Customer Reviews

OWI 6-in-1 Educational Solar Kit

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

I bought this as a project for my 6-year old daughter and her father to do together. So far they have completed the solar car and it does work, but we were incredibly disappointed by how small the pieces are. The pictures they put on the box are VERY misleading...you'll notice there are no people, hands or other items in the pictures or background, and we actually feel as though this was done intentionally to lead people to believe that the pieces are larger than they actually are. When we got the box we couldn't believe how small it was, and upon opening it we realized that the entire thing is just very very small. To put it in proper perspective, the finished car is 2.5 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, and 2.75 inches tall when the solar panel is extended all the way up. As for the actual solar panel itself, it is 1 inch x 1.25 inches. My daughter got this as a birthday present so she is not "disappointed" as she was not expecting anything one way or the other, but if you are looking for a kit to make large-sized items this is not the one to get.

This was purchased for my 8 year old son. It was smaller than I imagined, but still worthwhile. We made the car, and it fits in the palm of my son's hand. He did need some help assembling it, and will most likely need assistance to change it from one configuration to another. It seem at bit on the fragile side, so it is better for solo play than with friends. He really likes that it is solar, but if it does not have direct sun or strong indoor light, it doesn't have enough power to move. Now the child want a solar flashlight to shine on his solar car.

This is a transcript from my chat with OWI Robotics. The one I received is missing part P3, the pinion gear, and IS NOT their product.

'i purchased this kit from amazon.com (owi robot kits) marketed as owi but i believe it is using your name but not sold by you. would you be able to confirm that?

owihelp: Yes, what kit are you talking about?

'specifically it is the 6 in 1 solar kit

'your sku on the website is owi-msk610

owihelp: Yes it is. There are a few things you can do to confirm whether its a knockoff or not.

owihelp: On the back of the box does it say where its made?

'made in china

'this is the weblink for the kit on amazon:

'[...]

owihelp: If the box says 'made in china' it is a knockoff. All of our products are made in Taiwan.

'can you view that link i sent you? they are marketing it as your product. i saw your product at an educational supply store and thought that was what i was buying. thanks for your help.

owihelp: Yes, I've seen them before. We are currently talking to Amazon trying to get these kits off their website.

owihelp: Thank you for the heads up though.

My 6 year old had fun putting the peices together and making the different items, but was disappointed when the solar module didn't power the engine. The connections are not very durable, apparently, the system is set up this way so that it can be modular when you make the other "kits". The wiring is connected via springs that you slip the wiring through. We tried everything, including soldering the wires in certain places so they wouldn't come off....Nothing worked. Would have been a good kit had the little engine and wiring been of a better quality and if everything would have been a bit bigger (would have been easier to work with the critical parts)...Great concept, but due to quality, would not recommend to anyone....

We built the car, and it is tiny! The wires are very hard to connect and slip easily out of the coils they are poked through. We have not been able to power the car with sunlight, and can't get it to work with a flashlight. If we hold it up to a ceiling light the wheels turn, but that's it thus far. Great concept, but too frustrating in execution (even for adults!).

My brother purchased the OWI 6 in 1 educational solar kit as part of his middle school graduation present; needless to say by the title of this review it is junk, absolute crap. First off this "toy" is much more complicated and much smaller than it seems on the box, and as for the recommended age of 10 it would be impossible for one so young. I'm 17, an honors student, and it was difficult for me . Your first hint to its low quality is the large stamp MADE IN CHINA right across the bottom almost as if it's some kind of excuse. Secondly the instructions are worse than those DIY media cabinets from IKEA. They don't even bother to coil the wires for you and if you slip up and remove the twister early, too bad for you. Finally, and probably most importantly, the stupid tiny motor doesn't even turn the gear. In full sunlight all you get is a little struggling, humming noise. Big Whoop! What I really want to say would get this review tagged and removed, but for your own peace of mind and your child's happiness, DONT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!

The item is hard to assemble since the wiring connections are broken easily. Good concept with poor quality. Very disappointed.

Do not buy this kit. I read the reviews but decided to order this kit anyway for my daughter as a gift. Not only were the negative reviews correct but the thing was defective. Amazon should stop selling this kit--it is a box of crap.

I bought this product hoping to use it for a science fair project. All the reviews and the descriptions made it sound like it would be great fun and easy to set up. WRONG! First when it came, i tried putting it together. All the pieces come together on 2 slates of plastic parts, so you need to seperate the parts. When you take off the parts, there are 2 little stubs of plastic (from where you ripped it off) sticking out, and in order to make the wheels turn, i had to file the wheels down with a nail file. I was planning on building the car, and i became so frustrated because although the description may not sound like it, it was extremely diffucult to wire up. the wires were sooo small and you have to keep on taking it apart over and over until it is perfect. It took me about an hour and a half just to make the car, which is also extremely insanely small----:-(----,so you will need tiny hands. Then once you get the car set up, you need to hold it under a lightbulb about an inch and a half away for it work. MAJOR FAILURE. you need to carry the lamp about an inch away from the car at all times, and it doesnt work under fluorescent lightbulbs either. I tried making it pull a ping pong ball, and the motor is so weak it didnt move. Bottom Line is, although it may seem like it is cool, and it looks good, and the description and other reviews make it sound "Fun and Educational", just dont bother. Their are so many other kits that are probably far more easy to build and use. Hope this helps :-) !

I bought this toy as a gift for my 8-year-old son, who was really excited when he saw the box, and really disappointed when opened the box and saw how tiny the parts are. Even worse, the solar panel requires so much light to power the motor that to get it to work, we literally had to hold the solar panel within two inches of a light bulb. Still, my son made the best of it by holding a flashlight up to the solar panel, but then the tiny, flimsy parts started to break, and it was a lost cause. The way that the wires are clipped to the electrical parts isn't secure, either and we had to add tape to hold them in place.

All in all, the concept behind this toy is terrific, but the way it was implemented is terrible.