Our experiences:
My husband was simply dying to get our one-year old boy a battery-powered vehicle. I really wasn't that big on the idea -- I figured our little guy had plenty of energy to burn, so why not make him work for his mobility? But my husband had his heart set on it, and when he carted home a big box containing the Power Wheels Bubble Tractor I had to admit that it looked like a cool toy.

My boy and I were playing together as Daddy began the tractor's construction. There are A LOT of pieces -- I would guestimate that it took him about 30-45 minutes to get it all put together. He really didn't have a hard time with the assembly, however he did get very annoyed at the stickers. My husband is a perfectionist and a part-time artist, so he takes pride in the quality and appearance of anything he creates. Some of the stickers that decorate the tractor's exterior are supposed to be applied to rounded surfaces -- you really can't put a flat sticker on a circular surface without getting wrinkles and creases. It bothers my husband to this day whenever he catches a glimpse of one of those stickers -- although admittedly this is a very minor complaint.

The Power Wheels Bubble Tractor comes with a rechargeable 6 Volt battery (and a 25 Amp fuse). The instructions state that before using the battery for the first time, you must let it charge for 18 hours. I think the wait nearly killed my husband. My boy was blissfully unaware that the tractor was supposed to move on its own, so the wait didn't bother him at all.

In retrospect it might have been a good idea to not let him play with the tractor before the battery was installed. You see, my boy is a fanatical button-pusher, so he quickly located the nice red accelerator button on the steering wheel and was happy to push-away, even though it didn't do anything (without the battery). My husband and I knew that the first time he pushed it with the battery installed he was going to be in for a shock -- and we were right. The next day when he pushed that button and the tractor took off it really scared him. We took him off and let him see how the tractor would move when the button was pushed, and his curiosity was piqued. In no time he was a driving champ -- running into walls and mowing down the dog like a maniac.

Although the tractor does blow out bubbles (if you keep solution in the reservoir), my boy doesn't really pay much attention to them -- when he's in the driver's seat he wants to be moving, not watching bubbles.

My boy loves his tractor. The button-accelerator is easy for him to operate, and he has a blast pushing it in little spurts or holding it down and zooming through the house. We had been worried that it might not move well on our plush carpet, but it does a great job. Outside the house he has driven on grass in our backyard and in our driveway -- it does bog down a bit in grass but still manages to go forward fairly well. The top-speed is 2-miles per hour, which doesn't sound fast until you are chasing after him. It is a bit quick but I think it is a pretty reasonable speed -- I'm happy with it.

Another positive -- my boy will wander up to the tractor from time to time and press the accelerator button without actually getting on the tractor. I've seen him run over his own foot while doing this (he was wearing sandals), and fortunately the tractor is light enough that it didn't even phase him.

On the down-side, most 1 year olds cannot steer. My boy will drive straight into the wall, a person, the dog, etc. He has no concept of stopping before he hits something, or steering to avoid it, thus Mommy or Daddy must trail along with him and bend over to steer for him, or pick up the back wheels to prevent a collision. I'm hoping he learns to steer soon (he's now approaching 14 months and hasn't figured it out yet though).

Another down-side is that the steering-wheel is a somewhat delicate piece. The first night we were playing with it (with the battery installed), my boy had just run into the wall and I was trying to get him turned around so he could go again. I was holding the back wheels off the ground (only the back wheels are powered) and started to pick the front-end up by the steering wheel -- when my husband saw me and nearly had a coronary. Because the accelerator is located on the steering wheel, a lot of wiring runs down through the steering column. The only thing that secures the steering wheel (and all the wiring that goes with it) into place is a little cap nut on top. So, don't pick the vehicle up by the steering wheel and everything will probably be okay -- we haven't had any problems with it to-date.

Product Description:

The Power Wheels Bubble Tractor is a cute green riding-lawn-mower shaped vehicle with a yellow seat and a red steering wheel. The wheels are a black plastic. The tractor's surface can be decorated with stickers (lots of them), including a headlight, taillight, hubcaps, and a license that reads "LUV2MOW". Footrests are molded into the vehicle's sides.

At the bottom of the tractor (just under the right footrest) is the bubble-solution reservoir. To fill the reservoir you just pour the solution into where the bubbles come out. There is a fill-line to help avoid spillage from over-filling. The reservoir can be easily removed for cleaning. The bubble-blowing mechanism can be easily disconnected (recommended for indoor use).

The tractor also comes with a "dipstick" bubble-wand that fits into a slot next to the seat and a tube of bubble-solution that fits into the "exhaust pipe" near the steering wheel. My boy loves to take the wand out and put it back in the slot -- kind of like a one-piece shape-sorter. There is also a lever that is supposed to raise and lower the mower blade -- it makes a clacking noise as it is moved up and down.

As mentioned above, the tractor comes with a 6 Volt rechargeable battery (and a 25 Amp fuse). The charger is also included. Before using the battery for the first time it should charge for at least 18 but no more than 30 hours. After the initial charge you do not have to remove the battery from the tractor to recharge it, but we do anyway (so the recharging can occur out of our boy's reach). The instructions recommend recharging the battery after each use, however we tend to only recharge it once a week. We have not let the battery run all the way down yet, so I'm not sure how long it could go on a single charge.

Getting to the battery is easy -- you must use a slotted screwdriver to rotate the lock-fastener located behind the tractor's seat. When the fastener is unlocked, you lift out the seat which exposes the battery.

An extra fuse and extra steering-wheel cap are included.

Tools needed for assembly: Phillips screwdriver, slotted screwdriver, hammer

Weight capacity: 40 pounds (18 kg)

Some Riding Rules: (per the instructions)
* Always sit on the seat
* Always wear shoes
* Only 1 rider at a time
* Do not drive on sloped or inclined surfaces (as the vehicle may achieve an unsafe speed or lose traction)
* Do not allow any child to drive the vehicle in the street or near moving (motorized) vehicles
* Do not allow any child to drive near bodies of water, obstructions, or drop-offs.
* Do not allow a child to operate the vehicle without direct adult supervision

Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) Easy for 1-year olds to use (button-accelerator)
+) Good speed (2 miles per hour)
+) Light enough that no real damage can be done when child runs into walls or people (or runs over his own foot)
+) Blows bubbles!
+) Rechargeable battery (and charger) included
+) One year bumper-to-bumper warranty (excluding the battery)
+) Very cute, fun toy
Cons:
-) Considerable assembly required
-) Must let battery charge for 18 hours (an eternity) before your child can ride
-) Most 1-year olds can't steer
-) Flat stickers don't go well on curved surfaces

Final Thoughts:

Although I was initially opposed to the idea of giving my 1-year old a battery-powered vehicle, I've been surprisingly pleased with the Power Wheels Bubble Tractor, and am quite glad my husband insisted on purchasing it. It has given my boy hours of joy, and given him a new way to play both indoors and outside. I'm pleased with the thought that went into making a riding-toy for one-year olds -- the accelerator-button is just perfect.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 79.99
Type of Toy: Car, Truck or Raceway
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months