Editorial Review

Just like the real front loaders you might see working along the highway, the Mighty Front Loader was designed to dig, dump, and haul. With its large working bucket, deep-cleated tires, and heavy-duty steel construction, this solid truck is guaranteed for life and built for endless hours of fun in the sandbox or yard. Two handles let you control the angle of the work bucket so you can dig or dump sand and dirt, or move rocks around. Or you can set the bucket in a middle position when you want to haul things for a while without holding the handle. The cab and engine sections swivel, making it easy to steer the front loader to where the work is. The large wheels (4.5-inch diameter) have been mounted over strong steel axles, tested for up to 50 pounds. Realistically styled, the front loader measures 22 inches long by 8 inches wide by 9.5 inches high. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (19)

LOTS OF FUN FOR BOYS AND GIRLS!
I PURCHASED THIS TOY FOR MY 2.5 YR OLD SON AND HE IS HAVING A BALL WITH IT!I THINK HE LIKES THIS TOY BECAUSE IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE REAL ONES HE SEES ON THE ROAD.IT'S TOUGH BUT LIGHTWEIGHT AND EASY FOR LITTLE ONES TO PICK UP.IT ALSO HAS WORKING PARTS WHICH AIDS IN MANUAL DEXTERITY AND IMAGINATIVE PLAY.I APPRECIATE THAT THIS TOY HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY AGAINST MANUFACTURAL DEFECTS SO I KNOW MY CHILD WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THIS TOY FOR A LONG TIME TO COME!

Too Much Plastic Too little metal
The front loader has too much plastic on it. 10 years ago it would have been made mainly of metal and very little plastic used. Of course today it is all about maximizing profits at the sake of durability. Steer Clear. There are still products like this made from metal on the market and I would rather pay a little extra for the quality. Obviously Tonka has lost touch with its customer base.

Buy it
These are the BEST toys in the world for kids who love transportation. I got this on special with the free dump truck and they have been all over the house, yard and even went on display for show and tell in grade K. All the kids love it.

If this is on special with the free dump truck as it is several times then don't hesitate get two and save it for a birthday gift. Both girls and boys love 'em. Great buy.

Built Tonka Tough
What a great toy! Talk about imagination! And then again, there's the Tonka quality. This guy gets slammed around quite a bit and still looks brand new. Plus, it's great imaginative fun in the sandbox and in the house. Don't pass this one up!

YESSSSSSS!
My 2 1/2 year old son loves this truck! He didn't want to open anything else on Christmas morning, and this was one of the first gifts that he opened. He loves it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Mighty indeed! This Tonka backhoe is aptly named. Riding high above the ground (11 inches) on large, rugged tires (4.5 inches indiameter), it's constructed of heavy-duty steel and durable plastic. Realistically styled after a full-size backhoe, it has a long steel arm for digging deep or scooping up rocks and dirt. The backhoe can swivel a full 360 degrees on the truck bed, making it easy to load dirt into other trucks or get to those hard-to-reach rock piles. There's a sure-grip handle on the side of the arm for lifting and lowering, and another handle at the base of the arm lets the "driver" extend or retract the work bucket for scooping and dumping. The backhoe sits on strong steel axles that have been tested with a 50-pound load. With a lifetime guarantee to back it up, the Mighty Backhoe is built to withstand all the rough play your kids can dish out. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The way Tonka ought to be!
I got this backhoe for my 3 year old last year and it has put up with more abuse than any toy should have to face -yet it still works well & looks fine. My son has had an enormous amount of fun playing with it, riding on it, attacking his sister with it, etc. and it keeps coming back for more. Don't bother with motorized plastic, this is the real thig!

My 3 year old grandson loves favorite trucks
I bought the backhoe, dump truck and the back loader and recently purchase the crane for him. He takes them everywhere he goes. His father takes him to see the real ones at work and he know what each one is called.

They are very durable. Great trucks.

Great toy
My boys (2 and 3) love this!!!
(It's metal, so not great for really little children.)

Your kid is going to LOVE this!!
I bought this backhoe, the front loader, and the dump truck for my 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old boys. The quaility is great and we love the steroid size of these classic construction vehicles! My children really dig these huge toys. They get lots of imaginative and creative play with these construction toys as well as practice with hand-eye dexterity and manipulation. There is so much fun to have in piles of sand, rocks, gravel, or plain old dirt!

Fun and leaning in one toy.
This is a toy that works great in combination with the Tonka Mighty Dump Truck.

My nephew normally is glued to computer games, but this toy actually got him to play outside for a change.

It is durable and works best when the child has access to dirt/sand. ... Read more

Editorial Review

As kids move their Matchbox cars along this circular snowy mountain road, the cars hit the hazards along the way. This playset lets your child control the rescue mission. Easy-to-work knobs operate the motorized lift, which rescues cars that have crashed or sunken into the pool of thin ice in the center of Ice Mountain. An included rescue vehicle assists cars that have been buried under the avalanche on the lower level of the roadway. Kids can use this set on its own or combine it with other Hero City vehicles and play centers to create a bigger city. This set requires three C batteries (not included) to operate. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Must be COMPLETELY & SECURELY assembled to work
I bought this for my 3 year old for Christmas. I spent an hour putting it together with all the stickers. It didn't work. I changed the batteries to be sure. I braved the lines the day after Christmas to exchange it. The first thing I did was put batteries in the control part to see if it worked. I did NOT. I was EXTREMELY frustrated. I came online to see if others were having problems. I found I was not alone. One review said to make sure that all the connections were secure. So I put the new one together checking all the connections. Still it did not work. I then got on my knees beside the toy and put my body weight on it at each joint. I finally got it to work. My son absolutely loves playing with it. My advice is even when you have "snapped and clicked" it together and it still doesn't work, put your weight into it and make sure it's really together. I found that there was one connection that I had heard click together, but the toy didn't work until I pressed down on it REALLY HARD.

Our 4 year old loves this
Ice Mountain has been our son's favorite toy since the moment he opened it 4 months ago. He plays with it by himself, with his 2-year-old sister, with his friends, and even proudly shows it off to any visitor who happens by. We like the noises that it makes, unlike other battery operated toys, these sounds have not yet gotten under our skin.

Not Boy Proof
My 4 year old received Ice Mountain as a Christmas gift. By the next day it was already running sluggishly on a new set of batteries. The gears that run the "ice ring" slipped and made a terrible grinding noise. The problems persisted even after a change of batteries. It totally stopped working, noises and all, about a month after Christmas. Although he continues to play with it and enjoy it, as a parent I was extremely dissapointed with the durability and longivity of the toy especailly for the price.

Bummer for a 3 year old
Hero City Ice mountain was the only toy my 3 year old wanted, We got it for him,put it together with no help from the instructions because they were very hard to understand.The darn thing would not work, wish I new about the secret reset button!
I sent it back to Walmart.com. got credit because I thought I could buy another. Not. It is impossible to find one in stock or have to pay a fortune .Mattel was of no help. ...

Neat
As the other reviewers have pointed out, the instructions are very poor. The poor written instructions don't help with the not to scale diagrams. However, we got it together and it worked! Then a few hours later it wouldn't work. I took it apart with no luck. We wanted to return/replace it finding out like the other reviewers that it can't be replaced. My wife called Mattel and they revealed the secret reset button underneath the crane which solved our problem. Why isn't this in the instructions? Anyway our 3 year old likes it but not as much as his Dad. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In this sweet and gentle amusement park themed play set from Matchbox, it seems like the cars are having just as much fun as the people have. After all, it's not often that cars get to go on a Ferris wheel or get shot out from a cannon to knock over pretend space aliens and win prizes. With bright colors and soft designs, it's a silly, non-violent toy option for younger kids. One car is included with this particular set but it's compatible with other Hero City gear from Matchbox, affording the possibility of creating a vast and sprawling Hero City empire. Three C batteries are required but not included. A DVD with two Hero City cartoons is included.  --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Editorial Review

Mighty is right! This Tonka crane, constructed of heavy-dutysteel and durable plastic, rides high on large, rugged tires.Realistically styled, it has a long, steel arm with a bucket attachedfor scooping up and relocating rocks or dirt. With its deep-cleatedtires and heavy-duty steel construction, this solid vehicle isguaranteed for life and built for endless hours of fun in the sandboxor yard. The bright-yellow cab section swivels, making it easy to steerthe crane to where the work is. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great Christmas Gift
We gave this to our 5 year old grandson for Christmas and he was thrilled. When we left their house 3 days later, he was still thrilled with the crane. I love the metal that Tonka uses, the plastic trucks do not last with 5 year old twin boys. I recommend this crane for any little boys that enjoy Mighty Machines.

unsafe and frustrating
We got this for our 3-year-old son last Christmas, and he was thrilled with it. He played with it for about 5 minutes and was very frustrated because the arm would not stay in place, it kept crashing down no matter how securely kid (or parents) would try to set it in place. Unsafe for fingers or anyone in the way of the arm when it goes. We tried playing with it for a few days and ended up exchanging it for the excavator instead, which was a big disappointment -- this had been his very favorite thing under the tree. Extremely poor engineering on this one.

Doesn't do the Tonka name proud....
While it's not the cool all-metal stuff that I remember, I know my son enjoyed playing with this. At least UNTIL the lever that keeps the crane up broke. It's a shoddy piece of plastic wrapped by a thin tin shell. I'm very unhappy with this. And as for my son.. it's no fun seeing a 3-year-old cry...

A Fix For The String
I recently purchased the crane, excavator, front loader, etc... The very first time he tried to use it the bucket came off the string. He also has the mini one with the same problem. After you tie it back on put a bead of hot glue on both sides of the knot and press it between your fingers just before it hardens. Neither knot has slipped since! We just found a Tonka track bulldozer that my husband played with 30 years ago and it still works! My son has added it to his fleet. I'm confident these will be around for his kids too!!

Simple and Tough, it will be long life toy.
I bought the crane for my son. He is almost 3y old. This crane is his favorite one and so tough against play at out door ground. (I am not satisfied at just 2 points. 1st one is the stripe on the body. It is not paint but paper seal, weak for wash. 2nd one is spring at baggage. It will be too strong for younger children. ) I also love it because of simple and tough concept. I would like to collect other items for construction role play with my son. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mom of a car lover
My three year old loves all these cars. He takes them everywhere. Not sure I can give more stars to education - not sure what they can do educationally

hot wheels are the [stuff]
i highly recommend this gift to anyone into hotwheels if it wasnt for my godson i would have kept it for myself i think this kids gonna [be very happy] when he unwraps this gift because he loves hot wheels hes going to be 2 years old and he can already tell real hotwheels for [look alike] matchbox cars and other nockoff brand hot wheels is the original and people should only buy hotwheels because any other brand is [not as good]

Hot Wheels are cool for all ages !!!
Hey I am 21 years old and still collect and play with Hot Wheel cars. I have a huge collection of un opened cars but also I have a huge track set up in my shop where I spend most of my time playing with my opened cars when not working. I am always on the look out for new cars I have not got in my collection and I love your new 20 pack of cars. It Is a lot of super cars for only a great low price of under $25 Bucks that makes them a super steal for any age I already have 1 and plan to buy 2 more for myself and a few extra will make super Duper Christmas gifts for family and friends.I think Hot Wheels are for all ages because at times my dad breaks out his 1965 collection for some serious 1 on 1 competion on the track and he usually rocks. Hot Wheels are cool toys for all ages and I have seen many older people break out their child hood memories to play and play as they were kids in their earlier years having a lot of fun. Hot Wheels brings out the Kid in all of us I think That is why they are so cool !! GO HOT WHEELS!!!!

Classic, traditional, yet modern and sturdy
It might seem as if 20 cars is too much at once.

Days as a five year old were best filled with playing in complete abandon. The freedom proffered by youth needed only a few toys to complete the ever-present joy. A few toys which mattered included several tattered but friendly books, a truck or two, an odd shovel and bucket, and, the coup de grace, a Hot Wheels car. Mattel makes a track as well, but a well-made car could take a boy places. This set of 20 is what kindergartners drool over.

A boy has everything in this set: vehicles of all colors, a few truck varieties, some funny looking cars. There are plenty, and frankly, since a few will invariably wind up lost under the couch, eaten by the dog, and buried with other treasures in the garden, having 20 quickly becomes justified.

Why a Hot Wheels car? Because they are made with hard steel. They are painted with a slick color. They hold up to frequent tastings, sand grindings, dirt smearings and other nonsense that comes with power racing in a sandbox. Sticky chocolate wipes off with warm water, and grime comes out with a good spray under the faucet.

The wheels themselves have a bounce peculiar to a genuine Hot Wheels vehicle. That's how my brother and I made sure it had adequate fuel. Ten bounces should be enough, we figured, and usually, we were right.

I fully recommend the "Hot Wheels 20-Car Gift Pack."

Anthony Trendl ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I love this set it is wayyyyy cooler than slimecano.
I realy love this play set. It has a launcher, a swamp beast that trys to knock the cars out of the track and, a hyperpod vehicle that is used to defeat the swamp beast. On this playset the car has to keep going around the track until the way to the swamp beast is open. when its open the car goes to the hyperpod vehicle then the hypervod vehicle goes defeat the swamp beast. You have only 30 seconds to defeat him. each time you defeat him he takes out 2 seconds off your time and when you lose he puts 2 more seconds. Buy 2 alkaline batteries they work the best on this set. thats what it said on the box of the set. I think this set is very cool because


1. It has a very fast launcher.
2. I like the hypervod vehicle
3.you have to keep going around the track and watch out for the swamp beast's arms they will knock the car out the track.

4. you can connect other sets into it if you like.
5. You have 30 seconds to defeat the swamp beast.
6.I like how the track is designed.
7.It is very durable.
8.It is very fun trying to defeat the swamp beast.
9. I like the phrases the swamp beast says.
10. you can push the switch down so the car can go to other places on the track.
I don't realy like slimecano it is very messy because of the slime.

THE SWAMP BEAST PLAYSET IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this playset. On the playset theres one booster a swamp beast with two arms trying to hit the car out of the track and you have 30 seconds to defeat him. Each time you defeat him he takes away 2 seconds and when you lose he puts 2 more seconds. I would recommend this item to anyone who likes hotwheels playsets

Way cooler than Slimecano!!!
We returned the Slimecano (see the 1-star rating it got) and bought this as a replacement for our 5-year old son. This is the Hot Wheels I remember! Plastic, snap-together tracks, motorized accelerators for propulsion, fast, high-banked turns. This product actually works the way it portrays on the box. The beast's arms really go up and down and sometimes knock the car off the track. The beast's voice is neat, it sounds like a swamp beast should (think Pirate's "argh!"). I really like the timer on it, you only have 30 seconds to "defeat the beast" which means complete enough laps to trigger the upper loop diverter so your car goes on the inner track, hitting the "hyper pod attack vehicle" which provides the car with enough mass to knock the trigger and causing the head to pop off. If you win the beast knocks 2 seconds off your time (lose and add 2) and starts another round. The victory sound effects are pretty cool, too. All in all I like this toy, it's definitely worth the $24 we paid for it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great trucks, and a great value!
These trucks are the perfect size for my three year-old construction fanatic. The "mighty" Tonka trucks are too big for him, the "jr. basic" Tonka trucks are too small for him (though they were excellent for him in the sandbox a year ago), and the "jr. force" Tonka trucks are too flimsy for working in our tough Oklahoma dirt! These trucks have a steel body and plastic wheels and accents. The description does not contain their dimensions, so here they are...the grader is roughly 17Lx8Wx7H, and the dump truck is roughly 14Lx6Wx7H. The price is excellent, the quality is very good, and my son loves them! What a deal! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The worlds of toy racetracks and haunted houses have never exactly begged to be placed together but it's an interesting and highly entertaining match in this unique set from Matchbox. Part of the ever-expanding "Hero City" line, the haunted house features various secret traps and tricks such as a skeleton that launches cars with a good shove, a "Bones and Moans Bridge" full of scary sounds, and various other classic spooky bits. One car is included although the two required AA batteries are not. Classic racetrack fans will likely not be overly impressed by this simple and fairly corny setup but it's not really meant for the aficionado, rather for the younger children who love a gentle scare and an unlimited supply of trips through a haunted house. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fabulous!!
I bought this toy for my son who finally got to pick out a toy after potty training. It's now the first thing he goes to get in the morning and he plays with it for hours. The only bad thing was, no play mat was included and you can't buy it at the store, it must be ordered from matchbox.com. Highly recomended!!

Great for the Scooby Doo fans!
My 3 year old is a big Scooby Doo fan and just had to have the Matchbox Haunted House. He loves it. It is sturdy and easy for him to play with. The only complaint I would have is when the van goes down the staircase it tends to sometimes get stuck or come down on it's side. This doesn't seem to bother my 3 year old, but it may bother a child who is a bit older. Overall I think it is a pretty good toy.

Haunted fun!
My kids ages 3 & 5 just received this and it's great. It holds together fine. In fact it hasn't even come apart since I put it together. They are usually rough on most toys and this one is no exception. The noises are great also. I would recommend this for any child. Mine love it and I'm going to get another as a gift!

Spooky Fun for the Little Ones
This toy was a big hit with my 4 year old. He loves playing with his "spooky house" and I have to say no other toy has ever held his attention for so long. He too is a Scooby Doo fan so he spends hours pretending he and the "gang" are out solving mysteries. The toy seems very durable and holds together well considering how much he plays with it. Definately a keeper!

Neat-o
I bought thistand it was loads of fun.
Since I was 5 i've waited for a toy like this to come out! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great trucks, and a great value!
These trucks are the perfect size for my three year-old construction fanatic. The "mighty" Tonka trucks are too big for him, the "jr. basic" Tonka trucks are too small for him (though they were excellent for him in the sandbox a year ago), and the "jr. force" Tonka trucks are too flimsy for working in our tough Oklahoma dirt! These trucks have a steel body and plastic wheels and accents. The description does not contain their dimensions, so here they are...the backhoe/loader is roughly 17Lx5Wx9H, and the bulldozer is roughly 13Lx8Wx8H. The backhoe/loader is a bit difficult for my son to operate because the levers that control the bucket are small, but I'm sure he will get better with practice. Nonetheless, the price is excellent, the quality is very good, and my son loves both of these trucks! What a deal! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bruder Toys
Our 3 1/2 year old loves all the Bruder trucks. They may be made out of plastic but, they are still very tuff. Our son sits on them without any problems. We love the detail of all of vehicles. It makes learning about heavy equipment fun. All of the vehicles have working parts and Bruder's attention to detail is unsurpassed. The small details adds intererst and play time longevity to the toys. Our son plays with them every day and knows the difference between quaility constructed toys and cheap toys. The wheels get pulled off of other brand trucks and put into the dump truck bed of the Brueder. Brueder is the only brand that we will buy! These are not flawed third world country plastic toys. All parts are made and assembled in Germany! The cement mixer is next on his wish list.

High Quality Plastic . . . Not Exactly
Purchased this for a 3 1/2 year old boy. Was hesitant about buying any large, plastic truck, but we did not see any alternatives at the time we purchased this. We should have stuck with our instinct. When it arrived, we were immediately struck by the fact that the plastic seemed flimsy, and that many small plastic pieces that are attached to the grader appeared and felt so cheap and flimsy that we doubted they would survive 5 minutes of play, in our humble opinion. We were not going to wait to find out, and we decided to send this back. You can get a STEEL Tonka 18" grader off of ebay for less than what Amazon is asking for this plastic thing. That's exactly what we did. Good luck! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is one serious piece of road construction equipment. On one end is a huge spinning blade, perfect for cutting up make-believe pavement. On the other side is a big steamroller and a mammoth rotating drill to bore holes in the road. Both are completely safe, of course. Use the switch on the bottom to set the rig to motorized mode, and let it rumble around the room in forward or reverse, or set it to "freewheeling" and let it sit still while you do the pushing. But the real stars of this toy are the authentic sounds itmakes--drilling, grinding, beeping--all realistically done and all noisy enough to suit construction fans. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not durable
My son got this tonka for christmas and it became one of his favorite toys. Thats until it broke! The rotating drill on ours broke right off. Now my 2 yr old hardly ever plays with it. They could have built the drill part better....oh well.

Pleased
I found this on clearance for my son. I can't really see paying full price for it. Especially with the quality of most expensive toys these days. But I have to say, Tonka does seem to be continuing their legacy of well built toys. My son loves it (even though the drill sparking and grinding kinda scared him at first). He loves flipping the switch and watching it beep it's way down the hall all by itself. Him and his friends have even used it ouside to dig holes! I couldn't believe the little plastic drill was actually putting holes in the ground, but it was. It got all sorts of dirt in crevices even I couldn't reach, but it did eventually "air out" and it still runs great. For anyone with a child who loves construction trucks, I strongly recommend Tonka. They're one of the few companies still trying to keep a certain level of quality in their products.

THE BEST TOY WE OWN!!!
Oh my god, i can't find the words to describe the "greatness" of this toy. My son is very picky and sort of destructive with all his toys. We could not find anything that he'd like for his birthday until we saw this toy. HE LOVES IT SOOOOO MUCH! i dont think he has put it down since his birthday in MARCH! He loves that he can push it around or use the motorized controls to watch it move and use all its construction tools. The lights and sounds are great as well, they complete the package. I RECOMMEND this toy for any child, they'll have a blast!

Too Pricey for Plastic
My 4 year old wanted this SO bad for Christmas. He LOVED it and the very next day it slipped out of his hands and the plastic "rotating drill" piece snapped right off. Very poor design for that. He really does love it though, but I was just disappointed that for a Tonka it was designed so poor for so much money. The older all metal vehicles are by far their best.

tonka
Great toy, does not do much but the kids love it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Always ready to help out stranded drivers in the playroom or onthe back patio, this Lights and Sound Tow Truck is a good vehicle to addto your car and truck collection. An all-plastic, hand-powered replicaof a real roadside service vehicle, this 13-inch truck is equipped witha working winch and four different light and sound effects, includingtwo horn sounds, a rumbling motor, and the sound of the truck's towingwinch being cranked in. All four sound effects are accompanied byflashing emergency and front headlights, and you can activate thetruck's winch sound by hooking a car, or simply tuck up the towing winchand reeling the car in by hand. The tow truck is powered by two AAbatteries (included). --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (4)

FUN! FUN!!
Our son loves this Tow Truck! He is always towing his cars around his room. Great gift.

St. Louis, MO.

My 2 year old LOVES this toy!
Last Christmas I brought this toy for my 2 year old son and he LOVES it! The lights and sounds give him the real feeling of being the driver of the truck. He's had this toy for 11 months now and so far nothing has broken and the paint has not chipped. It still looks like new. I am so impressed that I am also going to buy him the lights and sound fire engine. This toy was well worth the money!

Grandson LOVES This Toy
While my almost-3-year-old grandson and I were opening the box, Jacob was already looking for the buttons to press on this tow truck. He loves the sounds! Then I explained to him the tow truck's job -- to help cars that can't "go" anymore. This truck will take the broken-down car to a garage to get fixed. So, we found a little car he hooked onto the tow truck. Right now, he's learning how to work the winch. And, the lights on this toy are VERY impressive! I told him this truck is not afraid of the dark. It has to help people all day and all night long. Last, but not least, we put M&M candy in the "secret compartment" in case SOMEONE got hungry while on the job. Great toy! Loads of fun! Well made, very colorful, not too heavy.

Keep on truckin? Nah, keep on towing!
We wanted to buy our son a new toy so I took him to the toy store and asked him what he wanted. Immediately he went for the tow truck (he had been talking about it for a week). There were probably 4 or 5 to choose from, but he was instantly captivated by this one. There are buttons to press that simulate the engine cranking, wench winding, etc. And if you're like me, the batteries are easy to remove - and to put back in. The only thing that wasn't that durable was the string and plastic hook that you could use to tow another toy. The plastic hook broke on the second day (with rough use), but the truck overall is great. A perfect gift for a 3 or 4 year old boy. ... Read more