Best RC Construction Vehicles

1. Top Race 12 CH Remote Control Crane

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

My first pick is an electric 12-channel remote control crane from Top Race. It’s a great toy product for youngsters. It has an extended playing time and a fast battery charging time.

• Best feature 1: Long playtime
• Best feature 2: Fast recharging time
• Plus points: RTR, fully functional, 40Mhz frequency, light & sound effects, drives
• Minus points: Tracks can fall off on turns, plasticky

Kids love this toy construction crane, especially young lads. It’s ready to run (RTR) the moment you unbox it. The fully functional model can then perform the same actions as the real thing. The hook moves up and down, the crane drives forward and back, and it turns left and right. The crane’s cabin does a 720-degree rotation with realistic sounds and LED lights.

Play with it indoors or outdoors, on the carpet or in the sandpit—it’s safe to use anywhere. This model operates on a 40Mhz high frequency. That means it won’t interfere with any other Top Race RC toys that you run on separate frequencies. It’s certainly a fun model to add to any collection.

The Not So Good

There are a couple of minor issues with the Top Race remote-controlled crane. The main frustration is that the anti-slip tire tracks can come off when playing on carpet or while turning. They’re simple enough to put back on, and they won’t always come off, but it’s still annoying when they do.

The only other downside is that the functioning toy looks and feels a bit cheap and plasticky. Still, it’s a critics observation and not something that has any effect on a kid’s enjoyment.

2. Fistone Radio-Controlled 4WD Bulldozer Truck

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5

The Fistone RC 4WD Bulldozer Truck is a realistic, robust model. It’s double motor, and off-road rubber tires, let users take it to places other RC models can’t get to.

• Best feature 1: Double motor support
• Best feature 2: Off-road rubber tires
• Plus points: Alloy shovel loader, durable toy, ABS material, LED lights, easy to operate
• Minus points: Plastic gears sometimes slip, underpowered, long charging time

Kids love the 6CH alloy RC shovel loader, and it makes an excellent gift for any occasion. This RC construction vehicle has a robust finish and uses some real alloy parts in its build. The good news for parents is that the other material is a safe, non-toxic ABS. There’s even 60-day worry-free service. This guarantee covers any quality problems or other issues found with the toy within two months.

Operating the Alloy RC Shovel Loader

The shovel arm goes up and down smoothly using the 2.4G transmitter. What we have here is a mini, fully functional version of the real thing. There are even lights and special sound effects to enhance the experience. The big rubber tires make driving over rugged terrain and obstacles much easier. Users can move the bulldozer forward, backward, turn left, and turn right.

The Not So Good

The overall build and materials are impressive. However, the gears are plastic and tend to slip if you try to work the shovel too hard. It’s a powerful RC construction model, but it’s not as mighty as the claims suggest. I’d say it’s underpowered for shifting too much sand or dirt in one go. Okay, I know it’s only a toy and it’s a good one at that, but don’t expect too much power at the bucket end.

The only other gripe is the long charging time of around 3-4 hours. Be sure to invest in one or two spare batteries as the maximum play time is 20 minutes at best.

3. RC Excavator Remote Control Crawler Tractor

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5

The next fully functional RC construction vehicle is another realistic model but with a few extras. It’s the Fisca 11-channel Excavator Crawler Tractor with a real metal shovel.

• Best feature 1: Automatic Demonstration Function
• Best feature 2: High simulated hydraulic pole
• Plus points: Realistic details, long range, abrasion resistant, alloy bucket, metal shovel
• Minus points:Long charging time, average running time

This 15-channel RC Truck Excavator Crawler Tractor comes with a handy automatic demo function. There are lots of things to like about this affordable model with its high attention to detail. Users love the firm and functional simulation hydraulic pole and strong arm. There’s even attention to detail in the alloy cab. It includes a seat, steering wheel, and side mirrors. You’ve got exhaust pipes too.

Operating the RC Excavator Crawler Tractor

Kids and parents have a lot of fun playing with this mini beast. It performs all the functions of the real-world model albeit on a smaller and much safer scale. The control interference-free control range is impressive at 10-100m, depending on the environment. Most users will operate this mini beast close by, but it’s nice to have a strong single all the same.

It’s going to get dirty and experience a few knocks because of the type of vehicle it is. That doesn’t mean you want it to look tired and battered after a few days of use. The Excavator’s abrasion-resistant finish helps to keep this good-looking vehicle looking good. You can play indoors or scoop and dig sand and shift soil outside with the alloy shovel and metal bucket.

Everything works as it should do. There’s rotation, up and down movements at the front, and full driving maneuvers. The special effects lights and realistic sound effects help to liven up the experience.

The Not So Good

The main disadvantage of this toy is the long 4-hour (or longer) charging time. The running time is around 20 minutes on a fully charged battery. The play time is disappointingly short unless you invest in extra batteries. Long charging time and average running time are the only real cons for this model.

4. DOUBLE E RC 4WD Mixer Truck

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

Concrete and cement mixer trucks have always captivated kid’s imagination. They love it when the trucks empty their load. This one’s a fully functional 1:20 scale Mercedes-Benz 4WD RC Mixer.

• Best feature 1: Rotating stirring function
• Best feature 2: Simulation dumping
• Plus points: Looks impressive, 4WD, auto-demonstration, simulation sounds, LED lights
• Minus points: Not good on carpet, long charging time

The Double E RC 4WD Mixer looks better than much of the competition. It’s certain to light up any Kids’ eyes the minute they unbox this impressive RC construction truck. And the eco-friendly, non-toxic ABS plastic is reassuring for parents. The truck’s auto-demo mode introduces all the right functions. These include maneuvers, simulation sounds, and LED lights.

Operating the DOUBLE E RC Mixer Truck

The model’s 4-wheel drive gives the vehicle enough torque to travel across most surfaces. It’s fully functional mixer operations include stirring, dumping, and turning with sounds and light effects. The driving maneuvers let you take the truck forward, reverse, turn left, and turn right. The fun lasts for around 20 minutes or more on a fully charged battery depending on usage and surface.

The impressive 10–100m control range adds to the fun and flexibility of this model. It’s a simple RC construction mixer truck to operate for any youngster five years and older.

The Not So Good

There’s not much to gripe about for a truck in its class. One common complaint is that the model is not good on carpet, especially deep pile. Forward and reverse seem to be okay, but it struggles to turn. The only other criticism is the long 4+ hour battery charging time. It’s wise to buy extra batteries with all these models to extend the fun.

5. Memtes Fully-functional RC Excavator

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Editor’s Rating: 4.9/5

Meet the Memtes 15CH Full Functional RC Excavator Tractor. Around 85% of users would recommend this handsome beast to others. OK, let’s see what it can do.

• Best feature 1: Robust metal bucket
• Best feature 2: 680-degree rotating workbench
• Plus points: Durable build, easy to grasp, fully functional, lights & sounds, fast charging
• Minus points: Little underpowered, plasticky controller

This excavator is another capable digger with close attention to detail. The realistic functions resemble those of a real-world caterpillar construction excavator. There’s a robust metal bucket as with the others on this page. The excavator’s workbench has a 680° rotation and 360° pivot steering. It’s durable and easy to grasp for the over-8s and younger with supervision.

Operating the RC Excavator Construction Tractor

You can take full control of the job using the 15-channel remote controller. Users can move the digging arm up and down and navigate the load by rotating the cab. Kids can double their fun if they have an RC dump truck to haul the sand, soil, or light gravel away. The high simulation sound effects and LED lights help to make the experience even more realistic.

This puppy can dig, drive, and rotate from any sandbox or mock construction setup. Although the playing time is average at 20 minutes, the battery charging time is an impressive 90 minutes. It’s still a good idea to have a couple of spare batteries to prolong the fun.

The Not So Good

The makers tend to exaggerate the power claims on all these models. They can work with sand, soil, and light gravel, but they’ll struggle if the loads are wet or too hard to dig. This excavator is tremendous fun if you keep realistic expectations and know the limitations.

All the controllers are toy-grade in this class, and that’s not an issue. But this one feels as if it’s especially fragile and therefore easy to break. My advice is to be gentle with it, just in case.

6. Top Race JUMBO Remote Control Forklift

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

Forklift trucks are common on construction sites. Builders need them to load, unload, and transport supplies and materials. The Top Race JUMBO Remote Control Forklift is a remarkable replica.

• Best feature 1: Big and powerful toy
• Best feature 2: 90% heavy metal construction
• Plus points: Metal crane attachment, powerful lift & pulling capability, realistic sound effects
• Minus points: Takes some skill to control, plastic support for metal forks

This big and powerful 1:10 scale forklift truck by Top Race certainly looks the part. Its robust build uses around 90% metal parts, though one section isn’t metal, but it should be. You can read about that further down the page. The vehicle also comes with a metal crane attachment that adds to its versatility. This RC forklift is so realistic that trainers may use the model to introduce the real thing.

Operating the Top Race JUMBO RC Forklift

The forklift is a workhorse on construction sites for all kinds of operations. Our model here is a tough as they come with its powerful pull and lifting ability. You can expect to lift weights up to six pounds and pull up to a staggering 26 lbs. There’s also the realistic sounds along with headlights and taillights to add to the experience. Playing time is about 20+ minutes, and charging takes 90-minutes.

The Not So Good

The Top Race JUMBO Remote Control Forklift is a construction toy for enthusiasts. It’s aimed at kids 8-years and older because it takes more skill to operate than other models. It would be better with speed controls or a learner mode, but there isn’t any. That means it’s full power ahead—like it or not.

The other complaint is with the part that attaches the truck’s metal forks to the base. It’s plastic! It must be a design flaw as the plastic weakens the fork support. That means you need to be extra careful because a vital part that should be metal—isn’t metal.