Toys... Rant

[richbug]

When did the quality of the farm toys go into the toilet?

Here I sit with my drills, screws, taps and epoxy repairing yesterdays gifts. I broke one myself in simple handling. A single 1/16" aluminum rivet? Seriously, how is that supposed to hold up to play(hole now filled with a stainless 4-40 screw and lock-nut).

Ertl used to be good stuff, my children are still playing with mine from the 70's and 80's.

[Guest]

The decline in the farm toy manufacture quality and playability came in the mid 1980's when RC2 became the parent Company of Britains Ertl when manufacture was moved to China. The majority of farm 'toys' are now aimed more at the 'collector' market than that of the toy market. If you want a stronger more lasting well built farm toy then buy Siku stuff.

[joeproctor]

what about 'UNIVERSAL HOBBIES'i have just got a fordson dexta and a 35x from these model makers,they are very good i would like to persuade this company to make some db models but about 3 years ago they said 'we only make models on demand' so the more of you that write to these the better chance i have of getting a few (please no 6 pots ) they reckon its hard to simulate a'rod out o bed '!!!!!
these models are very very good value for money if you get chance have a look at them,
regards
joe

[Robert10100]

Universal Hobbies' 1/16 scale models are absolutely fantastic and excellent value for money - in my opinion they blew all other model manufacturers out of the water in every department - detail, accuracy, price etc.

They did make a brilliant 1:43 scale model of the Cropmaster Diesel - if they'd only enlarge the scale and make a 1:16 scale version it'd be great!

[Guest]

Joe. I have a little experience with model tractor collecting, been at it for a number of years and to date have around 2,000 tractors in my collection and that's not counting other farm equipment such as combines and associated machinery. I also attend quite a number of local toy fairs over the period of a year and have got to know a number of dealers and traders. As regards getting a model manufacturer such as Universal Hobbies to create a specific model, it would have to be commissioned and a specific number would have to be produced and then there is the licensing issue from the Company which owns the brand name, it's a minefield once you start going into it. You may think that the current prices you pay for these models retail is good but just remember that they are made in China, the land of cheap labour, and you are paying on average 17% above the trade price. Shop around and you will save. Also, when you purchase one of the UH 1:6 scale models, always inspect it before you buy as they are very susceptable to damage due to the nature of the materials.

[mburns]

I have a large pile of assorted tractor BITS outside the back door and up the field where i store my sand and ballast and they dont last 5 mins with a 5 yr old up to 8 yr old last year i bought him a JD ride on tractor with qd loader gears and inflatable tyres £246.00 made in germany and very strong, but i am yet to see a child with enough power to propel it along any terain other than tarmac .
So this xmas santa bought him a 125cc quad bike and today i tied a long horsey lunge line from the quad to the sledge and that was the best fun we have had with any crap from china to date , even got the wife up to 20 mph before i got the look .

Only coment i got from the kids was (quote) i bet the health and safety man wouldn`t let you do that anywhere else .

Monty

[richbug]

The decline in the farm toy manufacture quality and playability came in the mid 1980's when RC2 became the parent Company of Britains Ertl when manufacture was moved to China. The majority of farm 'toys' are now aimed more at the 'collector' market than that of the toy market. If you want a stronger more lasting well built farm toy then buy Siku stuff.

The only SIKU I can find on this side of the pond is Duetz, and 1/32 scale or smaller.

Even my 5 year old knows that an air cooled diesel is a serious problem usually associated with a bad water pump or radiator, and not something you want to go into on purpose.

I think I am going to hunt down some old ERTL stuff on eBay.

[Guest]

If it's Ertl in particular you're looking for, yes, the older models are robust but being older, here in the UK you can pay some hefty prices for them even in poorish condition, it's the collectors market that seem to dictate the prices. Have you looked at the Britains/Ertl 'Big Farm' range?, they are very good. Bruder is another good large scale farm toy maker.

[odin]

Q; When did farm toys go to the toilet ?
A: At least 18 years ago.

I purchased my Britains farm Land Rover around 1975 and did many a mile around carpets with it. Stripped it down, messed with the coil springs, re-built it, painted it. Our kid hammered it and bent the roof so it is now an open top. It disappeared for a while and turned up in a field whilst been mowed. I still have that Land Rover with 4 straight wheels and a tow bar but its retired now. I bought my son a Britains Land Rover with horse box from Toys R Us some 12 years ago when he was about 5 yr old. He drove it around the table twice and the tow bar snapped off, all within a minute of getting it out of the box. I did write a letter of complaint and got some naff reply about toys being built to some specified standard, H&S an all that crap, kids eating small parts .... SFW ?
I never bought another Britains for him or for any other kids that have come along since. However, if I see original Britains stuff on a flea market stall then I buy 'em. I have recently picked up a cabless 4wd MF 2690 and a Bamford bailer. My 20 month old daughter loves it, along with another old Britains Land Rover and tipper trailer. She got some new stuff for Xmas but still likes the old Britains. Shame they did not do a Brown. (Or did they)?
In the 90's I did a number of tours in Germany and came across the Siku stuff, so I always brought something back for my lad including a 10 axle Faun crane. It is good stuff for kids to lake with. I've also brought Compact plant and trucks back from Spain and have always let my son and his mates lake with them with respect, ie , back in the box. Its good for them un-like the cheap throw away stuff that breaks and they do not respect.

Blame it all on our home grown H&S rules that legislated against the home manufactures and allowed the cheap far eastern stuff to flourish.

On another point, I was bought a tea towel for Crimbo with old British Tractors printed on it, it needs framing. My daughters eyes lit up when she saw it, pointing at all the tractors. When asked "which is Daddies?", she points straight to the White 1212, not the blue, red or grey ones (including a Cropy).

[nevilleporter]

I always liked Britains toys to play with, there were 2 toy shops in Castlederg and my Granny gave me 10p every week, normally that bought a farm animal and anything more expensive had to be saved up for. Britains toys were great quality then and lasted for years.I remember having a Corgi 1412 and trailer and when the hitch would not stay up an elastic band was put from the rolled up back "cover" to the hitch. I started collecting toys about 7 years ago and noticed how poor Britains toys had become, Siku is much stronger, Universal Hobbies has excellent detail and value for money but very fragile to handle.I would like them to bring out some 1/16 David Browns.

[Guest]

There is nothing on the cards at the moment in UH producing any D.B. models but remember that they did do the 1947 Cropmaster in 1:43 scale for the 'Hachette' and 'Tractors Of The World And Farming' series so they very well could do a 1:16 model in the future, never say never. G&M Originals next planned model is a 1:16 Cropmaster.

[richbug]

Kids got a 1/16 "bruder" MACK cement truck from their aunt today. Broken on its way out of the package, put that on the slate for tomorrow. So much for the Germans...

They did get a 1/25 GEHL skid steer loader by "die cast promotions", Chinese, but seems incredibly well built.

[nevilleporter]

I have the 1/43 Cropmaster and the G&M 50D,also a sel 990 1/16, dont remember what make but it was £180 and badly put together.

[Guest]

The Selectamatic 990 Neville was made by a chap that calls his model making buisness 'RJN Classics', seems to have dissapeared into the mist for some reason. This 990 has the gear levers the wrong way round, swapped would be a better description. The grilles, gold and red are a fair bit too 'coarse' and the side joint line of the nose cone to bonnet top is at a too steep angle, should be straighter. Also the wheels are too 'wobbly', they are fitted to the final drives by a flat headed countersunk stud under the wheel 'hub', this could be rectified easily enough. This chap also did an Implematic 990, same skid unit as the white one, the only fault withthis one is again the rear wheel fixing. Both when they came out first were priced at £150. I have the G&M Models 50D and also the VAK1A and the 50TD Crawler, the last two I have are the prototype models that were used in the publicity and advertising.

Do any of you have the pair of 770 Selectamatics, one red, the other white, in 1:32 produced by 'CG Models'? Christian Gouale from France, both were a limited production run of 125 models of each in perspex cases. Cracking models!

[Guest]

Just recently took delivery of G&M's latest model, the 1:16 scale 1947 Cropmaster. Another fantastic model with superb detail. The production run of 150 are now being built and they are now taking orders. The one I have for my collection is the prototype model.