DjuiinoStar Most Classical Low Temperature Stirling Engine, Unique Coffee Timer, Best Gift Option, Educational Toy, Steam Engine Model DLTD-303

The media could not be loaded. 10/10 Sterling engine

This is the same Sterling kit you'll find for way higher price from other sources. Only difference between this one and one I bought before, is this cost $24.99 and my first one $83.95 and just had different name tag on top plate. The whole kit is extremely secure packaging, well boxed. Assembly is straight forward, just be sure not to drop either the flywheel or the base. You'll notice on the flywheel that one crank arm is closer to flywheel than the other, put the side closest to wheel toward center with flywheel between the brass bushing and plastic cylinder. Carefully mount the flywheel ends into the two bearing posts. Leave the rods alone for now, and give flywheel a turn to see if it spins easy. Once it slows and stops, it will most likely have same side down each time, don't worry or try to balance the wheel. If you have some needle nose pliers, makes it easier to put the rods on, but a sharp pencil will work also. Turn flywheel crank so that it is slightly off of straight down, and use fingers to pull which ever rod you are attaching, up against the little rod on crankshaft, push toward the little shaft with pencil point (or use needle nose pliers) and it will snap on the crank. Repeat for the other rod. I put the larger cylinder rod on first, because it made thecenter one easier to push on. After all connections are on, give the flywheel a turn to make sure everything stays in place, you're done. Looking at the name plate toward you, the wheel wants to run clockwise. I put the base on top of a cup of hot coffee and touched an ice cube to top, little touch on the wheel and off it started. Ran quite a while even though I didn't leave ice cube on top (too messy) and I drank the coffee. You can even hold it in your hand, and touch ice cube to top plate, and it will run.Have fun

Very interesting

Excellent quality. Assembled in just a couple of minutes. Ran great right out of the box. Ran for about an hour on a "Really Hot Cup of Tea"

I found assembling this item to be difficult, eventually using an X-Actor knife....not to cut anything but to place the flywheel's axle in position.But once I did that the thing worked like a charm, immediately. I particularly appreciate the work that went into its appearance. For example the flywheel doesn't HAVE to have the curved spokes, but they give the thing a great "Steampunk" appearance. Or should I say "Heatpunk" ?

Stirling engines are sometimes called "external combustion" (heat source is no the outside) rather than "internal combustion," like a car engine.All a Stirling needs is a temperature differential, which can come from anywhere ... typically a fuel, but could also be solar heating, etc.This engine needs a fairly small heat differential - just put it on bowl of shallow hot water, and it will spin! VERY cool. If you want more, you can put ice cubes on the top, to increase the differential.I got this as a gift for my little cousin, who is is at the age where he thinks engines (and cars) are cool, but not at the age where a hot toy that can burn you is appropriate.This is a fairly quite, smoothly running, relatively low temperature engine.FUN!

Well two weeks to Xmas I just opened and tested various gifts and several had flaws, so I was very soothed to get to this one and find it is perfectly flawless and seems sturdy enough that assembling, testing, disassembling and reboxing seemed to hold zero risk of anything bending or breaking (unlike so much annoying cheap plastic junk). It is just so nice to see a sturdy, meticulously crafted toy in this era of disposability.And yet, with quality so high, the price is great too! Amazing!I love this because it is a beautifully simple example of concepts that have changed the world. With this you can open a discussion and explain to a kid all sorts of amazing stuff from generators and mills to trains and cars. Experiments can be dreamt up, such as putting various materials between mug and device to compare heat transfer, or trying it outside in the winter cold, using tepid water, to test if it needs heat-heat or just relative heat.Plus it's just plain fun and looks lovely.My only complaint would be that they don't include the graphite lube (and you want that lube! thing squeaks infuriatingly when operated without!). I suppose they don't want the fuss of including a little tube or stick and then handling complaints when it gets squished and makes a mess, I dunno. Or maybe everyone but me already has graphite around the house. It is very useful for applications where oil lube would gunk up with dust. Anyway, definitely add some to your cart with this engine. I found this nice small cheap tube:https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07KBT3PDS/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8