Tomy John Deere Big Scoop Excavator Review

It's no secret that our youngest family member loves vehicles, playing outdoors and getting messy, so I knew a review of the John Deere Big Scoop Excavator would be perfect for him. I kept it a secret until the rain went away too, as I knew he wouldn't be able to resist taking the excavator outdoors...

I wasn't wrong, he was very impressed. This is a big excavator - around 50cm long when extended, and designed for children aged 3 and over. My youngest is 5, and loves this sort of toy as he can be rough with it and get it filthy without getting into trouble.

The packaging was great. Simple string ties that were really easy to undo and no metal tags or little bits of plastic and tape. Minimal packaging and minimal waste.

My main issue was getting my son to leave it be so that I could take a photo that was in focus! 

The top of the excavator rotates freely on a simple, but very effective turntable above the wheels. It was something we noticed immediately and it's great for play, it is much easier than dragging the wheels to point in a different direction.

The wheels themselves are really chunky and brilliant for carpet, grass and sand. They're solid plastic on a metal axle. Most of this toy is plastic, so won't rust or seize and it makes washing much easier.

The detail to the moulding is nicely done, with grippy steps and the drivers seat which is a great size for loads of my son's own mini figures.

I'm pleased with the strength in this toy. It feels really solid, although it's not heavy and it's very easy to move around. I have every confidence that this will happily withstand a fair amount of rough play from my 5 year old, and I think it'll stay looking good even after a Summer in the garden.

The excavator itself has two points of movement, one of which is notched and a bit stiff, which means you need two hands to 'dig' effectively without tipping the vehicle. It's my only gripe and I'm not sure how you could get around it without risking an excavator that would begin to 'sag' downwards after a few weeks play. It doesn't seem to bother my sons too much though!

The Tomy John Deere Big Scoop Excavator costs around £16.99 and is available from all good toy retailers and online.