Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Cordless Framing Nailer - nail gun, framing nailers


I am rating 'refurbished' items in general. I have purchased three or four 'refurb' items through Amazon. I have been very happy with the products. They were in all cases in 'like new' condition. Very good deal for the mony. Bostitch S10D-FH 28 Degree 3-Inch by .120-Inch Wire Weld Framing Nails (2,000 per Box) - Reconditioned Tools - Nail Gun - Framing Nailers - Nailer'


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Woodworking


A very comfortable respirator. I did end up with 2 since the medium was too small for my face. Even on the small side the mask was okay to wear, but the correct size is much more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. The mask does require a bit of suction to pull the baffles open, so breathing is a bit more laborious. Straps are comfortable and easy to adjust. 3M 7500 Series Respirator Half Facepiece Kit With Filters Medium (No Eye Protection)

This mask is a good one. I have used others and find this one to offer a better seal and more comfort. I highly recommend this mask for woodworkers.3M 7500 Series Respirator Half Facepiece Kit With Filters Medium (No Eye Protection)

The 7500 series is the best fitting mask available to someone that can't spend tons on BSA equipment.



I trust my life to these masks. Paired with the organic cartridges even the most volatile concrete sealers are safe to be around.'


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Battery-operate - electric pencil sharpener, x-acto


I don't usually write these reviews, but I was extremely irritated with the way this product turned out for me.

As a high school math teacher I am always in need of a good pencil sharpener, but considering I personally buy more than half of my school supplies, I couldn't afford to spend a lot on one. After reading the reviews, and deciding to purchase it, I anticipated receiving a great working sharpener for little money!

NOT THE CASE. After "teaching" my students how to work the sharpener - hold the pencil firmly, press VERY gently, take it out quickly - over and over again, it broke. It constantly would break the lead off the pencil and get stuck in the sharpener. And finally it just completely quit working. So after only four weeks of school, it is getting no use whatsoever but collecting dust in my desk, while my students are back using 99cent plastic sharpeners. It worked great for me personally, but for a classroom of young adults/teenagers, it is not worth it! X-Acto 16750 Battery-Powered Pencil Sharpener, Black

My old battery operated pencil sharpener died a miserable death a few months ago and I needed a replacement. I vacilated between a battery-operated one and an electric one. I finally decided on the battery-operated sharpener as I have noticed no difference in the life length between the two--I use electric ones on my desk at work. At any rate, I decided on the X-ACTO Razor Blade Battery Sharpener. I also purchased a package of rechargeable batteries for it.



The sharpener has worked perfectly each time that I have used it. Another reviewer mentioned art pencils and it is a valid point to take into consideration. I haven't used art pencils in a while so cannot speak to that. One complaint mentioned that the catch-container is only large enough to sharpen 1 or 2 pencils before it needs to be emptied. That has not been my experience. I can go several days--and several sharpenings--without needing to empty the container.



My only complaint about the sharpener--and it has been my complaint with most of those I have owned--it's noisy as in very. The cat runs out of the room each time that I use it. That said, it is a small price to pay for a perfectly sharpened pencil.

just about every time i've ever use this thing it pulls the lead out of the pencil and clogs the sharpening device with said lead. you have to take it apart and dig out the lead and then grind away another inch of pencil to compensate for the lead that fell out. if you are very lucky you only need to waste about 3-4 inches of pencil to get one point.

I needed a portable, light, and inexpensive sharpener for my pencils- regular graphite #2, a variety of drawing pencils (including charcoal and graphite in assorted soft/hardnesses), colored pencils, and watercolor pencils. This sharpener has done a perfect job on all of them. I haven't had any problems with tips breaking off or shattering, and the pencil tip is always a perfect razor-fine sharpness with a good balance of wood to graphite/lead. I especially like that I no longer have to use an X-Acto knife to get my pencils to a good sharpness for the different grips I use when I draw.



The only caveat to this sharpener is you must hold the sharpener in one hand and the pencil in the other, unless you manage to secure it to your work surface. The motor is powerful that either the pencil or the sharpener will try and spin when you insert a pencil and it turns on. But if you secure both pencil and sharpener, it only takes one or two rotations for the pencil to be sharpened completely. Beware of over-sharpening, which will weaken your pencil and sometimes I have a tendency to do. Less is more with this unit.



I can't recommend this sharpener enough. It can be a little loud (but not loud enough to cause shock and awe, or be heard in the next room) but what pencil sharpener isn't? It's small, inexpensive, sharp, hard-working, and super-portable. For only a few dollars for than a cheapy plastic "do it yourself" model, it's an essential tool for any artist, student, household, or crafter.

This thing was a disaster, and I gave it a chance. Really, I did. A few years.... It simply chews up pencils. Just when you think it's almost sharp, snap! Broken lead, and somehow, it breaks the lead way down the shaft so you have to chew off another inch or two before you finally get something resembling a sharp pencil. So frustrating!



Oh, and don't even get me started on what happens to those broken leads! You have to take off the shaving-catcher/cover thing and get something like a toothpick to dislodge it while the darn blade keeps moving..... Arrrggghh! Then, when you try to put the cover back on, it feels as though it's going to break, (though in all fairness, it never did).



In. The. Trash. Can. Sharpened all 24 required pencils for my son's school by hand, thank you very much. - Battery - Battery-operate - X-acto - Electric Pencil Sharpener'


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Gift Idea - gift idea, lance


My 4 year old daughter asked for a Chia from Santa and we thought she would love this one of Donkey and we were not mistaken. You have to soak the head and seeds for 24-48 hours before applying the seeds to the head, so this really tested the 4 year old's patience. Once the seeds were applied, we only had to wait 3-4 days before they grew enough to start looking like hair.



After a week of daily watering, the Chia achieved a full grown head of hair. My daughter loves watering her Chia every day. I don't know how long these things last, but there are enough seeds in the packet to start over at least 2 more times. Chia Donkey Handmade Decorative Planter, 1 Kit - Lance - Gift Idea'


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Rechargeable Batteries


[Updated Dec 24, 2008]

I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid.



[Original review follows]



Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged AA is actually SANYO eneloop AA underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.



My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AA cell is slightly above the claimed 2000mAh, and it is able to retain at least 85% of its charge after 5 months in storage. The Rayovac Hybrid AA starts with slightly higher capacity at 2100mAh, but it 'only' retains 80% capacity after 5 months. For all practical applications, both are equally good. Just pick whichever brand (Sanyo, Rayovac, or Duracell) is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.



One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell. Duracell Pre Charged Rechargeable NiMH AA Batteries, 4-Pack

[Updated Dec 21, 2008]

I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AAA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AAA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AAA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid (see my scan in the Customer Images section). Note that the Rayovac Hybrid AAA has an average capacity of about 780mAh (compared to about 830mAh for eneloop AAA), so is not as good a value.



[Original review follows]



Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged NiMH cell is actually Sanyo Eneloop underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.



My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AAA cell is slightly above the claimed 800mAh. The Rayovac Hybrid AAA is usually cheaper, but its capacity is slightly below 800mAh. Both brands are able to retain at least 85% of their charge after three months of storage. Just pick whichever brand is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.



One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell.

Pros:

-For a rechargeable battery, these batteries does not need to be charged before you use it for the first time; right from the packaging into your gadgets.

-They last a long time.

-Does not need special charger. You can use your existing NiMh charger.



Cons:

-You can confuse them with regular Duracells and mistakenly thrown away after losing charge.

-This later technology is still expensive.



I also like Eneloops by Sanyo. But they are not easily available at your local stores.

I have been using these for a few months in my camera, Logitech Harmony remote, and in my Wii remotes and they have been great.



However, I was looking at batteries at Walmart today and noticed their new stock of Duracell Precharged batteries are being made in China and no longer have a white cap. They shoved the Japan made white cap batteries to the back of the shelf. This makes me think they are no longer Eneloops. I am a little nervous to buy another set of these as the only reason to make that switch in my opinion is to save money yet charge the consumer the same. This usually leads to an inferior product. The originals I have are made in Japan.



Anyway, maybe the battery review guru of Amazon will do a little comparison test of these new China made precharged batteries vs the Japan made batteries that seemed awfully similar to the Eneloops. I really hope the new version stands up to the old.

Pros:

-For a rechargeable battery, they do not need to be charged before you use it for the first time; right from the packaging into your gadgets.

-They last a long time. I use it everywhere, portable speakers, Wiimotes, toys, Panasonic, Dect 6.0 phones, 2-way radios...

-No need for a special charger. You can use your existing NiMh charger.



Cons:

-You can confuse them with regular Duracells and mistakenly thrown away after losing charge.

- It has been several years and still the price hasn't really come down.



I also like Eneloops by Sanyo. But they are not easily available at your local stores.'


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Corded-cordless Combos - with answering device, corded cordless combo


This is without question, the best land line phone I have ever seen! Please look at my other reviews, you will see that I am NOT a paid reviewer to write what the manufacturer wants.



This phone does EVERYTHING! Sound is crystal clear. Both handsets and base unit have lit displays. Both have selectable ringer tones and volume. Each has independent "phone books" which can be copied from the base unit to the handsets or vice versa. Both the base unit and handsets have speaker phones. The phone books are super easy to program.



The answering system with date/day/time works terrifically! You can select pre-recorded message or make your own. The answering system capacity is 18 minutes or 64 messages. You can select between 2 and 7 rings before the answering system engages.



I like that the base unit works during power outages.



I especially like the five "speed dial" buttons to phone frequent friends or family with just one button. Great!



Call blocking works well.



Cordless handsets have great range and use rechargeable AAA batteries (included). The handset cradle recharges the batteries. The cordless handsets light up. You can access the answering machine via the cordless handsets.



It has a "handset locator".



It supports English and Espahol. Instruction manual is well written and easy to use.



It even has an "alarm clock" feature.



I have not found a better land line phone! Strongly recommend! Panasonic Dect 6.0 Metallic Gray Cordless/Corded Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG1062M)

I was torn whether to rate this 4 or 5 stars. For my simple needs, it's definitely a 5, but it does have some quirks.



Good:



Great sound quality. Corded base for power outages. Speakerphone (which works great) on all components, both base and handsets. Access to answering system messages from all components. Functions as an intercom (and very well, too). 100-number phone book, which can be copied between units either in total or one entry at a time, and nine phone number groups that you can give custom names. Five-number quick dial buttons on base. Large, easy-to-use buttons. Uses rechargeable AA's (I *think* - might have been AAA's - standard batteries, anyway) instead of the expensive proprietary kind. Supports up to six handsets.



Not so good:



Some menus confusing. Direct-access to functions using "#" and a numeric code a joke, to me - I want to navigate to a function using an intuitive menu, not look up a code in the user manual. On base unit, LCD contrast is not high enough to read display without backlight (at least in the location we've got it). Does not have a memo function as our previous (but much lower quality) system did, so I'm in the market for a fridge magnet recorder thingie now - which is just fine by my husband, as he hated my leaving messages to myself on the answering machine....! ;-> ) Cannot copy phone number groups between units - if you use that function, you'd have to name the groups on each unit and put each phone number in a group individually.



The reason I gave it a "5" nevertheless is that the "not so good" things I listed mean virtually nothing to me for my simple needs, especially when bounced against the "good" things, which *do* mean a lot to me. Your mileage may vary, which is why I tried to list everything I've noticed about the unit so far.

I've owned this phone for just over a week and there are several things I like about it.



1. The handsets use two AAA batteries, instead of the specialized battery components common with digital phones. As my experience with my last phone, an AT&T model, left me without the ability to replace the battery, this one thing significantly affected my view.



2. Once you get the knack of the memory storage function that part of it is really quite simple to use, and much of the functions of the phone then become fairly intuitive.



3. The phone is operational when electrical power is out, which is a moderately common problem where I live due to thunderstorms.



There is one thing I don't like about this phone, but it is a small complaint: the voice control only raises the volume to a certain level and leaves me unable to hear at the level of volume that I'd prefer. However, this is a small complaint for the simple fact that if I pay close attention, which I should do anyway, I manage to understand all that is being said over the line.



The phone comes with a nice and unique ringer that can be heard from quite a distance. The handset use is very simple and easy to understand, requiring no reading of instructions to actually begin use.



Setting the timing of the automatic answering recorder is fairly simple as well. I've got mine set to record at six rings.



While I'm still learning about my new phone I must say that I am more than well pleased with it. It's far superior to the last phone I owned simply because of the type of batteries used. I appreciate Panasonic for actually considering the requirements of the user when they designed this phone.



I recommend it. This phone is very nice for the price and is as good, or better, than any other phone at this price level.

This is the best-designed cordless I've ever owned, but it has a couple of problems.



Pros:



- Well-designed user interface and documentation; easy setup

- Standard rechargeable AAA batteries

- Excellent voice quality through corded handset

- Editable Caller ID numbers (you can remove the area code for returning local numbers)

- Complete set of standard phone features (mute, hold, voice mail support, etc.)

- Corded handset works during a power outage.

- Set ringer off during recurring hours (like at night)



Cons:



- Poor range. Cuts out when you're walking around. Hardly any signal if you're on the other side of the house. It has about half the range of my old 900 MHz phone from the same location.



- Base speakerphone does not work during a power outage. If you're on speaker when the power goes out, it drops the call. I use the speaker a lot in my home-based business, and power outages are common during the summer thunderstorm season, so this is a major issue for me.



Update based on comments:



Yes, you can use a UPS for uninterrupted power. But my UPS was maxed out, which is why I bought a phone advertised as working during a power outage. If such a claim is made, then the corded handset should have: a) included an internal battery; or b) used the phone line to power the speaker, as one of my older phones does. - Panasonic Cordless Phone - Caller Id - Corded Cordless Combo - With Answering Device'


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Science Fiction


If you've heard of the original Deus Ex before, then you've probably heard some things about it's sequel.Depending on where you look, Deus Ex: Invisible War (i.e. Deus Ex 2) is either a refreshing breeze in console gaming, a horrifying example of what happens when you "dumb down" a game to appeal to a broader audience, or the worst thing ever subjected to the video gaming public. Hmm.I bought the game (mixed reviews or no) and went through it in three days, determied to come to my own conclusions. And now, I can safely say, that nearly every review I read was spot on. Depending on how you look at it, this can be a fantastic game, a death knell for intelligent game design, or a steaming pile that you accidentally stepped in and now it's stinking up the house.That said, I'm not going to get into the plot of either the original or of Invisible War here, since this is one of those rare games where it's best to go in blind, but everything else is fair game. So...Having been a massive fan of the PC original, I'd been awaiting the release of Invisible War since Warren Spector himself, adressing some fan's issues with the multiplayer patch, mentioned that they only had one guy on the team still working on the original Deus Ex; everyone else was hard at work on the game's next installment.Which brings me nicely to point number one: If you've yet to play the original Deus Ex, go there first. It can be had for next to nothing, will run on practically any modern PC, and it easily the best way to determine whether this type of game is for you or not without having to spend a lot of money. On top of that, and despite what a lot of reviews have said, DX:IW is indeed a true sequel to the original. It picks up twenty years later, but there's no doubt that you're in the same world, and having the events of the first game under your belt will aid immensely in getting through the second installment while still having some idea of what the hell is going on (not a given with these games - you have to pay attention).So, assuming that you're familiar with the first game and liked it as much as everyone seems to, here's the real question: Does the sequel stack up?Not really. But it's still pretty fun.The biggest gripe that can be said about IW, and the one that nearly everyone comes to independantly, is that the game feels cut. And I'm not talking about things that were omitted from Invisible War that were in the original (did anyone ever use the Iron Lung mod, anyway?) I mean it feels like things were going to be implemented in Invisible War that were ultimately dropped. It's like watching a movie where you just know that there was something that got cut at the last minute, and they didn't have time to re-edit it properly. The best example I can think of is right at the beginning of both games. In the original DX, you start right in the heart of things, engaging in a sting operation to free the Statue of Liberty from terrorist occupation. You go in, you do your thing, the game quietly keeps track of HOW you do your thing, and then...You go to work. It's established that you're essentially a futuristic cop, and much of the early part of the game is spent establishing the plot and showing off your technology to let the player acclimate to it. So, when things start to go haywire (which, and I mean this in a good way, they do quite suddenly) it's honestly engaging, especially as the layers begin to reveal themselves. Do you stick with your old affiliations? Oh, wait, they were operating behind your back! But...So were the other people you were going to work for! Aaah! Who do you trust?By comparison, DX:IW gets you dressed, prepped, and out the door in the first ten minutes of gametime. You're out of Chicago in the opening movie, in Seattle in the first scene, and then BAM, you're free of all obligations right from the get-go. No police affiliation, no real information, but thankfully, everyone seems to know your number and wants to call you. It sounded good on paper, I'm sure, but in practice it's jarring and serves more to distance the player from the game than anything else. You never really get the chance to feel betrayed or double-crossed by anyone, because, well, you never really care about them to begin with.It's a tough sell to explain this to someone who is unfamiliar with either game, so here's something worth noting: The only way you'd notice is if you played both games.The other big gripe about DX:IW is that it runs horribly, regardless of which platform you choose. If you'd rather go with the PC version, expect to burn some serious power on this game. The Xbox version, which is pretty choppy and prone to slowdown, at least looks good when it's not moving, and is definitely the better choice for anyone without a monster PC. This was a common complait with the first game as well, though it's a moot one now. Here's the kicker: Even the most stringent critic of DX:IW noted that, while they thought the game was loaded with problems, they kept playing it. A lot. Sometimes, when they beat it, they'd fire it right back up and start all over again. What gives?Well, it sounds odd, but for all this game's problems and occasionally wonky design scheme (all weapons use the same type of ammo? C'mon...) it's still fun. In fact, a lot of the time it's so fun that you forget about all the other stuff that bothered you about it, and at the very least it makes these problems forgivable. I beat the game in three days. If I wasn't having fun, there's no way I could have done that, I don't care how much I loved the first game. With DX:IW, the problems will bother you if you let them, and particularly if you were a big fan of the first one, but at the end of the day, it's still a fantastically fun game. Manipulating all the factions to your whim, or having them do it to you, is such a cool game mechanic that it overshadows everything else and really saves this game. Again, critics will point out that this was done better in the first game (and it was.) Taken on it's own merits, though, DX:IW is a competent sequel that still gave me that same sense of cool that the first one had in droves.It just took some digging to find it. Deus Ex: Invisible War'


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