Girder and Panel Hydrodynamic Deluxe Set

This was purchased for my 10-year old son who loves construction toys of all types.It was a little intimidating to start but once we did, it was great and went together fairly easily.It does not come with the kind of instructions that many are used to: clear color diagrams with lots of detail. Instead, it comes with basic assembly instructions on various parts including explanations of what each part is and how it works. Then it is up to the builder to decide how to put it together. There are some completed diagrams of various configurations but it is up to you to decide how to get to the finished piece.It worked the first time with a little bit of adjustments. It was great being able to control the flow by using valves and other parts and the pump (included) allows for continuous flow of water.It is not the sturdiest piece of construction but is sturdy enough to work. Then you can take it apart, dry it out and build another kind of "factory".I've included some photos of our first accomplishment.A recommended toy for those that aren't looking for the easy way out in building something.

This is a great toy for kids (and adults!) who want to experiment and build, and see how hydro dynamics work! Kids will learn how various systems work and have fun doing it ~ it's a great hands on learning experience. You can build tons of different systems. Some of the cons...the manual really stinks as far as directions and diagrams/connections go. Our son is nearly 12 and did a super job with this for the most part. However, when it came time to switch things around and make a different contraption, my husband got involved and discovered the same thing about the manual. It is certainly not cut and dry. The tubing that comes with it. Measure twice; cut once...as the old saying goes:-) while they *do* give enough, if you cut pieces too short, you may run into a problem. Good thing you can go to your nearby aquarium or hardware store to buy more! The initial connections (of the tanks) are difficult to assemble too. While some of my criticisms may sound harsh, I still highly recommend this kit. You just need to know that a parent may need to be involved in the building, and depending on the child (and perhaps their age) , they may become frustrated. Once you see that water flowing and the different designs you can make...SO worth it!

My 10 year old son recieved this deluxe kit at the beginning of the summer. He loves to build-legos, knex, marble run etc. He spent hours and hours for weeks playing with this kit. We put it on a short patio table in the bath tub in the spare bathroom. It stayed in there all summer with very little mess. At first adding food coloring was fun, but it got messy so I put a stop to it. He still played with it anyways, rebuilding and watching the water flow. Yes, some of the tanks are hard to put together at first. After a month, it all wears in and it is easier to change the tank designs without parental help. One hint about putting the brand new, tight fitting tanks together is to attach the flatter pieces first, save the pointy ends for last. I had good luck using shag rug on the floor to support the pieces when I applied lots of pressure. I think we ran one piece under hot water to expand it and then tried to snap them together. At the end of the summer we put it away, and a few weeks later he dragged it out again for another two week run. A great toy that stores easily when not in use. (Just make sure that everything is dry before you lock it air tight in the storage container.) This deluxe set is better than the picture that Amazon shows. "Google" it to see the difference between the deluxe and the standard model. Amazon has a great price on it too. I wish they made more toys like this. I would buy them.

This is a remarkable set. It's well-made, it's intuitive, and it presents endless possibilities. My son is six and needs help with putting the pieces together -- they are tight, as other reviews mention, but it's necessary to the toy's function. He is fully able to plan assemblies and help put them together, and he loves the thing. I'll admit to spending some time after he was in bed playing with water column height and pressure to get the thing to do still cooler operations, which proves that this toy really is complicated and fascinating enough to appeal to older children and adults, while still being a great experience for young children, with help. I would guess that independent play would start around 10, and that 10- to 14-year-olds would find this thing endlessly entertaining and thought-provoking.We skipped the suggested plans altogether, though they seem to make sense; this toy is best used for invention, though, not following a schematic, as the water creates its own logic. It's the best of all worlds: Problem solving, building, water play, systems analysis, and fun like crazy.

I bought this toy for my 8-year old son and he loves it. Very easy to use, you get a fully functional construction pumping water into a web of pipes in under 20 minutes. There is a lot of space for creativity, as you can build many variations easily.I give it 4.5/5 because of two small issues. First, the snapping mechanism of the struts does not lock well, so some linked beams tend to delink when you are working on the structure (something for the manufacturer to change, just add a few thousands of inch to make them lock better). Second, there is a need for a switch: right now you have to pull the plug to stop the pump; I worry a bit about safety, since water and electricity don't match, so I told my son to always dry his hands before touching the plug. But these are really minor issues, the game is a winner. I just bought a second one for my nephew.