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

The name Tonka means "big 'n' chunky" to many people, and this dump truck doesn't disappoint. Even the plastic chassis and front end are sturdy, and the tipping truck bed--itself nearly a foot long--is a solid slab of yellow steel. The tires are almost 5 inches in diameter and can ride confidently over any random pile of lesser toys. This is not a vehicle with a great deal of sophistication--the truck bed tilts, and that's it--but it is one that encourages, and can take, a lot of rough use. Included with the truck are a sturdy plastic construction helmet with the Tonka logo and two tools, a shovel scoop and three-pronged rake. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Features

• Special Gift Pack includes:
• Tonka Mighty Dump Truck
• Construction Helmet
• Tools

Reviews (4)

Great toy!
This is such a great idea and wonderful addition to our Tonka collection. It is so cute and sparks such imagination for our toddler. You really cannot destroy these toys either - we've tried!

Hee hee... "Mighty Dump"...
Ya know, it's nice to see some things have hardly changed at all since my childhood days. Take this big guy for example: this classic Tonka dump truck still has the same look it did when I was zoomin' one through my sandbox almost two decades ago! I am a bit bummed that the undercarriage is now made of plastic-- a pretty tough plastic, fortunately-- but otherwise things have pretty much stayed the same over the years design-wise. Most of the cab and the dumper bed are still made of steel, and the exhaust stack is still rubberized for your young'un's safety. Then there's the thing that REALLY hasn't changed after all this time: the difficulty I have holding back snickers whenever I see or hear the words "mighty dump". And judging from the previous sentence, my filthy-minded reaction to certain out-of-context phrases hasn't changed all that much, either...

'Late

Tonka Tough
When my oldest daughter was two, we bought her a Tonka dump truck. She is a junior in high school now, and the truck has endured heavy play from two more of our children, not to mention those of neighbors and visiting relatives. It's moved hundreds if not thousands of loads of sand around the sandbox, not to mention carrying sticks, dolls and even kids up and down the driveway, across the basement and through the kitchen.

I am planning to buy one for my nieces for Christmas.

All Toys Should Be Made This Well
My son received this toy for his first Christmas and we have have been playing with it ever since. -- Two and a half years later, fast forward through his third birthday, and we still play with this even though some of the newer toys and gifts remain untouched and overlooked.

I think the reason why has to do with the freedom my son has to use his imagination and to use this in combination with other toys. Also the size and scale are delightfully easy for small hands, and just small enough to be independently carted out to the back yard to scoop up dirt or snow or whatever the New England seasons dish out. The color and finish looks as bright and shiny as ever and I imagine it will continue look good for years to come. -- And now, Tonka has added cool accessories to boot! Your little Bob the builder fan will be as enchanted as mine, I'm certain. -- The other thing, is that since the toy looks so great, requires no batteries, has really nothing to break, and makes no NOISE -- it is a favorite with the parents in this house as well. Makes a great gift for almost anybody. Grab one. ... 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

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

Reviews (1)

An Awesome Set!!!
Wow, what can I say about this lego set. It is amazing! It has a new type of steering, which has never before been seen in/on a lego set. It also has eight wheels that are each huge. This set is HUGE, with 600+ pieces. I really enjoyed making this set and playing the the pieces to make other sets from my imagination. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Okay, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that SpongeBob SquarePants and his starfish friend Patrick are racing around in cars. They live under the sea, after all. Wouldn’t the cars, you know, float away? But "sense" is something best dispensed of when exploring SpongeBob’s world. We are, after all, talking about a necktie-wearing kitchen sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. This cool little racetrack is sure to please the SpongeBob faithful with thoughtfully detailed set pieces such as the Krusty Krab restaurant, and the homes of both SpongeBob and Patrick. The set features many pieces and takes a while to set up. As for the actual racing part of the set, it works fairly well, even if the cars are on the pokey side. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Just not worth it
My son recieved this for Christmas. Most of the time the cars simply will not move now because of the poorly built cars. I remember as a child instead of these quickly degrading bits of metal twisted together there were actual metal bands which would make the cars move. The track does go together well, and stayed together for me. But when you first try the cars out they move much to quickly and fly off the track(until the braids wear out and they refuse to move-which takes only a few days). I have yet to find any race tracks these days which are made properly.

Is playtesting before marketing a lost art?
Doesn't anybody playtest toys anymore before they toss them onto the market? Or is it enough that they look great and have a sure-fire cartoon character tie-in?

I ask, because as great and seemingly durable as this little SpongeBob race set is, had anybody in the Mattel boardroom actually tried to play it they would have quickly realized what a Festival of Frustration it is.

When you open the box, you're bound to be delighted by the brightly colored cardboard punch-out set decorations and the really super SpongeBob and Patrick "boats" (slot cars), which feel nice and hefty and solid. Once you've figured out how to put the track together (was it too difficult to actually label the tracks with the same letters by which the instructions refer to them?), and hooked up the power pack and the controllers (kudos for being battery powered, rather than requiring a wall socket, though the option for both would have been nice -- four "D" batteries ain't cheap), the next thing you're going to do, logically, is place the cars on the track and give a controller a squeeze.

And then the NEXT thing you're going to do is get up off your knees and go get the car and put it back on the track. Another squeeze, another track departure, another retrieval. Repeat ad nauseum. Or at least until your kid decides it's more fun to throw the controller at the little cardboard set decorations -- something which you may find yourself in agreement with.

Put simply, these sturdy plastic boat cars are ponderously heavy and too fast for their own good, which means they are highly susceptible to inertia: squeeze lightly and they do not move, just buzz plaintively. Squeeze just ever-so-slightly too hard and they go from standstill to Mario Andretti to Evel Kneivel in under a second, forcing you to spend 80 to 90 percent of your time crawling over to them and putting them back on the track.

And if YOU think that sounds annoying, wait until you see your preteen's reaction.

I did not personally experience any problem with the track coming apart, as some reviewers have mentioned. But that may be because Patrick and Bob spent the lion's share of their time extratrackular.

Don't bother
Honestly...this is one of those toys that is a big waste of money. The cars fall off the track too easily, the cardboard scenes are a major pain and just fall off and don't stand up properly and the overall track isn't very durable. It was a huge disappointment.

My son likes to play with the cars without the track because it just doesn't work well enough with them on the track.

I should have returned this.

Try Something Else
My son got this for Christmas and he was very excited. The assembly was easy enough, but the cardboard cut-outs would not stay up. It was also difficult to keep the braids under the cars in the right position so the cars would even go. I'd try another track before I wasted money on this one!

Too Much Fun !!!!!
I bought this for my 6 year old. I put it together myself (not very hard)and we just love it. You have to learn to slow down around the curves so the cars don't fly off. After a few times around the track it's alot of fun. I would buy this for any spongebob fan.... ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Hot Wheel Car Case
This is a great car case. I gave it a 5 STAR in the educational value because it helps teach my 5 1/2 year old to become more organized...it's not hard for him to lift and even though it holds 48 it could hold more if you put 2 thin cars together in 1 slot. We are looking into a bigger case though, but I do give kudos to this design

Start . . . Your . . . Engines!!
There has always been a love for Hot Wheels in my family. As a child, my dad played with them non-stop and as an adult collected, sold, and traded them for awhile. I, myself, have always been a fan of these little cars and played with them as a small child. Now, as an adult, I marvel at their detail and sophisticatedness. I am happy that my son has developed quite a love for these cars and now, just weeks from his 3-year birthday, has amassed a collection of over 200 Hot Wheels and 4 cases!

But when the day is done and bedtime is near, what do we do about the little cars scattered all over the family room floor? Enter the Hot Wheels Car Carry Case! This case is molded in hard blue plastic, making it very sturdy and durable. My son has stood on it, dropped it on the floor, and dragged it to his grandparent's houses many a time and it hasn't broke, cracked, or split. It also boasts a large, wide, easy-grip handle on the top, making it easy for my son to grasp and carry it. The case itself holds 48 cars (which are not included--the case is sold separately). The compartments inside are large enough to hold one standard Hot Wheels car, along with trucks and ambulances. The compartments also easily accommodate the larger cars from the Hot Turnerz series, and can hold two of the smaller cars from The Fast and the Furious set. However, as other reviewers have stated, this case will not hold such vehicles as limousines, semi-trucks, monster trucks, or any of the cars from the Fatbax series.

I love these cases because they hold all of my son's cars in one convenient place and stack up neatly in the corner, making clean-up quick and easy. My son's cars do not get scratched, bent, or cracked from being in the case itself--those deformities come from the fact my son plays very hard with his cars every day. The lid opens and snaps shut easily; I have honestly not had any problems with the hinges cracking or breaking, or the case opening on a whim and spilling out cars. Finally, while the recommended age for this product is ages 5 and up, I have not had any problems with my son putting Hot Wheels in his mouth or electrical sockets (probably because he respects cars too much!).

Overall, I highly, highly recommend this case to all little Hot Wheels lovers, collectors, and enthusists everywhere!

Not happy with your available info on site and packaging
My son loves his new track, but I am having a real hard time finding out which cars can go on this specific track and if it can be amplified with other tracks. Info on all tracks is very unclear for a person who is not too familiar with Hotwheels. It took me ages to find out which tracks were electrical, motorized or just tracks. There is hardly any info on the site of Hotwheels and believe me, we have spent hours there browsing. I finally ended up buying Serpent Cyclone because it was the one that appealed most to my 5 year old because of the photos, but it was just a wild guess it would be okay for him. It says some hotwheels cars can't go on the track, but it turns out most can't run on it. I think packaging should be more specific, both of tracks and cars, indicating for which tracks they are suitable and the tracks, with which other tracks they can be amplified, if any. Right now it is a lot of guesswork and searching.

Its ok
I have found other car Carry cases made by the same company are better, they can hold larger vehicles, such as Semi's and limousines. This case can not hold such large vehicles, its good for most other cars. Its ideal for larger cars like vans and truck but its not that suitable for cars, it has too much room. They can becomed scratched and what not.

Cool Review
This is a really good case for beginers but when you have a really big collection you'll need something different or a couple of the cases. It's realy storg too. ... 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)

Great ho race car
If any priced these cars atocal hobby shops lately you will know that [$$$] for two of them is a steal. These cars are extremely fast and feature the magnetic tration so even the youngest racers can enjoy them with little or no skill in ho racing. They are far superior from the cars I used to have when I was a kid both in speed and staying on the track. They allow my 4 year old to race like a pro! The pick up shoes are a little fragile, dont even consider cleaning them but you can buy them online; 10 pairs for [$$$] so i guess its not to big of an issue

Fast Paced Fun
My son (age 4 ½) likes the paint schemes on most NASCAR vehicles and this twin pack was no exception. He loved the flames on the Dupont #24 car and liked the lightening bolt printing on the Valvoline #10 car. But looks were not the only thing this twin pack had going for it. I liked the price; two cars for the price of one is a great price. I bought this twin pack as an addition to a Life Like Racing set. These two cars run extremely well and really hold the track at higher speeds. They are well built, run well fast or slow and look great. The paint scheme on these cars is not currently being used by the real NASCAR sponsors that they represent (the paint scheme is 2 or 3 years old) but at two cars for the price of one who cares. My son and I have had hours of fun with these cars and I would highly recommend this pack to anyone looking to add more cars to their lineup. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Snow Patrol set includes among its five Hot Wheels vehicles both practical and fantasticways of responding to a deep drift of the white stuff. Among the vehicles is a chunky salt truck withAvalanche Maintenance written on the door, and a crazy-looking, rocket-nosed turbo car on cat tracks.There's also a believable-looking jeep and pickup, and a totally unbelievable dragster on cat tracks and skis.Whatever you do, don't forget your gloves. (By the way, those cat tracks don't turn; there are hiddenminiwheels underneath.) Car styles may vary. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Buy Your Cars at a Store
Hot wheels are a lot of fun and they are a good value. You typically can't go wrong when you buy them. The hitch in buying them on-line, is that you really don't know what cars you are going to get. If you read the fine print, you'll see that the assortment may vary. You could end up with cars that you don't want or with cars that will not work well on your track layout. I really like Amazon, but for Hot Wheels, make a stop at the local toy store.

Exceptional 5 Pack
Sure, the cars are cool, but hey-It's just 5 more cars. It isn't educational because the only thing it teaches you is wheels roll! And Hot Wheels cars are durable unless you start to bash one with a hammer, which I've done once to a Hot Wheels truck and it was still a little hard. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Yellow hummer H2
A fun collecteble hummer. I want the red hummer, but this one's a good start. I like the open-up back, too. This is a great hummer toy. ... Read more