My wonderful sweet husband got me this as a birthday present! We went into the store to pick it up and when we got home we stained and finish it and put it together, It was very easy to put together, and while the wheel it's self is made of MDF (not solid wood) it is very very well made. I love spinning on it. It's light weight so it's easily moved from room to room or even on trips. A wonderful , inexpinsive wheel!

(Posted on 3/21/13)

My husband surprised me with a Kiwi2 for our anniversary. He said it was easy to assemble and I love that you can finish it with your own personal touches. We used a stain on the wheel and then handstamped dogwood blossoms on it. We waxed the rest and then I began spinning.

(Posted on 12/27/12)

I have an Ashford Traditional that I love but I was looking for a wheel that was smaller and easier to transport. This one is perfect. The Kiwi 2 has a couple features that my Tradional doesn't have and I love them. They are the double treadle and when I stop treadling the wheel stops immediately. I would highly recommend this wheel.

(Posted on 11/27/12)

I am a new spinner, this is my first wheel. I used a kromski sonata (rental) for lessons, so i only have experience with those wheels, as well as drop-spindling, for what it's worth.

This wheel is pretty good, i had it finished in clear coat but left the wheel and flyer unfin. soo we could paint it black or stain it, looks sharp. ( i stained the wheel, and painted the flyer black.

The MDF wheel, while not the most tradtitional looking thing, is just fine, i think it looks very nice stained.

I like how light this wheel is, i can just pick it up and put it where i want it, and it can travel pretty wel in the front seat of my car.

So now for how well it spins - i can get a nice thin even yarn with it, and ply great too, I have managed to do the english long dra3w with it, although i think a higher ratio (faster spin) would make that go better, but still, i managed, so i accomplished that.

For the price, i think it is great and lets me do what i want to do. It comes with 3 bobbins, so you can spin a 3 ply. BUT if you want to spin a 4 ply, just spin your singles and make a 4 ply ball and ply from that, and it works fine.

Overall, this is a great wheel for a beginner or someone of any level who is more of a casual spinner, esply on a budget..

(Posted on 10/10/12)

I purchased this wheel from Paradise Fibers on a recommendation from a friend (Julia-fellow reviewer as well), and have not regretted it for a second! I LOVE this wheel! It is so easy to understand and use! Yes, the wheel is MDF which seems cheap, but for $380, you are getting an awesome wheel! And as long as you take care of the wheel, you'll be ok! I painted the actual wheel & spray sealed it, and oiled the rest. If you like big skeins of yarn, or chunky yarns, or art yarns, I HIGHLY recommend you purchase the Jumbo Bobbin for the Kiwi, as the regular bobbin doesn't hold as much as I think it should :P (But I am picky picky picky!) lol

All in all, my Kiwi gets a 9.5 (only not getting a 10 bc the directions were a tad confusing being all photos, no words!)

(Posted on 9/22/12)

I looked around for the perfect spinning wheel and I knew the Kiwi was for me. It is light weight and just the right size for my little apartment. The wheel came very fast in the mail and was easy to put together. All in all I am very happy with my purchase from Paradise Fibers and you can't beat the free fiber that came with the wheel. I highly recommend this wheel to anyone who is an experianced spinner or to someone who wants to learn how to spin.

(Posted on 5/11/12)

My husband got me this spinning wheel for Christmas a few years back. I take it with me to my knit nights and to our local knit in public day. It spins nicely and is super easy to use.

(Posted on 5/7/12)

For my second wheel I went with an Ashford Kiwi. It's lightweight so it lends itself well to traveling to lessons, spin-ins, etc. It's a great wheel for the price and looks beautiful after finishing (I used Orange Oil). It runs smooth and quietly so long as I keep it oiled (don't forget the hinges on the treadles!). While I will upgrade to a bigger wheel eventually, the kiwi is one I will not let go of!

(Posted on 4/12/12)

I adore my new Kiwi. It is beautiful and spins like a dream. It was easy to assemble and the finish is gorgeous. It is so easy to spin and allows room for learning.

(Posted on 10/31/11)

i am not mechanically inclined so had a friend put it together...was done in 90 minutes....it is so smooth and quiet.....she wants one for herself

(Posted on 2/26/11)