Toy Review: Lego Single-Drum Roller 7746

The Lego Single-Drum Roller is one of the new model kits from the Lego City line. Boasting 208 pieces, children can use the plastic bricks and pieces to build to their hearts' content with this kit as long as they want to build a steamroller to go along with their Lego city construction landscape.

Featuring a modular build, the kit comes packaged in two separate bags and a few miscellaneous wheeled pieces. Stickers and instructions round out the kit. The first bag contains the pieces needed to build the two mini figures, two traffic cones, a tool rack, a flattening tool whose name escapes me, and the primary chassis of the single-drum roller. The second bag has the pieces needed to build the canopy, wheels, various mirrors and lights, and the titular single-drum. With the easy to follow visual instructions, children can complete the roller in about 30 minutes.

Fully constructed, the single-drum roller is about nine inches in length. It is very large and in scale compared to its mini figure construction workers. Primarily a bright construction vehicle yellow, the black rubber tires, gray single-drum, and translucent bricks signifying lights add detail to the roller. The roller glides on surfaces well and plays like a toy car albeit one that has to be built. The little gray ladders on the side are a nice touch of realism to the toy. The roller is steered by turning the single-drum in the desired direction. A ratcheting piece locks the single-drum into its turned position.

My main gripes with the single-drum roller are with the mirror and headlight bits. They feebly extend at the cab of the vehicle and are easy to dislodge. They also do not look convincing on the roller itself. And like most completed Lego model kits, they are very prone to shattering when dropped. Perhaps my largest gripe is the lack of other things I can build with this kit. Most Lego kits nowadays are 3D puzzles instead of the imaginative building toys I grew up with. I used to play with only Lego bricks and mini figures. Whether I built an abstract piece or a detailed play set, I made due with my Lego bricks and improvised my way through construction. Now Lego seems to create new pieces just to serve one function of its associated model kit and removes most of the imagination aspect of the toy.

The Lego single-drum roller retails at $29.99 at most toy stores and is appropriate for builders over the age of five.