Lawn and Garden Reviews

i second bill's review above. I originally bought a nelson travelling sprinkler, but it was made of plastic gears (and broke 3 times on me). The rittenhouse travelling sprinker is 100x better because the gears are all metal, and the gear design is simpler and less prone to breaking.

This is an initial reaction to the Rittenhouse traveling lawn sprinkler I recently purchased. As no one else has reviewed this device I though some input might be useful to readers. The reviews of many of the competitive models made it clear that the mechanical design and materials of construction would dictate performance and satisfaction. The Rittenhouse has run well and reliably right out of the box. The set up is simple; performance has been great, even going up and down modest grades. As an engineer, it's apparent what makes these fairly simple devices work...or not. This is a heavy cast iron machine with enough heft to track along the hose without problems. Weight makes a difference. Second, the gear mechanism is entirely metal. No plastic parts to break or strip due to stress and fatigue. It also looks simple to service and maintain with periodic lubrication. In recent years I have purchased a number of off-shore mechanical devices and machines. The quality has ranged from barely acceptable to poor. This "made in the US" product looks like a winner. I'll add some additional comments after the summer season to let readers and buyers have the benefit of more lawn sprinkling experience.

I have many flying critters because of leaving a door open for my dogs. I am afraid to open my mouth for fear of one landing there. The fly trap placed by a light has collected not only flies, but gnats, moths, and a number of unidentified flying critters, and has allowed me to live in peace again. I'm so pleased I am going to stock up on them. Be careful not to touch as they are very sticky, but it comes off easily too. M. L.

I bought a few of these after my apartment was infested with fruit flies. After only a few hours, the trap had "attracted" many flies and within a few days they were practically gone. This may not be a long term solution, but if flies are driving you crazy, consider buying this. One caution- the surface is very sticky, so try to avoid touching it.

This mower used to be made by Agri-Fab, but they stopped producing it. I have one and it is awesome. The blade spins freely, so it doesn't have resistence when pushing. All the other Great States / American Lawnmower Company mowers that I know of have contact blades, which dull quickly and make the mower difficult to push.

The ARS 210DX is a great garden companion--small enough to carry in your back pocket, large enough to cut 2 and 3" diameter branches. The blade is fabulous, with super sharp teeth that cut through even tough oak and manzanita. The slightly curved handle is reasonably ergonomic and compact enough to work in tight spaces. The blade locks with a manual clip, a bit more cumbersome that some folding blades that have an internal latch. The blade itself is the real sell. Unlike many folding saws (the Felco in particular, but also Corona) the blade is stiff and strong and very resistant to breaking. The ARS can be hard to find, but it is worth it!

I sure do love my E-Z hoe. A fella normally shouldn't get too worked up about his hoes, but this is one hard working hoe, fo shizzle. Why just the other day, I worked my hoe all day out in the hot sun and didn't hear even one squeek of complaint. If you're looking for a good, dependable, hoe that doesn't mind getting a little dirty, then this is the hoe for you.

I was very pleased with my 2x4 Basics AnySize workbench kit. The instructions were very easy to follow and I built an 8' x 3' workbench with a 5' pegboard and shelves. I even had to order an additional set of shelflinks.

I recently purchased this chainsaw and it is the first chainsaw I have ever owned. I have used friends' chainsaws in the past for about three hours of total experience. I got the saw, read through the owners manual, hooked up the bar (20") and chain, put some gas and chain oil in it and started it up. Today was my first use of the chainsaw. I cut a 20" diameter tree that had fallen down and this saw cut through it like butter. I went through a few tanks of gas and as long as I kept a sharp chain on the saw it kept cutting. I recommend this saw to anyone looking for a nice saw to cut firewood with. The chain is easy to adjust and replace with a sharp one. It starts up easy and it feels safe to use.

In May i bought one of these shovels, it was by far one of the best buys I ever made. I was digging a hole in my back yard for weeks after I bought it. It was the deepest hole I ever made! It was a lot of exersize and fun too! But next time i won't dig so close to a septic tank, I just couldn't bathe enough after that. Buy this item , I highly recommend it!

Me and my kids are loving the aerogarden. They're constantly checking it for new growth and watching the roots. They've even named the plants. What's really nice is that they actually get excited about eating the salad with the aerogarden lettuce. It's helping us eat a little healthier and is fun too - a great deal. Highly recommended.

I love this product -- no dirt, no bugs and no chance of over-watering! This is very easy to assemble and easy to use. Just add water and a couple of nutrient tablets every two weeks. There's even a light that tells you when you need to do this.

I planted my Gourment Herbs on June 15 and I was ready to harvest the basil before the fourth of July! If you follow the instructions, there's no way to mess this up.

My only caution is (and this is noted in the instruction booklet) that the lamps are on about 16 hours a day and they are bright at night. I can close off the bedrooms, so it doesn't bother me.

I highly recommend this product to anyone one who has tried to grow herbs indoors in the past

We live in the Northwest and are frustrated gardeners, with only 3 months of summer sunshine it is very difficult to grow warm weather crops like basil and tomatoes.
We tried an Aerogarden and found that these little units produce harvestable basil and other herbs in less than a month all winter long. In fact we couldn't use it fast enough to keep up with plant production so we were giving herbs away to friends and neighbors.
Our newest replanting was growing tomatoes from seed. Truly amazing since in our garden you have to start with one gallon starters and then usually get spoiled, blighted tomatoes if it rains during summer. With Aerogarden our salad tomatoes were producing inside in springtime from healthy, robust looking tomato plants. They did so well I transplanted them in patio containers outside when summer weather finally arrived.
We think we are going to get a second unit so we can grow lettuce and herbs simultaneously.

This is a acceptable rain gauge for the National Weather Service. This is very easy to read and can handle even the greatest down pours up to 11 inches. I have had an over 6 inch rain fall in a 24 hour period and any other rain gauge would have over flowed. the 4 inch diameter will give much more accurate readings then the smaller diameter opening gauges.