Sunnytech Mini Hot Live Steam Engine Model Education Toy Kits Diy (V Type)

The media could not be loaded.  This was a great project to do with my 7- and 9-year-old kids. They were able to do many of the steps. I helped with cutting, troubleshooting, and getting some fasteners started.Everything was well built and the important instructions are readably translated. I was surprised by the robustness of the plastic base. Most fasteners are m3 machine screws with nuts. The base has well-built recesses for the nuts — you can tighten all fasteners just using the included screwdriver.The instructions call for several short hoses of specific lengths. The kit includes one long hose. You’ll need to measure (directions are in mm) and cut the hose segments yourself. There’s more than enough hose included to recover from small mistakes. Aside from a ruler and a knife, you’ll also need some paper towel for the wick and denatured alcohol for the fuel.If the engine does not run or if it stops unexpectedly, check and re-check the tightness of the cylinder valves. Too loose valves will rob the engine of pressure, and the valves will loosen a bit over time.

Summery, It runs much better than I had hoped :-)) A real kick !!Likes:The kit was complete as advertised, all parts correctly made.Even though I have some "tremor", I'm 87, the instructions were "good enough" to assemble the kit in a few hours.The only outside items needed were - a knife or scissors to cut the tubing - a scale to measure 10mm ;-) - some denatured alcohol from the hardware store for fuel - a bit of "tissue" for a wick for the fireThe thing needs a quick twist to get going, and went over 15 revolutions/second - flashing the LED with no debugging at all :-))"Dislike": - a bit small for big fumble fingers me - the instructions are adequate with a little imagination (the "50 keys drive wheel", had 50 "teeth" but since it was the only toothed unattached gear - I didn't even count ;-) - I had a frustrating time inter-locking the 120 degree frame a little more brute force than I was comfortable applying to small partsA happy purchase - gotta show the grand-kids ;-)

The first one of these was fantastic. So, I ordered another one. It is NOT the same engine. The pistons are at 120, not 90, degrees, and the tubing set up is different. Biggest change is that this one just doesn't work very well. It TRIES and there's plenty of pressure and it spins easily, but it can't spin itself. Not sure if it's the angle (I suspect it is) or something else that's changed and less obvious, but the new one is a paperweight :(My husband is a fan of puzzles and brain teasers, and this was right up his alley. It's NOT for someone who doesn't like to have to figure things out as the directions are Chinese and the pix unenlightening. He had it together in less than 45 minutes, start to finish, and RUNNING. This thing runs GREAT. It's a steam engine, expect drips...which are easily caught and held on the textured base. Give it time to start boiling, it may need a little push to get started and then it runs fast and smooth.VERY pleased with the quality, zero regrets. Nice tabletop toy complete with blinking lights!

I bought this for my daughter for her history project. The cons:. Too a long time to get in stock, package came bashed in, directions are in Mandarin. The pros directions have great photos, it comes with the screwdriver, kit is well made and goes together easy. However there are some tricks. First the screws that hold the Piston sleeves on; make sure the red flags has the large side out and it should be just a hair higher than the sleeve. Second thing to note are the Pistons themselves. This is critical and the engine won't run if you don't follow this. The connection to the Piston is off center, which means the first Piston installed should have the connection on the inside, the second Piston installed needs to have it on the outside. Failure to do this creates extra friction and the engine won't run. Once we figured this out the engine ran great. For a wick we used a scrap of 100% cotton from a t-shirt. I wouldn't hesitate to buy this again.

The media could not be loaded.  Works amazingly well for a plastic toy!Tips:1: Light machine oil on the moving parts. Not WD-40, something more like sewing machine oil or “3-in-1” oil.2: Make sure the washer they use for a flywheel on the back of the crank disc is pushed all the way on there so it doesn’t rub the frame. You may have to shave or sand the little ridges on the plastic part of the shaft to get it all the way up there, but not so much that it can spin. It has to be tight. You’ll see what I’m talking about.3: The instructions show the spring loaded screws flush with the fronts of the cylinders. I found that backing these out about a turn lets the engine run better. Not too loose though.4: Get GOOD alcohol for the burner. That weak 70% stuff ain’t gonna get it done. Look for 90% or better. I bet Amazon has some...5: You can put more than one dropper full of water in the boiler. I’ve run it with as many as 6! Runs for a LONG time!Update: Just timed it, with 6 droppers of water and a boiler shroud made from a drink can, it steamed up in about 1 minute, and ran for 9.5 minutes. Far better than expected for this little thing.