Building Construction - bathrooms, kitchens

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I bought this book and video combo as soon as it came out, having previously purchased his other book "Concrete Countertops: Design, Form and Finishes for the new Kitchen and Bath." I also own the DVD "Concrete Countertops DIY." I was hoping that this book would provide some more insight and more details, but instead found this to be basically a watered down version of the ones I already own.



"Concrete Countertops Made Simple" is a good introduction, but if you are really interested in building concrete countertops, and want a bit more understanding on the subject, I would highly recommend you skip this set and get his other book and video (sold seperatly) instead. It costs more, but you get more. They are excellent resources. Concrete Countertops Made Simple

The material covered is simple and well laid out. Don't expect too much and you wont be dissapointed. None of the details of fine countertops, even countertops shown in book, aren't covered. Colors are not discussed. Recipes are almost non-existant. But if you want the basics as how to make a simple countertop, then this is a good reference source.

Using this book and included video, we created a terrific concrete countertop for our child's bathroom. We customized it by scattering glass tiles and inlaying them, and then also using the same for the backsplash. We topped the whole thing with a glass vessel sink, and the bathroom looks very high end! The whole project was made possible by the book and the available colorant options from the author's website. We are thrilled!

Good book for beginners. Could use a few more examples, it seems to go over some steps very quickly, but overall a good starting point. DVD helped compliment the book, so i suggest reading and watching at least twice.

I have two of Cheng's books and they have some overlap, but also new information. This book is very good and gives a good explanation and photos to describe the steps. I think it could use a few more, but if you re-read and pay attention, it eliminates most/all the earlier confusion. He also included a very well-done DVD that shows short clips of the various steps and these also helped to visualize some of the text descriptions. The book and DVD are Taunton Press and I've always found them to be very high quality.It does show a substantial portion of his own work, which can seem a overly-commercial turn-off in some cases, but it also is instructive and gives ideas of what can be done. I've noticed that other similar genre authors do the same thing and it is good supplemental information if they don't saturate you with it. Overall I think this is a very good instuctional reference that would give me enough confidence to start on my own project.

Very good beginner book as it's a starting point of a very complex task of forming your own concrete counter. This gives you the bare bones basics of getting started. You will learn the basics from a book like this & then practice..practice...practice. I have not formed a counter as of yet because of time constraints, but will in the near future.

Excellent, I love this book, great instructional material in this book. I have already started my own vanity top for a bathroom remodel project and I am planning to build a dining room table all based on the knowledge gained from the information contained in Mr. Chengs well written and illustrated book. Highly recommended if you would like to take this up as a craft, hobby, or are thinking about remodeling and want to do some of the creative things yourself.

This book makes it easy to follow the process for making your own countertops. The dvd included is also a great resource. If you need any other information the author has a great web site too. I'm ready to take on the project.

This is a great book and DVD if you want to build a concrete counter top this is the book you should have it is straight forward and the DVD is great I like DIY projects and I will use the information in this book to build my own counter tops. - Bathrooms - Concrete Design - Kitchens - Home Design'

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Commuter - otterbox, commuter

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You can see my other reviews to know that I buy A LOT of cases - it has became an addiction of sorts. With that said, I have often found Otterbox products to be the best of the best. (See my 5 star Otterbox iPhone 4 Defender review for proof!)



I received this item last Monday and I was anxiously awaiting installing it and giving it a go. Unfortunately my excitement quickly subsided. I hate to sound negative but this case leaves a lot to be desired. Below I will give you my unbiased thoughts on the case and its pros/cons.



Pros:



Much thinner than the Defender case

All ports are easily accessible

Lightweight



Cons:

The screen protector that it comes with is very sub-par, I've purchased several screen protectors in the past for both my iPhone(s) and other models, the one that came with the Otterbox ranks near (or at) the bottom of the list as far as quality build and ease of installation in avoiding air bubbles etc.

The case doesn't quite fit "right" sometimes the silicon case will come loose from around the lip of the phone and it will in turn cause the polycarbonate shell to shift and not only fit awkward but look horrible as well.

The cover for the audio out jack (headphone jack etc.) should have been designed better. It often protrudes from the case and just looks awkward.



In conclusion I would state that though the case isn't the worse (and 2 stars may be harsh) due to the price and quality expected from Otterbox it came up well short of expectations.



I will try to post pictures later showing this case next to a bare iPhone 4 and also next to the Defender case. OtterBox Commuter Series Hybrid Case for AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 (Green/White)

Hi, I just got this case yesterday. It's the third one I've tried with my iPhone 4. Otterbox makes fine cases so I expected something nice and was not disappointed. I also had the Commuter and Defender cases for my iPhone 3Gs.



Here are some notes for you:



- The case provides the best protection of the three I've tried. The Apple bumper case is nice but the open back leaves a lot of glass exposed. This one gets the job done while not being too bulky.



- Compared to the iPhone 3Gs Commuter case this one exposes more of the hard plastic surface and less of the rubber. The plastic is textured nicely so gripping is still secure. In all fairness I think I do prefer the design of the 3G/3Gs version.



- The phone will connect (Yeah!) to my Magellan car mount and B&W speakers with this case. It would not connect with the thicker Apple bumper case. I'm also able to get other cables to connect to it that would not connect with the bumper case. The opening for the thirty pin connector is larger on the Otterbox case.



- Putting the screen protector on can be frustrating but I was mostly successful this time. Dust must be avoided at all cost while applying it. Hey Intel, can I use your clean room for a few minutes?



It's a good compromise between protection and bulk. If you had the 3G version you might be a little disappointed because the fit on this one doesn't seem quite as good.



Update (9/2/2010): The reviewer(s) that said the case can be uncomfortable on your ear while making calls was right. If you make a lot of calls this could be rather annoying. I'll post a picture or two of the offending sharp edge. I filed the edge on mine with my Leatherman to smooth it out. That helped a lot.



Regards,

John

This case exceeded my expectations i had after reading some of these peoples reviews. First of all, the fit is perfect. i dont know if maybe some of these people didnt put it on right (it takes a while to get it right) but mine fits snugly.second, It does not feel cheap. The plastic is not very thick but it doesnt need to be thick to protect, it is only there to hold the shape of the silicone. It is the perfect balance of protection and bulkiness.. I had a defender series for my 3gs and that thing felt like a brick.. this one feels just right, not to mention its a lot cheaper than the defender. If youre gonna be rock climbing or working at construction site, then theres no reson why you would want the defender over this case. The screen protector is pretty cool, i dont really see the point of it because the case sits in such way that your screen will not get scratched. i still put mine on and cant even tell its there.. I would highly recomend this case, and no i dont work for otterbox, im just a regular guy that really liked this product and i dont think the reviews on it are very accurate. Thanks!

Sadly, this is the first review I've written, because I've had such a bad experience with this case. I'm a big OtterBox fan, I had a Commuter on my previous 3GS, and a Defender for my old 3G which is now on my wife's S. Both of those cases are great and I don't have a negative thing to say about them.



I had such a good experience with the previous version of the Commuter, that I got one for my Iphone 4. Unlike other reviewers, I think the screen protector is great, the only reason I gave this case 2 stars instead of one. I've had several screen protectors in the past, and they've mostly been all the same. The OtterBox protector seems to be of higher quality, and its the first case I've gotten on with absolutely no bubbles. Also, while trying to get the bubbles out on other protectors, you end up scratching the protector with the credit card. OtterBox solved that issue by putting an extra layer on the protector, and once you have worked all the bubbles out, you peel off the outer layer, leaving a pristine screen protector. I honestly can't tell that it's even there. Unfortunately that's where the good stops.



The silicone on the Iphone 4 commuter seems cheap, and doesn't fit the phone as well as in previous versions. The corners and parts that aren't covered by the outer shell constantly move and don't hug the phone as tightly as on the last version.



The hard protective shell is a complete failure on my case. When you initially take it out of the case, you can tell that the plastic is of cheaper construction than previous models. It is significantly thinner than the last, which is nice from a size perspective, but it just feels cheap in your hands, like it is going to break at the slightest stress. Also, the worst thing about mine is that it just doesn't fit the phone. It is too big for the phone, leaving gaps around all 4 sides. On 2 sides, the gap is small enough as to be almost not noticeable, but on 2 it's very obvious, and its so far from the silicone that the whole case flexes in your hand. On my particular case, it's obvious that the protective shell was machined too large for the silicone. No matter how much massaging and fiddling you so with the case, it won't fit the phone properly. As I've said before, on my 3GS, once you snap the outer case on, it's bombproof.



I bought the case direct from OtterBox the day it became available, and Amazon's price is now significantly cheaper. Still, this case isn't worth the cheaper price.



-Update

Otterbox customer service replied, and are sending out a replacement case. Their customer service was very friendly. I'll write another update when the new case arrives.



-Update 2

Customer service promptly sent out a replacement case. The 2nd case definitely fits better, it fits the phone correctly, but there isn't the tight, solid feel of previous versions. As other reviews have noted, the outer case can be uncomfortable against your ear. There are better cases out there for less money, for example, the 'free' case I got through Apple. I got a Griffin Reveal Etch through the free case program, which doesn't offer as much protection, but the case feels solid and fits the phone much tighter than the Otterbox. I still think they make great products, but this one was a failure. At least they've dropped the price since I ordered mine. - Otterbox - Commuter - Green - Iphone 4'

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Vtech Cordless Phone - caller id, cordless phone

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Pros: Relatively cheap, especially if you are not paying Amazon.com price. You can get these phones for 19.99 elsewhere. Small footprint. Looks good. Intuitive setup. Sound comes through loud and clear.



Cons: So far, everyone I have called told me that there is breakup and static and other artifacts on their end....worse than my dead Uniden cordless phone (also a cheapie.)



Summary: Decent for the price, but definitely not perfect. Vtech DECT 6.0 Silver/Black Expandable Cordless Phone with Caller ID and Handset Speakerphone (CS6219)

Just got this phone and set it up, so I can't really say yet how it will function as a phone. It looks like it will be fine ...



... Except that it would have been good to know that you can't use a headset with it. The handsets have no place to plug a headset in. (I like to wear a headset and slip the handset into a pocket, to be able to talk hands-free.) As far as I can tell (and if anybody knows different, please reply and let me know) you can't do that with this phone system. Since my prior cordless phone, which was ancient and cheap, had such a feature, I figured all cordless phones did.



Oh, well.

Bought it more than one month ago as a replacement of my previous 5.8GHz cordless phone. I had a gift certificate plus there was an on-line promotion at that time, therefore, it was a good buy for me. This is a DECT phone which works as a stand-alone phone (including the base station, not just a handset expansion). I tested with friends, all of them said that the sound quality was very good. Easy to navigate through the menu and settings. Provide "pause" which is useful when using a calling card. I haven't found any disappointment yet. So far, I am very pleased with it.

I am so happy with this phone. I have MS and have quite a problem pushing small buttons. This phone has really nice size buttons, so it is easier for me to use.



I really like the fact that it has an directory, so I am able to find the numbers that I use the most. It was quite easy to follow the instructions on how to put the numbers into the phone too. They are very clear and concise.



Because of my MS I am only able to whisper, but with this phone it doesn't seem to be a problem for other people to hear me. However, I tried using the speakerphone and the people could just barely hear me, so I think if I was able to speak in a normal voice, it probably would be just fine too.



I thought the phone was quite reasonably priced, and I highly recommend it.

I bought these for my mother for Christmas to replace her existing phones. She can hear without the static now, actual see the numbers on the keypad, and doesn't have to worry about the battery dying in the middle of a converstaion. Great price, Great Quality.

This phone looks great, and sounds even better. The call quality is exceptional, I have used it inside, outside, in my basement, and took it out to the mailbox and have never had any static or quality issues. It looks great and is easy to use, other people have complained about the menu, but I thought it was easy to navigate and have had no issues with it. The speaker phone is a bit touch and go, but I never really use that feature, but I tried it, and it was a bit spotty cutting in and out.



The only reason I gave this a 4 and not 5 was that the phone does not just slide right down into the cradle, and if you don't pay attention you can drop it in and it won't actually be charging, so you have to pay attention to the red light that lets you know that is it actually on the charger properly.

Although the sound quality of handset is decent, the battery life is extremely poor. If the phone gets unplugged for only less than 12 hours, the handset will not make/receive calls without being charged again for quite a long time. Also, unless you make an effort to acquaint yourself (frequently!) with the buttons (e.g., phone number storage), you'll be tearing your hair out each time you want to store a phone number as it's not designed to be very intuitive at all.

I was looking for a cheap cordless phone to use with my magic jack. The LCD on my old 5.8 GHz phone was going blank. This one sounds good, looks good, has digital technology, is easy to operate and a great price on Amazon. Had I to do over again I may have bought the model with a second handset so I don't have to go upstairs to my computer to put it back on the charging base. - Caller Id - Dect Cordless Phone - Cordless Phone - Vtech'

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Cheap Ipod Charger - ipod accessories, ipod car charger

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The USB cable looks and feels very similar to the apple one, but the chargers have a somewhat cheesy feel. Then again, that's totally to be expected when you buy a whole set for less than half the price of a cable or either charger alone from Apple or one of the name brand companies.



I also should note that the AC adapter is 100-240v compatible, so it can work worldwide. I was wondering about that when I bought it because none of the tech info mentioned it. In fact, the casing itself was designed to be used with the EU style plugs, and that's why it protrudes from the body of the case.



Also, the items I received look like the submitted picture, and not the MFG's picture, for what it's worth... Doesn't matter much because in any case the items aren't very aesthetically pleasing anyways.



Bottom line, from reading the other reviews it looks like they have QC issues, but I wound up with a perfectly functional set at a great price. Apple iPod USB Travel Kit with Car Charger, Travel Adapter & Cable

The car charger worked great. I could charge my iPod while listening to it. I'm currently trying to use the Travel Adaptor, but so far it's not working. I'm trying to discover the problem. It's not the cord, because the cord is working when connecting the iPod to computer. So, I can't really say anything about how the travel adapter works. But I give the car charger 5 stars. It gets the job done.



edit :: i actually got it to work. it works great. you just have to wait a second for your iPod to display the charging symbol.

Guys,

Do NOT EVER buy this product. I lost my Ipod Nano(8gb) because of this cheap nonsense. As soon as I plugged in the charger into the wall outlet, and connected it to the nano, the charger blew a fuse, and had smoke coming out of it. My nano didn't start after that. No matter what I tried. I took it to apple store, and they couldn't start it either. My warranty was void.



Go for real apple products, not for these cheap chargers. I'm not sure if this company BargainCell is selling authentic products, or just cheap makeovers without ever having tested them out.



Again, do not buy it, unless you want to risk losing your ipod.

The charger worked once. When I removed it from the wall electrical outlet an electrical spade just came off in the wall. These items are so cheap that they break the first time it is used. I wouldn't buy this item again.

so cheap. how could you *not* buy this? it screwed up my ipod after using it for a few weeks. now i have issues powering down my ipod. it won't turn off. weird. i've heard this complaint from others, too.

Great product to have for you ipod.

i own an ipod touch 3G. the wall wall adaptor is awesome. I was skeptical when i saw hte price, but the product is awesome

Don't buy the expensive wall adapter from the apple store, these ones works great and usb cable that you get with this product is awesome too.

so stop looking around and buy this.

So far, I really like the charger. The thing I like the best, is the convenience of not having to find a computer to charge My I-pod. Another good feature of this charging unit, is that it doesn't reset the play count(on the I-pod), just because I'm recharging. I recommend anyone with an I-pod to get one of these. My opinion, they are a "MUST-HAVE" type of item for anyone with an I-pod. The price is Phenomenal for such a necessary accessory for any I-pod Nano. I'm very pleased with this product, and the charging time is rather quick. I would appreciate a "Fully-Charged" indicator lamp that can be seen from a distance, to make aware of a full charge, and is ready to be UN-plugged. I would imagine that it'd be a bit extra in cost for such a feature, but I for one, would be willing to pay for it. As long as it isn't an "exorbitant increase", that is. Again, all and all, a pretty good, and necessary product for anyone owning an I-Pod. Too Redundant? Sorry.... - Usb - Cheap Ipod Charger - Ipod Accessories - Ipod Car Charger'

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Camera Sling Bag - photography, camera bag

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In my search for a camera bag that did NOT look like a camera bag, I discovered the Lowepro Passport Sling...and I LOVE it! I could not find any reviews on this product so hopefully this review will help someone else who is searching for that perfect camera bag...that doesn't LOOK like a camera bag. The Passport Sling is not too big yet large enough to hold my gear. Unloaded, the bag is also very lightweight. It features a removable camera box which attaches to the bag with Velcro, 2 small interior flap pockets (for phone, iPod, credit cards, gum, etc.), 2 exterior pockets, 1 exterior water bottle pocket (which I have yet to use for a water bottle), adjustable shoulder strap, and expandability.



I wish the external pockets were a little deeper/wider and designed in the shape of a rectangle instead of a trapezoid so items could fit better. Although a travel book and map would fit inside the bag, it would be nice to have quick and easy access on the outside of the bag. I would feel more secure if the external pockets had either a zip or Velcro closure so I don't feel like items might fall out.



The camera box has 1 adjustable Velcro divider which I configured with my Nikon D90 and 18mm-200mm lens attached on the left side and both the 35mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.8 (filter attached) side by side in the other half of the camera box. (I'm not going to lie, it's a little snug fitting them side by side but I like knowing that I have both with me.) There's still some space on top of the prime lenses for a spare camera battery, 4 AA batteries (for my SB-600), and some other small accessories (spare SD card, card reader, camera remote). The flap of the divider folds over nicely to cover the lenses/accessories and provides a cushion to protect the lenses and camera grip. I keep the SB-600 next to the camera box in its padded case to stay protected since the bag itself does NOT have any padding. There is also a small pocket on the soft box to hold a spare SD card. I wish they had other pockets on the side of the camera box to hold some other small accessories for quick access (cleaning cloth, rear lens cover, lens cap, pen loops, etc.). Even with all this camera gear in the bag, there is still some room inside for other things and I haven't even expanded the bag!! I usually keep the bag UN-expanded but I like knowing that I have the option to increase my space if I need it, especially when sightseeing. I do have a tendency to do a bit of shopping while traveling!!



It's great that the camera box is removable so the bag can then be used as a regular bag to hold anything you want to put in it. I wish there were some internal zippered pockets, especially if I ever use the bag WITHOUT the camera box so there is more organization. The current design does not really have a place for any other internal pockets (aside from the flap pockets already included) so I do understand why there aren't any in there. I LOVE the look of the bag so much that I could easily see myself using with without the camera box...as if I EVER leave the house without my camera!!!



I chose the Mica color because I wanted something neutral and I have enough black bags. The Mica is like a dark khaki/olive, both male or female could feel comfortable carrying this color.



Although the bag was designed to be worn across the body, it can also just be worn as a shoulder bag. Personally, I like the security of wearing it crossbody because the bag will not fall off my shoulder. The strap length is more than adequate for me (I'm 5"4' and 115-120 lbs.) and is adjustable. I imagine this bag would be fit someone much taller or much smaller than me.



The bag was announced in early 2009 and I am surprised that I have not seen more of these in stores or available online. It is such a great bag!! When I purchased mine earlier this year, I had to special order it and it took a couple weeks to arrive. Maybe I should shut my mouth so I am the only person out there carrying the Passport Sling! Lowepro Passport Sling Camera Bag (Black)

I purchased the Lowepro Passport Sling for my recent trip to Italy. I wanted an easy access, stylish camera bag to use while I travelled. I carried a Canon 7D with it's 18-135mm lens, my 70-200mm, 2.8L lens, a few memory cards and filters. The bag functioned very well and was comfortable to use, easy to access. The padded area for my camera and it's primary lens was barely big enough. A Rebel would have fit very comfortably, but my camera was very tight. I would have liked to have had my battery grip on too, but there was no way it would have fit. I had plenty of room for my 70-200mm, 2.8L, but the area in the bag that it fit had no extra padding, so I had to add my own with a crunched up t-shirt.



The improvements that I would recommend would be as follows: make the bag slightly larger to accommodate a full size camera more comfortably; add some extra padding in a secondary compartment to protect a second lens and/or flash unit; and lastly, add zippers to the external pockets of the bag to hold a passport, money, filters, etc. more securely. - Camera Case - Camera Bag - Photography - Digital Slr'

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Family Camping - great family tent, car camping

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I recently bought this tent and have camped in it one time, for three days and it was awsome I love it with or without the rain cover on it. it was big enough for four people and pleanty of EXTRA room for everything and it has two places for your shoes on each sides of the door for your shoes you zip it and dont have to worry about spiders getting in them!!:) when you take off the rain cover it is like you are sleeping outside without the bugs Yahoo.... it was so nice i could live in it for awhile !! i would tell anyone to get this tent i cant wait to go again!!! Suisse Sport Wyoming 3 Room Family Dome Tent 18 x 10

I bought this tent for my kids to have sleep overs in the back yard. It's huge and fits a couple of blow-up queen size mattresses and still has plenty of room to spare. It's made well. We've already used it 3-4 times within the last couple of months and no wear and tear issues to be found. It's also tall enough for the adults to stand up in. The only issues I would caution folks about are: 1.) the tent bag is just a little too small. Trying to get tent completely back into the bag has been a challenge at times. and 2.) This tent comes with partitions to create separate rooms. Those are a joke, it doesn't separate anything. Huge gaps at the bottom and sides. So those were pretty useless.



Other than those two minor comments, the tent is wonderful. Easy up, easy down. Huge and my kids (and friends) love it.

We bought this tent to go on a family camping trip! It really worked great! It is a nice size and fits a lot of people. This only issue is you need at least 3 adults to help put it together and it was only me and my husband and our small children, so it was a pain trying to put this thing together. Once together though we loved it and had a great weekend camping!

Just came back from our first camping trip this weekend with the kids. While the instructions are not great, if you have ever put up a tent before it should not be too much of an exercise. Wife and I put it together in about 25 minutes or less.



Very roomy inside and accommodated two queen mattresses and we had an area left over for storing clothes and supplies. A sub-six foot adult can stand straight up in the center. Note that the shape of this tent is more similar to a crescent then a rectangle.



Has some pockets inside and fabric dividers if you choose to separate spaces. I liked the built-in shoe area where you can store dirty footwear outside of the tent and access them from either inside or outside. Had no rain, so cannot speak to it's water tightness.

Barely fit two queen blowups. No walking room left. center height is really like 5 ft 5 inch. Really disappointed w/ zippers. Kept catching and teeth kept getting snagged. Almost cetain next trip they will be toast. Only used once so far. Blows in like crazy in the wind. Decent price of 110 or 120, but maybe better off buying two 8x8 tents. Didn't use the room dividers so can't comment there. Wasn't really room to divide the space. Maybe would have resulted in rooms to small to use. I will definately bring duct tape to fix zippers just in case from now on. wouldn't want scorpions or spiders or flying critters coming in uninvited. Hope this review helps you. Really a balance of quality and price. I rate overall quality a 7 out of 10. But I expect to get a 8 or 9 product for spending over $100.

The tent was a great purchase. It has work great for my family and me. We have used it several times now. Only one thing is that it is a five pole tent and for some someone with no tent experience may have a little bit of trouble getting the tent up by them selfs, it may need to be a two person job. If you are an experience camper then this tent would be great for you.

was looking for a tent that i could leave at my wifes family property when the family gets together this tent was large enough and set up very fast even found a corner of the tent to run an electrical plug great tent to have

We have opened this tent up and put it together and it's perfect. I can't wait to use it in 2 weeks in the Keys. 8 adults might be stretching it but we'll know soon enough. There is one piece that's shaped sort of curvy that we can't figure where it goes as its not mentioned in the directions. Other than that, I would definitely recommend.

The tent is not a true 10 X18, nor is it rectangular. The rooms will not fit a full mattress, making the rooms useless. The ancor hooks are thin metal and bend easy. When the tent was up I could shake the top of the tent easy. There is no doubt that the wind would keep me up at night. I returned mine. The Ozark Trail at Walmart is better made. - Great Family Tent - Camping - Car Camping - Camp'

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Snow Throwers - snow thrower, snow throwers

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Absolutely Recommended! Ordered on Thursday and paid the extra cost of $3.XX for next day delivery because we had a huge snow storm in the forecast. The Snowblower and the storm arrived the next day and the snow blower was really needed. It was very easy to unpack--open carton, remove cardboard and plastic bag, extend handle, add oil (came with it) and gas (remember to buy ahead of time). It started the first pull of the crank and worked hard for two days! It used four tanks of gas doing my neighbor's driveway and mine plus helping many other neighbors dig out from over 34 inches of snow and the build up caused by the snow plows that came through. It's only rated for 4-6 inches but by knocking down the snow with a shovel and working at it with the blower we got thru a build-up of snow that exceede 3 feet in spots (over the top of the engine on the snowblower). Really glad we ordered.



It came on time and worked perfectly--did not have to shovel and lift! Murray 1695537 21-Inch 190cc 4-Cycle OHV Briggs & Stratton Snow Series Gas Powered Single Stage Snow Thrower

With epic snowfalls coming to the DC area, I decided to buy a snowblower. This thing chewed through snow piled at least a foot high with ease. It's easy to put together, it operates easily, and works incredibly well. Like another reviewer, we bought it and had it shipped overnight for dirt cheap as Prime members. It came super fast! It's a powerful machine, but still moveable - we were able to put it in the back of the pickup and went to dig out some friends and family. A great purchase - and I didn't have to fight at a hardware store to wrestle something off of a truck!

I was a little nervous reading the mixed reviews and guess I got lucky. We had a 10-12 inch snowfall here today so I unboxed it and was surprised that it came fully assembled. All I had to do was add the oil and gas and tighten down the support knobs for the handles. Checked all the cables and moving parts and everything was tight and functional. Only goof up (mine) was pumping the primer button 10 times as I was used to the B&S Quantum on my mower. After some choking and smoking I looked at the manual and saw you should only pump twice. Got it running and cleared my sidewalks and driveway and three of my neighbors drives including a wheelchair ramp for a disabled neighbor. Stalled once when it hit a kids rubber ball buried in the snow but started right back up with no choke or prime. Checked it out when I got back to the garage and everything was still tight and working good. Impellers looked great and had good clearance all the way around. Based on the initial run, I would call this a good unit and great little snowblower.

I read these Amazon reviews faithfully, and this is the 1st time I've ever been steered wrong. This plastic piece of crap has no business being used for anything other than cleaning off your windshield, and that's only if you have the upper body strength to move it back and forth like a scraper.



A brand new motor shouldn't sound this chunky, especially not a Briggs and Stratton. The throttle cable needed adjusting, and the plastic housing that the adjustment cable fits into is cheap and flimsy. Also, there's a carriage bolt at the end of the cable, with a rounded head, and nothing to grab onto.



The belt was too loose to engage the auger, and removing the belt cover is an exercise in futility. The bolts inside don't match the bolts outside, the housing for the cover is more cheap flimsy crap, and the manual doesn't tell you how to adjust the tension on the belt, just that you need to adjust it.



Do yourself a favor and throw $400 in the garbage before you waste it on this 'tool'. It was poorly engineered and manufactured. The only thing they did right was market it to idiots like me.

This ate throw over 2 feet of snow in DC in our driveway, cleared a block of side walks and an alley in the matter of a few hours. I was shocked at how well it handled all of the snow. It is loud, vibrates like crazy but works wonders. Best $400 I ever spent.

This blower does not appear to be a high-quality item. I ordered two of these units and received them last week. As another reviewer noted, the rubber auger (the part that spins and shoots the snow) was too large for its housing -- it would hit the plastic housing and get stuck. It will need to be filed or sanded down. That shouldn't happen on a $399 machine.



Also, if you're not mechanically inclined, please note these facts: Your unit will come with 20 oz. of oil. The machine has a 20 oz. oil capacity. When discussing the insertion of oil, the manual loudly proclaims DO NOT OVERFILL!! But the 20 oz. of oil provided is perfect for the 20 oz. oil capacity of the machine, so you can -- and should -- pour it all in. I was so worried about overfilling after reading the manual that I only poured in a third of the 20 oz bottle, and, of course, the engine overheated and seized up. (A family member was able to fix it but that's not ideal).



All in all, the one working blower that I received handled 5" of snow fairly well.

This is a powerful little machine that works great. It replaced an old Sears snow blower and works much better. I'm very happy with my purchase - I highly recommend! Started right up the first time I used it and it's very effective at moving the snow off my driveway.

The thrower was delivered on February 9, 2011. It was easy to set up. After filling the machine with oil and gas it started and ran smoothly after one pull of the starter cord, just as others have reported in their reviews. However, that is when things went down hill. The auger would not engage until multiple adjustments of the auger control cable were made. With this done I awaited the next snow which occurred on February 21, 2011. The thrower dispatched the 2.5" of snow with ease for about 15 minutes then the auger stopped turning and would not engage again. Releasing or pressing the auger drive lever was fruitless. I looked under the machine and saw that the auger drive belt was shredded. All further snow clearing ceased and I am waiting for the machine to be repaired. - Snow Throwers - Murray - Snow Thrower'

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