Ugears Hexapod Explorer 3D Puzzle - Walking Robot Wooden Model Kits for Adults to Build - Self-Propelled 6-Legged Mechanical Crawler Craft Kit - 3D Wooden Puzzles for Adults for Fathers Day - 388 Pcs

I am writing this from the perspective of a gentleman of 'mature' years (76) with a small cataract in the left eye; more of this later. I have done one of these kits before and regard myself as a good DIY'er with a high level of mechanical skill (I have home-built two light aircraft.)The kit is of very high quality. The laser cutting of the pieces is excellent. I did not break a single one when extracting them from the board. If you do break or lose a small piece there are some spares on the boards.The instructions are also impeccable, I might have found one small error about the position of the springs on one page but only after looking very hard. The kit is not easy. It requires patience and dexterity. You must look at each instruction (pictorial) carefully and check and re-check that you have not missed anything. The assembly cannot be rushed. Even with maximum care I found I made one mistake that required a partial disassembly to correct. I found that using one of those magnifying glasses with an integral light was a considerable help. A little bit of 'fettling with small wood files was useful particularly when getting the escapement mechanism to work correctly. A couple of drops of glue were also needed as once wound up and let lose the insect could start to shake the more vulnerable bits apart.I bought this as an Xmas present for myself to assemble on wet afternoons in the winter. I probably spent 30 hours on it. Excellent value for money. Harmless entertainment that keeps you away from the rest of the family but NOT easy to get it all working correctly. I did eventually. It might be a challenge for a 14+ year old but that depends on how big the '+' is. I shall certainly buy another kit from the manufacturer for my next Xmas present. Highly recommended but don't expect it to be easy.

This is the second U Gears kit I have built. I love mechanisms and this one is pure genius... producing a realistic 6 legged variable speed walking motion takes some doing with everything made from thin plywood but the designers at U Gears have done a great job with this kit.As with other kits like this, careful and patient assembly is essential. It's really important to test the freedom of motion at every stage and correct even minor points of sticky motion or 'snags' before moving on - or else it won't work! There are a lot of gears and cams packed into a small space and it is very easy for parts to interfere with each other unless you are careful.A few of the parts were a bit loose fitting and needed a tiny dab of super glue to make them secure - especially some of the leg pivots which merrily dismantled themselves whe0n the device scuttled across the floor at high speed! That said, on a full wind of the spring the thing will easily walk 7 or 8 meters.The result is worth the effort put in...

The base is too low, Catches the hexapods movement/

This is great fun to make, and mine worked just as it should, without any problems. Make no mistake about it, though, this is a tricky one, and not for anyone to tackle without practice on easier models. As always (and I have made a dozen of this company's models by now) the quality is excellent, and provided you are careful to sand off the any roughness where each element was attached to its framework, and use plenty of the (supplied) candlewax, because the mechanism is complex and ingenious, it works well on completion.

I have built a lot of ugears models and I am very aware that it is a must to ensure that all necessary parts are really well waxed in order to get the desired working product. All of the rubber band driven models have failed to work properly. The Aero clock model not needing a drive rubber works perfectly and is a great example of the high quality of Ugears products. The Hexapod is an exception as this is driven by a steel spring and I expected this to work well. Alas, it works but poorly. Do not be put off with this review however. I buy these models for the sheer enjoyment of building them.

Overall a good item and fun to build but unfortunately it does not crawl across the floor , it won't move until lifted off the floor

I found the item delivered (on time), so Amazon, please ignore my previous feedback. I've found the item, and it is a perfect Christmas gift to my son. Thank you.

Can be difficult to build first part of it and did get a few broken parts to repair. I get back to the rest of build sometime after redecorating work to my room.