I checked out a local specialty store that has a wide variety of Bruder toys in stock. The attention to detail and realism of the toys are quite spectacular. They also have good play features, where the shovels and such function easily. It is true that they probably wouldn't hold up well to rough play, though.

While they are definitely 1:16th scale, it IS pretty close to Joe-size. The deal breaker for me, though (other than price) was that they easily dwarf all your other vehicles by comparison. For example, I was thinking of getting the forklift - good for dio opportunities and one of the least expensive Bruder items. But the commercial grade forklift is roughly the size of the MOBAT; that's right your team's forklift is as big as your Main Battle Tank.