Jana Sabata's Blog

The bike arrived in a well protected box with lots of padding from Schwinn. The instructions were great, all the parts were inside as well as all the tools needed for assembly. Schwinn A20 Recumbent Exercise The assembly was very easy due to the simple instructions and only took 30 minutes to complete. This is a heavy duty recumbent bike and very well made. We looked at 5 different competitors bikes at local sporting good stores before deciding on this one. We felt it was far better than the others in quality, comfort, appearance, and ease of use. My wife and I were use to the Precor model at the YMCA and this is very close to the same quality as the Precor for a lot less money. Bike went together well and didn’t take too long. Bike is very sturdy and works well. My biggest gripe is the super small screen and it doesn’t light up so in a bright room you are lucky if you can see any of the special feature like pulse, distance, speed and so on. It would be nice if the screen was a little brighter. So far bike itself serves my purpose. I bought this bike to help me “pre-hab” before my knee surgery and I’m glad that I did. It is a well made cycle that was not too hard to assemble. I’ve used it daily for over 2 months and have not had any problems. The recumbent style makes it easy on the back yet I still feel that I get a good workout from it. The seat is very firm and I am using a thin chair cushion to make it more comfortable. I think that this bike is a good choice for someone looking to add cycling to their home exercise routine. I recommend this bike for people who want to sit and pedal while they do other things. Pedal while you watch TV. Put a laptop table on it and surf the web. Play a video game. You’ll pedal for hours and not even realize you’re doing it. When you get up you’ll feel it and after a while you’ll see results. I don’t so much recommend this for people who want to do the hard core half hour workout where you get your heart rate up and try to go a certain distance or time. The screen is hard to read. Maybe if you get a book light and put it right on it it would help. For my hardcore workouts I still use my treadmill. This machine is just a great thing for burning calories while doing other stuff I need or want to do.

I am not too concerned about reliability because I bought a Generac because my father has had an older model portable for 13 years and my Uncle has had the same Generac Portable for almost 30!! Also, I have a Pressure washer with a Generac engine on it for 12 years and have never had a problem (lots of use too.) Plus, the unit comes with a two year warranty. Generac 5778 XG4000 I purchased this generator to replace one of a different brand which failed during a recent power failure. So far I am delighted with the Generac 4 kW replacement generator. It is a nice package size on wheels, easy to start, has good voltage regulation and not too noisy, 95 dB SPL at full load. 90 dB SPL with no load. Since purchasing this generator, there has not been another power failure during which I can give it a longer run under load. But my testing shows there should be no problem. Living in California required the purchase of a CARB (California Air Resources Board) compliant generator, which this one is. First of all I would like to say that I love this Generator. I bought mine from a local dealer, after reading about this new model from a popular mechanics article and award, but I think my review may be useful to others here. The setup of the generator is very easy and only took me two minutes. Generac includes your first maintenance kit with the generator (this comes in handy, I will explain later.) I got my generator about a two weeks before Wisconsin (where I live) got hit with a huge blizzard 24″ of snow and 40mph winds with -5 F temps. We lost power for almost 24 hours – my wife, who was very annoyed that I bought this unit just before the holidays, changed her tune greatly when our house was the only one on the block with heat and christmas lights running. The Generator performed great the entire time. Since Generac includes the maintenance kit I didn’t have to run aroud trying to figure out where to buy the oil filter as the unit needs to have oil and filter changed after the first 30 hours (break in period.)

I bought this oven to replace a Whirlpool of equal size. I like the LG. It’s a little more powerful, and the moisture sensor seems to work pretty well. LG LMV1680ST It’s a heavy beast and you will want to use the template that comes with it to lay out the installation bracket positions and holes for the support bolts. Get those right and the installation is no big deal. It does take two people to horse this 60 lb. appliance into place while starting the bolts, threading the cord etc. This microwave is wonderful. The quick heat buttons are convenient and easy to use. If you read Consumer Reports, it says this (or similiar) microwave has only a useful space of 0.9 cubic feet. Not so. This has a full 2.0 cubic feet of space which is great for cooking a ham or a large casserole dish. Very sharp design, useful and adequate lighting underneath. For the installation/do-it-yourselfers: It’s 60 pounds and you have to lift it above your shoulders if you are installing over a stove. Follow the instructions to the letter, and all will turn out great. The directions are very good. Note: If you can, remove your stove before installing the microwave. The mfgr doesn’t mention this, but it made things a lot easier (and I got to clean under it!)…2-3(-3 preferred) people are definitely needed to install this safely due to its weight and awkward size. I recommend this microwave highly! As others report, the fan is REALLY loud. Wow. And low fan is just as loud. The fan is definitely the down side. I found that the light is bright enough. Cooking is fast. The control panel is very Spartan. Oh, it has all the buttons, but where my old microwave said Pizza and Casserole etc. in the display, this one just has a numeral and you’ll have to refer to the book a bit until you get the hang of it. Most of my cooking is just hitting the quick button anyway, so let’s be real. I’m glad it doesn’t have a lot of features I’ll seldom use and that I would have had to pay for. The door looks solid enough to me. I see no problem with keeping it clean that others have reported, but perhaps that’s because mine is white? So it’s a good basic microwave, as cheap as they come and it works just fine. I consider it a 5-star cheap microwave.

I purchased my Hobart 140 a little over a year ago, after trying two other brands that failed me within a few days. Hobart 500500 I can not say enough good about this little machine. I have 5.5 acres of land and have a few tractors, one big one and some other equipment that I am able to fix anything that needs welded on them with this machine! I have even made money using it to weld items for friends and neighbors. Everything from bow racks to tool carts to lawn and garden to automotive applications and everything in between!! Plenty of power for what I use it for. I am a MIG welder of 20+ years experience with aluminum and steel. Without going into the details of how to weld, and what wire, gas mix or tip to use for what material, as you probably already know or have some welding experience, I’ll just skip all that and say simply: With either straight argon, or an argon mix (I’m not a fan of flux-core), you can produce some great looking, strong beads with this machine – no problem! You wont be disappointed in this welder from Hobart! I bought this welder more than 2 years ago. At the time, I had never welded before. I used this welder for my first project in building a camping trailer that we pull behind our jeep. The welder is awesome! It didn’t take me long to learn how to weld. I did start out using flux core and then moved to gas welding (MIG). Just one note, it will work on a 15 amp breaker, but I highly recommend using a 20 amp as it will not take long for the 15 amp breaker to trip. Never buy anything on the judgment of one reviewer. As with all my reviews, the above is only my opinion or observation of an item that I own or have tested. Consider that it is possible that I may have either purchased/tested a faulty unit or an exceptionally good one. Your experience may differ from mine, better or worse. Paying attention to the up or down trend from several reviewers will help you make an educated decision on whether or not the item is for you.

I’ve had my hamilton beach for a couple of weeks now. It blows away the mr. coffee machine I had before. The most important feature for me is the no-drip pouring. Hamilton Beach 43254 My last coffee pot would drip all over the counter when I poured a cup. The coffee is good and hot. And best of all, it matches the rest of my stainless steel appliances beautifully. I love using the programmable feature for my morning cup before work. For under $50, I can’t complain about anything. I reviewed a lot of other brands but decided on this one because of the simplicity of use and the manufacturer’s and Amazon’s reputation. As other reviewers have cited you must be careful in filling the water receptor because if you miss it just a bit it will drain out onto the plate. Do it once and you wont miss again, lol The only other quirk is that the cover of the caraffe does not come off for dishwasher cleaning. Otherwise I am very satisfied both with the product and Amazon. My husband is very fussy about coffeemakers – adequate number of automatic features, dripless carafe, price. We have tried a range of mid- to high-priced versions over the years but none met the satisfaction we have had with the Hamilton Beach Coffeemaker. We have purchased three only because I like my coffeepot to look new or because we moved and changed the decor of the kitchen (from red to black). Great price and features, good looks as well. I had read all the previous reviews when i ordered this coffee maker. The carafe pours smoothly without dripping, the controls are easy to use and the programming is easy. The water reservoir is somewhat awkward to get the water into, I had to rotate the coffee maker around on my counter to get a good angle to pour. There is alot of condensation on the top but it pours right back into it with no drips. The basket seals very nicely so there are no leaks when the carafe is removed. All in all this is a great coffee maker.

just purchased this mower. first time use 10 minutes into it and damn the back left wheel broken off at the central hub. Snapper SPV2270HW after inspection of the wheels the hub is made of quite thin plastic and was simply poorly designed to handle grass cutting. snapper cut corners with these wheels. that is correct i was on an even grade with no pot holes or other types of obstructions that would cause the wheel to break off. the engine is powerful and the self propelled strong. i just can’t get over that the wheel broke with immediately new use. damn.

Oregon Gator Mulcher 3-N-1 Lawn

Sale rank: 7,026
ASIN: B0018U03AS ; UPC: 032488966073 ; Number Of Items:
Publisher: Blount International/Oregon
Model: 96-607
Is Eligible For Super Saver Shipping? Yes (Free shipping)
Toro 21-inch walk behind, 22-inch Atomic blade
Blade center hole diameter 0.44-inch
Blade width 2.25-inch
Blade length (measured diagonally): 21.8-inch
Replaces OEM No. 104-8697-03, 108-9764
Package Dimensions: Width x Height x Length : 2.5 x 0.2 x 21.75 inches ;
Package Weight: 1.95 pounds

Max Power 331731S 22-Inch Lawn

Sale rank: 18,233
ASIN: B003VPAEI4 ; UPC: 512348454174 ; Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Rotary Corporation
Model: 331731S
Is Eligible For Super Saver Shipping? Yes (Free shipping)
Blade measures 2.25-inch x 22-inch
Replaces #157101, 335256, 114886, 141114, 152202, 406713
5/8-inch center hole
Fits Craftsman, Husqvarna, Weedeater, Poulan
Mulching Blade for 22-inch Cut Mower
Package Dimensions: Width x Height x Length : 2.25 x 1.25 x 22.25 inches ;
Package Weight: 1.8 pounds

Features : Powerhorse 3000 PSI Pressure Washer

Powerhorse 3000 PSI Pressure Washer Awesome and High quality
25-ft. Powerhorse 3000 PSI Pressure Washer high pressure hose
Downstream chemical injector
Produces 2.5 GPM @ 3000 PSI
Direct drive axial pump with adjustable pressure
Powerhorse 208cc OHV engine with cast iron sleeve and low oil shutdown

This Powerhorse Gas-Powered Pressure Washer is engineered to meet the demands of both professionals and homeowners. Powerhorse pressure washers deliver power and durability, supported by extensive field testing, elevating technology to a new level of performance. Powerhorse represents the perfect combination of value and quality.

Karcher K 5.540 X-Series 2000-PSI

Sale rank: 2,139
ASIN: B004P5POKM ; UPC: 036339033204 ; Number Of Items:
Publisher: Karcher
Model: 1.603-320.0
Is Eligible For Super Saver Shipping? Yes (Free shipping)
Measures 15.5 by 16.5 by 23 inches; 1-year limited warranty
Includes trigger gun, VPS wand, DirtBlaster spray wand, and integrated accessory storage
Water-cooled induction motor; quick-connect system; detergent tank; pressurized hose reel
2000-PSI; 25-foot high-pressure hose; 1.4 GPM direct-drive axial pump
Electric high-pressure washer for residential use
Package Dimensions: Width x Height x Length : 16.8 x 15.4 x 22.9 inches ;
Package Weight: 37.95 pounds

We bought this vacuum to replace one that we wore out – literally – on our slate floors. The wheels on the old one would get hair wrapped around them, stop turning, and unless you realized what was happening in time would grind the plastic down. LG Kompressor PetCare They had pretty much stopped working, but the final straw was when we wore through the part of the head that connects to the wand. So much for the old unit. This one is a very nice, relatively quiet vacuum with excellent suction. We’ve had it about 2 months. The only complaint I have is that the “pet hair” attachment for furniture does a good job for a few minutes, then has to have its brushes manually cleaned or they stop turning. It is really easier to use the non “motorized” (it’s really the suction that turns the brushes) attachment, which works just fine. It would also be nice if there were a place to store attachments on the unit itself. I would have rated it a “5″ otherwise. I recently acquired a long hair cat so I decided it was time to purchase a new vacuum, the Kompressor Canister Compact PetCare Vacuum Cleaner. The vacuum works great on all my hardwood floors. The vacuum has a clear storage unit for the dirt which makes it easy to see when it needs to be cleaned out. My old canister vacuum had a bag and the gauge never worked correctly. It is small, easy to handle, has good power, and is quiet. The cat does not run away while I am vacuuming which surprises me because she is always hiding. I bought a new hose to extend the life of my 36 year old Kenmore canister. However, I decided to look at today’s canisters for something as simple and durable as the old Kenmore. The ‘LG Kompressor Canister Compact PetCare …’, LCV800R was second up (first up was a disappointing Panasonic). This LG Kompressor Compact looks like, feels like a fragile, gimmicky, minaturized version of something larger. Although cute, it didn’t appear to have much life, too many things to go bad or break on it. I returned it. I’ll continue looking for something like the old Kenmore. Is there one.