Customer Reviews

Thames and Kosmos Biology Tk2 Scope

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had ordered a different scope a few years ago but you couldn't see a thing with it. This one actually is really good! It comes with prepared slides and you can make your own slides as well. I was impressed having experience with a "real" microscope, this is actually almost as durable and heavy. Watch out for the sharps that come with it though... I would be sure to supervise your child with it for maximal safety, fun and results!

WHAT COMES IN THE BOX

Microscope
Experiment Book
Lens Tissue
Coverslips and New Slides
Prepared slides
Tweezers
Petri Dish
Blue Dye/Red Dye
Pipet
Dissecting Needle
Scalpel (WARNING FOR PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN)

CONSTRUCTION

The microscope is made of hard plastic with a carrying handle and microscope cover. No lens cover was a small minus. The slides are secured by two clips that swivel but no staging to adjust the slide's position on the platform. Large yellow knobs are easy to adjust. There are 3 settings 4X, 10X and 40X with the 10X eyepiece. There are two light settings: above and below the slide's stage. This operates with 3 AAA batteries.

The Experiment Manual is a 49 page full color glossy paperback with various scientific articles for exploration. The reading material is appropriate for a child in Junior High or Middle School.

USE

Just switch the lamp on and adjust your focus. There are a lot of accessories that accompany this microscope. It is easy to use and the light is actually quite bright. The image quality is excellent and the knobs make any youngster a more well prepared scientist.

OVERALL

My daughter and I had a great time looking at various items from the 4 accompanying prepared slides (Paramecium, Lining of the oral mucosa, NaCl crystals, Pollen, and the various slides that we created ourselves). For a better experience, I do recommend getting more teaching slides, as well as more new slides/cover slips.

Highly recommend this item. You will pay a little more but it's worth it.

I was looking around for a microscope for my daughter to use for her science project which involved investigating micro-organisms collected in various water habitats. I tried three different microscopes, and this one was by far the best. The other two microscopes she tried left much to be desired, especially in regard to the quality of the microscope itself. They were truly toys compared to this microscope. I highly recommend this microscope! The illumination of slides/samples is perfect, and reminded me of the microscopes I used in biology lab in college. It's a little pricey, but it's definitely worth the expense.

This is my first time purchasing a microscope. I would put this in a catergory between toy and student microscope, which was perfect for my situation (nine year old). The bright colors seem to make it more toy like, but the quality is top notch and viewing slides is incredible. It is well made and seems to be durable. The two different led lights are much better than the mirror illumination. Super that you can choose which one to turn on- some models I looked at did not have this feature for some reason. The book that comes with it is a little lacking (especially when you don't know exactly how the eye piece and lenses go together- which I did not...and this was after my son removed it of course) but I am really happy with this purchase. Also, you may want to purchase additional prepared slides if you are just starting out, only comes with five. Great educational 'toy' for those parents who are sick of video games and the like. We have had lots of fun already! Reccomended.

This is a very descent microscope and does a good job. Construction is fairly sturdy and the built-in lights do a much better job than other mirror type/reflection illumination microscopes.

This is an affordable but functional microscope to thrill enquiring minds. If you buy cheaper you'll get garbage that would put anyone off microscopy for life. But this scope is astonishingly well made and robust. I can easily see water bears, protists and friends. Yet you're not paying for fancy features that only college kids would want - or be able - to use.
A bonus is tremendous customer service from the manufacturer. Two years after I bought my microscope I lost the ocular lens in a house move. When I wrote to Thames and Kosmos asking if replacements were available they sent me new one for free! Wow!

This is a good starter microscope for my 8 yr old. It is better than a basic microscope and not too complicated to use. The slides provided enable us to analyze everything from a drop of water to a piece of grass. Also the magnification options are outstanding for a home microscope.

I am a recreation therapist on a children's unit and we have had a great time with this microscope. The only problem we had was with the lack of instructions that came with it and properly adjusting the eye piece. Overall, this is a great buy.

We were very happy with the quality of this product. We pruchased it for a 10 year old boy, who was just
delighted and has used it frequently since Christmas.

The quality of this microscope is very high. This is considered by Amazon as a toy, but it isn't a toy. It is a great quality entry level microscope. I highly recommend it. Bear this in mind when you buy it - that is is not junky and cheap. If you want a throw away junky toy, don't get this one! it comes with all the slides and coverslips you'll need to quite a bit of learning.