Woodland Scenics FS639 Static King, Black

Good, solid static grass applicator. There are more expensive models out there which I'm sure can perform better, but this represents for me a nice middle-high quality option that is safer and better than the cheap options, but still doesn't feel like an excessive luxury spend. Comfortable to use and lays down grass nicely.

Batteries do not put out enough power to really make this work properly. Using AC power did the trick, but instead of paying $20 for the proprietary supply, get a standard AC adaptor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09STC66J3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) and a polarity reverser (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMHMPMP?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details). Makes all the difference in the world!

There are several complaints about the applicator not coming with a power supply, but it's also capable of being powered by 9v batteries. My battery door wouldn’t close over a 9v battery but the dimensions of those can vary quite a bit. That said, it does work substantially better with a power supply. Much like the cranking amps of a car battery or the power of a vacuum cleaner, bigger is better (230mA from a power adapter vs 50mA from a 9v battery), so that should be no surprise.But, before you run out and pay $25 for the Woodland Scenics power supply, adapters from most consumer electronics have standard-sized barrel connectors. I checked my junk drawer and immediately found one from an old networking hub within spec with the right plug. If you have an old adapter that's 12 volts and puts out at least 230mA (the specs are on a small label or molded into the housing), you might already be good to go. The one caveat, and the reason I dinged this by a star, is that it requires an unusual “center negative” adapter and doesn’t mention it anywhere (see the tiny diagram in the picture). Most power supplies are "center positive". That just means the polarity is reversed and you have to snip the barrel plug off, swap the internal wires, and solder them in reverse. Without that fix, the applicator doesn’t turn on. It seems like a shady way to get people to buy the branded adapter.As for the complaints about being tethered by the alligator clip, they're clearly from people who don't understand the physics involved in causing the grass to stand up. Without that alligator clip, you might as well just sprinkle the grass with your fingers.

You should probably buy the extra power supplies, I did. It worked great but you do need to buy special glue and grass for it.

First purchase worked great with regular use until it just stopped working approximately 2 months after purchase. Would not power on with either the power adapter or a battery. Returned the item and got a replacement of same model. Same pattern with the replacement: worked great with regular use, then abuptly stopped working. Too unreliable and expensive for a third attempt- moving on.

Had to rewrite the first review. I can see the static grass dropping straight. I'm loving it now. I also put an extra wire hanging from the screw to static grass lid.

I picked this up for use in creating grass tufts and grass fields for miniatures and Model dioramas. It is a valuable addition to my tool set. I had previously made a homemade static grass applicator from a electric fly swatter but the results from the Woodland Scenics Static King are far superior. I also like the option to use the ac adapter so I don’t have to go through 9v batteries.I am vary pleases with this tool and the results it gives me.

Long term user of Woodland Scenics products and this is the first time I regret purchasing one of their products. First issue was NO POWER SUPPLY. Kind've a cheap shot to not include a power adapter for a device that is specifically designed to create a charge. Although WWS Pro seems to have good results with same power source. Tried to use the 9v battery and first issue is DOOR. It wont close properly. Even with door secured with tape and special tac glue . Results were poor. Yes, I selected a small area, did not allow skin to form on glue and tried varying depths of layers . The results remained poor. Tried varying grounding methods , using the cradle,direct off alligator clips and finally copper wire tip and grass sizes no longer than 7mm. Anyways, $80+ committed so I went ahead and tried to use this with the ac adapter.. Only a very marginal improvement and only on super flat surfaces , super close gap between applicator and surface and no more than 4mm grass. All in all its an ok'ish sort of applicator given ideal conditions and if you are willing to fork out additional $$ for special glue, special adapter and stay limited to 4mm grass or shorter.In summary you get a $50 applicator with a $100 price tag.Too late to return as I bought this before I started building the diorama for the train table. So paper weight :( Will bite the bullet and go straight for the WWS Pro or maybe the RTS Green keeper(if they can drop that $250) price tag a bit :) Hope this helps you with your purchase and thanks for reading.