Reviews by macintoshguru

macintoshguru says "Silent" about LG LDS4821BB Dishwasher

macintoshguru — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:05:26 GMT

I have had this dishwasher for about six months and am very happy with it. First off the inside is stainless steel so no more stains to worry about. Next thing I love is that the top rack is completely removable so when I have tall things to wash they fit easily in the lower rack. I also like the wine glass holders in the upper rack which are deep enough to actually hold the glass stems in place when the high pressure water starts up. Then there is the lack of a energy consuming heating element in the bottom of the washer. It uses a sophisticated condensation system and a fan to drain the water. Also in the bottom there is a stainless steel blade below the lower wash arm that acts as a mini garbage disposal so pre-rinsing isn't necessary. And after the initial amount of water runs through the racks a light beam shines through the water if there are a low amount of food particles because you pre-rinsed then the dishwasher actually cuts back on your cleaning time. All in...

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macintoshguru says "Overpriced" about Dyson DC07 All Floors Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum

macintoshguru — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:43:55 GMT

Replaced a Hoover windtunnel upright with this dyson 07. First of all this is not self-propelled and rather heavy to push. You would think a vacuum with a pricetag of over $300 would have this feature. Also there is an awful lot of plastic. Cord length is a nice 22 foot. Hose disconnect in order to use attachments is rather cumbersome. I miss having a floor brush attachment that most uprights have. The dyson only has a lever on the base to select carpet or bare floors and the bare floor setting doesn't get as much dust as a brush. Emptying the canister is a very messy procedure and should only be done outdoors as fine dust and lint particles fly everywhere. All in all I wouldn't buy another dyson.

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macintoshguru says "Throw Away Your Broom" about Hoover Outdoor Sweeper Vacuum, Black

macintoshguru — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:38:19 GMT

This is the most useful and innovative product I've come across in a long time. Before buying this I dreaded mowing and edging because the clean up of grass clippings took longer than the actual mowing. Not any more. The Spinsweep uses no gas or electric to run. Picture a street sweeper in miniature. The counter-rotating brushes pick up everything from sand to cans thanks to the adjustable-height brushes. It collects the debris in a large plastic bin that is very easy to empty.

It does not replace a blower, but works together with it to get the job done. It must be easy to use, because my 7 year old son loves to push it around. It gives him a job to do when we are out working on the yard. The best part is that it is easy to empty. I use the blower to round up as much as I can, then I use the sweeper to pick up the pile, and the bigger stuff the blower cannot move. It's assembles in a flash and stores flat against the wall.

There are two models; the L1400 and L1405. The...

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macintoshguru says "Strange Casting" about Mamma Mia! (2008 movie)

macintoshguru — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:11:36 GMT

I have been an avid ABBA fan for many years so when I heard that a movie based on their songs was coming out I couldn't wait. I thought it was strange to cast a dramatic actress like Meryl Streep in the lead, but I was willing to give her a chance. Well after watching it twice I stick with my original opinion. Streep's gyrations didn't fit in quite a few places. And as much as I really like the dashing Pierce Brosnan he seemed very uncomfortable trying to sing. Also Christine Baranski didn't fit the role at all. She definitely wouldn't have been attracting young males the way she looked. The rest of the cast members were fine. The scenery was gorgeous and makes me want to visit Greece. And the cameos of the original ABBA guys was a neat touch.

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macintoshguru says "Powerful But Poorly Made" about Karcher Model 395 Pressure Washer

macintoshguru — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:00:20 GMT

I bought the Karcher Model 395 Electric pressure washer because I don't have a large property and am always within 25 feet of an electrical outlet. Also I don't like the noise of a gas unit and I don't like storing gasoline. It is a 1500 PSI that delivers 1.7 gallons per minute. It comes with an adjustable pressure wand that allows cleaner dispensing at the lowest pressure and a turbo nozzle that seems to boost the 1500 PSI to 2000. It works extremely well and I would highly recommend it except for the poor quality construction. The coupling where the water hose attaches is made of plastic and can't stand the strain of moving the unit around with a heavy hose attached. After only using it a few times water started shooting out of the housing where the female connection is. I tried to open the housing but it is held together with non-standard screwheads that are recessed. I am afraid to purchase another Karcher for that reason. However I will take a look at their newer units...

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macintoshguru says "Love Not Having Gas Engine" about Black & Decker Grasshog NST2018 Hedge Trimmer

macintoshguru — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:29:15 GMT

I've owned this for 8 years and love it. Not being tied to a cord or having to mess with gas and oil and pull starts is great. Cuts very well even with the tough St. Augustine we have here in Florida, that passes for grass. I opted to purchase the silver 18 volt batteries instead of the normal Firestorm or Black and Decker type. They last much longer. I also have the 18 volt cordless blower and love it too....

macintoshguru says "Best of the Best!" about USAA Banking and Insurance

macintoshguru — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:14:14 GMT

I have been with USAA since 1972. Their service is above and beyond. Several years ago we had a hail storm in Texas during the weekend. By the time I got to work on Monday morning, USAA had already left a message that they were sending a team to my area and would like to set up an appointment to see if I had any damage. Then they wrote me a check on the spot for roof and screen repairs. Great company!...

macintoshguru says "Super Blender" about Vita-Mix 5000 Variable Speed Blender

macintoshguru — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:23:54 GMT

Most blenders are in the 300 or 400 watt range; this one is 1100 watts. Comes with two containers and blades. One for dry blending like wheat or nuts and the other for everything else. This is what smoothies are all about. The only blender I have ever used that totally pulverises ice without leaving any chunks. In fact I found this used in some of the stores in the mall that make drinks like Orange Julius....

macintoshguru says "Best Car I've Ever Owned" about Toyota Prius - 2004

macintoshguru — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:27:08 GMT

I've owned this car since 2004 and have gone over 35,000 miles so far. The only maintenance I've had so far is 3,000 mile oil changes. It is as comfortable as a Lexus LS400 that I owned, in fact I have even slept in it overnight. Very quick acceleration since both the gas and electric motors kick in when needed. Overall my gas mileage has averaged 49 with regular gas. Rear seats fold down for extra room and it has 4 doors and a hatchback....

macintoshguru says "Fast & Reliable" about LaCie D2 (301195U) DVD-RAM Burner

macintoshguru — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:19:40 GMT

I bought this so as not to wear our my internal DVD/CD burner on my laptop. It was a good value and immediately recognized by all of my burning software. It is much faster than my built-in drive. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, reliable, inexpensive external DVD burner....

macintoshguru says "Perfect GPS" about Garmin - Nuvi 650

macintoshguru — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:45:46 GMT

I have tried Magellan, Tom Tom and was disappointed with both. Tom Tom couldn't even locate the store I purchased it from inside their parking lot, and this store has been there for over 6 years. The wide screen is well lit and easy to see. Touch screen is accurate. So far I haven't been able to enter anyplace it couldn't find. I like being able to upload mp3 to internal memory or sd cards. Currency converter and calculator is handy. Costco had this on their website for $299. A steal....

macintoshguru says "Outstanding Value" about Virgin Mobile

macintoshguru — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:31:34 GMT

I was tired of paying monthly contract fees. 600 minutes cost me over $55 a month and I almost never used all of them. With Virgin you only pay 18 cents a minute, and have to top up 4 times a year for a cost of $20 each quarter. Loved so much that we purchased for my Mother and Mother-in-law, so that they can use them for emergencies since they live alone....