I needed a gift under $10 for Santa to give my son for a MOMS club Christmas party. Something without a lot of pieces that he could play with easily during the party. The day before the party I ran across a display of these trucks on sale at Fred Meyers. The regular price was $9.95, I got the truck for around $7. Like many little boys, my son has a great love of construction trucks.

Little Tikes Rugged Riggz Cement Mixer
This plastic truck is 13 inches long and 5 inches high. It's brightly colored in black, yellow, orange, and gray. There are 6 large wheels, the cement mixer barrel spins and makes a clicking sound, and the cement mixer part can be tilted to empty out sand, toys, or whatever else your child has put in it. Trailer of the cement mixer attaches securely to the cab, but can also be removed.

Our Experience

Indoor Use
My son loves to fill up the barrel with dried beans, little toys, and anything else he can fit in it. The whole on the barrel is about the diameter of the hole on a toilet paper roll. This truck rolls very smoothly and quickly. It's sturdy and stable and lightweight. It can and does take a beating.

Outdoor Use
Because our winters are long, most of my son's toys are kept inside and only taken out for occasional use. Because we got this truck for Christmas, it was several months before we took it outside. It went straight to the sandbox at a local park. There, my 3 1/2 year old had a blast filling up the barrel with dirt and then dumping the dirt on his other toys. After only a few minutes of outside play, though, we found our first complaint with this toy: If even one grain of sand gets underneath the spinning barrel, it doesn't want to spin. Every minute or two, I was having to give the barrel several wrenching spins to dislodge the offending greains of dirt. Once we got it home, I was able to clean it off easily, and it was none the worse for wear. However, to preserve my own sanity, I've decided this is one construction truck that's going to stay indoors from now on.

Frustration Factor
So long as this toy is kept out of the dirt pile, there's very little opportunity for frustration with this toy. One thing that does bother my son is that the cab is open, but the opening is two small for him to fit any of his toys in, even the smallest figures. I wouldn't see this as a problem, but my son does. Otherwise, it is a bit tough to separate and reattach the cab from it's trailer, but my son doesn't often want these pieces separated, so it's not a problem.

Durability
After several months of frequent use, this toy shows almost no wear at all. The colors are still bright and there are no scratches I can find in the plastic. Even the stickers are still intact and look nice.

Final Recommendation
I wouldn't recommend this toy for heavy outdoor use, unless you think your child won't mind not being able to turn the cement barrel during outdoor play time. However, for indoor use, this truck is well worth the $10 SRP for any child who loves construction trucks.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 7
Type of Toy: Car, Truck or Raceway
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years