K'Nex Big Air Ball Tower

by K'Nex

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 14 x 22.7 inches ; 13.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 13.7 pounds
• ASIN: B0001NE5PW
• Manufacturer recommended age: 10 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,065 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Big Air Boz is being hounded by plastic balls that are pursuing him through a convoluted maze of tubes, chutes, and contraptions in this complex construction toy. Use the included step-by-step instructions to build a five-foot tower, featuring a motorized airlift, a tiny trampoline, spiral loops, spinning paddle wheels, and other Rube Goldberg-type tricks. You can also set the instructions aside and come up with your own system. The storyline of a young hero like Big Air Boz chased by plastic spheres adds little to the fun of toy but there is tons of fun to be had in orchestrating the network of available mechanisms. --Charlie Williams

Product Description

Over five feet tall, this amazing tower is packed with anti-gravity, air blast action. You can build three different courses in one kit. Start out the daredevil ride with Big Air Boz as he climbs the 5 ft. anti-gravity tube from an air blast. Then, watch as he rides the rails to the pivoting arm and takes a bounce off the big trampoline into the basket. Other adventures await in this challenging building set. Includes four balls and customizable obstacles kids build themselves. It's packed with more than 1,350 pieces and full instructions for each model. Requires 4 "D" batteries, not included. Measures 36"L x 30"W x 67"H assembled.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Air Ball Tower, July 11, 2004

By 

Daniel (Tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: K'Nex Big Air Ball Tower (Toy)

If you are up to a big challenge, I would highly recommend building the Big Air Ball Tower. I received this set from my parents on July 9. I had the tower completed in about five to six hours. If you want an easier challenge, I would recommend bulding the Junior Big Air Ball Tower. But, if you are up to the real challenge, build the Ultimate Big Air Ball Tower. The most challenging part of this set is adjusting the orange tubes correctly. My favorite parts of the set is watching the balls go through the loop and bouncing off the trampoline. I really enjoyed building the Big Air Ball Tower, and I hope you will, too.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This toy works much better than I expected!, August 16, 2005

By 

Shawna Johnson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: K'Nex Big Air Ball Tower (Toy)

My son has been interested in this toy for well over a year now. After reading the reviews here I was never going to get it and had pretty much talked him out of it, but every once in awhile he would mention it. So when I was shopping for his 7th birthday I saw it on sale at Toys R Us for $40. I was VERY hesitant to purchase it, but I thought that maybe the Jr version would work and that the K'nex pieces themselves were worth the $40.

First my husband put together the Jr. version and it worked just fine. So my son took it down and built the big version. He put together the whole thing himself and it works great. Every so often the balls get stuck, but it by far exceeded my expectations. Is it worth $99? Maybe. But it's definately worth the price when it's on sale.

Thumbs up to this toy!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible toy (if you know who you're buying it for), March 30, 2005

By 

Quaker (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: K'Nex Big Air Ball Tower (Toy)

My son got this for his 10th birthday. He has previously built just about every major K'Nex kit including the Ferris Wheel, Screamin' Serpent, Rippin Rocket, Electronic Arcade, and Loopin' Lizard. His excited reaction when he opened the box: "Wow. This looks complicated!" That was the highest possible compliment he could have granted to this toy.

A week later, it has lived up to his expectations. He thinks it's the best K'Nex project ever, and I share his opinion. The things that other reviewers seem to be complaining about are the very things that make this superior. It's complicated. It requires a lot of tweaking to get right. But unlike the simpler projects that you build and then stare at, this one demands involvement. If you want a model kit, buy something else. If you want the thrill of building and interacting with a classic Rube Goldberg contraption, this is one great toy.

If your child is not extremely patient, or has never built a K'Nex project, I would NOT make this the first. The instructions are not easy, but kids who've succesfully completed large K'Nex models before will be more comfortable with the familiar graphic lexicon of the instructions.

RE all the reviewers' comments about missing parts, I would be amazed if anybody could get through the construction of this thing without making some mistakes along the way. Thinking that a part is missing is part of the process of discovering you have to retrace your steps to figure out what you did wrong back in step 47. If that sounds awful to you, don't buy K'Nex.

RE all the comments about balls missing targets and tubes needing adjusting and balls flying in the wrong direction, see above. This thing requires tweaking to get right. Balls WILL fly off in the wrong direction. That's what makes it all the more satisfying once this thing gets humming.

If you are shopping for a serious K'Nex fan, Big Air Ball Tower gets 5-Stars.