Showing posts with label home propane heaters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home propane heaters. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Lasko Heat Exchanger Review

Lasko Heat Exchanger
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $149.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off
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I heat primarily by wood, but needed something to heat my living room and kitchen towards those mornings when the fire in the stove was almost out, because I would oversleep. I was skeptical, but decided to buy this heater, due to the cost.(more than 1/2 less than those other heaters) I set the temp. for 70 degrees and went to bed, sure enough I overslept again, and this time there was no fire in the stove at all, but yet it felt good in the kitchen. the Lasko heater had come on sometime during the night and the living room and kitchen were comfortable with an outside temp. of 10 degrees above zero. The thing I noticed was that even my bare feet felt warm. I have used this heater now for 3 months and am very pleased with it. I have noticed no more than a 23 dollar increase in my bill per month, but even with the cost of wood, or especially fuel oil or propane prices, 23 dollars is not much. I also like that the cabinet stays cool on the outside, and this is important when my grandchildren come over. I will be using this heater more in the spring, instead of starting the wood stove, because it works and works well. by the way I live in a mobile home...14x76 feet. Also please understand, if the temp. goes below zero, this is not a miracle heater,(to heat the whole home) but it still helps, and it also depends on the size of the rooms and the insulation in the walls and floor. I leave the heater activated at all times so it will turn on and provide supplemental heat whenever it is needed.

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This is the best heater on the market. It has 6 heat tubes while many others only have 1 or 2. This is my second Lasko Heat Exchanger. I gave my first one to a friend for her apartment. She absolutely loves it, as I do.

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I bought one of these last year, and it worked so well, I bought a second one. It puts out good heat very economically. I bought a Duraflame heater and paid twice as much money. Doesn't work as well as this one.

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Very reliable and performs better than expected so we got a second unit. I have recommended it to several friends.

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it arrived in half of the time that was expected....we already had one so we knew it was great...this one has only been used a few times so far and it seems to be just as great...i like that i can set the temp i want it at.

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Discount Vogelzang VG820E Heartwood Circulator

Vogelzang VG820E Heartwood Circulator
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
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I purchased this wood stove about 3 years ago. I have owned other stoves in the past and was very pleased with each one...until I bought this one.

I live in New England and here we need to depend on a good reliable source of heat.I had not seen this stove prior to purchasing it...mistake #1. None were on display anywhere in my area. I went on the recommendation of a friend who had one, but knew nothing about wood stoves....mistake #2.First off, the stove is very hard to regulate. It either is set low and smokes all over or all the way open and will blast you out of the house. It probably would work better in a large home for that reason.

It is a poorly built cheap quality most likely a Chinese made stove(as quoted on another website). The first year I had to replace the door gasket 3 times until I emailed the company and they sent one that has worked fine since. The door is out of alignment and doesn't fit flush. The hinges have a lot of slop in them. Year 2, the handle broke off, very poor design and materials.I emailed and complained about it and they did send a new one free. Year 3, Some of the fire brick are now breaking and the grate has broken.There is a big hole in the middle. A new one on their website costs $ + shipping. They are also to last for years according to their website.

This is not an air tight wood stove like I thought. There are gaps in the doors and The fire box is thin metal. Overall it does technically work, but for the money it is very, very poor. Please do yourself a favor and look to a different company.

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I purchased this stove over 2 years ago to to replace an old oil burning stove. I could not be happier. Our family home is about 1200sqft, and this is our only heat source. I have even used the top surface for cooking meals during power outages a few times. It is very well made with cast iron doors, and heavy gauge steel box. Please read instructions on proper heating to prevent smoking if you are not familiar with wood stoves. Works greats, keeps us warms, and very efficient wood burner!

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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Buy ProCom Vent-Free Dual Fuel Stove - 23,000 BTU, 850 Sq. Ft. Heating

ProCom Vent-Free Dual Fuel Stove - 23,000 BTU, 850 Sq. Ft. Heating Area, Model# PCSD25RT
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $429.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 7% Off
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First, there aren't a lot of options given the size in terms of dimensions and BTU output and price range. Cast iron was my first choice, but too expensive. The stove is attractive, easy to use and does have good heat output. It's high enough so that it doesn't have to sit on a mantle. It arrived when they said it would. Pretty easy to set up. I've only had it for 5 or six weeks, but I like it.

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We have a cold ground level family room that's about 15x20 and this heats it up great. Blasts the heat out.

The remote is very convenient. Forget the thermostat control...it just doesn't work/calibrate correctly. Made in China...you understand.

Now the bad news..

After 11 months of flawless operation the remote receiver died. Called the manufacturer, and they said they would ship me a new one, free of charge. After about a couple of days of manually turning it on using the switch on the receiver box it quit entirely. Apparently the receiver sends a small charge to a solenoid that starts it up. If the remote receiver dies (and I've read a few review where this has happened) there is no manual way to start the stove. Sure, you can always get he pilot lit with a match, but the solenoid won't open the internals to allow the gas to flow into the burners unless the remote receiver is working and delivers the small voltage to the solenoid. Now the joke part...since the receiver is a back-ordered part the manufacturer offered to let me RMA the entire stove..which I am doing. So for something the size of a cigarette pack I need to swap the entire stove. It's getting cold out and I miss it already.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one..

It really is a great stove. During the recent hurricane when we didn't have power this thing was fantastic. Kept us all warm for 13 days.

Just understand how that remote receiver works...they make a model without the remote...you may want to consider it.

Update 9/19/2013:

Lost the remote (sigh)...If you go to ProComm or SkyCom (the remote manufacturer) you'll pay dearly ($150+) for a replacement. I did check the auction sites and was able to replace it for $25...just make sure it's one that will send voltage to the solenoid. There are 2 types...The unit works good as new, and this is our 3rd season using it. Last year it was a lifesaver after Sandy. We didn't have electricity for 2 weeks and this unit saved us.

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This was exactly what we were looking for. We wanted something that would heat our new three season room and this was it. It is the wood burning stove look we wanted. It took a few minutes to figure out the remote, but it works great.

Honest reviews on ProCom Vent-Free Dual Fuel Stove - 23,000 BTU, 850 Sq. Ft. Heating

When I first installed the stove it wouldn't work by the remote. After being on the phone with pro-com for a couple hours and trying several things over and over again they determined the remote was bad. About a week later I got the remote and it still didn't work. I figured the reciever must be bad, but I couldn't convince them to send me one. After a week of going back and forth with them and trying all the same things over and over, because aparently I am stupid, they finally sent me one, and now the stove works. It's OK, not great.

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I have not hooked the stove up yet, but it appears to be a well built, sturdy, design. It is a dual fuel mode and easily fits into a corner of the room.

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Monday, October 13, 2014

RoadPro 12-Volt 20oz. Smart Car Pot Reviews

RoadPro 5027S 12V Smart Car Pot
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
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Just got this little 12v. pot for heating water, soup, etc. and didn't expect much since I had a recent bad experience with a 12v. coffee maker that, after waiting over an hour for something to happen, didn't work at all. Well, I was pleasantly surprised! This litle unit is well-made and has some very nice features, such as being able to remove the pot from the base for easy cleaning. I also like the fact that, as well as an "on" light, the pot lights up with a white light to let you know that it is seated correctly on the base. It also has a nice safety feature in that it will shut off if there's not enough water, so it won't "burn dry." Best thing, though, is that it really does work! It does take longer with 12v. units, but that's to be expected. However, in less than half an hour the water was bubbling merrily away! I am very pleased with my purchase and would definitely recommend it.

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I purchased this unit as my wife and I love the "coffee on the go" mode and figured to save a few bucks in the long run on the expensive Convenience Store drinks. So far, and that includes three vehicles, we have blown the fuse every time that we plug the RoadPro into the cigarette lighter. I am approaching half the cost of the unit in replaced fuses. I'm not saying that the unit will not work, in fact I believe that it will do what it claims if you can get the proper power to it. For many vehicles, it will require a heavier wire to be routed from the battery to a seperate 12 volt outlet. This takes the convenience away and adding new wiring to the vehicle adds cost to the use of the RoadPro.

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Being an over-the-road driver I carried one of these for awhile in order to make coffee and hot cereal. It actually heats pretty well, and is a much better product than the previous one I had. However after about 3 months of 3-4 times a week use, it started to leak through the base and into the heating element. After that it quit completely. As this happened with 2 of these in a row, I tend to believe it's a design flaw. For occasional use, it's probably well worth it, but if you use it regularly, expect to replace it every couple of months.

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very sad that this product did not work at all. when plugged in to car, with car on (followed all the instructions) it lit up but never heated the water at all. tried different cars, waited 20 minutes, NEVER WORKED! sent it back for refund. i will say amazon has a very easy return procedure and i did appreciate that.

only gave it one star because i had to before i could enter my review. actually rating would be zero stars!

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What a treat to have hot tea or instant coffee on long road trips. Holds enough for 2 cups of your favorite brew. Takes about 15 minutes for hot water, 20 minutes to boil. Very handy.

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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Reviews of SoleusAir 8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner , # SG-WAC-08ESE-C

SoleusAir  8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner , # SG-WAC-08ESE-C
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $384.00
Sale Price: $246.56
Today's Bonus: 36% Off
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Overall, I am happy with this air conditioner. It does a good job of cooling my entire 1Bdr apartment (which is about 500 sq. feet). You can set the temperature and set it to Energy Saving mode and it will turn itself on and off as needed. Very nice indeed.

A/C is fairly loud, but not as loud as Kenmore 8000 BTU it has replaced. It doesn't wake me up at night when operating on energy save/low fan setting, so it's tolerable.

Controls are a little bit confusing at first and you should really read the manual to figure out exactly how each mode works. The remote is also a bit of a letdown as it seems to work half the time.

Pros:

Star Energy Certified

Maintains Set Temperature

Cools 1Bdr Apartment

Price

Cons:

Fairly Loud

Confusing Controls

Temperature Display in Fahrenheit Only

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I bought this unit for a couple reasons:

For back up air to use with my LP generator in a pwr outage (should pull 740 watts on the generator)

To help cool my bedroom so I can sleep in this heat! I work midnights and my central air is not keeping my bedroom cool enough for me to sleep during the heat of the day. Plus the backgound noise will be a nice sleep machine...

I'm a single female in my mid 50's, and I was able to install this unit by myself in approx. 30 minutes. Granted, I read the instructions ahead of time (downloaded the manual off internet), and had a good plan on how to do it correctly. I'm fairly intelligent & have good common sense and am used to doing things myself, so this might of helped too. My house is only 10yrs old, so no special circumstances to deal with like with a trailer, storm windows, or older home issues. It pretty much just slipped right in like the instructions said. It was a little heavy (50#), but I managed. It naturally tilted downwards (outside) at a proper angle for drainage and I was able to verify this with a level showing 1/3 bubble, as described in the instructions. The only weird thing was I was able to screw the top of the unit & top of the side panels into the bottom of the window, but the way my window frame is, the unit doesn't sit flat on the sill, there is a lip that coveres the bottom of the window, so I cannot screw the bottom of the panels in (holes at wrong angle on bottom of side panels like an "L" shape"). I need to cut a 1x2 piece of board and screw it to the sill, so I can screw the bottom of the side panels down tight. I'll get the that this weekend....as of now, I was able to tuck the side panels into the frame of the window and it is tight enough until I get to it. I cut some memory foam I had left over, and insulated the side panels and it is pretty air tight at this point.

I only use half the house (mstr bed & bath, Kitchen & living room) the rest of the house is guest room, bath & office I rarely use. The central air thermostat is back by the guest bedroom, and set this small unit to 77 in energy-saving mode, and it is keeping my part of the house nice and comfy! The remote control is set to the "I Feel" mode and I set the remote on shelf by my head in the bed, so the unit goes by the temp where the remote is (& my head), not the where the unit is, this is an awesome and clever option that I LOVE! In the energy saving mode, the unit turns on and off as needed. It is quiet enough that it does not wake me while I'm sleeping (this surprised me!), I can easily adjust the temp (if needed) while lying in bed by simply hitting the or + button on the remote contol.

This is one of the smallest 8k units I've seen, so it's easy to move around if needed.

Con's, and it's not a huge deal...is the filter is okay. It's kind of a nylon filter in a plastic frame, that you can take out and vacumme or wash. So I'm going to cut a thin foam "prefilter to put in front of it, to help cut down on dust to keep the air a little cleaner, and the inside of the unit a little cleaner too. The unit does have a "check filter" light on it to remind you to check the filter every month...so that's nice. Also, there is a lot of light that comes thru the vent the air blows thru...and also shows thru the side panels...I don't think it's an opening to the outside, just reflective light. As a day sleeper this was problematic. I like it dark & cold to sleep deep. I cut pieces of memory foam to cover side panels, and then ended up covering the window (and memory foam) with aluminum foil to block out that light. I could not do anything about the vent light (don't want to block the cold air vent). So I guess I'll have to get an eye mask.

I will update this review if I run into any issues with the unit, but it's looking and acting good so far. One of the best things I've purchased on line, and of course... shipping and service was awesome (as usual)!

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Bought Unit about 6 weeks ago.

It comfortably cools a 12x20 room that does not close off from other rooms

Runs on standard 15 amp circuits.

This is the only company I could find with a unit that actually shuts off the fan when cooling temperature is reached. It's nice not to have the fan running constantly when the unit is on.

With energy saver the fan also slows when within a degree or two of set temperature, and then shuts down when set temperature is reached.

Fan on high circulates more cold air than our old old 12,000 btu unit

Noise is average, not too bad. Quieter than our old units.

Honest reviews on SoleusAir 8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner , # SG-WAC-08ESE-C

Bought this unit at our local Menard's. Got the unit unpacked and installed in less than an hour. It is a very good air conditioner it blows out ice cold air anytime the compressor is running, and does a great job of air recirculation when the temperature is satisfied and just the fan is running. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat with no hesitation but if you're going to use this in a bedroom, there are a couple of things you light sleepers need to keep in mind....

This unit is LOUD. Even on the lowest fan settings, this unit is going to keep light sleepers awake for a while until they get used to the noise. Soleus got the EER up so high on this unit by using an oversized condenser and shoving lots and lots of air through it. The result is a loud noisy fan moving lots of air around, which creates lots of motor noise.

2 more drawbacks to this unit they used transparent white styrofoam to separate the evaporator ductwork from the outside, which lets lots and lots of outdoor light thru into the room you're using this unit in. If that wasn't enough, the LED's on the control panel are REALLY BRIGHT and in a dark room, it really lights things up. So, expect this to be a source of significant light if you need a completely dark room to sleep in.

The remote is weird, as are the controls on the unit. The other reviews have it right read the manual before you use this unit you'll be much better off.

So, it's noisy and lights up the room, but it is a great air conditioner. Time will tell if it's reliable.

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I like this unit a lot. The remote works great, and it doesnt vibrate. However, after about two years the blower motor is starting to howl, meaning a bad bearing. I have called the technical support line repeatedly and have emailed. All I want is a replacement motor.

First the support number is only open 9 to 6 pm Pacific time. As soon as you enter #4 for their consumer division, you are immediately sent to voicemail. I left a message, and of course no call back. Emails seem to be facing a similar fate.

If you buy this unit, use it lightly because you will not be able to find anyone to assist if it fails. Go with a Frigidaire or something where you can get parts.

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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Cheap Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic

Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker, Brushed Metal
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $235.00
Sale Price: $116.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
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We had a DGB-600BC and used it daily for about 4 years. The grinder assembly finally seized and we could no longer remove it. We had been looking around for a new coffee maker, anyway, so we went ahead and bought this one (DGB-650BC) at a local store.

We've been using it for a couple weeks now and it makes a fine cup of coffee, just like the last one did. I noticed right away, that a few things that turned out to be issues with the last model had been fixed or improved upon with this one.

1) The grinder compartment is much better separated from the water reservoir and also designed better for all the grounds to go into the filter basket. The older model always left a bit of a mess, both in the grinder compartment and on the little shelf that separated the filter basket from the coffee pot, and around the burner plate. I haven't seen any of that mess with this model. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

2) The little shelf I spoke about in #1 is now gone. That's a plus. Since this maker is designed better, it isn't needed anyway. Also, this shelf caused build up around the door latch making it hard to shut after a very short time. I'm glad it's gone.

3) The filter basket door mechanism is far better designed. The old model I had to slam shut, sometimes repeatedly, before it would stay shut. This one has a much better and more sturdy hinge mechanism and latch.

4) New to this model (the old one didn't have this) is a window on the side so you can see how much water you're pouring in. It's clearly marked and has a red floating ball to make it easy to see. I really like this feature.

The grinder seem a little louder than the old one, but I've never met a coffee grinder that wasn't loud and it's only for a very short time. I love having freshly ground coffee first thing in the morning.

As far as cleanup goes for the grinding assembly and filter basket, it only takes a minute or two. Aside from the coffee pot itself, there are 5 pieces to clean and it really is quick and easy to empty the filter basket and rinse the pieces.

In short, this is fine coffee maker, much improved from the DGB-600BC, and I am happy we upgraded to it.

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I love the new look! We had the older version for about 6 years. This new one is sleeker and much easier to clean and keep clean (the inside where the grinder sits gets cakey due to condensation). I got it for $149, used Amazon Prime, and had it in a few days! I love it. If you're thinking of getting this grind and brew with stainless carafe, it is nice. Some parts will have to be replaced over the years like the older version, but the taste of the freshly ground coffee every day is worth it. I never pre-heat the carafe like the directions say because that defeats the purpose of the timer. I've never had an issue with the coffee temperature, it's always hot! I also recommend hand-washing over dishwasher. The carbon filters are similar to Brita and can be found for cheap at Kohl's. One other note is it only makes 10 cups as opposed to the typical 12 cups. This is fine for me because it's just me and my husband, but if you need to make a ton of coffee regularly, this may not be a good choice. Overall, I love it and I'm glad I traded up!

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Let me start by admitting that I am a novice when it comes to drinking coffee, much less owning coffee machines. This is the first coffee machine I've ever bought, but I've been very happy with it thus far. If you purchase it, definitely read the directions as there are a couple of small points they bring out, that you wouldn't otherwise know. (For instance, when you place the goldtone coffee filter in, the handle which can rest in either direction, must face outwards.) I just mention this, since I am usually one to NOT read directions, and I'm sure most others who have owned coffe machines wouldn't either, but it seems valuable in this particular case.

The main reason I went with this unit, was Cuisineart had the only ones in Bed Bath & Beyond which can be programmed to grind then brew. I leave it on my desk at work, and have it programmed to grind/brew right before I arrive in the morning. And it's awesome. Only used it several times so far, but no complaints. Cleaning is relatively easy but (like any other coffee brewer/grinder I assume) you have to clean it every day. Not a big deal though, so far I've just been taking the grinder and filter parts out, and rinsing them out. Not sure how important it is to use soap...

The most valuable thing I can tell you, that you won't read on the box, is that the thermal caraffe REALLY DOES work great. I don't pre-heat the caraffe, since I have it sitting out from the night before. I have mine programmed to start brewing at 8:30am. And believe it or not, despite the fact that there is no heater that runs after it's done brewing... the coffee stays HOT for a long time. It stays piping hot for several hours, and even at 2:30pm, it is still drinkably warm. I never expected it to stay that warm for 6 hours, far exceeded my expecations.

Easy to program, but you have to remember to press the Program button each night before. Although, that's not really a big deal since you have to add water and all the other stuff anyway. It's a safety feature really.

Grinder noise isn't super loud, and it only runs for 60 seconds so who cares. Mine is sitting on my desk in my cube, but I program it to run before most people arrive in the office so it's not a problem.

Very short 2ft. power cord with the unit, which will be great for kitchen countertops where you can put it by an outlet, otherwise you might need an extension cord.

Can't speak about reliability. Hopefully they fixed some of the issues people had with this unit's predecessor. Will revise my review later if I have issues.

I've rated it 5 stars, for $129 I feel that I got what I expected and paid for, and really don't have any complaints. I also haven't seen ANYTHING in the market that does what this does, in the same price range. Is there not a demand for coffee grinder/brewers? I mean, why wouldn't you want to have something that you can program to do both before you even wake up? For me, there was no other choice.

Cuisinart has a more expensive model than this one, but it was $70 more and the only feature that really seemed to be valuable was it's "burr grinder" which is supposedly better. But it didn't seem like that was worth $70 more to me, so I thought this was the best value.

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I ordered this coffee maker knowing that Cuisinart produces very fine products but I have to say I am not real happy with this particular product. The grinder grinds the beans VERY coarse which doesn't make a very strong cup of coffee so I'm back to grinding my coffee with my burr grinder. The setting for 1-4 cups does not make the water warmer as advertised (it comes out luke warm) so I just don't push that button when making a small pot of coffee. I do find that when brewing a full pot it does keep the coffee hot for quite a while. I think, if I order another Cuisinart coffeemaker in the future, that I will pay a little more and get the coffeemaker with the burr grinder and with a hot-plate instead of the thermal carafe.

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For those who want grind and brew features this is the best product for the money. There are the higher priced models but some of us have to stay on a budget. Compared to the earlier version, I've had 3 of the earlier ones; they do tend to break down after 2 years. This model has significant improvements. The best is that it is so much easier to clean the grinding area. The earlier model was next to impossible, this more open design makes it possible to actually get those beans that get into the grinding area out.

In reading the other reviews I did have a few concerns.

1. The sediment from the filter: Well that's the reality of permanent filters. So it's convenience of not having to get those paper things out and over to the trash. If that detail is annoying use paper. Even the high priced machines have that issue and Cuisnart clearly informs you of this issue with a notice before unpacking the product.

2. Noise: The review that goes on about how noisy this machine is. Gad face reality, these are coffee beans getting ground up in somewhat large area in an enclosed area without a lot of sound insulation. It is going to get loud. No louder than a regular coffee grinder and a lot quieter than a garbage disposal. To avoid having the noise in the morning I do the unthinkable, grind the beans the evening before. OK, I'm not a purist.

3. Coffee not the right temp: Face reality, the carafe is going to be the same temp as the room it's sitting in. So it like most people who turn down there temp in their house at night to let's say even 68 degrees at night or even 70, the the physics say the carafe temp is going to be 70. Now, brew coffee and when it gets into the insulated carafe the temp is going to average out. Since the insulated model doesn't have a warming plate, you're may want to take into consideration that you're brewing into a room temp carafe and the coffee temp is going to cool down. Cuisinart clearly informs you that simply warming up the carafe with hot water before brewing takes care of this issue. I easily deal with this when the machine starts brewing you have a good 30-45 seconds before the first drop comes out and the machine does have a function to keep coffee from coming out unless the carafe is properly placed. That gives plenty of time to run some hot water into it, get the inside temp up and the result is coffee at the perfect temp. Now I do have to say that it is very easy for me because I have one of those instant hot water faucets at the sink so I don't have to wait for the hot water to start flowing.

There have been some very good user oriented changes to this model. It's not perfect, but for the money it's the best you're going to find on the market. Take the critics in these reviews with a grain of salt.

Of course one of the reasons I am really, really happy with this machine is that I ran into it when Amazon had it on sale for $110 with a $30 rebate from Cuisinart. My final cost was $85!! I called customer service to see how the rebate would work. They told me a mail-in coupon would come with the product. When the product arrived ( 3 days later, and I used the free standard shipping during the holiday period) there was no rebate coupon. I called customer service and their response was "we'll just add a $30 credit" to your account. I was expecting getting a run around anticipating that they would put the problem off on Cuisinart. But no, Amazon steps up to plate, resolves the problem in less than 1 minute and the credit appeared on my credit card the next day. Now that is customer service!!

My hats off to Amazon to putting the customer first. Beyond the coffee maker at $85 final cost with free shipping, I have to say that Amazon has matured into a very customer focused retailer. They have moved beyond good prices and the convenience of shopping at home; they are real competition to the brick & moter stores. Amazon's focus on the customer actually gives the retail experience a lot of us remember in the "old department store" days.

I have never taken the time to write a product review, but I do enjoy having them available to get unbiased reviews and input. This time I felt it was only fair to take the time to put a realistic perspective to some of the negative reviews while at the same time expressing my positive experience with Amazon. For me Amazon has primarily been a convenience factor, now I shop with them because of their dependability and customer service focus. Price is not the driver for me anymore. I've just learned that if I really want customer service, the most reliable and predictable place to shop is Amazon!!

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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Reviews of Lasko 5429 Oscillating Ceramic Heater

Lasko 5429 Oscillating Ceramic Heater
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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Over the years, I've had all kinds of small heaters, both forced air and ceramic. This one takes the cake.

Like most other heaters of this price range, the thermostat doesn't work consistently all of the time, but it works as well or better than any other heater I've used.

What makes this heater great is that it really cranks out the heat! The low setting is great for a small room like a bathroom, and the high setting can bring up the temperature of my large living room in a very short time. I'm really impressed with its heating abilities.

It isn't silent, but it's as quiet as anything else out there. If I turn it on while watching TV, I might have to turn up the volume one or two clicks, but that's it. I doubt it would be prohibitive to sleeping, if you want it in your bedroom.

The oscillation isn't something I've used a whole lot, but eyeballing it, I'd say it rotates somewhere between 45 and 60 degrees.

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I've had this Lasko heater for 2+ years and it has worked like a charm... reliable, durable, a little soldier churning out heat. Controls are easy to use and there is a fan only setting for hot days. I keep it near me so the heat output is fine (not trying to heat up the entire room).

What I don't like about it though (and hence my 3 star rating) is the noise from the fan --it's soooo loud; too loud to have in my office when I'm on the phone, and too loud in the room when the tv is on. If you want white noise when you fall asleep, this is the fan for you. But I'm looking for a new QUIET heater to replace this unit.

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I did a lot of research online and got a Honeywell ceramic heater from Target. I wasn't happy with it and took it back.

Then I got this one, the Lasko oscillating ceramic heater. I guess I will keep it, but not because it's super great; I just don't expect that I could find anything better.

I like that it has two settings (low = 875 W, high = 1500 W), because my apartment wiring is not great and it worries me when it switches on and all the lights dim. Since I'm just using it to supplement a flaky hot water radiator, I don't usually need to run it on high. I've been running it for about 3 weeks, on low, using about 130 W on average. I just set it on low and use the thermostat to try to keep the temperature in the room stable.

The thermostat, though, is rather schizophrenic. I guess this is a problem with all of these little electric heaters, though, since the Honeywell I returned was even worse. I want this heater to just sit in the corner and turn on when needed to keep the temperature in the room constant, since my main heater varies too much in temperature, but I find myself adjusting the thermostat back and forth pretty regularly because it doesn't behave consistently from one day to the next. The settings are different for high and low mode, too, presumably since it heats up its own thermostat and shuts off prematurely.

In low mode (1), I have it almost to the lowest setting to get the room to stay at 65-70 F. I often find it turning on when the room is already warm, and not turning on when the room is cold. In high mode (2), I have to turn it up towards the top to maintain the same temperature. I am sure they could have compensated for any self-heating effects and made the thermostat more accurate no matter what the circumstances, but they didn't bother.

It doesn't have any kind of tip-over safety switch, but the other ceramic heater didn't either. Maybe it's not as critical with these because the outside surface doesn't get too hot. I can actually touch most of the surface of the front grill while it's on high and not get burned. It has an overheat protection switch, which would probably trigger if it fell onto something that blocked the flow of air, but I've never seen it activate.

I don't find it terribly loud, but I have a jet engine of a humidifier in the same room (Holmes garbage), so maybe I'm biased.

It also has a (20 W) fan-only mode, which could theoretically make the unit useful in warmer weather, too. The fan is apparently hard-wired to the thermostat in every mode, though. You might think that a thermostat-controlled fan is a good thing, and I would too, except that the fan is stupidly connected with the same functionality as in the heater modes, so the fan turns ON when the room is cold, and turns OFF when the room is hot. Duh.

Oh, it also oscillates. I care so little about this feature I almost forgot it had it. It seems to circulate air just fine whether this is on or off. I'd be happier if they left out the oscillation and spent the money on better temperature regulation. It might be even better if the thermostat could switch it from low to high when needed.

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I have only had this for a few weeks so I can't vouch for its long-term durability. But this heater is designed very nicely. It looks and feels of good quality materials. Other positives:

* soft quiet sound very easy to sleep with

* elegant and practical handle

* oscillates to spread the heat around a little (cute little R2D2)

* small footprint but stable

I use the heater in a 10 x 10 room. I haven't set the thermostat dial above 3 out of 10, even when it's been 10 F. outside. I usually keep it in low power mode. But I'm not very demanding that way so if you need a really strong fan blowing high heat or if you prefer the direct warm feeling of glowing radiant heat you might not be satisfied.

Shortly before getting this "Lasko Oscillating Ceramic Heater" I had tried and returned two unsatisfactory heaters. One was a poor quality $20 heater ("DeLonghi DFH132"). The other, which I bought at WalMart for around $34, was one of those old radiant heaters (a couple of feet long with wires strung back and forth) which was unacceptably loud.

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I purchased this Lasko ceramic heater (model 5429) at Target after reading all the rave reviews that people wrote. I was not disappointed in my decision to buy this particular heater. I honestly can't find anything to complain about. It works very well, I especially like the oscillating action, and find that the heat gets more evenly distributed throughout the room because of it. People that don't like the oscillating feature can just not turn it on, at least you have a choice.

As far as noise level, I don't find that it's any noisier than any other heater I've ever used, in fact it's probably quieter than most. I am extremely pleased with this small but mighty little heater. The last test for me will be when I receive my electric bill. To heat my small livingroom to a comfortable temperature, I put the control on the low setting. I find that works just fine, without using the higher (1500 watt), more costlier heat setting. And because the heater works so well, I only have to put it on the third notch temperature setting, to get the results I need. Also the instruction manual is so simple, you don't need an engineering degree to understand it.

I would highly recommend this mighty little heater. The cost is fairly cheap, but the quality is outstanding. You don't see that very often.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Dimplex CUH05B31T 3750/5000-Watt Compact Industrial Unit Heater Review

Dimplex CUH05B31T 3750/5000-Watt Compact Industrial Unit Heater
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $339.95
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 24% Off
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This unit does a great job heating my workshop. The bracket allows me to mount it to my ceiling so it doesn't take up any additional space. It is much quieter than the last heater I had. It's alot of power for the price. I would recommend it.

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I bought this to heat a mostly insulated 3-car garage workshop. This unit would struggle to heat this much space in a severe climate but our winters here in the Pacific Northwest are fairly mild. My garage is quite comfortable to work in after an hour or so when outside temperatures are in the 35 to 40 degree range. The unit is thermostatically controlled so you just need to let the space get to the temperature you want and turn the dial on the back down until the heater turns off. From there it will turn itself on and off as needed. It is a bit on the loud side, but isn't nearly so loud as the power tools I'm using. I suspect this would be quite expensive to run if you used it to heat a garage all winter, but it's fine if all you want to do is heat it a day or two a week. The upside is that this has made my garage workshop useable year round and I don't have to wait until spring to begin work on projects.

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We used this item in our Kidding barn for our goats....it needs to be 45-50 degrees in the barn when the kids are born and the heater kept the 18 X 40 ft barn toasty during February in South Dakota.

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Found this unit to be convenient and efficient for heating my garage and basement. I purchased two of these and wired them up with a plug so that they are not permanently installed. In this way they are portable. They are capable of bringing the temperature in my garage from freezing to a comfortable 60 degrees. Depending on how cold my garage is, I do believe that the units are sufficient for most cold days. Unfortunately, my garage is not insulated, including my door which is aluminum. In that case, if the temperature drops into the low twenties or below, I think this unit would have a hard time coping with raising the temperature to a comfortable level to use tools. But, for most applications, this unit works well enough. I did have one problem with one of the units. The temperature switch was defective and because it was out of warranty, I literally had to take the switch apart to fix the unit. You should also be aware that if you turn off the unit while it is in its heating, the fan will continue to run in order to cool down the coil sufficiently before it will shut off.

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Heater was installed using 208V about 4 weeks ago in a large electrical room. I have the built in thermostat set to 4 and the Dimplex heater keeps the upper part of the 14' high cielings very warm, the lowerpart of the room is cool but comfortable. I might install a cieling fan to push the warm air down.

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Saturday, August 2, 2014

Reviews of Holmes Compact Heater Fan Model: HFHVP3

Holmes Compact Heater Fan Model: HFHVP3
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
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I've owned this for 4 years, and have used it every night for at least 365 days. Still runs beautifully. Quiet. Turns itself off for safety if it gets knocked over. Perfect! Get it. Not the best looking, but does the job.

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I really like this portable heater. I left it on at night and it kept me warm.

I have dropped the heater a couple of times and it still worked pretty good. It blows the heat out quickly when you turn it on.

I recommend this heater.

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Friday, July 4, 2014

Review of Bionaire BFH3521-UM Oscillating Tower Heater Fan with Digital

Bionaire BFH3521-UM Oscillating Tower Heater Fan with Digital Thermostat
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
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Purchased this heater fan with high hopes that it would do the job of heating up my chilly 12 x 12 bedroom and circulate the air...especially at nite. It circulated the air, all right, but it took forever to heat the room and it was so noisy that I could not use it in my bedroom. And I ALWAYS had to set it to the highest heat setting in order to get any kind of performance from it. I ended up using it in my kitchen and purchased a flat panel DeLonghi from my local BB&B. Now THAT was an excellent choice! The Bionaire was eventually given away thru my local freecycle program.

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This would be my second one over the years, I love this little heater, in fact my Parents likes it so much when they saw it, that this purchase is for them to enjoy.

Sincerely,

rl

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Reviews of Greenlee 849 Electric PVC Heater For 1/2" - 2"

Greenlee 849 Electric PVC Heater For 1/2' - 2'
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $526.12
Sale Price: $384.97
Today's Bonus: 27% Off
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Great little heater. Makes bending pvc a snap and look very professional. Only bad thing I tried to email amazon numerous times. The heater was damaged during shipment. I waited for any responce but,

no one ever replied. So I am stuck with a great heater with a dented door. Thanks!!!!!!!!

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Bought this for my crews to use on smaller pvc conduits. This thing heats up so quick we threw the blanket heaters away. It has built in rollers but you don't have to roll it too long. Greenlee is definitely the electricians choice with all the tools they make and this is no exception.

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Bought this for my partner who uses a lot PVC pipes and he raves about this PVC heater everytime he uses it. In the winter it also helps take the chill out of the air. Warning it can be a little smelly when in use, but you can't go wrong with product if you work with a lot of PVC pipe.

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Best Minuteman Fireplace Crane Deals

Minuteman International MC-18 Fireplace Crane, 18-Inch Swivel Arm
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $104.99
Sale Price: $81.15
Today's Bonus: 23% Off
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Very nice! It exceeded my expectations. Heavy gauge steel. Decent welds. The floral scroll work looks a little..too much in the pictures but is very nice in real life. Heavy duty masonry fasteners included, but would have been nice if masonry drill bit had been also. I used fasteners I already had with drill bit size I already had instead and it worked fine. I bought the 24 inch. It is actually 24 inches from wall to tip, more like 22 inches from wall to center of hook where pot hangs.

I would not hesitate to buy again!

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THIS WAS A GREAT ADDITIVE TO OUR FIREPLACE, BESIDES BEING ATTRACTIVE IT HAS BEEN USED (IN A HANGING DUTCH OVEN) TO COOK SEVERAL MEALS. WHEN THERE IS NO ELECTRIC, NO GAS THERE IS ALWAYS WOOD.

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Well worth the $$!! Use it EVERY weekend in our outdoor fireplace lots of good meals get cooked here!!

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Zojirushi CW-PZC22WH Micom Super Boiler 2.2L White Review

Zojirushi CW-PZC22WH Micom Super Boiler 2.2L White
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $99.00
Sale Price: $89.99
Today's Bonus: 9% Off
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I bought this product to replace one just like it that I got as a wedding gift in 1992!!!

The first one lasted for 20 years I'm hoping I get another 20 out of this one. Great Product!

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This is the second Zojirushi boiler I've owned. The first one was on day & night for 10 years so I wasn't the least bit concerned about replacing it with the same brand and similar model. I first saw one of these while visiting friends in Hong Kong -everyone there keeps one on their counter for instant hot water for tea or soup. I love it and so will you.

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I'll update this in a couple months, when I've moved to a house at 1,600' elevation. The boiler is supposed to still work fine there. Doing good right now too !

November update

Well, it's mothballed for the winter, not enough sun for heavy electrical loads, 800w for 30 minutes, and then the standby heater, needs too much generator runtime. Just had 9 days of clouds, and now another storm on the way.

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The greatest invention since the Steaming Hot.

Every household should own one.

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