Customer Reviews

Par Robot! Part Toothbrush? Invasion of the Bristlebots (Klutz)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At first only one of the bristlebots worked. After trying some spare batteries with no luck I noticed the motor was encased in rubber. I used the jeweler's screwdriver to push the rubber encasement down in order to make the metal prongs connect to the motor inside. After that it worked fine.
My 5 year old bought this for me for father's day :) but couldn't wait another day to give it to me. We opened it and he really enjoyed making his bristlebot into a scorpion. He's having (we're having) fun finding new things to make robots using cards, wires, and anything light. Some things don't work well as robot pieces, but he's having fun trying it out.
I'd have given it a 5 if it would have worked right out of the package. So the rating of 4 is a balance of how we enjoy it and having to figure out how to fix it.

Only one bristlebot worked out of the package. Neither switch worked correctly after I took out the batteries, tested them with a multimeter (they were AOK) and re-assembled the bots.

Then, upon looking for help on the internet, I realized that Klutz stole the concept from Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories! No credit is given anywhere in the materials that I could see.

As a subscriber to Make Magazine and a supporter of the Maker Community, I'm very sorry I bought the product. Shame on you Klutz. And though I've always liked your products-- no more recommendations for you in my teacher workshops!

I bought these for my boys. They were very easy to put together and the boys had a blast playing with them. Then, suddenly one would no longer work. We tried changing the batteries with no luck. Now one boy has a working bristlebot and the other has a broken heart. As if things weren't bad enough, when I went online to try to find a solution to the dead bot, I found out that Klutz had stolen the idea from someone else.

Bought this toy based on price and description. It was a gift for my nephew, and I crossed my fingers that he'd like it. It was a hit! The whole family loved it!

It's definitely worth picking up for kids that are into science. It was quite easy to use and amusing to tinker with. It made my nephew curious about doing it himself -- just the goal I had in mind!

I purchased 5 of these enticing little inventions for grandchildren (1 for myself, too!) and was so disappointed. Without exception they were difficult to keep going. The battery connectors were not reliable. It was not easy to replace the battery. Children found them frustrating because of their unreliable nature. The concept is interesting, but I think you should just take apart a vibrating toothbrush, hook up a small battery, etc.

Both of my nephews loved this. I don't know who liked it more - the boys or their dads.

My nephew has used this so much his mom is mad because she has to go to the store and buy new batteries

When my grandson(age 9) saw the package from Amazon.com, he could not believe his eyes-"robots made out of toothbrushes"! He has really enjoyed making the Bristlebots and playing with them. His 6 yr old sister wore out his batteries the first day.

Maybe there were some problems with early 'bots but mine work great. Hours of fun for all ages. Disney likes 'em too.