HelloCube MoHuan 2x2 Gear Shift

HelloCube MoHuan 2x2 Gear Shift

HelloCube MoHuan 2x2 Gear Shift is a gear-type puzzle. It looks like a 2x2 cube, but it works in a completely different way. All eight corners are shaped like gears that mesh with one another. When you turn one corner, they all turn at once. The Gear Shift was designed by Oskar van Deventer, based on an idea by Bram Cohen. The MoHuan version is a more affordable edition of this puzzle under the HelloCube brand. In our shop it is available with a black body and stickers.

How the Gear Shift 2x2 works

The corners are not all the same. Four of them are large gears with 8 teeth, and the other four are small gears with 5 teeth. They are arranged so that a large gear is always next to a small one. That is why, when you turn the puzzle, the large gears rotate in one direction and the small ones in the opposite direction. If that were all, the puzzle would be no challenge at all.

The whole trick is that you can slide the cube apart along its middle. This works on each of the three axes. Once separated, the four gears of one half turn independently of the other half. Scrambling and solving is therefore all about changing the orientation of the corners through successive separations and turns. The goal is to match the colors on all faces again.

How it turns

According to user reviews, the gears turn smoothly straight out of the box. The mechanism has no magnets. Most comments concern the sliding: the halves can catch slightly when you pull them apart. However, buyers note that this happens much less often after a few solves.

Who is it for?

The Gear Shift is not a speedcubing cube, and you can't solve it with 2x2 methods. Knowing the classic 3x3 Gear Cube won't help either. It's a great choice if you already know standard cubes and want a puzzle based on a different idea. It also makes an interesting addition to a collection of gear puzzles. Kids usually enjoy turning the gears even without solving it, but the solution itself takes some patience and experimenting.

Specifications

• Type: gear puzzle, 2x2 variant (Gear Shift)
• Brand: HelloCube MoHuan (manufacturer: Zcube)
• Mechanism: 8 gear-shaped corners (4 large with 8 teeth, 4 small with 5 teeth), sliding on three axes
• Magnets: none
• Weight: approx. 125 g (puzzle only)
• Body color: black, with stickers