The Chaos Machine

Product Description

Embark on a thrilling journey into the world of chaos! Learn all about chaos, the chaos theory, and the butterfly effect. Then, get hands-on and build pendulums that move in complete, continuous chaos! It's totally CHAOTIC! [Read more]

Top Reviews

cheap plastic good to demonstrate but not sturdy enough for play
by Benjamin Lotter (2 out of 5 stars)
October 24, 2017

It's plastic arms with metal bearing inserts. Perhaps if you use super glue you can get the bearing to stay inside the plastic. On the second try the arm fell off and every subsequent time it gets looser and falls off easier. Will try the glue idea to salvage the purchase, but I'm very disappointed in this product.

Conceptually, it works. However, because the tolerances are too loose, it quickly loses momentum and can only go for about 10-15 seconds.
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Good idea with disappointing execution
by Amazon Customer (2 out of 5 stars)
August 10, 2018

When I got this toy I read the documentation and it was confusing. The ball bearings are not installed in the plastic pendulums, and even when they are, it's hard to get everything to assemble properly. The documention doesn't help at all. A real shame because only 2-3 small changes would have made the kit work nearly perfectly. If I wasn't lazy I'd return the product.

EDIT:

I built a custom backing with a strong magnet. Then, I added a second nut (lock nut) to each axle where I could find space. With that, I was able to get reasonably good results. I still think the docs are a bit scattershot and it's really not OK to get a detail like the ball bearings not being installed or documenting how to install them.
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This seems like a good idea
by Jay Porter (3 out of 5 stars)
November 17, 2017

This seems like a good idea, but it falls short in the execution. Within a few minutes, the bearings come unseated from the pendulums and your contraption doesn't do what it's supposed to. The holes for the bearings need to be smaller to ensure a snug, secure fit. You can probably work around this with tape or something around the bearings.
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The engineering is so bad that pieces won't stay together
by vmars (1 out of 5 stars)
January 30, 2018

This is junk !!! The engineering is so bad that pieces won't stay together . For example , the ChaosMachine , the whole reason I purchased this toy , doesn't stay together . It falls apart , so I never get to see it in action . The original Chaos-Machine ( see youtube ) is great gadget , but not Fat Brain's version . It is just plain junk . Unfortunately , I was busy for quite a while so I didn't get to try it within the 'return period' . I surely would have sent it back immediately . If you are thinking of getting it for your child , DON'T . If you do , your child will hate engineering .
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My son really likes the Chaos Machine with one exception ...
by TVH (4 out of 5 stars)
September 5, 2017

My son really likes the Chaos Machine with one exception. After only a couple hours of experimenting with different configurations the bearings don't want to stay tight in the arms. We put scotch tape on the bearing OD to rectify the problem but it really should be addressed in manufacturing.
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This is a great concept but it fails on so many levels.
by Tim Talpas (1 out of 5 stars)
May 19, 2019

I had a similar device that my mother had gotten me from MoMA in the 80s or 90s that worked beautifully, but over the years I lost various parts. I bought this because it looked similar in concept, but much bulkier and more configurable.

The problem with this is that the bearings don't stay in the arms, so after a bit of use it falls out and you have to put them back in. Also, it's difficult to set this up... you really have to be sure that the arms are in a certain orientation or they will pop out and fall off. Also, even following the directions in the manual for various setups, the arms will smack into each other as they are too long.

Overall, beacuse this misses the mark so hard, I would not recommend it at all.
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good for parts only
by Donald H Wilkison (1 out of 5 stars)
April 25, 2019

Had a smaller desktop version of this year's ago that was amazing. Disappeared after a move. Don't know who made it and couldn't find on the interwebs (so bought this poor substitute instead). On my original one, you could spin it as hard you you wanted and it spin seemingly forever. It was really fun to watch and a great example of chaos theory. However, this version is kinda a joke. The bearings won't stay in the holders without gluing them. Some of the nylon bolts were cross-threaded so ended up going to the hardware store and replacing them. Essentially you're paying a lot of money for some skateboard bearings and a few plastic parts. it's obvious they only pay lip service to the reviews. With just a small amount of qa/qc they could ensure these work and are a value.
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I think trying random configurations would be more fun. It appeared to be well made for a ...
by Judy (4 out of 5 stars)
January 10, 2018

Only one grandson (17) showed any interest in it. He is very mechanical but he couldn't get it to do what he wanted it to do. He probably expected too much. I didn't get a chance to play with it. I think trying random configurations would be more fun.

It appeared to be well made for a toy. As always, read the direction.
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Do not buy
by Peggyloo (1 out of 5 stars)
January 18, 2019

We wish we would have read the reviews. Unfortunately, my son found this on his own and asked for it and we purchased on the basis of the MISLEADING video. The bearings do not stay on as intended. Huge disappointment on Christmas morning.

Note: Fat Brain Toys initially refunded less than half purchase price. After I questioned it the rest was released.
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CHAOS?
by M. Vidaurreta (2 out of 5 stars)
January 14, 2019

IT IS NOT A GREAT CHAOS MACHINE!

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