Best RC Construction Toys for Kids of 2023

The Fistone RC crawler crane has multiple functions with 360-degree platform rotation and a lift arm you can move up and down. There’s also a hook rising and a falling hook in addition to the standard forward, backward, left, and right driving movements.

At 1:14 scale, the body of the model is 7.5 x 16 x 19 inches, and the boom extends to 2 inches. The construction is a mix of plastic and metal, while the tracks are rubber and the “cable” is strong woven cotton.

You’ll have to give the battery an eight-hour charge before your first use. Then, depending on what you do with it, you get between 15-20 minutes of play time from a two to three hour charge. It comes with a USB charging cable but not a plug-block.

Additional batteries are readily available, so if your little construction fiend is a hard worker, you can quickly swap out a charged battery for almost uninterrupted play. This product is ideal for kids ages 7 years and up.

If shifting dirt is your kid’s passion, and they are 5 years old or under, the official Cat toys machine ticks all of the boxes for fun and durability at a reasonable price point. Made of plastic and steel, it’s a sturdy buy for the enthusiastic hauler but definitely not a hobby-grade build.

The 1:16 scale truck can reach speeds of up to 12mph and will do a decent job of climbing a 45-degree slope. Meanwhile, the 7 x 16 x 7-inch model is big enough for fun but not so imposing it takes up too much room.

You get six wheels with rubber tires and suspension. Plus, the bed of the dump truck will hold and dump up to ten pounds of gravel, dirt, or other kiddie construction materials.

The 2.4GHz controller requires two AA batteries and has a range of roughly 120 feet. The vehicle battery takes approximately one hour to charge fully. And a full charge provides about 30 minutes of non-stop trucking and hauling.

The John Deere remote control tractor from TOMY is sweet, simple, and ideal for the youngest of construction workers.

Its soft, rounded build is designed for ages 18 months and over with a simple two-button controller that will promote hand-eye coordination without being frustratingly complex.

You need 3 AA batteries for the remote controller and a single 9-volt battery for the tractor itself, which means you’ll need a good stash of batteries in reserve. However, there is an auto shut-off function built into the tractor, which minimizes the wastage.

It’s best to keep the tractor for indoor use, although there’s no reason not to use it outside if you ensure it’s given a good wipe down and dry off after use. You’ll just find that outside, the tractor will struggle on uneven surfaces.

For older kids and teens, the LEGO Technic RC Volvo L350F wheel loader provides the enjoyment of remote control vehicles as well as the fun of building a vehicle of your own.

This LEGO Technic set is an official partnership with Volvo, and in addition to building the L350F wheel loader, you can also build a Volvo A25F articulated hauler. However, to be clear, there are only enough pieces to build one model at a time. You have to deconstruct one to build the other.

The engine is a highly detailed green Volvo-like model with moving pistons and a working fan. Both the truck bed and the bucket are controllable with the remote.

The downside is that it needs a lot of batteries, and this is more of a LEGO kit that happens to be construction-focused rather than a construction toy that happens to be LEGO. Consequently, the model isn’t especially strong and isn’t capable of lifting much.

For those 12 years and older, Top Race makes RC machines ideal for your 1:14 scale construction site.

You can run the truck without it being within a direct sightline of the controller, and you can have up to 100 feet between you and the machine before it will lose the connection.

The rechargeable batteries are 7.2V Ni-Cd models. These take about three hours to charge fully, and will give you around 45 minutes of play. Unfortunately, however, some users report as much as an hour while others report as little as 30 minutes. The controller requires 4 AA batteries.

The truck is rated as capable of carrying 22 lbs, but that is a little deceptive. Yes, the dumper will run with 22 lbs in the truck bed, but it will do so slowly. In addition, the tipping bed will not work with the full 22lbs in the back; it will only tip to empty with a maximum of 7 lbs in the back.

The Thames & Kosmos RC construction toy kit combines the fun of building, plenty of remote control fun, and a healthy dose of physics experimentation. It’s designed for kids 6 years and older, but we found the 8-10 year olds got the most out of it.

There are 227 sturdy pieces, some of which are plastic and others rubber. Plus, the box-shaped six-button remote can be used with up to four motors at once on the same model.

The remote itself is an infrared design, which is ideal for short distances such as in the garden. The setup is not the best for long-range outdoor play so you’ll want to avoid flying this in the backcountry where it could go out of range, fly over the horizon, and be lost.

In addition, you’ll need three AA batteries for the remote and two AAA batteries for the motor units that come with the model.

This set is best suited for the curious kids and not the rough and tumble types.

This driving and digging are more of a realistic fully-functional toy with RC status bestowed upon it, than a cool RC construction toy.

This pretty fantastic toy is capable of turning at any angle. It uses its powerful motor and arm to dig sands gravel then transport it to another area.

It is not just for simple drive-about fun, this truck excavator is a good preschooler-friendly choice. If you’re looking for something with a bit more construction-centric action, this will serve its purpose pretty well.

This Top Race forklift isn’t complicated to use, but it does need a little practice and control. So it’s ideal for the older primary age group who have calmed down a little and have the patience to drive more precisely.

You can lift up to six pounds. However, we recommend lifting items where the center of gravity is low and close to the forklift, or you’ll run into tipping issues. Meanwhile, when you attach the trailer, which is available separately, you can pull up to 26 lbs.

There are realistic forklift sounds, headlights, and taillights, and the construction is predominately metal with only limited plastic trim and accessories.

The lifting mechanism has a smooth single-speed action, and the adjustable-for-width forks will reach up to 15 inches into the air.

Charging time is about 90 minutes, and for that, you’ll get about 25 minutes of play.

While we try to recommend a wide range of manufacturers and toy types, sometimes one company has an edge that results in them popping up more often. That’s the case with Top Race. Their RC construction toys are durable, well thought out, and fun.

So…Top Race wins our stamp of approval for the best RC bulldozer for kids.

You can drive forward, backward, left, and right, and lift the bucket up and down with the simple two-stick control but don’t expect to haul much in the bucket. We managed a few LEGO bricks, but that was about it.

You’ll need three AA batteries for the controller and two AA batteries for the truck. Although you can still play with the bulldozer without batteries, it’s just not as much fun.

With more “plasticity” than other Top Race models, the forklift is 1:36 scale and designed for kids of 3 years and up.

Cute, brightly colored, and with a removable driver, the Haktoys RC bulldozer truck is the perfect first RC construction vehicle for toddlers.

Designed for kids 18 months and up, the remote is a fun steering wheel with a pair of buttons. Rather than steering, the wheel is just for show, and the bulldozer truck only moves backwards and forwards, movement that’s controlled by the two buttons.

There are lots of loud, exciting sounds to enjoy. Unfortunately, though, if you are thinking of removing the speaker so you don’t have to listen to the noise, you can’t. The speaker is fiendishly protected by the placement of an unremovable wheel which prevents you from covering the speaker and avoiding a headache.