Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Ankle Weights
I wear these around the house all day long (I am a 62 year old female)...walking, up and down the stairs, doing leg lifts side to side and back kicks, front kicks. My legs are more toned and finally strong (I had really weak legs). When I go out without the weights on my ankles, I can walk forever! Well worth the price. One hint: if the weight beads become hard and hurt your ankles, just take a small hammer and "pound" the beads lightly to loosen them. Sometimes the beads meld together and harden, but easily soften after "mushing" them. I have had these for months and they still are like new. No wear and tear at all! My daughter used them to train for months before she entered "Tough Mudders". Highly recommend! Reebok Adjustable Ankle Weight (10-Pounds)
I bought these because they were Reebok. But unfortunately having a big brand name is not a guarantee of quality. The fabric began to rub through after less than one week of use. In addition, the iron filings used for weight seemed to have been magnetized, and would congeal into hard painful mass.
I really dislike how the velcro is on these weights. The way the velcro is makes them perpetually slide off your ankle on one part of the weight. I don't understand why they wouldn't have made the velcro extend just a little further. Maybe they aren't designed for people with smaller legs. They are very big and VERY bulky. I bought them to wear under the legs of my pants while at work so I could get toned up while walking back and forth in my busy job. But I can't wear them discreetly under my pants at all, and even if you remove one/some of the weights (a nice enough feature) they are STILL too big to fit under your pants. I'm talking Hulk huge. But they are good quality. I'd also have liked if the weights had some sort of buffer so they weren't rubbing on your ankle bone but I suppose that would make them even bulkier. It's got to be a trade-off for a larger amount of weight, I suppose. The biggest issue IMO is the stupid velcro straps! They won't secure to part of the weight.
Well they're approximately 5 pounds each and they attach to your ankles with the straps, that's what is advertised. At first when I felt the material on the weights inside I didn't know if it would hold up for extended usage so I wrapped the weight pouches with a few layers of duct tape, no more worries there
I got these today hoping to take my work-out to the next level and I couldn't even wear them for more than 20 Minutes. They HURT so much! The sand bags feel like wearing a bear trap around my legs. Very, very uncomfortable. I will be returning them.
This is gotta be one of the nicer comfortable ankle weights out there. I've used the blue plastiky ankle weights at the rec and must say these are more comfy around your ankles.
The sand bags was a bit difficult to takeout/putin so -1 star. Not sure how often one needs to do this. Otherwise, the straps and cloth material are very nice.
I live on the fourth floor of my dormitory, and we don't have an elevator. It's hard to maintain a regular exercise schedule at university, and the ankle weights are great for getting a little bit of a workout by just putting them on and going through my daily routine!
I really like that the weights themselves are sandbags, so they form to the shape of your ankle after a few steps, and that they're easy to put on and take off. The only thing I would warn other potential buyers about is that they do take some getting used to, and if you don't wear them with socks, they tend to chafe. Also, be careful when wearing them -- if you use these weights correctly, they'll be great, but if you don't pay attention to how they change the way you move and work to correct it, you can do some serious damage to your knees. The added momentum when stepping forward can hyper-extend the knee and lead to repetitive-motion injuries.
As long as you're careful, though, and use these correctly, they're great. Two thumbs up.
I bought these years ago...used to use them quite a bit, just now fished them out of the closet again. Mine came from a Big 5 store.
They're pretty versatile...yeah, you can use them on your ankles but I've used them rolled up as hand weights, and, if you put them together, you can put them around your waist which doesn't tone anything in particular, but still makes you work harder if you're doing squats and lunges.
Really useful and I haven't seen a great many better solutions.
The biggest issues I have with wearing them often are that they get uncomfortable..it would be nice if there was some gel padding but there's not...just a fabric with sandbags which form hard spots. They especially hurt over the ankle bones. The fabric is rough too (some synthetic like what they make gym bags out of) and if you don't wear socks it can chaff.
Finally, I don't think I have super small ankles (female in my 20s), but I generally use them with all the sandbags. It's a good thing too or they'd fall off. Even at the "tightest" setting, they still tend to slip down. Only my sneakers really hold them up. If I'm barefoot (around the apartment) they'll scrape the ground like socks that won't stay up.
These are well made and do the job. However there are two things I don't like about them. They are adjustable, but not enough. When the product description says "adjustable from 1-5 lbs" I assumed that meant I would have the option for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 pounds. Unfortunately there are only 4 weights of 1.25 lbs each. For a small amount of weight overall, jumping up by 1.25 lbs is a lot. Now that I have these and have tried them, not only would 1 lb increments be better, but I think I'd prefer 1/2 lb increments.
My other issue with them is that the weights are bags of sand, and if you frequently need to adjust the weight (I do in every workout), it's a bit too difficult to stuff bags of sand in and out because they take a bit of manhandling to coax in. It's not that bad, but too much fuss in the middle of a workout when you're trying not to have much of a break. I think a metal weight would slide in and out much easier. So.... now that I've tried these I'd really prefer metal weights in 1/2 lb increments. I'd return these but I'm worried the return shipping will be so high because it's 10 lbs total that it won't be worth it.'
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Weights - exercise, fitness
These are very disappointing. They are difficult to strap on and have to be frequently adjusted. I recently had knee surgery and my feet are swollen. These are made for very small ankles. I would not buy this brand again. ZON 1-Pound Ankle and Wrist Weights
These get the job done, however they are not very comfortable. These are my first pair of ankle/wrist weights, so I don't know if that is the case with all of them, or if this is due to the fact that they are ankle and wrist combined, but they don't seem to mold nicely to neither my wrists nor my ankles. - Wrist Weights - Exercise - Fitness - Ankle Weights'
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Cell Phone Cover - holsters, case
I've had my BlackBerry Torch for a total of 9 days and the OtterBox Commuter case for a week (7 days exactly), and I've dropped my phone exactly three times since I've had the case, and each time the front plate fell off, not doing much to protect the phone. Now today, the third time I've dropped my phone, the thinnest, flimsiest piece of plastic I've ever seen that holds the front plate onto the phone just broke off. The front part of the case no longer even stays on my phone, and is virtually unusable.
I really liked the case at first; at least everything but the front plate. Not only did it fail epically at protecting the phone, but it was slightly annoying, because after two days of using my phone and becoming comfortable and familiar with it, the case blocked the buttons on the front just enough to make me have to relearn how to hit them with ease. I'm not saying I expect any case to fit my phone perfectly without affecting the way I use it, but it just adds to my frustration with this case. The bottom part is pretty okay; it seems to protect the phone pretty well, and I could access all of my buttons and jacks with ease (including the lock button, which other users have had issues with)and I'm considering just using it without the front-plate, but if all possible, I want my money back, because I think it's *UTTERLY RIDICULOUS* that a case that's supposedly made to protect a phone breaks after the slightest drops. Otterbox BlackBerry Torch Commuter Series Case
Terrible case. Flimsy, falls off easily, feels cheap. Very disappointing. Don't waste your money on this one. Mine broke within 2 weeks, and the top portion covering the sliding part of the phone, would never stay on. Hard to believe a company that makes such a great product would take a nap on this one. I know sliders must be difficult to encase, but this is ridiculous.
The bottom portion of the case is so tight it presses all the buttons and causes the phone to lock itself. Sometimes removing the phone from the case solves the problem, other times I have to pull out the battery and put it back in again for the phone to function. I haven't had problems with the front cover coming undone since I've only had it for a few hours. I love my Blackberry Torch, but when I put it in the Otterbox it becomes an over priced paper weight in a paperless world.
I'll write it AGAIN. DO NOT BUY.
This is not the first time I buy an Otterboy for my Blackberry. The first one I bought was for my old Bold, wich was great. I recently changed my phone and I'm not gonna lie to you, I went straight to otterbox to buy my case, didn't even hesitate to buy it. The thing is when it finally arrived, it came in a AT&T package that was al torn up, and the front part of the case didn't even snap on. There goes 25 bucks to the trash. Very dissappointed.
i have purchased severalotterbox products in the past and have never been upset.boy was that not the case this time the product looks fantastic out of the box its made of great meterials and seems durable but i had some trouble getting it on my phone but hey that happens at first i couldnt figure out what was wrong the keyboard wouldnt work on my phone i kept having to take the battery out after about five times i left the case off and the phone worked fine (its a new phone mind u)so when i put the case back on and it happened again this time it locked my phone right up and when i tried to unluck it it wiped my phone granted thats not to blame on otterbox but the reason for this was the case is so tight on the top of the phone it puts pressure on the lock button and freezes the phone its deff a major design flaw i tried to trim the inner rubber case to to take the pressure of the button and now the phone simply wont stay in the case so dont try that i went to the otterbox website to complain and there was about fifty other coments on how it did the same thing to there phones and they couldnt figure out why so if ur like me and buy this product simply bye the name otterbox has made for themselves u will be dissapointed to say the least please take my word for it because the case itself costs a good penny and this one time in this one case otterbox has made a design flaw and im sure they will either recall it or redisign the product i hope this helps a few peeps i wish i checked the reveiws on this product before i purchased it
I'd read good reviews of this case on other websites so I ignored the negative reviews on Amazon and ordered it anyway. What a mistake! I agree with everything said in Avi's review -- the case was so tight, it pressed all the buttons and made everything freeze so that I was unable to use the phone at all.
On a good note, I was able to return the case to Amazon for a full refund, without any hassle... love the great customer service.
When I received this case, for my BlackBerry Torch 9800, and tried to insert my cell into it, I could only get it to go in with difficulty. The case has "foam-like" covers over the BB side/top buttons, but they cause the phone to beep continuously and to lock-up. If you remove the padding on the inside of the case, to stop the buttons being pressed, the outer hard case is too loose and the phone can fall out easily. Save your money and put it toward a GOOD case, like one from Sena or Piel. This one is total junk.
Well I received the otterbox 4 weeks ago the sceen protector it came wit went on perfectly. The case took some tweeking to get it just right. I dropped it once while sittng on my sofa
It protected the phone but crtacked the case in the upper left corner. The case still works but creaks while making a call
And holding it.
I bought two otter box for my BB TORCH. This is one of the worst purchases I've made.
the front of the case it breaks easily and the back of the case lock my phone constantly.
I would not recommend it
dont waist your money!!! - Blackberry Torch 9800 - Holsters - Case - Cell Phone Cover'
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Lcd Hdtv - samsung lcd, 1080p
I have had my Samsung TV for about a month now and I absolutely love it! I ordered it from amazon.com and when it arrived, the delivery men set it up for me! I did a lot of homework prior to choosing a TV to buy, and Samsung always had the best ratings and reviews, but they were consistently higher priced. This Samsung is not only affordable, ($50 more than the Vizio I was looking at buying,) it has so many more features (as well as much better specs,) than the other TV's in it's price range. It is, in my opinion, the best LCD flat panel TV buy in this price range. The sound and color are amazing. It looks attractive and is very user-friendly. The features are endless on this TV as well! You can adjust any of the features to suit your tastes and needs. This is my first flat-panel TV and I have had no problems or complaints so far. I would definitely recommend this TV over all others in this price range. Samsung LN37C530 37-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
I got this TV a few weeks ago. Very pleased with the number of ports (we used to have an old CRT with just ONE component input, so we got used to switching cables all the time). We don't have HD cable yet, but man this TV upscales very nicely, I was very afraid that standard def TV would look like crap. But yea, when using my PS3 it looks absolutely amazing. I was also worried about 60Hz, I almost wanted to move up the 120Hz but as a casual user, I don't think I'd even notice the difference.
The USB port on the side is very handy, and supports a surprising number of file formats! Not quite VLC, but way more than I'd expect to be built into a TV. We keep an external HDD hooked up to the side and keep all our media on it, it's like a built in media center!
For the price, it's definitely the best TV out there.
I needed an HDTV to put inside a cabinet with 35.5" width. Of the 37" HDTVs, only a few will fit, and this is one of them. I started with the VIZIO E371VA but it had some serious shortcomings (spontaneous power cycles, poor audio/video synchronization, and slow channel tuning) which could not be resolved so I had to return it. It did have a beautiful picture. Then I got the Samsung LN37C530 which I think is a great overall HTDV. Having the two has given me an opportunity to compare the sets on a pretty detailed basis.
The Vizio always seemed to have an excellent picture, it never once occurred to me to change the settings. When I got the Samsung, I felt I immediately had to change the settings, in particular reducing the contrast. Picture quality can be highly subjective (and in my case even psychological) and I don't claim to be an expert. I still feel like the Vizio was markedly better, but I have become used to the Samsung and it's fine. The refresh on the Vizio was 120Hz vs. 60 Hz for the Samsung. I don't watch sports, but the stock ticker going by does seem less sharp. Again, this could be subjective; I wasn't able to hook them up side-by-side. I haven't hooked up a blu-ray yet which would be the important issue.
The Vizio took a long time to tune stations and had no program guide. The Samsung tunes very quickly and has a program guide (my one gripe is that it doesn't display the next show by default and requires button pushes to do so). For me, this usability issue trumps everything else! From the same antenna hookup, the Vizio did a markedly better job of tuning in stations and displayed them with fewer errors. I did not expect this.
I would say the Samsung remote is poorly designed. It is hard to navigate in the dark. For example the up/down/right/left/OK cluster has no tactile differentiation and is difficult to identify without looking. Many will say "who cares?" but if you use it in a dark room it's an issue.
Some have complained that there aren't individual input buttons on the remote. There is, however, an "HDMI" button that allows me to cycle between cable (HDMI) and tuner with one push.
Overall, I'm very happy with the Samsung LN37C530.
I purchased the Samsung LN37C530 Hi-def LCD television to replace a Sharp Aquos that was damaged by nearby lightening. The picture on the samsung is almost as good as the Sharp which is saying a lot as the Sharp was the best I have owned. The Samsung sound and speaker voulme is far superior to the Sharp and the time changeing stations and navigating the Directv menus is about twice as fast. The only thing I don't like about the Samsung is the lcd screen cover extends past the frame on the bottom and will be more fragile.
One other tip is to buy a surge protector with two input and output ports for the coax cables from the dish if you have a dvr.
I recently purchased this Samsung TV and I absolutely love it. I did a TON of research beforehand and finally decided that this was the best deal for the price. After watching the TV for several days, I couldn't be happier with my choice. The picture quality is outstanding and the sound is great too (I use the TV speakers not a home theater system).
The only thing I was worried about was the fact that it was only 60hz but so far it hasn't been an issue at all. I've watched some of the NBA Finals games and FIFA World Cup games in HD and the picture quality is unbelievable. I also hooked up my Xbox 360 with an HDMI cable and the games look great in 1080p.
Also, the size of the TV is ideal. I use this TV in my room and I debated on going for the smaller 32 inch but I'm happy I stuck with this one. Anything smaller would have seemed too small and anything larger would have been too big.
Overall, this is an excellent LCD TV. The picture looks amazing and it's reasonably priced.
I bought this on Amazon weeks ago. First of all delivery was very good, and I appreciate that they did a basic set up and test. Also, we have a small space for our TV and 37in was perfect. I've notice that there's not that many 37in HDTV's to choose from so was very happy that we could get a Samsung in this size.
The Price on Amazon: It's even lower than when I bought, something tells me Amazon is getting ready to close out on this model,so I wouldn't wait long if you're ready to buy. I compared price with stores in my area and they couldn't compete.
Picture Quality: I looked at 120hz Samsung's plus other 120hz brands of HDTV's. I wanted to compare motion blur and picture quality. I couldn't see any difference, and decided it wasn't worth the extra cost. I've been watching a lot of sports on this TV and the picture quality is outstanding. It's as if I'm there in person. This is my first HDTV,however,I've been looking at them for years at stores and finally decided it was time to get one. I checked this model for motion blur for football, Nascar, basketball, didn't notice any. Also, I soon realized that I needed a blu ray player,so I bought a Blu Ray Panasonic dmp bd 85- good reviews on amazon, and it's great with this TV. Blu ray DVD's and non blu ray dvd's look fantastic.
Sound Quality: You can put this TV in surround sound mode. It won't be as good an actual surround sound system, but if you're not into having speakers put up in your room and sound isn't a big deal for you, then you'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the speakers on this TV. I use our surround sound speakers for movies, and combine with the surround sound mode on this TV, about 50% volume and to me it's as if I have a couple more speakers, the effect is a better surround sound experience. Of course, this is subjective, some may not agree that this is proper use of TV speakers with a surround sound speaker system, I have 5.1- however it works for me. Also for sporting events I find I don't really care about turning on my surround sound speakers, the TV puts out a surround sound experience that's just fine as far as I'm concerned.
In closing I have to say, I can't remember the last time I bought a product that I've been so happy with. TV viewing is now an absolute pleasure. - 120hz - 1080p - Samsung Lcd - 1080p Lcd Hdtv'
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Weight Watchers - diet, weighing scale
Nice scale, accurate and good quality. I was impressed with the weight and construction of the scale. The lid is also a tray for larger items and protects the buttons and scale surface when not in use. I will buy a 500 gm calibration weight at a later time, but it does not seem to need it since I have been using American coins to check the accuracy of the scale from time to time. So far the scale is consistent and performs well every time I have used it. American Weigh Scale Ac-650 Digital Pocket Gram Scale, Black, 650 G X 0.1 G
Being a Weight Watcher I struggle the most with eating out and feeling confident in what I'm eating. I recently bought this scale to carry in a little bag containing my spray butter, salad dressing, sour cream and anything else that I might need while dining out. This small scale is easy to use, very accurate and discrete. The lid acts as a tray to weigh the meat portions of my meal. I simply take a sandwich bag to slip it in when I'm done. You can't beat the price here on Amazon. I've seen this scale triple the cost on other sites. If you diet and are tired of guessing your portion size get this scale!
I got this scale so I can weigh out certain foods because I am on a diet. I also have the AWS AMW-100 scale as well, however that only goes to 100 grams and I was extremely limited on the food I was weighing, so I decided to move up to this 650g version.
Firstly I will say it is much smaller than I was anticipating. The AC-650 actually has a smaller weighing platform (width wise) than my AMW-100 model. Based on the pictures with the lid acting as a expansion tray, it was made it to be bigger than it really is. But realistically, this is just about the same rectangular size and shape of a iPhone (although much thicker and a bit taller). Heck, it even looks like a cell phone to some degree.
The scale itself looks very slick, it has a unique style of plastic that almost resembles those rubber-plastics you often find on phone cases, although while it doesn't feel rubbery at all, it has some similarity. Either way, a great texture. The weight of the scale is also good, as it feels heavy for it's size which makes it seem more robust.
As for the actual weighing feature of the scale, it works great. Accuracy is more than good enough for me, I have a old 100g weight from my other scale and it weighed it exactly at 100g right out of the box. I also really like the easy to use, perfectly sized on/off button, which is a huge step up from my AMW-100 scale which had flat, sunk-in style buttons. So far it has been working just as good as my other 100 gram scale, and the TARE feature is really useful (I didn't know what this feature did until I got this scale).
Now for the con. The lid that comes with it might be a problem for some people. As it is not really secured to the scale when it is in place, so it can easily come off in transport or if juggled around in a drawer too much. The lid is also made of hard plastic that is easily crackable. It's nice to have it separate so I can expand the size of my weighing surface, but I much prefer the style of my AMW-100 model, where the lid is attached on a hinge and snaps shut when not in use. But hey, for a scale that only cost me $11 plus free shipping, I really can't complain here.
Overall I like the scale. The increase from 100g to 650g makes a HUGE difference for me, and has expanded the potential food items I will be able to weigh on it. Not sure if it will last as long as my AMW-100 (which still works great) but only time will tell and I will edit this review as necessary.
Very nice scale. Works perfectly. It does, however, eat batteries. This would be 5-star if not for that. I take the battery out and keep it in the travel pouch between uses. That seems to help a lot. But you are going to have to have some CR2032 batteries on hand all the time.
The product is fantastic, not only was the price more than reasonable, but the scale works better than any other I've owned. However the shipping was off by three days, I am not sure that was due to the postal service, or the company, but I believe it was USPS. I would highly recommend this item to anyone looking for a quality scale for a reasonable price....as long as they have some time on their hands.
I bought this to weigh letters to get the right postage. However, the scale is so small and so close to the ground that it is impossible to put anything larger than an ordinary envelope on it, without the ends resting on the ground. I did, however, figure out that if you take a larger envolope, say 8.5-by-11, and rest it on the edge, you can get the correct weight. You need to gently balance the envelope from the sides so it doesn't fall over, yet doesn't put weight on your fingers.
This scale works fine for most things. However, even when I first used it the weights of whatever I was weighing out would always teeter-totter +- .1. The same nickel would sometime weigh 5.0, but other times 5.1 or 4.9. Overall, it works, but there are better ones out there for the same price - Weighing Scale - Fast Weigh - Diet - Digital'
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Yoga Blocks - yoga props
I think I would have to describe myself as an optimist. And a skeptic. A skeptical optimist. In other words, I really do "want to believe" but you may to have to spend some time convincing me why I should.
Especially when it comes to yoga blocks. There's something so friendly and familiar about rectangular yoga blocks. Like my best gal pals, they support me, they stretch me and they encourage me. And then they stack neatly away (the blocks - not the gal pals.)
So why on earth mess with something so time-tested and functional? Because Jason Scholder has a better idea.
I discovered Jason's Three Minute Eggs at the San Francisco Yoga Journal Conference held at the Hyatt Regency in January, and they stopped me in my tracks. This may have been partially due to the pair of size 14 boots attached to six feet of inquiring mind blocking my path. Sure, the guy lying on the floor in front of me looked happy - but really - an egg shaped yoga block? Give me a break. The thing is, Three Minute Eggs cannot be sold on looks alone - they have to be experienced. In the case of the Three Minute Egg, feeling is believing. Jason and his assistant Megan were making sure that every curious George and Georgette had an opportunity to sample the future of yoga blocks first hand. I didn't have time for that so I had a quick chat with Jason, sort of half promised I'd be back, and then moved on.
But that night I couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities. Sometimes it's difficult to tell a gimmick from a true, forward-thinking innovation. I had to find out for myself. And that's how, the next day, I returned with my inquiring mind and had my own little lie-down on Jason's floor.
Megan set me up in a chest opening back bend, followed by a neck roll and finished with a wrist-supporting downward dog. And if that wasn't enough to convince me, Jason showed me how to use my body weight and the corner of the egg to massage deep into my hips and shoulders.
I was sold, and one month later my clients love how the Three Minute Egg gently encourages a deeper and safer expression of their poses. I use them in all the ways that were shown and more - that's the thing about the Three Minute Eggs - you just keep coming up with new ways to incorporate them into a practice. I use them with my clients to support stronger alignment but I also use them for simple warm-up stretches. For students with shoulder impingement and poor range of motion, they stack beautifully and offer confidence-building support. Their ergonomic shape makes holding onto them easy - they literally become extensions of the arms during flow sequences.
As far as I'm concerned -- and as far as my clients are concerned - the Three Minute Egg is true innovation.
The Three Minute Egg comes packaged in a mesh drawstring backpack for easy transport and storage. I found the bags a bit frustrating at first but that was easily remedied by shortening the straps and retying the knots - just be sure to burn the ends so the strings don't fray. Presto, chango - no more frustration.
The Three Minute Egg has endless possibilities and benefits for everyone's yoga practice. Two separate DVD's are available to further encourage your "cre-egg-tivity." I encourage you to check out the website: [...] Eggs-plorer (Ergonomic Yoga Block from Three Minute Egg)
I took my four new eggs to yoga the other night and loved how they take the pressure off my wrists in downward dog. They're also great in sitting forward bends for pulling forward. They're great as supports in various positions. The teacher and all the students wanted to experiment with them too. They tried them and they're ordering them. - Yoga Props'
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Dado Blades - dado set, woodworking
I used these blades on a 1hp, 3450rpm Craftsman tablesaw. I am pretty experienced at rough carpentry and am just now getting into finer woodworking.
First of all... these reviews include many people complaining about how difficult it is to put the shims on and off... I dunno, I'm a VERY impatient person, but I found the 5 seconds it takes to add/remove a shim worthwhile.
Also, some folks had said that the measurements are "nominal" and not actual... who knows? Bottom line is that you need to do a test with scrap wood to make sure you have exactly what width you want... (and doing a test with scrap wood is a good woodworking practice and a good habit to form.)
In the "box": the outer blades, chippers, shims, and a case/rack which holds it all quite well. (Note, most other sets in this price range don't come with shims.) Freud includes instructions which are pretty straightforward, but again you should run scrap because every bit of wood is different -- not to mention that humidity can affect the thickness of your stock.
I find this set to be excellent and well priced. Couldn't be happier. Easy to use, well packaged in a carryall/case.
Worked so well my wife thought Norm had dropped by to help me.
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EDIT: I've now had this set for years and have since upgraded nearly ALL my tools, including the purchase of a cabinet saw. I still feel no need to upgrade this dado set. Works great and gives nice flat dados. Freud SD208 8-Inch Professional Dado
I just put this through the paces rabbeting (yes that's how it's really spelled) several drawers I installed under the bed (much to my wife's delight). Very accurate and well made blades. One word of advice: the blades and wing chippers cut 1/32" light of their stated width. I think this is because plywood is is 1/32" light of its nominal thickness, ie 1/2" plywood is actually 15/32". So this is actually a good thing for cutting grooves for plywood. To actually get 1/2" thickness, add two of the shims supplied with the blade. The nly reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that the directions don't give you this handy tidbit, I figured it out with a test cut and some research.
Just picked up one of these blades. The old Craftsman stack I inherited from my Grandfather just isn't up to the requirements of my next project.I read the previous reviews as part of my decision making process. I am a mechanical engineer, machine designer, and a machinist. The review that complained about the lack of flatness was a real concern to me. Precision is very high on my list of priorities.After the first few cuts with the new Dado I felt compelled to run to my computer (I'm covered with saw dust!!) and add my two bits to the list.I am completely satisfied with the cut quality of this dado. The cuts are smooth, very flat, and clean. I have not measured/checked the accuracy of the width. I will use the included spacers to tune the width of any slot I cut. I don't expect the stack height to be precise. This one's a keeper!
Good quality for the money. Never used a stacked dado set before. I was surprized how heavy the full stack was. Cut quality I thought was very good. The only problem I had was when stacking the set on the arbor of my saw, the thinnist shim .008 kept dropping into the grooves of the threads and prevented full tightening of the stack. Make sure the shim(s)are fully up against the blade before tightening. I guess someone who'd had experience with stacked dados would have known this, But I didn't. Their were no instructions for first time users. Just a diagram to determine your blade combinations. All in all I was very happy with the purchase.
I had never used a dado blade in my life. This blade comes in a nice carrying case. When I opened it up I wasn't sure what to do with it since I had never used one. I read the instructions, and looked at the picture on the carrying case, and put the blades on the saw for a 3/4 inch wide dado. I set the depth of cut to 1/4 inch and cut two beautiful dado's in the base board of a project I was working on. The dado's were very clean, perfect, and square. If a beginner like me can use this blade to perfection, anyone can.
The set of 2 outside blades with 4 two-wing chippers cut well in soft or hard wood. The negative hook angle makes a great flat bottom with virtually splinter-free cuts. I have the Dewalt 744 which is underpowered and it works great. Comes in a nifty case to protect it with clear instructions. It does cut a little undersized but that's easily reconciled with the spacers.
I purchased the Freud dado set sever months ago. Until recently I have been using it on plywood, MDF and Melamine . It worked great. However, recently I was making 3/8? finger joints on some hard maple stock, the blade pushed the maple and resulted in finger joints that did not work. I repeated the process with heavy clamping to the jig, same result.For the price it is an excellent dado blade. I like the fact that the blades will give you a Dado that is slightly under the fractional size. If your ? plywood was manufactured to 0.740 it would be a bummer to have to stack up 0.057 in shims to get you from 11/16 (.688) to .745 for the proper sized dado. With the Freud set, you can stack up the chippers to get close, and then add just a few shims.I would recommend purchasing the Freud shims with a 1? hole. The shims that come with the blade have a 5/8 hole. These shims can be tricky to use since they can catch in the threads on the arbor. If you can, put the shims next to the first outside blade so that the shims are on the solid part of the arbor, and not the threaded section.
The set I received had numerous chipped teeth. I looked at several sets on the shelf at Home Depot and all of them had a few blades and/or chippers with chipped teeth. It looks like Freud has a quality control problem. If you buy one, be sure to inspect the teeth. After all, why should I settle for a defective product when I've paid full price for a brand new one? - Dado - Dado Blades - Dado Set - Woodworking'
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Pet Grooming Tool - pet grooming tool, dog grooming
Before you can actually use this product you first must accustom your pet to the PediPaws. Unless he or she is in a coma, your pet will absolutely despise the sound and vibration of it. Don't let that deter you! As the caring, dedicated pet owner that you are, you will persevere!
After one very long week, I learned that Sophie the dog is more patient than stubborn, and grudgingly learned to "put up" with the tool. However, Fuzzy the cat refused to do the same--he saw no need to suffer fools gladly.
The experience revealed two major drawbacks with the PediPaws: It files the nail in miniscule amounts at a time and can only be used in bursts of 7 seconds or so. (If used longer, the heat generated through friction could injure your pet.) If your dog's nails are overlong, this project could take you days---maybe weeks. Even if the nails were recently trimmed, you will have to constantly file them to maintain that length.
If you and your pet are extraordinarily patient, you would probably not even worry about purchasing this product, but you might enjoy the challenge of using it nonetheless. If you find it hard to resist a new gadget or power tool, I recommend buying the complete Dremel Drill Tool Set. That way, when you abandon using it to file nails, you will be able to find less dubious uses for it.
As for myself, I intend to keep it and, during evenings while watching TV, I will file my own nails. It is my hope that its sound, vibration and heat will remind me to never again purchase anything that is: "As Seen On TV." PediPaws Pet Nail Trimmer
I was excited when my pedipaws arrived, my dog hates having her nails trimmed and keeping her still is a chore. I acclimated my dog just like the instructions say, and she did okay but the pedipaws didnt. It's basically a grinder so you would think its easy, but the thing only has one speed, a safety guard that blocks your view, and is bulky and awkward. I managed to grind down my dogs nails, but not smoothe them well. I do not expect everyone to have the same experience that I have, but I still would not reccomend this product.
I am a professional dog groomer, and we hear SO many complaints about this tool, and have gained so many new nail grinding clients since it's introduction. It doesn't have good battery life, and isn't tough enough for a large dog's nails.
The Dremel MiniMite is a MUCH better investment, because it actually has enough power for larger dog's toenails. It is light weight, not too noisy, easy to control. I've only had two dogs in the past month (out of a couple hundred) that objected to it too badly to finish the job.
Dremel 750-02 Minimite 13,000 RPM 2 Speed 4.8-Volt Cordless Rotary Tool
It doesn't have a guard, but just do a swipe at a time until you figure out how much it'll take off. If youre not sure how to do this, google "toenail grinding" and you'll be able to figure it out pretty quick.
It is still possible to quick dogs with these tools, and if you press and hold them, the heat caused by the friction does become uncomfortable.
For really long nails, it's best to trim off the excess with a regular nail trimmer, and then after that you can upkeep them without trimming, just the grinding.
My dog 60lbs hates the sound. This product also took a very long time to use. Pressure on the sanding stick cause the sanding to stop. This product was pretty much useless to me and a waste of time and money.
I have to give Pedipaws an average score. Here are the pros and cons of what I have found:
PRO
It wasn't as loud as my Dremel and my dog wasn't freaked out, but it dids take some coaxing for her to get used to the noise. Now my dog is fine with it.
I like the guard so my dog can't reach down and grab it, which could cause harm if a dog grabbed a Dremel without a guard.
I like that it takes the nails off in small amounts, so I don't overdo it and hit the quick.
For me, it is easy to use.
CON
It is battery operated using C batteries and I hate using batteries. I wish it was corded.
The file tool will eventually become dull and I will have to replace it and they are expensive. I am going to try to find a way to make my own, saving a lot of money hopefully!
The guard is a yellow color and makes it harder to see what you are filing.
You can't use much pressure at all or the wheel stops, which is a good thing, in that it is hard to cut into the quick, but bad in that it takes a long time to get the nail trimmed. You can only file for 3 seconds and then you move on to another nail, and do them all, then come back and do it all over again, which takes time and I mean TIME! So busy people, better to use the nail cutters.
I don't know how this will hold up in time. It is fine now, but it doesn't have the quality of a Dremel in my opinion.
So that is what I have found about my Pedipaws. Would I buy it again? Yes and no. Yes, if they made it to where you could adjust the speed more, so you could get more filed. I understand too much power would be bad, but just a little more power would do wonders. I would want it corded so I wouldn't have to buy batteries. Also an affordable way to buy extra file wheels. Then I would buy it. It would be a great thing. But like it is I would pass on it. If you have a dog who hates nail cutters, you might try this, but the noise might be another obstacle to overcome.
So my final verdict is: This could have been a great product, but like it is, it is just OK.
I was a little unsure about this purchase since most "seen on tv" products are cheap and don't work. BUT I love this! It worked on my 50 lb dog and my little 15 lb dog. My little dog is scared to death of noises, but she wasn't bothered at all. They both actually liked getting this done. I was in shock! It trimmed their nails perfectly. I give this product 2 paws up! - Dogs - Nail Care - Pet Grooming Tool - Dog Grooming'
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Sharpening Tools - tool sharpener, sharpener
After 45 years of homemaking I finally found a solution to dull instruments. I now own three of these products for sharpening; knives, scissors and this one for garden tools. I've used it on all of my larger objects. I call it "sharpening for dummies" because I have no skills but want sharp garden tools. If only they made a mini sharpener so that I didn't have to disasemble my pruning shears I'd be a very happy camper. Accu Sharp 060 GardenSharp Tool Sharpener
This is a cheap, simple tool to use, and gives good results. I've used it to sharpen a few clippers, hedge trimmers, and the lawn mower blade on a cordless Black & Decker lawnmower which was pitted and dulled. All tools I used it on seem to perform noticeably better than before.
Worked great on my bypass pruners (large and small) and my grass shears (all Corona drop-forged). My large pruner was very dull after many years of use and the Accu Sharp renewed the blade better than I expected. On the first few passes it actually took off visible little pigtails of metal shavings as it honed the cutting blade to a precise, uniform and shiny-new edge. I can't imagine a professional sharpener doing a better job. I accidentally cut my thumb with a light bump against the sharpened blade! Totally my fault - I wasn't using the accusharp at the time. I held the sharpener at an angle keeping one side of the "V" shaped sharpening notch flat against the flat side of the cutting blade. This was not difficult to do - in fact the Accusharp seemed to "lock in" comfortably at this off-center angle. For the Coronas no dis-assembly was required. I spray the blades with WD40 to maintain the edges between use. I've only sharpened my tools once so far so I can't say how long the Accusharp lasts but at this price you can buy two. I'm here to buy my "back-up" now. The kitchen version of this tool has replaceable blades but I haven't seen them for the garden version.
Very easy and safe to use (compare to using the old stone block type sharpener). Took only a few quick 'swipes' on the blade and you are done. I have some rusty garden tools and this thing saves me from buying new ones
I just got it so I can't say about durability yet
My only complaint is to amazon. it took them a whole month to shipped this thing to me.
Used it for the first time this week on two blades from my Toro Timecutter zero-turn radius lawnmower. I didn't find it necessary to hold the blades in a vice: I wore leather gloves and with one hand held the blade on a piece of wood while drawing the tool along the blade with the other. It took a few passes to get the feel for it, but once I got the proper angle the tool did a fair job of sharpening the blade. Contrary to the instructions, I found it necessary to exert some force on each pass, with the recommended "light pass" not being too effective. But in the end, the blade was sharp.
PROS: Easy to use, cheap, effective. Unlike a bench grinder, this tool does not remove a lot of metal, which is probably the reason that both blades were almost perfectly balanced after sharpening. Also, the blades should last longer, since so little metal is actually being removed.
CONS: May not be robust enough to sharpen an extremely dull blade or one with significant denting or pitting.
I was hoping this would work on a spade, shovel, etc. just like they show in the picture. It ONLY works on thin blades. NO WAY will this put an edge on a large tool. It did sharpen small pruning shears and a chisel, both with pretty thin/decent edges. I would not recommend unless you need for small hand tools.
I've only used it a couple of times, but the Accu Sharp 060 GardenSharp Tool Sharpener works well on my garden tools. I purchased this specifically for my garden tools because I don't want to mess up my Accu Sharp knife sharpeners from my kitchen on my tools - just in case there is a difference. This is, however, MUCH better than another tool sharpener, the Byers Lawn Mower Blade and Tool Sharpener which I purchased two or three years ago from a local home center. For the money and for the job this can't be beat.
I tried to an item to sharping my gardening tools for many years. They have a corona one that does not work well until Accusharp. This item does the job. No grips but the refill cost as much as the item. Highly recommend for garden tools. - Knife Sharpener - Sharpener - Tool Sharpener'
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