My 10 year old grandson's dad is a shipwright so he has grown up around tools. He is thrilled to have his own version of dad's tools. As mentioned in other comments, my son mounted the PLAYmake 4-in-1 on a wooden board for stability. It does take some pressure to operate the lathe and this keeps it from moving. I liked that you could also purchase spare parts. No waiting if something wears out or breaks. The PLAYmake now has a permanent space in the Make-It area his parents have created for him.
Tara F.
January 23, 2020
– FARGO
Great birthday gift for pre-teen girl
My 12-year-old daughter loves using this lathe and is excited about the projects she's already made with it.
Liked:
Quality,Value,Educational
January 15, 2020
– WILKES BARRE
Verified Purchaser
Makes a great gift !
Purchased it for my two grandsons. Ages 10 & 8 . They assembled it by themselves and immediatly started using it. They love it !
Liked:
Quality,Value,Educational
January 14, 2020
– CANTON
Verified Purchaser
Lath
I got this for my 9 year old grandson. He loves it! With the help of his dad to set it up. He has enjoyed making a few little things.
Liked:
Quality,Value,Educational
January 03, 2013
Christmas gift for grandson-he loved it.
noreaster
January 13, 2011
Find a way to secure it to your work area! Kit does not supply. An OK introduction to woodworking, a bigger practice in patience. Lathe doesn't line up; jigsaw doesn't install smoothly and locks up constantly; sander works fine, tho! Wouldn't recommend it for the price. Maybe try it for half-price.
July 13, 2026
Not for 5 year olds change the recommend age
This was purchased for me to use in my pre-k classroom. I had ask for a chomp saw but the person saw this and thought it was a better deal than the chomp saw. I do not think I will be able to use this with 5 years old children. I can’t believe you have the recommend age at 5 years old. The recommend age should be at least 8 years old. I do believe the only part of this that can be used with my 5 year olds would be the sander. Very disappointed. I may just donate to a second grade class.
January 15, 2026
Toy That May Lead to Lifelong Skills
I got this toy for my child because I wanted them to get exposure to real working tools. My husband is a machinist and I really enjoyed watching him teach our kids how to operate these tools. I also enjoyed watching my child's creativity run wild while making his own wooden puzzle. The knowledge and skills kids pick up while playing with this toy are very valuable.
December 25, 2025
Bad quality- saw stopped working within 5 minutes
We gave this to our son for Christmas and the jig saw tool is already broke. We cut one small piece of cardboard and the saw kept getting jammed. We finally got it done so tried to cut one of the pieces of wood that came with the saw. The jig saw stopped vibrating altogether and doesn’t work. The quality is awful, what a disappointing Christmas gift- a tool that doesn’t work.
Disliked:
Quality
MindWare
December 29, 2025
Staff
We're so sorry this happened. It's unusual for the 4-in-1 Cool Tool to have issues like this. We would be happy to send you a replacement or provide a refund. Please contact our Customer Service team directly at 1 (800) 274-6123 or email [email protected] to arrange this.
January 13, 2025
Verified Purchaser
Great product idea. Projects need a little work.
Love this product idea. My son loved it and with only a little help was able to complete the windmill project. The tools are perfect beginner tool set. Downsides are the windmill solar motor didn’t work and there are some little finishing touches that would have made it hold together better for the price.
Liked:
Quality,Value,Educational
January 24, 2024
Verified Purchaser
Recommended!
Our 11 year old girl is loving this gift. Every function works well on it. Dad is happy with it too! We were worried it may be a cheap toy that doesn't work like a real tool but that is not the case at all. It is sturdy and quality. Age appropriate for our 11 year old who is new to power tools.
January 14, 2023
Verified Purchaser
Great product
My grandson and his dad are having a great time with this product. Said it was awesome!
