American Educational 7-1853 DC Crank Generator, 6-1/2" Length x 2-1/2" Width x 4-1/2" Height

As a high school science teacher I found these generators to perform very well. I needed a few extra for a class set, and these were much cheaper than the science supply catalogues were charging. These generators are fairly sturdy, and hopefully I can get a few years use out of them. The trick is to make sure you/students/whomever wind the crank at an even pace and not make random, jerking motions with the crank as the inner gears can strip and no longer work. (spending a few minutes showing students the correct way to use them and warning them what would happen if they didn't resulted in no broken generators!)I also like how these are see-through so that you can show students how a generator works. These provided enough power to light several lightbulbs in varying circuit set-ups.

I actually bought this as a gag gift, so quality was not an issue. However, I did read all of the reviews about how poorly it was made. In the classroom setting I can see how students would just see how hard and fast they could crank it, and I can see it breaking quickly. However, if one realizes you need to start slowly and build the speed, it works well and should last a good time. It is a novelty demonstrator...and that is all it will ever be. AT this price point, I don't think you can do better. If durability is important in a classroom setting, you're going to have to spend more than $14.

I ordered several of these and they all broke on the first day of using them. The teeth on the gears broke off.

Fun and educational product. It is nice and clear so my kids can learn a little bit about electricity generation. I really like that it has separate positive and negative connections so you can make your own circuits with it.

We bought this for our science students to get a feel for power generation. After a 2 days of infrequent use and toying around that kids are prone to, the unit barely works anymore. The tolerances in the gears and quality of the plastics is horrendous. It looks like the tooling for this product was done about 20 years ago.You'd be better off spending a few extra dollars and buying an electronics kit with a power generation functionGreat product if you intend to have your kids use it for a day or two, but it won't last much longer than that.Not recommended.

I use this as a demo and also in a learning center at school. Kids love making the light come on through their own power. The see-through mechanisms help students learn how generators work. I plan to order more next year.

I've had one of these before, it's a very fun little device. However their made of cheap plastic that breaks very easily. This one I recieved today came broken, it sound like starting a dead car and the gears would grind when turning the handle clockwise. after opening it up I found that the bottom gear was not only slightly off thrack, but the plastic holding in the was previously cracked and fell right off. I don't see how shiping could of done this, I wish it was tested before being shipped. I'm going to buy another one, from someone else.

Loved the transparent case that allows my students to observe the internal gears. The incandescent light bulb adds to the demonstration of increased electrical resistance, and when hooked to the leads, it can power small electric motors.....I recommend the purchase of two of these generators so they can be hooked together, demonstrating that a generator can be used as a motor and vice versa....I am going to order a second one shortly....