This was found on eBay as I needed a Toolo Shank. The hand-tool is an expensive grab, closest to UK stocks will set you back at least £8. A new one will cost you a cool £17. These RC (Radio Controlled) parts set me back £20, including postage. The unit needs some TLC for which I will open it up and take a look.
Toolo was introduced in 1992. It was developed over the course of ten years, and subsequently retired by 2000. This set is a later addition and could be classed as the after-product of the Toolo range, having been first released in 2005 under the Dacta name, an educational concept that was developed from Toolo. (There is a set that is known as Tech Machines, that also had the same set number attached to it. This was a Dacta set from 1998 with the code, 9203-2.) Toolo and Toolo Dacta are like a mix of Lego and Mechano. The use of plastic hand-tools, added more to the building for young engineers. Not only were you to stick the bricks upon the scaffolds, but now you could screw them down.
The whole set is very tidy, with this unit averaging at £15 for the two. So, with the shank, currently not available on Bricklink in the UK, it was still a great buy, pending the repair, of course. The forward wheels can be removed, allowing the track-rubbers to be taken off.
Fix Review: Left powered wheel is not spinning when under control.
I have now looked at the unit and taken it apart. There was nothing obvious to note, but I did add power directly to the motor. There were no issues and it spun without excessive noise. I removed the board and frayed a wire, so I had to replace it. A quick solder and I fitted it all back together. Still no operation.
I then took the remote apart and checked for corrosion. It was considerably well kept. I lastly checked that the infra-red emitter was working with the left-hand control switches. For this, I used the camera on my phone that conveniently shows the emitter glowing up. So, the remote is in top condition.
My verdict, for now, is that the unit’s circuit board is affected by the small amount of corrosion that likely came from old cells at some point in its life.
UPDATE: To complete this article, I would like to say that, after moving down the circuit with my multimeter, the board is not worth the error-tracking process. It has a failing circuit and is cheaper to buy another used unit to make a good one between the two, than what it is to repair it. The plastic shell is still servicable and the controller is great. The fact that I purchased this for the Toolo shank, means it’s not too much of a loss.
