think they redesigned it when they wanted to include it more often.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-19T14:19:08.053Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-07-19T14:19:08.053Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Body: <p>The old brick separator seemed indestructible, and would separate all bricks that I had without fail. This orange thing is dinky and flimsy compared to the others. </p>
  
  <p>So, I ask, why did LEGO think that this is better? Is the only reason the wedge?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-07-19T02:52:19.810Z
Comments.Text: The 1-unit Technic axle remover could also be seen as a worthwhile addition, but I don't know if that's enough info as to LEGO's decision.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Lepidolite Mica
Tags: <piece-usage><brick-separator>
Title: Why was the original brick separator changed?
UserDisplayName: tuskiomi
ThreadText: # Why was the original brick separator changed?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-18)
  
  The old brick separator seemed indestructible, and would separate all bricks that I had without fail. This orange thing is dinky and flimsy compared to the others.
  
  So, I ask, why did LEGO think that this is better? Is the only reason the wedge?
  
  **Tags:** piece-usage, brick-separator
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: The 1-unit Technic axle remover could also be seen as a worthwhile addition, but I don't know if that's enough info as to LEGO's decision.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2018-12-23. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  The new brick separator is smaller, therefore uses less plastic and is cheaper to mass produce, it also means it can fit better into tighter spaces.
  
  It has a pusher to remove Technic pins and a chiselled edge to pry off tiles, there is a middle hole in the two female stud connections which allows you to remove 1X2 'jumper tiles'.
  
  The additional Technic axle connection gives you a little bit more freedom to incorporate the part into [other LEGO creations](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/7340/132).
  
  [Brick Wiki](http://www.brickwiki.info/wiki/Brick_separator) has no reference for this, but it also seems like a sensible decision consideration:
  
  > A new style of brick separator was introduced by LEGO in late 2011.
  > To the satisfaction of many AFOL's, the new style comes in orange. **(Many AFOL's had wished for brick separators to be made in orange for
  > years, so that they could be spotted easily when needed.)**
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-07-19. Score: 7
  
  My guess would be that they wanted to include one in more sets; so they made a smaller (cheaper) version and took the opportunity to add functionalities, such as the technic axle remover or the flat end for removing tiles easily. If I'm not mistaken, this version works on jumper plates too; which wasn't the case with the old one.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: do certain sets actually include a brick separator in the box? I haven't seen any. and it still doesn't seem like LEGO would do it just to put it in the box. their motto *is* "only the best is good enough"  
  > **username_3**: According to brickset, 320 sets at the moment include an orange one, and 7 a green one: http://brickset.com/parts/design-96874  
  > **username_0**: oh, I'm talking about the OLD green one, the one that looked bulbous.  
  > **username_3**: Ha, sorry - not a lot, indeed; as I said I think they redesigned it when they wanted to include it more often.  
  
  ---
  
  