Go Kart

I bought this product because my 2 kids (aged 6 and 7.5) want a “little car”. They always wanted a “power wheels” and still do! But I wouldn’t buy one then and I’m certainly not going to buy one now.

This product seemed like a good solution – its not as fast as the Razor go-kart – 8mph vs 12 mph. And the idea that it is “off-road entertainment” is very compelling as we have some hard packed dirt paths nearby. I disliked the razor go-kart because it requires the kids to either drive in the street OR in a parking lot which didn’t seem super safe, and also seemed like it would get boring sooner. I like the idea that we could take this to many parks and just run around.

I was very curious to see what the owners manual said, and I’m going to share that with you. We all know that owners manuals can be a bit restrictive, but, it does say what it says for a reason.

Keep in mind, I think this is a great product, but I think you deserve the full disclosure! Pros and Cons at the bottom.

1) The first page out of the box says “this product is not a toy… suitable for use only by persons ages 13 and older”. WOW!! And all over the Amazon page it says 8 years old. Now I’m sure this is something the lawyers made them add, I bet some 9 year old got hurt. But: use your judgement! (and read #4)

2) The initial charge time is 18 hours. In other words, Christmas eve. Not a biggie, but you aren’t supposed to use it “right out of the box” as another review has said.

3) Recharge time: 12 hours. Yes, you are going to get up to 45 minutes of fun – PER DAY. If you are on the fence about electric vs. gas, this might push you to the gas powered model. Extra battery is $55. I’m sorely tempted to buy one before xmas and have both charged because … I have 2 kids! (I can’t afford 2 dune buggies)

4) It **DOES** have a throttle adjustment (which you set with an alan wrench). I am going to do this for Xmas day! I hope it extends the battery life. In other words, I will limit the max speed and let my 7 and a half year old ride it anyway. i think they will be thrilled even at 5 mph, and after they master it I can le them have the full power.

5) Page 4: Vehicle does not run when rolling backwards. This is why a parent has to be around. The brake just stops you temporarily. As soon as you release, you keep rolling backwards. Obviously, brake+accelerate+release brake OR if you are out of power turn the wheel and go sideways until you stop. But this is not going to be obvious to some children.

6) No reverse. This is good and bad for reasons you can guess.

7) Page 5: “If the vehicle runs sluggishly: Driving conditions are too stressful. Use only on solid, flat clean and dry surfaces such as pavement or level ground.” To me, this means its not REALLY offroad. I already knew that “dune buggy” was wishful thinking, but its more like a “parking lot buggy” the way this reads…

page 5: goes over “overheating”. Apparently it has a circuit which limits the max speed (“cuts the power” didn’t sound cool enough, I guess) and will even shut the unit completely off if it overheats.

USAGE:

Pros:

1) Accelerator is a thumb paddle. I think this is great! Very easy for children. Very safe. Its proven that your hand can move faster than your foot, and I’m sure that it will be easier for them to regulate the speed.

2) Parents can set the throttle. Very safe.

3) Slows quickly when accelerator is released. Brakes seem “optional” or maybe just for when you start rolling backwards (LOL).

4) Handles minor bumps (1 to 2 inches) with ease. This alone makes it waaay better than the go kart version, IMO… the soft tires help make it a more comfortable bump too.

Dings:

1) Low Power light: It has a light that lights up when battery power is “low”. Nice! Cool! But, it would be nice if it had an audible bell tone, and if the manual would tell us if this is 5 minutes, or 3 minutes, or whatever… i really don’t think many kids are going to notice this in the middle of having fun. I can already tell I’m going to be carrying this thing back from the hard packed dirt trails around my house – in my truck.

2) Clearance. The ground clearance is pretty bad, its only a couple inches. I don’t think this thing has enough torque, and certainly no suspension. So, you are going to stay on the flat and level anyway.

Overall, i’d buy it again. I’m happy with it and I think its very safe. But, there are a few little details that I thought you might want to know Hope it helped.

And we’ve had a few of them. I have read many complaints about Razor and their customer service. Fortunately, my experience has been very positive. This is the fourth razor ride on toy that I’ve purchased and they have all performed wonderfully. My kid’s pocket ROcket is almost 4 years old now, and is still working well on the original battery.

ANyway, THIS KART IS AWESOME! In addition to arriving fully assembled, and charged up, this thing does everything it claims. It’s got great torque, crawls right through mud and over bumps and uphill, and is a very well constructed little buggy.

Like the MX350, I would prefer a footbrake, because my 3 year old can drive this thing, but can’t squeeze the hand brake. OH well, he’s younger than the recommended age so this is on me. THe motor provides more than enough ” engine braking” anyway to bring the thing to a pretty rapid halt when you let off the gas.

I am verypleased in every way with this buggy.

Only notes:

The flag is Black, and really should be orange, and perhaps taller.

The tires are not the same ones pictures above. THey have a weird kind of mixed tread that is street ready in the center, with really aggressive treads on the sides. We’ll see how long they last. Kind of cool, just not what I expected given the pic.

All the kids in teh nneighborhood seem to think it’s fast, but my kids have been riding these kinds of toys since before they could walk, and this one could maybe use a higher top speed. But to sacrafice a bit of speed for what is pretty incredible torque is a worthy tradeoff.

For the price, there really isn’t a better toy for a little kid.

My boys are 3 and 5 and are just in heaven with this car.

Battery lasts them full throttle for about an hour.

More information on Razor Dune Buggy here.