There is something wonderfully satisfying about watching a row of wooden gears begin to turn and suddenly understanding how movement travels from one wheel to the next.
The Kraul Gear Wheels Experiment Kit gives older children and teenagers the chance to build real working gear systems and discover for themselves how gears change speed, direction and force.
Using beautifully simple wooden gear wheels, axles, a hand crank and mechanical components, children can assemble different arrangements and immediately see what happens when a small gear drives a larger one, when the sizes are reversed, or when several gears are connected together.
Turn the crank and the mechanics become something you can actually feel. A particular arrangement can make a heavy load easier to lift but require more turns of the handle; reverse the gearing and the movement becomes faster while requiring more force.
Kraul takes the experiments much further too. Children can explore gear ratios, intermediate gears, reverse motion, multiple-stage gearing, a simple gear change and the principles behind clockwork mechanisms. Because the wooden gears remain completely visible, it is possible to watch every part of the mechanism working rather than hiding it away inside a machine.
It is a wonderfully hands on introduction to mechanical engineering and one of those Kraul sets that grows more interesting the more you experiment with it. Rather than simply explaining how gears work, it lets children build them, alter them and discover the difference for themselves.
Perfect for curious older children, home education, STEM projects and anyone who enjoys understanding what is really happening inside machines.
What Children Can Discover
• How gears transfer movement from one axle to another
• How different sized gears change speed
• How gear ratios alter the force needed to lift a load
• Why neighbouring gears rotate in opposite directions
• How intermediate gears affect direction
• Slow and fast gear ratios
• Multiple stage gearing
• How reverse gears work
• The principle of a gear change
• How clockwork mechanisms use gears
• Mechanical advantage through practical experimentation
What’s Included
• 2 wooden frame end pieces
• 2 toothed support rails
• 2 securing rails
• 3 small wooden gear wheels with 8 teeth
• 2 medium gear wheels with 16 teeth
• 1 large gear wheel with 24 teeth
• Hand crank with handle
• Grooved lifting wheel
• Ratchet / locking pawl
• Small bag for creating a test load
• 2 long threaded axles
• 6 short threaded axles
• Nuts and washers
• Cord
• Rubber bands
• Spanner
• Detailed illustrated experiment instructions
Recommended for children aged 12 years+.
Interested in how machines make heavy work easier? Continue the experiments with the Kraul Block & Tackle Pulley Kit, which explores force and mechanical advantage through working pulley systems.
Kraul Toys & Experiment Kits
Kraul is a family run German toy maker creating wonderfully inventive toys and experiment kits that help children discover how nature and technology really work.
Inspired by the elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, Kraul toys encourage children to build, observe, experiment and find things out for themselves. From working cable cars, pulleys and water wheels to optics, magnetism and mechanics, each design makes scientific ideas tangible through hands on discovery.
Kraul’s approach is beautifully simple: children often understand technology most deeply when they can build it, change it and experience the results for themselves. The company uses local wood and high quality materials, with almost everything manufactured and packaged in Germany.
Discover the full Kraul Toys & Experiment Kits collection at Magic Forest Shop.
We ship worldwide. International shipping options are available at checkout.