Sunday, 10 July 2011

Floor Nailer - cleat nailer, hardwood floor nailer


Have no fear in purchasing this nailer.This nailer is very well made and buying one vs renting one made more sense to me.(At $40-$50 per day to rent). I am installing Brazilian Walnut 3/4" by 2 1/4" solid hardwood flooring. This wood is 185% harder than oak. This nailer had no problem driving the nails. I purchased the "L" shaped cleat nails at my local Lowes. This is my first attempt at installing a wood floor. One tip for DIY'ers, practice on a scrap piece of flooring, I had to adjust the air pressure on my compressor to 90 psi. Also when hitting the nailer with the rubber mallet you need a nice firm swing,not to hard,not to soft, a few practice hits and you will get it. Now about the seller, great service, nailer arrived in 1 week, nailer is exactly as described, was delivered by Fedex in perfect condition. What sold me on buying from this seller was their great price and the fact that they did not charge an inflated shipping rate. To all readers of this review, Good Luck in you flooring project. Akuzuki Contractor Pro Series Dual Hardwood Floor Cleat Nailer and Stapler

I purchased this nailer for use when installing 640 square feet of strand bamboo flooring, in conjunction with Bostich 'L' cleat flooring nails Bostitch FLN-150 1-1/2-Inch Flooring L-Nails, 1000-Per Box. As expected to use the tool over the course of days, with an eye toward utility for future projects, I chose to buy a nailer rather than rent.



Pros:

1. heavy-duty feel

2. budget price

3. changeable baseplates for different thickness flooring



Cons:

1. two of the four allen screws that hold on the base plate simply refused to budge and stripped in the process of trying to remove them to change the plate- completely rendering useless the feature of changeable baseplates for various flooring thickness. (no worries- I added strips of duct tape to suit my 5/8" bamboo strips) This is a manufacturing quality issue. Either the screws should have been properly torqued, or should not have been installed at all, leaving that to the purchaser.

2. Halfway through the flooring project, the unit began to leak air through the head. Not a lot, just a whisper- but enough to cycle my compressor and make me wonder about the tool's longevity.



Despite the cons, it drove the cleats flawlessly and never misfired. I would purchase this again, given the price and balancing the use I would get from it Vs. renting costs.



UPDATE -01/2010



After having written my review I received a very nice, and unsolicited, note from the manufacturer. They were kind enough, based upon my review, to fully repair the small issues I was having with my tool. When was the last time a manufacturer rung you up and offered to fix what was wrong with your tool without having to spend hours on hold or navigating a phone tree? THAT is customer service, folks. Got the tool back in double time: baseplate screws fixed, and rebuilt with new seals. I tried it immediately and it performed flawlessly, as it was before. (remember, it performed perfectly before, with no misfires, even when the nails ran out of the magazine) It is rare indeed to find a company willing to stand behind their product these days, let alone to this extent. I am impressed. Curious to know whether new buyers experience too-tight screws on the baseplate or whether they have actually changed the manufacturing process. Pros: Seriously consider this tool.

A decent floor nailer and a great value, especially with the ability to use either cleats or staples. The construction of the nailer was solid and well made. I was however disappointed in the mallet, the wooden handle was very loose and not well finished and doubt it would hold up well in the long run, fortunately, I recently purchased a Stanley graphite handled mallet and have used that.

The nailer arrived in just under a week and I was ready to start putting down my bamboo floor. The base plate needed to be changed (bamboo is 5/8" vice 3/4" for most hardwoods), but was quickly accomplished by removing the 4 allen screws with the wrench supplied. After adding a few drops of oil, I made a few test nailings and was pleased that no further adjustments were necessary. The nails were set perfectly in the tongues of the bamboo. The starting wall clearance was excellent, with the 3 5/8" wide bamboo, I was able to use the nailer on the second row! Do be careful when installing bamboo as the nailer needs to be set flat and square to prevent damage to the edges.

I did run into one nail jam as most floor nailers are infamous for. It occured between two strips of cleats. It took about five minutes to clear the jam (breaking out the directions just to be sure). Future jams could easily be accomplished in under two.

I've only installed about 150 square feet, but so far I've been very happy with the performance of the nailer.

Awesome...I have been renting guns for years and decided to buy this one before installing about 500 SF in my house. I am a homeowner - not a pro - but I have installed thousands of feet of wood. I wish I bought this gun a few years ago. Not a single miss-fire, as a result of the gun, in 500 SF. I have never had a more consistent floor nailer. The gun is easy to use and really does not require a hard hit to work. If you are planning to install any decent quantity of wood, I would highly recommend this unit over renting. Good Luck!

During a major remodeling job of our home, we hired a carpenter crew, that was well respected in our area. They put down the hardwood flooring in our kitchen and dining room area with a regular air nailer. We noticed after a couple of weeks that the floor made squeaky noices when we walked on it.



Having to still complete another area with the same hardwood flooring, we decided to try and do it ourselves. So to Amazon.com we went and purchased the Akuzuki nailer. Upon arrival we began the project. We found the recommendations on Amazon from other buyers to be true and the instructions in the box were easy to follow. Within a couple of days our flooring was down and it doesn't squeak. It looks really professional.



Thank you for offering a great product.



The Bishop's

West Michigan - Cleat Nailer - Hardwood - Hardwood Floor Nailer - Floor Nailer'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Floor Nailer - cleat nailer, hardwood floor nailer hardwood floor nailer Floor Nailer - cleat nailer, hardwood floor nailer

Usb Extension Cable - usb cable, usb cables


Please be aware that this is NOT a longer USB cable. It is an extension cable with 'Type A' connectors at BOTH ends (male and female) - meaning that this cable will NOT connect 2 devices by itself. It will only work with and extend a 'regular' USB cable that has a 'Type A' male connector at one end. 'Type A' is the type of connector that would normally plug into your computer or laptop USB port.



These being said, I found it quite useful with peripherals that come with permanently attached cables that are not as long as I wish they were. I am using mine with a Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel and with a T-flight Hostas joystick on which we can use a longer cable.



There's not much to say other than everything is done right, including the price. It is USB 2.0 certified and connectors at both ends appear to be gold-plated and solidly built. This is important because, unlike a HDMI cable that you usually plug it in at the back of your equipment and it's likely to stay there, USB cables tend to be plugged in and out many times and this is even more so the case with an extension cable.



While USB cables are clearly a commodity item these days, AmazonBasics cables do have a couple of advantages over the competition.



- EASY RETURN - I know because I had to return quite a few items for various reasons. Amazon makes it very easy and, if you are returning the item because it came defective or damaged Amazon pays for shipping.



- WARRANTY - these wires come with a 1-year warranty.I am highly confident that Amazon will be around to honor its warranty and I'm not so sure about vendors I know less.



- QUALITY ASSURANCE - I've never had any problems with 'cheap' USB or HDMI cables but it may be reassuring to have Amazon's name on a wire. My assumption is that Amazon did insist on some quality checks before they stamped their logo on the product.



- PRICE - This cable may appear more expensive than others but keep in mind that, unlike most, it qualifies for SuperSavers and Amazon Prime free shipping.



I am awarding this item 5 stars for price and quality - there's nothing to complain. There may be better deals out there, pricewise but I decided to go with the Amazon brand in this case for the reasons cited above.



____________________________________



Note:



I ended up using the 9.8 Feet / 3.0 Meters version of this wire because the price difference is insignificant and, if you need it to be shorter, just make a little loop, no big deal but if you get a short wire the only way to extend it is to get yourself an... extension cable :) AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet / 3.0 Meters)

I bought this to extend the length of my existing PlayStation 3 DualShock controller cable. I prefer going wireless with my controller, but when the battery runs down the only way to charge it is to plug in the Sony-supplied cable. Unfortunately, that cable was too short for me to sit back in my chair away from the TV, so I always had to quit playing until it charged. I bought this cable to extend the original controller cable's length, not as a replacement.



This AmazonBasic's USB extension cable is a good a quality cable for a low price, and the "frustration-free packaging" means the box the cable comes in is also the box it's shipped in. It works perfectly for the purpose I bought it: extending the length of PS3 Dualshock controller cable, allowing me to continue playing while charging the battery.

The AmazonBasics range of USB cables are well-made and robust, with gold-plated terminals for better connection and longer life, while the cable cores and coatings are soft and pliable, ensuring that they will bend round any awkward corners without taking any damage. Connector shrouds are slim-line and so should not run the risk of fouling adjacent cables should your USB ports be close to other ports, as they often are. They do come at a higher price than budget brands so you may do well to shop around if you don't need something this robust, but if you have a need for a long-life cable that needs to take some knocks without complaint then you will probably not find better.



The "frustration-free" packaging is a large, easily opened box which while undoubtedly more environmentally friendly and less damaging to fingers than the standard plastic bubble pack generally beloved of cable manufacturers these days, is nevertheless excessive for such a small product. The biggest frustration is likely to be the fact that the box will not fit into a standard mail-box. A straightforward strong padded envelope would have sufficed.

Short little USB cables that force you to store all your devices within 3-6 feet of your computer really irritate me. I dislike having all my peripherals sitting in my lap when I'm trying to do work. I bought one of these so I could put my printer on the back side of my office. It did just want I wanted it to, and I'm very pleased. - Extension - Usb - Usb Cables - Usb Cable'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Flip Video Charger - charger, adapter


The Power adapter puts to much charging power into the battery pack and over heats the pack and causes a shut down of the camera. The best bet is to buy a second battery pack and charge it through the USB port. Flip Video Power Adapter

Adapter caused the camera to "over heat" or stop charging.

However, my main concern is, why bother to get this gadget at all?

Charge with a usb connection when you can and, when no usb port is available, just use regular AA batteries!

Adapters, over-heating, errors, possible damage, another country......it ain't worth it.

I purchased this thinking it would be a good option for charging quickly without having to be near a computer. The reality is that the computer charging "feels" much slower than charging with your computer, but performs to the specs it lists in the manual (3-4 hours for a full charge with the adapter; 7 hours for the computer method).



One thing that I noticed is that the adapter doesn't sit well in vertical outlets. It's very light plastic and doesn't quite support a Mino HD well. I tried laying it horizontally on a power strip, which worked better. The downside was that the screen of the Mino HD got a little scratched up when it got jostled after removing it from the power strip.



For the people who want to purchase an accessory for their Mino HD, I recommend just getting an extra battery pack and charging it through your computer. It'll be more convenient and costs about the same. Losing power when you're in the middle of filming a clip is no fun. I'd say paying $10 for this adapter would be more reasonable for the quality that you're getting. Hope this review helps!

I realized soon after getting my flip HD that I can find so much to shoot that I burn up a battery pack and need to recharge it and that sometimes it's most convenient to recharge it via a wall outlet rather than a computer. Here are some examples,,,



We went on a week long cruise and I had no computer access but I could recharge with this because there were electrical outlets everywhere.



I was shooting a wedding reception for a friend and forgot to recharge before leaving but by the time the wedding was over I grabbed my fully charged unit where I plugged it into the church wall behind a table and I was ready to shoot the full reception without losing any power.





We went to Myrtle Beach and stayed in a friend's condo. No computer there to recharge but I just popped in my camcorder at night before going to sleep and it was always ready to shoot in the morning.



I have even found outlets at the airport (near soda fountains and vending machines) in a pinch.



Don't get me wrong, it's not that my camera runs out of juice easily, it is, instead, that the cameras owner forgets to recharge it as often as I should.



Negatives: Wish this was made so I could just stick my spare battery pack into it rather than having to plug the actual camcorder into it but I suppose most don't have spare battery packs so that is no big deal. However it would be nice if it somehow left open the option to do both so that I could keep shooting while it charges



it is really lightweight and has,so far, worked perfectly for me.

I only received this item because it was free with the purchase of the Flip video camera. As soon as I took it out of the box, I was grateful that I didn't pay anything for it. It gets the job done, but it's pretty awkward to plug in and have the camera propped up precariously against the charger so that the whole unit will stay in the wall (and subsequently charge). I've heard that it's better for these types of devices to be plugged into an outlet, rather than charging them through the computer's USB port, so I suppose it's useful for that... but it's just an adapter with a USB port, which means that the wall charger for my iPod and iPhone will get the job done just as well.



I would not pay $25 for this item. In fact, if given the chance, I would probably choose a different free accessory. If you're anything like me, you don't need this, and you'll only be irritated that you got it.

The description provided by Amazon says "Compatible with the following models out of the box: M31120B, M3160S, U32120 models, M2120M, U2120 models" My model is U32120. However, that model is not listed on the box and this device does not support third generation Flip.

I tried this for a trip I was going. I plugged my camera in and within 10 minutes the camera overheated and shut off. I tried taking off the cover which was suggested by another review. Again, I had the same problem. I rarly write reviews, but this was so bad I fealt I had to.

this product would be better if you could just insert the battery in a holder and plug it into the wall. with this setup you have to plug the camera into the wall. which can cause problems trying to charge up outside of the house. who wants to leave your new flip dangling from a wall socket. poor design from a great camera. - Charger - Flip Ultra Hd - Flip Charger - Adapter'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Memory Card - memory card, class 10


I purchased this for use with my new Canon T2i. I use it primarily for shooting full resolution 1080p video, although I shoot stills as well.



The camera choked on the class 4 chip that I originally purchased, but with this one, it is amazing. I can shoot rapidfire 18 megapixel stills (I've tested it up to 30+ shots in a row), and there is no lag. I've never had an error when shooting hi-def video.



Highly recommended! I'm buying another one. Transcend 16 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC10E

I bought this card for my Canon T1i. The card I had been using before ordering this one was a Kingston Class 6 micro sd card and it worked well enough for the type of shooting I did. Class 6 was the card speed that Canon recommended when I bought my T1i (Class 10 cards were not yet available) and it seemed fast enough for the way I used my camera - isolated single photos taken at Medium (8 MP) or Large (15 MP) jpg settings and 1280 x 720 video. And while I ocassionally took continuous photos, I had never much exceeded 5-10 photos in a row and had never run into a problem with my Class 6 card.



When I first saw the Class 10 cards I did some experiments with my camera. How many continuous Large photos could I take before the camera slowed down? It turned out to be about 30. And how many RAW photos could I take before the camera slowed down? It turned out to be about 9. SInce I did not generally take any photos in RAW and never needed more than about 10 continuous photos at Large, the Class 6 card seemed more than sufficient for my needs. But I wondered about the speed of the Class 10 cards enough that I finally bought one.



It turns out that the Class 10 card is sufficiently fast that there does not seem to be a reasonable upper limit on single Large photos. I have taken 60 on continuous without an issue. And although I still cannot take more than 9 RAW photos on continuous with the Class 10 card, when I am finished taking those photos the camera no longer displays a Wait - writing pictures screen. The RAW photos get written from the built-in memory to the card so quickly that the camera does not need to display the Wait screen.



So this card is fast! Given the way I take photos this purchase was unnecessary, but still I am glad I bought it. I know I will not run into a situation where speed is an issue with this card.

I will be writing this review for both SanDisk Extreme SDHC class 10 8gb and Transcend SDHC class 10 16gb.



I bought SanDisk class 10 and Transcend class 10 for my new Panasonic LX5. I got both card because no one really did a comparison with a compact camera and I was just going crazy trying to see if there is any big difference between the 2 cards.



SanDisk Extreme package box indicated it's water proof, x-ray proof, shock proof, temperature proof. I am not ready to spend $50 to see if it really stand up to it's words. And I don't think normal people would go through the extreme condition in taking pictures or videos.



Cut the story short, I really want to see if there is any difference in writing performance between the 2 cards in a compact camera. There is a continuous burst mode in LX5 and the manual indicated it is only limited by the condition of picture environment and performance of the SD card. Within the mode there are 2 different settings:1) speed priority or 2) picture/quality priority. The shutter speed is much faster with speed priority compare to picture priority.



I first formatted both cards out of box then put each card in series of test(3 rounds each setting for each card) shooting at the same object under same lighting condition. The results:

Speed Priority:

SanDisk Class 10 8gb

22-33 shots before camera stopped to allow the card to catch up with writing.



Transcend Class 10 16gb

22-24 shots before camera stopped to allow the card to catch up with writing.



Picture priority

SanDisk Class 10 8gb

34-46 shots before camera stopped



Transcend Class 10 16gb

27-33 shots before camera stopped





It seems that at a higher shutter speed, both cards performed very similar under the same shooting condition. But at a slower shutter speed the SanDisk definitely out perform Transcend. I hope this little experiment satisfied anyone with curiosity like me. Transcend definitely is a bargain with 16gb and almost half of the price compare to SanDisk. But I am going to use SanDisk Extreme as my primary card and Transcend as backup or on a second camera to ensure i would not miss any shots.

OK. this card was around $47 for a class 10 16gb. The other card i bought was a Sandisk class 10 8gb for the around same price. I did a 10 sec stop watch test on both cards with my Rebel T1i on raw and the Sandisk was only faster by 1 shot in a 10 sec burst. to me it seems trivial to pay 47 bucks for a Sandisk 8gig when you can get 16 gigs for the same price. yes i know, the Sandisk is good for arctic and desert temperatures... but i live in western NY... not Antarctica or the Sahara. If your looking for a good card, with more gigs for your buck, the Transcend is well worth it. - Sd Card - Sdhc - Memory Card - Class 10'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Beard Trimmer - grooming, beard trimmer


Decided to look for a new beard and mustache trimmer when my trusty old Norelco Maverick TX-450 finally gave up the ghost and just quit running. If this sounds like I'm slamming the product, I'm not, as I had owned this basic battery-operated trimmer for over sixteen years - far longer than I ever expected it to last when I first got it. I could have probably fixed it (again) if I disassembled and cleaned it out, but decided to see what might be new on the market. This was primarily used as a mustache trimmer, but after using it for a few years with a handheld comb, was able to do a fair job with my beard.



Was amazed to see how many models were now available, and how many companies were making them. After doing some research (and asking my barber), ended up getting the Philips Norelco G370 All-in-1 Grooming System, and must say that so far this seems to have been a good choice. My barber had suggested that I stay with the more basic (and more economical) trimmers, as most from a particular manufacturer have the same heads as their higher-priced models, and it was the cutting head itself that made a trimmer good or bad. He had suggested that I consider some of the Wahl and Panasonic models, but also had a personal preference for the Philips Norelco products, as they seemed to last... which I had also experienced.



This trimmer has a great array of attachments, and each of them is quite useful, performing exactly as expected. It has an excellent beard and moustache comb/guide with nine locking length settings, as does the hair clipper comb. The little mini-shaver attachment is good for cleanup, and acts like a miniature micro-screen electric razor. Was cautious about the nose and ear trimmer, but after reading the instruction sheet, found that it was easy to master.



The online comparison chart between the various Philips Norelco trimmers is wrong here, as this one does come with a nylon travel pouch. This model features:



* Six attachments that can be rinsed, making it easy to clean

* Nine length settings with the key trimming attachments

* Self-sharpening blades, no oil needed

* Charging stand with storage slots

* Travel pouch (the listed specs are wrong)

* Two-year factory warranty



Took the time to read the instruction sheet that came with this trimmer, which was detailed but easy to understand. The instructions had indicated that the trimmer shouldn't be left with the unit shouldn't be left charging full-time, which I found to be a nuisance at first. When setting up the plastic charging and attachment stand, found that if it was rested gently above the charging plug, the green charging light was off, so that eliminated that problem. Charged it for the ten hours suggested before using it, and it has worked fine, and a charge last for weeks. The stand itself looked to be a bit flimsy at first glance, but while handling it when I was setting it up, found that it was sturdier than I had first thought. All of the attachments fit easily in the proper slots.



Must note that this unit came in one of those irritating clamshell packages. This one was more of a nuisance to open than most because it was difficult to see if the contents were going to be damaged when cutting through the plastic with a combination of scissors and a sharp knife.



Pros:

- Excellent selection of attachments

- A single charge lasts for weeks

- Charging stand holds everything quite well

- Good ergonomics, nice feel to it

- Solid; seems to be built well

- Detailed instruction sheet

- 60-day money-back guarantee, 2-year warranty



Cons:

- Horrible clamshell package, difficult to open



Since we all have different things that we look for in trimmers like this, thought that I might share some of my findings with others here.



Also considered the Philips Norelco G380 All-in-1 Grooming System, but the only difference between this and the Philips Norelco G370 Trimmer was that the G380 came in a gray color and had a travel pouch... which also came with the black G370 trimmer.



Looked at the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer which was considered for its hair deflector and vacuum, but the price difference was enough to make me go for the more basic G370 trimmer.



The Wahl 9918-617 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer seemed to be a good one, and its ability to operate cordless via battery or plugged into charger sounded good, and it had good reviews. This was a very close second choice.



The Wahl 9877-500 "The Goatee" Advanced Dual Blade, Rechargeable/Cordless Beard, Goatee & Mustache Trimmer had some interesting dual blades, but the Philips Norelco G370 had more attachments, and the model that I looked at made me shy away from this one.



Had also considered the stylish Panasonic ER2403K 5 Position Beard/Moustache Trimmer. This one features wet or dry trimming, five length adjustments and an excellent price, but since it uses two AAA batteries, decided to rule it out.



In the end, it was my past experience with the Philips Norelco products that helped make my choice, and I don't regret it. If I can get half the life of the sixteen years of service that I got from my original Maverick TX-450, then I'll be happy. Philips Norelco G370 All-in-1 Grooming System - Beard Trimmer - Trimmer - Grooming - Clipper'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Home Theater Wall Mount - home theater component shelf, glass tv component shelf


This OmniMount wall shelf is great! This product is inexpensive, stylish and practical. It is extremely easy to assemble and mount. I mounted it in an area of my bedroom where space is limited. Instead of mounting it to the studs, I mounted it to an area of the wall that is hollow, using anchor plugs and screws. As you can see from the pictures, I have a DVD player and a cable box on the shelf and it is holding up very well.



Additionally, the black glass feature is extremely practical to the extent that if you chose to mount this shelf in a high area, you would not be able to see the bottoms of your components underneath and through the glass. The cable management system is also a big plus. Another attractive feature is that the shelf sits close to the wall (unlike the OmniMount ECSB Component Shelf for CRT TVs & Video Accessories, which protrudes much too far from the wall). I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a space saving wall shelf solution.Omnimount Tria 1 B 1-Shelf Wall Furniture (Black/Dark Glass) OmniMount Tria 1 B - 1 Shelf Wall Furniture (Black/Dark Glass)

Perfect if you have DVD Player only and don't need home theater or anything else to pur under your TV. Easy to install and adjust, and covers all wires. I would suggest to buy it from Amazon directly to avoid Shipping and Handling charges.

my only knock on it would be that there could be more wire concealer, but definitely not a dealbreaker especially for the price. It is strong enough to have a cable box and a dvd player stacked on it too, which is just what I wanted for child-proofing purposes.

I bought the Omnimount Tria 1 B 1-Shelf to hold my DVR and DVD player under my newly mounted 32" flat screen in my bedroom. It does the job I have asked of it! It took a bit longer to put together than I anticipated (I've put together loads of things before), but it was pretty easy (could have used better instructions, but that's a common complaint!). I couldn't put in a stud since I mounted it under center of my TV, but it seems sturdy using anchors.



My only complaint would be as another reviewer mentioned was the wire concealer. I have lots of wires and the mechanism for holding the wires in is a bit small and cumbersome thus making the cover a bit hard to snap in place. But other than that, it's pretty sturdy and looks good with my TV. So far it's holding a Tivo/DTV Receiver and a DVD player just fine.

I would recommend this product, but give yourself an hour or so to put it all together and get all the wires in place.

Ordered the Omnimount from a picture on Amazon and it arrived days before expected. It looks great on the wall. Easily mounted below my wall mounted HD TV in our billiard room. Good price, smart looking unit with dark glass shelf. Two screws and you are in. I give it 5 stars.

The shelves look great, and are very easy to install. They are sturdy, and can easily manage heavy and/or unevenly weighted equipment. My only comment is that each unit can hold up to 30 pounds, so if you are planning on using these shelves to mount multiple pieces of equipment, you should look into the Tria-2 Hanging A/V Shelf System (Two Shelves) - or the triple shelf unit. I bought three of these one shelves, but ended up combining two shelves on to one mounting brace since the two items didn't exceed the 30 lb max, and could easily stack without any height concerns (one of the tv units was my AV receiver, which is about 7 inches in height, so there was no spacing issue). - Shelf - Home Theater Component Shelf - Wall Mount - Glass Tv Component Shelf'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Home Theater Wall Mount - home theater component shelf, glass tv component shelf wall mount Home Theater Wall Mount - home theater component shelf, glass tv component shelf

Battery Charger Aa Or Aaa


This package (CEF14DX4N) includes four new Duracell 'Pre Charged' NiMH AA cells, plus a simple charger. The batteries are similar to the Sanyo eneloop low-self-discharge cells. In fact, based on their identical technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged AA is actually SANYO eneloop AA underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.



The 'value charger' (CEF14) included here, however, is not a good value because:



1. It is a timer-based dumb charger, meaning that it doesn't detect when cells are full charged. It simply charges at 360mA for 6 hours and turns off. You have to wait until your cells are fully exhausted before recharging, otherwise they will be over-charged. With a 'smart' charger, you may choose to top-off your rechargeable cells any time.



2. It can only charge either 2 or 4 AA cells in pairs. This is very inconvenient if you have appliances that require odd number of cells.



3. It can only charge two AAA cells, and you cannot charge any more AA cells at the same time.



My advice is to get the CEF23DX4N package for just a few dollars more (*). It comes with four Duracell Pre Charged cells (2xAA + 2xAAA), but the included charger (CEF23) is far superior in every aspect. It even operates from your vehicle battery, and doubles as an USB charger, too.



[Update on Dec 24, 2008]

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



[Update on Feb 15, 2010]

I have confirmed that the new Duracell 'Value Charger' has several improvements over the old model:

- Works from 100-240V AC (instead of just 120V AC)

- Able to charge 4 AAA at a time (instead of just two)

- Semi-smart charge termination (stops when BOTH cells are fully charged)

The only remaining drawback is thet it charges in pairs only.



(*) [Update on Oct 7, 2010]:

Duracell has discontinued the excellent CEF23 charger (at least in the US) last year. So prices for the remaining inventory have skyrocketed. If you need an inexpensive charger that can handle individual cell, consider the Sanyo eneloop MDR02 2-cell charger. Duracell Value Charger With 4AA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries, CEF14DX4

I purchased the CEF14 charger with four batteries and the charger supplied is not the same one pictured, nor is it a "dumb" charger as some have described. It can also charge four aa or aaa batteries and is not limited to two aaa's again as some have described. When I tested it, different batteries charged at different speeds and the charger switched modes to a trickle charge when a set became fully charged.



As for the batteries themselves, they do indeed seem to be comparable to Sanyo Eneloops or Rayovac Hybrids at a slightly lower price.

Not sure how Duracell did it, but they solved the one con with the Ni-mH type batteries. These pre-charged, Ni-mH batteries don't discharge when not being used, so they're perfect for digital devices. This charger with 4 batteries doesn't cost much more than just the 4 batteries alone. Here's what you do: acquire twice as many of these batteries w/ the green label as what your digital camera will take. While you're using one set in your camera keep the other set in this charger. Then, when the set in the camera go dead, just swap them out with the set that's in the charger. You've always got a set of fresh batteries and no waiting for batteries to charge, plus no buying batteries for a long time. This is more expensive initially but saves a lot of $$$ in the long run.

I needed to get rechargeable batteries because the Wii remotes were eating AAs like crazy. This charger is a great deal and it works wonderfully and is exactly what we needed. I was a little dissapointed when I saw how much more AA rechargeable batteries cost then regular batteries. But I guess it's cheaper in the long run.

These batteries and charger were purchased at the recommendation of a friend for our son's gaming system. Once charged, these batteries are fantastic for the gaming set-up. I cannot imagine what it would cost in replacement batteries to keep the boys and their friends playing and am very grateful that these batteries exist. Rechargeable batteries have come a long way in recent years. These batteries are very efficient both in terms of how quickly they charge and how long they hold a charge. While initially more expensive that a traditional cell they quickly pay for themselves in their multiple uses. GREAT PRODUCT!

EDIT: The below review is for an older version of the same model (the one in the photos from NLee the Engineer). The newer version *does* charge 4 AAA or AA batteries at once.



I don't really have any experience with other battery chargers, but this one seems OK to me so far (I've had it for 4 months now). My two cents:



- Yes, it charges 4 AA batteries at once. No, it doesn't charge 4 AAA batteries at once. Only 2 can be charged at a time, and it takes about 6 hours to do it. So, if you have something that takes 4 AAA batteries, be willing to wait at least 12 hours before a recharge.



- The light that indicates whether the battery has been charged is sometimes green after putting fully depleted batteries in there.



Other than the above two points, it's a decent charger.

I bought this recharger because I use wireless headphones for my TV. The headphones recharge their own batteries if I place them in their recharging cradle, but this requires me to get up out of a warm bed just when I'm done watching TV and ready to drift off to sleep and as a result I usually just place them on the night table. Eventually, the batteries die; this was a perfect solution: When my headphone batteries are depleted, I just swap them out with a freshly recharged set.



The charger is compact and light and can be left in the wall outlet (no wires to bother with). It recharges AA as well as the AAA required by my headphones. It even comes with a set of double AA batteries. Inexpensive as well. I highly recommend this recharger.'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Battery Charger Aa Or Aaa Battery Charger Aa Or Aaa Battery Charger Aa Or Aaa