So #1 son has been a good boy and filled his marble-jar up so is inline for a “treat”
He wants a mini-scooter thing to ride on. Fair enough we say and have told him he may need to spend a bit of his birthday money along with what we’ll pay.

Tesco have one for £7!!! Buy cheap, buy twice? or a bargain?

Is it worth spending more?

We purchased one for about same price, still going strong 2yrs later

Our cheap ones are metal, but no proper wheel bearings. Eldest seems to have killed two in five years, but for context he was doing 2 feet drop to flat today….

For the record, its this one:

http://www.tesco.com/direct/lightning-strike-2-wheel-scooter/208-4736.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=208-4736

In store for £7…

The micro branded ones are excellent on slightly rougher ground and ultimately safer for your little ones as they have more control in the bends.

My eldest still runs on the one bought on my stag do which was 12 years ago now. It cost about the same price probably less for a job lot on Blackpool Pier.

I’d be a bit wary of anything that a child is going to thrash around, that has a battery case with a lid that can break. Bike lights are bad enough. I’d look for one about the same price without the lights, more money might have gone into better wheels, for example. Or maybe spend just a little bit more, and get a slightly stronger scooter. I’ve watched kids riding them, and they get hammered, so better durability is better than the wee lad coming home crestfallen because part of his new present has broken.
If it was my nipper, and that happened, I’d be just as upset as him.

How old is he?
If he’s a bit bigger & starts throwing it about it’ll snap at the rear and front of the deck. My 2 have both broken their cheap ones so have more expensive better quality ones now.

did you buy your mountain bike from halfords for £50? same thing really. depends entirely on how old he is and how much use it’ll get i suppose.

my mate just paid £150+ for one for his 10 yr old son, but he is riding it every day in an indoor skate park and popping big air on it

http://www.wheelies.co.uk/Catalogue.aspx?search=scooters

Mine have both got a micro scooter (2 wheels at the front jobby), expensive but well made. Not sure it was worth the bother though as they continue to gather dust in favour of balance bikes and a newly acquired pedal bike. Much to my delight!

looks similar to one FiL bought our eldest. bit cheap and nasty, on the height adjust steerer the tolerances between inner and outer tube are waaaaaay out so clamp doesn’t do up properly (they use them sprung peg things aswell tho). I have my doubts about bearings and overall strength. Fine for pushing around house and garden but when kids are older I’m not sure I’d want them tear arsing round the streets and trying jumps/drops on it.

Not sure it was worth the bother though as they continue to gather dust in favour of balance bikes and a newly acquired pedal bike

other way round in our house – much to my disgust

Buy the £7 one – if it breaks v early, take it back for a refund, otherwise you’ll find out whether your lad likes it enough to stump up for a decent one.

He’s 5, and a lightweight, so unlikely to overload it.

He loves riding his bike, but has recently borrowed a friend’s scooter, which he sort of enjoys and has improved, but get s frutrated at the lack of speed/amount of effort. I suspect the bike will always win, so doesn’t seem much point buying anything too shiny…

tell him to man up and get a skateboard. scooters are for girls!

^^^^
This.

Smyths have loads

Ours has just got one from there for £15 quid with two handlebar setting heights. Lowest is good for 5 yr old. Not all had this. Has steering limiters too to stop jack knifing

Skateboard or bmx, dont let him become one of those specimens that clog up skateparks with zero park etiquette, there’s nothing more annoying.

£7 Tesco scooter purchased.
I’ll report back if it survives the following 2 weeks of holiday abuse…

Skateboard.