Guy Low Price Electronic: 25 Aug 2009

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Benchtop Drill

I had a Floor Drill Press for years until we sold our house and bought a condo. I bought this one for a project not expecting much for the price.

Boy was I surprised.

This is one quality tool. It is extremely well built and very smooth and quiet in its operation. In fact, it has the feel of a precision tool as opposed to a plain old drill press. This thing looks and feels like it should cost twice as much as it does.

I used to buy all my tools from a National Retailer who has their own brand of tools ( you know the one- begins with a C ).

I borrowed a friend's drill press first who had this well known brand and it was total junk. So I went out and bought the Skil instead. I usually buy only Dewalt and Bosch and this is every bit as well made as those two other brands. In fact, Bosch owns Skil.

Finally- in case you're wondering, the laser really does work and is a great assist when drilling small holes. Just remember to take the batteries out when you are not going to use it for a while. Skil 3320-02 120-Volt 10-Inch Drill Press

Although the package was a bit banged up the contents were all there and not damaged. The drill assembled easily and the instructions were good. The unit operated without any problems. I'm very happy with it and would buy from Skil again.

The fit and finish aren't what you will get from an expensive tool, but this is very functional and precise in the places it needs to be. Was surprised to see that the table was exactly perpendicular to the chuck right out of the box, and the lasers were dead on as well. Has a little vibration in the spindle at certain points in the travel but nothing that should effect the cut. The power switch is very nice and you can shut it down quickly. For the price, not to mention free Prime shipping, you cant go wrong.

First, you must decide what you want your tool to do. Then you can choose the tool.

This is not a production drill press. It's designed for the home shop, with medium-to-heavy usage by one to two people. I got it to drill holes in brass parts for the armatures I make for models. Not exactly heavy-duty usage. But, it performs that function flawlessly. The adjustment knobs and set-screws are all rugged. And, I was surprised, but the laser guide does work, and it works well. I aligned the lasers using the smallest drill bit I own, and they are very useful for getting the holes lined up accurately.

Overall, this is a great product. There are cheaper options, but when I tested and/or inspected them, I found the components to be shoddy and the results to be sub-par. The Skil Drill Press out-performs all of them.

We needed a small dril press for fabricating electronic test assemblies. The Skil 3320-02 was right for the task. Assembly was quick, and adjustments were minimal. The laser alignment was not perfect, but it didn't warrant re-adjustment. The table was even clamped at 90 degrees to the bit right out of the box. Chuck run-out was negligible which allows us to drill holes with small numbered drill bits. A good value for a small drill press.

I purchased this drill press for my 'garage' workshop. The drill is used in a variety of home projects (PCB board fabrication, project box construction (plastic and metal), etc.

This drill serves its function quite well. The press is durable and well balanced. The laser sight is very helpful in aligning drill bit and hole.

NB:

To change speeds, you do need to pop the top cabinet, loosen the motor mounts (thumb-tight screws), change belt positions and then retighten the motor mounts and snap the cabinet back into place. Not a serious chore, but it is a 'manual' not an 'automatic' transmission.

The press is heavy (about 50 lbs) and it is best to mount to a stable surface (e.g., a workbench).

This is my first drill press since shop class in 8th grade, though I'm handy with most other power tools. I assembled it in about 30 mins without too much difficulty (though there is one small plastic part left over that is not mentioned in 3 readings of the instructions -- never a good thing).

Moving the table up and down seems rather clunky, but I may have more adjustments to make.

I'm writing this review before even using the drill because the ad says "variable speed", which from many years of using standard drills means to me that the speed is easily and continuously controllable. This drill press actually has only 5 discreet speeds, which can be changed by opening up the hood, loosening one of the spindles, adjusting the belt, and then tightening the spindle again to the right belt tension. Not that hard to do, but not trivial.

Maybe you experts out there knew this from previous experience, but for those like me who did not, this drill is "variable speed" only in the sense that you can change the speed to 1 of 5 speeds by manually adjusting the belt (570rpm, 900, 1390, 2050, 3050).

I'll update my review after I begin using it.'

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Motor Sports - top gear, motor sports

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I was kind of reluctant when reading the reviews here but my love for Top Gear took over. The book is good. Simple. There's a ton of material about driving and half of the book describes Ben's 8 years long career with Top Gear. You won't find however anything surprising and I can hardly think of any reason why BBC put so much effort into blocking this book out.

-- SPOILER ALERT --

You will read about Ben's beginnings, his ambition to race at any conditions and any price. After joining TG team the story becomes familiar and you get a sense how massive was the amount of work put into each episode. I was expecting to find out some backstage opinions on the presenter trio (Clarkson being an arrogant type for example) but nope - seems they're the same as on the telly. You will get very detailed information about how the celebrities were taught and what was their approach to driving on the TG track. You will also find out how the driving and pass-by sequences were made and how hectic the job of Stig could be. Most of the chapters copy the epizode flow so you'll read about Veyron race from Italy to London, the charity race in Mallorca, 24 hrs endurance race in diesel BMW and so on, including all the details possible.

The Stig job must have been (and probably still is) very demanding as Andy Willman (exec producer) seems like crazily tough guy, who's been pushing the show forward together with Clarkson. There's an urgent sense of split personality when Ben Collins acted as a Stig and as well as himself during several episodes. Not to mention the fact how crazy was the TG team to keep Stig's identity secret.

The book covers the era from beginnings of white Stig until the episode with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

-- SPOILER ALERT END --

Ben's not a writer, which is obvious after several pages, however the style of narration and description is not bad at all although you must be a petrolhead to appreciate it. For someone not keen into cars or TG, this book may probably be a huge disappointment. For me, the book changed a bit my view on Collins' departure from TG. But just a bit, I'm not that disgusted as I used to be after reading the news :).

One last thing that I found a bit annoying in the book - it's Ben's total self-focus with always right opinions, plus the fact that he never made a mistake (followed by a huge crash) during his driving career. He was in several critical situations with almost no control over the car but he always, always found a way how to make it and beat everyone else's time and amaze everyone around. That seemed a bit sci-fi to me. Only a small drawback though. The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me

Having watched the TV series like most people for a number of years, I initially thought I would not buy the book due to how Ben Collins handled his departure from Top Gear. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to buy the book.

Ben goes into detail into his earlier year and gives some interesting insight into the career of a racing driver from a young age. However he does go into minute details of certain laps within races that you wonder how he can remember such things after years of racing. The book also gives the impression that he prevails over what ever odds, but then again he is the Stig! (or was)

Its a very light read and I found that it was interesting to hear about his life outside of Top Gear.

I would have liked to have read more about the other Top Gear presenters and background to the departure from the show.

The book isnt an expose but provides some colour to the man behind the Stig.

Ben Collins, born in 1975, has competed in motorsport since 1994. He worked with Top Gear (both as the anonymous `tame racing driver' -The Stig - and also as himself since December 2003.

This is his story.

Ben Collins was born in Bristol, has competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer while living in California and wanted to be a fighter pilot. When this career was ruled out because of his eyesight, he switched to cars. Ben won races in nearly every category he competed in: from Formula Three to LeMans Sportscars, and GT. In 2003 he won the European ASCAR title while racing for RML Motorsport. When his racing career was temporarily curtailed by a lack of funding, Ben joined the Army reserves. He also began a new venture working as a Hollywood stuntman.

In 2003, Ben became the fourth presenter on BBC TV's `Top Gear.' As `The Stig', he test drove exotic cars, coached celebrities how to get the best out of the `reasonably priced car' around the now legendary Top Gear test track. As `the man in the white suit', he was recognised by millions of Top Gear fans around the world.

This book makes for interesting reading both for Top Gear fans curious about the identity of The Stig, but also for those interested in Ben Collins as an accomplished racing driver.

I found this an easy and interesting read, especially the descriptions of his driving experiences. As an Australian, I enjoyed his reference to the yellow flags (specifically in relation to kangaroos) at Bathurst.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Was a good book, it got a bit boring in some spots mainly where he wrote about his military training, but other then that I liked it. If your a Fan of Top Gear, its definitely interesting to find out what he was going through with some of the challenges and episodes, and they are kinda fun to watch again knowing what was going on in his mind at the time. Like during one of the challenges that he raced the other presenters where he took public transportation, he had just broken 4 ribs a week or two before. That said, its not all about Top Gear, so don't go in expecting that.

He obviously knows a lot about racing, so you can definitely learn something there as well. - Top Gear - Motor Sports'

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Computer Accessories - card making, greeting card paper

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Another example of Amazon selling office supplies at lower prices than the big-box office stores, this card stock is EXACTLY the same as what the office supply stores sell but at a better price, and delivered free as well! I bought this paper to print a large portion of information cards and it worked well. We've been using this brand of card stock for a long time, alongside Xerox brand card stock which is just a tad bit nicer in my opinion. However, for 90% of print jobs this variety works perfectly fine.

My only complaint is that we ordered 5 reams and they all shipped in the same box which was a tad too big. Several of the reams packaging was broken, although the paper itself was fine.

Great paper at a great price. You can't go wrong here. Wausau Paper Index Card Stock, 92 Brightness, 110 lb, Letter, White, 250 Sheets per Pack (49411)

This card stock is extremely nice to use. The paper is brilliant white with a smooth velvety finish. Some card stock is a dull white and grainy. Definitely worth the price if you want cards that look "store bought". I'm very pleased with this product and will defintely buy again.

I am very happy with this Wausau card stock paper, it is heavy, bright white, excellent quality, it works beautifully, and with ease with my

printer, print quality, color, and appearence are excellent, the corners don't fold, it doesn't pucker, or cause paper jams in the printer like thinner brands I have used. It is well worth buying and way cheaper then what I've seen charged in office supply stores,

I do arts, and crafts, make cards, etc it is excellent for that purpose as well and others, I have also drawn pictures on it, then painted with

both acrylic, and water color paints, and the papar did not pucker, become overly wet, or warped like thinner brand. If you draw, and upload your

art on sites like Deviant art, or Youtube, via a scanner this paper is perfect for that, I will buy this paper again and I highly reccomend this product, I ordered it, it was sent out fast and I got it 2 days later by UPS

I am an elementary teacher and this product is great to use for projects and to make desktags. It is very white and has a nice thickness to it so they stay nice longer. This was very reasonably priced better than the office supplies stores.

I was linked to this specific product through a tutorial on wedding fan programs. So for the brides who got here the same way, know that this paper was fabulous and worked out perfectly. Great deal for what you get. :)

Works great even though it is not one of the better known brands. Print quality on the paper is great with no smudges. The 92 brightness is easy on the eyes. Does not jam in my Epson MF3240 printer. I have used it for making cards and for various work-related projects. With the Amazon price cut, it is a great deal compared to Office Depot or Staples. - Card Stock - Card Making - Greeting Card Paper - Paper'

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Game To Monitor - svideo to vga, ntsc to vga

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Frankly, the adapter does what it says. I connected my PS2 to my 17 inch LCD monitor. The graphics felt ok .. nothing gr8 but I had to adjust my monitor settings. I don't have any problem with that (although I was disappointed since it meant changing the settings everytime you toggle between PC and PS2). Additionally, I would have liked longer cables. Thats fine too. The thing which really [ticked] me off is that when I connected my PC and monitor to the adapter, I was not able to get input from PS2. I tried but my monitor kept saying "no signal". Now this can be a problem with my monitor settings but it worked fine when I connected my PS2 separately. And the box said its just plug and play. Well I plugged and it didn't play. So its going back. I will have to pay restocking fee for this junk but atleast I will save 40 odd dollars. Also I was not too happy with the display quality. StarTech.com COMP2VGA Composite and S-Video to VGA Video Converter for Computer Monitors

Simple and short. This product claims to provide superior video quality. IT DOES NOT!!! Very, very, very, very, very, very, very, poor video. Not what I expected at all. Someone must have already returned the item once because it shipped from Amazon's return dept. Well I am sending it back there!

This product does exactly what I anticipated. It allows me to play the Xbox using my PC monitor and speakers. The device is an all hardware solution, that once connected has a button to toggle the monitor/speakers between the Xbox and PC. Note that this device will also work with any other game console (Nintendo, Playstation) that outputs NTSC video.I use the device on a 19" Trinitron monitor and the video displayed from the Xbox is not quite as crisp and clear as when the Xbox is connected to my 27" TV. But I found the quality to be very good and many people may not notice that a regular TV provided a better image if the two are not directly compared. The bottom line is that a purist may be bothered by the difference in image quality, but it provides me a great alternative for playing the Xbox when my TV is being used by others, or when a TV is not available, e.g. playing Xbox System Link games (like Halo) at a friends house.

This product is great! I hooked up the video / audio in in the right spots, yet the screen was flickering and wasn't clear. I think this is what may have happened to the previous reviewers and their bad responses.ANYWAYS, i went and bought a connector for the PS2, that had the same connections EXCEPT it had an S-video input instead of the video plugs. Once I hooked it up this way, everything was great and I have never had a problem.

When I connected this device between my X box and Sansung 21" svga monitor, the display would occasionaly blink from a black screen to the normal display about once per second. After 30 minutes, the monitor stopped working and is currently being repaaired. The service man said the box most likely was outputing incorrect voltages and/or frequencies to the monitor.

(first review)

Simply put, this item was DOA, straight out of the box. I attempted all of the following as input devices:

* Wii console

* VCR

* DVD player

and both of the following as displays:

* 17" ViewSonic CRT monitor

* 20" Samsung LCD monitor

and regardless of the configuration I got the exact same result -- NO SIGNAL. I will attempt one exchange. If that one is DOA as well, I will get a refund.

(after getting the replacement)

I would like to amend a prior review where I gave 1 star, saying I would give 0 if I could, because it just didn't work. Well, the replacement does work, and I have successfully run the Wii through the analog port on my 20" LCD monitor. That's the good news.

The bad news:

* Piping sound through it is bad. Really bad. Tin cans and a string bad. Fortunately, you don't have to, and I don't any more. You just have to be inventive with your cabling.

* The video quality isn't great, but this may be as good as it gets with composite. Results might be better with S-video, but I don't have anything that delivers that. I blame outdated standards here.

* It doesn't drive 1024x768 like you may see in the specs, it drives 640x480. This makes the next point all the more confusing...

* It doesn't work with my 17" CRT monitor, which I had intended to turn into a TV with this, a VCR, and a pair of amplified speakers. The monitor works fine on the analog port of the video card, so there's nothing wrong with it. It just doesn't get along with the Video Game Jockey.

Also of note is that it sends an output signal even when there is no input signal. This means that if your monitor auto-detects source, it will lock onto the blank-screen analog signal if you try to connect the analog to the Jockey and the DVI to your computer. I can force-switch it, but occasionally it still flips back over to analog (and is guaranteed to if the machine is rebooted), and it won't go to sleep because it's always getting a signal. This can be dealt with by switching the Jockey to use the VGA input, even though I haven't connected anything to it. It does not attempt to drive a blank signal this way. I just have to remember to switch it back before I can use the Wii.

In short, it does what it says (other than the 1024x768 part) but it has crappy sound quality and doesn't work with all monitors. 3 stars. - Ntsc To Vga - Svideo To Vga - Game To Vga - Game To Monitor'

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Optical Mice - kensington, mouse

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This Kensington "Mouse-in-a-Box" is a very basic, but perfectly functional optical mouse that also happens to be a great value. We needed a "no frills" mouse for my mother to use and this fit the bill perfectly. Here are my observations:

Pros -

+ Comfortable; this is a full sized mouse that feels "right" in the hand

+ Plug-and-Play; no software needed or supplied, just connected to the USB port and Windows did the rest

+ Long Cord; it is at least 5' long, allowing it easily reach anywhere on the desk

+ Good Tracking; works well on every surface I tested it on, including a generic mouse mat, a wood desktop, and my chair armrest

+ Scroll Wheel; works well for scanning through web pages and long documents

Misc -

* Very Light; I would like it to have a little more mass, but it is likely a matter of personal preference

* Minimal Packaging; came in small box containing the mouse protected in a bubble bag and a little warranty card, no plastic clam shell to cut open

While this might be too basic for some users, it is just right for our needs!

Recommended!

CFH Kensington K72356US Mouse-in-a-Box USB Desktop Mouse, Black

There is nothing spectacular about this mouse, but if you are looking for a solid mouse under $10 this is a good choice. I had to replace my parent's mouse which had buttons that were very difficult to press and a scroll wheel that was a challenge to roll. This Kensington is much better.

Like others have said, it is lightweight. For older people who simply want a mouse that works to browse the internet and look at pictures, this mouse is perfect. It does fit the hand very nicely and the buttons are very easy to click, but firm enough so you won't accidentally click them. The scroll wheel scrolls with ease and is textured for a good grip you can feel. No, I wouldn't want to use this for gaming or intense work, but for general computer use it is just right and at the right price.

I installed this on 2 separate machines, a laptop with Windows 7 and a desktop with Vista. For both, the drivers were located and the entire installation process was complete in under 20 seconds. Overall, no issues and a product I can recommend.

This isn't the slickest or most ergonomic mouse out there, but it works reliably and didn't cost too much. It has a nice long usb cord. It has a very neutral, generic shape, which is better than the tried-but-missed-the-mark "ergonomic" mice out there.

My Belkin optical mouse finally quit on me, I think I used the left button way too much playing Diner Dash. I'd never heard of the Kensington brand before now, but decided to give it a try because of the cheap price and 5 year warranty.

It has a 5 foot cord, attaches via USB port, definitely easy plug and play hookup - I'm running Vista. I have small hands and this feels comfortable. The buttons and scroll wheel work as expected as far as a basic mouse.

But if you are wanting to use it for games, even a game as basic as Solitaire, or even Slingo, find something else. This mouse is not responsive enough, and the left button starts feeling mushy after a week of using it.

I have two of these mice. One on an Dell XP system and one on an Apple G4 mac mini. They work very well on both systems. The Apple mouse quit working well, and this was a nice replacement, and a very good price that is hard to beat. I am very pleased with it in both systems. It is a good size and fits my hand well. It tracks well. It is everything I wanted in a straight forward mouse.

This is a great, inexpensive mouse that fits well with just about any computing area. The shape fits a hand well, the buttons are responsive and don't make obnoxious clicking noises, and the scroll wheel is smooth and quiet. I would definitely recommend this mouse to anyone.

Cons: only the standard 3 buttons. This isn't a con for me, but I can see how it would be for some. - Kensington - Optical Mouse - Mouse - Computer Accessories'

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kool stop - kool stop

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Every time I would brake, there would be a loud squealing noise that would reverberate off the buildings and let every person within 500 ft know I was slowing down. This was prior to using these salmon-colored brake shoes. I can now brake in silence and without announcing my presence... which means I can continue progressing with my bike-ninja training!

Seriously though, these are good. Kool Stop Supra 2 Bicycle Brake Shoes (Threaded, Salmon)

Every now and again I try out other brake pads (not necessarily cheaper) and I always return to the salmon-colored Kool Stop pads. They are very reliable, have decent wear, do not clog up with aluminum splinters that mar the rim, and simply are the best in wet weather.

These breaks are great. I previously had a worn out pair of weinmann brake pads that needed replacing and a little updating. I shopped around and found these. They threaded in perfectly, were easy to toe in with the included washers. Had to rearrange the spacers to fit in my bracket but that was easy enough. I recommend them to anyone who asks. I've now rode them in all weather, warm, cold, wet, or dry and they still have the stopping power.

My stock brake pads on my road bike hardly gave me any stopping power, left black marks all over my rim, and made a skidding sound while stopping. (No the skidding was not from the tires). After installing the kool stops (with the given instructions), the braking power increased greatly, and all the problems from my old brake shoes were gone. These are advertised as a universal road bike pad, and yes, they did work on my road bike. However, these are not a perfect fit for dual pivot brakes.

The problems I had were with brake calipers that look like these: BRAKE BIKE ROAD ORIGIN8 CALIPER DUAL 39-49mm FRT BLACK

If you run dual pivot calipers you may face these problems:

1. Because of the curved washer design, the brake pads will be unusually close to the rim, even at the minimum spacing. You will have to play with the barrel adjuster and adjust the pinch bolt to solve this. The braking modulation/tension (i.e. the feel) may change as you adjust this. The brake arms on my caliper now look like they have lost a lot of tension.

2. Since dual pivots don't need toe-in, you might want to remove the curved washers. However, you cannot do so because the nut that screws onto the brake shoe is a lock nut. You will just need to leave all the hardware on.

3. The brake shoe hardware sticks so far out of the brake arm that it gets in the way of the quick release switch on the brake. While installing these I would recommend not releasing the brake using the quick release lever. Instead just take out your wheel and install the brake shoes. I can still flip the release switch after installing the brakes, but I had to squeeze the brake arms together slightly.

Judging by the size of these brake shoes and the hardware, I would say they are better for V-brakes. If you are running dual pivot brakes and want an item at a similar cost I think the Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads (Kool Stop Continental Brake Pads) would be a better fit. If you're willing to spend more money I would suggest the Kool Stop Bicycle Brake Pads with X Pad (Dura-Ace/Ultegra).

These brake pads are legit. They bite down great without any effort at all. Soon as they make contact with the rim they grab on and literally stick to your rim. The color is a little off and look like a dull salmon color instead of bright. The pads seem very durable and made with nice materials instead of the hard stiff rubber most pads are made of. Feels like an eraser but more dense. I wouldn't recommend these for front brakes unless you want your face smashed into the ground. If your rim has bad braking surface and is wearing out then these will do the trick. Most brake pads I've owned in the past had bad wear both pad and rim. These pads have a more soft compound which won't do much damage to your rim. Overall, the best pads I've owned so far and if you don't mind the dull color then these are for you. (Although I wouldn't mind more colorways).

You only get 2 in the pack so you need to order 2 pairs if you want them for your entire bike. My front ones were just about shot and I heard good things about these. They were a little bigger than my normal set but they still fit in just fine. It took a little to get them to fit in correctly though. But now all is well. These pads are such an improvement over the stock ones I had. They are almost completely silent when your braking it's unbelievable. Haven't test in the rain but I am sure they will do tons better since they are made for rain. Couldn't be happier with them. The red color looks awesome with my bike too. - Kool Stop'

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Forerunner 305 - garmin 305, hrm

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(Please note: the other user's negative review for this item is not accurate. The photo pictured is accurate for the Premium HRM, Product Number 010-10997-02. See below for update to original review.)

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

I tested out my friend's Premium Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) on the trail this weekend and was extremely impressed and ordered mine yesterday. (My hat is off to Amazon - this is a better deal than dealer's pricing.)

The premium HRM is an excellent accessory to my Forerunner 405, which I initially purchased without a HRM, and the additional data set will be a big help to me when charting my progress and seeing gains over the same terrain over time, not to mention a decent "zone" training aid when road cycling.

A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM OF NOTE that people tend to forget/ignore when using these HRMs is that you need to wet the contacts for an accurate reading. You can use water, or simply rub some spit on in a pinch, but I would recommend swinging by a running store and getting a bottle of gel - it's cheap and it lasts forever, plus in my experience it provides the most accurate data... which is what we're interested in with these toys, right? :)

Enjoy! I know I will - happy trails.

----

UPDATE, Feb. 11th: Just a brief follow-on update from my original pre-review.

After three runs, this HRM functions beautifully. I have zero data spikes, my 405 picks up the signal immediately, and I haven't even had to use my runner's electrode gel for the contacts; just wet the contacts in the sink and strap it on and go. Simply put, it works PERFECTLY.

It's also great having the training data to see which zone I'm training in or "Why did that run suck so hard?!"... oh, my hr was sky-rocketing and I was pushing too hard for event 'x'.

I would post an image here if I could so you could see the solid data and corresponding Garmin Connect screen capture.

Solid product, five stars. Garmin Premium Heart Rate Monitor (Soft Strap)

But now it's completely unreliable, I mountain and road bike 4 times per week, doing intervals for which I really need the hearth rate monitor. But if it's not tuned in from the beginning of my training it simply keeps it over 200bpm for hours or actually under 100bpm. I have tried creme, I soak it every time and sometimes it works fine but others NOT AT ALL... So I'm trying to find an alternative.

I don't know why Garmin won't package this version with their watches, as the premium heart rate strap actually works. I found the stock strap to be finicky and inaccurate, even with gel. The premium strap works right off the bat without gel and doesn't lose signal through-out the activity. It stays in place running, biking (on and off road), or hiking and is about as comfortable as they get. The snap closure in the front makes putting this on/off very easy. Overall I'd say this is as accurate as my polar strap, and a tad more comfortable. I always found polar to set the benchmark, but this takes it a little further in comparison and is a "no brainer" if you are having problems with the stock Garmin strap.

For the first 3 months, the strap worked great. It's much more comfortable than the standard garmin heart rate monitor. Now it consistently gives false, high readings. This morning I averaged 220 bpm on a run that really was around 150 bpm. I've tried wetting the strap contacts and using heart rate gel. The Garmin forum has an extensive discussion of the issue under the topic heading "Heart Rate Monitor gives me erroneous readings" or "Premium heart rate monitor (soft strap)". Basically, the thing is a piece of junk and I would recommend that you stick with the normal garmin monitor and not the premium version. I've used the cheaper model for 2 years with absolutely no problems.

I was really impressed with the other reviews of the Garmin Premium heart rate monitor so I forked out the extra money and purchased one. I use two Garmin devices, the Edge 705 and the Forerunner 405CX, and both came with their standard heart rate monitor straps. Many people reported better data from the premium heart rate monitor so I was most interested in that. However, after comparing nearly a month's worth of data, I don't really see any difference. I had been wetting the contacts like the instructions and other reviewers said, but the data looks the same to me.

The strap pairs easily with both of my devices, and I've never had a problem with it losing signal or not establishing a connection right away. At times, the standard issue straps took minutes or physically entering the menus to re-pair them to the device. Not so with the Premium strap.

While I don't know that I'd consider any heart rate monitor wonderfully comfortable, the Premium strap is definitely much more comfortable than the standard issue one.

I'm on the fence about the price... Amazon certainly has a better deal going than Garmin's website does, but it's still a heafty price tag for something that normally comes with the device and I feel only functions moderately better for the amount you pay. Certainly if you purchase a device that DOESN'T come with a heart rate monitor, I'd go for this one because of the comfort and the ease of pairing. But if you're purchasing a device that comes with one... I'm not sure that I'd recommend going out and buying this add on.

I purchased a second one for my husband who's build is larger than most, and he has yet to try it on. The true test will be if it fits his linebacker frame without modification.

Bought the Garmin Premium Heart Rate Monitor with the hope that it would be more comfortable than the Garmin "Standard" Heart Rate Monitor. I found that it is indeed more comfortable, but have gone back to using the standard monitor.

Used the premium monitor about 4 times per week while walking on my treadmill since December of last year, and it seemed to be operating ok. The heart rate reading it displayed correlated well with that of a finger tip monitor that I also own. During the past week, however, the readings have become very erratic---often showing heart rates >200bpm. I have tried rewetting the electrodes, moving the monitor around on my chest, and changing to shirts that may contain less static electrical charge with no success. Therefore, I have gone back to the standard (buy less comfortable) standard Garmin monitor that is working fine.

I considered returning the monitor to Garmin for repair or exchange, but decided to first check in the Garmin Forums on the Garmin website to see if others were having this problem, and yes indeed people are! Numerous suggestions are made in the forums such as wetting the electrodes with gel instead of water, wearing only cotton shirts, wearing the monitor upside down, and even wearing the monitor on ones back rather than on ones chest. Personally, I refuse to resort to such Mickey Mouse solutions, and will use the standard monitor instead.

Am not sure what I will do about my Premium monitor. I suspect that what we have here is a basic design that is not very robust or reliable, and that my returning the device to Garmin for repair or exchange might not accomplish much other than my paying some shipping charges.

Updated 2/24/11: I contacted Garmin customer service regarding the monitors' erratic operation, and was told that they have an upgraded soft strap that they would send to me free of charge. I received the new strap within about a week, and now the monitor is working perfectly with no more erratic readings. I am very pleased with the response of the Garmin customer representative (whoes initials are J. R.)! I will consider giving the monitor a 5 star rating if it continues to operate well for a few months or so. - Garmin 305 - Garmin 405 - Hrm - Garmin'

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Performance - motor oils, motor oil

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Mobil 1 is one of those cases where you get what you pay for:

Sure, it's considerably more expensive per quart than regular oil. But you can run it many more months / hours than the ''old fashioned'' brands. And for those of us in colder climates, the difference in starting performance when it's really cold is amazing: Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil (all varieties) thickens a LOT less as the temperature drops. I can still start my vehicle even when it is well below zero degrees F. without plugging in the soft-plug heater; and even my big diesel tractor will start without heating well below freezing (for those of you from southern states: You have NO IDEA how cold 35-40 degrees BELOW zero F. feels; and how regular oil pretty much turns to a near-solid when it gets that cold). Mobil 1 44999 5w40 Turbo Diesel Truck - 1 gallon, Pack of 2

It is hard to find good diesel oil for a VW tdi, this is the perfect stuff, protects the engine and the turbo. I had my turbo burn out when using the oil that oil change places carry in stock, definitely worth getting the right oil.

Sometimes it's a great price here on Amazon and with free shipping, sometimes it makes sense to fly it in.

Otherwise can be had at Wallyworld and some times Tarjjey.

Great oil, although you have to be careful with mobile1 changing their formulas these days (and one reason I moved form 0-40w M1)

The product is top notch, but the only reason I ordered thru Amazon, is because I had thought that Wal Mart no longer carried the item. Just recently I discovered that it is back on the shelves at Wal Mart, and the price is still lower than what I paid thru Amazon.

I've been using the M1 TDT in every gasoline engine I own including motorcycles for over 5 years. Even though it is more expensive than non-synthetic, it is actually cheaper in the long run due to extended drain intervals. Better for the environment as well. I use 15,000 mile intervals for the cars and 7500 on the motorcycles as the gearboxes are much harder on viscosity. All of these engines are "high mileage" and yet continue to run as new. But the real reason I call the TDT virtually indestructible is due to an event that should have destroyed an engine containing a lesser lubricant.

We own a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 223,000 miles and it overheated/boiled over while coming over a coastal mountain pass while my wife was returning from a bridal shower. It is a hazardous descent and dangerous area to pull over. Needless to say she continued to drive the car for over 15 miles with the temperature gauge pegged! The engine got so hot that she said it was pinging so bad that it had no power and when she finally got to a place to pull over the engine died on its own and was smoking heavily from under the hood. When I got there the engine compartment was still smoking and the engine would not even turn over is was so hot. I figured the engine was seized and ruined and I was furious at her. We went home for dinner and then returned 4 hours later to meet the tow truck driver. Just for the heck of it I tried to start it and the engine fired right up! I refilled the coolant to get it home, flushed the cooling system, and changed the oil/filter with new TDT. That was over a year ago and the car still gets driven every day with no harm done. All hail Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck. - Performance - Turbo - Motor Oil - Motor Oils'

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Satin Nickel Doorhandles

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In one word....."Yes."

I lived for decades in a home with door handles and then purchased a home with doorknobs. I found doorknobs to be very utilitarian and not much more. On the other hand, by comparison, I consider doorhandles to be functional luxury. All the doorknobs in our home have been upgraded with Kwikset doorhandles. If you've never lived with doorhandles, after being installed, you'll find doorhandles quickly become a functional necessity as opposed to being considered an upgraded luxury. Why? Because of the ease in opening a door when in possession of a full armload of goodies. This, of course, is in comparison to the difficulty of trying to operate a doorknob while in possession of the same aforementioned armload of goodies. :)

Important note: there are three grades of door hardware of this kind; ANSI Grade 3, ANSI Grade 2 and ANSI Grade 1.

The benefit of upgrading from Grade 3 to Grade 2 is a "very" noticeable difference in both look/feel and build quality. To me, there's no point in going to a Grade 1 unless working in a hospital where orderlies are going be running into the doorhandles with a food cart on a regular basis. The difference in look/feel between a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 is night-n-day in that the Grade 2 product has a totally solid, well made, happy feel vs the light fluffy look/feel of the Grade 3 product. So in your search for a replacement or upgrade, if you can, what ever your choice of product might be, I highly recommend spending the extra few dollars for Grade 2 products. Doing so, you'll be rewarded with the daily personal pleasure and satisfaction (pride), having and using a Grade 2 door handle brings to the table. FWIW, if swapping Kwikset for Kwikset, swapping out old hardware and installing replacement doorhandles in existing cutouts is a breeze. All you need is a medium size Phillips Head screwdriver and ten minutes of your time. Once installed, you'll find these doorhandles have a very solid presence coupled with a satin-ee smooth feel; very nice.

A word to the wise, this is a satin nickel product and your "out-of-sight/out-of-mind" door hinges might be made of brass.

Maybe I don't get out often enough but if you missed it, I love these doorhandles. I'm sure there are many other manufacture makes and models of equal or better quality out there; read that to mean more expensive. But if you're curious regarding this particular make and model of doorhandles, you won't be disappointed if you choose to buy them.

Hope the above is found helpful.

:) Kwikset 730TNL 15 CP Tustin Bed/Bath Lever, Satin Nickel

Very comfortable, practical & with lovely finish. I installed them myself on doors opening both directions, & had no problems. The handles are so easy to use, tho you can catch a belt loop if you like to close the door with your backside...

Love the look, quality, and feel of the Kwikset Tustin lever locks. Simple to install with the left or right interchange of the handles. No need to know if the door is left or right, simply install and switch the handles in about 30 seconds if you need to reverse them. Nice product. Highly recommended.

I purchased this item to replace previously installed Kwikset locks. The locks were originally installed by the builder over 20 years ago. The new locks fit perfectly into the holes and mortises of the old locks. The installation was fast and easy and gave the house a more contemporary look. I would highly reccommend them for anyone especially if you are replacing older kwikset locks.

This Bed/Bath lever is good for bed/ bathrooms. It uses a universal key ( looks like sardine can opener key). The main issue I have with this product is I ordered 4 pieces (satin nickel) and they have various finishing colours. One is satin nickel (dull finish), one is satin nickel (bright finish). The remaining 2 are uniform.

Also 2 of them seemed to be stocks because there is a bit of corrosion in the mechanism. A spray of WD40 did the magic. Nonetheless, good buy.

I bought two of these; one for my bedroom and one for the bathroom. I have never installed doorknobs or levers before and the instructions were not very helpful; however, the Kwikset website has many installation videos and one showed how to install these exact levers. After watching the video, installation was quick and easy. I had to switch both levers for left hand doors and that was easy, too. Now they are both installed and they are beautiful and solid. I'm very happy with them. Highly recommended!

The picture doesn't show how pretty these REALLY are. Heavy construction and look SOOOOOO nice on our 6 panel oak and pine doors!! I've seen the exact same ones advertised for $50.00 ON SALE so these are a fantastic buy. Easy to install. I've had MANY compliments and they work great for kids - no knob to try to grasp hold of. Would buy this brand and style again if I ever ended up moving.'

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Outdoor Gear - axes, tools

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First issue- the axe does not include the sheath or the sharpener as stated in the description.

Second issue- the hatchet blade is is very thick and shapened with a very blunt bevel. Probably not good for anything but splitting small logs. With the nail puller, I'm wondering if its designed more as some kind of demo tool.

I'm also not sure what a "Super Lock 5 System, Safety Lock Fitting" is, but since all I got was a hatchet wrapped in bubble wrap, I don't think I got it.

If you're looking for a camping or landscaping hatchet look elsewhere. I would suggest a Wetterlings (around $45), a Gransfors Bruks WILDLIFE HATCHET, Estwing E24A Sportsman's Hatchet Metal Handle or a Gerber 45905 Camp Axe With Sheath. Ames True Temper 14-Inch Total Control Elite Hatchet With Integrated Nail Puller 1215300 - Axes - Tools - Outdoor Gear'

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Battery Chargers - car charger, automotive

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Excellent product, and the Amazon deal (free shipping and a large price drop) made it a no brainer. The unit is a rugged, very flexible charger from a major company in the business. The de-sulfinization (or is it de-sulfation ?) battery conditioning feature can bring back a battery you would otherwise have to replace (I've used it successfully already), and the 65 amp boost mode can start a car with a weak battery that you would otherwise have to jump (used that too.) I'm very satisfied with this unit, it's light years ahead of anything near the price I paid that I would find at Sears ... Schumacher SC-6500A Speedcharge Automatic Battery Charger

I finally had to upgrade my old faithful 35-year-old Schumacher 6 amp charger - not because it quit working, but because it didn't have enough horsepower to handle the big 105 ampere-hour trolling motor battery in my boat. I wanted a higher capacity unit, but with the same solidly built reliability I've experienced with my old Shumacher charger. This unit was priced quite a bit less than some other brands with similar capability, so I was a little afraid Schumacher, like many companies, might have gone the "cheap" route with their products by using a lightweight case and cheap components. Not so! I was pleasantly surprised to find this is a solid, heavy, well built charger in the best Schumacher tradition. Well designed with a very stout plastic cabinet with pop-up carrying handle, informative and easy to use front panel controls, and nice features like automatic no-spark battery connecting/disconnecting even if you forget to unplug it first, plus automatic polarity protection, and a looong power cord with a handy place to store the cord. I found only a single minor negative: If I had to change anything about this unit, I'd find a quieter fan. The fan, although it's pretty loud for it's size, is at least automatic and only runs when needed, so this is no big deal to me, since I only run it in my shop/garage. Haven't tried the "start" function, which I consider a more or less useless frill for a charger of this size, but it certainly charges all types of batteries like a champ, and the automatic quick charge/maintenance charge function works great. I highly recommend this great little charger.

Works fast and good. This is a great charger. Anybody can use this. The voltmeter and % of battery indicator is nice, I don't have to check the battery with my multi-meter. Havn't used the alternator tester yet but have no doubt it works. By far the best charger I've seen and used. However it is noisy, but who needs total silence in a garage.

This is a special battery charger. It is a speed charger as the name implies. The best feature is that it senses when a battery is "sulfated"

and the 6500a kicks into "De-sulfation" mode. Once that is done,it tries to charge the battery. However all too often batteries are neglected and not recoverable.But the 6500a is a great tool in keeping your batteries

in shape. Also the 6500a has a starting mode and an altenator output tester.Great(best) price from Amazon .

This thing works great. A friend had purchased a Black & Decker smart charger which had piqued my interest in getting a smart charger. I found this one from Schumacher which I decided to purchase over the B&D because of brand quality. You can do a lot with this thing and it's small (read the description). You can even jump a small engine. I wouldn't try on a big truck or a diesel in the cold (with this model at least). My biggest complaint is that the cables for the leads get stiff in the cold below -10 F and worry me that they will crack. That may not concern many people though. I've used it to charge car batteries my boat battery and jump start a car.

I've only had this unit for about a month but use it nearly every day to charge storage batteries and solar power batteries if the sun isn't doing it's job well enough.

To jump through all the hype, all you need to do is connect the charger's clamps, select your battery type (regular, deep cycle, agm/gel), select the charge range, which determines the initial voltage, (small battery, regular battery, engine start) and that's it.

The size, in standard terms, is about 9-inches square and 5-inches tall... in case you aren't able to convert from metric (listed in the ad).

The digital display shows the charging voltage at the clamps but you can toggle the push-button to display the percent charge of the battery, or the percent output of your alternator if you are testing that. It's real handy to check on the battery percent charge to see how charging is going... I get antsy after a while and like to know where I stand on the charge... it's a guy thing I guess.

I have two other Schumacher chargers, all smaller capacity, but I like the automatic functions of this one, and the display takes the guesswork out of your charging progress.

Bought this charger to keep on my Mustang in storage for the BRUTAL winter in Michigan. Hooked it up, analyzed the battery and this charger has performed very well. Kept the battery charged and maintained. Definately a good buy.

My Schumacher battery charger, vintage early 70's finally died. So obviously my first choice was to get another Schumacher. With a little online research I settled on the SC-6500A. This is really the largest capacity I needed. I was very impressed with the size and light weight. The performance has been flawless. I thought I had a truck battery that was not salvageable, but this charger performed the desulfate step and then the battery fully charged. Same thing for a smaller old motorcycle battery that I thought I was going to have to replace. Outstanding product!!

I purchased this to replace a cheap WalMart unit I bought years ago. I have used it on all sorts of batteries including giant diesel engine batteries, and small spiral cell Optima batteries. The jump start function also provides enough juice to get the job done for anything other than a totally dead diesel battery (but even that kicked over after a brief charge).

What can I say, it works well, charges quickly, and looks good. The price on Amazon makes it a great deal. - Car Charger - Automatic Battery Charger - Schumacher - Automotive'

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Camping Stoves - portable grill, camping

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My family purchased a roadtrip grill 2 years ago to use for camping and we absolutely love it. The Stove Grate accessory made it even better, we use it for cooking, making coffee, heating up water for cocoa, washing, & etc. We are about to purchase a second grate as well. If you're thinking about purchasing an accessory griddle I recommend getting one of these instead and then use a pan. Coleman RoadTrip Accessory Stove Grate

We bought the grill for camping, and if you're out camping you're going to want coffee in the morning! The stove grate attachment is the only way to be able to get the coffee going in the morning without messing up the grill plates. It worked fine for us, we cooked all our breakfasts on the grill using this attachment. And it's easy to clean, too.

I purchased 2 of these grates to go on my new RoadTrip grill to take camping. They worked out perfectly!! I used them for "quickly" boiling a big pan of water for corn and for hot dish water and I used two at a time with my beloved Pampered Chef double griddle (I just covered the handles with aluminum foil). For anyone who wants to use the RoadTrip for more than a grill, this is a must have! They are also fairly lightweight and pack away nicely.

This is a fantastic item to have with your road trip grill. We use ours for camping and this item is wonderful. HEAVY duty too! I was amazed at the construction and quality. After replacing 4 camp stoves in 4 years I KNOW this one will last!

I got my Coleman RoadTrip Grill 9941 (the blue one) for Christmas and love it. I wanted to be able to use the grill for all of my cooking needs while camping so I purchased two of these grates for boiling water and using the coffee pot. The grates are a good fit and built very sturdy. The grill and grate have no problem holding a 12 quart stock pot to boil water for dishes or cooking large meals. This grate allows my RoadTrip Grill to replace all of my other camp stoves. I highly recommend getting at least one!

Stove grate works great. We used it on vacation shortly after we received it, and it made the grill just that much more versatile.

Very happy with the purchase.

I would recommend this item to anyone wanting to increase the value of the Road Trip Grill. - Camping - Portable Grill - Roadtrip Grill - Accessories'

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Wood Working - nail gun, brad nailers

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Have used over 6 months building a number of cabinets and other projects. Sets different size brad nails perfect every time under variable air pressures 50 to 100 lbs in both hard and soft woods. Highly recommend for price points. Hitachi NT32AE2 5/8-to-1-1/4-Inch by 18-Gauge Brad Nailer

The Hitachi 1-1/4 brad nailer is a great tool for attaching moldings. It was able to neatly counter-sink brads into solid oak. It's a bit louder than other nailers, but once you see the results, you wont care. My set came with instructions, warranty card and safety glasses. There was no oil or brads included. - Nail Gun - Brad Nailers - Hitachi Brad Nailer - Hitachi'

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