Troy-Bilt TB22 Gas String Trimmer, Not quite ready for “Prime Time”

I’ve had quite a bit of experience with string trimmers. Gas, corded & cordless, I’ve used them all, my current outdoor tools are cordless. We wanted to see if we’d been missing out not using gas. I can say with no hesitation I’m sticking with my Ego Power+ Cordless tools.

I learned the hard way the grass isn’t always greener, pardon the pun. What moved me into cordless tools was the ease of start-up, lack of fumes & noise. Gas tools sometimes need many yanks on the cord to get going. Same with this one. This one took more than a few. With each successive stop, more yanks were needed. Then it started to sputter and stall out when idling, then I couldn’t get it started again at all. I checked the fuel mixture provided, & emptied and refilled, thinking I’d fouled the line somehow. I adjusted the choke. No go. I let it cool & went back to cordless to finish the front. When I tried to start it up again for the side yard, it took a lot of effort to get it running. By the time I got to the back grass, I could not get it to start or stay running. It’s brand new, it should not have given me these kinds of problems.

Hubby tried to fix it, as he can usually fix anything. He disassembled, cleaned, & reassembled the user serviceable parts & tried again, following the start-up instructions to the letter. It started up after some effort. He handed it over back to me & when I tried to get it started, it wouldn’t. I gave it back to hubby to try again, he couldn’t either. We were forced to give up. I went back to my Ego Power+ String Trimmer, which started up and ran like a dream, as it always does.

We used the provided & recommended pre-mixed fuel. The unit was new, had barely been used when it started giving problems. A online search to troubleshoot showed we’re not the only ones. I liked that you could build around the engine base with attachments like a blower, hedge trimmer, etc, but if the motor unit is this unreliable, all you’re left with is a bunch of stuff that doesn’t work. It’s loud, and creates a lot of fumes. It has good power to trim grass and weeds, beats corded by a mile in that regard. But it’s unreliable, even when it worked was difficult to start & keep running. I’m sticking with Ego cordless tools. They’ve never failed me. Troy-Bilt has now twice.

I received the above product(s) free of charge for the purpose of evaluation and testing for a review. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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TCP Global’s 7″ Variable-Speed Polisher Kit with 6 Polishing Pads

It is so easy sometimes to forget to take care of our vehicles properly, what with our hectic lives and lack of free time for anything substantial, like waxing and polishing our vehicle to properly maintain the paint and overall looks of something we paid 10’s of thousands of dollars for. And yet, we do, so TCP Global has something to make a tedious, mundane chore like waxing your vehicle so much quicker, easier, and simpler.

And yet the TCP Global 7″ Speed Polisher with 6 Polishing Pads kit can be as simple or complex as you need it to be, with multiple pads for different levels of waxing depending on the needs of your paint. Personally, I’ve been chewed out in my younger years for washing my car with soft soap and my hands before a big date, but Hubby came along and immediately put the kibosh on that, and showed me the importance of keeping the exterior or my car clean and properly maintained. This kit will definitely help you accomplish that, with variable speeds and a digital RPM readout screen to help you keep things even and uniform. There’s plenty of power in the 10 Amp, 1200 watt motor here for tough “cleaning” waxes for neglected paint, even as far as cutting waxes for severely weather-worn paints. But it’s also gentle enough for a clear coat quick polish as well, with a setting as low as 600 rpm, or as high as 3000 rpm for a liquid-like shine. The seven inch polishing pad covers enough real estate to make even waxing our big honking 4Runner a quick 45-minute task instead of an “all afternoon” task. You can even vary the grips as needed, with a simple side handle (similar to an angle grinder) for vertical applications, and a removable top mounted handle for trunks, hoods and tops that are horizontal. The 8 different waffle-foam pads are textured for 8 different levels of polishing, depending on the needs of your paint, with standar hook-and-loop attachment. Add a convenient high-impact molded carry/storage case, and you’ve got a professional-quality tool for less than the cost of a professional detail job.

And TCP Global stands firmly behind every product they sell. This 7″ Speed Polisher is comprehensive without feeling daunting for someone who’s just getting serious about automotive care, but not so over-the-top that a female like myself feels it’s “too much tool” for me. I’m glad I got to try it and can’t wait to see the results.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from TCP Global. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Feyachi Aluminum Carbine Quad Rail and Bubble Level Kit

I’ll not spend much time on this, because frankly the product isn’t worth it. Much like having to swear off supplements, I’m going to have to swear off these weapon accessories because so far I can list the ones worth the money they’re charging on one hand. This Feyachi/Xwin/Whatever quad rail takes the cake.

Shipped in an envelope, with the level and allen wrenches loose in a plastic bag with it, this rail was beat to hell before it even arrived. That didn’t matter much, because even though Feyachi swears otherwise, I still say this item looks used. The fit and finish is terrible, as is the quality control. I wasn’t expecting to be able to compare it to, say, a Daniel Defense or Noveske accessory, but I know you can grab n0-name drop-in rails for around the same $24.95 and get something much better, in better shape, shipped better too. The less said about the bubble level the better. I get the need for it, so you don’t cant your rifle and not hit your target at long distances, but who’s using a carnine-length AR with a quad rail for extreme distance shots?! Very few if any people, actually, but it wouldn’t matter because the bubble level is inaccurate as all get out, as my picture shows next to Hubby’s level from the garage.

In the end this stuff is so bad, I wanted to send it back to the company, even though I paid a few dollars for shipping, but it’s so bad I wanted those few dollars back. I got them and the company thought so much of their product that they told me to keep it or toss it, my choice. I chose to toss it, but I recommend you avoid this company’s products.

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Feyachi. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Tworld “Tactical” Red Laser Beam Dot Sight

Self and home defense are not things taken lightly in this house. From security gates, security cameras, to locks on every door and window, we try to leave nothing to chance. We also own a number of firearms. But they are only any good if you can hit what you are aiming at, and short of lots and lots (and lots and lots) of practice, there are a few add-on accessories that can remove as many variables from the equation as possible. Night sights, flashlights, and yes, even lasers.

A pistol is a staple in home defense, for good or for ill. There are those that believe a rifle or shotgun is superior, but let’s be honest: whatever makes the bad guy go away will do. Shot placement means more than your choice of weapon or caliber, and even the fellow with the most range time will be shaky and full of adrenaline when things go south. So, in theory, a laser will help you keep your shots center mass on the bad guy, or the 10 ring on the range target, with a little more accuracy and not making your house (or the neighbor’s) Swiss cheese. It also won’t affect night vision as much as a bright tactical light either. This laser does all that in theory, but since neither Hubby nor I have had time to range test it since the arrival of our new puppy, we can only say it certainly looks the part. It easily mounts to a variety of weapons with Picatinny or Weaver rails, but is quite large and the adjustment screws don’t seem to have a way to lock them (Hubby says some blue Loctite might work), so you may be constantly having to re-tighten the mount and/or zero it back in,  and without a bench vise that last part will be very tricky. It’s also quite long, as you can see from the pictures, as the end of the laser extends even beyond the frame of a large semi-auto pistol, and quite a distance beyond the end of a compact-ish pistol. You turn it on from the little button on the back, which means mounting any closer tot he finger guard makes turning it off and on impossible. It’s not heavy, but with the size it is I’d have expected it to project better in full daylight. It’s nearly impossible to see in full sunlight, so it’s useless at an outdoor range. What you have here is essentially a compact, office laser pointer with a simple universal aluminum mount.

The major advantages here are the super low price and near universal mounting capability, as well as availability of LR-44 type button cell batteries (this unit takes 3, & yes they are included) as a high-quality weapon laser can run you upwards of $50-$100 or more. This one is just $11.99 (at the time of this review), but you can see all the shortcomings of a cheap laser here, and honestly, I would not trust my life, or my family’s, to this product. Fine for an indoor range to practice, or maybe for a tacti-cool look, but functionally it leaves a lot to be desired.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from TWorld. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Tworld’s Adjustable and Foldable Rifle Bipod

Another day, another disappointing weapon accessory from overseas. The Quality Control in China on these products is abysmal, and the Tworld Adjustable Rifle Bipod is on exception. Parts were bent, damaged, scraped and jagged, possible from shipping, but possibly from poor manufacturing. Let’s get to the good on this bipod, though.

It can be easily mounted onto an existing swivel stud, or onto a Weaver or Picatinny style rail. It secures easily once you get the hang of it, and it takes some trial and error because there’s no instructions included. Plus everything is coated in that cheap machine oil, so a good wipe-down was in order immediately. The legs adjust from 6 to 9 inches, and can even be even set to different lengths should your blind or ground be uneven beneath you. The legs snap down hard and stay down, but do not lock, instead relying on tension from the springs that help actuate them. The non-slip rubber feet should hold the bipod in place long enough to get a sight picture as well.

The bad is, as mentioned, the terrible QC, the fit and finish is equally as bad too. The lack of instructions, the poor packaging, and the sheer size and weight. This is a bipod that you don’t want to have to pick up and shoot on the move with, as it will unbalance the rifle something fierce.

In the end, it’s a cheap $20 disposable bipod from China that you can use as a beater, or for seeing if that kind of target shooting is for you, and then buy something better made that won’t be delivered looking as rough as this one.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from TWorld. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Home Furnishing’s Network Tool Kit

Nothing is worse than a spaghetti monster of wires all over the house. WiFi is awesome, probably one of the top 3 things that changed my life for the better. And yet, despite the level of convenience it provides, there are times you need to go wired. Except, unlike regular standard phone jacks all over our homes, RJ-45 type cables are not as ubiquitous. What’s a gal (or guy) to do?

Home Furnishing has a simple all-in-one Network Tool Set that helps make running CAT-5 cables to your high-bandwidth devices so much easier. With a combo plier/crimper, wire stripper, cable tester, network connector, and 100 RJ-45 tips to customize CAT-5 (or 6 or 7) lengths to your specific needs. Now, I will admit the instructions were not written as clearly as I would like, and in some instances were downright confusing. SO, if you’re like me and running wiring isn’t you’re forte, you might have to break out your Google machine and get some pointers. The action on the crimpers/pliers was smooth enough, but the blade for the wire cutter in the handle is in a horrible place and might (probably will) cut the user eventually. Likewise the wire stripper could give problems because it requires you to bend a piece of plastic and as anyone who’s bent plastic over and over knows, that means it will eventually break. The major upside is you get the entire kit for under $15.00, which is what most charge for just the crimper.

It’s a decent value for the home DIY’er looking to crimp a few cables and clean up a mess of wound-up wires and only use it once or twice without breaking the bank. But this isn’t a tool built for longevity or for constant repeated use, so if that’s what you need, you might want to look elsewhere.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Home Furnishing. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

LK Baby’s “Heavy Duty Collapsible Trunk Organizer

If you’re like me you need to make more than a few stops to get groceries. Like, sometime 5 or 6 stops. All in different cities. And the one thing that gets Hubby’s goat more than anything are the “nickle-and-dime tactics” of markets that want you to pay for a bag. So thankfully, LK Baby offered us another car trunk organizer that has made our shopping trips a lot less frustrating.

See, we both get when a city has decided to ban plastic grocery bags. The reasoning is specious at best and the results are marginal, but hey, it’s pure profit for everyone involved (except the consumer). And charging for paper bags? When they’re made from the cardboard boxes they get their products delivered in? Give me a break! So I’m sure I’m not the only person who had things rolling around in the trunk or back seat because you’ve gotten tired of everyone having their hand in your pocket. And Starling’s is a lifesaver, because their organizer is big, spacious, sturdy and oh-so-helpful getting stuff from the truck to the house. It’s well-built and strong enough that we stuffed all our Costco purchases in it, and could easily carry everything in with no fear of dropping anything or the organizer being strained. It’s covered in water resistant nylon fabric, which means cold things sweating, or light spills, are not a problem. The bottom is unfortunately not rubberized, unlike the Starling’s version I previously tested, and the carry handles on the sides are strong and sturdy. You can customize the divider inside, or only open up half to minimize the space it takes up. I’m in love. And the dividers have done a fantastic job of keeping cold, warm, and non-food items all away from one another. There’s room in the pockets for more stuff, on all sides, and should one feel the need, you could store everything you’d need for any roadside emergency in Starling’s organizer, with room to spare. and when you’re done with it, it folds right back up, nice and flat and takes up practically no space at all.

We’ve bought cheap-o organizers for the car and truck before. They always fell apart, broke down, or weren’t made to last and got tossed. But for only $19.99, you get a rock-solid trunk organizer that holds way more than you’d think, and does more than you can imagine.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from LK Baby. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Precision Tactical Systems Universal Gun Cleaning Kit

 

One of the most important and often overlooked parts of gun ownership is proper maintenance. And while it can sometimes be a somewhat messy endeavor once in a while, it is absolutely essential to keeping your firearm operational.

Precision Tactical Systems knows this and have provided the beginner with quite a few tools to get you started down the road to proper firearm maintenance. Just in our home we have 5 different calibers of weapons, and buying a specific kit for each could run up a person’s bill quickly. Thankfully, 4 of the 5 can be partially serviced with this 27 piece kit. Unfortunately, the mops and adapters do not want to fit down the barrel of Hubby’s 5.56 rifle, and being how popular .223 and 5.56 caliber weapons are, this could pretty much disqualify this kit for a great many folks.  But, one brass brush and the thinner rods will easily fit, so it’s not like it doesn’t do some of the job. You’ll still need a way to mop the barrel, or apply CLP or oil (Hubby likes Hoppe’s #9) after. So I’d call it a “near universal” kit. The brushes are okay, and the mops drop fibers like crazy. The rods come in two sizes and can be extended to three lengths. The screw together true and shouldn’t bend or break like cheaper plastic versions would.

One other issue I ran in to was the “wooden” storage box. My first delivery the top was crushed. The thin balsa wood would have never withstood any real pressure. I notified the company and a replacement was shipped, but the replacement was crushed on top as well. This may (and probably is) Amazon’s fault, but the balsa wood it’s made from is so incredibly thin it wouldn’t take much to crush it anyways. I didn’t want to ding the company for a third, considering the likely result, but keep this in mind if you buy it as a gift or have it shipped directly to someone as a gift. The kit would make a fantastic gift for the person in your life just getting into firearms and needing a decent “jumping off” point when it comes to assembling what’s needed to be a responsible owner.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Precision Tactical Systems. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

CVLIFE Two Point Adjustable Rifle Sling

A rifle sling can be a very important, and often overlooked, accessory. Whether it’s a three-gun competition, or a home defense situation, a sling often can mean the difference between keeping your rifle at hand or taking the chance of fumbling it when called upon.

CVLife’s Two-Point Adjustable Rifle Sling is adequate for all but the professional shooter or professional soldier who’s life or livelihood may depend on it. It is made from study enough braided nylon with “bungee” type ends that have enough give in them to be useful without being restricting or affecting aim. My Husband easily modified his to a single-point sling by clipping one end onto one of the open portions of the other, so that there’s no slide or binding. The clips are strong, if a little on the small-ish side to manipulate with gloves or large fingers, but they easily clip on to the standard sling points on my Husband’s rifle. The srping is strong with no wiggle or give either. There’s no way to simply modify this sling to accept a quick-detach option short of ripping the seams and re-sewing one in, so keep in mind that you’re limited to the clip-on style of attachment with this sling.

As I said, a perfectly adequate harness for the occasional user, or hobby shooter, and the price reflects that as well. At $9.99, it’s a perfect entry-level sling and should fit the needs of almost every casual user.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from CVLIFE. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Sparkleberry Industries: Premium Wood Burning tips, Soldering tips and Stencil Kit Review

 

Crafting is something I have been slowly trying to get back into and it has not been easy. Not having the energy or time can be a big obstacle, as can be having the wrong tools. I had to research long and hard to even find a dependable wood burning pen because many would not work correctly, to just give out after just a few uses. Finding tips I thought was the easy part, but later I found that it was not the type, size, or style that would become the problem, it was the tip actually lasting. I had one tip from another manufacture just bend out of shape from the medium heat setting on the pen. I literally watched it just warp slowly as the pen heated up. Not a great start!

When Sparkleberry Industries offered to have me try a kit, well I have the pen and even the nice plastic box to carry all my essentials in, so why not. The kit includes:

• 15 Pyrography Tool Tips (Brass colored tips, plus silver colored “stamps”)
• 10 Soldering Tips (Silver colored tips)
• 2 hot knife tips
• 2 Plastic Stencils and
• 3 Metal Stencils

I know, that is a pretty comprehensive list and the perfect starter set or even one you can compliment your collection with!

 

Retail Price Point: $13.97 via Amazon and if you are a Prime member, shipping is free.

 

 

Verdict:
From the get-go, Sparkleberry Industries lists what each tip is used for and does not leave the consumer just guessing. Any of the silver toned pieces are softer, so less pressure is advised when using. I heated up the first tip, which was a heart shape and the tip warmed evenly and allowed me to stamp a perfect heart on the scrap of wood I was using. I then went down the list and tested both the Pyrography and some of the soldering tips. Again, none took a different shape or did I have issues when using them. I did not test the hot knife ones and it was mostly because I have no current need for them, but come Halloween, these knives are great at shaping tombstones for the holiday, which we make out of Styrofoam that is used for insulation/noise dampening. I tried pricing the kit and you add the stencils and I have a need for them not just for outlining but just for simple labeling, plus all the other accessories and it really is a great deal. Not complicated, as all tips twisted on and off with ease and they are true to their shape and remain that way during use. My wood burning box is now filled with so many tips that I just need to score a wood crate on sale and get crafting!

 

 

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Sparkleberry Industries. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.