M
Been wanting to part this Orrery by the great JK Brickwork's for a couple years now, but then stumbled onto this licensed kit.
FIVE STARS!
Pro's...
- Nice box-art all around. Especially front embossed/raised imagery. Inner box has nice schematic graphics too.
- Very thorough instruction. Step by step approach on par with Mega-Construx.
- Unusual unique brick separator. Handy.
- Large base has good weight to it. Better for handling and moving about than JK's original base design. Can grip and hold easier while using crank/handle.
- Brick quality like Mega Construx. Clutch similar and very good.
- The gold elements have nice look.
- Good quality stickers/graphics.
- A great build, satisfying and enjoyable. Complex yet fairly simple to build. Fun.
- JK's design of the Earth and continents at this small scale.
- Spins rotates smoothly.
- Improves on JK's original design with he himself reworking it.
- Gives hope that CaDA will produce more of JK's designs. Especially hoping for his '2001: A Space Odyssey' Discovery ship.
- Item delivered safe and sound (just a couple of slight dents on the corners of the item's box) in about 3+ weeks to U.S.A.
- Great price.
- HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Con's...
- Stickers. Not necessarily bad but on placement of the months on the ring of gold slopes, some can be placed crooked if not careful.
Some of those areas on the ring don't have sturdy clutch so pressing down on the element to place stickers can snap off the element from their plates and hinges.
- Not as good as Lego quality bricks/elements but dang close. Very close.
- Bag 1 corresponded with the first part of the build accurately, but for bag's 2 and 3 you'd need to open all of them and organize your parts for the rest of the build. I enjoy this, but if you're looking for the Lego style of each bag going in order, this kit's bags 2 and 3 don't follow in that fashion.
- Even though on box says 8+, kid's around this age would find it difficult to push certain pins into place, and with the style of instructions would miss some pin placements, etc. Definitely needs adult supervision for kid builders 8 to 12.
- Weight of the large boom, slightly droops that part of the model. Not bad, barely noticeable.
- Originally after ordering no tracking provided, only way to communicate then was to leave a poor review but the Double Eagle site had good communication, got back to me promptly, after that review, on where the package was en-route.
G
This design by JKBrickworks and CaDa is a nice piece of art and also contains realistic model aspects of the Solar system. It seems that the gearing ratios work surprisingly well to provide a good idea of the ratios between the real world rotations of the earth on its axis, the moon around the earth, and both of them around the sun - all following the yearly cycle with the twelve months. It comes prepared for the use of a motor, and works very well with a PowerFunctions M motor, but also manual operations with the crank work well. I did enjoy the building experience with the detailed building experience and high piece quality. Comes in a nicely decorated cardboard box, too!
N
I cannot review your product yet, I am still awaiting delivery.
