Radio flyer wagon

[tilly2321]

Not sure where to post this, but I am trying baby bargains first since I can't bear the thought of leaving this board and going to Toddler Bargains. I am thinking of buying a Radio Flyer wagon for my almost 1 year old (I think they have to be 18 months to ride in it, but I have a coupon right now for the store!). FOr those of you who have wagons, should I get the all wood or the part steel/part wood? Let me know!
THanks!
Elle

[trumansmom]

We have the one with the red steel bottom and the wood side panels. My husband got it for Truman for Christmas. It's a wonderful, sturdy, classic toy, and I'm sure Truman will enjoy it more as he gets older. Right now he will let us pull him in it for a couple of blocks. It's a two person job, with one pulling and the other making sure he doesn't climb out! After a couple of blocks he wants to be carried.

We like the sides for the little bit of extra barrier they provide. Truman would have toppled out of a plain one by now.

HTH,
Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01

[lukkykatt]

We have the one that is steel with wooden sides. DS got it for his first Christmas, and it has been a huge hit! I agree 100% that the wooden sides make the wagon much more secure for a little one.

Good luck!

[nohomama]

We have this wagon and I highly recommend it:

http://www.redwagons.com/mod32alsteel.html

We bought it at Walmart for around $90...much less than I've found it for online. I'm not a Walmart fan and tend to avoid the place, but this was a great deal.

We live in Western MA and have had a ton of snow this year. This wagon has carried Lola through the snow many times over the course of this winter when our strollers would barely have made it down our walk. The all terrain wheels really do make a difference.

HTH,

[susabusa]

This is the wagon we have

http://www.exploringwithkids.com/index2.ivnu

We love it! I know it is much pricier than the Radio Flyer, but you also get what you pay for. We have a 4 1/2 year old and 3 year old and a new baby due next week. The older kids hate the stroller and a wagon is a wonderful solution. The sides on the Cartwheels wagons are very high and I've never once had them try to climb out while I'm pulling them. There is a safety harness

http://www.exploringwithkids.com/item164467.ctlg

that you can use to keep the kids attached to the wagon.

Stephanie

[hardysmom]

We have the Radio Flyer "all-terrain" wagon from LL Bean-- it has the wood botton and wood sides. Personally, I like the all wood. Just seems more comfy-- doesn't get too hot/cold when it has been in the yard for a bit.

Stephanie

[nohomama]

I imagine this is true of other wagon brands as well, but you can buy accessories for Radio Flyer wagons (padding for the bottom & sides, seats, umbrellas, etc). Just one more thing to consider...

[pamela mom of 3]

We have the ATW model with wood sides and metal bottom......we also have the pads for the bottom and sides......It's a heavy wagon but gives a good ride with the air tires and handles snow and gravel well.

Kids really enjoy it, much better than the plastic wheel ones, we had in the past.

:)

[parkersmama]

I definitely think you need one with the sides. We were given a Radio Flyer that was just the metal bottom part as a gift and found that the sides weren't high enough to make me feel that the kids were secure (4 inches or so just doesn't cut it!). I love the classic look of the all wood ones and the metal with wood sides but here are a few points to consider. If you must leave the wagon outside, the ones with wood on them are not going to last through years of kids because of exposure to the elements. Also, the kind with metal get very hot in the summer sun and you'll probably find it necessary to use a pad or blanket to prevent burning from the wagon (this is the reason metal slides are no longer in use!). Because we have to keep our wagon outside, we ended up with a Radio Flyer plastic wagon that's very similar to the ones made by Little Tikes. Here's the one we have: http://store.yahoo.com/radioflyer/mod24navwag.html It has two seats and has been great for my kids. It's very easy to pull and they even pull each other around in the grass now that they are a little older. I've always felt that they are very secure riding in it and it's weathered nicely outside year-round. I miss the classic look of the others but this was just much more practical for us! HTH!

[anna lisa]

Sarah,

Is this the one from Walmart? It retails for $180 on the redwagon site you referenced. Walmart's price of $89 is amazing!!!

So, it's a regular Radio Flyer just at a HUGE discount. The accessories all work well with this model?

Thanks for the tip!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=4199&dept=4171&product_id=878134&path=0%3A4171%3A4199%3A4198%3A91644

[emilyf]

Just fyi, I just got an email from rollingtoys.com, it looks like they have radio flyer stuff for a pretty good price. They have wagons, trikes etc for those of you looking-I'm not in the market for any of that but thought I'd post the site for those that are-
Emily
mom of Charlie born 11/02

[jojo2324]

Hi Elle!!

Gannon was given a red wagon for Christmas by his aunt. Here is the one we have:

http://www.redwagons.com/radflyer26di.html

We ended up getting a plastic wagon because we were concerned about rusting. This thing is great!! We got it at TRU; they had them on special for about $80, quite a steal compared to this site.

HTH! :)

[mom2kandj]

Hi!

Welcome to the wonderful world of wagons. I, too, was looking at a Radio Flyer steel/wood wagon when lo and behold a Radio Flyer plastic wagon was delivered to my doorstep as a shower present. At first I wasn't too keen on the plastic, but was worried about a metal wagon getting too hot in the summer. (We live in sunny SoCal and my parents live in Vegas!) Let's just say that our wagon was meant to be! The plastic is perfect for California weather and when we get the wagon sandy from the beach, it is easy to hose off without fear of rust. The sides are high and the wagon is huge. (Fits up 3-4 toddlers with a hidden compartment underneath and cupholders on the side.) If you do end up with this wagon, be prepared for it to fill up the back of your garage, minivan or SUV. My parents got one for their house and my dad uses his wagon with the sides removed to haul stuff around the yard. Now that I've got you thinking about a plastic wagon, not all plastic wagons are good quality. Radio Flyer is the best! Rubber wheels on a fixed axel! Test drive the others with plastic wheels and/or those rotating axels and you'll freak out! YUCK! Now for the bad part about my Radio Flyer, the only accessory that I know that fits my wagon is the clip on umbrella. No cushions, no seat with seatbelt, no wagon cover, etc! We do have a clip on umbrella and my dad designed a nylon webbing seatbelt for DS. Also, after we received ours and my dad got his, Radio Flyer came out with our wagon with all terrain wheels! Bummer! Though I'd like to buy them and upgrade, it really isn't necessary! We really like our wagon and use it often! Good luck!

Rose
mom to Katie 28mon
and Jack almost 12mon