Single Bottle-Rocket Launcher

I bought this in 2013. I've used it all over the world. Never had a problem. Only writing this review because I went looking for another, and saw the negatives. Clearly people aren't very bright.

Good things-Holds up well to light and moderate use-Seals well to 2 liter bottles (I have yet to try other sizes)-Stakes remain in ground for several launches if placed properly-Thorough instructions-Only requires a pump, water and soda bottle in order to use-No safety automatic safety release (this could also be a drawback, but for my purposes I liked it)Things I did not like-Difficult to stake (requires considerable effort or technique)-Sharp edges require adult supervision when handling-Friction fit plastic tool attached to release string. Becomes dirty easily and secures only looselyIf one can get this into the ground straight, it works well repeatedly. If one doesn't have experience with launchers like this, it can be hard to set up, but I like the design and exploratory value of this launcher. I have only owned mine a few months, but it shows little evidence of deterioration. I will update this review if anything goes wrong in the near future, but I don't expect to need to.

I purchased this item because I was looking for a water bottle rocket launcher to help out some middle school students with a science project. The class had 1 launcher, but I was looking to purchase a second one so that I could put together and launch some of my own rockets (I had never done this project before and wanted to practice prior to helping out the class), as well as having a second launcher on hand to speed up the time between launchings for the students themselves.This launcher will launch water propelled bottles, but this item only has 2 metal prongs, which left the launcher very unstable and prone to tip over. I was constantly having to adjust the launcher between launches. In addition, if you plan to launch off a hard platform, this item cannot be used as it is designed to be anchored into the ground (dirt).In closing, this item can be used to launch water bottle rockets, but it cannot be used on a hard platform (parking lot, street,...), and you will need to be prepared to find additional ways to stabilize this 2 prong launcher (I ended up having to use a 50-pound grass fertilizer bag on each side of the launcher).

Even after repeated pounding with a mallet, I was unable to achieve a good seal. As a result, at around 10 psi the stopper would invariably fail, spewing water prematurely and leaving twenty ten year olds (and their teacher) sorely disappointed. If you're not a gifted enough craftsman to construct a launcher yourself, bite the bullet and invest in a more expensive, higher quality product. You get what you pay for.

I bought one of these a few years back. Used it regularly in the classroom. Eventually the plastic wore down and it was unusable. The new one is made of metal and looks to be more durable.

Bought one of these years ago direct from manufacturer and its been my go-to launcher (I'm a science teacher). Mounted mine to an X of wood for a stable base.Been seeking to replace the stopper / tubing on mine for awhile and was delighted to find this one online, but upon first use found this one has a more poorly built valve than my previous one, allowing some water to back up into tubing. Stopper also doesn't seal as well allowing extensive leakage with some bottle types, although this may have more to do with the bottle opening indent in my old-faithful than in any flaw with the new one.In short, this is better than the other two inexpensive ones I've tried (Aquapod and prefabricated PVC kits--one didn't work at all with my air compressor / bike pump, and the other didn't fit multiple bottle types in quick succession), but I wish it was manufactured to the same quality as my previous edition.

The unit is very good and once you solve the one big problem, it worked very well. The problem is that the rubber stopper is supposed to be held tightly in the bottle neck, but the rubber stopper is about 1/8" too short and the horizontal bar does not push it tightly into the bottle neck. So when you add pressurized air, the stopper is pushed out of the bottle neck even though the bottle is still being held tightly in position by the two arms. The solution was to get a large thick washer and cut a notch into it so that it looked like the letter C. Then I slid the washer under the stopper and it was now held tightly in place so that pressurized air could be added. This solution will make more sense once you actually get a unit and experience the problem. Other than that, the unit worked very well.

Works great, my son loves launching bottles at the park!