SainSmart Jr. 3D Wooden Puzzles for Adults, Marble Run Wood to Build, Mechanical Model Building Kit, DIY Gift for Aged 14+, Roller Coaster

To be honest, I have built quite a few of these marble run 3D wooden puzzles and they are a lot of fun to build, especially when the family is involved. This particular 3D marble run I believe is one of the best that I have ever assembled. Parts and instructions were clear and easy to understand. But one important tip is to just take your time and enjoy the building experience. Don't rush to build this as quickly as possible, this isn't a race to find out who finishes first, because mistakes and misalignment of parts will occur. A very enjoyable family experience. I highly recommend this particular 3D wooden puzzle.

...popping the pieces out of the boards and assembling, especially the spiral (try from the bottom up) you will find this really quite satisfying. I built mine in about three hours. I found the instructions, while minimal, adequate for the most part. You will have to use your noggin (head) and apply a little creative thinking. The glue does dry fast and you will need to keep the cap on as it can dry in the bottle/nozzle. Unfortunately there were a couple of minor missing parts that did not really affect the final construction. There are some extras of the smaller parts which was a good thing because they can be easily mislaid.Overall this was a very nice way to spend a couple of hours not thinking about all the other carp going on in life. Building this with a child would most likely be a pleasant experience for both, just be patient and let your child do the work with guidance from you.The end result was almost as much fun, taking in the steps to conceive/design/layout etc., while watching the stainless steel balls race around the tracks in almost constant motion, every now and then they would get slightly stuck, but turning the motor off nudging the big cogs solved that problem.You also end up with a nice piece of fairly well engineered art work.

WHAT: SainSmart Jr. 3D Wooden Puzzles for Adults, Marble Run Wood to Build, Mechanical Model Building Kit, DIY Gift for Aged 14+, Roller CoasterFOR WHO: Adults and maybe older teens who enjoy engineering and crafts.SKILL LEVEL: Advanced.WHAT's GREAT ABOUT THIS KIT: 😀 Clear, well written instructions. 😀 Precision laser cut pieces are easy to pop out. 😀 Final assembly is fun to play with! 😀 Very nice, giftable item!WHAT COULD BE BETTER: ✔ Sturdier tracks.TIPS: ✔ Take your time. Any building kit with moving parts requires building with precision and care. Important to follow the instuctions exactly. ✔ Think about how the pieces interact during assembly. I choose to add reinforcements on the longer tracks and tighter turns so the marbles would have a smoother and more secure ride. Without tactical reinforcements, the marbles only go a few laps before hopping off.OVERALL: Even though the tracks could be a little sturdier, this is still a 5 star marble run puzzle. It's challenging, the instructions are clear, and you can incorporate a little engineering to make it better. The completed puzzle is a cool marble run!

I like to do these types of puzzles and have never had any issues, except for this one. First, it's not complicated to put together. It just takes paying attention. I don't remove any pieces of wood until I'm at that part of the instructions, otherwise pieces can get mixed up. The wood is sturdy, but there are pieces that feel flimsy, like the rail pieces and some of the smaller pieces that require glue. Some pieces come with extras because they might get broke getting them out of the wood panel. The the motor and battery pack work fine. The one big problem is the wood is cut too thick for the center spiral. I could not get it to stay down flush on top of the wood pieces that stabilize it. I tried and tried and figured I'd use a bit of pressure, but the spiral snapped. Some of the pieces won't stay, even with glue. In summary, this is a neat marble run and decently priced at $29, but all that gets blurred when a main feature is broken. Sort of takes away from the fun. Would I get this again? No.

This SainSmart Jr. 3D Wooden Puzzle with Marble Run is a great option as an educational gift for kids or just to put your mind to use instead of scrolling through the phone. It is definitely a journey and a test of patience to get this set put together properly. As others have said, do NOT rush yourself or keep constructing after you have gotten aggravated. The wooden pieces are fairly sturdy (for what it is) but can still easily snap if you put too much pressure onto a piece. We built this over the course of a few days. Patience is not my strong suit, but I was determined to see if this really works. It does! It is such a cool little machine and watching the marbles cycle around is oddly soothing. For the novelty and sense of satisfaction upon completion this is worth every penny.4/5

When we got this "thing" i was skeptic as the box was too small. i was wrong big time. this 3D puzzle gave my son and me a 3-4 hours of fun time together. the directions are supper clear, the way the laser cut the pieces is super accurate. everything is going to the right place and almost no glue (provided) is needed. we were amazed. the best part is that it comes with a small engine that run the marble in an endless loop. we couldn't take our eyes from it when it runs. highly recommended for a family gathering or a snowy day in the winter. I can't wait to buy more versions of this.

I got this puzzle as a way to unplug and do something to take my mind off all the never ending work I have to do. The instructions are clear and concise. This puzzle is just what I needed. It gives me something to do with both my hands and my mind. Plus, this isn't just a puzzle. When you finish it, you have the satisfaction of having something that helps continue engaging both your mind and your hands. You get a cool maze for marbles. Love it!

Built this with the kids and we had a great time. It's fun building something intricate and functional. Most pieces were very sturdy but some of the smaller pieces were a little flimsy, but still fun to build