6581 - Dig n' Dump

Rating:
Pros: A good set with ample pieces for alternate sets
Cons: Backhoe should have been a loader instead
Contents: 125 pieces including 2 mini-figs
Price: $11.99 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 4-Aug-1996
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

In the big city, dirt happens; you've got to be there to move it out. Be it new sewer lines, settling a foundation for a new fast food drive-in, or just moving large quantities of abnormally gigantic construction blocks, the Dig n' Dump duo will get the job done right!

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First off, I need to confess that I'm not usually a town collector these days but every time I went to the store to see what was available, this set kept catching my eye. I like yellow bricks anyway (What? Never heard of a specific color fanatic?) and the specialty pieces that make up the front and rear end of the dump truck looked interesting. I finally broke down and picked up the set and a few weeks later I picked up another. (Actually my two-year-old son confiscated the first one and kept coming back to me so many times with the trucks disassembled that I finally crazy-glued the dang thing together, I know, I know, HERESY!)
A very satisfying set. I'm not sure how many construction sets have been put out for the town, but this has got to be one of the best. A medium size dump truck and small backhoe are not a bad combination, but I think a loader truck would replace the backhoe much better. Side note: I see a loader is available in the Summer 96 Shop at Home Catalog (#6512 Landscape Loader), so it would make the perfect addition to this set and it doesn't cost much.
Most of the parts are standard car/truck pieces but there are a couple of unique pieces that also make the set worth picking up. A few 1x2 yellow flat hinges for the backhoe are useful, as well as the V-shape pieces that make up the front and rear end of the dump truck, large yellow-hub construction tires were also a nice touch. Tell me I'm strange, but I also really like the red hard hat for the backhoe driver.
My only concern here is that for a more construction-safety look, the backhoe really ought to have a protecting cage rather than a simple roll bar for the driver. I also would have liked doors on the dump truck rather than a flip-top open cockpit. Still, the overall nifty design of this set gets three stars.