Amazon.com Review

This self-cleaning litter box eliminates most odors whilekeeping the litter pleasingly fresh for tabby. It's ingenious indesign: a cat entering the box triggers a sensor; the sensor sets atimer that counts off 10 minutes; then a rake runs through the litter,scooping out clumps and depositing them in a plastic container at thebox's end; the container is automatically sealed until the next catvisit, when the raking cycle opens the container for another deposit.(Four reusable/disposable containers are included.) The litter box canbe plugged into a wall socket (AC adapter included) or operated oneight D-cell batteries (not included).For safety, the rake stops and reverses at the slightest touch if anobject gets behind the rake while it's returning to its home position.If a cat re-enters the box before the initial 10 minutes have elapsed,the timer automatically resets. The litter box is made of hard plasticand measures 23-1/2 inches long, 16-1/2 inches wide, and 8-1/2 incheshigh. For proper operation, it requires premium clumping litter butdoes not need as much as a nonautomated litter box of the same size.For cleaning, the litter tray can be detached. Instructions foracclimating a cat to the box are included. --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• 23-1/2 inches long, 16-1/2 inches wide, 8-1/2 inches high
• Automatically rakes waste into sealable container 10 minutes after use
• Plugs into wall socket or operates with eight D-cell batteries (not included)
• Four reusable/disposable waster containers included
• Detachable litter tray for convenient cleaning

Reviews (53)

One cat owner
I own one cat and she's not all there, so I thought this box would help. My roommate made me get it. I love the fact that I don't have to touch the litter. It's in my bedroom, so I turn it off at night since it has a very loud motor. A lot of time though the urine clumps get stuck in the rake and I have to get them out myself, so we are back to the old way of doing things. I know it's not the litter, because I tried two of the 4 they recommend. I can't find the Littermaid litter in the store, otherwise I would try it. I found to fix the urine problem, I turn it off until it has time to absorb into the litter and then turn it back, I haven't had a problem since. Nobody knows I have a cat since the odor control of this box is wonderful!!!! That's my favorite part about it. I love this litterbox, even though it's not perfect. I wouldn't go back to the old method of cleaning by hand. Hope this helps.

Great product, does what it says!
I've had mine for almost 2 years, and I must say it makes owning several cats much easier and more enjoyable since I detest litter boxes.

Only a few points must be followed to keep it enjoyable.

First and most important, make SURE you use one of the better clumping litters. There is a list in the instructions of what to use and what NOT to use. (you waste less litter, so the cost of the more expensive litters is a wash)
If you use the wrong litter, you'll have a clumpy smelly mess on the rake you'll have to dig off (it's like glue...first hand experience here), and the machine will jam because the clumps will also stick to the base and not allow the rake to do it's job.

Second, use plastic bags from the grocery store to mold around the waste recepticles...it makes removal easier, and the recepticles last a long time. (I still have some of the original 12 that came with the machine 2 years ago)

Third, you may want to keep a piece or carpet or plastic floor runner under the unit to catch the extra litter that will fall around the unit. (I have my unit in a carpet covered wood box because I have a dog who likes litter boxes...especially when there's a cat in it, and I keep a plastic runner at the opening of the box...it works great and I just vaccuum or sweep the runner when nec.)

If you follow those simple rules...you'll love this unit!!

poop thrower
I got more flicked in my face in 1 month then in 15 years in the veterinary business.
Emptying the poop containers flicks sand and poop in you face and mouth. Also, litter rake would clump and youhad to clean it by hand. The plastic must have been poop bonding material because you could never get it clean. After 2 weeks , it started throwing poop clumps acrosss the floor.

Somehow the rake got stuck and preassure woud build and thwack! Poop and urine would fly.

don't waste your money

Poorly Designed
I read all the reviews saying this thing sucked, and I thought, Well I'm an engineer, I can handle it but I was Wrong. I even got the older model LM500 hoping that it would work, but it didn't.
In the automatic rake thing, there are several plastic parts put, not glued or secured together. The first couple of times the rake went offline (because of excessively large dump - this happened at least 4-5 times per day despite filling litter to lower than the mark and using premium litter etc), the little plastic parts would pop out and the rake would go offtrack. Once this started happening, the plastic pieces would pop off every time. I tried glueing it, rubberbands, etc. Nothing worked.
I feel really stupid for having read all the reviews and still buying it. Look at the content of the reviews. People describe intimately what is wrong with the product (rake broken, off track, etc) and how they tried to fix it. This should tell you how involved the owner got to try and get it to work. For me this meant getting cat piss all over myself, litter in my eyes, and messing with it everyday until the day, only three weeks after I got it, when it refused to work whatsoever.
Now I have this gigantic plastic piece of cat piss smelling garbage sitting around that I have to repackage and mail back. This is just not worth it. My brother has one, and it works, but it's just luck of the draw whether you get it to work or not. But judging from all the negative reviews, odds are against you.

Don't waste your money!
I have owned three of these things. None of them worked. The first one died after three months. The second one worked for six months and died; after waiting several months for their warranty people to get back to me, they finally replaced it. The third one never worked. I tried several times to get a hold of their warranty department, but they never responded to me. I finally threw it away. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Don't confine the pleasure of pressed coffee to home. With this combination of coffee press and vacuum-insulated thermos, European-style coffee turns up at the office or campground and stays hot three times longer than coffee made in a glass press. Simply spoon in ground coffee, add boiling water, place the lid on with plunger in the up position, wait four minutes, push down the plunger slowly, and . . . Presto! Fresh, piping-hot coffee for two or three hours. Lightweight and virtually unbreakable, the press has a handsome, satin-finish exterior and tough, nonslip, black plastic top and bottom. The press parts and smooth interior clean with sponge or cloth. --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• Five-year warranty against defects
• Makes pressed coffee and keeps it hot for hours
• Holds a bit over 1 quart
• Steel-mesh screen is replaceable
• Hand wash with mild detergent

Reviews (16)

Perfect for good coffee
I bought this coffee press about two years ago and I love it. Makes a great cup of coffee. Easy to clean, usually I hand wash it but about once a week I toss it in the dishwasher. (They say to hand wash it only, but it seems to do fine in the dishwasher.)

I find that it keeps coffee warm enough for a couple of hours. Maybe not as fun as the see-through glass coffee presses but I like the extra insulation.

It's actually a great TEA press and teapot
It may have its faults as a coffee press, as other reviews have said. Too many grounds escape and doesn't keep it hot for more than 2-3 hours. However, if you're a tea-drinker who would like to use or already uses loose tea, it works really well as a tea press and teapot. The mesh filter is well-enough fitted to prevent all but a very few leaves from escaping. And it will certainly keep your tea hot much longer than a ceramic teapot with blanket or cozy. As far as I have been able to find out, this product is really the only french press that is thermal/insulated. There are insulated glass-lined plastic teapot-shaped carafes, and there are one or two non-insulated french presses made specifically for tea and made of single-wall glass. But there seems to be nothing else out there that combines insulation with the french press.

The manufacturer could improve this item by making the lid more insulating and snug-fitting. But even as it is, it makes using loose tea very convenient, and keeps it hot a lot longer than the available alternatives.

not superlative, but thermally insulated is the way to go
Short answer: Pretty good, nor perfect, but recommended.

Screen does not appear (to my amateur eyes) to fit the walls as smoothly as a bodum glass model I saw, i.e. there are small indentations in my screen that may or may not merely be cosmetic, but then again mine arrived dented as was probably abused be a previous jerk who returned it (and then they re-sent it out to me -- why, I dunno.) Anyway, it doesn't seem to affect the coffee, but I'm a novice (as if it matters).

I think an uninsulated one would be a real pain. This keeps it hot for a 30 minutes to a few hours (with the time varying mainly on how much coffee you leave in it). A glass one would lose heat rapidly by comparison so if you drink a pot over an hour or so like me you'll really want this or bodum's similar offering.

Replacement French press screen
I have this pot for years and Bodum makes replacement screens that will fit this pot. Shame that they make the screen for their product as well as Nissan and they clearly state that it will fit the Nissan...

http://www.coffee-makers-espresso-machines.com/repfrenpresm.html

Great press; but no more screens
We have had this press for over a year and use it almost every day. It keeps the coffee hot long enough (we drink it before it has a chance to get cold anyway!), plus it just makes excellent tasting coffee. We do take issue with the manufacturer, however, as I just called them (11/3/03) and they said they no longer make the replacement screens--and that they are the only ones who made them. Yet they will replace the whole pot if you need a new screen. Does this make any sense? ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

From the renowned company that created the Swiss Army knife acentury ago comes this complete set of tools for campers, hikers,hunters, fishers, and other outdoor lovers--all neatly contained insidea single implement that measures just 3-1/2 inches long. Sheathed inthe famous Swiss Army red plastic, the Huntsman pocket knife is atoolbox small enough to fit into a pocket. (It also comes with a keyring.) A valued companion, this pocket knife contains 14stainless-steel tools and carries a lifetime warranty against defects.The tools include a large knife blade, small knife blade, can opener,small screwdriver, bottle opener, large screwdriver, reamer, sewingeye, plastic toothpick, tweezers, corkscrew, scissors, hook, and woodsaw. --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• Includes key ring; lifetime warranty against defects
• Contains 14 stainless-steel tools
• Large knife blade, small knife blade, large screwdriver, small screwdriver, corkscrew
• Can opener, bottle opener, reamer, sewing eye, toothpick, tweezers, scissors, hook, wood saw
• Ideal for campers, hikers, hunters, fishers; just 3-1/2 inches long

Reviews (5)

Elderly enough to merit the name Victoria
My old one from the early 1950s is stamped Victoria as this company did back then, and a few of the blades are different, but it has survived much use. The plastic sides have long since decomposed and been replaced with handmade light alloy. The only thing that's been cheapened since then is apparently the liners. They were once white brass, but all have been aluminum for decades now. There is no better pocketknife made, in my opinion.

Best of the large Swiss Army knives
This knife is my favorite of all the Victorinox army knives. It has the most useful tools, basic blades, the corkscrew, the sizzors, the awl (with hole for sewing). You can get the little eye glass screw driver and stow it in the corkscrew. The other larger knives IMO are too bulky and have tools which really aren't up to any major hard work. Pruning knives for trees, fish scalers, magnifiing glasses etc. for instance. So if you are going swiss army this is the best of the bunch. Price/size/utility, its a good deal.

Very Useful Tool
I recieved this knife as a gift from my friend. Just from the feeling of it, I could tell that this was a high quality knife. It's made of high quality metal and was made very well. It comes with a lot of useful tools such as a screw driver, bottle opener, toothpick, tweezers, and more. I like to take it with me because it makes travelling more convenient. The only thing I don't like about this knife is that it is rather hard to clean. Overall though a good product.

Best quality, most useful, little knife in the world
I've had this model of the Victorinox Swiss Army knife for over 30 years now. With a little occassional whetting and oiling it is as fine as the day I got it. It has everything you will ever really need, in a package so small that you'll forget that you even have it in your pocket.
The two knife blades are first quality and take an edge so sharp that you could operate with them. The saw blade never seems to need sharpening and will rip through a surprisingly large branch. My can opener still opens cans smoothly with no maintainance- and it has opened hundreds. The cork screw is the only one I've ever owned- or needed. The tweezers have removed more splinters than I care to count. The leather punch is my first choice for adjusting a belt or pack strap. And I've adjusted any number of mechanisms in the field using the screw driver blades- and that little nylon tooth pick.

My only question is this: what the heck are the little bitty scissors for?

Wonderful Knife!
This is my favorite swiss army knife because it has everything you need without the weight. Its perfect to keep in your pocket or put in the glove box of your car. The only negative thing I can say about this knife is that there are no locking blades. Besides that, its a perfect buy. Nothing will rust, and the metal used is very high stainless quality. You cant wash swiss army knives in the dishwasher anymore because they dont use the same glue to bind the plastic to the metal, if you do the plastic will pop off. I suggest running the knife under cold water. Compared to any leatherman knife this is a better buy. I own the wave, and honestly this is a higher quality knife, theres no way it will fall apart! ... Read more

Features

• Pre-hardened, rust resistant steel blades stay sharp longer
• Lightweight, compact, and easy to use
• Lock-on button for continuous running
• Lock-off button prevents accidental starting
• Cord retention prevents trimmer from coming unplugged

Reviews (1)

Great product
I decided to get my husband this trimmer for father' day after seeing him trim our hedges with a small pair of pruning shears. He loves it!!! As stated, it comes fully assembled. Just get an extension cord, plug it in, and go for it. It was light weight but not flimsy. He couldn't believe how easy it was and how fast it was. We didn't know why we had not purchased one earlier. The price is great, the product is great and you will love it. Note...if you want to trim larger branches, Black and Decker makes larger trimmers. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

If you'd rather have time to sip lemonade than spend time watering your lawn or garden, start thinking about a Melnor electronic water timer. Here's how simple it can be: attach the timer to your hose faucet, press a few buttons, and use the digital display to set the clock; then just press a few more buttons to establish a preset schedule, watering up to six times a day. That's it! You're free to enjoy a frosty beverage on your deck. Or water while you sleep in, taking advantage of the cool morning air to avoid excess evaporation. Either way, you won't have to worry about overwatering.

This is Melnor's most advanced timer, so programming your own watering schedule (instead of using one of the five preset schedules) may take you a few minutes with the aid of the instruction manual. That said, the timer's infinite programmability and ability to water up to six times a day more than compensates for its operational complexity. The timer runs on two AA batteries (not included). Two-year limited warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Infinitely programmable 6-cycles
• Never over water again, simply set and forget
• Program to automatically start and shut off
• Works with low pressure drip and soaker hoses
• Set to water while you are away or at night

Reviews (18)

Most versatile timer/mister I've seen
I own two of these and love them. This has the most flexible scheduling I've ever seen. You can use the mist setting which allows the timer to run for 2,5,10, or 15 minutes then set off for 10 minutes then turn back on again. This is the best feature as it allows the water to soak into the ground instead of run off not to mention lower watering bills for the same green lawn.
If you have weak water pressure, using this mist setting to have two of the timers alternating between on and off. One is on for 10 minutes while the other is off.

For large sod installations, this timer is great. If you buy a 4-1 splitter of the main pipe, then attach these timers, then a 2 to 1 splitter, you can run 8 sprinklers on alternating time patters that allow each set of sprinklers to maintain high water pressure. No more moving sprinklers around!

You can set 6 different on/off times during ONE day if you need to. Great for new sod or overseeding a yard. Keeps it wet all day. You can select which days of the week to run or odd/even. It saves 5 different schedules. There's even a schedule that only runs once.

The other feature I love is the elmination of "water hammer." With other timers, you know when it stops because of that loud THUD! This timer has a more gradual open and shutting of the valve that elimnates that loud thud in your pipes.

Best I've used so far
I use this timer for two drip irrigation systems and it has been fantastic. You will not find this many features elsewhere for the same money. The programming is reasonably intuitive and easy to learn, and once you get the hang of it you can create a new program in seconds. I created five programs with varying watering times so that as the weather changes I can easily increase or decrease the amount of water delivered by just switching programs.

I haven't had any problems with reliability or battery usage. My timers were both running at least once a day all summer and after four months of this they were still going, so I don't know why others were having problems with this. Someone else recommended Nelson timers but I disagree - I went through nine or ten Nelson EasySet timers and they all failed (OSH took them back under warranty). Besides, the Nelsons use C batteries, which are more expensive than the AA batteries used by the Melnor.

A mixed bag
The good: This is by far the most flexible timer I could find. I have not had any problem with battery life. I ran the timer every day during the spring and summer and it lasted until the next season.

The bad: I second the notion that the plastic hose connector is a bad design. I have three of these timers and one of them sprung a leak after only a year of use. Another drawback is that the programming interface is not intuitive. I have bungled the programming on more than one occasion, and in one case I was able to create a watering schedule that was scheduled to water on no days! What good is that? Another problem is that one of my timers got water inside and damaged the display. It is still readable, but obviously it wasn't watertight.

There are better options
I have owned 3 of these Melnor timers and must say that they are quite flexible. But they are not intuitively easy to program and they suffer from the major flaw in faucet timers - a plastic connection to the faucet. Over time, the connection will loosen and water will leak into the unit and cause it to fail for any number of reasons including rust, battery corrosion, etc.
Simply stated, never buy a faucet timer that doesn't have a brass connection to the faucet. I have had good luck with Orbit timers and they provide a 4 year warranty on at least some of their models.

Look elsewhere
Features are great (thus the one star) but of the three I purchased two years ago, two died within the first year and the third is not working well now. Water gets into the electronics and shorts out the circuits. Plus one of them would not turn off the water completely. Strongly suggest you try a different manufacturer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Perfect for a garden, greenhouse, wine cellar, or baby's room,this remote, wireless sensor--designed as an add-on for use with anyOregon Scientific cable-free thermo-hygrometer monitor--displays theindoor or outdoor temperature and humidity where it's located and alsoradios the data to the monitor, which is not included. The sensor canbe placed up to 90 feet away from the monitor, and the channel it usescan be selected from among three options, permitting this sensor to beused with two others by the same monitor. It displays temperature ineither Celsius or Fahrenheit, with a range of minus-4 to 140 degrees F.It operates on two AA batteries (which are not included), has alow-battery indicator, measures 4-1/8 by 2-3/4 inches, and can be seton a flat surface with a stand or mounted on a wall (stand and wallmount are included). --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• Remote temperature/humidity sensor for garden, greenhouse, baby's room
• For use with Oregon Scientific cable-free thermo-hygrometer monitors
• Displays temperature and humidity; also radios data to monitor (not included)
• Wireless; operates on two AA batteries (not included)
• Works up to 90 feet away from monitor

Reviews (1)

Excellent Sensor
What makes this sensor so good is that it is wireless! I have not had any trouble using the sensor, works through wood and brick easily. It has a local digital readout so you can also use it for a display where you are monitoring. It mounts handily using two screws, and it is removable from the mounting bracket. I highly recommend this unit. ... Read more