Tonka trucks were a staple of growing up in the 1980s, and many kids of the era still have flashbacks to sandbox empires built with the diecast dynamos all those decades ago. All that and more will come rushing back as you peruse this list of 1980s Tonka trucks guaranteed to STILL drive you crazy.
Tonka Mighty Dump Truck
The Tonka Mighty Dump Truck came with a push dump lever that would release the load, and it was first produced in 1965.
Tonka Front Loader
The Tonka Front Loader was first manufactured in 1980 and is a push-and-pull loader with an excavator bucket.
Tonka Longbody Dump Trunk
The Tonka Longbody Dump Trunk was first manufactured in 1980 and is a dump truck with an orange body, black cab, yellow windshield wipers, and three-speed transmission.
Tonka Tow Truck w/ Crane
The Tonka Tow Truck came equipped with a telescoping crane to tow broken down cars or for lifting heavy objects and was first manufactured in 1980.
Tonka Dump Truck w/ Bulldozer Blade
The Tonka Dump Truck with a bulldozer blade had a push-and-pull lever that would release the load and came equipped with an orange body, black cab, yellow windshield wipers, green plow blades for snow or dirt, and three-speed transmission.
Tonka Crane Truck w/ Trailer
The Tonka Crane Truck with a trailer was first manufactured in 1980 and is equipped to carry heavy objects like trees, rocks, or even trucks up on the back of its flatbed truck bed. It has an orange body, black cab, yellow windshield wipers and three-speed transmission.
Tonka Fire Truck w/ Water Tower
The Tonka Fire truck with a water tower was first manufactured in 1980 and is equipped to haul around the hose, ladder, and fire extinguisher that one might need for any emergency call. It has an orange body, black cab, yellow windshield wipers and three-speed transmission The toy trucks were discontinued by 1989 when their popularity had died off.
Tonka Paver
The Tonka Paver was first manufactured in 1980 and is able to haul around bricks, stones, or even a cement truck so that the heavy work of constructing roads can be done. It has an orange body, black cab, yellow windshield wipers and three-speed transmission
Tonka Dump Truck w/ Gravel Loader
The Tonka dump truck with gravel loader first came out in 1984 when new construction projects were being invented all over America. The toy trucks were discontinued by 1989 when their popularity had died off.
Tonka Crane Truck w/ Excavator Attachment
In 1985 this Tonka crane truck was introduced with its attachment for hauling up large rocks or trees from the ground before loading them into its flatbed trailer.
Tonka Road Grader
The Tonka road grader first came out in 1980 and was designed to help solve the problem of uneven surfaces on roads, sidewalks, driveways or ramps by spraying a layer of sand over it so that cars can run smoothly without getting stuck. This toy truck had an orange body with black fenders and yellow wheels until 1985 when its design changed to have red fenders instead. The last year this product was made is 1989.
Tonka Walker Bulldozer w/ Load-Up Attachment
This small Tonka bulldozer walker debuted in 1984 for children who were starting construction projects at home like building tree houses or driving around mini trucks loaded up with dirt they just dug from their backyards. The design of the toy truck was similar to the Tonka walker bulldozer except that this toy came with a load-up attachment in order to carry dirt, sand and rocks around for kids who wanted to make mud pies or build their own hills on which they could drive their trucks.
Tonka Snow Plow
The Snow Plow featured rubber tires, metal axles with leaf spring suspension for towing or hauling heavy loads in snowstorms and also included an attachment that could be used as a push plow if you wanted to clear out your driveway after the big storm came through town.
Tonka Flatbed Truck
The Flatbed Truck was manufactured by Tonka in 1979 and it came equipped with a large cargo area for carrying heavy loads.
Tonka Excavator
Tonka’s Excavator toy came with a large shovel and bucket in order to carry dirt, rocks and other materials for kids who wanted to build their own roads.
Tonka Pickup Truck
Continuing a long tradition of Tonka pickup trucks that stretched back to at least the 1950s, the black 1980s version with the rainbow decals has become a toy legend. Tonka made other pickups during the gaudiest decade, too, but the mere sight of this black beauty with the knobby tires will send any 80s kid right back to the playground sandbox.
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