UGEARS Dynamometer - Mechanical Model Construction Kit 3D Wooden Puzzle for Self-Assembly Without Glue - Brainteaser for Kids, Teens and Adults

This was an impulse buy for me, and I'm glad I went with this simple, inexpensive Ugears model to try it out, because this is so not a hobby for me, and now I know that.Nothing against the kit - the instructions are great, it goes together pretty smoothly, and they give you 2 extras of the tiny pieces in case you lose/break them (which I did) and they give you lots of extra toothpicks because they know you're going to break a few of those.Also, it smells really nice while you're building it - the woodIf you're doing this with young kid and you want to keep it fun and avoid serious frustration, I can think of 3 places you *might* want to offer them some assistance:1. sticking the toothpicks through the gear assemblies - it's a tight fit, and I stabbed my hand with a toothpick several times.2. punching/cutting out the 8 tiny pieces that are labeled 23.3. You only get one shot with the stickers - there are no extras - and it's not as simple as sticking a sticker dot on the wood - it's a two-step process that requires some precision.Also, they suggest you rub wax on certain parts to make things move better, so have a candle on hand. And a hobby knife for cutting out stubborn pieces (again, I'm looking at you, eight tiny pieces labeled 23).I found an easy way to punch out all the other pieces was to tap on them with the eraser end of a pencil.it is pretty neat when you get it all together, I admit - I just felt like Calvin and Hobbes trying to put together that airplane model: "My wheel won't fit in the wheel well." "Here, let me try. Sometimes you just have to... *snap* DARN IT!! "

Careful who you gift to. Need to have some patience. I thought this could be something that would be fairly simple to put together, but more challenging than expected. Hard to get all the gears lined up correctly. Not a big fan of the stickers. Still happy with purchase. Fun to put together with someone else.

This model is simple and very accurate, working exactly as expected. The reason for 4 stars is that you have to use candle or some kind of paraffin in order to grease the rotating parts. I used burning candle, but it means that you need additional staff

My genius programmer husband who has all the toys is very hard to buy for! Certainly something that is not 0ver $500! He adored this! It was fun to put together with our teenage son, it has several features, and is really lovely om his desk.

Putting this kit together was incredibly enjoyable for me. Once it was all together it worked very nicely. If you like building things, puzzles, or just amazing machines in motion this is a great kit.Once you get it make sure to follow the instructions very carefully, though, in order to make sure all the parts line up. Also be sure to wax the meshing area on gears BEFORE you put it together. This is very important. Aside from following the basic instructions I only had to sand down one tiny bump on a rotating part for it to work flawlessly.

I live the concept and idea, however relying in toothpicks as the main mechanism of the product is a major problem. The tips bend and snap easily. The peg in the wheel has fallen out 3 times and now it doesn’t work. I’m afraid to fix it because the toothpicks are so fragile it may break it to fix it.

It works.poor engineering, in my opinion, but passable.. the gears aren't all layed out well, instructions SUCK, and a bunch of the gearing is too sloppy.If they had simply designed the tolerances a little more closely (axle/bearing points closer to the gear locations), it would work far more smoothly.The instructions are horrible. This makes Chineese 'engrish' auto-translate look like Shakespeare... It's hideous. as in, I refused to read it out loud, in case my son thought this was acceptable communication. The only reason I was able to succeed (i think) was due to my own ingenuity and engineering (as an inventor), because the instructions were utterly useless..

Everyone who comes over loves to pick up the mechanism and check it out (old and young). It has been stepped on twice, disassembled by a 5 year old, and continues to work after being rebuilt. Very cool toy that sparks imagination and conversation...or both.Went together ok, with minor tweaking and adjustment once you know what the bits are supposed to do and fit together more perfectly.

Not being great as regards either manual dexterity or eyesight I bought this as a trial before tackling a more complex model. The kit is of excellent quality with documentation to match. The only problem I had was that the candle wax I used did not prove to be a sufficient lubricant to get the machine working simply by blowing on the top wheel but other than that it works as intended and was a pleasure to make. I am now looking forward to trying a more ambitious kit.

I got this to have a break from the larger complicated kits and it was a nice easy thing to make, I love how you can see clearly all the cogs and see how they work.I did make my own stickers so I had some fun things on it lol

Bought this as part of my husband's xmas present and he loved it. It was interesting if a little fiddly to put together but looks just like the picture when it is finished and is nice enough to have on display. Very happy with this and would certainly buy others from this range.

Brought this to build with my kids over the summer holiday. They enjoyed building it and playing with it deciding which chores to do.

Bought for 13 year son. He found it too fiddly to put together and gave up.