From the Toysit archive
Tonka Power Grid: a truck that becomes a toy workshop
Explore Tonka Power Grid’s folding workshop, crane and motorized tool stations, then give its worker three jobs with an original workshop job board.
The play at a glance
A workshop arrives on wheels
The yellow truck opens into a small, busy workplace: blue platforms spread beside the cab, a crane rises above them, and a worker stands among tools and red connecting cables. Imagine the truck arriving to help a town finish its last repair before a parade.Follow the work around the truck
The crane gives the workshop a tall focal point, while the side platforms make room for a figure to move from task to task. Hasbro’s guide identifies a welding station, pipe cutter, fan, safety flasher, saw and jackhammer accessories. The crane has separate connection points for lifting the hook and swinging the boom. These are miniature workshop actions that a player can turn into a sequence: receive a job, choose a station, finish the task, and tell the customer.
The cable system is part of the toy’s appeal. A power plug connects at the truck and a motor pack connects to a tool. The roof shifters activate connected stations and return to their upright off position when released. Follow the matching guide’s diagrams for connections, stabilizer legs and folding; an adult handles battery replacement. The guide marks the toy for ages four and up.
Try a workshop job board
This original Toysit activity gives the worker three little stories. Make three paper work orders and keep them beside the toy, clear of its moving parts. Draw a crate on the first, a part awaiting inspection on the second, and a celebration flag on the third. Add a customer’s name to each: perhaps the market, the station and the parade crew.
- Lift the crate. Point to the crane and describe where an imaginary delivery needs to go. The crate can stay in the drawing while the worker explains the lift.
- Inspect the part. Choose a visible work station. Give the worker a question to answer: “Is this the piece the station ordered?” Turn the card over when the pretend inspection is complete.
- Announce the finished job. Choose a place for the worker’s report. Say what was done and who can collect it: “Market crate ready at the blue platform!”
Put the cards in a different order for the next shift. A second player can be the customer who explains why a job matters. On paper, draw a truck with three work areas and move a drawn worker between them; the same job conversation carries the scene.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The original product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Workshop on Wheels.
Connect Connect the Power Grid motor cables. Tool up. Choose your tools and connect the motor packs. Power up. Push the shifters to power up multiple tools. Comes with Tonka figure, 3 power cable cords, working crane, welder saw, jackhammer, exhaust fan and warning beacon. Includes 2 D batteries. Get powered up with this heavy-duty power rig. This 16-inch-long, sturdy yellow truck has power ports that provide the juice for seven different tools. Three battery packs plug into the power ports to power a jackhammer, a crane, a rotary saw, a welding station, a pipe cutter, a fan, and a safety flasher. The body of the truck opens up into a big workstation, and each station has a power port. Make the gears grind, the crane hook raise and lower, and connect the rotary blade tool to the pipe-cutting tool. Battery packs can be connected so that all the tools can run at the same time. A burly worker figure sits in most of the tools and in the cab, which opens up. The manufacturer recommends this toy for kids 4 years and older. We feel that children under 8 will need some initial parental guidance in understanding how the power packs work, and the truck is quite heavy. However, once they get the hang of it, this could become a favorite amongst truck lovers.
Motorized Tonka toys elevate the fun of traditional toy trucks by adding an exciting layer of realism and interactive play. With the push of a button or the flick of a switch, these trucks come to life, rumbling forward, backing up, or performing functions like lifting and dumping. This real-world mimicry allows children to feel like they're operating actual construction or service vehicles, enhancing their imaginative play scenarios. Whether it's a dump truck that actually unloads or a fire truck with a motorized ladder, the added motion and functionality can make playtime more engaging. Plus, motorized features often captivate children, helping to develop their understanding of cause-and-effect relationships, fine motor skills, and even basic mechanical principles. These toys can also facilitate cooperative play, as children work together to build imaginary construction sites or enact daring rescue missions, providing ample opportunities for social and emotional development.
Sources and editorial notes
Hasbro’s two-page Power Grid guide, item 90547, ©2002, matches the pictured workshop layout. Both pages were reviewed as reproduced page images. It calls the cable-end units motor packs; the truck holds the two D/LR20 batteries. The earlier writer’s weight and age impressions remain historical opinions. The job-board activity is an original Toysit suggestion; no physical testing was performed.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site photograph reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Hasbro Power Grid guide, page 1 — Manufacturer diagrams reproduced by Manuall: item 90547, parts, ports, opening and stabilizers.
- Hasbro Power Grid guide, page 2 — Manufacturer connections, shifters, closing sequence and battery instructions; ©2002, P/N 6168700000.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete original product account and historical commentary preserved.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.