Low Durability Makes The Wheeler Rex 24" Hand Saw A Disappointment!

The Good: Handle actually holds up, Inexpensive
The Bad: Blade bends with even limited use, Cheap
The Basics: The 24" Hand Saw from Wheeler Rex has limited use and ended up disappointing me with even casual use.


Recently, I decided to take on a big project outdoors. The complex I live in has a forest, which is pretty awesome for my dogs. Shortly after Myah died, however, there was a huge storm and two trees fell and obscured the path that was her main route from our home to the clearings where she had been used to bathrooming. Benny has been with us for a few months now and I've been taking him all over for bathrooming. Recently, I felt the pull to recover the pathway Myah had used for Benny and that meant doing the hard work of cutting up the felled trees. For that, I needed a saw. After going through my tools and discovering I no longer had a hand saw appropriate for cutting through a downed tree, I went out to buy one.

When I found the 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw at my local discount store, I was a bit apprehensive. Ironically, my sense of apprehension that the 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw would be the right tool for the job came from the plastic handle. The plastic handle was attached to the metal blade by three screws and my feeling was that even for a comparatively small project like sawing through two trees, there was no way the tool would hold up. I was wrong.

Unfortunately, I was also correct.

The 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw absolutely failed on the durability front. It took less than a week of daily use (one to three hours each day) before the steel blade of the 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw was warped and bent in a way that was problematic.

The 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw is 28" long from the back to the tip and it has a 5 1/2" tall grip. The grip is wide enough to accommodate an adult hand in work gloves. After several days of use, the grip remained tight and firmly attached to the steel saw blade.

Unfortunately, despite the ridiculously easy ease-of-use of the 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw and the surprising strength of the grip, the saw blade was hardly durable for practical, continual, or professional use. After getting through the first tree and returning to a less thick tree for sawing, the blade quickly exhibited warping at its midpoint, which made it very hard to start new cuts midway through the second tree.

As a result, it is impossible to recommend the 24" Wheeler Rex Hand Saw for even moderate home use, much less a professional setting.

For other tool reviews, please check out my takes on:
Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern
Stanley Tools 66-183 6 3/4" Flathead Screwdriver
Gator Grips Universal Socket

3/10

For other home and garden reviews, please check out my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Shower Together With The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 In 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo!

The Good: Easy to install, Easy to use, Surprisingly good flow, Affordable
The Bad: No "full stop" option, Base is not wide enough to allow the hose to go much to the side.
The Basics: The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo works surprisingly well and is a great showerhead!


When it comes to things like showerheads, I tend to leave the shopping to my wife. Indeed, I am very complacent when it comes to leaping in the shower, getting clean, and then getting out and getting on with my day. But, as one who is always looking for ways to spend time together (and, frankly, methinks, someone to wash her back!) my wife has been retrofitting our apartment's bathroom so we can share showers easier. Given that, like with many people, there is a bit of a height difference between us and that our shower area is not huge, showering together has been more of a chore than an act of love. That changed, however, when my wife bought us a Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo!

The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is a showerhead that is actually two heads; one rooted to the wall and a second that is hand-held, connected to the base of the first by a long, flexible, tube. This allows two people to comfortably shower with one another without forcing one person to be constantly standing somewhere other than right under the flow of the water!

The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is a stainless steel showerhead assembly that easily screws into a pipe in one's shower. The primary showerhead sticks out 6" from the shower pipe. At its base is a 3 1/2" wide piece that is perpendicular to the showerhead and features the control dial and the cradle for the handheld showerhead. The handheld showerhead is connected to the primary wall-based unit by a 4 3/4' flexible hose. Both showerheads are 4" in diameter; the handheld showerhead is on a 5" handle, which allows one to grip it firmly when it is out of its cradle.

Installation of the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is shockingly easy. When my wife purchased the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo, she announced that it had arrived and before I could leap up from my writing to muck up her efforts, she had already unscrewed the old showerhead and properly installed the new one! The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is so easy to install that it took her less than four minutes to assemble and attach the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo to the pipe. The screw-on ring that attaches the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo to the wall's pipe is tight and secure enough that we did not even need to use any pipe tape; in fact, we've switched up which shower in our apartment has the new showerhead and neither shower has shown any leaks where the pipes connect to the showerhead. The same cannot be said of the old, cheap, plastic shower heads out landlords originally had installed in our showers, so this is a clear benefit of the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo!

Using the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is fairly simple after it has been installed. On the left side of the base of the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is a dial. Turning the dial controls whether the water goes exclusively to the main showerhead, the handheld showerhead or both. On the right side of that same base is the cradle for the handheld showerhead, which allows one to have two showerheads shooting water from the wall, as opposed to forcing one to actually hold the handheld showerhead. One of the few strikes against the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo comes in its basic functioning; the dial has the three options, but for those who are conscientious about water conservation, there is no option to shut off flow entirely. Instead, one must turn off the water source completely, which then forces one to take a blast of cold water when turning it back on.

The Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo has multiple flow settings on each head. The showerheads are adjusted through a dial lever on each of the two heads and it changes the water flow from a powerful blast coming through the center-most holes in the showerhead to the misting function that comes from water flowing out all of the holes in the showerhead. The result is a wide variety of pressures and water coverage options and the fact that each head has adjustable dials allows each person in a shower to adjust their showerhead to their own preferences. This is pretty wonderful function and it works exceptionally well. In fact, one of the true pleasant surprises of the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is that the water flow/pressure remains extraordinary across all permutations of the settings. We noticed no perceptible change in water pressure between our prior small-head showerhead and installing the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo. While there is a minor, predictable, fall-off in water pressure from opening both showerheads up fully, there is minimal water pressure falloff before that! In other words, it is very easy for two people to use the shower with the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo at the same time and both people get clean and feel clean!

The only other real detraction to the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is in the flexible hose, or more accurately, the way the hose connects to the base. Part of the reason the water pressure is so good is that the hose that attaches the base to the handheld showerhead of the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo is a straight shot, which conserves the water pressure by maintaining the water's direction from the pipe through the shower head. Unfortunately, it also means that to use the handheld showerhead, one must basically bisect the shower space with the hose; the person using the handheld showerhead has to lift the hose above the other person in the shower or the hose will brush against the other person, who is getting cleaned from the primary nozzle. This is a design issue that would have been prevented by a wider base which would offset the hose, but it is understandable that Hydroluxe might not have done that because the water pressure would have suffered.

That said, the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo does what it promises. It is easy to install, easy to use, easy to clean and it allows two people to shower together comfortably; it is hard to ask more from a showerhead than the Hydroluxe Full-Chrome 24 Function Ultra-Luxury 3-way 2 in 1 Showerhead/Handheld-Shower Combo delivers!

8.5/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Arguably The Best Fan I Have Yet Found: The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan!

The Good: Good air flow, Very small footprint, Durable, Directional change is a cool idea.
The Bad: Not very easy to clean, Not very quiet
The Basics: The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is a worthwhile window fan for those who want to avoid using an air conditioner.


I have a had a string of bad luck when it comes to fans over the last few years. The fans I have tried are either wobbly, prohibitively expensive or have features that jack up the price without truly altering the product's effectiveness. As one who is basically a cheapskate, I try to mitigate the inevitable hike in my electric bill that comes with using an air conditioner during the summer months by using fans. So, my ideal fan is durable, energy efficient and easy to clean with good air flow that effectively cools both my wife and I in our apartment. To date, the best fan I have yet found is the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan.

The Pelonis Window Fan model FW23-8HS is a window fan with wings that fill out the space in a window and removable feet that allow the unit to stand firmly on its own when outside of a window perch. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan requires no real assembly when it comes out of the box, just clipping on the metal feet to the grooves in the base of the window fan. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is a blockish unit that is made primarily of heavy white plastic and has two fans in the unit. Measuring 24" wide, the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan has extendable "wings" which allow the window fan to fill the full width of the window in which it is placed. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is 12 1/2" tall and 4" deep. The cord on the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is 63" long and ends in a standard two-prong plug.

The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan has a white finish which is very simple. The unit has two fans and on the front of the window fan there are two sliding buttons that control the direction the fan is blowing - in and out. At the top of the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan are two buttons, the left one for speed and the right one for temperature. There are eight LED lights above the buttons on two rows, five green ones to indicate the desired temperature if one presses the right "Temp" button, and three red LEDs below the temperature LEDs for desired speed.

Usage of the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is fairly easy. The lower portion of the unit is thinner, which allows the window fan to fit in the bottom channel of pretty much any window. As a rather clever design aspect, near where the cord enters the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan on the bottom of the unit, there is a little recess, which allows the cord to be threaded along the base of the window fan and the base of the windowframe. As a result, the window fan remains very stable when properly placed in a window. The top of the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan has a channel of its own, so when the window is closed down to the top of the window fan, it is kept firmly in place. Once so situated and plugged in, the unit is activated with a touch of a button.

Years of experience have proven to me that the "Temperature" button is basically a theoretical concept that is not executed with practical application. The "Temp" button creates a speed that theoretically creates the desired temperature. It's like the theory of wind chill - "30 degrees that feels like 10 because of how fast the wind is blowing." But in practical application, this is an overselling of the concept and unfortunately does not work in a real way. Pressing the "Temp" button causes the fan to blow at a consistent speed - there is no temperature gauge within the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan that monitors or adjusts to the desired temperature. As a result, trying to get the window fan to actually cool a room or make one feel like they are in a room that is 60 degrees on a one hundred degree day does not work at all. Similarly, there were nights where we put the unit in the window and set it to 70 degrees and at some point in the night, the temperature outside plummeted into the 50s, but the fan's speed did not change at all.

As a result, I tend to use the simple low, medium and high speed settings when I use the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan works incredibly well. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan moves air with noticeable force; even at the lowest of the settings.

I discovered very early on that one of the most useful functions of the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan was the ability to change the direction the fan blades are moving. Throughout the summer, our local grocery store offered bacon on clearance - sometimes for more than 60% off! - and we would stock up on it. Rather than sweltering in the heat from having the oven on in the summer, we would blow the hot air from the apartment out instead of trying to suck (theoretically) colder air into the apartment. That worked far better than I would have thought before I got the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan (and it also vacated any smoke that came from the over under such circumstances!).

The Pelonis Window Fan is not particularly quiet, though I have had much louder fans. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is noticeable when it is on, for much more than just air flow.

Cleaning the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is very difficult. The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is a sealed unit. As a result, the outside of the window fan may be wiped down very easily, but cleaning the actual blades inside is a virtual impossibility. Given that I live on the edge of a forest where there is pollen and dirt, the inability to easily clean the blades is problematic.

The Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is not incredibly energy efficient, but it is still vastly less expensive than running an air conditioner.

In the final analysis, the Pelonis FW23-8HS 9" Window Fan is an affordable way to cool most rooms, at least in an apartment setting!

For other fans, please check out my reviews of:
Dyson Air Multiplier Fan
Feature Comforts FTT-4 3-Speed Oscillating Tower Fan
Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote

8/10

For other appliances, please check out my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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It Doesn't Work: The Bell Windstorm Floor Pump With Gauge Is An Absolute Failure!

The Good: ? - Inexpensive, I suppose
The Bad: Not particularly durable, Doesn't work, Cheap
The Basics: I bought a Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge when I was in a pinch for a tire pump and it completely failed to work for me!


There is a pretty common "bit" in comedy when it comes to banter, where one person says something to another person as a list of things they are expressing and the person to whom they speak responds with the same response every time. Such banter tends to work best when it is a couple of words and is more than simply a "yes" or "no" response being repeated ad nauseum. In the case of the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge, any sales pitch one could give me would be met with a reply of "It doesn't work." "Solid steel barrel . . ." "It doesn't work." "Gauge that reads up to 120 PSI. . ." "It doesn't work." "Foot pedals to stand upon while pumping . . ." "It doesn't matter; it doesn't work." You get it.

I had a soft tire that needed filling and I stopped in at the nearest local hardware store I could find for a tire pump. The only one they had was the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge and, given that I won't travel on a deflated tire whenever I don't have to and they were closing for the night, I purchased the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge with a sense of desperation and rushed out of the store to fill my tire. So, I was, understandably, upset when the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge failed to work. Like most tire pumps, the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge has a Schrader valve that one attaches to the tire, then depress a lever to allow the pump to push air into the tire's valve. There was no combination of movements that made it possible to connect the Schrader valve to my tire to push air into the tire and get a gauge reading from the pump.

So, I'm out the $26.

The Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge is a tire pump that has a 17" tall 1 1/2" in diameter steel barrel shaft that connects at the top to a plastic handle and at the base to plastic foot pedals that allow one to stand upon it while pumping . . . if it would actually pump air. The most compact this device gets is 23" tall by 3" deep by 8 1/2" wide, so it is likely to remain in one's garage, as opposed to being transported with a cyclist. The Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge features a 2 foot long rubber hose that ends in a Schrader valve.

Use of the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge is very easy. Simply connect the Schrader valve to the tire you want inflated by pressing it firmly on the tire valve and then pushing down the lever on the Schrader valve. At that point, the gauge should read the current tire pressure. Step on the foot pedals to stabilize the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge, then left the two handles atop the pump with both hands and push down.

Then, when nothing happens, save the sound of air whooshing out the valve, chuck the Bell Windstorm Floor Pump with Gauge and go and buy a floor pump that works!

For other reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener
Slime Black Anodized Valve Caps
Celtic Knot Claddagh Urn For Ashes Sterling Silver Pendant

0/10

For other reviews of other, random, things, please check out my Other Product Review Index Page for a listing of all those reviews!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Average And Overpriced: The Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote!

The Good: Good air flow, Remote can be helpful
The Bad: Expensive, Not at all energy efficient, Very large footprint
The Basics: In a pinch, we picked up a Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote and while it was helpful, it was very overpriced for the results it delivered.


This year has been the hottest one in my conscious memory, which has been supported by record high temperatures in my area even now in September. In August, our air conditioning broke down, and it was then that we realized that our prior Lasko fan had broken down (the motor burned out) and the only other fans we had in our home were window fans. Given that out apartment is on the sunny side, with windows that are right off the first floor roof, window fans were not a good option for us to try to beat the August heat. The middle of one hot night was not the night to debate with my wife the merits of trying to repair a fan or come up with another solution, so we ended up running out to buy a fan. We ended up picking up a Lasko Stand Fan (S18601) for $60 and we continued using the fan for the past month and a half, even though our air conditioning got fixed.

And, having had an inexpensive Lasko Stand Fan that was under $30, which lasted for a few years, the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote seemed vastly overpriced for what it offers.

The Lasko Stand Fan model S18601 is a floor fan with an adjustable height function. The Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote requires assembly when it comes out of the box. The base is a very heavy circular stand that is 21" in diameter. While this has a very large footprint on the floor, the base is sufficiently heavy to keep the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan completely stable on the floor, regardless of how high one turns up the speed on the fan head (which is more of a problem with stand fans than one might initially think!). The large size of the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote continues into the fan head, which is also 21" in diameter and 10" deep. The Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote has an adjustable height that allows the unit to go from being 41 1/2" to 53" tall. The footprint of the SL18601 is increased by the cord for the unit. While that would not usually be a factor, with the Lasko S18601, it becomes one because of the oscillating factor; if the fan is near anything that protrudes, or too close to a wall, the fan knocks against anything nearby.

The Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote has a black finish which is fairly stylish, broken up by the brand name in stainless steel in the center of the fan head. To the credit of the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote, it does exactly what it promises. This stand fan moves air with considerable force; even at the lowest of the four settings, we can easily feel the air flow from over ten feet away. On the highest setting, the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan keeps the whole room cool, even when it's blowing air from our kitchen when the oven is on! I'm not certain how it does that, but the Lasko S18601 manages to work, even on the hottest day.

Use of the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote is decidedly variable. While it took us less than fifteen minutes to assemble the fan out of the box - it was thoroughly intuitive, which is a real plus - there are a number of adjustments that can be made to change the experience one has with the S18601. The height may be adjusted by unscrewing a cuff at the bottom of the stand, pulling the fan head up and then retightening the cuff. There are no gradations to force any specific height upon the user; the cuff is enough to hold the head at any height along the foot of potential heights. The oscillating function is controlled by a similar physical manipulation, by adjusting a peg at the back of the fan head.

As the name suggests, the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote features a remote control, which seems like an initially cool feature. The remote is a 3 1/2" long, 2 1/8" wide by 3/4" thick remote control that runs on two AAA batteries. It has two buttons: one that activates the fan, another that adjusts the speed of the fan blades upward. The issues with the remote are two-fold. First, the stand's control panel has to be facing the user. My wife and I sit on a couch and a chair separated by a small endtable; we are usually separated by about two feet while we are working. When the unit's control panel is facing her, I cannot use the remote to turn on the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan. If the S18601 is facing me, both of us can activate it, so it is somewhat finicky. Ostensibly, the purpose of the remote control for the S18601 Stand Fan is to be convenient for people who do not want to get up to turn the fan on and adjust the speed. What one cannot do using the remote is turn the oscillating feature on or off. In other words, the remote is not "full function" for the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan.

The Lasko Stand Fan is not at all quiet. The Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote is very obvious when it is on, for much more than just its air flow. When it is on one of its lower settings, from my vantage, sometimes I cannot feel the flow from fifteen feet away, but even then I have to adjust the volume on our television because of the noise from the S18601. The only other big detraction I have found for the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote is the maintenance factor. No other variables have changed in our apartment between our first Lasko Stand Fan and getting the Lasko S18601 Stand Fan, but this stand fan attracts dust and hair at a ridiculously accelerated rate. While we had to clean our first Lasko Stand Fan about once a month, the fan blades and the metal basket that houses them attracts such significant amounts of dust that we must clean the full fan head once every two weeks.

Cleaning the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote is fairly easy, though. The front of the fan head pops off and can be washed off easily enough. The fan blades may be wiped off easily, as well. The only part of the fan that is tough to clean is the back portion of the fan head; the plastic latticework behind the fan blades is nowhere near as easy to clean as the front of the fan head. The Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote is not a particularly energy efficient fan and I did notice a slight uptick in our electric bill the first month we started using the S18601 (which was saying something given that we had a whole week without using the air conditioner in that month!).

Ultimately, the Lasko S18601 18" Stand Fan With Remote is a mixed product with higher initial cost and cost of usage than comparable fans that provide similar amounts of air flow (some with less of a footprint).

For other electronic devices and appliances, please check out my reviews of:
Dyson Air Multiplier Fan
Feature Comforts FTT-4 3-Speed Oscillating Tower Fan
Meco Digital Kitchen Scale

4/10

For other appliances, please check out my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Durable And Efficient The EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W Compact Florescent Spiral Light Bulb Work!

The Good: Quality light, Bulbs last long, VERY energy efficient, Environmentally responsible
The Bad: Initial cost
The Basics: The EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W Compact Florescent Spiral Light Bulb are a wonderful lighting option for those who want to lower their electrical bills!


When it comes to lowering electric bills, there are few easier ways that I can find than by using energy-efficient light bulbs. After years of trying various energy efficient bulbs, my landlords decided to make our buildings far more efficient. They got us in a whole stash of EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W light bulb and have been using them for the last two years consistently. The nice thing about living in one place so long with no other changes is that I am able to do some pretty solid comparisons between old and new electric bills. As a result, I know that my wife and I have actually saved money using the EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W light bulbs. Switching from actual 60 Watt light bulbs to 13 W light bulbs lowered our electric bill by about one quarter, which makes sense given that my wife and are both night owls and use lights most of our awake time.

For those who don't know what the big deal is, the EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W is a lightbulb that has a spiral core that rises out of a standard lightbulb bottom. The top looks like a twisted up fluorescent lightbulb and when it is turned on, it gives off light that is a quality that is reminiscent of a classic fluorescent light (the long bulbs used in industrial lighting). This bulb starts out giving off a soft, white light that is like a fluorescent light.

The EarthBulb 13W is a lightbulb that uses mercury and a low-watt charge to create light. There is no filament that is visible in the bulb, so they are a bit sturdier than standard lightbulbs. The filament in a regular lightbulb is the thin wire-like thing that is where the light comes from and what breaks when the bulbs burn out. The EarthBulb 13W bulbs are durable; I have dropped a couple onto my foot without them breaking (so long as they do not hit the floor, they seem to remain intact!

The base of the bulb is identical to a standard lightbulb and as a result, it fits in any socket that a standard lightbulb will fit in. While the base above the screw-in portion is a little wider than the standard lightbulb, unless one was using specialty bulbs to begin with, the EarthBulb 13W will fit anywhere that a classic lightbulb will fit.

Standard lightbulbs tend to last approximately two to three years (sometimes dramatically less) with regular use (estimated by the lightbulb industry at four hours a day, seven days a week). The EarthBulb 13W lasts for at least five (I have two that are older than that). Standard lightbulbs that generate 800 to 1000 lumens operate on 60 Watts of electricity. This bulb, which generates 900 lumens runs on 13 Watts!

For those taking their time with the math, that means that one EarthBulb 13W uses 1/4 the energy of a standard lightbulb and averages two and a half times the lifespan of the usual 60 Watt bulb! In other words, with the cost to operate 1 60 Watt lightbulb, four EarthBulb 13W s can be lit and still save the user electricity! This is the socially responsible way to light your house and you can even keep your house brighter for less money!

EarthTronics does not make any guarantee about lowering your electric bill, but with the cost of electricity rising, changing over to the EarthBulb 13W will lower your bill, assuming your usage does not increase dramatically. Because the bulk of our energy usage in our apartment is based on lights and television, our bill did go down noticeably since we switched over entirely to the EarthBulb 13W bulbs.

The EarthBulb 13W will take a few minutes to get up to maximum brightness. When you turn on the light, the bulb will come on at a dimmer than usual setting. Within five minutes, it will reach its maximum brightness and the user will be bathed in a gentle white light of a similar quality to fluorescent lights. This effect is liable to make everything seem more vivid in one's living space at first. Standard lightbulbs cast a dirtier, slightly yellowish light to them. The EarthBulb 13W emits a very pure white light. The only other time after the initial two or three uses of a bulb where this delay is exacerbated is when temperatures are particularly low. My house if often fairly cold and as a result, sometimes the bulbs take six to ten minutes to reach full brightness in the winter.

The EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W Compact Florescent Spiral Light Bulbs glow for three minutes after they are turned off. Unfortunately, the initial outlay for the EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W Compact Florescent Spiral Light Bulbs is a bit more than many people are comfortable with. While the standard lightbulb can be bought for 4/$2.00 on sale, the EarthBulb 13W is liable to run consumers $3.00/bulb. That price goes down when one buys a bulk pack at most places and the cost for bulbs has been dropping over the years since these were originally released. The outlay cost can be inhibiting, but the day to day savings can be worth it! Also, some states have grants for homeowners (especially seniors) to help make home improvements that make their homes more energy efficient. Switching over to lightbulbs like the EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W is usually recommended and may be covered (at least in part) under such a grant!

Regardless of the initial cost, the EarthTronics EarthBulb 13W Compact Florescent Spiral Light Bulb are a pretty wonderful lighting option that can save one money!

For other household gadgets and tool reviews, please check out:
MaxAttrax Ant Bait
Speedy White Hearth & Ceramic Glass Cleaner
Craftsman Electronic Stud Finder

9/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please visit my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Incredibly Simple, The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale Is Too Small To Be Useful To Most!

The Good: Easy to use, Very inexpensive, Small footprint
The Bad: Very small, Battery operated (with no corded option), Small screen
The Basics: The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a bit disappointing compared to other digital kitchen scales I have used.


When it comes to kitchen appliances, there is a fine balance between having a small footprint that makes an appliance useful while taking up a minimum of counter space and being functional. Sometimes, there is something that places the premium on saving space and lowering initial cost that it fails to be as useful as it ought to be. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is one such item.

The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a small, battery-powered electronic digital scale that is far less useful in the kitchen than most other scales I have used, though it is accurate. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale are a very simple white plastic scale, without any sort of receptacle for placing foods on in an easy-to-separate way. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is powered by two AAA batteries, which last several months with daily use.

The batteries are housed in the bottom of the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale. The scale is an 6 1/2” long by 5” wide by 1 5/16” white plastic scale. On the front of the top of the scale is an LCD screen – 1 1/2” wide by 5/8" tall – and there are two buttons below the screen. The button on the right turns the power off and calibrates the scale, the button on the left changes the units displayed on the screen. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale allows one to measure items in ounces, grams and pounds (to the thousandth!). The weighing surface of the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a 4 5/16" in diameter disc. That surface is comparatively small for a kitchen scale and it is very hard to see the screen with anything one is trying to weigh that is larger than a hamburger bun.

Using the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is fairly simple. Simply press the right button and the screen will come to life. The large block number/letters activate and flash as the unit calibrates. It will then change on its own to the current weight. When it is first turned on, it calibrates to zero. To calibrate it so it does not count the weight of any sort of vessel one wants to exclude, place it on the disc and hit the “Power” button again. The unit will then calibrate to zero and from the new zero point, you will be able to weigh whatever you want atop a larger surface (or in a mug/measuring cup if one needs to weigh a liquid).

I was not impressed by the small weighing surface and the fact that there is no A/C corded option to power the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale. As well, in the heat of moving around an active kitchen trying to cook, the screen on the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is very small.

Cleaning the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is easy, so long as no fluids get into the space between the weighing disc and the bottom unit. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale may easily be cleaned with a washcloth or dish sponge; it is non-porous and wipes clean easily.

We found that the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale remained accurate, but it required fairly frequent recalibration and the moment it was off-balance, it required recalibrating. The problem with the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale was that to weigh something big on the scale required something like a plate, which blocked the screen and often unbalanced the unit.

The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a very basic scale and people who have small servings or spices they need to measure might find it worthwhile. But for those who are dieting and need a serious scale for portion control, the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale falls woefully shy of being worthwhile.

For other scales, please visit my reviews of:
Oneida 2 Piece Scale Set
Health O' Meter HDM560DQ-05 Weight Tracking Scale
Smart Weigh SMS500-B Smart Memory Scale

4/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please visit my Appliance Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Still Worth The Money, The RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set Is Not Perfect!

The Good: Durable, Affordable, Useful, Grips are a great touch!
The Bad: Corrosive elements, No cleaner brush!
The Basics: Robbed of perfection by a lack of a cleaner brush and solder that rusts, the RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set is still a wonderful set for anyone who loves milkshakes!


Not long ago, my wife did a whole themed giftgiving time for me. She knew of my love of milkshakes and she decided to give me a whole milkshake event gift time. As a result, in addition to the awesome Hamilton Beach Milkshake Maker (reviewed here!), she picked me up a set of RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straws! These simple stainless steel spoon straws are pretty much essential for anyone who loves milkshakes or ice cream floats and wants to be able to both eat ice cream and drink whatever beverage the ice cream is suspended in!

The RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set contains four stainless steel spoon straws, each measuring 8 1/2” long and 1/4” in diameter at the top of the straw, 1” wide at the widest point on the spoon. Each spoon straw is, as its name implies, a metal straw with a spoon at the end so one may suck fluid through it and eat larger pieces of ice cream or things crumbled into a shake with the spoon end. 1 3/4" from the top of each spoon is a colorful 3/4" long rubber grip. The different colors of the grips in the RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set make it easy to tell whose spoon straw is whose when one is sharing beverages!

Using the Spoon Straw is ridiculously simple; place the straw in a beverage and suck on the straw end. If it becomes occluded or if one wants ice cream that is in one’s glass or bowl, simply scoop it out with the spoon end and consume.

Why bother reviewing the RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set then? First, this set is great because they are durable and they do exactly what they promise. Second, the rubberized grip has the benefit of keeping one’s fingers from getting cold while one is consuming the milkshake! Third, these spoon straws are one of the more affordable ones on the market, which makes their durability a real selling point; one might only have to buy one or two sets in a lifetime, RSVP did such a quality job with making them!

The detractions to the RSVP Spoon Straws are simple: there is no cleaning brush in this set and the solder is not stainless steel – it rusts. Most metal/reusable spoon straws come with some form of cleaning brush. That allows one to easily clean the spoon straw. The RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set does not have one and as a result, these are a pain to clean. While they are dishwasher safe, if there is something like a chocolate chip stuck in the middle of the straw tube, most dishwashers will not get that out. Finally, while the straws and spoons are stainless steel, whatever connects them (I’ve been assuming a solder of some sort) is not rustproof, which is pretty ridiculous for a device that goes in beverages. After more than a full year of weekly (at least!) use, our RSVP Spoon Straws have gotten some rust at the bottom of the straw near where the straw and spoon connect!

This is not enough of a detriment to keep us from continuing to use the RSVP Spoon Straws – we’ve noticed no rust in any of our milky or soda-based beverages – and it is not enough to keep me from recommending the RSVP International 4-Piece Spoon Straw Set.

For other kitchen gadgets, please check out my reviews of:
Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug (20 oz.)
RSVP 60 & 50 mm Espresso Tamper
Norpro 3919 Mini Cheesecake Pan

7.5/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please check out my Home And Garden Product Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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More Than Awesome Product Placement: The Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug Delivers!

The Good: Durable, Fairly inexpensive, Keeps liquids hot for hours
The Bad: Flow is over-regulated for big mouths.
The Basics: The Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug works exceptionally well and does all it promises!


I am a bear to shop for and I know that. So, it is pretty cool when people find me something that I turn out to truly be impressed by. It’s even cooler when I see that product used in media! So, when my brother-in-law and his fiancé gave me a Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug for the winter holiday, I was pleasantly surprised. After weeks of using the Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug, when I saw it in use on last night’s episode of The Flash (reviewed here!), I was geeking out.

The Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug is a 20 oz. travel mug that is stainless steel with a rubberized grip near the top of the mug. The mug is a simple stainless steel cylinder without a handle. The top of the mug has a plastic cap that screws on. To use the Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug, one need only fill the travel mug, then screw on the plastic cap. To access the beverage inside, press the snap lever on the back and it opens a hole on the opposite side of the cap.

What makes the Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug impressive and worth reviewing? This travel mug is the best insulated travel mug I’ve ever encountered. Sealed and with the top closed, this travel mug has kept beverages at almost the same temperature as when it was poured for over two hours. What is truly extraordinary about the Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug is that when one snaps open the access hole and continues to drink from it, it keeps beverages piping hot for over an hour! In other words, partially-drunk beverages remain hot even after one has begun consuming it.

The plastic top of the Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug may be washed in the dishwasher, but the main mug must be hand washed. In order to keep this tall mug thin-enough so it may fit into the standard cupholder (in our futon and in our car), the mug is thin-enough that those of us with big hands have trouble cleaning it out using our hands. The only other detraction for me is that the opening for getting the drink out of the cap limits the flow enough to force me to drink slower than I usually would.

The Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug is near-perfect. It cannot be microwaved or dishwashed, because of the stainless steel and the insulation in the mug, respectively, but it does what it promises in keeping hot beverages hot for incredibly long periods. That makes the Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug an ideal travel mug for both me and Harrison Wells!

For other kitchen gadgets that are beverage-related, please check out my reviews of:
Epica Electric Milk Frother & Heater Carafe
Ovente 1.5 L Glass Electric Kettle
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey mug

9/10

For other appliance reviews, please check out my Appliance Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Strong Enough For Kitchens, Mild Enough For TefLon, The Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdge Works!

The Good: Inexpensive, Durable, Easy to use and clean
The Bad: Has to be broken in
The Basics: An easy-to-use kitchen sponge, the Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdge holds up, but needs to be “softened” before it is truly usable on non-stick kitchenware.


My mother-in-law gave my family a wonderful gift this past winter; a whole set of non-stick pots and pans to replace the ones that have gotten scratched over the years here. In keeping brand new pots and pans looking (and working) well, I have been rigorously testing new (to me) scrubbing sponges. The new top of my list are the Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdges, which I picked up and have been using on the new pots and pans for the past month. Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdge are a marginally pricier kitchen sponge (one gets two for the price of three discount-brand kitchen sponges), but they hold together very well and, after about two day’s use are soft enough to use on Teflon without scratching it.

The Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdge is a 4 3/4” long by 3 1/4” wide by 1 1/4" thick kitchen scrubbing sponge! This is a purple sponge with a white scrubbing pad (reminiscent of steel wool, but made of vinyl and therefore not as abrasive as its steel counterpart) fused to the top. The scrubbing pad accounts for 5/16” of the sponge’s thickness. Like most kitchen sponges, the Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdge arrive out of the package flexible but firm and ready to clean.

As far as basic kitchen cleaning goes, the Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdges are exceptional. The sponge side soaks up spills efficiently and the scrubbing side actually is ideal both for abrasiveness and the way it does not scratch non-stick surfaces. This sponge is a great staple item. Also cool is the shape which gives the sponge more edge strength (the bottom is not at a 90 degree angle to the top, so this is a parallelogram shape that has edges that act like a cleaning wedge for getting into tight corners nicely.

What separates it, on the positive side, from other kitchen sponges, is how easy it is to clean. In the normal course of serving as a kitchen sponge, the scrubbing side and the sponge may encounter quite a bit of grease, dirty water, and fluids that might make a kitchen sponge smell moldy and unhygienic. That has never once been the case with the Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdges I have used, though. This sponge may easily go through the dishwasher to get cleaned and completely revitalized! Put it through a normal dishwashing cycle – the sponge will not break apart at all! – squeeze it out after the cycle is done and give it about an hour or two to dry some and it is fresh, as if it just came from the package! In fact, after laundering it thus just once, the “abrasive” side is soft enough to use on a non-stick surface.

Unlike other Estracell products I’ve used, the scrubbing pad on this sponge does not separate easily from the main sponge. That makes the Brillo Estracell No Scratch Scrub Sponge with WedgeEdge the best scrubbing sponge I’ve yet found and it is more than worth the initial price, regardless of how few one gets (compared to the cheap brands!).

For other kitchen product reviews, please visit my takes on:
Brillo Estracell Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge
Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge
Domestix Supreme Clean Kitchen Scrubber Sponge

9/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please visit my Home And Garden Review Index Page for a concise listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Great In A Pinch, The Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern Works Great (But Coleman Makes You Pay For It!).

The Good: Wonderful, reliable light, Fairly durable, Rechargeable nature, Comes fully charged
The Bad: Comparatively expensive
The Basics: Coleman’s 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is a worthwhile investment, though it is expensive!


A few days ago, the first big snow of the season hit Michigan and rather oddly, a day after the biggest storms ripped through the state, the power went out in my apartment. Because my wife and I live in a low priority area of Michigan, it took days for us to get the power back (boo, food spoilage!) and the entire couple of days ended up being incredibly expensive for us. One of the big expenses in those two and a half days was the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern. While I was both content to use candles and flashlights (and, to be fair, I spent my nights at work where it was pretty brightly lit), my wife has a decent need for brightly lit spaces and to keep the whole uncertain time from becoming a much more traumatic incident for her, we invested in the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern.

The Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is an electric lantern, instantly reminiscent of the propane lanterns one might use while camping. The advantage of the electric lantern, of course, is that one does not accrue the expense of propane tanks and there are no fumes generated by the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern. Locally available at a hefty $45.99 + tax, purchasing the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern during our emergency felt like an act of financial rape by Coleman (one fails to believe that even this dependable, brightly lit lantern is worth that much). Ultimately, the reason we shelled out that much for it (in addition to not being able to wait for a less expensive version of it to arrive from an online store) was that, despite the packaging not mentioning it explicitly, the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is one of the few rechargeable LED lanterns that has a rechargeable cartridge that comes fully charged! That means the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is usable right out of the box.

The Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is a foot tall (when the rotating handle is up) by 5 1/8” in diameter. Colored in the traditional Coleman olive green and black, the LED lantern features a 3” tall by 1” in diameter cylinder LED light. The handle at the top rotates down for easy storage and rotates up so it may be carried easily.

Activated to one of two settings (Low or High) by the turn of a dial on the front of the lantern’s base, the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern lights up with soft light. Both settings produce bright, soft light. According to the box and manual, the difference between the Low and High settings is the difference between 100 and 190 Lumens. In practical terms, this is the difference between fifteen and twenty feet of light. The light is bright enough to easily read by and for our apartment living room (15 by 20 feet), both settings are bright enough for us to read by in the dark, from pretty much anywhere in the room. The lantern remained lit for two full nights (thirteen hours each night) during our emergency without burning out.

The rechargeable battery pack for the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is easily accessed through the bottom of the lantern. While it may be charged while in the lantern, there are two clips that allow the battery pack to be detached and charged in a standard wall socket. It took fourteen hours for it to recharge. Coleman makes it easy to tell when the battery is charged because the light on the battery turns green. The Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern comes with the cord needed to recharge the battery.

The Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern seems durable (we knocked it around in the dark several times) and the clear lantern face around the bulb has not been scratched or cracked. Well worth picking up before one needs it, the Coleman 2000008547 Rechargeable LED Lantern is a good emergency supply or camping lantern that is safe for indoor and outdoor use and provides useful light to keep one feeling safe and happy.

For other home and garden products or rechargeable electronics, please visit my reviews of:
Scrubbing Bubbles 2 in 1 Kitchen & Dish Sponge
Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener
Energizer Recharge AA/AAA Charger

8/10

For other home and garden equipment reviews, please visit my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Outside The Grip, The Stanley 66-183 6 3/4" Flathead Screwdriver Is One Of The Very Best!

The Good: Durable, Works. . . so you don't have to.
The Bad: Handle is not comfortable/hard to hold onto.
The Basics: The Stanley 6 3/4” screwdriver is a wonderful “staple” screwdriver for those with a lot of flathead screwing projects!


When it comes to screwdrivers, sometimes it helps to have one with a shorter shaft. From that style of screwdriver, one gets more power; one can feel the turning of the screws much more clearly and one is able to control the screwing in better. I have several Stanley screwdrivers in my toolbox and the 6 3/4” flathead screwdriver is one that I used for quite some time. The Stanley 6 3/4” screwdriver (66-183 in the Stanley Tools product numbering system) has a 3 1/16” steel shaft and a small-sized (3/16” wide, a millimeter or two thick) head which is ideal for single-slot (wood) screws. And when contemplating a screwdriver, I think what everyone wants to know is “Does it work?” Well, it's a manual screwdriver, so you do the work; this tool just makes it easier for you. But yes, the Stanley 6 3/4” flathead screwdriver works.

For three years, I used this screwdriver on projects around the house that required a flathead screwdriver. I also used it to pry open paint cans and once as a wood chisel (not recommended). The steel shaft never bent, the head remained sharp and intact. This is a very solid piece of hardware and at its $4.00 (or less) pricetag, it is a steal. This tool will remain in use for years by anyone who does projects around the house.

I am, however, left underwhelmed by the handle. The 3 3/4” handle, which is made of a solid plastic that is enough to not crack when hit by a hammer, is too smooth. As silly as it sounds, the ergonomic grip on this screwdriver is so smooth that if one is either working in conditions where one's hand sweats or they are wearing gloves that have less grip, it becomes impossible to use this screwdriver. While the smooth, hard surface is more comfortable than the ridged grips of many older screwdrivers, the Stanley 6 3/4” has little friction so when one is twisting screws with it, it becomes very easy for the hand to slip. When that happens, one will find their hand sliding around the screwdriver handle, but not actually moving the screwdriver.

I still rate this Stanley screwdriver so highly because the major defect does not come into play each and every time one uses it. This screwdriver is ideal for screwing the appropriate-sized screws into pre-drilled holes. When it is being used properly, it is very easy to use and get the results one would hope for. But prolonged use (like, for example, when I was screwing fence segments to their posts in my yard on a hot summer day) is likely to make this an unnecessarily harder tool to use because maintaining a grip on it is harder.

Also, as one's hand becomes sweatier while using it, the tension of trying to torque screws is likely to cause one's hands to blister. This, naturally, will lead one to put on gloves, which increases the likelihood they will be unable to maintain a grip on this particular screwdriver!

For other Stanley tools, please check out my reviews of:
84-110 10" Pliers
60-006 6 3/4” Cabinet screwdriver
42-468 ABS level

7.5/10

For other tool reviews, please visit my index page!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission
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A Very Average Essential Art Tool: The Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener (Mostly) Works.

The Good: Inexpensive, Generally works
The Bad: Larger sharpener is very hard to use, Can tear apart pencils as easily as it sharpens them.
The Basics: The inexpensive Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener works for the most part, but can really tear apart comparably priced colored pencils.


In advance of my wife’s twenty-fifth birthday, I began work for her on a book dedicated to her. It was a children’s book and when I went to illustrate it, I discovered that she had no colored pencils around the house. So, I went out and bought a whole bunch and I had to purchase a pencil sharpener as well. I had a limited budget at the time, so I went for something inexpensive and that took the form of the Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener!

The Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener was locally available for $2 and it is an inexpensive plastic sharpener. It is a two part pencil sharpener with a sharpener and a reservoir. At 2 ¾” tall, 2 3/8” wide and ¾” thick. The red top has two holes into which one places pencils and when the pencil is turned, the reservoir collects the shavings from the wood and graphite. It is very easy to see when the reservoir needs to be emptied because the bottom half of the Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener is clear.

Using the Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener is very easy. Simply place the pencil in the smaller of the two sharpener holes (for most pencils). Push gently and twist the pencil. This shaves off the wood on the pencil and sharpens the tip. The Max Pen 521A 2 in 1 Sharpener shreds wood about as often as it shaves it. The bigger hole rips apart wood and the smaller one actually sharpens the graphite well. The inconsistent results make it feel a little cheaper (as opposed to inexpensive).

The good thing is that the blade in this does not get dull with prolonged use. If it does get dull after even more usage than I already have given it, it is cheap enough to replace. This is an adequate basic sharpener, but serious artists will need something more refined.

For other tools, please check out my reviews of:
Xacto X73610 Needle File Kit
ACCO 3-Hole Punch
MasterMechanic #50 drill bit

5/10

For other tool reviews, please visit my Tool Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Simple Perfection: The Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane Works!

The Good: Quality craftsmanship, Remains sharp, Easy to clean, Comparatively inexpensive
The Bad: None that I can find!
The Basics: The Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane is an exceptionally good, professional quality cheese plane worth buying!


The last time my (now ex-)wife and I went to visit my paternal grandmother in her nursing home in New York, we stopped in Cuba, New York because they had a number of cheese manufacturers there. While we were sampling cheeses, she suggested it was time I picked up a serious cheese plane for us. That was when we found the Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane and it met my initial desires for a cheese plane: a solid handle/blade design (none of this welded together, plastic over metal crap for me!) and stainless steel (which fit my décor and desire for having a durable cheese cutter. Since we went on that trip, I’ve gotten a divorce, my grandmother died, and I moved hundreds of miles away from all the familiar New York State places I knew and loved, but I still have the Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane and it is in virtually the same condition as when I originally purchased it.

I know of no higher compliment for the product than that.

I used my Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane on average once a day and clean it as frequently (it’s the way to keep it sharp, sterile, and blemish-free!) and I’ve had it for at least six years now. Outset makes a quality product with the Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane.

The Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane is an 8 3/4" long stainless steel cheese plane with a 2 5/8” wide head and two sharp prongs at the tip of the otherwise rounded head. The grip is a smooth stainless steel oblate cylinder that is 3/4” wide and 4” long. The head has a slit 2” wide and that is where one is able to slice cheese using the cheese plane.

There is no special trick using the Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane. Simply align the blade (the slit in the head) on the edge of a block of cheese (harder is better) and drag the plane back, through the cheese. That will allow the cheese plane to create a slice off the cheese block which will ride up the blade and out the top of the plane to the front of the head. Used properly, this cheese plane can both cut and present for serving beautifully uniform slices of cheese each and every time.

Cleaning the Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane is simple. Hot water and an abrasive sponge will remove all of the cheese and grease from the surface of this plane. It is that simple.

In every way, the Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane is a perfect kitchen tool. It is stylish enough to go on the table, functionally strong enough to endure in a professional kitchen and easy to clean. The Outset B218 Stainless Steel Handheld Cheese Plane is an heirloom-quality cheese plane and one well worth buying as it ought to last one their entire lifetime of loving cheeses!

For other kitchen product reviews, please check out my reviews of:
J.A. Henckels International Stainless Steel 8-Piece Steak Knife Set
Waechtersbach Fun Factory II 28-ounce Black Teapot
Rubbermaid FilterFresh Water Filtration Bottle

10/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please visit my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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