As a kid I remember my uncle having a model Stirling engine that he would start up. I was fascinated. I was happy to find a kit at a reasonable price. It is well made, very good looking, and runs like I remember with the alcohol flame.

The parts fit well but the instructions are somewhat lacking. Some items were partially assembled. I thought I was missing pieces since one of the pistons had been placed in the cylinder backwards, but everything was there where I disassembled that part. The LED part was vague, but after I figured out the terminals on the generator and soldered it in place it pulses in various colors depending on the speed of the engine. That's a nice addition and demonstrated the engine can do actual work.

The kit arrived in good condition, one internal part had a minor chip in it (didn't affect function) and it went together fine and ran on the first try. Finished it is a nice looking addition to the mantle. I measured the max rpm at a bit about 1,800 and that impresses my guests. BTW, one needed part was hidden in a cylinder (not in the bag of parts) so there was a moment of concern but once found, all was well.

This cute little engine is about as good as they get at that price point. I rated four instead of five on the quality of the instructions. Like many companies, they’re using what they’ve got in terms of writers and translators. As an English speaker with no fluency in Chinese languages, I felt left to my own devices a bit. Once I determined which piston had to go where, etc, it ran fine. After several runs it’s getting a bit harder to start. My thinking is a little graphite where the slides run in the cylinders would slick it up.
Overall it’s fun.

This was my 4th engine purchase and I love them all. The workmanship is excellent.

I bought this model purely on impulse after taking a Wikipedia deep dive into Stirling and other heat engines. As someone very new to model engines, this little device was at the right price point and simple enough that I didn't feel nervous about the investment while also still being DIY. I was pleasantly surprised at the solid construction and (for the most part) clear instructions. The only real issue was that the included alcohol lamp was missing a cap to prevent the flame from burning down the wick and into the reservoir.

This little machine effectively demonstrates the fundamentals of a Stirling, and the included LEDs are a nice visual. Doesn't produce any real power, but it's a fun little desk toy and/or educational tool.