Monster Jam Grave Digger

I was excited to see monster trucks listed in the early leaks of 2021 sets. When pictures and price points were released I grew a little skeptical. At the time, I wished they were bigger, more towards the new Jeep Wrangler or McLaren Senna size. But they're both great! Price is perfect for kids (and adults), and the size is perfect for the price. Build time was about an hour for me. I'd expect an hour to an hour and a half for children to build. About 10 or so stickers come in the pack but they're all relatively big stickers. Build is solid and ready for lots of rough play as a monster truck would receive. Pull back function is a fun plus and goes great with some makeshift ramps. All in all, these are perfect little sets and hope to see a continued line of 12 or so different trucks to collect. more less

From an adult POV, compared to many other $20 sets, it's likely there are other sets with much better play features out there. Parts / value is decent- pullback sets now have been getting quite a few more pieces than in the past, an this one comes with a good selection of rare/new parts compared to the other small sets in this range. more less

42118 Monster Jam Grave Digger is a simple entry point into a world of crazy racing, stunts and skills, offering the right amount of colour, durability and design to faithfully capture one of the motorsport's most iconic monster trucks. more less

As with the sets I reviewed last year, the pullback motors add easy, fun playability to a small model. The monster truck form factor is a good pair with the pullback functionality; it's sturdy, large, and quite satisfying to both push around manually or race with the motor. The pullback motor adds an additional play mechanism that isn't present in more static vehicles, but the lack of any working suspension is quite disappointing. more less

These two little sets are proper, hands-on fun. You aren't abstracted away from the experience by having to constantly look at a phone screen. There's no batteries to worry about, no apps nor wires. No firmware updates, no Bluetooth, no connectivity issues... more less