Hoover SteamVac Clean Surge, F5914-900

Always have had my carpets done professionally. Decided to research cleaners for personal use. They sure have come along way from the days of the bulky and heavy ones you can rent. I figured why not try one..if I can't use it with comfortably, I will return it. To my surprise, this hoover is really easy to use. I'm kinda little so these appliances can be too difficult for me to use, but I'm happy to say I have no problems with it. Not too many steps to get started. Easy to control amount of liquid I want to spray. You can see the dirty water going into 2nd bin. I didn't get to clean my whole rug at the time,I was just experimenting while I had an extra hour. It was fun to use. I really wanted to keep going! Another day...Oh yeah, carpet seemed to dry reasonably fast. All in all I think this is a great product for home use.
I want to say I'm really appreciative to Hoover. Their customer service rocks!

LG BD570 Network Blu-ray Disc Player

First let me state that I do nothing (I'll use the term) exotic with the player such as attempting to play self created MKV files (whatever those are) or avi files or connect an HD to the player. My 570 player came defaulted to the 60 Hz format vice 24 and it is connected directly to the TV using HDMI and I've experienced zero problems playing Blu-ray disks. Some have reported problems when the player is set to 24 Hz but changing the player to 60 Hz seems to correct those issues. For the record I own, and am delighted with, an LG BD390 which I've owned for some 15 months or so. I've owned the BD570 for about 8 weeks now and the only hiccup I've had with it whatsoever was getting Vudu activated on the BD570 and a two minute telephone call to Vudu corrected that issue. I've played a number of Blu-ray DVDs as well as SD format DVDs and have not experienced problems and I judge the 570's ability to upscale SD format disks to something approach HD as being very good. I will note however that I've not tried the Blu-ray movies "Up" or "Terminator Salvation" which according to some reports give the player a problem. We have streamed numerous Netflix movies and we've not even experienced any buffering - although I did experience that happen on the 390 once with an HDX formatted movie. We've not streamed a lot of movies from Vudu but the few that we have I've not experienced any buffering over a wireless network from Verizon's FiOS 25/15 service. In summary we are delighted with the 570 and I see no difference in picture quality between it and the 390 and it streams just like the 390. Other than the much smaller footprint and the menu system being somewhat expanded on the 570 the two players seem essentially identical for my purposes. I think both the 390 and the 570 are quality products.

Panasonic DMP-BD85K Disc Player

This is my first blu-ray player. I bought it a few days ago because it offers 7.1 analog out. I didn't really need the wireless capability but since it came with everything it needs for wireless, I was able to take the player out of the box, connect it to my TV and stereo, create a Netflix account on the fly, setup the wireless connection with my home router and begin to watch a movie in about 20 minutes ! This has been the best experience. I never used an online streaming service and never had a Netflix account. Setting up wireless and Netflix was a breeze. I have not used the 7.1 analog yet since I am waiting to connect to my 7.1 amp but even the stereo sound for movies is excellent. The picture quality for both Netflix instant and DVD's are fantastic. I couldn't be happier. A very friendly player. You can also view other online content such as Youtube, Picasa web albums, weather etc.

Makita LCT300W ombo Kit

The new LiOn driver usually runs near two hundred by itself. Add the impact driver that goes for close to this price AND include the spotlight and you definitely have a winner.

I've used the driver myself and it is a joy to use. It is very lightweight and the batteries charge in 15 minutes. So even if I'm using the drill full time, I can't run out of juice.

ViewSonic VX2250WM-LED 22-Inch

I've only had this monitor for about a week and it is connected to a late 2009 Mac Mini via DVI using the cables received with both units. The Mac mini had no problem detecting this monitor however I still ran the utility disk that came with the monitor and it installed a 6500K specific color scheme which looked nice but I preferred using the sRGB color scheme on the mac and using the sRGB setting on the Monitor. The sRGB setting on the monitor disables the Brightness and Contrast settings but I found the picture to be excellent and no need to change those settings. Colors appeared spot on and no issue with the the monitor being too bright. Using other color presets on the monitor required me to turn the Brightness and Contrast down as the monitor was way too bright.

This Mac was connected to a Samsung 720P 42" Plasma TV and although Video looked really good text was not very readable. With the ViewSonic monitor text is absolutely perfect. Dark colors are rich including black and white is very very white as compared to other monitors I'm using. The monitor also has a decent viewing angle which is as good or better than other monitors in this class that I looked at in stores. I prefer the matte finish on the screen as I get alot of sun light through a slider behind me when I'm at this monitor and have no trouble viewing the picture.

Watched the LOST finale in 1080p from the ABC website and the image is stunning. Colors looked sharp and accurate. The monitor's stereo speakers are fine with me as I don't turn the volume up very high. Monitor arrived with no dead pixels or light bleeding, overall I'm very pleased with this purchase and delivered the monitor very quickly and packaged appropriately.

Schlage BE365VCAM716 Camelot Deadbolt Keypad

I got one of these to reduce the amount of keys carried and to make it easier for family to house sit or the kids to get in. Turns out this was the best thing ever! When my hands are full I don't have to fish for keys. You can program it to your own code or give out a temporary code for a housesitter, etc. It was a little tricky drilling the door as I have a metal door, but just took some patience. On the inside there is a large lever so it's easy to lock or know if it's locked. The kids learned it in minutes and love being able to go open the door themselves without waiting. A bit pricey, but quality prooves you get what you pay for. Screws are all on inside so I dont' worry about tampering like I see on cheaper models that have screws on the outside. I want to get another one for the back door now!

Brother PC-420 Sewing Machine

I recently upgraded from a very simple Singer Esteem, and I absolutely adore this machine. It is easy to use and saves me a ton of time - the automatic securing and thread cutter are more wonderful than I could have imagined. I know I have a ton to learn about what this machine can do, but I was able to use it for everything I need right away. I haven't had a single hiccup yet.

Things like how to thread the machine and wind the bobbin are clearly shown directly on the machine, making it very user-friendly. They really have created a well thought out machine, with little extras everywhere to help make each sewing task more convenient (like thread cutters in all the right places).

I am just floored constantly at the awesomeness of this machine, especially coming from a non-computerized, very simple model. I am extremely happy with my purchase and would not trade it for anything. I debated a long time between this and the less expensive model, and am so happy I chose this one.

Toro 20360 e-Cycler

I read many reviews on both the Toro and Black and Decker battery operated mowers. I think either would have served my needs but my neighborhood lawn mower repair shop recommended the toro based on feedback he had received from users of this product, and Toro has a network of shops like his who provide service versus black and decker who does not. The mower arrived via Yellow Freight safe and sound. Very little assembly required and very simple instructions on how to operate. I mow 2 yards that are flat that total about 5,000 square feet with plenty of obstacles to navigate around. Took a little getting use to pushing this mower as all my previous gas mowers have been self propelled. I do notice the difference. Not a big deal, just a little more exercise for me. I noticed the mower actually mows better the thicker the grass. We have been going through a bit of a drought so many areas of the lawn are thin. In the really thin areas where there is space between tall blades of grass the mower does not cut all these blades of grass evenly. The manual does say to try lowering the front of the mower deck one notch lower than the rear deck if this problem occurs. Have not tried that yet. The mower is well constructed, and has a solid feel to it when you are mowing. The 'plastic' wheels are well made and you really would not know they are plastic without giving them close examination. If you are looking for the feel of macho power you are not going to get it with this machine. If you are looking for an easy, battery operated mower that will get the job done than this is the machine for you. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Black & Decker MM875 Lawn Hog

Hand mower fan, but needed more power for missed clippings. No gas fan; had to be electric. I researched and I chose the MM875 for price and abilities. No booklet included. There was some writing on the box, but no clear directions on how to operate it. We figured it out ourselves. It started right away and has been working very nicely after 3 sessions. The foam-like tube cushioning the handle has already torn some. So far, so good.