2 comments about Belkin PureAV Home Theater 7-Outlet Surge Protector.

1. Nothing special about this strip, but it works great. Very thin, slides behind my DLP TV out of sight.



2. Nice, compact, surge protector. Comes with labels that you can put on your cords so that you know what cord goes to what piece of equipment.

1 comments about SW3 Desoldering Wick.

1. It slices! It dices! It chops! It purees! It thinks for itself and eats cookies! Kidding, you know. It's desoldering wick. I think it's actually quite hilarious that I was even asked to review this product. It's...desoldering wick.

5 comments about Honeywell RTH7500D Conventional 7-Day Programmable Thermostat.

1. This is the third thermostat I bought. First got a White Rogers which was cheaply built. Then got a Lux which read the temperature inaccurately and didn't work. Both were difficult to wire and the manuals were bad.
   
   Finally bought this one. The internal mechanism makes it a breeze to wire. I agree it is confusing to program, particularly compared to my last Honeywell (it gave up the ghost). Once you have it set up however, it is great. WORKS!
   
   Man, we need to move manufacturing back into this country!!!! Tired of wasting time and money on cheap imported junk!



2. I purchased two of these thermostats through the Amazon website and installed them just before the start of the Memorial Day weekend. I am very pleased with both thermostats, but I did encounter a problem during the install of the upstairs thermostat. Although I had flipped the breakers labeled for the upstairs and downstairs heat pumps to the off position at the panel, the upstairs heat pump was still receiving power, because I blew a fuse in the heat pump during the install. Obviously this problem was caused by a lack of due diligence on my part - ensuring that the power to the heat pump and to the thermostat was really off. My wife and I went without air conditioning to the upstairs of our home for approximately 30 hours before a service technician arrived to find and replace the blown fuse.
   
   If you have a volt ohm meter, I suggest that you verify that there is no power to the thermostat prior to the install. In doing the install yourself, you may find that you are at the mercy of the wiring provided for your old thermostat. For example, on our old downstairs thermostat, there was no common wire. When the heat pump (air conditioner) is on, the lead for the furnace is used as the common. When the furnace is on, then the wire for the air-conditioning is used as the common. Without a common lead as a reference, it was not possible to measure the voltage to our downstairs thermostat when neither the air conditioner nor the furnace is running. This led us to believe that we had no power to the thermostat even after we had switched the breaker back to the on position after the install. However, the thermostat worked fine. The service technician explained to us that in the original wiring to our old thermostat, the common was missing and that was why we could not measure the voltage.
   
   I called the Honeywell support number on the back of the thermostat installation manual, and a technician located in New Deli answered immediately. The technician was friendly and knowledgeable.
   
   Two messages that may appear on the thermostat after you install it may lead you to think you have made a mistake when nothing is wrong. First, if you have a heat pump and the word "Wait" appears on the thermostat display after turning the heat pump back on, then this is normal. As a precaution the thermostat waits five minutes before cycling the heat pump back up after it has been turned off. Second, if the word "Recovery" appears on the display when you first turn the furnace or air conditioner on, this simply means that you have the Smart Response Technology set to on, and your thermostat has turned on you air conditioner or furnace to reach the target temperature that you set in the schedule.
   
   With my old mercury-based thermostats, I could not be certain that the correct temperature was displayed. Nor could I be certain of the actual temperature that I was setting the thermostat to. If I left the thermostat set to a high setting while we were away on summer days, then the house would not cool off before bed time after we got home. All of these problems are solved by our two programmable Honeywell thermostats, and I saved over $40.00 by buying the thermostats through Amazon rather than Home Depot.



3. I got this thermostat to replace an older Honeywell model that was OK, not anything special. The feature that sold me this t-stat was Auto Changeover where the stat decides wheter to turn on heating or cooling. I live in the desert where wild temp swings are a fact of life and thought this stat would automate things a bit for me. No such luck. The documentation says that you may not see the auto changeover feature on the readout depending on how the stat was installed, no instructions on what to do about it, just a statement.
   OK, it's installed and seems to work. Programming is way too complicated. The book is full of process numbers and other gobbledy-gook that makes no sense. You can program seven days separately if so desired. I opted for one program for Monday thru Friday and a different one for the weekend. I'm at work now and have no idea what the thing is dong on the five-day program.
   If I had it to do over again, I'd probably get a different unit, or just keep the old one and manually change from heat to cool and back again.



4. This review is from the perspective of a novice. I replaced an 11-year-old thermostat with this one yesterday morning.
   
   Installation was not a breeze as the claim on the product package would like you to believe (i.e., "designed to install in 15 minutes or less.") We have a 5-ton split central unit with the condenser outside of the house, and the coil and a gas furnace in the attic. Matching the wires to the new thermostat was not that straightforward. Our old system has 5 wires but the Intallation Guide only shows an example with 4 wires. After failing a few configurations, I finally gave up and called for technical support. The puzzle was then resolved.
   
   Programming was mostly simple and easy but not always intuitive. You do need to read the Manual to figure a number of things out. An alternative may be the 8500 Touchscreen model, which seems to have more intuitive programming based on reviews from Amazon users.
   
   Overall, I would recommend this thermostat. Just make sure that you do your installation during office hours when technical support is available from Honeywell.



5. This unit has performed admirably in AC mode, and I am sure it will continue to do so in winter. Installation was easy and instructions were clearly written. Because of its tighter temp control range, my AC has run more efficiently.
   
   It is a well designed product worthy of consideration for any thermostat replacement or upgrade.

5 comments about Honeywell Vision Pro 8000 Programmable Thermostat.

1. I installed this thermostat in my new home to replace the cheap builder installed thermostat. I love this device. It provides a touch screen controlled menu of functions. My favorite is the fan recycle function which will run the fan only approx. 20 minutes per hour. This recirculates the air in the home and more equalizes the temp throughout the house. It also helps to better filter the air.
   
   An option for this thermostat is for an outside temperature sensor. I don't have it but it supposed to sense how long it will take to return the home to a new set temperature based upon the outside temperature. It will then start your system at that time.



2. This is a product that every home should have. It is fully programmable and keeps temperatures right on the requested temp. It is EASY to make changes to meet your changing schedules and is loaded with features. The remote sensors are a little pricey but can be added if desired. This is priced well and is fully digital with no switches or moving parts.



3. If you want a thermostat that is pretty easy to program this one is what you need. I'm a heating and air conditioning technician by trade and this thing is a good design. I have had to program a lot of thermostats in my trade of work and this is the best I've seen . Its easy to read also. Has a large screen that has a lot of light so you can read it well. You have to touch the screen to make it light up. Nice and bright. The temperature is real accurate also . It holds the temperature at 1 degree of your set point. The instructions are pretty easy to follow also. Its also pretty easy to install also. With a digital thermostat you don't have to fool with setting your heat anticipator on it. Just hook up your 4 wires and your done. It also has a 5 year warranty. When you buy a cheap $30.00 thermostat that the home supply stores sell,they dont last long. Honeywell in my opinion is the best on the market. Very good quality. My last Honeywell thermostat lasted 18 years. It will pay for itself by the energy you can save by programming your thermostat. Energy bills are not going to get cheaper in the future.



4. This is a great thermostat, but unfortunately this model doesn't function as advertised. After reading the first and several other Amazon opinions and reading up on the specs from Honeywell's own website, I was under the impression that this model was FULL AUTO and I could 'set it and forget it.' After installing the thermostat, I realized that not ALL of the the Switch Positions (System) HEAT-OFF-COOL-AUTO exist on the thermostat I received. There is no System AUTO meaning you have to switch it COOL when it is hot and switch to HEAT when it is cold. The sticker that contains the model number matches, but my thermostat doesn't function according to the specs for that model. I have emailed Climate Doctors with no response, so buyer beware on who you are dealing with and exactly what they are shipping you.



5. We had been thinking about installing a digital thermometer in our house for years, but ever-increasing energy costs finally forced a decision. We heat with propane and cool with electricity, so we pay high bills almost every month. We replaced a very conventional mercury bulb unit which seemed to cause the air conditioner or furnace to run incessantly, particularly in the afternoons.
   
   I researched a lot of units before settling on this premium Honeywell unit. This is what I have found:
   
   * Having 7 day individual programming is a necessity, not a luxury.
   * Four period per day programming is extremely functional if you must be away during the day (or night).
   * This unit can be pulled off the wall at any time and easily reprogrammed - a major plus.
   * This unit faithfully maintains the temperature to within one degree.
   * Comfort level is increased b/c temp swings are greatly reduced (old unit could swing as much as 6-7 degrees or more).
   * This unit is a little hard to read because of the small, thin typeface used.
   * Vacation setting (haven't used yet) easily overrides normal program w/o deleting it.
   * easily set to manage both heat and A/C simultaneously, if desired, or independently.
   * The current temp setting is easy to overide if you so desire.
   * There is an audible click when the unit turns on the HVAC system.
   * The unit is extremely easy to install (in spite of the fact that the paperwork says it should be installed by a professional) PROVIDED YOUR OLD THERMOSTAT HAS THE STANDARD CONNECTIONS AND THEY ARE MARKED ON THE UNIT.
   * Installation caution: even though you are working with a low voltage system, it's still probably a good idea to turn off the power to the HVAC system by turning off the breaker in your electrical panel.
   * My guess is that this unit will install easily in most homes that have just one single stage HVAC system.
   
   We do not yet have enough experience with the unit to honestly compare our operating costs to previous years, but we will post the results when we do. This is certain: We now have a much greater degree of control over temp settings and we believe that our system doesn't run as much.

5 comments about Waterpik AquaScape Showerhead.

1. What can I say... it lasted for 3 showers before the part that lets it swivel broke, and now it's just hanging there like the head of a dead horse (well, ok, if dead horses were still standing).
   
   But those 3 showers (once I took out the flow control) were lovely.



2. This does the trick for total body coverage. The pressure is nice, and the head is wide. Be careful switching the settings, the piece pops off and water sprays everywhere. I agree, this could be more heavier and better material. But, it does what it states, and looks nice. i can shower faster with this wide head. And rinsing off is improved too. The second setting lets water flow through the middle holes. It's kind of intense. It does fell good on my back though. It feels like a massage. I recommend this to anyone who wants a better shower experience.



3. I have been using this product for a couple of months now and find it everything in its advertised. It is well made and seems like it will last. I needed no tools to put it on, I just hand tightened it and it has not leaked. I did not remove the water pressure valve, and we have plenty of water flow from the head. In fact, when you push the button on the top of the shower head it concentrates the water, and makes a very forceful. We find it nice to have both types of flows from the shower head.



4. Great for larger showers because it moves through a wide angle- can spray into all corners. Have owned for 6 months and so far no quality issues, although some of the nozzles have never put out streams of water. Puts out plenty of water, even with the restrictor in place.



5. I am a college student living in an apartment. The shower head that was installed was terrible. This Waterpik one is awesome, the best $30 I have ever spent. I have gone from showering as quickly as possible to having to force myself out of the shower. This thing is so relaxing. The dual mode is neat, obviously you are not going to get a "massage" from a shower, but the steady stream can help with tight muscles. All in all, this is a great shower head, I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Globe 40-Watt Compact Fluorescent Reader Bulb (150-Watt Incandescent Equivalent), Soft White #0784001.

1. Bought 4 of the 40 watt bulbs (150 watt equiv.) to use in 2 different lamps. None of the 4 lasted as long as 60 days.



2. I thought I was buying THREE(3) bulbs; I got one.
   
   
   Bite myself, eh?



3. Two out of ten of these lightbulbs that I ordered were broken in the packaging. Amazon just threw them in a box and put a bunch of those air bags on top. I had to repackage the broken bulbs and send them back. Pathetic. Oh, by the way, The lightbulbs that weren't broken work very nicely. However, I won't buy lightbulbs from Amazon again.



4. I've been using this bulb for months now and it works like a charm. It's bright, white and silent. The only thing to keep an eye out for, as others have mentioned, is it's size. It hasn't been a problem in my case; just make sure that where you want to use it has plenty of room for the bulb. It extends ~16cm (~6.5") beyond the socket.



5. I'm totally in favor of saving energy and the environment using compact fluorescent bulbs, but I can't recommend this particular one. It supposedly delivers the lumens of a150 watt bulb, which is a lot for a compact florescent, but unfortunately, I found this 40 watt model only slightly brighter than the 23 watt models (100 equivalent) from GE and Sylvania. Also, it is very large -- it wouldn't fit in two of my standard lamps. It is a compact, but you need to look for a compact "mini twist" to fit a typical living room lamp with a shade. Also, the light is rather yellow, even for a compact florescent. So far I have been most happy with Sylvania and GE products. I would try those first.

5 comments about Black & Decker PKS150D Powered Kitchen Scrubber.

1. I purchased one for myself and it impressed my daughter so much she requested one for Christmas.
   Good power, battery operated I can store it under the sink it doesn't need recharging.
   Good for the far end of the bathtub.



2. I guess I was looking for something more powerful. Get the job done to clean small objects (like dishes, etc) but does not get the job done really well if you need to scrub title, bacth tub, etc



3. After the novelty of using this scrubber in the kitchen wore off, it lived in a drawer for several months. Then I discovered that the bristle brush was a great gardening aid- when I come in after working in my garden I inevitably have dirty feet, especially after wearing those rubber clogs. I put a little liquid hand soap directly on the bristles and scrub away - feels great and after a rinse with the garden hose, feet are clean enough to come into the house. Great for hands and nails too. If this one died, I'd immediately get another for my gardening tool kit. I agree with other writers about using rechargeable batteries.



4. Here's another battery-operated scrubber that I didn't hold out much hope for. But I have various jobs where I knew it could be useful if it had enough power, so I took a chance. And I'm heartily glad I did. I've used this for cleaning the hard-to-clean stuff out of casserole dishes -- the stuff the dishwasher only manages to bake in -- the chrome on my faucet, the sink basins, and my smooth-top range.
   
   This last job is really what makes me feel that the PKS150D has paid for itself. Anyone who has a smooth-top range will know of the dire warnings you get about what can and cannot be used to clean them. And so we're sometimes left with a stovetop which doesn't always look its best. But the non-stick disk on this scrubber does a fantastic job of cleaning off the hardest to clean spills without scratching the surface. Honestly, if you are tired of scrubbing your cooktop until you think your arm is going to fall off, give this little gem a try.



5. the item arrived with dead batteries, also there was not a clear way to contact seller, very dissatisfied

5 comments about Bucket Boss 25005 Pro Parachute Bag 18 Pocket Bucket Tool Organizer.

1. This item was not quite what I expected, but it will be handy. I expected that it would utilize a bucket. The description is not clear enough. With the name Bucket Boss, the description should state clearly whether or not the product makes use of a bucket.



2. Working in a photo studio alongside set builders, this parts and tool bag was suddenly on the set and I had never seen such a brilliant solution to so many organizational and project needs. This bag, with its very compact and impossible to tip over stature, is incredible, effective, simple in design, and just an overall great solution. Once I saw this organizer, I couldn't wait to get one. It is practical and smart, one of those tools that you wonder how you did without. I like it so much that I'm getting two more for myself, to have each one be work specific, and I'm also getting several others to give to special people because it will help them organize their work projects and tools. Stacking three in a 5 gallon bucket keeps them clean, organized and out of the way. These are brilliant and the small amount of dollars spent on one of these is money so well spent. Be proud to own one of these parachute bags, it will streamline your work and make your process more zen. Work smart, work easy.



3. Bag is very well made, The only thing about this bag is there is no way to keep the screws or whatever you keep in this bag seperated. The pockets are not complete, there is a gap between the sections where small screws and get mixed up.



4. Based on another horse owner's review of this product from a few months ago and how much I love my big five gallon Bucket Boss organizer, I purchased two Bucket Boss Parachute Bags, one for each horse. At first, they seemed a bit on the small side, but when we got through loading them up, my daughters were very impressed.
   
   The bags are not very deep, and I thought this would be a detraction. It turned out to be a big plus because if you have ever used a bucket or a plastic cleaning tote for a grooming kit, you know that the amount of stuff that winds up on the bottom is really astounding ... peppermint wrappers, horse treat crumbs, multiple hoof picks, pulling combs, riding gloves, hair elastics and clips, etc, etc. Although I won't say I NEVER find anything unusual on the bottom of these bags, they tend to not fill up with detritus. The Parachute Bag has nifty side pockets for small grooming aids and larger compartments for brushes, hoof, coat and mane products, sweat scraper... anything you could possibly need to groom a horse. They are also wonderful to take in the trailer to shows or clinics. To top it off, they are DURABLE in the extreme. If you were to buy a similar product expressly made to be a grooming kit, you could add another fifteen bucks to the cost.
   
   If you have a horse or pony, get yourself one and use the plastic thing for cleaning day!



5. these things are great! I spend alot of time on site and since buying these i feel so much more organized i can always find the screws and spacers that i need, i will be buying more and they are a reasonable price!

5 comments about Bosch 1594K 6.5 Amp 3-1/4-Inch Planer Kit.

1. I spent over an hour with a carefully sharpened block plane taking a few 16ths of an inch off the back edge of some 1 1/2" oak butcherblock countertop I was installing. I saw several more hours ahead of me squaring up the rest of the countertop when I came across this power planer. I am extremely pleased with the machine. It is much quieter than I expected, the cut is perfect, even in end grain, and I didn't see any of the quality problems others have reported (e.g., the bottom plates are perfectly flat and aligned out of the box).
   
   The only minor issue I had was with my first cut on the long edge of a piece of scrap, and that was a matter of learning how to get the best results with the planer. I had some snipe at the end of the cut as the planer bottom was coming off the wood. To avoid this, all you have to do is shift your pressure to the rear of the planer and the surface will be perfect. I was able to plane end grain on a piece of 1 1/2" oak that was shorter than the planer with absolutely no snipe by shifting pressure from the front at the start of the cut to the back at the second half of the cut.
   
   The ability to divert the exhaust to rigt or left is also a great feature.



2. Bosch should be ashamed of putting such a poor quality fence on this product. As other reviewers mentioned, it is almost impossible to get it to 90 degrees. You're more likey to get an accurate cut using the tool without the fence and estimating the angle. Aside from the fence issue, the tool is well built.



3. I am restoring a 96 year old house and needed to take off 96 years of crappy, cracked, tough paint. Tried everything before this and wish I would have started here. Bought the product with a little hesitation since there were a few bad reviews. None of which has been applicable to me. This planer has been great - goes all day long with a powerful motor and get the job done. Will work great once I get to the molding. The only problem is that its a bit heavy to hold up all day long which isn't what it was really meant for. Aside from that little issue I would definitely recommend.



4. What I should say is: It is not for a door expert. The planer is great but the bevel guide adjusts in the opposite direction from most "door" planers. This is a problem because if you have the door on a saw horse, you will have to flip the door over to get the bevel going the correct way. Also then your marks would be on the opposite side if you mark on the high side. Otherwise is very nicely made with good features.



5. I've owned this planer for almost two years, within that time the sole units have never been aligned correctly and the dust chute is constantly clogging. I returned it to Bosch just outside of the warrenty period and they re-aligned the shoe for me without charge, but within a short while it was all over the place again. What a shame, if only Bosch could make their machines as well as they can organise their customer service side of their business.

5 comments about Leatherman 830685 Charge TTi with Nylon Sheath and Gift Tin.

1. Very pleased with this multi tool. I like the fact that this comes with a cache of bits so you really do not need to order the extra bit set unless you think you are one who would need multiple size bits. As an owner of apartments who enjoys tinkering around, I find I use this tool daily although I could have purchased a less expensive unit since I do not use may of the features it offers. I just like knowing I have the best and the most versatile tool around.



2. I was a big fan of the L-Man Wave and carried one for several years. I loved the convenience of having the blades, saw & file open from the outside. These components also featured high quality cross-locks similar to the ones on a lot of premium pocket knives. These basic design features are maintained in the Charge TTi.
   
   The quality of these particular items - blades, files and saw - seem to me to be the things that set one multi-tool apart from the other. The quality and design of one screwdriver bit or can opener is pretty much the same as that of another. And the good multi-tools all have "decent" pliers. But it is not so with cutting blades, saws and files. Here there can be a big difference.
   
   The L-Man Charge is NOT the largest multi-tool I own but its two cutting blades (my others have just one) saw and file ARE the largest featured on any of them. I believe this is possible because of the fact they are accessed from the outside. Their size need not be limited to make room for the pliers to fold into the handles as with tools whose blades are all accessed from inside.
   
   The saw, file and the blades are not only larger but also of very good quality. The saw cuts as effectively as any I have used with very little clogging or sticking. One side of the file is diamond coated, making it more versatile. There is a serrated sheepsfoot blade with an integral cutting hook (very useful) and best of all the main, straight-edged blade is of premium S30V steel. If you know knives you know this is top quality stuff (and not cheap). Most other companies - even the good ones - don't even publish what they are building their tools from. I get the feeling there is a lot of 440a (or lesser steel) out there.
   
   The "inside" tools on the Charge TTi now have a very smooth and solid locking mechanism which was lacking on the original Wave. This is a definite improvement. And compared to the Wave the Charge TTi has a better look and feel to it.
   
   There are extra niceties. At nearly 9 oz, the Charge TTi is in the "slightly too big for comfy pocket carry" class. So you want to use a sheath but I wear sweats a lot. So the "pocket" clip allows me to tuck the Charge TTi in my waist band where I hardly notice it (but it is always with me). The built-in lanyard attachment is nice, too, and an improvement on the Wave's. (I don't like accidentally dropping and losing my expensive tools - so a good lanyard attachment is a must for me.)
   
   Strangely enough, I have mixed feelings about the interchangable bit-driver feature. Since I don't use the sheath much, I am often without the extra bits, decreasing the overall versatility of the tool. But I was just fine with the original Wave, which didn't even offer that versatility. Even if I leave the bit kit behind, this is as versatile a tool as the Wave was. So this is a complaint that really makes no sense.
   
   In addition to the original L-man Wave tool, I have a Gerber Compact Sport 400 (smaller, lighter) and an SOG Powerlock S63 EOD (larger, heavier). These are very respectable tools in their own right and the SOG in particular seems a little better than the L-Man Charge TTi in a couple of respects (see the upcoming review). But on balance I feel that the Charge TTi is the best tool I own and the only one I would rate as high as a 5. And if I could only keep one, this would be it.
   
   Post Script: See my other reviews for a head to head comparison between the TTi and Victorinox's Swisstool X.



3. I've had a number of multi tools over the years and the Leatherman Charge TTi is the best one I've ever used. One area that I would like to see improved is the quality of Philip screw bit. It's nice to have a replaceable bit but after only using it for a week it looks like it won't last. It's also on the expensive side compared with other similar tools.



4. This is a great multitool for sure! I can think of no negative things to say about it.
   The feel and build quality is top notch. The rounded titanium handles feel great in the hand and the pivot and lock up of the tools is rock solid.
   If you are considering a multitool, the titanium handles and the s30v blade make this a great choice!



5. I love everything about this knife except the pliers. The pliers jaws do not lock onto the handles, so once you close the jaws and try to open them again the handles pivot but the jaws stay closed because the handle hinges are looser than the hinge of the jaws. Consequently the pliers jaws do not open by opening the handles and one must use both hands to pull the jaws open. Very irritating. What's worse is that the handle hinge has a tamper proof screw so it can not be adjusted with out sending it back to the factory. Gerber has a better design.