heatherhh's Full Review: Radio Flyer Town and Country Wagon
My post title is a bit of an exaggeration. A child certainly does not need a red wagon for his/her continued health, or even happiness. But, it is one of those classic toys that many of us would remember from our childhood. What mental pictures does a little red wagon conjure up? Wagon rides with friends or siblings, and summertime, ice cream, swings, and more. If you’re looking for a little red wagon, I’d highly recommend the Radio Flyer Town & Country Wagon. My kids love it, and so do I.
Quality Construction
When I say this toy is a classic, I mean it. My children are now using the wagon my parents used 20 years ago when my brother and I were little. It has lasted that long. A few screws on the brackets came a bit loose and needed tightening. And the paint is chipped after all these years (though no effort was made to keep it in mint condition). But structurally, this wagon is sound.
This wagon has a steel framework with a body of hardwood. The base is a natural stain finish, while the sides are bright red. The 10" wheels are steel with rubber tires. The steel framework is painted black. This is very solidly built, weighing in at 30 lbs.
Safe
There’s a controlled turning radius to keep the wagon from being turned too far too fast and tipping over. This works pretty well. I’m comfortable allowing my 4 ½ year old to pull a younger sibling in this. It might not work well for a child that was trying to be a daredevil while pulling, but accidental turnovers are unlikely.
The wood sides are 9 1/2 inches high. This is much safer than the wagons that have just a little lip on the side. Your children are much less likely to fall out, and you can be comfortable using it at an earlier age.
There’s a no-pinch ball joint to keep little fingers safe. The wood has always been very smooth. No problems with splinters whatsoever. The paint is non-toxic.
Easy to Use
This is very comfortable to pull. I’ve pulled over 100 lbs in it on a gravel road for several blocks. The gravel was small and somewhat sparse in most places, but it still is a more difficult surface than pavement. The handle is comfortable, though it could be made more comfortable if it weren’t all metal and had a foam grip of some sort.
The wood sides are easy to put in place and remove. However, it’s not so easy that they would come out by mistake, and I have no concerns about my 11-month-old managing to take them out.
The handle can fold under the wagon too store in less space or travel in your vehicle.
Very smooth ride, even on gravel or hills.
Dimensions, Age Range, and Such
The dimensions of the body (i.e. the boxy part you ride in, not including the framework and wheels) is 36 x 16.5 and 9.5 inches in height. My three children (4 ½, 2 ½, and 11 months) can ride in this together.
The age range given is for ages 1 1/2 and over. However, I have had no problems taking children in this starting at 9 months. Make sure they are very stable sitters. Keep an eye out the first few times. But, they’ll probably be quite happy to sit still for the ride. You might want to be more cautious is using this on hills. I haven’t used it on hills younger than 14 months. As for the higher end of the age range, you could pull an adult in this! I would expect most children to still enjoy this at least to age 6 if not beyond.
Non-Traditional Uses
Once your children are too big or no longer interested in wagon rides. This wagon has other uses. Growing up, we used it to hold balls and other outdoor toys. It was a nice height and just easy to toss the ball in. If you want, you can just grab the handle and wheel the wagon out, toys and all.
Similarly, we’ve used it with gardening before. Load the wagon with gardening tools, seed packets, and other paraphernalia, and it’s easy to put things away in the end.
Price
This wagon retails for $90 at Amazon. We're frugal/cheap and hate to shell out that sort of money for anything really. But, I would buy this before I'd buy tricycles or most other pricier toys. If I were only going to buy one toy item over $20, this would be it.
Summary
I love this wagon. If this hadn’t been left from my childhood, I'd have bought it. It’s high quality and will last for many years and many children. It's comfortable to use, and my children absolutely love it. They’d each be happy riding in it for hours on end.
You can view more pictures of this wagon (mostly close-ups of the various features) at http://www.radioflyer.com/steelandwood/sw_24.html
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
NIB RADIO FLYER TOWN COUNTRY WAGON. MODEL# 24. THE ORIGINAL WOOD STAKE SIDED WAGON. BODY SIDES MADE OF GENUINE WOOD. EXTRA LONG HANDLE FOR EASY PULLIN...More at eBay
Town & Country Wagon by Radio Flyer The Radio Flyer Town and Country Wagon is the winner of the "Dr. Toy Best Classic Product"! Features: Extra-lar...More at AllegroMedical.com
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Town & Country Wagon by Radio Flyer The Radio Flyer Town and Country Wagon is the winner of the "Dr. Toy Best Classic Product"! Features: Extra-large ...More at Amazon Marketplace
The Radio Flyer Town and Country Wagon is great no matter where you go. The high wooden sides keeps your cargo and your passengers safely inside. The ...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.