Forearm Forklift

Product Description

I hate moving furniture. I always end up with scratched floors, dented walls and a sore back. So when I decided (thanks to my dog eating my carpet) to install new carpet, I thought to myself… “There has got to be a better way”.

So while I was with the family at the local big box store, I quietly snuck my older son away to go visit the best isle in the store… The as seen on tv isle!

Oh what wonders filled he small eyes. A cornucopia of delights!!! A true father son moment that I am sure he will share with his children.

From https://www.getthestraps.com/

Forearm Forklift® Lifting Straps

· Ergonomically designed to encourage proper lifting techniques
· OSHA accepted to reduce potential injuries due to heavy & repetitive lifting
· Adjustable up to 48 inches
· Easy to use - instructions included
· Safe - won’t damage floors
· Portable - conveniently stores in drawer, tool box or under a truck seat
What It Costs $19.95 (+ S&H) I got mine at the local big box store.

Ease of assembly 5 Stars

These are straps, no need for assembly (unless you get the extenders – I didn’t)

Ease of use 4 Stars

To use the Forearm Forklift, you need to put the straps under the item you want to move. Then with the help of your partner, adjust the straps to find the correct balance on your forearms and the furniture. Using the Forearm Forklift does help take the pressure off of your back and is much better then trying to hold furniture with just your hands. One neat feature of the Forearm Forklift is that the straps have different openings to insert your arms into. This helps you maximize your leveraging potential.



Actual performance 4 1/2 Stars
Oddly enough, this works best on heavier furniture. It also helps to position the straps correctly. Give a small lift first to ensure the furniture is properly balances (thus avoiding falling furniture.

Final thoughts on practicality

You still need to be careful. Lift by bending at the knees, not with your back. Also you still need an assistant to properly use the Forearm Forklift. Also I highly recommend getting the extra extensions for this. It will be a big help with larger items.

If you are using this on stairs the person on the lower side needs to use the lower slots in the Forearm Forklift. The person on the higher side needs to use the highest slots. This will help keep the item balanced. This is one area where the extensions are truly necessary.

Overall, I like the Forearm Forklift. It helps make a difficult job, less difficult.




Final Score

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Crayola Color Explosion

Description

When it rains its pours…. Nothing so sad as when my two boys are trapped in the house during a rainy summer day. Oddly enough, suggestions of cleaning their room or picking up the toys in the family room don’t go over too well. Now when I was young and it rained, we broke out the Monopoly board game for an afternoon of fun. But today’s kids want more and this modern day caveman knows just what to do.

“Crayola Color Explosion™ lets you create wild multicolored effects with a single color-reveal marker! The unique clear-ink marker works only with black Color Explosion paper, revealing hidden colors for amazing designs. Drawings can be done freehand or with stencils.”

What It Costs $10.99 (+S&H)

I got mine at Amazon using my above discount. Since I purchased a few items, FREE SHIPPING!!!! I am not sure if they have these at your local big box. I have not checked.

Ease of use 4 Stars

Crayola has turned around the concept of colored pens applying ink onto paper. The pens in this case, remove the black film on the paper exposing the color underneath. The hardest part with using this product is getting it out of the packaging.

Once they were out my older son took right to it and had a great time with it. My youger son.... well he prefered SpongeBob on TV.

Actual performance 4 Stars

My older son loves this product. But you do need to exercise some caution when using this. You should let the kids draw with these on the table. If the kids hands are wet, then the paper gets wet and the black gets on the hands, then the table, then the clothes, etc.

Final thoughts on practicality

I like it. My older son likes it. It might be a bit too much for my 5 year old. I think that this falls into one of the categories of possible messy fun. Take the right precautions by keeping the juice boxes away and you won't have too many problems. Granted my son is no Picasso, but he does enjoy drawing and he does enjoy this product.

If you child likes to draw, then perhaps you should give this a try. I would consider this a good inexpensive gift for the child that likes to draw.

Final Score

4 ½ out of 5 stars

HyLoft

Description
If you are like me, sometimes clutter in the garage can start to add up. Now I am a big fan of organizing my tools. I recently finished off the inside of my garage with insulation, sheetrock and pegboard. I then added wire shelving and organized my tools by function. I have an pegboard with electrical tools, another for painting, a third for plumbing, and a fourth for carpentry. I also have my power tools on the wire shelving organized for easy finding. Nothing drives me more insane then not being able to find the correct tool for the job at hand.

However my caveman organization skills stop with my tools. All other items in the garage seem to wind up on the floor in a pile. I like to call it the lost and never found again pile. Well a couple of weeks ago while looking at my organized tools and then the big pile, I decided to find a better way. So as always I went to my good friends at http://www.asseenontv.com/ for inspiration.

"HyLoft Overhead Garage Storage system hangs from garage joists or ceiling to create a super-strong storage rack for all that stuff that used to waste floor space in your house, attic, basement or garage. It utilizes wasted space by storing large and oversize items overhead, freeing up space. Each unit holds up to 250 pounds of weight, tie straps for joining multiple units together are included. Made of durable steel with a steel wire gird and a scratch resistant white finish. Each unit is 45" x 45" with height adjustable from 16" to 28". Will not interfere with garage openers. Includes written instructions and an installation video with each purchase. "


What It Costs $99.95 & $25.95 Shipping and handling

Ease of use 3 Stars (using it is easy, installing it is harder)

Okay so Saturday comes and I scope out a corner of the garage to install my HyLoft. Good thing I have my Little Giant Ladder to help. After playing with the Little Giant Ladder trying to configure it into a super cool shape, I settle on breaking it out into two a frames and adding the scaffolding. SWEET!!!! Well that was fun but between moving the pile of that I want to put on the HyLoft, configuring the ladder, reviewing the installation video and laying out all the HyLoft parts, I have burned through the entire afternoon. Oh well There is always tomorrow….

Sunday afternoon comes and I start installing the HyLoft. The installation was not too bad and can be done by most people with time and a bit of patience.

I also got to use my stud finder (it always is beeps when I hold it) yea baby, I’m a stud!

It took a good 2 hours to complete the installation but I did waste some of that time playing with other tools that I have.

Actual performance 5 Stars (come on now, it's a shelf - how could it not get 5 stars)

A couple of things I like about the HyLoft is that it can configure in height from 16 inches to 28 inches. I set mine up for the full 28. The hyLoft also is white and matches the wire shelving for my tools. The bottom of the HyLoft is a grid so air can pass through for circulation. I like that feature as it helps me find things from down below.

Final thoughts on practicality

It’s a bit pricey but for my man cave, nothing but the finest will do. Besides it's a one time expense.

I even went down to the local big box and picked up some clear storage bins so that my HyLoft looks like the one in the following picture.

Installation can be tricky if you have a high ceiling in your garage and if you are not handy with tools, you may want to have your handy neighbor come over and help you install this. I find a pizza and some beer seem to help get the neighbor over.

One last peice of advice. Please don't overload the HyLoft with too much weight. The unit can hold up to 250 Lbs which should be enought for most homeowners.

Final Score

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Active Sandals

Product Description
Boating season is upon us here in North Carolina and many people claim that Lake Norman located in NC is a boating paradise. It’s a large lake and hard to argue with these claims. As such, I needed to get some fashionable apparel for the boating and beach season. That is where the folks at http://www.active-sandals.com come in. I ran across their web site the other day while watching a show on my computer (yea yea, I know, GEEK!!!). Now I know this is an review website for television commercials but since I was watching Gilligans Island on the computer, I think this works... The other reason the name stuck with me is because ReviewMe asked me to do an “advertisement:” for the company. So I though to myself, let’s take a look. After all, even a caveman needs a good pair of Reef Sandals (or kicks as I like to call them) to get around in.

I clicked onto their web site and found that they have both Men and Women sandals. They stock Rainbow, Chaco, Keen, Medium, Cobian, Danskos, Crocs, HOLD ON THERE….. Did they say Crocs? When I think of Crocs, the name conjures up a fierce animal with teeth. Unfortunately, the Crocs they sell are for the feet…

What It Costs FREE GROUND SHIPPING on all orders over $75.00! and they ship nationwide (sorry for you folks in the UK) - They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on items they sell.

Ease of assembly N/A
It’s footwear. If you can snap a clasp or tie a shoe lace, your set.

Ease of use 4 1/2 Stars.

Their web site is setup logically enough, A navigator on the top and left side with a search bar. Being a caveman, I don’t have much fashion sense but I know what I like when I see it. Also being a caveman, I have a rather large foot. My cousin, Mr. Big Foot can never seem to find a shoe in his size (and I sympathize). I jump down to the Mens Navigator and start clicking away. What I need is a sandal that I can wear on the boat and wear when I jump off the boat and into the water. Soon enough I find what I need and in my size!!! (In fact they have many sizes larger then mine) I click on the add to cart and check out.

Actual performance 4 1/2 Stars
The website checkout was easy enough and my Chaco sandals arrived as promised. Now usually I have some reluctance purchasing shoes on the internet but took the chance due to their return policy.

Final thoughts on practicality
Comfort Comfort Comfort. I was surprised how comfortable the sandals were. And they fit also!!! So now I am styling while boating. Perhaps my kids might start to think their dad is cool…

Final Score
4 1/2 stars out of 5

Hercules Hook

Product Description

Billy Mays, I call your wonder hooks out to do battle.

Ahh hooks. Now that word conjures up thoughts of fishing, and that's something that I like to do. However these hooks are not for catching fish, but for hanging items on your walls. And Billy makes a strong argument for these hooks on his commercials. He claims that you can hold up to 150 lbs.

Hanging heavy weights on hooks is something that reaches into my caveman soul. I can not resist…

The folks at http://www.amazon.com/ has the Hercules Hooks 20 Pack with Free Bonus Laser Marker for purchase.

Being a technical savvy caveman, I click add to cart and eagerly await my booty in the mail. Soon enough they arrive.

What It Costs 14.88 + shipping and handling
(You also get a small Laser level with your purchase) - Yea Yea I know I previously mentionend in an earlier review that I had a few lazers, but as Dr. Evil knows, you can never have enough lazers. Perhaps I will attach this lazer to my dogs head (just kidding).

Ease of assembly N/A

It’s a hook. There is no assembly

Ease of use 4 1/2 Stars.
Ahhh. Saturday comes and I get up early. I put the kids through a full day of exercise with the plans to put them to sleep early. Once they are in bed, I sneak out into the garage and open my box of hooks. Looking at them I notice that they are sharp on one side have a little bump on the other side. Seems simple enough. I decide to start off small and hang my 14 inch pipe wrench. I choose a clear spot on my garage wall and push the hook into the wall. I need to use a bit of back and forth twisting motion and the hook goes in. I insert the hook as shown in the instructions and hang my wrench. The hook holds.

Actual performance 4 1/2 Stars

Time to kick it up a notch. I remove the wrench and grab my sons bicycle. I attach a bungee cord to it and hang the bike from the bungee on the hook. The Hercules hook holds.
Determined to find something to rip the hook out of the wall I start looking around. However I can’t find anything in the garage that I can hang that will remove the hook from the wall.

Next I remove the hook as Billy claims that the hook does not damage the wall. The hook removes from the wall cleanly leaving only a tiny hole (much smaller then a screw hole). This would be easily filled with spackle so the hooks get a good review on the damage that they cause.

Final thoughts on practicality

I find a few problems with the Hercules hooks. First you need to be able to push the hook into the wall. If you have a concrete block wall you won’t be able to use this hook. Also if you hit a stud behind the sheetrock, you will need to move the hook. If you have plaster walls, the wood strips behind the plaster will impede your ability to use the hooks.

I also have concerns regarding the strength of sheet rock. If you only have ¼ inch sheetrock, I would avoid hanging heavier objects on the hooks. ½ or 5/8 sheetrock is stronger (due to its thickness). Even Billy Mays cautions the users and the box says the hook's limitations depend on the thickness of the drywall.

These hooks are good for hanging pictures and small shelves on sheetrock walls. That’s what they do best. It takes a bit of effort to insert the hook into the sheet rock but once inserted, they work.

Final Score

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Rotozip Spiral Saw

Product Description

This is one of my favorite infomercials. From the Home Depot website… The Rotozip spiral saw kit includes RZ5 spiral saw, Zipmate ZM2 Cutting attachment, bit accessory pack, bit case, masonry cut-off wheel, metal cut-off wheel, dry diamond cut-off wheel, and tool bag. Features include a dust sealed switch for long life; wrenchless bit change for fast and easy bit changes; Improved body design with soft grip & detachable handle. Manufactured by the Bosch company (a name well respected in the tool industry)

What they claim it does
Easily cut through brick, concrete, metal, sheetrock, tile, wood, and anything else you can think of.

What it costs $99.97

Ease of assembly 3 Stars
You need to be familiar with power tools to really use this. There is an instruction manual that explains how to use each accessory. It is important to thoroughly read and understand the instructions. Eye protections is mandatory. Ear protection would also be a something to consider.

Ease of use 5 Stars
This is not your ordinary cordless screwdriver. This is one kick but tool. You need a firm grip as the tork from this tool is strong. (kind of like holding a gyroscope). This tool slices through steel (any anything else you put in front of it) without batting an eye. You definitely need eye protection as the grinding wheels throw up quite a light show from the sparks when cutting steel (as any grinding attachment would). I have used this tool more times then I can recall. Cleaning out old grout, cutting off locks, sanding and cutting wood. Making electrical box openings in sheetrock, etc.

Actual performance 4.5 Stars
This is a great specialty tool. As with most spiral bit cutters, making a straight line is difficult. The power of this tool is a bit intimidating and my wife won’t use it. I mostly use the cutting tool (grinder attachment) to cut through tile, metal, and sand wood. As with most spiral bits, they snap often wich is not much of a problem since they are really inexpensive. So you should stock up on them so you have them when needed. Replacement grinding, and sanding wheels also are quite affordable. This is nice since many products soak you on additional parts. You can also find the bits and grinding wheels at most hardware stores.

A neet little feature is the sanding wheel. It has 3 holes in the pads that line up with 3 hole where the pads attach. I did not know why they did that until I turned it on. When spinning the holes provide a perfect view of what you are sanding (don't ask me how).

Final thoughts on practicality

The Rotozip will be forever on my must have tool list. This is a handy tool that can do those little jobs that frustrate the weekend warrior. Broken tile, no problem, rusted on lock, no problem. Sheetrock, “forgetaboutit”. Cutting access panels into you car floor bed, done deal. Cutting cooper pipes, easy. But extreme caution needs to be used. Treat this tool with the up most respect and it won’t let you down. I used this to clear out old grout in my kitchen floor during a recent renovation. Did a great job but WOW the dust storm caused was quite a site. This would get a 5 out of 5 rating if not for the intimidation factor of it. It is not for the faint of heart. Also cutting with the spiral bit can be frustrating if you need an exact straight line.

Final Score

4 1/2 stars out of 5