****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
UPDATE. 120 days after receiving the toy. The toy is still operating just as good as the first day we ran it. My 4.5 yr old grandson runs the toy over rocks, gravel, pine cones, sticks, thick grass, short grass, jumping sloped concrete curbs, wet surfaces, grassy slopes, asphalt and concrete surfaces, running into trees, parked cars and small puddles of water. Before use, I tighten the wheels and all other screws on the toy. I fully charge the toy. We have had absolutely no problems with this toy. I did lengthen the inside antennae about four inches. This has had a definite affect on the toy's distance from the remote control. I am very surprised how far away the toy will operate now. We have yet to run the toy until the toy battery is dead. After a full charge we have been getting over one hour of run time. However, I did tweak the toy electronically. I wouldn't do that unless you have some sort of circuit board and or computer hardware knowledge. The foam tires are holding up very well due to the fact I sprayed a certain clear hardening compound on the tires. My grandson loves to "crew chief" his Monster Truck.I read a lot of reviews. I mainly read the one and two star reviews and some of the more favorable ones. It's a toss up whether you receive a functioning item or not. I decided to go ahead and purchase this Grave Digger Monster Truck, Version 2. I received the toy in two days. The box was huge for a toy. I read all the instructions and checked all screws, wires, connectors, wheels and so forth BEFORE charging or operation. I charged the toy and it took about 32 minutes to get the full charge signal. I took my 4.5 yr old grandson out to the Air Force base where I retired from the Air Force in 1994. One of the parks was completely empty of people with lots of green grass open space. After some "pre flight" checks and instruction, I let him have at it. I was quiet surprised that the toy lasted almost one hour of run time (not constant but total). He ran over pine cones, bumped into horseshoe pits, trees and at least two family members and a stationary BBQ grill. He jumped the toy on some small bumps along the way. He definitely ran it through it's paces. I believe I was more happier and excited than he was. It was one of the more enjoyable days I have had in a while. It was worth every penny to see and experience that. A few days after receiving the toy and operating it, I contacted Spin Master regarding if they sold parts for this toy in the event I may need a part later on. The rep advised they do not sell parts. EBAY has some parts, however very expensive and not worth it given the overall fail rate for the toy. When I purchased the toy, I also purchased a two year "warranty" ($9.00) in the event it failed to function or "other" reasons past the 30 day return offer. That may be a waste of money as well given the fail rate of the toy. We'll see how all that works out in the event the toy fails. I believe the manufacturer or Amazon offered a 30 day return policy. After each use, I tighten all screws, check the wiring, wheels and ensure the short antennae wire (located on the power box inside the vehicle) is strait up and secure. The wheels take a lot of abuse and only one short screw secures the wheel and tire to the toy. Hard knocks at angles may break the wheel off where it attaches to the toy. It's all in the preventative maintenance and charging. However, I can see why so many people report failure from the beginning. It is a large toy, however it's a super lightweight delicate toy. After one month of almost daily use, it's still going strong. At some point, I will begin modifying the toy to get additional performance, further distance from the remote control, strengthen the suspension and wheel attachment to the vehicle an so on. My grandson (and I) love the toy and that's really all that matters to me. We do maintenance together. The toy does require an adult to perform all the tasks I mentioned above. If not, you may get earlier failure at some point.
