5 comments about Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Electric 12-Inch Grass Hog String Trimmer/Edger #NST2018.

1. My yard is quite small, and I cut the whole thing with cordless trimmers. As the Ryobi began to age, I got a 12-volt Grass Hog. It proved particularly good at cutting the thick Zoysia grass that I planted in desperation in the front yard.
   
   When the Ryobi died, I went looking for another Grass Hog. The 12-volt model was sold out, and would have cost more, so I picked up the 18-volt. It's nice to have two batteries, but they are NiCads. That means they have a "memory". The second battery is useless in this context, because you really need to drain the battery to retain its charging capacity. It takes 9 hours to charge a battery.
   
   When I start out, this model has lots of zip, perhaps too much. By the end, it's barely cutting. The cut is not as even, and it won't do my whole front yard.
   
   Fortunately, I still have the 12-volt to finish up. Its lead-acid battery is not damaged by partial drain. I highly recommend the 12-volt system over this one. It starts out cutting more evenly, and stays at roughly that level longer.



2. Three times around the yard now (about 4000 sq.ft. total continuous usage) and is still good on original 1st charge. I wouldn't trade this for five gas edgers. It's light, FAST and easy to balance. Great to have second battery as well. I'm very pleased.



3. I bought this product in the last week and have used it twice since then.
   
   It comes with two identical batteries. At first I was suspicious about the battery life - why include two, unless one won't last? Fortunately, that wasn't entirely the case. Each lasted at least a good 20 mins (that's about as much edging/trimming as I needed to do). Over time I could expect the battery life to decrease, and other people might have larger yards. So I could see why they included two. But I still would have expected a bit longer life out of just one. After all it's not a very small/light battery in the first place. Charging takes a good 9 hours as the instructions say. I can't say anything about the long-term life yet.
   
   Performance was adequate, but not stellar. It'll whip through the average blades of grass without problem, but don't expect it to do much on low-lying weeds or thicker plants. Several passes or very slow movement will be needed to get the full result. It's a little on the heavy side to be carrying around for very long. The front handle helps a bit, but I got fatigued after my 20 minute run.
   
   Usage instructions are lacking. The battery charger has a thorough instruction sheet, but the product itself does not. It's all done in a few small pictures - most likely to bridge the language barrier. But those pictures are vague at best. I had to figure it out by trial and error. The adjustment to go from "edging" to "trimming" was nice and convenient with a twist of the shaft.
   
   As with most devices of the kind, you shouldn't be trimming with exposed skin or without eye protection. Debris has a tendency to go flying out of this thing, based on the mere nature of what it's doing. I noticed a few other reviewers got some injuries, which I don't understand. Hello?!?! You're holding a device that's whipping a cord around at a high RPM, with it impacting small stones & pieces of brush. Wear pants and keep the kids away!
   
   If you have a small suburban yard that requires light to moderate work once a week like I do, you should have no trouble with this product. Anybody else should look elsewhere.



4. Does a good job as a trimmer and edger. Light weight makes it easy to handle. Battery doesn't last as long as I would like, however, with the two batteries supplied I am able to finish my yard.



5. I bought this hoping to replace an old corded trimmer, but the Grass Hog just did not have the juice to do the job. The batteries take 9 hours to charge! I have never heard of a rechargeable battery taking 9 hours, but that is what the instructions say, and the instructions were accurate. The 2 batteries combined could not trim our .2 acre yard. You will be lucky to run the trimmer for 10 minutes per battery, then you get to wait for another 9 hours to have a charged battey. I returned mine and will buy a new corded trimmer so I can do the entire yard in one day.

3 comments about Price Pfister Treviso Single Handle Kitchen Faucet with Pull Down Spray and Soap Dispenser, Stainless Steel #5297DSS.

1. I purchased this as part of the Gold Box Deal of the Day. Two days to my door via Prime and in less than an hour it's installed. The stainless steel finish is satin (not polished) and it matches my sink, appliances and other kitchen accents perfectly. (See customer photos).
   
   Installation was a breeze and the instructions were simple to follow. I was replacing an existing faucet in a 1-hole configuration and this was a direct swap. All I needed to pick up from the local hardware store was some plumber's putty and two connector hoses. Be sure to have a big crescent wrench handy for tightening the various nut and connector sizes; a flashlight is also a must.
   
   The pull down sprayer is easy to use and includes a switch to go from what I can best describe as "full" to "shower". There is also a valve on the handle to control the amount of water flow. There is a handy weight you install on the sprayer's hose (underneath the sink) that helps retract the sprayer hose back in to the faucet.
   
   I did not install the included soap dispenser. It is however very high quality. The fixture is nice and heavy and compliments the faucet well. When I get brave enough, I'll attempt to put a hole in my LG countertops.
   
   Highly recommended this item for the price.



2. The faucet is a thing of beauty. It is almost modern art.
   
   With that said, it is big! The faucet is about 16.5 inches high. My old faucet is about 12 inches tall and seemed large. My wife and I are trying to wrap our minds around the faucet fitting into our kitchen. The kitchen is not tiny, about 25 feet by 12 feet. The one star deduction is the result of the surprise at the size of the thing.
   
   Beauty, style and function are a five star rating



3. I bought this as deal of the day and received it in about 3 days, nice. Well it is an early x-mas present to myself but I wanted to open to see if it would fit my sink, three punches for the faucet and the fourth on the side for the sprayer. It does and just like the others it is truly beautiful. It makes you want to update everything to be as pretty as the faucet and my kitchen is only 10 years old. It is a satiny finish not polished which is an added bonus for the kitchen, you can never keep polished stainless steal clean. I was looking at Home Depot for a faucet and the very cheapest I could find that came close to this model was $[...] so I gave up. This is well worth every penny.

No comments about Black & Decker Outdoor 18-Volt Power Tool Collection.

5 comments about Honeywell HW-628 Twin Window Fan.

1. I bought this fan to cool an upper bedroom. I live in Seattle, and nneded to draw air in from the bedroom window; I wedged it into the side-sliding window. I was pretty happy with the outcome, and I bought another model from Kmart for about the same price for my wife's side of the bed. (We have a huge triple window over the bed.) The KMart model suffers badly in the comparison. The Honeywell moves significantly more air...wish I had bought it again.



2. For starters, no conventional motor fan is ever going to be "quiet", including this model. I attempted to use this in my bedroom but after about 10 minutes realized that while it vented the hot air effectively, it was also too loud and I wouldn't be able to sleep. So now I mainly use this fan either in my office or in the kitchen. For a lightweight unit it is very powerful and really does a great job at venting hot air and maintaining air circulation. If you purchase this fan, please don't think that this will replace an A/C unit, but it will work okay for a single room.



3. On a 98 degree day in the city, I opened the box and installed the fan in my window. When I turned it on, it didn't work. After checking all the outlets, etc, I finally had to take it out and send it back.



4. I purchased this fan because I already own one and it's great. The fastening devise for the accordian sides has been changed. It's easier to operate the current fasteners, but they don't hold the accordian sides open when the fan is in a vertical window opening. I will have to think of a way to rig the sides so they stay extended (not necessary with my older Honeywell fan). The fan does work great for exhausting air out of my apartment and for cooling (the room with the fan is usually between 8 and 12 degrees cooler than the rest of the apartment).



5. nice fan - fits in lower sash of window - would be ever nicer if it would fit in top of window - I purchased four (4) fans, and had to make supports for them fit in top of windows for true exhauts effort - they work very well, I'm pleased with the fans

5 comments about Honeywell HT800 Super Turbo High Performance Fan, Black.

1. This tabletop fan is powerful enough to use on the floor. It's loud without being obnoxiously so (although, to be fair, we *like* white noise). We found it helps make our home office bearable in the summer heat.
   
   There are three settings and we tend to just use the strongest one. We've used the fan both on the floor and also in the window to cool things off: I prefer the fan blowing air on me right by the foot of my desk, and my husband prefers to use it in the window to circulate cooler air into the room in general. We found that Putting a shirt on the windowsill, under the fan, keeps the vibration/rattling sound to a minimum.
   
   The fan itself arrives fully assembled and has a nice dynamic look. It's pretty sturdy for the price. There's a carry handle behind the back of the fan head and the fan housing is adjustable for upwards and down. The head of the fan can be directed straight forward, slightly upward, halfway upward, mostly upward and directly overhead.
   
   Instructions on the fan box and in the manual offer placement suggestions for circulating either cool or warm air as needed. For example, a drawing of the fan shows that by directing the fan straight up to the ceiling, it helps heated air come back down into the room. One needs to use the slower settings to help with the convection process.
   
   The box shows a picture that the fan can also be attached to the wall to save space - something I would not have thought of! :)
   
   The manual states that the fan can help save on heating and AC bills when used year-round. I'm not sure how that balances out - does running the fan all day, all year balance out not having to turn up the heat or AC units? This probably depends on the efficiency of one's home heating and/or cooling units. This fan would probably work very well in conjunction with window AC units, fireplaces and woodburning stoves.



2. This fan is as great as the other reviewers write in their reviews. It really moves a lot of air. But I didn't find it as noisy as others suggested: it is about the same as my air conditioner. Saving energy this summer by minimal use of the AC.



3. This fan is extremely loud even at that lowest setting. Not good if you are trying to use this in the bedroom....I would not recommend this and am returning it today.



4. It's not *THAT* loud. It's cheap and really makes things cooler without taking too much space.



5. just as small as the vornado fans but a lot less expensive. Makes more noise than vornado but just as effective! the noise from the fan actually helps me sleep as it's not an awful annoying sound - a fan and white noise machine all in one!! overall a great value for the price!

5 comments about Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord.

1. This power strip was perfect for all my needs and I used all the outlets!



2. I purchased this unit to be the power supply for my newly created network center in my house. The outlets are well spaced for lots of power blocks, and still leave the center open for standard cords. Although I didn't need the extra long cord on the unit, the flat connector is a welcome addition. Good product, well priced. Fit my needs perfectly!



3. I never believed in a surge protector until i bought this one. I have purchased this to protect my 46" LCD TV. I have rerouted all the power connections and even the co-axial cables from my Cable set top box into this protector. Initially i was afraid that the co-axial cable filter might affect the picture quality. But infact the entire setup has improved the quality. I truly believe that all the power related noise has been stabilized. The protector is indeed doing its job. Hopefully it should be this way for the rest of its life.
   
   Its a good buy to protect your electronics. The 3500 Joule protection is perfect for HD TV and home theaters.



4. This is easily the best surge protector for the money. I've still yet to figure out why it has twelve recepticles, but those combined with the coax recepticle and the 3,960 joule rating make this unit ideal. The right angle plug and ten foot cord make its placement easy and convenient.



5. I wish I had discovered this power strip sooner. It's without question the best power strip on the market. The first thing you will notice is that it has 12 outlets. I don't know of any other power strip (besides the other Belkin one with the pivoting outlets) that has this many outlets. Although I don't own the pivot-plug one, I think this one (this one = power strip without pivoting outlets) is better. From now on I'll call the strip without pivoting outlets the flat one. The flat one has 3 outlets on each side that are designed to accomodate big power adapters. I believe they're called Blockspace outlets. The pivot-plug strip tries to substitute tilting outlets for the Blockspace outlets and it doesn't quite work. The pivoting outlets are still close together and tilting them only does so much. There is a review on the pivot-plug strip's page backing this up. And in my opinion, who needs tilting outlets anyway? Plus the flat one has a longer cord.
   
   Anyway, about the power strip I'm actually reviewing. This is an amazing strip. Not only does it have the 12 outlets (6 down the middle, 3 Blockspace outlets on each side), but it can also protect coaxial lines, ethernet lines, and phone lines. It also has a cord management clip for organizing all the cords. The reason this power strip is so nice is because it's well designed. Things that are well designed are pretty rare these days since everything's sold in Walmart and other low price stores.
   
   Pros:
   -12 outlets
   -has space for big adapters
   -tells you not only whether or not your stuff is protected but also tells you if the outlet the strip is plugged into isn't grounded
   -10 ft. cord
   -cord is angled so that it's flat against the wall when plugged in
   -has a cable management clip
   -can protect coaxial, ethernet and phone lines
   
   Cons:
   -none that I can think of.
   
   I always like it when I come across a product that pretty much wipes out all of its competition. This power strip is one of those products. I very highly recommend this power strip.

5 comments about PUR 2 Stage Water Pitcher Replacement Filter #CRF-950Z.

1. I have a large PUR container for which I use the PUR 2 stage water filter replacements. I think this is the best product on the market for turning horrible city water into something close to spring water. Actually, a friend of mine didn't know it wasn't spring water!



2. After searching for them locally I found Amazon to have the best pricing. I'll buy them this way again as long as I get Super Saver Free Shipping.



3. Filters water to eliminate cysts and other small chemicals from the drinking water. Saves a lot of plastic water bottles and the environment from disposing of single plastic water bottles. Although my tap water comes from ozone purifying, this adds to the removal of additional material that may be in the water. Purifies about 40 to 50 gallons before replacement.



4. When PUR changed the style of the replacement cartridge, they didn't fit the PUR Canister. Since then, they have updated the cartridges and they fit perfectly (be sure to get the CRF 950z). No, they don't have the cute little indicator to tell you to change your filter. But here's a clue, people. When it takes longer for the water in the upper chamber to filter into the lower chamber, it's time to change the filter because it's getting clogged. I've been using the same canister for 12 years and have had to replace only the filters periodically. This unit gets used quite a bit and it goes through a filling every other day. The spigot is in great shape as well as the housing. I've given these as gifts to my friends and family. All are surprised at the difference it has made in the taste of their water, whether it's tap or well water. I have very hard water. Without filtration from the PUR, you can taste the iron, smell the sulphur, and see the calcium. With the PUR, no smells or taste. It's such a great product and works so well, I'm almost afraid they'll discontinue it.



5. I selected the double container Pur dispenser. In the box was a message from PUR Company to contact PUR first if there was a problem. Well, I did and THAT was a mistake. As soon as I put water into the container the spigot leaked. Upon examination I saw that the gasket failed to be in place. Nothing I could do about that. When I called PUR, the rep said that they would decide whether or not to send me a coupon for a replacement. She changed her mind when I insisted on contacting Amazon instead of waiting for a possible coupon.
   About 3 weeks later a coupon arrived. Of course I had to shop and find a store that had a double container/dispenser type, pay city and state taxes and pay for my gas to find a double container. The container at the store works find. However, the newer filters fail to deliver the cleaner taste of the older type. I have used Pur for over 6 years, but I am reconsidering because of the taste.
   I wish I had just returned the Pur water dispenser to Amazon. The UPS is 5 miles closer to me and costs less in gas.

5 comments about Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler #CRO101.

1. The Scarecrow actually works. It really panics the fawns and the mothers follow the dash back into the woods.



2. We've been finding some dog or cat poop in our yard so we decided to try this device. The Scarecrow is fairly easy to set up and connect, and with a couple of tests we had adjusted the spray angle and sensitivity.
   
   A couple of problems we've ran into:
   1) With the sensitivity set at a fairly normal level, on a hot day the thing seems to activate very often with no animal present. As a result, we used up 1 9-volt battery after only a week or two. Until I get rechargeable batteries, I've decided to only turn it on at night.
   
   2) The angle for the motion detection is not all that great. As a result we can't actually cover our whole yard (which is pretty durn small) using just one device. We did find one dog/cat poop, but at a different location then where we found them before, so it is "working", but not quite accomplishing what we wanted.



3. This item was the final solution keeping predators from my Koi Pond.
   Worked better than I hoped. Excellent Product.



4. Product works as advertised, no problems so far. I have not had any deer or other critters in the garden since I installed them. I would give 5 stars if it had an option to use as a sprinkler.



5. After dear ravaged my vegetable garden (didn't know they like jalopeno peppers) I put up 7' fencing, yeah, like that stopped them! They just mowed it down and continued to enjoy my banner year of peppers. I was desprite and bought this locally - this price is far better, but I couldn't wait another night, it was that bad. The first morning after I used it there was signs of water all over the place and my fencing was intact and they haven't been back. No chemicals and simple to use. As for the "fun" part - I didn't realize that my neighbors son who parks his car on the other side of my fence was in sensing range and he got a surprise one morning when he went to get in his car! He laughed and just said it was "refreshing"! Wish I had been there to see it - LOL!!!!

5 comments about Dremel 761-03 7,000/14,000 RPM Cordless Pet Nail Grooming Rotary Tool.

1. Was looking forward to the dremel for my pet's nails. Put in batteries--both hi and low settings worked. Put it down to go get the dog and when I returned it did not work at all. I changed the batteries and still no power. I returned the unit and got the next one up with more power. It works fine and has a rechargeable battery pack



2. ...our dog absolutely hates both the noise and the feeling that this makes against his claws. He is a lab/border collie mix. We got this because he always makes such a ruckus at the vet getting his nails clipped. I was afraid to trim his nails, and thought this would be a good compromise.
   
   Since our dog hated this so much we couldn't keep him still, we ordered the bamboo nail clippers instead and he likes those a lot better.
   
   If your dog is sensitive to noise, I would avoid this product.



3. I was very disappointed in this item. It is not like shown on TV. It is simply a dremmel tool like the ones the guys use in the work shop! It frightens the cats. No recommendation here.



4. I think the product is a great idea. But having to switch feet each nail because of the heat it builds is just to annoying. Plus my babies don't have that kind off patiences.



5. The noise of the grooming tool does seem to unsettle the canine on which it's being used but it works well to pare down her nails.

5 comments about P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor.

1. I've always been curious about the power draw on various items and since I have a Fluke DMM (digital multi-meter), I'd set up some special "extension cords" to be able to use with it for measuring the amps (which is the main thing that you can't easily check). Although that works for me, this unit is much simpler to use with no risks of possible "hot wires" with bare metal parts exposed that someone could get shocked on and this only costs $20 (versus over $100 for a good DMM). This also has the built in timer feature and instantly tells you your KW/hr bill from what's running & how long it's run, otherwise I'd have to time the item myself and multiply the wattage out to get the same numbers. For some items that you turn on & off yourself, doing the math is easy, but other items (like a fridge) that automatically turns on & off make this a lot better (so you don't need to stand over the item 24/7 to see when it turns on & off).
   Once you've learned what you can from this, it does become a dust collector. As others have noted, it does block a second outlet if you have it in the wall, so chances are you'll remove it after a short term measurement. I've not found any major surprises in my power use with it, but we'll see as I play with it anywhere I can.



2. The Kill A Watt meter is easy to use, just plug it in and then plug in the appliance to be tested for electric use. Findings: My 600 watt coffee maker actually draws 820 watts, a consideration when I have to use a back up generator after a hurricane. Good stuff: my new desktop computer only draws 1 watt on stand-by, compared to my older desktop which draws 20 watts. Really great news: my full size refrigerator only draws 120 watts with the door closed, so I will be easily able to run it on a generator. Also, the unit can be left for 24 hours to measure a day's worth of usage and figure the monthly cost. It shows volts, amps, watts, frequency, and kwh used. This meter will help find energy wasters. I recommend it.



3. This tool is perfect for figuring out just how much energy is being consumed by all those devices you leave plugged in. A surprising amount of energy is wasted in stand by mode and this tool will help you find out just how much energy you are wasting. I highly recommend having one



4. It is a easy to use monitor. Really knows what equipment are the most that impact your utility bill.



5. Figuring out how much electricity your gadgets ACTUALLY consume is a little addictive. Plan to spend a couple of hours trying this gadget out when you first get it. And while you're having fun doing that, you'll be figuring out which devices are driving up your electricity bills. Does that LCD really save enough power over the CRT to warrant the upgrade? (answer: probably yes)
   
   The negatives: There is no memory, unplug the device and lose the accumulated usage data. C'mon, a capacitor to keep state for a minute would cost pennies. The design will cover at least two plugs in a standard outlet, so I often had to unplug other unrelated gear. The whole design begs for an upward slanted display or a swivel head. Most electrical outlets are installed within a couple of feet of the ground, so combined with no memory once unplugged, this means reading the display requires crouching or crawling, getting under the desk, etc. Ergonomically there's a lot left to desire. The ergonomics are addressed in the more expensive power-strip version of the KillAWatt (P3 P4320 KILL-A-WATT POWER STRIP WITH SURGE PROTECTION)but it would be nice to have in the basic version.
   
   For the price, this is definitely 5 stars, and these guys deserve kudos for this handy, eco-consciousness inspiring tool. But the somewhat awkward design would lead me to give this a 4 star rating if it were any more expensive.