Sunnytech Mini Hot Live Steam Engine Model Education Toy DIY (BJ001)

Great little engine (my first). It feels very nicely made. Simple, all metal design (one image I saw showed a glass lamp, but this one has an all metal base with a wick sticking out). It came with a spare o-ring for the boiler lid and a spare wick (60mm long). Filling the base with denatured alcohol and the boiler with demineralised water, this thing will take about a minute or two to heat, and then crank along for up to around four minutes once started. I gave the flywheel a bit of silicone spray and this thing is super smooth now (some people warn against putting lube in the piston though, so I didn't do that). The first time I ran it there was probably too much wick sticking out (maybe 7.5mm). The flame was too large and the engine overheated. I've since shortened wick which allows it to operate for longer. One thing to be conscious of is over filling the boiler. If I do this, water seems to spray out, and can drip on the lamp. Several times I've had enough water on top of the lamp-base that it touches the wick and starts to draw the alcohol out. If this happens, the flame can become too large and the cause issues (including being a potential fire hazard, but that's true of any flame and the nature of these types of models). It's a great first engine and I can highly recommend this!

Looking at the reviews, there will probably those who dislike it or love it. I think I know why. Patience. This is an excellently machined product to what looks to be a high level of quality due to tight and smooth machine tolerances. As such, this requires a break-in period like any quality mechanism. I found it to be a bit tight to run freely at first, but after a few runs, it really runs smoothly with no appreciable slop in fit. After carefully adjusting the wick shorter and shorter, I can get it to run amazingly slow and smooth for an extended run time and little spitting of water. So, if your impatient, you may be a bit disappointed at first, but after a little time and liberal use of olive oil for a lubricant, you will find it can run very well for such a small engine. Careful examination of the workmanship proves that a good deal of quality went into its construction. It appears very well balanced as well. Treat it more like a fine piece of work and not just a toy to be revved out to max RPM's and you may just be pleasantly surprised. Experiment with it. Try using different fuels sources and such. Keep it lubricated! I have other engines, including a D2, and rate this up with the best. I guess I am just a model engine nerd. So be it.

Straightaway, I wish there were instructions of some kind. That would help. That said, I was able to figure out how to put it together pretty easily. It took about five minutes. I had to bend the supporting arms inward to create more tension to hold the engine upright. At first, I filled the tank too full. Fill it with distilled water about halfway. There needs to be space for heat and energy to collect to drive the piston when released. I did oil the moving parts. I tried to use the wand lighter thingy we use for birthday cakes for heat. That did not work. I ended up going to CVS for 91% alcohol. With that flame going, the device kicked into high gear and really ran. It didn't move around too much, but it did spew some water, so you'll need a paper towel or two. And the flame creates soot on the bottom and sides of the tank. It's just how it goes. A very interesting little device for simulating a steam engine.

This little steam engine is very well machined and functional. It makes a nice demo for thermodynamics. I only wish there was a way to easily extract some of the power from it. I will have to try to machine a small wheel for a rubber band transmission.

This is such a great item. I won’t, however, refer to it as a toy. It works as described; perhaps with even more ferocity than I expected. I suggest placing it on a heat resistant surface that is also capable of absorbing its vibrations. It generates a lot of energy that can vibrate it right off the table. I also suggest using distilled water instead of tap water. Like other reviewers, I lubricated all moving parts with oil. Since I didn’t have 95% alcohol available, I used 75% rubbing alcohol and that worked as well. Why won’t I refer to it as a toy? First, it relies on an open flame to generate heat. Second, the components absorb that heat, so they eventually become quite hot to the touch. Obviously, this presents a fire and burn hazard. Adult supervision is an absolute must.

Purchased this kit for a Steam Engine project for my grandson. It was easy to assemble and works perfectly. I used 91% isopropyl alcohol and it burned plenty hot. I recommend a youtube video that explains this kit in detail from how to build it to how it works. Mini Single Cylinder Steam Engine Kit by Ronald Waters

The base is damaged. It's all scratched up and dented. The brass coating is chipped off. The design quality is also very bad. There's not much holding those three pins in to the ring so they always pop right back out. I'd have to super glue them or solder them in for this to be stable. This bad quality design is NOT worth the price. Now I have to spend $20 in gas for a 120 mile round trip to town just to return this. Update. I ordered a replacement and it arrived today. This time the upper base was scratched and the entire mechanism didn't work. The wheel spun freely. I tried to repair the mech but the rods are too lose so this particular engine will never run. I took spare parts from the other one and made a working model, but I have zero confidence that it's going to last very long at all. I'll probably end up returning it as well because I don't trust the quality of products that Sunnytech sells.

impressive example of fine machining, this 'steamm engine' operated beautifully after a few tries. I used isopropyl alcohol rather than a stronger fuel and it functioned impessively from slow to fast depending on the flame size. purchased as an example of theology for children, it will work perfectly.