[sdiy] Kinda OT: electro-mechanical instruments/ solenoids

[Andreas Gaunitz]

Hi!


I'm planning to build electro-mechanical instruments; xylophone etc. 
Not really a synth, but close enough (?)

Background:
In Sweden (a small country) the cheapest solenoid seems to be about 12 
USD/ EUR. In the US some companies offer solenoids for less than 1 USD:
http://www.mpja.com/category/Solenoids/Solenoids.asp

The above company wants me to shop for at least 100 USD to ship 
overseas. This in itself is OK, I could always buy a soldering station 
or whatever. But how do I know that the solenoids are going to work in 
my project? I need about 30 of them, but it would be nice to check one 
out before ordering. Needless to say, the same brands don't exist 
here...

Question:
What should I look for in a solenoid? Do some solenoids have too slow 
response times? Could they be too weak? Why are some so cheap compared 
to others?


any input appreciated
-Andreas