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Unlike slow-charging Level 1 options, Level 2 chargers are super-fast. They have a long power cord and many installation options. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. ChargePoint Home Flex - Best Plug-In EV Charger KEY TAKEAWAY: Charges EVs much faster than a standard 110V outlet. WHY I STARTED LOOKING: With the recent invasion of Tesla cars, my neighborhood will be the one place in Utah that will kill the power grid someday. I am sure the power company hates us, as this place will keep the grid at max. TESTING WITH MY NEIGHBOR: My neighbor across the street came to me to see if we could test the EV chargers he was looking at for the Tesla he needed. He came to me because I have a 240-volt outlet for my welder. Since the EV thing does not seem to be going away, I think we will eventually need to have a charger here for our stuff or visitors. And I will need one at the cabin because the closest charging station, or whatever they call an EV station, is three counties away. PLUG-IN SETUP: He brought the first charger over, and we plugged it into the wall. This is the best idea I have heard of for a quick set-up like I want. The neighbor, of course, will have his hardwired into his garage to charge like he means it, not like me, who charges for a visitor. When he ordered this, he told me that the charger end that plugs into the car has to be Tesla-specific and called a NACS. The rest of the EV world uses a J1772 connector. So be sure to get the right one for the car that may be coming to get hooked up. NO HARDWIRING NEEDED: When I looked down the street at the neighbor driving an EV car, I saw many stainless steel boxes and conduits on the side of the house. That is the part I was not happy to include. When it showed up, and I could just plug it into the 240v I had wired for my welder, that made me pretty happy. Get it from Amazon now: $639.00 & FREE Returns 2. EMPORIA Smart - Best Smart EV Charger KEY TAKEAWAY: Smart energy management lowers EV charging costs in the long run. SMART ENERGY FEATURES: I have read that folks will say the connections seem a little loose. This unit spends a lot of time in the user manual discussing how it will work with a smart utility meter. We don't have those in Utah, at least not in my neck of the woods. This will adjust or stop the charging when the demand is high, as the folks in California have to contend with their power grid issues. SOLAR COMPATIBILITY: This unit will work with solar generation; it is the only one I have read about that is designed to work well with solar energy. Others may have talked about it, but I only read about it for this unit. OFF-PEAK CHARGING: The unit also works with the TOU set-ups. What the TOU means is Time Of Use scheduling. For areas that charge higher rates for different times of the day, this can charge the car when the prices are better. This app will lower the demand to charge the vehicle as the battery gets closer to being fully charged. This charger is designed to save users money when dealing with variable rates. DESIGN: The last thing I will say about this charger is its appearance on the wall. This unit looks like it comes from Apple. It does not and does not want anyone to confuse what I am saying; it seems like all the stuff Apple makes. It will look right in a smart home set-up, especially if all the garage stuff is white and square with rounded corners. Get it from Amazon now: $429.00 & FREE Returns 3. Enphase Home - Best EV Charger for Cold Weather KEY TAKEAWAY: Flexible cable design makes charging easier in cold weather. SIMPLIFIED DESIGN: This unit does not have all the fancy stuff built in; they leave that up to the EV car. From what I have heard, all the EV cars do all the scheduling and stuff other super-duper charger units will do. CABLE MANAGEMENT: The power box sits on the wall, the cord wraps around it, and the holster holds the charging head in a separate location. What we were doing was not an issue. Still, if the neighbor wanted to mount the charger under his stairs leading into the garage, the charging head is the only visible thing, so this may be the only one to do it. EASE OF USE: The cable is very flexible, while the other wires are kind of stiff. This one moves around like a garden hose. This one is an excellent choice in a space where the charging head must be removed from the wall and moved across or out of the garage to charge the car. IS IT WORTH IT? One thing to mention about this unit is that it is one of the most expensive of the ones we looked at. With the better cable and charging head, it may be worth it. Get it from Amazon now: $1,044.00 & FREE Returns 4. Grizzl-E Classic - Best Outdoor EV Charger KEY TAKEAWAY: This weather-resistant charger was designed for reliable outdoor use. OUTDOOR MOUNTING: This set-up is designed to be mounted outside. So, we screwed it to the ATV trailer to give it a place to live for the testing. I am not sure the neighbor has ever had a car sit in the sunshine, and dang, sure never sat in the snow. He is not like the ordinary folks who buy a house with a huge garage and then fill it with a bunch of junk that should be taken to the landfill, like the rest of us. MAINTENANCE: We noticed the charging head was starting to develop the blue corrosion that copper elements develop when wet. This will never happen when plugged into the car; that connection is rock solid and safe. However, the charging head can be exposed to moisture when sitting in the weather. It's not a big deal; all we did was spray a little Prolix on the leads to protect them and not leave them exposed. NO SMART FEATURES: This charger is dumb (his words, not mine) in that it does not connect to the WiFi or Bluetooth to get updates and stuff like that. It is less expensive, so that may be the difference between the more costly units. This is not a world-ender thing, especially if anyone is going to have one of these for the visiting folks. Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns 5. Wallbox Pulsar Plus - Best Compact EV Charger KEY TAKEAWAY: Delivers powerful EV charging without taking up much space. POWER ADJUSTMENT: This charger was the only one we tried that would adjust for the car instead of one size of power fit all. It would also be great if this charger were a loaner or possibly taken to visit folks that have a 240-volt outlet in the garage or if the dryer outlet is close enough to reach. I don't know if anyone takes a charger or uses the slow-charging 110-volt from the wall and an extension cord. I like to keep my truck charged by pulling into the diesel pump and filling the thirsty tank, but I am old and set in my ways. COMPACT SIZE: This unit is tiny. I think it is about the size of my old doorbell chime box. This thing mounted in five minutes. Please remember we were putting this by my welder, so screwing it to a stud and stuff was more accessible than making it look good and putting it where it will live forever, as I will in the neighbor's garage. FIRST CHARGE: The unit comes with a mounting plate, and we screwed it to the studs, then put the unit on the mount; that was installation. After that, he plugged it into the 240 volts and then into the charging port on his Tesla. He was getting juice into the car immediately, with very high usability. Get it from Amazon now: $749.99 & FREE Returns 6. MUSTART Pro - Best Portable EV Charger KEY TAKEAWAY: Easy to store and travel with. PORTABLE USE: This is the unit I will take to the cabin and keep in the shed just in case someone comes by in a new EV car. This unit will unplug, wrap up, and fit in a box. DESIGN: This unit is about half the cost of the others, but its portability impressed me. When this unit is mounted to the wall, it does not look as good as the rest. It will look like an afterthought. The only hard-mounted thing is the holster for the charging head. The power box will hang on a strap, so I plan to hang it on a hook by the shed door and plug it into the welding outlet. LONG CABLE: The power cord is 25' long, allowing me to plug in the unit and pull the cord out of the door, keeping the expensive parts inside for the never-ending weather challenges at the cabin. If anyone drops by the house, I will send them across the street to charge up as a payback for the hours I spent playing around with charging units as I wait to get one to mount permanently in my shop for the visiting EV folks. Get it from Amazon now: $199.00 & FREE Return 7. JuiceBox Smart - Best EV Charger for Two Cars KEY TAKEAWAY: Load balancing feature helps manage charging for multiple EVs. CORD LENGTH: This unit is a good-looking addition to the garage. Its power or charging cord is long enough to reach the car if it is parked in the driveway, which was a great discovery. The charging cord is 25 feet long, and the cord that plugs into the wall is about two feet long. This stubby cord made mounting the charging center a bit of a problem for the temporary set-up we were experimenting with. LOAD BALANCING: This unit can balance the power if more than one unit is set up in the garage to charge more than one car. I honestly do not know how it does this, but it is a great idea and shows good foresight by the manufacturer. My neighbor was not too excited with the WiFi app compared to others. GARAGE STORAGE: The JuiceBox looks like it is at home with everything in my shop. This has nothing to do with how it works; it just looks like it belongs on the garage wall. The power cord wraps around the garden hose wraparound holder, and the charging head mounts in a holder underneath or inside the wire hoop. Get it from Amazon now: $625.00 & FREE Returns

Looking for the best side step for your truck, Jeep or SUV? I test running boards for a living, and here's my ultimate ranking with hands-on reviews. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. RealTruck - Best Heavy-Duty Running Boards KEY TAKEAWAY: Provides improved accessibility without sacrificing ground clearance. ENTRY & EXIT SUPPORT: The powered running boards can make a difference in getting family members or aging family members in and out of the vehicle. With the powered lift ability, the running boards will retract against the body when the truck or SUV shuts the doors. This will remove some of the wind noise and help maintain a cleaner look. The raised running boards will remove noise and look great, especially for the more modern, sleek body style. REAL WORLD USE: My Navigator has powered steps from the factory. At first, I did not like them. However, I learned to work with the steps rather than against them, and now I don't want to own an SUV or truck without them. Powered steps, for the few folks that may not know, do not lift people into the truck like a handicap assist. They pull up to the truck's body. I have had folks tell me the powered running boards will keep the mud and junk out of the running boards by moving out of the way. All I have ever seen is powered steps drop a bunch of mud when the driver door is opened. MUD & DEBRIS: From my time driving trucks through mud, I know one thing for sure: mud will be there if it is a place on a truck. Unless it is inside the cab, and the passengers never get out of the truck and get back in, it is the only place mud will not be after driving down a back road. INSTALLATION DIFFICULTY: Installation of a retrofit set of AMP PowerSteps requires more patience than other tools. Do not get in a hurry, and if needed, plan to install one side this weekend and the other side next week. If I were new to working on cars and trucks, this would take a few more hours. More time would be needed to figure out what the instructions are saying. The installation time for us was about eight hours. That was five hours on the first side, then about three hours on the other. The first side took longer because we were figuring it out, figuring out the motor mounting, and making that work. INSTALLATION TIPS: Besides having extra patience, one thing to plan for this installment is to have a patient friend to help you. Plan to put this on, then remove it a few times until you figure it out. We split the time into two-hour episodes. After two hours, we needed to take a beer break and sit upright instead of lying flat on our backs under the truck. Thread-lock everything. Do not thread lock the motor mount screws, just the mounting bolts that hook the running boards to the truck. Spray something on the bolts and nuts to protect them from road salt and water, making them rust solid. Use YouTube before starting to see where everyone else ran into malfunctions. After watching YouTube videos, please read the instructions and follow them one step at a time. Before tightening anything, lower the steps and walk around on the running boards. Bounce up and down, get all the wiggle movements out, and look for the rub marks from the steps against the truck. Pay close attention to the pinch welds. Ensure space between the end caps and the pinch welds; try to get ¾ of an inch. Remember, the truck will move a lot, and the running boards will move as well. If the end caps rub or touch on the pinch weld areas, everything will go wrong. Things will hang up, possibly burning up the motors and blowing fuses. MANUAL CONTROL: The kit has a rocker switch to lower and raise the steps manually. I guess it would be great if I drove this old truck into a deep mud hole, but I did not want to lower the step into the mud. Having a step like this lower into mud, dirt, or rocks when the truck is sunk and not in a happy place will probably break them. PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION: As I said, my Navigator has these installed by the factory. I am not too excited to put the Navigator in the deep mud; my old truck changed my mindset, and sometimes, I forget that I have to pay to fix stuff and do dumb things. When it comes to wiring the steps, if I had less experience and time to do this part, I would have been better off having a dealer do the work. Get it from Amazon now: $1,799.99 & FREE Returns 2. OEDRO - Best Running Boards for Jeeps KEY TAKEAWAY: Wide non-slip steps provide stable footing for Jeeps. EASY INSTALLATION: This set of running boards uses factory holes, so installation is easy and clean. They look better than the original steps and function massively better. I have a friend who is into the overlanding craze and spends lots of time in Moab trying to test his luck against gravity. When the Overlanding bug hits him, this set of sideboards will let him use the steps to get into the vehicle, climb onto the center step, and reach things from his roof rack - genius! BUILD QUALITY: These steps are the heaviest I have helped install. Each step weighs in at 75 pounds. That is how solid this sideboard is built. How the tubing is made will allow it to survive hits and do rock sliding. The running boards are not designed to be rock sliders, but that is where they sit on the side of the Jeep, so they better be made to be solid and ready to repel off-roading encounters. The steps are six inches wide, giving a good and solid footing to mount into the vehicle. With this much width, if this vehicle goes off-road in serious areas, ensure it is lifted off the steps, dragging on road ruts and rocks. PACKAGING QUALITY: OEDRO packed this like they were sending heavy metal things through the mail, showing their commitment to quality and customer service. The steps were wrapped in Styrofoam and tightly with heavy plastic to keep everything where it belonged. The hardware is put in a sealed bag, not just a Ziplock-style bag but a heat-sealed bag; you need a knife to open it. The hardware will not spill all over the place or fall out of the box if damaged severely during shipping. The only way that hardware will fall out is if there is a 4-inch chop in the box side and lots of shaking involved. INSTRUCTION QUALITY: Clear pictures. Easy to understand and complete step-by-step instructions. I think they had a few guys who had put these on Jeeps in the past to make the instruction sheets. Not some folks who don't know what a Jeep is, who write the instructions from a quickly written list of stuff from an engineer on how to bolt them on the Jeep. HARDWARE ISSUES: The manufacturer needs to include better carriage bolts. Some of the reviews talked about the carriage bolts not fitting and the square being too small, and others did not mention it. Unluckily, we had a set of carriage bolts that were too small. The manufacturer probably engineered the holes for standard, and the manufacturer included metric heads, so they are a bit loose. Check the fit of the carriage bolts BEFORE starting the installation. If your kit has too small heads, get the right ones and put the side steps on. INSTALLATION: The engineering and production teams that built these sideboards deserve applause. Every bolt hole lined up like it was factory-made and engineered simultaneously as the Jeep. The nuts they send to install are fine and will do the job, but we chose to use the dreaded Nylock Nuts and put up with the attitudes they are born with. We decided to replace these pieces of hardware to help fight off the vibrations that we know will be the bane of this accessory. We also used larger fender bolts along the pinch weld areas to provide more backing plate-style support so the steps don't pull out of the mounts someday. APPEARANCE: The shape of the steps matches the contour of the body. What I mean is that these steps are not just straight pipes and steps; they actually mold to the side of the Jeep. They look like factory options, not added on later, and better. The other non-advertised thing I see with this step setup is the protection from rocks the paint job will enjoy. The tires will not throw up gravel and have it ding or scratch the sides of the vehicle with six inches of lateral protection. FUNCTION: The steps are made to sit lower than the rocker panels; they would not be steps if they did not. This step gives a non-slip six-inch-wide area that my giant boots fit on, and the running boards hold all of me, and that is saying something. The company rates the running board to support 550 pounds - that's me and another person at the same time, now that is impressive. JEEP UPGRADE: I have never seen a better choice for a Jeep upgrade than this set of running boards. The function is fantastic. Installation is easy; the instructions could not be better. The quality of fit and finish is top-notch. To say the least, I recommend this kit to anyone considering installing steps on a Jeep. Get it from Amazon now: $289.99 & FREE Returns 3. Tyger Auto - Best Nerf Bars for Trucks KEY TAKEAWAY: Rugged nerf bar design adds actual traction. PRE-INSTALLATION: Have you ever wondered where the "install guide video" folks take a truck to get it that clean for the video? The installation video from the manufacturer makes this installation look more fun than work. The truth is the only tricky part is getting the mud cleaned off and not filling my eyes and ears full of mud from the pressure washer under the truck. Luckily, these were going on a friend's Dodge, so after I hooked up the washer and demonstrated how to make it work, I handed him the wand and let his eyes and ears get filled with mud, which is OK with me. About a half hour after the wash job, the water had stopped dripping from the frame, and we got to work. HARDWARE CHECK: During the drip-dry portion of the day's events, we unpacked the boxes and laid out all the parts and pieces. I double-check the hardware every time I do anything like this. After a slightly unpleasant surprise with some carriage bolts on another project, I make sure all of that also fits as it should. All of the parts were there and the right size, so it was time to read the instructions and watch some YouTube videos to make sure we avoided all the hang-ups that may come along with this installation. PARTS ORGANIZATION: This kit comes with instructions and packaging for the passenger and driver side. They separate the parts into different colored baggies for each side. The installation instructions can make your head swim if you are not careful. When helping out my buddy, I lay out the parts for a total headcount, then put all the passenger-side stuff back in the box. All of the driver-side stuff in the truck bed was laid out according to the instructions on how they were mounted. I figured it out with some work and negotiating with the sidestep gods. I am pretty sure the installation guide was made by someone in a hurry who knew how to install the steps without instructions, used his cell phone as the camera, and went with a 'hip shot' approach to pictures. INSTALLATION: Once the instructions were clear or clear enough, we began the installation. As we figured out, the first bracket required a bit of colorful language. Once that was done and we better understood what needed to happen, the remainder of the brackets went on like butter. If possible, watch other folks install this sidestep on YouTube or somewhere else and see how they decoded it. You will save about half an hour on the first bracket. VEHICLE FIT: My buddy loved how the steps looked on his Dodge when they were done. They look small as if he used a leftover pipe that was not big enough. But what do I know... I have a giant Ford F350 long-bed four-door truck with a Ranch Hand deer smasher on the front; nothing about my world is sleek. He liked them, and that is all that mattered. They hold up to my excess weight when I'm using them to get in the truck, and it seems like they belong there for aesthetics. The pipe's finish has a bedliner-like texture, and the step part is heavy-duty plastic. Get it from Amazon now: $189.00 & FREE Returns 4. YitaMotor - Best Running Boards for Chevy Silverado KEY TAKEAWAY: Factory-fit running boards add stable footing and Silverado styling. RUNNING BOARD SIZE: These running boards are six inches wide and made of a rectangular stainless-steel tube. TRACTION: The foot pads are made of high-impact plastic with an aggressive finish, so they are not slippery when wet. CHEVY COMPATIBILITY: The mounts use factory mounting holes from the manufacturer. The ad only shows them available for Chevy trucks - newer Chevy trucks, to be more precise. They have come in all the lengths of cabs for years, so that is good. I had a GMC truck once upon a time, and I put some four-door steps on it as a regular cab, so I had side steps to get in the back of the bed to get the stuff that was always out of reach. That was a great idea to me, but I was ridiculed by many of my buddies for the wrong idea. A few years later, truck makers started building in a step in the bed, right where the side boards went on my original idea. Great minds think alike; others crawled over the tailgate to get a jug of windshield washer fluid as I stepped on my runners and did not have to work for it. MOUNTING SYSTEM: The brackets that bolt to the truck and hold the steps are well-made. The brackets will only work for a truck this year without modifying the truck. I may have some friends who want to make truck mods just to see if these will fit, but it will take more thinking about that project and using math to calculate the price of these versus the wallet thickness. DESIGN FEATURES: The running boards are very attractive and give any new-body Chevy truck a polished look. They may even work on SUVs in that same category, but I did not check. The ends are capped with the same strong plastics that make the footsteps and have some nice styling to keep with the nice touches. REAL WORLD RESULTS: I asked some off-roading and overlanding folks if they had any practical experience with this set of running boards. Lo and behold, John had the exact pair on his truck. John tells me the running board fits perfectly and has stayed tight and in good shape for almost three years. The rust-proof coatings they use and the stainless-steel build materials have definitely not been wasted. INSTALLATION TIME: When John and his neighbor put the running boards on his truck, they claimed it only took them three hours, and some of that time was spent in the mandatory beer-drinking mode. The instructions were clear, and the pictures were well taken, quickly showing what had to happen and when to do it. LONG-TERM DURABILITY: The mounting bracket lined up precisely with the factory mounting holes, so what more could a Chevy owner want? John lives in the four corners area and does not pound his truck like he has money to spare, but he also does not treat it like it's made for shows and cruising for chicks; this is a regular-use truck. The fit and finish look the same in the pictures he sent me, probably after some time with a hose washing off the red clay dust. Still, they look like the pictures in the ad, so there are no complaints about durability. They look great on the truck and make it look like a higher-priced machine than it really is; it's incredible how one of two add-ons can improve the presentation of a machine. Get it from Amazon now: $309.99 & FREE Returns 5. COMNOVA - Best Steel Running Boards KEY TAKEAWAY: Heavy-duty steel provides serious trail durability. DESIGN FLEXIBILITY: This is the only sidestep we have looked at for this review with the ability to move the step forward and backward after the mounts are installed. This will make the final adjustment and fitting to the body perfect. All the running boards I have looked at fit and look like they belong there, but this maker has allowed the steps to fit precisely to the body. The Comnova comes in jet black and looks mean and capable when it sits on the truck. The footsteps are made of hard plastic and have a great-looking design that really enhances the appearance. MATERIAL QUALITY: These are the only running boards made from carbon steel. I found these as a requirement for trucks that will flip rocks from the dirt roads on their way into town for groceries, sheetrock, and more beer - maybe some whiskey if I am doing it right. MOUNTING STRENGTH: The running boards are six inches wide and hang on four mounts per side, not three like all the rest. This gives them the ability to support up to five hundred pounds. These may be one of the few running boards that can handle banging into trail obstacles or hard and heavy things falling onto them. I have seen some of these running boards, usually the chrome tubes, that look tough but are bent and dented with a harsh word. RAM INSTALLATION NOTE: Now, when putting some running boards on my buddy's truck, he tells me to let everyone who drives a Dodge truck and wants to install some of these remember that Ram applies an undercoating to prevent damage and rusting from using a car like it was made for, not spending time in the driveway and looking shiny in the parking lot. UNDERCOATING REMOVAL: When installing running boards, he was having a very tough time, thinking the bolts were wrong or something else, and he was about to give it all up. The installation was a snap after he scraped or ground off the undercoating. Just remember to reapply some undercoating to the area. The undercoating can be bought in a rattle can from the auto parts store and sprayed back on. After all the work, I went over to check on the project. He and I both stood on the running boards and did the standard redneck check of jumping and bouncing around to see if we could exceed the 500 lbs. rating. STRENGTH TEST: I am happy to report that we did not break anything. We did not even move the running board at all. Between the two of us, we wholeheartedly approve of and recommend anyone looking to get a set of these should get them right away, get them on the truck, and enjoy the benefits. Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns

I’ve tested the most popular portable massage guns on the market. I think each of the following will decrease muscle pain and reduce inflammation. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. Hyperice - Best Massage Gun for Muscle Recovery KEY TAKEAWAY: Helps reduce soreness after workouts. WHY I BOUGHT IT: This was my first percussion massager, and I’m wondering why it took me so long to go for it. I saw it on Prime Day and thought it was a pretty good deal compared to some of the more well-known brands. Both my wife and I really like to use it. We thought we lost our old massager, so we bought this as a replacement. It's honestly an upgraded version of our previous one. It's durable, not too heavy, and has a digital speed control, which I like better than the last one we used. PAIN RELIEF USE: I mainly got this to help with muscle tissue problems following a car accident, but my wife just likes to use it to unwind at night. My wife and I like the different attachments and speed settings. I prefer a deep tissue massage, and she likes a softer rub. The instructions could be more detailed, but trial and error helped us figure it out. After proper use, it helps with discomfort and pain. Highly recommended, but look up usage methods if you're a first-time user. I’ve had it go missing a few times, and that’s because as it turns out my son is just as obsessed with it. My son uses it for football, and I use it after knee surgery. AUTO SHUTOFF: A minor con that bothers me is that it shuts off after ten minutes for a cool-down break, but it doesn’t bother me that much. LONG TERM USE: I'm not sure about its longevity since we've only had it a week, but so far everyone in our family seems to be a huge fan. The battery size doesn’t seem like it will be likely to support the eight to fifteen hours that are advertised, but I haven't tested it from full to empty yet. ATTACHMENT VARIETY: It has a lot of interchangeable heads, which I really like. Unlike other models, I’ve found that I actually use them instead of just sticking to one, it seems like each of them have their own purpose. BATTERY GLITCHES: It has glitched a few times, dying at like forty percent battery, but that was after my son played around with it, so maybe it was on him. Either way, it seems like recharging fixes it. OVERALL: I prefer keeping it over replacing it. I think if I needed another, I'd definitely pick this one again. It performs as expected, and I'm happy with my purchase, if anything I may have to buy more so my wife and son stop stealing it when I need it! I'll update if anything changes. Get it from Amazon now: $229.00 & FREE Returns 2. TOLOCO - Best Budget Massage Gun KEY TAKEAWAY: Long battery life makes it ideal for daily use. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: After some serious research and lots of calls to my doctor, my physiotherapist finally suggested I try percussion therapy to help with my tight calves and shoulders. But spending three hundred bucks or more on a Theragun seemed ridiculous. So I tried another route. First, I bought the Sharper Image Pro massager from Costco for around a hundred. It was okay but pretty noisy. Then, I stumbled upon the TOLOCO Pro when I was skimming Amazon and I decided to just give it a whirl. Its regular price is comparable to the SIP, and they both offer similar features, so, I thought why not? It was worth comparing the two. SIZE & WEIGHT: The TOLOCO is about the same size as the Sharper Image, although its handle is a bit thicker. They weigh roughly the same, which shouldn't be an issue for athletes or the average person. However, if you have small hands or conditions affecting your grip or arm strength, you might need someone to help with the massage. BUILD QUALITY: The TOLOCO feels well-made with no loose parts. It has a colored ring that lights up when powered on, and the display on the back is bright and easy to read. The SIP also feels solid and has a nice metallic finish, but the TOLOCO’s build is equally impressive. The small height differences between some surfaces on the TOLOCO are purely cosmetic and don't affect performance. NOISE LEVEL: The TOLOCO really shines here. It's much quieter than the SIP, which gets louder as you increase the power. It's also quiet, even at its highest setting, deserving the term 'whisper quiet' more than the SIP. Both devices emit a low, high-frequency noise from the display when idle, but this is negligible since you're supposed to turn off the device when not in use. POWER RANGE: In terms of adjustability, the TOLOCO offers twenty settings compared to the SIP's six, providing more control over your massage. The TOLOCO's max RPM is around 3200, and it seems to have a higher range of motion, which is essential for reaching deeper tissue. The SIP doesn't really specify its motor power or range of motion, but the TOLOCO appears to have a slight edge. BATTERY CAPACITY: Both devices advertise a battery around 2500mAh. I haven't used either near long enough to drain the battery, but using the TOLOCO for the amount of recommended ten minutes barely affects the battery level, which is awesome if you ask me. SESSION LIMITS: Both devices suggest limiting sessions to 10 minutes to prevent overworking your muscles and to allow the motor to cool down. The TOLOCO has an auto-shutoff feature after 10 minutes, which is great for protecting the device. I'm not sure if the SIP has this feature, as it wasn't mentioned in the manual. ATTACHMENTS: The SIP comes with six massage heads, but the TOLOCO on the other hand includes fifteen, and let’s be real, everyone likes having more options. The SIP tries to make up for it with two soft ball heads, while the TOLOCO has only one, but I prefer more variety. STORAGE: Both devices come with carrying bags and smaller cases for the heads. MANUAL QUALITY: The TOLOCO's user manual is detailed and informative, unlike the other one’s minimal manual. If you're new to percussion massage guns, I recommend watching some online tutorials, but you can start using the device right away by pointing it at your muscles for a soothing experience. Get it from Amazon now: $59.99 & FREE Returns 3. AERLANG - Best Travel Massage Gun KEY TAKEAWAY: Offers solid recovery power for travel use. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I own a Hypervolt massage gun but wanted something for travel, so I bought this one because it came with a case I could use for traveling. If I lost it on a trip, it wouldn't be a big deal. It ended up coming sooner than expected, and was on my porch by 10Am. I had terrible back pain and with it already mostly charged, I decided to give it a whirl and used it right away. It didn't eliminate my pain completely but made it manageable. POWER COMPARISON: It works as expected, but I can tell the difference from the Hypervolt. I can't press as hard with this one without slowing the motor. My Hypervolt can handle more pressure. This is fine for occasional trips, but not for regular use at home. BATTERY COMPARISON: The battery life is decent, maybe a third of the Hypervolt's, but still one to three hours before needing a recharge. GIFT EXPERIENCE: I ended up buying another one for my sister, and she called to thank me personally. She usually just sends me a quick text, but this time she called, which kinda surprised me haha. She loves it, and my sister isn’t one to say that about just anything. She did say that it’s too early to rate the battery life, but, similar to my opinion, she thinks it’s going to get the job done based on its quality. If it doesn't, I'll update this review, but she doesn't think that'll be necessary. OVERALL SATISFACTION: I didn't mention it comes with several attachments and a detailed book on how to use them, which is pretty cool. The price is also a nice plus. So, overall, I’m really happy with this purchase, and considering I can travel with it, I’m definitely keeping it, and I’ll update if I end up using it more than my Hypervolt. So far, so good though! Get it from Amazon now: $49.99 & FREE Returns 4. RENPHO - Best Massage Gun for Gym Use KEY TAKEAWAY: Designed to target muscle relief after intense training. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I've been hitting the gym all my life and never bought into the idea that foam rollers and post-workout massages actually help. Yeah, I’m stubborn, if you can’t tell haha. Soreness meant my workout was effective–duh! But then I hit the dreaded 40s, and lo and behold, soreness sticks around longer and those gains? Yeah, they’re harder to come by. Not fun. CHANGING MY MIND: A gym buddy mentioned "massage guns"... and I put that in quotes because it sounded like a gimmick lol. Less soreness, quicker recovery, and faster gains? Yeah, right. I tried one in a store, and for over six hundred bucks, it just felt like an expensive massage, one where I had to do all the work. Then I started reading about their benefits but couldn't justify the cost. However, I decided to keep checking for sales and when prices dropped and some good options emerged for around a hundred, I thought why not? I remembered RENPHO from a scale I bought that measures weight, bone mass, BMI, among some other stuff. It was the best value, and this massage gun is no different. THERAPEUTIC USE: First, this isn't for a relaxing back rub. Trust me lol. Like any good massage, it can hurt but in a surprisingly effective way, breaking up scar tissue, releasing lymphatic fluid, boosting blood flow, and interrupting pain signals. Use it for two minutes per muscle group, not fifteen to thirty minutes like a relaxing massager. HARD-TO-REACH AREAS: This device is really great for trainers and physical therapists. It has a handy carrying case for appointments. It's not ideal for solo use on your upper back, lower back, triceps, glutes, rear delts, and hams unless you have really stretchy arms. You'll need help from a partner or friend. Offer to use it on them in return. USAGE GUIDANCE: How does it work? There are many online videos, but know your gun tips: Flat head for most body parts, bullet for severe areas, trigger points, and thick soles of feet. The round head is for large muscles, and the ridge head is for the spine and surrounding muscles. Start with a low speed to avoid hitting bone, which can hurt. CHARGING NOTES: Make sure to fully charge it before the first use. Subsequent uses depend on the initial charge. BUILD QUALITY: It's sturdy, heavy, and strong. CASE DESIGN: The carrying case is good-looking and keeps everything together. FINAL THOUGHTS: If you work out or have chronic pain like sciatica, you’ll need this, trust me. Even if you think you don’t, that pain is gonna hit you sooner than you think as you age. These used to be six hundred, but now you can get a portable, cordless, rechargeable massage gun for under a hundred, so that’s worth it in my mind. You'll need a friend to help you use it for your back, but I highly doubt they’ll mind as long as you use it on them too haha. It's not for long, relaxing sessions but is a valuable tool for pain and recovery. Overall, I’m a believer now. Get it from Amazon now: $89.99 & FREE Returns 5. Mebak - Best Quiet Massage Gun KEY TAKEAWAY: Surprisingly quiet, yet delivers strong deep tissue pressure. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I've had Bell's Palsy, but still play tennis, and I love to use this before and after workouts. I bought this to replace my two hundred ProlLX, which only lasted like five minutes and produced twenty percent power. This new one - wow, what a difference. INITIAL IMPRESSION: It was already charged eighty percent straight out of the box, so I turned it on and tried it on my neck at level five. My God. What a relief. I was seriously so impressed! If this thing lasts me six months to a year, I will seriously buy five of these for the price of one expensive model haha. The quality and the power seems just as good in my opinion. PRESSURE RESPONSE: I researched the difference between percussion vs. vibration therapy, and really wanted something effective. Some reviews mentioned the unit jumping to level twenty unexpectedly, which kinda concerned me. Now, I’ll be honest, mine did that once, but only when I applied a lot of pressure. And I kinda like it. I don’t think it was an issue. I think it’s supposed to be part of it. That's a benefit to me, it’s actually responding to my pressure which is cool. I also don't have to stop to change the setting. VALUE: For thirty bucks, I'm really happy with a machine that actually helps with relieving my pain. Testing different shapes and speed settings took a bit of trial and error, but that’s usual with new electronic toys. PAIN RELIEF: At the end of the day, it alleviated my pain, which is what matters, and why I got it to begin with. This massager is cost-effective and definitely worth buying again. Ten out of ten in my book. Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns 6. RAEMAO - Best Massage Gun for Daily Use KEY TAKEAWAY: Fast charging supports everyday use. WHY I UPGRADED: I ended up buying this on Prime Day after having an old massager from the 90s that wasn't great, and had stopped working a long time ago, so I was glad to get an updated one. This one works well with the attachments, and I can use it on my back because I'm flexible. It relieved my shoulder pain quickly. The battery life is good so far. The handle could be smaller for better comfort, but all in all it's great. PRESSURE LEVELS: After my experience, I decided to grab another one as a gift and ended up getting this for my mom on Mother's Day after my experience with it. She likes it, but some heads are too rough for her, even on the lowest setting. I think it's great and don't mind any of the pressure from the heads. SOLO VS ASSISTED: You need help using the heads for the back and spine, but many can be used solo. It's made of nice material and feels good. FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS: The charging is quick, and it lasts for days. The touch screen is a nice feature, but you need to flip a switch at the bottom to power it on. NURSE APPROVED: I stand for up to ten hours daily as a nurse at work, so I'm tired when I get home. I use it mostly on my feet and thighs but recently on my back, shoulders, and neck. My boyfriend liked it so much he bought one too. Sometimes it cuts off, but it’s not the end of the world. I really do recommend it just be aware that not everyone may feel the same depending on their preference for pressure. Get it from Amazon now: $49.99 & FREE Returns 7. Fusion Black Pro - Best Deep Tissue Massage Gun KEY TAKEAWAY: Upgraded percussion therapy targets sore muscles. PERSONAL BACKSTORY: We're a big family, and at all of our get-togethers, the massagers always come out and end up getting a lot of use. Most of our family are athletes and a few of them are older and get sore pretty easily and like getting the relaxation from it, especially at family reunions, which we have a few times a year. Last Christmas, we bought three massagers from a different brand, and only one lasted, so I really wanted to try something new. So far, this new one is the best so far. It has many heads and speed variations for different levels of discomfort. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I recently got the Fusion Black Pro for pain relief and relaxation. It’s super effective for a deep tissue percussion massage, targeting sore muscles, and alleviating pain and tension. The different heads cater to specific muscle groups, and the build quality is solid. However, the increase in strength is minimal as you adjust the speed, and it produces noticeable noise. Despite these minor drawbacks, it’s affordable and effective compared to other models. UNIT FAILURE: I ended up getting this for my son and my daughter-in-law for Christmas after they used it so much at our house. They loved it until it stopped recharging right after the return period, which was definitely a glitch, because ours didn’t do this. CUSTOMER SERVICE: I had bought an extended warranty, but the warranty company said it was still under the manufacturer's warranty, which was kind of confusing. At first, I felt like I was getting the runaround, but after some back and forth, the seller ultimately replaced the defective unit promptly. My son enjoys it, and the seller stands by their product. It seems to be a hit at our house, so I’m giving it a ten out of ten! Get it from Amazon now: $109.25 & FREE Returns

Whether you live in an apartment, dorm, boat or RV, a portable washer is a wonderful alternative to a full-sized model. Here are the best options on Amazon. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. BLACK+DECKER - Best Portable Washer for Apartments KEY TAKEAWAY: I stopped going to the laundromat almost completely after getting this. WHY I BOUGHT IT: When I first heard about portable washers, I WANTED one. So bad. I grew up poor, so the idea of having my own washer and dryer was everything to me. When I finally moved into my own place, I bit the bullet and bought one, and I couldn’t be happier. Sayonara laundromats, hello endless days of laundry and the smell of Tide wafting through my home. Now, I'm here to give an honest review and that’s what I plan to do. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It was delivered in two days and was super easy to set up. However, I was annoyed, at first, because the included attachment didn't fit my oddly shaped bathroom faucet. I ended up buying an adapter kit, which didn’t fit either, but eventually I figured out that combining three of the adapters worked perfectly with my shower hose. DRAINAGE SETUP: It takes a minute to set up, and I let it drain into the shower tub, but it works great since there's already a lint trap there. If you don’t have a lint trap, this could get tricky, so if you do it this way, I recommend getting one. PERFORMANCE: I know this isn’t your typical washer, but seriously, I’m amazed how well this thing cleans my clothes. I've had it for just over a month now and I loved it so much, I ended up getting the Panda dryer to go with it. While I can't fit everything in one go, it's still a breeze compared to dragging my laundry to the laundromat and shelling out fifteen to thirty dollars weekly. Not only that, but this baby can wash everything. All my clothes, yeah, but even more. Blankets, bath mats, you name it. I use less detergent now, and now that I don’t have to worry about other people using the same machine at the laundromat I've stopped using laundry sanitizer altogether. That’s even more money saved! MOBILITY: Although it stays in my bathroom next to the tub, I ended up getting a dolly to set it on so I can move it around when I need to clean underneath it. MAINTENANCE: In terms of maintenance, after every time I use it, I give it a good deep clean and wipe down the lid edges, and double check that I’m draining the small filter at the back. I honestly think this will help it last longer, but whatever you do, make sure you clear out the drum’s lint filter, I have three cats, so it grabs a lot of fur on top of the normal stuff. SETUP FIXES: Just a side note, sitting on the dolly makes it a little taller, and at first I had issues with the drainage tube. Eventually I figured out that to fill the drum correctly, I just needed to make sure the drainage tube wasn't too low. Once I adjusted that, it worked like a charm. ENERGY EFFICIENCY: As an extra cherry on top, both of these machines don’t use that much water and electricity, which saves me even more money. It’s seriously so worth it. Get it from Amazon now: $279.97 & FREE Returns 2. Auertech - Best Portable Washer for Camping KEY TAKEAWAY: Made camper laundry way easier than washing everything by hand. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I’m in the process of moving out of my apartment and into a small camper to work as a freelancer while I travel. It’s a big change, but one of the biggest is giving up my normal size washer and dryer. DESIGN ISSUES: This is my second portable washer I bought from Amazon. The first was a little too small to my liking and didn’t feel super durable. This new one is mainly plastic. Because it has a weird design where the water inlet connects to the faucet, I ended up having to create my own contraption using zip ties. However, it's still much better than the last model. Honestly, these machines feel more like a kid’s toy and than an actual appliance for adults. Still, it beats washing clothes by hand. After adding a piece of fabric to the lint catcher, it started actually working. DRAINAGE TIPS: I wouldn’t drain this stuff into my home plumbing. If you do, I’d recommend keeping a close eye on it to avoid clogging your drains. PORTABILITY: It’s pretty easy to move around and I can keep it on my cooler for quick access. WASHING: After washing the clothes with detergent, I rinse them three to four times depending on how dirty they were and how clean the water still is. It usually takes about four cycles before I put them in a spinner, set it for five minutes, and sit back and let it do its job. DRYING: Most of the time, the clothes come out almost dry, maybe a little damp, but I can pretty much wear them after a few hours of hanging. MANUFACTURING FLAWS: I really wish the manufacturers hadn’t assembled plastic wrap beneath the exterior parts. I had to disassemble the entire unit to remove it, which seems stupid, honestly. SIZE ADVANTAGE: It’s also one of the largest portable washers I found. As a single middle-aged guy, I pretty much wear the same clothes on repeat, and they don’t get dirty enough for me to justify using a laundromat. However, though it still requires some effort, it’s preferable over having to go elsewhere to do my laundry. PRODUCT COMPARISON: After comparing similar products on Amazon, it seems that there’s just a lack of a good system for attaching the water inlet hose to your faucet. Thankfully, this one included a lint catcher, which helped. Oh, and the small round plastic piece that sits on the clothes in the spinner is pretty much useless. At least this one fits inside the spinner, unlike the first one I bought. DRAINAGE SYSTEM: When you drain it, more water tends to come out, even when it seems done. It annoyed me at first, but it makes sense. The water’s just getting backlogged in the drain hose. Unlike some models that are entirely gravity-fed, this one operates like a full-size unit with a motor that actively pushes the water out when you turn the knob to drain. I actually bought this mainly because of this reason. RECOMMENDATION: Amazon offers many products, but as we all know, not all are worth it. This one is decent. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever bought, but it works, and if you’re thinking about taking the plunge for a portable washer, this is the one you should get. Get it from Amazon now: $189.99 & FREE Returns 3. COMFEE’ - Best Full-Automatic Portable Washer KEY TAKEAWAY: Really feels close to using a full-size washer. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: First off, the delivery was super fast–three days after ordering. They even delivered it up the stairs, straight to my door. I do recommend cutting the box instead of trying to dump it out. But the whole thing was fast–I had my first round of clothes going in thirty minutes. The machine was brand new and packed really well. I did so many loads of laundry that first day, so I’m pretty much an expert on answering this. I'll use this review to answer some commonly asked questions: FAUCET CONNECTION: Yep. It hooks to the kitchen sink. It includes a connector that attaches to the faucet to create an adapter for the sink. It has hot and cold hoses for water–and you can even use the bathroom sink, too. CONTROL PANEL: Control panel was easy to read, and nope, doesn’t leak as long as you make sure it's secured. NOISE LEVEL: It spins great, but it’s not loud, an awesome benefit. CYCLE TIMING: It took about forty five minutes for a larger load of laundry and fifteen to thirty for a smaller load. PORTABILITY: It weighs about seventy five pounds, but it comes with handles to help move it. Mine didn’t come with wheels, but it’s really not hard to move. SIZE COMPARISON: To give you an idea of size, it’s about as tall and wide as a typical kitchen counter. DRUM MATERIAL: Inside is stainless steel. LID VISIBILITY: There’s like a cover over the top so you can’t really see your clothes inside, especially if you’re using hot water, as it steams the lid. LOADING FLEXIBILITY: There's a nice perk. You can throw more clothes in whenever you want without it stopping. HOSE COMPATIBILITY: Even if you don’t have hot and cold hookup for water, you can still use both and just switch them out whenever you need to. It also tells you if you have the wrong hose connected, which I thought was cool. SUPPORT MATERIALS: There’s a warranty and an instruction manual, so you’ve got your bases covered. It comes with a drain hose too! POWER REQUIREMENTS: It comes with a power cord and a regular outlet is more than enough for it to work. USAGE TIPS: When you’re actually getting started, I would try out a couple different load sizes just to make sure you don’t overfill it. Still, I think this is definitely big enough for more than one person. I could wash my full sized bed covers with zero issues, but anything bigger may be a little difficult. That being said, it’s great for towels and rugs–except I’d be careful not to put huge rugs in here. DETERGENT OPTIONS: It takes both liquid and powdered detergent and fabric softener, so that’s a plus, and although there’s a separate area to put this in, you can also do what I did, and pour it directly in. That works too. Get it from Amazon now: $345.00 & FREE Returns 4. Giantex - Best Portable Washer for Small Loads KEY TAKEAWAY: Small loads came out cleaner than they did at the laundromat. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I was really over saving up the change to go back and forth to the laundromat, so after doing the research, I just took the plunge. This one was in my budget and had great reviews. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I got it shipped within a few days, taking it out of the box was simple, and it came with an instruction manual. The instructions didn’t really make much sense, so google translate was definitely used. BATHTUB SETUP: After owning this for almost a month, I officially figured out the cheat codes. I put it in my bathtub, use some sponges, to keep it level, and voilà! I got a diverter for my shower head and an adapter to make sure it worked. Any hardware store will sell it. The hose does come with the washer, so that’s nice. It’s so easy just connecting to the shower and letting it do its thing. This way you don’t have to keep bending over, and you can just rinse it afterwards to get the soap out. CAPACITY CONTROL: I’d recommend putting less in than you think you should, just to stay on the safe side. If your clothes aren’t swirling around, then you probably have too much in. WASH & SPIN USE: You can even spin it and wash it together. OVERFILL ISSUES: If you fill it too much, it’s going to end up draining so just keep that in mind. It sounds like an A/C unit and you’ll get some vibrations, more so if it’s unstable. CLEANING RESULTS: I usually keep the water inside and then just top it off with hot water. It can look dirty, but once I add soap, it’s just cleaning it either way. Honestly, my whites are brighter from this than at the laundromat. HOW TO USE IT: Step 1: Make sure it’s plugged in. Seems obvious, but I forgot. Step 2: Splash a tablespoon of soap inside. Step 3: Put clothing in one piece at a time, but separate loads based on type, whites, denim, etc. For your basic clothes, over half full works. The heavier stuff should be in smaller groups. Step 4: Set the dial to normal and let it fill up with water. You’ll need an adapter for the inlet hose and I didn’t have one so I just used a bucket to fill it up over half full. Step 5: Put wash to fifteen minutes, but keep it mind it doesn’t beep when it’s complete. There might be a slight burning smell, but I guess that’s the new motor kicking to life. Step 6: Turn the dial to drain out of the drain hose. Remember, there’s no pump so let gravity help you out. Step 7: Put a few items evenly in the spinner basin, and then put the plastic insert on top, and hit spin to five. If you got an adapter for your inlet hose this will help spin and drain it, but if not you can still spin the soap out and repeat it again in clean water. It vibrates so don't be surprised, but if during the spin cycle it sounds a little too loud, just move stuff around. It’s going to be damp, but definitely not wet. STORAGE: When you’re putting it away, let gravity help you with the drainage hose to empty out the water and if you keep the lid open it will keep it smelling fresher. PRECAUTIONS: I recommend taking precautions when you use it. It’s gonna break if you put too much stuff in, and it’s better for maintenance and upkeep every day or two, than loading everything you own into it in one day. It’s compact and not as large as a normal washing machine, but if treated well, it will get the job done, trust me. Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns 5. SUPER DEAL - Best Portable Washer Under $150 KEY TAKEAWAY: Perfect for couples living in small apartments. EASE OF USE: My fiancé and I are so happy we bought this, and the learning curve is pretty simple. Really, you just want to make sure you know how much to put in. When it was first delivered, we didn't even have to put it together. It was already assembled. We were able to start washing things right away. I didn't even need an instruction manual, and I always need those. It was that easy. SETUP: I recommend lifting it up onto something. It helps so you can clean underneath it, but you also have to run the hoses to the faucet so having it higher up allows you to do that easier if you attach it to the sink. And if you connect it to the sink, it goes faster, but you can also use buckets of water to fill it up for larger loads. SPINNER BALANCE: The spinner is my only issue, and that’s more because you have to equal out your clothes on both sides so it doesn’t vibrate too loud and make a knocking sound. It’s all easy to figure out though, and once you get the hang of it, you’re not going to regret buying this. We definitely didn’t. DAILY USE: Honestly, it’s compact, and that’s what we needed for our small apartment, and it takes like twenty minutes to do a whole wash AND spin cycle. It’s amazing. After, we just hang our clothes in the shower in front of a fan and it leaves the whole place smelling fresh. I definitely recommend using the spin cycle to get as much water out as possible first though. Really helps. WASH CYCLES: I definitely recommend trying a few different ways to wash. There’s a few different options. Like if you have delicate clothes, definitely try using the softer cycle. If you want to wash your clothes fast, try out the fifteen minute timer. You don't really need a lot of detergent for that. Otherwise the clothes get kind of stiff, but fabric softener definitely helps with that. OVERALL SATISFACTION: Overall, it takes about five or six loads to do all of our clothes, but we're also two people. We can both do little loads every day and it's not an issue. Fortunately, we don't have to pay for water so that's not a problem but really it was a great investment. We no longer have to go to the laundromat or pay for an Uber and collect change. It's also pretty quiet too, except when you put it on the spin cycle, then it can get louder, but the trick to that is keeping it balanced. It's a good size. I definitely, definitely recommend it. Get it from Amazon now: $113.99 & FREE Returns 6. BLACK+DECKER - Best Large Portable Washer KEY TAKEAWAY: The large drum can handle really big loads. WHY I UPGRADED: My fiancé and I have been living in a very tiny house with no hook ups for a washer and dryer. We had a different portable washer before this one, but it was too small and it leaked all the time. After four years, I knew it was time to get a new one. SHIPPING EXPERIENCE: I think a lot of these people were annoyed about shipping issues, but that’s what happens when you buy from a third-party. If you buy directly from Amazon, guess what? Any shipping issues, and they'll replace it. Mine came in great condition. COMMON MISTAKES: I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, and I'll be honest in giving this review. A lot of the bad reviews I saw on this machine are from people who clearly did not read the instruction manual. It was pretty easy if you did that. CYCLE OPTIONS: There's like 36 different cycle options, and there is one that can take up to two hours, but the manual explains why, and trust me it only takes two minutes to read it. The longer cycle is an eco-mode. Essentially it saves energy to wash your clothes, making it last longer. You don't even have to use that if you don't want to. Just avoid it. Problem solved. The majority of the cycles are around forty minutes–just like a normal washer. SPIN CYCLE ISSUES: Then there are those who argue that this product sucked because of the spinner. They added photos of their clothes wrapped around and tied up, saying that the spin cycle was too fast. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that they overloaded the machine. You can't fill it all the way. It has to stay at 3/4 otherwise this happens and it can leak. Again, this is all in the instructions that come with the machine. I've done a dozen loads so far, two of them really large and none of this is happening to me. I promise I'll update if that's the case but I doubt that's gonna happen. INCLUDED PARTS: Some reviewers also said that the package lacked parts. No, it didn't. It came with everything you need to connect and adapt it to the sink. OVERALL SATISFACTION: This washer is incredible. It holds almost double the loads of our last one, what I would consider about the same as a normal washer. All the cycle options are a huge plus in my opinion. Because it can connect to a standard washer and dryer hook up, when we eventually move to a new house, we’ll have no issue connecting it. We’ll definitely bring it with us. Like I said before, it came with everything it needed to hook up to a standard faucet. It's a great value for the cost. If you're on the fence, trust me, ignore the negative reviews, and take the plunge. You won't regret it. Get it from Amazon now: $309.99 & FREE Returns

Thickness planers are a necessity when it comes to reducing thickness of a piece of wood. My picks will help you achieve precision and smoothness. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. DEWALT (DW735X) Thickness Planer - Best Professional Thickness Planer KEY TAKEAWAY: Gives rough lumber a polished, professional finish. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I need to build my presentation boxes for custom-built pistols. I have found some cigar box-style offerings online, and they will work, but the build quality is rough, to put it lightly. The boxes I can find online that are made with higher quality kill-the-profit margin of using those. So, in a typical fashion, I thought, Since I don't know anything about woodworking, I needed to learn, and now I need a planer. PURCHASE DECISION: The first planer I looked at was DEWALT. The reviews talk about the knives getting dull quickly for this maker, so I ordered extra when I ordered this one for review. The Dewalt has an infeed and outfeed that I felt I needed for my box-making process. DELIVERY: When delivered, this unit was packaged like a tank and looked great. This is a weighty box; use a hand truck to move it to the garage, then get help to pick it up. FIRST RESULTS: I tried this planer on a spare piece of wood I had handy to see how it worked, and I must say this is very impressive. It improved a stock piece of wood that came off the shelf, supposedly ready to be made into stuff; it's now even more ready and awe-inspiring. I hooked up the shop vac to the dust port to keep the garage clean and not make a bigger mess than usual. When the planer is running, I can hear and feel the exhaust fans running inside the machine, and I am pretty happy that I out-thought my mess-making. With this machine's exhaust, I am sure chips and sawdust would be thrown from one side of the garage to the other. After getting the sides of the presentation box cut to size, I ran the wood through the planer to make things smooth and precisely the right thickness. WOODWORKING RESULTS: What I like the most about using the planer is that I can reduce the heavy and overly thick boards to a more presentation box style, which looks much better now. Being able to start with rough-cut lumber and end with perfection is a thing I did not even think about until I got a hold of one of these planers. Get it from Amazon now: $799.00 & FREE Returns 2. WEN Benchtop Thickness Planer - Best Thickness Planer for Beginners KEY TAKEAWAY: Cheap enough for beginners, yet smooths wood really well. BEGINNER-FRIENDLY: This WEN planer is my favorite for my needs at this level of production and skill, or lack of skill. Making presentation boxes is a low-skill area on the woodworker side of my business. I know this is a low-skill area because I can do it, and I have zero skills. I cannot speak to the furniture-making value of this planer or anything that magical woodworkers can create. Still, it works perfectly for what I do with it. VALUE: WEN is half the price or less than other planers and performs at the same or close to the same level as the more expensive machines. I use a sander when I am done planing, so I am good with this choice for many reasons. For a machine I have on a rolling platform that sits in the closet most of the time, the cost and effectiveness of what it does are perfect. This may not be the right choice if I were an actual woodworker. SETUP: All I had to do to get this machine working was take it out of the packing, hook up the handle and dust tube, wax the in and out feeds, and give a Prolix to everything I could see that looked like it needed some lube. I also ensured the planer was level on the roller platform and had adjustable level casters to get level and stay level when in use. PALLET WOOD: I put some planks from an old pallet through this planer, and I may use the pallet wood for some of these presentation boxes as the used wood looks pretty cool. I think old-school revolvers would look great in a box of aged wood stained with a dark finish like mahogany. It will be very cool. The planer will help me make the hardwood boxes I deliver, which are custom 1911s that I call the executive style CCW guns. This pistol has leather-wrapped slabs on the handle, and everything is smooth and shiny. SAFETY GEAR: Using this planer requires all the safety gear that goes to the range, so anyone who is a shooter will have eye and hearing protection. Do not run this machine without earmuffs or foam plugs to protect your hearing. I don't know the sound levels on this machine, but I can tell everyone it is twice as loud as my air compressor or sounds like that when I use it to plane wood. Get it from Amazon now: $539.99 & FREE Returns 3. DEWALT (DW734) Benchtop Planer - Best Benchtop Thickness Planer KEY TAKEAWAY: Finish was so smooth, I barely needed sanding. WEIGHT: This planer is very heavy for a benchtop style. This is a problem if I want to move it around, like to a job site. The weight is a plus more than a minus for someone who will put this in their shop and leave it there. The weight will keep vibrations very low, and the finish will be the best. When lighter-weight units are used, there are more opportunities to get better by sending out some things that can come from the planer. BLADE LIFE: I have read many reviews talking about how long the blades last, and to me, for what I do, I may not ever put that much wood through the machine to change the knives. When these ships are used, the knives can be reversed and come with a spare set. I am sure for my needs I will never need to buy some. For others, that is true; woodworkers may need to purchase new blades in about a year or two. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I used this briefly to see if I wanted to keep it for the price it would cost me. I was not able to put vast amounts of board feet through it. ROUGH LUMBER: This machine will take a very rough piece of pallet wood and make it look like a new piece of pine. I looked for some very warped or hammered slats to see what a planer like this could do, and to be honest, I could not find a thing I could not do. The finish was so smooth that I did not bother sanding them afterward. Get it from Amazon now: $579.00 & FREE Returns 4. CRAFTSMAN Benchtop Planer - Best Budget Thickness Planer KEY TAKEAWAY: Although good enough for hobby projects, it's definitely not built for heavy shop use. BRAND DECLINE: I saw that Craftsman had a planer and thought I would try out the brand as I have a history with them, like many others my age. I have to say, Craftsman has dropped the quality control of manufacturing. ASSEMBLY ISSUES: The in and out boards needed adjustment, which is expected when things are shipped; I did not expect the factory to over-tighten them and strip the heads. Maybe it's robots assembling them, or perhaps the folks putting them together have a high piece rate requirement; either way, the quality suffered. BUILD QUALITY: The machine is made from low-quality materials. This is only an issue if this planer is used for more than hobby stuff. The stamped metal would be acceptable to plane down a board now and then, reducing the weight if I needed to haul it around. The insides are strong where it counts. The four-column setup is solid. MOTOR LIMITATIONS: The motor can get challenged with more complicated wood, and if a knot is found, it may stall the machine. The RPMs max out at 8000. This is the slowest of the items I chose to review. The dust collector port is overrun by the amount of chips this little machine can throw. SAFETY: Always use a respirator; hell, we all have a drawer full of COVID masks we don't need any more; get one if nothing else. VALUE: This machine cost just under 300 bucks on Amazon when I was looking for products. If budget is a concern, this one may be the winner for you. If higher quality and better performance are needed, you may need to look at others in this review a little harder. Get it from Amazon now: $469.00 & FREE Returns 5. Delta Portable Planer - Best Portable Thickness Planer KEY TAKEAWAY: Easy to move around without feeling flimsy or cheap. PORTABILITY: If I needed to pull this machine out of a closet or off of a shelf in the back room to do some woodworking projects and then put it away, this is the machine I would choose for my shop. Luckily, I can put mine on a roll-away without lifting or carrying it around. If my profession was woodworking on-site and I had to move the planer around, Delta would win hands down. BUILD QUALITY: Delta keeps the weight of this machine down by using Lexan on the sides instead of metal. Lexan is very tough and will hold up for a long time. On top of being lightweight, the Lexan sides are also rustproof, as plastics don't rust. Again, what better option to haul around from worksite to worksite? The insides are built out of high-quality metal parts and fitted so well that I could not get any noticeable movement out when I tried to prove the plastic siding was this weak. BLADE REPLACEMENT: This is a two-blade cutter and blade changes are effortless. The tools to change blades are included and even stored in the machine itself, again, portability at its best. EXOTIC WOODS: I read reviews about the motor getting bogged down and taking deeper passes with exotic woods like Purpleheart. I don't have the skills to do anything with exotics, so I don't know from first-hand experience how it operates on these. Poplar, pine, and walnut do not even faze this machine. Get it from Amazon now: $569.99 & FREE Returns

Whether you’re working in the shop or at home, a MIG welder is crucial for precision and efficiency. These options are designed for both beginners and pros. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. ArcCaptain 200Amp - Best Professional MIG Welder KEY TAKEAWAY: Small enough to carry around, but powerful enough for serious shop work. PRICE POINT: After trying a few at a lower price, I adjusted my price point and found the one I am in love with. The ArcCaptain is one I will keep. SIZE & PORTABILITY: Even after I get better at the welding processes, probably with this welder, and get a more advanced mig welding machine, I will hang on to this one due to the portability and tiny size. My guess is if I stacked four shoe boxes for my jumbo feet on top of one another, this welder would be more petite by a little. The machine is easy to carry with its top handle and an included carry strap; it is lightweight and small. OFF ROAD USE: For the off-road crowd, if you can make enough amperage in the field and on the rocks, this welder can fix your trail repairs and not take up too much room. GUNSMITHING USE: The machine will do all the welding I need, even fix the RZR when the rutted-out roads around the cabin break parts that are never in stock. Now, all I need is the skill level to use all options. Once again, I called the expert to help me set it up to weld misaligned holes in rifle actions from scope base attempts at the home bench with a hand drill. He showed me the right setting to get started, and the welder would adjust to what I was doing. All I had to do was correctly set the amperage for the thickness, which was very friendly and protective of my skill level. DISPLAY PANEL: The machine is a dark red, a beautiful color palette for a work machine. The LED display is easily read and seen from my bench as I use it. The knobs are good-sized and easy to adjust even while wearing gloves. MIG GUN: The MIG gun is good quality; the lead wire could be upgraded if you do lots of stick welding. It uses two style expendables, so getting parts is not proprietary. I can get new stuff at Home Depot if needed and not wait for an order from China. GAS SETUP: The machine does not have a gas regulator and no gas bottle. It does come with all the hoses and hookups, however. DRIVE ROLLS: The kit has seven drive rolls, which will fit any standard MIG wire. The drive rolls are V-groove for solid, knurled for flux wire, and U-shaped for aluminum. TIG CAPABILITY: This machine will also do lift TIG, which I am most interested in for gun repairs. However, that is still to be learned, and as soon as I can get into a class, I am going directly to that discipline. FIELD USE: My main interest in this welder outside the gun shop is its ability to use flux in windy and dirty areas. This welder will see many days at the cabin fixing trailers, shooting stands, and even at the rage-fixing target stands. This is a working machine in any environment without the need for shielding gas. As easy as it is to pack it around, plug it into 110 volts, and go, it has earned a place on my tool cart. Get it from Amazon now: $499.99 & FREE Returns 2. YesWelder 200Amp - Best MIG Welder for Beginners KEY TAKEAWAY: Makes beginner welding feel less intimidating. BEGINNER-FRIENDLY: This user friendly welder is maybe the best option for the amateur-level DIYer on the market. What makes it so good is that it costs less than 150 bucks to handle any DIY project, that's what. If I knew all of the welding tricks the maintenance guys use with multi-use machines, I would never need anything more than this machine. It is possible to spot weld with this machine with fancy or not-fancy welding utilizing a piece of MIG wire held in the stick clamp. If I were to get a hot rod that needed a ton of bodywork, this machine would weld the thin metal all day long and do it in the wind without complaining. REPUTATION: The build quality of the YesWelders is well known; this machine or brand is making the big-name old-school guys nervous. YesWelders go up in price from this model, and they do almost anything by the time the price tag gets around a thousand dollars; this is going to replace the high-dollar machines someday, in my bet. In hobby shops, that is. The MIG gun and stick clamps are built well, but the TIG function needed a separate purchase, and since I am only looking to test out MIG stuff right now, I did not order the TIG gear. PORTABLE DESIGN: This welder is a very simplistic machine and damn near fits in a toolbox. I have a friend by the cabin come by to show me how to get it set to weld back together on the RZR if needed, and he borrowed it to take to work on some field watering pipes, and I have not seen it back yet. According to him, he plugs it into a small generator in the back of his pickup and welds until he runs out of MIG wire, then takes a break, replaces the spool, and welds until he needs to replace the spool again. CONTROLS: I am glad he has a new welder, and hopefully, I will get it back soon, or he will be available to fix my broken stuff with my new welder someday. He told me that it would weld the aluminum pipes in the fields easily and that the bead and arc would be smooth and straightforward to control. The settings are easy to set, and the auto change of voltage and speed by adjusting amperage to thickness is a welcome change from dialing everything in; it is set and go. FIELD USE: As mentioned, the main thing he appreciates about this machine is its portability. He bought a long, heavy-duty extension cord to plug in and walk to whatever he needs to weld. The heavy-duty extension cord costs half of what the machine costs, so it is an actual budget-saving machine. The other thing he mentioned is the cover the welder has over the display and knobs. The manufacturer puts it here to protect it from splatter and stuff like that. My buddy likes it for when things in the field are moving, and they bang into the brand-new machine. It only scratches the plastic cover and does not break the display or knock loose a knob that becomes part of the next alfalfa harvest. Get it from Amazon now: $479.99 & FREE Returns 3. ToolIom 200Amp - Best MIG Welder for Gunsmithing KEY TAKEAWAY: Good enough for small shop repairs if you figure out the settings. WHY I BOUGHT IT: Today, I will discuss my journey to buy a cheap MIG welder for the gun shop. Notice the critical part of that I did not say. I will also practice and get better at welding, just buying a new welder. Operator errors are still my main issue when welding, or at least I call it welding. My buddy calls it names I can't type for the public to read. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The MIG welder I tested today is the Toollom. This welder fits my ignorant parameters of small size, runs on 110 volts, and costs less than 300 bucks. The reason I am not getting a bigger and better MIG welder is I use welders to fill up holes that have become egg-shaped or mis-drilled holes by clients, and at times, the gremlins will force me to miss the right spot, and I have to fix my own mistakes. This welder fits all of my parameters and comes in a cool, bright yellow color like all of my shop display gear. PURPOSE: This welder will work for what I need in 110 Volts if I build car frames or something that needs to be very strong with total penetration. Buy it if what you need is to fill a hole or build up an area to be filled, or milled back to the correct size in a firearm. It will also do the trick for someone who is an experienced welder and knows how to make the machine do what they want it to do. I am not a professional welder, so I played the fool until a real welder came to my rescue; I will explain in a minute. FEATURES: Let me discuss the parts and pieces this machine is made from before the function. The build quality of the actual welder is outstanding; it does not feel like it is held together with zip ties like some of the cheaper welders. The gun is decent, and the hose and leads are OK, but an upgrade for very little money is the better choice. The welder does not have a regulator to use shielding gas; obviously, no gas bottle is included. The grounding clamp will work and does not weigh much, but it's pretty damn cheap. Get a better one or a magnetic unit for about ten bucks and save the hassles. TARGET FRAMES: Since I did not want to try my luck with a machine I know nothing about on a client gun, I went to my shooting target frames to try my new machine. The frames are made with lightweight pipes for uprights and thin 1x1 angles to clamp the targets, and I am sure almost everyone has used something similar. When I started to attempt the weld, it looked like a horror show, and I got frustrated to the point of packing the machine back up and sending it back. ADJUSTMENTS: My buddy showed me the machine is set at 4t from the factory, and I needed to put it on 2t. If everyone is like me and doesn't know or barely knows what this means, that is how the machine feeds the wire. Once I got that figured out, my press-and-hold for a second style of welding seemed to work pretty well on the frames. When Joel took over, it welded like a champ; he was impressed by its ability to lay a good bead, and the arc was smooth. LESSONS LEARNED: With more practice, I can make a weld that is good enough to paint without needing a grinder, saving face on the range if anyone sees my handy work. Since my mig welding skills are not up to par with what I need to know to use this machine, I have since sold it and bought another. Get it from Amazon now: $269.99 & FREE Returns 4. FORNEY 140Amp - Best Compact MIG Welder KEY TAKEAWAY: Small and portable, but not recommended for beginners. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I saw this listing on Amazon and thought I would try one out to see if this may be a good idea for my hobby shop. The price tag and the high review ratings were the deciding factor. When it arrived, I was excited to see the size and weight. This machine will fit on the shelf under the bench and only uses 120 volts. There is no way to convert or switch to the 240 volts that some other multi-use welders on the budget market. SNOW BLOWER REPAIR: With my minimal abilities in welding, I set it up the same way I had been told. I tried my hand at some repairs on my snow blower, which helped me discover some concrete raised during the winter snowstorms. I figured who would ever know if I weld and have the standard strong but ugly as sin bead on the augur. PERFORMANCE: The first time I used the welder, it worked nicely on flux core wire. I put it away after a few minutes because I wanted to see it work and had not prepped the surface like I should have. I returned to the augur two days later and tired again; this machine did not perform like before. Confused, I looked at all the settings and checked them against my notes, and they all lined up to do the same job, but they did not. TROUBLESHOOTING: This inability to perform the same perplexed me, so I left the stuff there and went to call in some folks with actual welding skills. When he arrived and checked my settings and connections, he tried it again, and it did not work again, but the poor performance was different on this third attempt. Since my buddy knows how to troubleshoot the welder, a few adjustments were made and changed to a different size flux wire setting. However, it still has the same wire diameter, and this thing was sizzling along and did a pretty good job. WARNING: I feel I have to caution readers about this machine not performing uniformly. From what I have been told, if you're an actual welder, this thing can burn in a weld like a champ, maybe even more than a quarter-inch thick plate steel. RETURN DECISION: If you are like me and barely scratch the surface of amateur or whatever ranks below that, this machine may also not be the right fit for you. I repackaged the machine and sent it back for a refund. Maybe I just had a bad one sent to me, I don't know, but I have small and inexpensive welders in the shop now, and even have one at the cabin just in case my stupid meter is bigger than my wallet, so I did not try to make this one work. Get it from Amazon now: $341.31 & FREE Returns 5. Simder 140Amp - Best Cheap MIG Welder KEY TAKEAWAY: Budget welder with multiple quality issues. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I sought a replacement after losing my YesWelder to fieldwork and being promised help. I found this one for under a hundred bucks. Why not try it out? When it got to my house, I opened the box, took it out, and placed it on the coffee table. First impressions were good. It looked nice and very compact. The fit and finish seemed to pass the ‘repack it immediately’ test, so I pressed on and took it to the shop. QUALITY ISSUES: When I went to the shop, I could have been more impressed. This machine will weld in Stick or MIG; from what I see, the stick is the only thing with a high rating. The MIG parts are all there, but this factory needs to improve quality assurance. EXPECTATION VS REALITY: This cost under a hundred bucks, so I did not expect perfection, but I did expect function. GROUND CLAMP: The grounding clam is wired with heavy braided wire and is a step above most of the cheap welder parts, so it points to that. SHORT LEADS: Points are taken away for short leads, the arc leads are about six feet or less, and the power supply is about three feet long. The power also has the adapter run 220 volts through the 110 lead when plugged into a 220-volt outlet. TORCH GUIDE: The torch wire guide is not adjusted correctly. It could have been a quick fix, but at this point, I just lost faith and put the whole thing back in the packaging (very nice, by the way) and back in the box and returned it. WHO IT'S FOR: If someone had a dedicated 20-amp fuse and outlet at their bench for a cheap now-and-then MIG or Arc welder, this machine, after some minor work, would be on the money. Suppose you plan to plug this into a dedicated outlet and run the needs or torch to the workpiece. In that case, you must order the more extended parts the same day you order the welder. Get it from Amazon now: $81.99 & FREE Returns 6. S7 200Amp - Best Portable MIG Welder KEY TAKEAWAY: Portable enough to throw in the truck for trail and field repairs. HOBBY WELDING: This is not a welder welding machine but an excellent hobbyist machine. This MIG welder will work when using a 50-foot 12-gauge extension cord, which is abnormal in mig welding. Most of the time, a welder has to be plugged directly into the socket and have a dedicated breaker, not this one. 4-IN-1 FEATURES: This machine offers a 4-in-1 functionality. It can weld Flux or Gas Shielded MIG and does offer lift-off TIG, which is awesome. It will also stick weld and perform in almost every hobby shop, working on almost everything. I say "almost everything" because there will always be one or two out of a hundred hobbyists who would expect it to weld aluminum or something else this machine will not do. Please check the manufacturer details, so you save money on this machine. VALUE: When it comes to money, this machine is a dream come true. The machine is really affordable. So, if a person has a toy hauler trailer or motorhome and tends to get a little wild in the field, plug this into the generator. You are ready to perform field repairs all day long. HEAT MANAGEMENT: The welder does have overload and overheat protection. This will keep everything safe. It may take a bit longer to weld large items as it will need a cool-down period, but to fix a small piece, you are good to go. My buddy has one of these, so I watched a dune buggy chassis being made to see how it worked. Welding the frame and roll cage tubing, this machine never hit the cool-down. Still, it was only welding two-inch tubing joints and had a professional welder operating it. FIELD TEST: When the buggy is being welded, it is placed on a pallet and rolled out in the driveway with a pallet jack. That way, the fumes and sparks are not present in the house. All we did was stretch a heavy extension cord (12-gauge) plugged into an outlet by the bench and let it rip. The bench outlets at his place are on a dedicated circuit. I am unsure how this would work if plugged into a circuit running the fridge, but I'm pretty sure the breaker will blow. That is lots of amperage to pull from a standard house circuit, and usually, they are wired to 15 Amp breakers. FIELD RESULTS: This welder is rated to weld at 200 Amps. Still, we did not do any of that type of welding projects, and I was only interested in learning more about the MIG capabilities of the low-cost machine. According to him, this cheap wonder machine was only bought to be on the shelf in case a BBQ frame or lay furniture broke, and he did not have to haul around a machine on a dolly to fix stuff. He found out that the wonder machine would work for building dune buggies, and it weighs about the same as a case of beer, and it even has a handle. So he uses this one, and the expensive machine sits idle. Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns 7. HZXVoGen 250Amp - Best MIG Welder for Aluminum KEY TAKEAWAY: Feels more like a serious garage welder than a cheap hobby option. 6-IN-1 FEATURES: A 6-in-1 machine for under 400 bucks is not too bad. This machine is rated to weld at 250 amps, which is clearly more significant than I will need, but a real welder may be interested in one at home. A shade tree car mechanic bringing an old fat fender car back to life and working on the frame will need a machine like this one. It can stick-weld the heavy frame materials and MIG the lightweight body parts in one machine. POWER REQUIREMENTS: From what I have been told, this machine can weld on 110 volts but should be used in a 240-volt outlet and circuit. It sounds like a great attempt to make it fit everyone's needs and have the 110 option, but it is too much welder to play in the minor leagues and needs the full power 240 set-up. I know many guys who build rock crawlers around here; I am in the state that owns MOAB. POLARITY SETUP: When I talked to some folks in the rock-crawling world, one builder told me to set up this machine when plugging the wires in and ensure my polarity is correct for what I am welding. I thanked this builder for the excellent advice, then looked up what they meant by polarity set-ups. I learned that different welding types require the leads to be plugged in differently. Luckily, I have welding folks in my corner who set up what I need for the minimal welding I do. REAL-WORLD FEEDBACK: The builders I spoke to told me the welder will weld flux core MIG like it was born to do it. The Gas Shielded MIG function works like a dream as well. The primary welding method used was stick welding. The point of this test was not to look at how well the stick welder worked, but that seemed to be the favorite; maybe that is where everyone was in the build phase. I talked to one builder who used the TIG function to weld some sheet metal, and they said it was excellent and easy to use. Get it from Amazon now: $161.49 & FREE Returns

I tested the best plasma cutters under $500, and here's my ultimate ranking. Whether you're a seasoned professional or all about DIY, each of these would work. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. Lotos - Best Plasma Cutter for Beginners KEY TAKEAWAY: Makes cutting steel much easier for beginners. WHY I BOUGHT IT: As a gunsmith, I'd never though I'd need a plasma cutter, until one day, I saw someone selling steel targets for rifle shooting and range plate racks. I needed a way to make some of my own. So that convinced me that I needed a plasma cutter. LEARNING CURVE: With my newfound need to have a plasma cutter, I did not include the fact that I don't really know how to use one in my equation. So like all of my heavy-duty decisions, I just jumped in and started figuring it out, as I went, most of the time very poorly. What I have in my corner is YouTube, where everything in the world is taught, and Joel's phone number and good whiskey lure him here to show me how to do it correctly. I have watched several YouTube reviews doing metal penetration tests to show penetration and power demonstration. CUTTING REQUIREMENTS: I don't need to cut more than half an inch of thick metal, some of which will be the AR500 and some mild steel plates. I don't need to cut the boilerplate or anything like that. A cheaper maker will do just fine, and I am not in a hurry and don't make my living on this to afford the time for cool-down times. DELIVERY: Of course, I first thought of the stuff they have on the shelf at Harbor Freight. Still, I should look at the rest of the field, or some of the field, and see what they are all about, so I went to Amazon and found the Lotos machines. It took about a week and a half, and a heavy box appeared at my door. I had to open it and get my fingers on it right away. I did not say to read the instructions first; just bring it to the shop. INITIAL SETUP: I set up the machine outside the shop door, hauled out the compressor hose, and hooked it up to the quick release; I am now ready to go. I am ready, except I don't know how much air to give it, so I opened the owner's manual now. Since I don't read Chinese, I used the next best thing and did a little Google research. It said 60psi, so that is what I set the dial to. FIRST CUTS: I needed some stuff to cut, so I grabbed all the metal that would not be missed in the neighborhood and had at it. I started with an old metal shelf from the cabinet that holds my shovels. That is when it hit me; I didn't know where to set the machine, so I started low and tried my luck. I learned that it would not work, so I used the junior high school test-taking method, went to the first even number, and set it to 20, which cut very smoothly away. I had to keep looking to see if it was working as well as I thought, and it was – YES! THICK STEEL TEST: Now, onto the plate steel, I found it at my brother's shop and bought it for this project. I think it's about ¼ inches thick and needed to be shot at the range. I drew the pattern and set it to 20. It worked like a champ before but did not this time. So, I did what everyone else would do, turned it to 50, and went to work. I did not know how fast to make the torch, so it looked rugged and sloppy. That is precisely the method I used. I learned later to slow down, which works much better. PROS: Dual voltage: 110v or 220v. You can use this in the field or easily take it to a different place with a heavy-duty extension cord, and it will get to work. By the way, most reviewers say it's the best 110v plasma cutter on the market. But, of course, it all depends on what you need it for. Small. This is minor and weighs less than my daughter's chocolate lab. It does not run around nearly as much and does not need to play catch with a slobber-filled, shaky doll. Pilot Arc is great for working with rusty and dirty metal. I like this because the stuff I will cut will not get sanded or buffed before cutting; it will just be thrown on the sawhorses and cut, then some cheap paint, and it goes to the range. Spare Electrodes. It's great to have consumables as part of the kit, especially when I don't know what I'm doing. I can keep playing around while the replacement consumables are in the mail. Clamping Stand-off. The stand-off does not lip on, so it can pull off most of the time; with this one clamp in place, such guys like me can look like we know what is going on. CONS: Ground clamp. This thing is short; this must be one of the places they script on to save money. All I have to do to fix this is to make a new one or order a longer one for a different machine and hook it up. No problem, just a pain in the butt. Air Gauge. The gauge is not marked in psi, which is wrong if they sell it in the USA. We need to have the exact measurements to know what is going on. OVERALL SATISFACTION: All in all, there's a reason this option by Lotos is considered one of the best plasma cutting machines out there, and why so many people recommend it. The pros outshine the cons, and the machine is sturdy and dependable. I don't know if it's the best plasma cutter under $1000, but it's definitely worth the $400 bucks it sells for. Get it from Amazon now: $369.98 & FREE Returns 2. BestArc - Best Plasma Cutter for CNC Tables KEY TAKEAWAY: Handled CNC cuts and basic shop jobs without any drama. VOLTAGE SETUP: This machine uses a 220/240v line and an adapter to use 110v. Others will use the 110v and then adapt up to the 220v. So, this one wins on that front. It has much better quality and dependability to build to handle the higher voltage and then drop down to house current. AIR PRESSURE: The old version of this machine used a dial to measure the air pressure; now, the air gauge is digital. This is not a great idea for air pressure, as it never sits still or is static; once the trigger is pulled, the air pressure will change. The way this works the best, especially for a tool like a plasma cutter that uses the air to blow out the molten steel, is to set the pressure to, say, 70psi, then pull the trigger, watch the pressure, and adjust the knob to be 70psi when the machine is using the air. CNC TESTING: This plasma cutter went to Joel's house to test his plasma CNC. To our surprise, it worked like a champ, and now we have a bunch of steel targets to practice within the desert. We set the unit at 50 and ran it on 240v because the plasma cutter he had on the unit was wired to the setup. ANGLE IRON TEST: After we proved it would work on the CNC, we needed to make some frames. So then we went to the other side of his shop and used it to cut some angle iron. Since it was on the other side of the shop, we plugged it into the 110v wall outlet, and away it went. There was no problem with cutting the angle; it was not thick-walled or 4 inches wide, just a simple 1x1 angle, and it smoked it. CUSTOMER SERVICE: The customer service folks are very responsive and answer the phone whenever I call. To prove that point to myself, I called back at different times of the day, and every time someone answered the phone, it was very nice. OVERALL VALUE: If you ask: is this the best plasma cutter for the money? My answer is: it's definitely good enough for what I need it for. So in that sense, it provides reasonable value for the money. Get it from Amazon now: $229.99 & FREE Returns 3. YesWelder - Best Plasma Cutter for Home Shops KEY TAKEAWAY: Despite the small size, it's seriously powerful on 220v. POPULARITY: According to everyone on YouTube who pays for their equipment for their home shops, this machine by YesWelder is considered the best plasma cutter for home use. And after getting my hands on one, I know why. This thing should cost more than it does. PERFORMANCE: I have a 220v service in my shop, so I plug into it whenever I need it. At 220v, it works like a trooper and does not hesitate to do what I need it for. It struggled slightly when I plugged it into the 110v to see what it could do. I will cut the metal; it is a little slower and kinda overwhelming on the 110v for cutting the ¼ inch plates. CONSUMABLES: One issue with the YesWelder touch is that the company lacks replacement tips. Go to Home Depot and get one off the shelf and a bunch of replacements for a typical maker, and then get away with the one sent with the plasma cutter. AUTO BODY WORK: This machine is an auto body worker's dream machine. The unit will cut that metal like butter and only needs an extension cord. PORTABILITY: The machine is light enough to be hauled around the car, not the other way around, and moving the car all the time. The size of the cutter is nice and small, about the same size as the black and white dog that lives next door. CUTTING CAPACITY: I have read reviews of folks using this to cut the braided cable. I don't know what or who cut braided cable all day, but that reviewer loved it, so I must take their word for it. The cable cutter says it will cut up to 3.4 inches. Some folks by the cabin have used cable in their fences to keep the cattle on the right side of the road; maybe I will take this over there and see if I can try that out and get back to everyone. The only cable I have handy is in the winches on the RZRs, and I am not cutting that to check. OVERALL VALUE: My nephews says this is the best plasma cutter around $500. I will add his personal review after he uses it for at least 6 months at his own home shop. But for now, I can confidently say this cutter gets the job done. Get it from Amazon now: $359.99 & FREE Returns 4. ToolIom - Best Portable Plasma Cutter KEY TAKEAWAY: Works reliably after small setup adjustments. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This thing looks like it was made by a race car company, which, in my opinion, makes it the best plasma cutter under $300. I don't know why, I just love it! The Orange and black color palette is very tough-looking. The machine was packaged perfectly and arrived like it had just been placed in the box that morning. QUALITY CONTROL: When I pulled this out of the box, I found a little screw in the box and began to look for its home. I found that it fell out of the aluminum heat sink bar. I tried to put it back, and the hole was stirred, or the screw was too short; I don't know. I grabbed another screw from the bottle of screws that did not need to be thrown away, and it fit perfectly, especially when I pushed a little harder. It fit like it was born there. AIR HOSE: The air hose that comes with the machine may be the Chapes tiar hose made in China and should be replaced. Save the headaches and put a new piece of hose on, even if it doesn't leave the factory. AIR REGULATOR: The pressure adjustment knob leaked a little when I turned it up; when I looked into this on YouTube, one site told me that it might be the way they address moisture. They just let a little leak out, and the water blows out past the leakage; I suppose that will work; it did not keep the machine from doing its job, but what a weird thing to do on purpose. UPGRADES: I replaced the barbed air line hook-up with a regular quick release and the pressure gauge with one from Harbor Freight that showed in psi. I am not doing that again. I just replaced it to know what is happening. SETUP EXPERIENCE: It took more effort for such a good-looking machine to get to the starting line I wanted, so I do not think this one will live here long. After I did all the little fixes, it worked; I used it to cut some pipe I found, and it chopped that up without any worries. It works on 220 and 110v adapters, so it will work. It is just a bit of quality control missing from the factory that had to be dealt with first. VALUE FOR MONEY: So if you're into saving money at the moment, this ToolIom passed my test as one of the best budget plasma cutters on Amazon. It's not a $1000 machine, and not even a $500 one. You can get a better one for $400. But for what it costs, I think it's good enough. If you want to save even more, go for the next option by S7 (it's really cheap and actually quite impressive). Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns 5. S7 - Best Cheap Plasma Cutter KEY TAKEAWAY: Affordable plasma cutter or basic field repairs. WHY I BOUGHT IT: For anyone who wants one of these handy, this one will do all the jobs for about $150! Why would anyone not get one of these for that price and its ability to replace the never-ending grinder wheel action? ENTRY-LEVEL BUILD: This is not a metal shot plasma cutter and does not claim to be one. The power cord is terminated with a dry plug, so that should let everyone know how much work this is designed to do. The air regulator is mounted through the metal skin, and I had to open the box to put the bolts through the holes and then tighten them up. This is not a big deal; I expected this kind of stuff for the price. BUILD QUALITY: While inside the skin, I looked around for other loose stuff to see if there were any apparent problems or waiting to become an issue later. The inside looks clean and well assembled, so good job on that front, S7. The ground wire is short, not as short as some, but I use it for a machine that should sit on the ground wheel; a four-foot wire is kind of dumb. It was easy to move the machine or the metal to a different place or get a new ground wire and put it on, so I did that method of fixing a simple thing. POWER CORD: Let's move on to a fundamental problem: the supply wire is too small. It's not too short, but there is an insufficient wire gauge to handle this much current. Even if I plan on using this for only five minutes, I am worried it may cause a big electrical problem or start a fire. I can fix this with a new supply line, and eventually, if I keep it, I may trade it to someone who can replace the issue and have a good plasma for simple jobs. AIR SYSTEM: You guessed it, the air pressure stuff was cheap and weak. I am starting to lose faith in this machine, as it is too cheap to be bothered. I just set the air compressor at 60psi at the source so I would not overwhelm the stock fittings. FIELD USE: Now, onto the good parts: this machine will work with a small generator and pancake compressor in the field, so if I went nuts and needed to take this in the RZR and cut something, I don't know what, but I could. This will fit in my buddy's truck box at the cabin, along with all the generators and stuff, and he now has it and has done the upgrades to make it work for him. He uses it to cut rebar on-site and loves it, so it has a new home and a good job. This replaced the need to carry an oxy/acetylene setup or use a jillion cutoff wheels. He starts the generator, plugs in the plasma and air, and works a perfect fit. OVERALL SATISFACTION: To sum things up, this is really a solid cheap plasma cutter. I don't think you're going to regret this purchase. Just make sure you're aware of your needs and skill level. Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns

Here are reviews of the best chlorine tabs you can get on Amazon right now, in order ensure a sparkling clean pool with a healthy pH balance. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. In The Swim - Best Stabilized Chlorine Tablets KEY TAKEAWAY: Kept my pool crystal clear without dissolving too quickly. SHIPPING EXPERIENCE: I ordered a hefty twenty-pound bucket of these tablets, and the delivery speed was nothing short of miraculous. It felt like I blinked, and there was FedEx at my door with the package. If my memory serves me correctly, the bucket arrived the very next day, making the whole process seamless and efficient. This quick delivery is a testament to In The Swim's commitment to customer satisfaction. BRAND EXPERIENCE: Earlier this year, I also bought a new in-ground pool liner from In The Swim. Now that it's installed, I can vouch for its high quality and perfect fit. The packaging was robust, ensuring the liner arrived in pristine condition, and the custom-fit liner was delivered within a week. This experience solidified my trust in their attention to detail and quality control. PACKAGING: The bucket itself arrived well-packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, clearly labeled and delivered promptly. LID DESIGN: Opening the bucket, you can’t help but appreciate the clever design of the lid. To access the tablets, you simply squeeze a red lever and rotate the lid counterclockwise. This thoughtful feature makes it easy to get to the chlorine without any hassle. INDIVIDUAL WRAPPING: Now, let’s talk about these chlorine tablets. Each tablet is individually wrapped in plastic, which not only protects them during shipping but also helps in preserving their effectiveness. PERFORMANCE: The real magic happens once the tablets hit the water. They do an outstanding job of keeping the pool chlorinated, ensuring that bacteria and algae are kept at bay. I can confidently say that my pool has never looked better, with the water staying crystal clear all season long. These tablets allowed me to say goodbye to bacteria, algae and other organic contaminants for good. I know, this sounds like a marketing pitch, but I genuinely mean it. I wouldn't have written this review otherwise. DISSOLVE RATE: Unlike other brands, these tablets aren't overly compressed, making them dissolve at just the right rate, which is exactly what I wanted. USAGE GUIDELINES: One tablet per week in a 10-12 thousand gallon pool maintains the perfect chlorine level, especially when the temperature is below 90 degrees. During hotter conditions, I use just one and a half to two tablets based on water test results. Consequently, I noticed a significant reduction in costs for my pool and spa business since switching to this brand. OVERALL SATISFACTION: When you have the right product, keeping your pool exceptionally clear all season long becomes easy, and even affordable. These chlorine tablets really are a game changer, and I seriously swear by them now. Even if a few tablets arrive crumbled, the individual wrapping makes it easy to handle them without getting chlorine dust everywhere. Really can’t say it enough. I seriously love these and highly recommend them. The product quality, innovative packaging, and exceptional customer service from In The Swim make these chlorine tablets a top choice for any pool owner. Whether you're a seasoned pool maintenance pro or just starting, these tablets will keep your pool sparkling clean with minimal effort. Get it from Amazon now: $139.99 & FREE Returns 2. Doheny's - Best Chlorine Tablets for Large Pools KEY TAKEAWAY: Tabs stayed effective even during brutal Texas summer heat. POOL OWNERSHIP: At sixty seven, I’ve been maintaining my own pool for almost thirty years, and have tried various chlorine brands. Living in Austin, TX, where that heat index climbs up to the nineties degrees, I want to keep my pool water super clear. I used to buy chlorine from Costco due to the good price, but the container lid was a nightmare to open. After finishing it, I switched to Doheny's. This is my first time using this brand, and I've had zero issues with algae, unlike with other brands using the same amount of tabs. SIZE & WEIGHT: The bucket is huge, and I love how it was brought straight to my front door. Despite the size and heaviness, it was super easy to open. Keep in mind that the bucket is heavy at fifty pounds, so if lifting that much weight is a problem, this might not be for you. I didn't have a problem with its size and weight, though. TABLET PACKAGING: Each tablet is individually wrapped, which I find convenient, but it might not be everyone’s preference. TABLET CONDITION: Most of the tablets arrive intact, though there’s some dust in the individually wrapped packages. As with other brands, a few of the tablets arrive cracked, but I just toss those in the skimmer basket, no biggie. I always use gloves and open them underwater in the skimmers to avoid airborne chlorine dust, so I don't mind if some tablets are not intact. But generally speaking, the tablets' condition was acceptable. PERFORMANCE: The results have been remarkable. These tablets keep my doughboy pool in great condition, and they actually last me all year. DOSAGE & USAGE: One tablet per week is enough to do that job, which is awesome. I break them up to put in my pool filter sometimes, but not always, just kinda depends on the day. It works either way, all you have to do is play with it. In the summer, I add two pounds of shock weekly, and these tablets provide excellent value. OVERALL SATISFACTION: The large container is easy to open, and the individually wrapped tablets mean less breakage and potency loss. I only used a few tablets before closing the pool, and I’m thrilled with the product, packaging, and seller. Get it from Amazon now: $172.99 & FREE Returns 3. Pool Mate - Best Value Chlorine Tablets KEY TAKEAWAY: Easy-open wrappers made handling less irritating. VALUE: I was pretty tired of the high prices of these things at local pool stores. Everything is getting so expensive these days, but the pool stores seriously charged double for everything. These tablets are a great deal and better quality. Seriously, of all the brands on the market, this is one of the strongest chlorine tablets I’ve found. Gets the job done! BRAND COMPARISON: Let me start by saying that not all chlorine tablets are equal. I found that Pool Mate, which is sold online, is superior to other brands sold at specialty stores, dissolving evenly and consistently while maintaining desired chlorine levels. Plus, they’re delivered straight to my door. POOL CLARITY: Within a week, my pool water was nearly perfect, which is just so awesome. I typically also use a pool essentials shock treatment once a week along with these tabs. That way I’m hitting it from all angles and making sure my pool is set so I can have a trouble free season. HANDLING EASE: I also really appreciate the individual wrapping (it’s the little things), unlike the local store's offerings. It absolutely prevents handling the tablets directly and reduces fumes. The packets are easy to open, and no scissors are required, which is why I’ll never buy from the overpriced local store again. VALUE FOR MONEY: These tablets are SUCH a fantastic buy for the money. They’re cheaper than those at pool supply stores and delivered right to my door, avoiding the hassle of transporting them. Despite the low price, the individual wrapping prevents chlorine smell on my hands, and they keep my pool crystal clear and bright blue. So, overall, this is a great budget product and I highly recommended it. Get it from Amazon now: $230.58 & FREE Returns 4. Rx Clear - Best Chlorine Tablets for pH Control KEY TAKEAWAY: I had much better control over my pool’s pH using these tablets. POOL MAINTENANCE: Despite being in my third summer season as a pool owner, I still consider myself fairly new to pool maintenance. Over time, I've gradually taken over all pool care tasks from the pool company, including finding cost-effective chemicals. After reading numerous reviews, I decided to try these chlorine tablets. DISSOLVE RATE: Before this, I used Bioguard Smart Sticks, which dissolved slowly, releasing chlorine mainly when water flowed over them in the skimmer basket. I was worried these pucks might dissolve too quickly, creating high chlorine concentrations when the pump was off. To my relief, they dissolve very slowly and seem to need running water to dissolve quickly. In my initial test, I placed a couple in the skimmer basket and a couple in a floater. After a week, the ones in the floater were hardly dissolved, while the ones in the basket were nearly gone - just the result I was hoping for. PRODUCT CONDITION: Most of the pucks arrived intact, though a few were broken. While broken pucks work the same, their different surface areas mean they dissolve at varying rates. I prefer knowing the exact rate of chlorine being added to the pool, so this was a slight inconvenience. However, given that the majority arrived whole, I'm satisfied with the packaging. STABILIZER LEVELS: One really important aspect of using stabilized chlorine pucks is monitoring the stabilizer level, as it doesn’t get used up like chlorine does. Excess stabilizer can reduce chlorine effectiveness, creating a cycle where more chlorine is needed. My plan is to use these at the start of the season when stabilizer levels are low, then switch to liquid chlorine once the stabilizer level is high enough. Liquid chlorine allows for better control over pool chemistry, despite being more of a hassle to use. PH BALANCE: The pH level of these pucks is quite low at 2.7, which is definitely what I wanted. When using liquid chlorine, my pool's pH tends to rise over time. With these pucks, the pH slowly decreases, which I can counteract by aerating the water to raise the pH without chemicals. This gives me more control over my pool's chemistry and reduces the need for chemical interventions. RECOMMENDATION: If you’re unsure about it, then take this sign as you go to make the plunge and buy them. These pucks offer excellent value and control over pool maintenance, and I highly recommend them. Get it from Amazon now: $189.99 & FREE Returns 5. BioGuard - Best Chlorine Tablets for Algae KEY TAKEAWAY: These were the only chlorine tabs that fully cleared up my algae problem. ALGAE PROBLEMS: I've tried many products for my pool and often struggled with algae. After reading some reviews about these BioGuard tablets, I decided to give them a try, even though the price was pretty steep. How I started using them in the first place? Well, as summer progressed, I needed about 20 pounds more to get through the season. I picked up a twenty five pound bucket from a different company, thinking I might still benefit from BioGuard by using it alongside the new tabs. At first, it was all fine. However, after a big storm hit, a bunch of gross mud washed into the pool, and despite my usual cleaning routine, the pool remained cloudy with algae forming. CLEAR WATER: My tests showed the water chemistry was fine, but the situation didn't improve until I switched back to using one hundred percent BioGuard chlorine tabs. Within a week, voilà! The pool was crystal clear again. I definitely learned my lesson here and plan to only use the BioGuard tabs for the entire season. PRICE VS PERFORMANCE: The price for these tablets is pretty high. But I recommend you try them. They really are amazing and have kept my pool algae-free for years. So, though more expensive, I think they’re worth it. ALGAE CONTROL: I’ve been using these for a while now and have been very satisfied. If your chlorine tabs underperform, or do literally nothing, try BioGuard with their SilkGuard Complete option. This product does a good job at keeping water crystal clear with minimal maintenance. This pool is over almost fifty years old, and it seriously looks brand new. The difference is so amazing, that I had to write this review. Get it from Amazon now: $189.99 & FREE Returns 6. CLOROX - Best Long-Lasting Chlorine Tablets KEY TAKEAWAY: Cutting tablets into quarters helped keep chlorine levels more stable. POOL SETUP: We have a big pool in our yard, which is right under the sun, and a hot tub that holds about four hundred gallons at a hundred and two degrees. Despite some of the negative reviews out there, I decided to try these tablets. VALUE: The price of these tablets isn't the best, but given that there’s a chlorine shortage, it's understandable. TABLET CONDITION: Most of the tablets arrived intact, and the packaging showed signs of careful handling. LID DESIGN: The design is just kind of frustrating. We find it nearly impossible to open. Clorox should consider a more user-friendly lid. Even so, I’ve figured out a way to open it, and because I love the product so much I’m still going to use it, but just a tip to the manufacturer. Us old folks would really appreciate that! USAGE METHOD: I cut the 3 inch pucks into quarters, and from there I place about one piece in my chlorine dispenser. It lasts three to four days per piece, a day longer than other brands, with more consistent chlorine levels. I may be weird in cutting them up like that, but it works for me, so maybe it will work for other people too. LONG-TERM RESULTS: We’ve been using this product for a year now, even when prices skyrocketed. Even then, I still decided to stay loyal, but my opinions on some things haven’t really changed. Why? Because thanks to these tablets I was able to say goodbye to algae issues. Our pool is fully exposed to the sun and typically prone to algae blooms, but not this year. Even with significant rainfall and lax pool care, the water remained crystal clear. These tablets have made pool maintenance much easier and more affordable. I’ll continue purchasing them. Get it from Amazon now: $42.97 & FREE Returns 7. HTH - Best Chlorine Tablets for Above-Ground Pools KEY TAKEAWAY: One tab lasted about a week in my above-ground pool during summer. WHY I BOUGHT IT: In the past I used to buy a different tablet from the same company, but delivery was too far out, so I settled for this item. So, I bought it recently and was pleasantly surprised. COST SAVINGS: These tablets are cheaper than local options and the best brand I’ve ever purchased due to the algicide content. Honestly the price was so low, I would definitely buy from this brand again as it works really well. PACKAGE SIZE: The eight-pound package is convenient, as I dislike frequent trips to the store. You get more than enough for a couple of months. TABLET CONDITION: The package arrived intact, but the tablets didn't. Many pieces were broken, but it's not the end of the world. I just put them in the skimmer to create the equivalent of a whole piece. CHLORINE PERFORMANCE: After I got the package, I immediately used some in the pool. I was very pleased with the process as I found it super easy and effective. I kept using it, and I'm still satisfied. Each tab lasts about a week or so. Of course, it depends on the type of pool you have and like what size it is. Mine is an above ground and I wasn’t sure these would work with it, but man they do such an amazing job. ALGAE CONTROL: This year, I didn’t have to treat the whole thing for algae, which allowed me to avoid all the extra vacuuming and scrubbing. So as far as algae control goes, I'm very happy with this purchase and can confidently recommend it to people with such pool issues. OVERALL SATISFACTION: All in all, I really think these HTH tablets are an excellent product! All summer long, these tablets alone kept my pool clean, and I didn't need anything else. so, that's why I recommend this brand. Get it from Amazon now: $70.71 & FREE Returns

These affordable solar pool covers will keep your pool warm, decrease energy costs, keep bugs and debris out, and protect kids and pets from injury. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. BigXwell - Best Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover KEY TAKEAWAY: The thicker material made a noticeable difference in heat retention overnight. POOL HEATING: I researched so many different pool covers before choosing the BigXwell, and I'm so glad I spent the extra money. Unlike those cheaper covers that fall apart quickly, this one is seriously heavy-duty, top of the line durable, and so effective at heating the pool by like eight to ten degrees, oh and it helps keep it clean. WEATHER RESISTANCE: It hasn’t shrunk in the sun, and I waited about a month before trimming it to size. Five-stars for this puppy. The cover also stays put in windy conditions and performs well in our dusty California climate. Even in 105-degree weather, the pool water, when mixed, is perfectly comfortable. HEAT RETENTION: A quality solar cover like this really makes a difference and you can tell. Our last cover lasted four to five years when we took care of it well, and in Cali, this new one raises our in-ground pool’s temperature by about ten degrees in less than a day. By July, we barely need it daily as the water maintains an like a ninety degree range. It’s definitely worth the investment if you live in the mid to upper states. HOT TUB USE: I also used this cover on my hot tub. After a month without it, the cover stayed in place, and the tub really only had a tiny algae presence even with it off. OVERALL SATISFACTION: Overall, I can say I love the quality of it, the weight, and how easy it is to use. And the price is a win, too. It’s so much thicker than I expected, which to me means better heat retention and sun resistance. And it works with a roller, too. My friend uses a similar cover for their built-in pool, and they find it super effective at keeping out all the debris and heat loss. So, all in all, I can confidently recommend the BigXwell solar cover to pool owners. Get it from Amazon now: $229.99 & FREE Returns 2. MidWest Canvas - Best Round Solar Pool Cover KEY TAKEAWAY: Our pool temperature jumped from 66 to 74 degrees in just two days. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Why don’t pools come with a cover like this automatically? I love it so much. Talk about fantastic! So easy to put on and remove, plus, it like, hovers over the water and doesn’t sink in. We first used our cover for about twenty hours before getting in. The surface water was warm, which concerned my husband in one hundred degree weather. But after stirring, the water was really not bad - kind of like a bathtub. We jumped in after the sun set and it seriously felt just like a heated hotel pool. SIZE & FIT: My pool is about twenty two feet, so I ordered the twenty four foot cover to include the space of the stairs from my deck. Keep in mind that it's round! It says so on the product page - but they have a picture of a square one. However, this is a round cover! EASE OF USE: This solar cover is super lightweight, so it's really easy to handle. I mean, it does the job of keeping debris out and warming the water while being simple for one person to use, compared to standard above-ground pool covers. FIRST-TIME OWNER: I got the same unit for my sister who lives in the woods, and it was her first cover, so she had absolutely no comparison. She told me it took her quite a while to figure out how to use it. Eventually, with some help from a neighbor, she figured everything out, and now she says this has just been an ultimate game changer when it comes to keeping out all the debris that used to fall into her pool. MAINTENANCE: In terms of cleaning it, all I do is roll it up, move it to the yard, and then grab my handy dandy leaf blower and give it a good blow over to remove any debris from the trees and then I just hose it down for things like pollen. Then, at night, I slide it back on. TEMPERATURE INCREASE: This product has changed our pool temp from sixty six to seventy four degrees in just two days. OVERALL SATISFACTION: I went from skeptical to elated. I’m so glad we got it. Also, another option is to go with a bigger cover and then clamp it down with clips to prevent any flapping around. I did read some reviews that said it might rip a little bit, but I'm just extra careful with it, and I haven’t had any issues or anything like that. I really love it. Get it from Amazon now: $206.92 & FREE Returns 3. Blue Wave - Best Solar Pool Cover for Pool Heating KEY TAKEAWAY: Made night swimming comfortable for the first time in years. WHY I BOUGHT IT: I'm one of those people who's always cold. I'll get in the hot tub on a hundred degree day. So, imagine my disappointment when our dream house came with a pool but no heater. We considered installing one, but the cost was prohibitive, and even with a heater, we'd still be paying a fortune to run it. So, we decided to bear the cold. My only experience with a solar cover was from a friend’s pool as a kid, and I remembered it always being freezing, so I was skeptical. TEMPERATURE INCREASE: After three years in the house and with two young kids, we used the pool a lot, and it was always a dreaded part of my day because it was so cold. Finally, I decided to try a solar cover. WOW, it works so well! We put it on when the temp was 75, and even in cloudy, cool weather, it raised to eighty within a couple of days. Then, during a heatwave, our pool hit ninety five degrees! We can actually go night swimming now, no more inching in and 'getting used to it.' I've never had a solar cover before, so I can't compare, but in just two weeks, it’s made a huge difference. USAGE CONDITIONS: Our pool is average size but deep (11 feet) and not much shallow end. The 95-degree reading was taken at the shallow end, and the water temp feels evenly spread. Our pool gets full sun until about 3 PM, so I can’t speak to effectiveness in shaded pools. HANDLING: The downside of solar covers is they’re a bit of a hassle to take on and off. We cut ours in half, but I might cut it more. It takes about 5 minutes to put back on by myself, which isn’t too bad. STORAGE: We got a pool box for storage, so it doesn’t look messy when we have guests. I plan on marking it with colorful stickers or arrows to make reinstallation easier. HEATER ALTERNATIVE: Despite its appearance, this cover is a great option over a heater. It’s ugly, but we remove it for guests and prefer an ugly pool we can use over a pretty pool we dread. So, yeah, this has been a fantastic, effective heater alternative. Get it from Amazon now: $151.10 & FREE Returns 4. Sun2Solar - Best Solar Pool Cover for Heat Retention KEY TAKEAWAY: Cut down evaporation almost immediately. EXPERIENCE: As someone who has used pool covers for well over a decade, I've tried many. So for those unsure about getting a pool cover, hear me out. I can say without a doubt that this product is top of the line. You might wonder how one pool cover could be better than another. Well, two main reasons. SEAM QUALITY: First, the seams are really well sealed. Trust me. I've had covers where the seams started to fall apart after just a few weeks. SHAPE & HANDLING: Secondly, it’s seriously an exact rectangle, which might seem trivial, but for someone who’s rolled up a pool cover a thousand times, I can tell you, even a slight irregularity makes the process tedious. But for this one I can roll up in maybe seventy seconds. I kid you not, rolling up a pool cover is a hassle, but knowing you can do it quickly and efficiently makes those late midnight swims much more exciting. HEATING PERFORMANCE: Let's talk about the actual heating. I've seen claims of up to a ten-degree increase, which are mostly accurate. Before using covers, my pool would peak at eighty to eighty three degrees in summer. With the cover, I can keep it at 85 (which is too warm for me, but my wife loves it). Once, I left the cover on over a weekend, and the water temp hit ninety one degrees! Had to keep it off for a couple of days to cool down. So it's great if you want to retain heat. CHEMICAL REDUCTION: A big pro of using solar covers is less chemicals in your life. Higher water temps usually mean more chlorine use, but the cover helps keep chlorine from evaporating, making it last longer. WATER SAVINGS: Now, let's discuss savings. Without the cover, I lose about a quarter inch of water daily due to evaporation. But with the cover, it's more like a quarter inch every few days. I only lose water when I take the cover off to swim. DEBRIS REDUCTION: Another advantage is that the pool stays cleaner. I haven't used the automatic vacuum in nearly a month. Just netting a few leaves, but otherwise, the pool doesn’t get as dirty, which overall just saves time. LONG-TERM VALUE: So yeah, while there is an initial cost for the system, the covers last about eighteen months, and I think that’s a positive, making it a worthwhile investment. This cover specifically has been my favorite, and I’ll definitely buy my next one from the same people. Get it from Amazon now: $187.99 & FREE Returns 5. Doheny's - Best Lightweight Solar Pool Cover KEY TAKEAWAY: This lightweight cover was much easier to roll up than thicker solar blankets. PRODUCT LIFESPAN: So, yeah it’s a solar cover, in other words, it’s not gonna last forever. From my experience, the price doesn’t really matter. There’s going to be an age limit to these covers. Typically, they last a year or two. EASE OF USE: It's really lightweight, and what I’ve learned is that it's easier to roll and unroll a lightweight one. Also, it sits better on my solar reel, and therefore much easier to roll. But keep in mind, it’s quick and easy to take on and off with two people but a little tricky by yourself. HEATING PERFORMANCE: It reduces evaporation and warms the temp by a degree or two. We keep our pool at eighty four degrees, and with the cover, I don’t have to run heater as long and with it running less, it keeps the water around eighty five to eighty six - perfect. Oh, and it keeps all the annoying bugs away. CUSTOM FIT: Cutting it to size did take me a couple of tries to get right. I like to keep the reel-end longer so there’s no gap where the ties connect. I also keep the rounded corners higher and find the side step works better as a separate piece than trying to roll it up with the reel. Sharp kitchen scissors work better than a knife for precision. COVER MATERIAL: The material is also pretty sturdy but it does look kinda more transparent when wet. I’ve figured out that a clear cover heats the water faster than a darker blue one, and that that actually cools the water by shading it in summer. Personally, I still prefer paying a bit extra for quality, but I can’t really say that it saves money in the long run, just that each one will operate differently when you use them. Despite being slightly more opaque than I expected it to be, it’s a pretty great product. My pool is also kind of a weird shaped pool, like roughly twice as long as it is wide, so I ended up sticking with the rectangle cover. WATER SAVINGS: After reading some negative reviews, I ultimately wanted to provide this honest one. Overall, I’m very impressed with how the temp has increased so rapidly for less than $200. What I also like about using this cover is that in the dead of summer, I no longer need to deal with refilling the water. That always used to happen when it got super hot - the water just dried up. And one last point, if you’re unsure about installing it on your own pool, you can just get a roller to make it easier. Either way, you’ll be happy with your purchase. I definitely am. Get it from Amazon now: $134.99 & FREE Returns 6. MidWest Canvas - Best Solar Pool Cover for Odd-Shaped Pools KEY TAKEAWAY: Heated our Arizona pool from 52 to 84 degrees incredibly fast. CUTTING & FIT: This is not the first pool cover we have used. We've had many over the years. So what we do it, we usually lay it out on the driveway, use our old cover as a guide, and cut it to fit our pool. It was easy to cut and fit to our oddly shaped pool. Keep in mind that I cut it slightly larger, let it settle in the pool, and then trimmed it to the perfect size. During windy days, smaller pieces can blow away, so we use capped PVC pipes to keep it in place. Now that we have a safety pool net, nothing blows away at all, oh and it’s also less prone to tearing. HEATING PERFORMANCE: It warms the pool significantly. Our pool was at 52 degrees, and it rose to 84 degrees in just seventeen hours. It loses a few degrees overnight but heats up quickly during the day. Basically, it increases our pool temperature by about 2 degrees per day in April when it's sunny. And for instance, here in Arizona, our pool stays at a comfortable 84 degrees. ROLLING: Rolling it up and getting it out of the water is quite the workout, so it might not be for everyone. MINOR ISSUE: It has a gray opaque top and a clear bubble underside, so the only downside is that the gray color shows mineral deposits from our hard water, but that’s a minor issue. DURABILITY: The cover is so much thicker and more durable than I expected. It lasted a good two seasons before the bubbles start to deteriorate. LONG-TERM SATISFACTION: We’re very happy with the results so far. This pool cover is seriously hands down the best option out there! We’ve been using pool covers for years, and this one really stands out. Get it from Amazon now: $206.92 & FREE Returns 7. Sun2Solar - Best Solar Pool Cover to Reduce Evaporation KEY TAKEAWAY: We immediately noticed lower water loss and less evaporation after installing this. FLORIDA WEATHER: Living in Southwest Florida, we recently experienced an early cold snap, and anyone from here knows how terrifying that is, sometimes worse than hurricane haha. Uggs boots out and no one goes in the pool! Except my family haha, especially after got this. I turned off the pool heater until the cover arrived. Not only were we wasting money heating the pool, but we were also losing a lot of water to evaporation. I even thought we had a leak! INSTALLATION: The cover arrived, and we trimmed it to fit. It is heavy-duty, and we cut it with sharp scissors. It’s not an easy task, but it’s definitely worth it. It's one of the things you only do once, and then you're good for years to come. So I recommend taking the time to it properly. Anyway, it was a bit too big, but I’m sure I’ll find a use for the excess material. PERFORMANCE: The first night, we didn’t lose any water, and the temperature stayed constant. So we loved it and have been using it since. The water temperature stayed around 74 degrees with the cover on. Without it, it dropped to 62. COST SAVINGS: The cover heats the pool using solar power, and we’re excited to see how warm it gets without using our heater. Knowing these covers don’t last long, especially under the Florida sun, we hope to get a few seasons out of it. It’s much cheaper than constantly refilling the pool and running the heater. We’ve already saved a lot on water bills. DOWNSIDE: The only issue has been sections blowing out of place in the wind, which I plan to fix with tarp clamps. LONG-TERM RESULTS: I’m now in my fifth year with this cover. The key is to keep it out of the sun immediately after removing it from the pool. I cut the cover into sections for easier handling, and it works better than spending six hundred bucks on cover rollers. This cover really works. Get it from Amazon now: $149.99 & FREE Returns 8. Blue Wave - Best Solar Pool Cover for Rectangular Pools KEY TAKEAWAY: Swimming in 86-degree water during cool weather completely changed our pool season. POOL SCIENCE: I’m going to give it to you straight: I’m an out-of-work scientist who manages my neighbor’s pool. To extend the swimming season and keep leaves out, I suggested a solar cover. Pools lose most of their heat through evaporation, so anything that covers the surface helps reduce cooling. DELIVERY & SHIPPING: It arrived in just two days at a competitive price, and once I saw the shipping bag, I realized it actually doubles as storage. PERFORMANCE: On the first day, it was cloudy and rainy, but the pool temperature still went up by one degree to 86. Swimming with cool air and warm water felt amazing. At 86 degrees, you can just go take a quick dip without that initial scream of freeze. Therapeutic temperatures are warmer, and the pool kept all the heat well, only dropping to 82 after several nights with temperatures in the 40s. FIT & COVERAGE: This cover acts like heavy-duty bubble wrap. We bought a twelve by twenty four cover for a rectangular pool with rounded corners and walk-in steps. I’ll trim it once I get a reel. It doesn’t blow off in strong winds. LIMITATIONS: The downsides? The skimmer function stops working, and leaves need to be manually removed. Also, I recommend getting a pool cover reel because folding it up is tedious, and getting trapped under it can be dangerous. I plan to leave it under the winter safety cover to keep it off the water and ice. OVERALL SATISFACTION: It looks good and it’s well-made. So, all in all, I highly recommend this product and I’m a new fan of the supplier, that’s for sure. Get it from Amazon now: $109.99 & FREE Returns

These smart security camera systems will work anywhere your Wi-Fi reaches. They'll keep your property safe day and night, with instant phone alerts. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. REOLINK Argus PT - Best Solar Security Camera KEY TAKEAWAY: Solar panel kept this camera running without constantly worrying about charging. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This is Karen's husband chiming in, as I'm the 'tech guy' in our home. I have to say, I'm really happy with how this camera is performing so far, and I’d say the average rating of just over four stars is pretty accurate. I had a couple doubts after reading some negative reviews, but I think some issues might be due to defective units or unclear instructions, because I really loved this thing. WIFI SETUP: I did have a little trouble connecting the camera to my Wi-Fi, but then I realized I never entered the Wi-Fi password–whoops haha. Once I put in the password, it connected right away, so that was definitely on me. I keep the camera about a hundred feet away from the router, and even through two walls, the connection stays strong, so that’s cool. ALEXA INTEGRATION: I have an Alexa, and it was kinda tricky for the Alexa to recognize the camera, but I found a guide online that explained how to do it. With that I can view the live feed from the app on my iPhone and even on my TV with my Firestick. It’s cool cause I have a few different camera brands all connected to the Firestick, and I can actually use voice command to rotate through the different cameras. No extra downloads needed. MOUNTING SETUP: I already had cameras monitoring the perimeter of our home, but I wanted a wireless solar camera that could look back at the house and cover those little hidden areas of our property the main cameras don’t get. So, I mounted the camera on a thick PVC pipe, (yeah I’m handy like that) and attached it with the solar panel at the top. I used three hose clamps to attach the PVC pipe to a five foot metal post I stuck into the ground. A little trickery but not difficult. And so far, I love it. Works great. OVERALL VALUE: I always research stuff before buying new gadgets, especially in the tech area, and let's be real, no product is perfect or has every feature you might want. But for the price, and the features this camera offers–the solar power, the Alexa–yeah, I really can't complain. It's a solid buy for what you get. Def recommend. Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns 2. Arlo Essential 2K - Best Security Camera for Barns KEY TAKEAWAY: The camera signal stayed reliable even inside my barn. INITIAL SETUP: I’m honestly amazed. I bought the Orbi 4G router for a non cable Wi-Fi and ended up pairing it with four Arlo Essential cameras. I wasn’t entirely sure it would work, but after connecting with a few support techs, they said it probably would. And guess what? It did! Keep in mind that the photo above is not of my barn. It's of my office where I also installed this Arlo cam. SETUP DIFFICULTIES: Setting up this camera was a bit tricky, though. The Orbi app was temperamental, sometimes working, sometimes not, you know the type. The password for setting up my account wasn't the same as the one needed to activate the router for the Wi-Fi The correct password is printed on the label at the bottom of the unit but that wasn’t really. CARRIER & SIM ISSUES: PureTalk (essentially ATT) claimed they covered my barn’s zip, and then later said they didn’t know if the sim card for the Orbi would work. Not very reassuring, but that’s ATT for you. Either way, I just went ahead and bought the sim card and data plan needed for the Pure Talk software. APP PERFORMANCE: When everything arrived, I tried to connect everything as instructed. No luck at first. After several attempts, the app asked for the APN number of my Internet provider. I had no idea what that was so ended up having to do some googling on my own and found that the Pure Talk APB was ‘reseller’ and then added in my phone number and password. Nope. Nada. Yeah, so I just ended up calling support and after being transferred through five different tech help associates, I got the information I needed: APN equals RESELLER, user ID = Not set up yet, Password = Not set up yet. Essentially I just entered the word RESELLER without a user ID or password and somehow that worked lol. Success! I got Internet access! No password needed in this case. With the correct APN, the Orbi activated as promised. A lot of work, and definitely feel like it could have been clearer, but hopefully this will help someone. Support tech was nice though. REMOTE LOCATION TEST: The Arlo app was necessary to get the cameras going and have them work more reliably than the Orbi app. It ended up working, one by one, the cameras started up and I could see my home office on all of them. Felt a little surreal watching myself on all the cameras, but this was what I wanted. I ended up buying a couple antennas just to help capture the wireless signal since I live in the rural Midwest. My house worked great, but the real test was seeing how the cameras did at my barn. I unplugged everything and brought it over and woooo! The happiness when I saw the instant internet connection. It all connected, just like it did at home. Seriously incredible! BATTERY LIFE: Jury’s still out on the battery life for each camera. I fully charged the cameras yesterday, and today they’re at just a little over ninety percent, so not sure if that’s normal or not. Time will tell, I guess. REMOTE MONITORING: My barn is wood frame with steel siding and two of the cameras show four bars, while the other two show two bars, soooo yeah, I guess we’ll find out. I may just need to reposition the cameras. Everything is still new, so we’ll see how it goes and I’ll update with time, but yeah, took the long route to get here and blabbered a lot but you get the point! I like it, it works. Get it from Amazon now: $78.99 & FREE Returns 3. Blink Outdoor 4 - Best Battery Security Camera KEY TAKEAWAY: Motion detection worked better once I moved the camera away from the street. WHY I BOUGHT IT: My wife and I don’t live in the best neighborhood and we really wanted a camera to help keep us safe at night. We also suspected someone was trying to steal our car, and our last camera just wasn’t cutting it. When this security camera came out, my wife and I knew we had to try it. I mean could you blame us with the promise of a battery that lasts two years? Even if it doesn't last that long, it's a serious upgrade from the last one we owned that needed new batteries every other week. SETUP PROCESS: Setting it up was easier than I expected. While there's no printed manual, scanning the QR code took us to their website full of tips, info, and setup videos. Just remember to scan the QR code before you put in the batteries and close up the whole unit. Setting it up took less than fifteen minutes, and that included the sign up for a new account with Blink which actually came with several weeks of free cloud storage, which was great. DETECTION RANGE: I wasn’t sure where to install it but ended up putting it in a tree across from our house. In the past when we put it by our door, it picked up every car and person that went by. I mainly wanted to be able to catch people who tried to steal my packages. The HD quality is so crisp, and the camera connects from about thirty feet away without any issues. I was actually shocked with how powerful the speaker was, and you could even yell at someone if you wanted to haha. LIVE VIEW LIMITS: The live view feature was a letdown since you have to keep clicking the app to continue viewing for more than about ten seconds. Not really the best for monitoring a baby, but works for catching thieves for sure. RECORDING SETTINGS: The default recording time is only five seconds, which is probably meant to save battery, but you can change it. We adjusted ours to twenty seconds. BATTERY OPTIONS: There's also a battery pack you can add to it to make the battery live longer. WEATHER CONCERNS: I live in Florida, so not really sure on how it will withstand the rainy weather, no less a hurricane, but guess we’ll find out! Get it from Amazon now: $239.97 & FREE Returns 4. Wansview Q5 - Best Indoor Security Camera KEY TAKEAWAY: Wide-angle view covered much more of the room than expected. PRIVACY FEATURES: Let’s start with the obvious! No one can access your information without your permission, and that’s why I got these. Privacy is seriously everything these days. I’m writing this having used several IP cameras from different brands over the past five years, and I can say with confidence that this Wansview performs better than expected. SETUP: The initial setup and install is super quick and easy, too. Unlike some of my other cameras, which took hours or even days to set up, the Q5 was so much easier than I expected. BUILD QUALITY: It feels like a nice upgrade from the 3, and you can tell that it’s quality, just well built and durable enough to last for a few years, I think. While the phone software could use some enhancements that other IP cameras have, for the most part it’s intuitive and I didn’t have any issues using it. PROS: Super Fast Setup: The first time setup is so fast, I was shocked. Only took about five minutes for both software and hardware and instructions were clear and easy which was great. Hardware is Well Built: The camera is durable, but also attractive, and compact, which doesn’t make it stand out too obnoxiously at home. Wide Angle Lens: The lens offers exceptional clarity and the coverage is so wide, I can see more on this camera than I ever have before. Clear Images and Videos: Provides crisp and clear images and videos, both day and night. Excellent Audio & Mic: Despite its small size, the audio quality is excellent, better than their Q3 and K3 cameras and definitely better than other brands of cameras I’ve owned in the past. User-Friendly App: The Wansview cloud app is so easy to set up, use, and I had zero issues trying to configure it. Motion Alerts: When it picks up motion, the camera sends notifications to my phone and with it, ten second video clips. Love this. CONS: No Audio Detection Alert: The camera only has motion detection alerts, it doesn’t pick it up if there’s sound elsewhere in the house, so that’s kind of annoying and definitely not great. Kinda forces you to buy more than one to cover your whole house. Image Viewing: Saved images don’t auto rotate when the phone is turned horizontally which just seems like a design flaw. Multi Camera View: The multi camera screen doesn’t give you the option of loading as the default when logging in, you have to click an extra option, so that’s annoying. BABY MONITORING: Despite these negatives, the good definitely outweighs the bad. I mean, I’ve owned a lot of cameras out there, and these are ideal if you have little ones and you need to monitor them. This will make sure they are watched when you need them taken care of. Get it from Amazon now: $24.99 & FREE Returns 5. REOLINK E1 - Best Security Camera with Free Cloud Storage KEY TAKEAWAY: Built-in siren actually scarred off animals away from my deck. WILDLIFE MONITORING: I've had this camera for some time now to monitor the little animals that like to call home under my deck. Yeah, they essentially tunnel under my sunroom. I use the built in siren to scream at raccoons, possums, and even the groundhogs. It somehow works. They end up turning around and walking away, more annoyed than scared, which is what I wanted. PURCHASE DECISION: When I planned an extended vacation to the beach with some friends, I needed some DIY security. Hiding a few valuables is fine, but if someone broke in and stayed long enough, they'd find and take whatever they wanted. I watch enough true crime shows to know that. And yeah, replacing things isn't the end of the world, but c’mon, losing a computer or special jewelry that my granny got me, would be really upsetting. I decided to get this camera after comparing its features and price with others, and knew it would get what I needed done. PAN & TILT: I love how I can pan and tilt this camera. It’s freaking awesome, especially if you wanna look around beyond the wide angle view. APP PERFORMANCE: I've been super happy with the camera's performance and the iPhone app. ALERT SYSTEM: The siren and the custom audio also sends notifications straight to my phone which is cool. When I leave the house, the siren goes off, so if someone were to break in, I would get altered within seconds and the siren would even go off. I also tested it just to make sure it works and it does so that’s cool. CLOUD STORAGE: The free cloud storage (that comes with just the one camera) captures video triggered by motion, even if someone tries to disable the camera. Besides the cloud, it also saves videos to an SD card. CUSTOMER SUPPORT: I had a couple questions about setting options and activating features using iPhone shortcuts, and I ended up contacting support. They got back to me a couple hours later and essentially explained that I could use something called 'scenes'. One scene armed the motion sensor and siren and one disarmed them. I do think that an iPhone shortcut would make that easier and when I suggested that to them they were very receptive and even said they’d pass it to their development team. Nice to see a company wanting to learn directly from their users. Get it from Amazon now: $79.99 & FREE Returns 6. AQQEE S1 - Best DIY Home Security Camera KEY TAKEAWAY: Incredibly easy to install without needing extra wiring. WHY I BOUGHT THEM: Over the years, I've bought various wireless cameras for myself, but this time I decided to gift these for my neighbors after reading some awesome reviews about this model. My neighbors had always talked about wanting some extra home security and I’m close with them after living here for the last six years, so I decided it would make a nice Xmas gift. SETUP: I can confirm that setting them up was incredibly easy! Unlike some other models, there was no hassle with scan codes. The setup process worked flawlessly for all four cameras, and within ten minutes, I had them up and running for Bob and Jo. The battery system is seriously a major plus! My own cameras require power, so these are really nice. Not needing to worry about a power source near the camera significantly increases your options when it comes to mounting. USER EXPERIENCE: Bob and Jo freaking love these things. I'm the go to tech guy in the neighborhood, and usually, I'm called upon to fix laptops or deal with other tech issues. Since installing these cameras, they haven’t had a single problem that needed my attention. Which just goes to show you how great these things are. CAMERA QUALITY: These cameras are really well designed and you can tell they’re super high-quality. They're somewhat smaller than I expected but wow, do they deliver excellent camera resolution. From what I've heard, the battery life has been great as well, but time will really tell on that. The high ratings on these reviews are definitely deserved and why I’m throwing in my own five star ratings. This is a quality product with a super easy setup. DIY SECURITY: If you're looking for security cameras that you can quickly attach to your home network without needing nearby power sources, these are perfect. They're really great for anyone wanting some home security without paying forty bucks a month to a local security company. And you don’t even need to hire an electrician to run power lines. All you have to do is view them on your phone. Just awesome. Can’t recommend enough. Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns

The best robotic lawn mowers are fully-automatic, easy to set up and program, and very quiet. Here’s our hands-on ranking of the best options on Amazon. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. My yard has been driving me crazy for as long as I can remember. Then I got a robotic lawn mower for my birthday. For the first time in my life, I was able to automate the mowing and finally get consistent results. I genuinely recommend the options reviewed here. However, if you’re looking for a traditional, more affordable option, check out my list of the best budget lawn mowers. And if you struggle with thatch buildup, read my Sun Joe dethatcher review. Now, back to robot lawn mowers, here's my ranking. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. Gardena SILENO Minimo - Best Quiet Robot Lawn Mower KEY TAKEAWAY: Extremely quiet robot lawn mower with reliable daily scheduling. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: My, oh my life, what an awesome little device to add such happiness and ease to your life. Soooo convenient. If you hate mowing as much as I do, then you’re going to adore this thing. Yeah, there is a bit of prep and set up, and you’re not going to get a fully manicured lawn, but honestly this is so worth it. I’d rather not spend regular money on a lawn guy, and I really don’t wanna spend the time doing it myself. Time is money after all. And you’re gonna get your money’s worth with this thing after a few times of use. Especially if you live in Florida like me. Non-stop rain here equals a lawn that grows faster than my toddler. SETUP: Without a doubt you’re gonna watch YouTube. The manufacturer uploaded videos on how to use the setup, and I guess you can read the guide, but it’s long and not worth it if you ask me. The videos make it a lot easier. PACKAGE: When the package arrived, I was really happy with how it came. Everything had been labeled and was neatly packed up. SIZE: The mower was super compact which actually kinda surprised me. But when it gets moving, you can tell it has power. Regardless, you’re gonna wanna make sure you clear away big branches or anything that the mower might get caught up on. It can definitely still get stuck on branches. BOUNDARY WIRE SETUP: While the mower is pretty easy to use, you’re gonna find that right out the gate there’s a longer set up with the boundary and guide wire you need to use to create the space around your yard for your mower. You have to essentially outline the yard you wanted mowed with the provided wire. Those wires then go back to the main station and the power circles back. You’re gonna have to do some wire cutting and it can be tricky. But if you remember anything, you know that the wire needs to actually be in the ground and like deep in there. You can either use stakes or bury the wire. The stakes were easier, but just make sure you don’t make the mistake I made, and ensure that you’re keeping them close enough together so the mower doesn’t get wrapped up in the wire. Fortunately there’s a lot of stakes included so it’s not that difficult to accomplish. FIRST STARTUP: There’s a little install thing you’ll have to follow when you first power up the mower and with this you can assign the preferences and schedule of the machine. I do recommend watching it the first time you use it to make sure it’s actually doing what you want it to do. APP FEATURES: All of the models of this thing come with bluetooth–ignore the reviews that say otherwise. If you’re having issues, just restart the app and then you can see it pop up in your bluetooth. This one popped up at P0.2 and then you can rename it with whatever name you wanna create. I named mine George 2.0 after my last yard guy (yes, he was named George). I like all the options it comes with, too. You can even program it to create a schedule and to mow specific spots. Really cool app. WEATHER PROTECTION: It always rains in Florida. I’m not kidding. So yeah, I definitely wanted to get the little garage cover station for Mr. George 2.0. Not everyone may feel like it’s necessary, but I’m sorry, if I’m dishing out money on this thing, I want to make sure it’s going to stay protected when it’s outside. I guess I should add that the guide says it can withstand all different kinds of weather, it’s still a machine, and I still think that this offers peace of mind. It only takes about five minutes to set up, too. QUIET OPERATION: Oh, did I mention how quiet this little baby is? Only once I heard the blade cry out, and that was when it got caught on a branch. WET GRASS ISSUES: Other than moving away debris, I would also make sure you don’t run this when the grass is wet. The wetter the grass is, the wetter the soil is and if the soil is wet, it might have a little struggle with getting caught in the dirt. TIME SAVINGS: Overall, I usually have to do a little touch up (which takes me about 20 minutes), but it does cover so much more than I ever could on my own. It’s saved me so much time, and remember, folks, time is money. Highly recommend this baby. Get it from Amazon now: $649.99 & FREE Returns 2. Worx Landroid - Best Robot Lawn Mower for Uneven Yards KEY TAKEAWAY: Handles soft soil and uneven ground better than my push mower. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I almost didn’t grab this baby, mainly because there’s so many negative reviews out there, but let me be one of the first positive reviews to announce–ignore the negative ones people! This Landroid robot mower is freakin worth it! Sure there’s some things it could improve upon, but ultimately it’s worth it, and definitely what I wanted in a machine. ACCESSORIES: I did invest in the accessories, because why not? Spending more money is easy when you’ve already purchased the big product. I’m not a kid anymore, and I’ve learned the hard way in life that there are some things that are necessary to add - in this case, the garage of the mower, I think it’s super important to have. BOUNDARY SETUP: I wanted a robot mower because my vision just isn’t the same as it used to be, and partially because of that, I decided to bury the wire (mainly because I didn’t want to trip over it haha). You really don’t have to bury it that deep either, mine is about half an inch underground, and although I buried over eight hundred feet of wire, the five days it took me to do will ultimately be worth it in the long run. I don’t have to worry about it not working. OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE: Now my yard is on a subtle slope and definitely has some bumps to it, but I found pretty quickly that the robot didn’t have too much difficulty maneuvering over it. I do have some obstacles–trees, bird feeder, water tank, and because of that I ended up adding on the anti-collision system to help my robot get around all this. It definitely works, too. Sometimes it starts to bump into it but never enough to know it over or anything like that. I do also recommend using the magnetic strips to stop the robot from leaving the zone you want it to stay in. They definitely get the job done in that regard. PERFORMANCE: It’s been a month since I’ve started using this thing and it hasn’t gotten stuck once or left the zone area! Proof that a little extra set up will pay off big time. And the great part is that this thing keeps my lawn at a set height of 2.7 inches - which you can program! It actually mows each area of my lawn for two hours at a time every day, lord willing there’s no rain. BATTERY LIFE: So far, the battery seems solid. Over an hour and a half, it is only 35 percent, and my battery is the 6.0. Although I do think its life cycle shortens with each use. MANUAL QUALITY: The instructions can definitely be better if you ask me. MOWING SEQUENCES: During the rain delays, I think it would be nicer if the zones were handled better. Essentially even when it's mowing things, once the machine is already mowing, it then returns back to its station. And then when the rain ended, instead of finishing the zone it was working on, it went to the other zone, almost like it completely forgot what it was doing. Essentially it mowed the other zone twice as long as the other one. Kinda annoying. The best solution I found was to set the mower to do each side of the zone once a day. That way it only focuses on one side at a time. That seemed to fix the issue. FIRMWARE UPDATE: I ended up getting a firmware update for this product and found that as a result, I don’t get notifications on my phone anymore. So that’s kind of annoying. You’d think an update is supposed to help that, but instead it didn’t. However, there are some things it did end up helping, mainly that the activity log works better now and the status updates come through better. NAVIGATION ISSUES: The only other issue I’m really experiencing is that the mower is confusing the isolated section around its home as a boundary wire so it ends up just doing circles. Not sure how an update changed that. It still works, it just takes an extra sixty feet to get home lol. Oh, well. Hopefully the next update will help that even better! OVERALL SATISFACTION: For the most part, I’m really happy I invested in this. There’s a slight learning curve, but once you get it figured out, you’re going to enjoy it. I definitely do. Get it from Amazon now: $599.00 & FREE Returns 3. Husqvarna Automower - Best Robot Lawn Mower for Large Yards KEY TAKEAWAY: Once I fixed the low spots in my big yard, it was able to get the entire job done almost completely on its own. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: First off, no one paid me to do this. I don’t do that. And I rarely write reviews. So recognize that this thing must be pretty good if I’m out here dishing my thoughts. No joke. BUYING REASONS: I got this thing mainly because the grass around my septic system won’t stop growing. I hurt my back last year, and mowing just irritates it, so I knew I needed a solution. I knew these robot mowers existed, but I couldn’t justify the price until I saw that Amazon had a cheaper one with a no interest credit card, so I ended up taking the leap and giving it a try. I will say that I did a lot of research first, including watching YouTube videos about the different options out there. WIRE INSTALLATION: I ended up using the provided stakes to install the boundary wire and I’ll be frank–I ignored the instruction to mow before using this thing. After about 1700 feet of boundary wire, I also added the low voltage wire. This connects to the power supply and I guess it’s essentially the extension to the charger. It was kind of a pain to install everything, but once I finished I was ready to see how it would do. FIRST USE PROBLEMS: There are some divots in my yard, specifically one deeper area that the old owners had used as a fire pit. I was kinda worried how my little mower would do, but I found that that wasn’t my first issue. I named my mower Hugo, and I was quick to figure out that Hugo did not like that I hadn’t mowed the overgrown area first. It also had rained the morning I used it, and I should have waited for it to dry. He kinda slipped on the milly area where the grass was slick. I ultimately had to weed whack some area because Hugo got stuck in the longer grass. SECOND USE RESULTS: I was annoyed by all the work I put into this ahead of time, but by the second time I used it, I realized that maybe following the directions was important. On day two, Hugo had no issues. And I literally had to do nothing. The grass was almost perfect. Yeah, he definitely had some issues with the old fire pit, and didn’t like slipping into the hole. FIRE PIT FIX: I ultimately had to fill in the pit with some sand, but now I don’t worry at all. Hugo pretty much mows my yard unsupervised now, and I find that my back is actually hurting less because I don’t have to do the work that Hugo now does for me. SECURITY PIN: I do like the pin code he comes with. Mainly because he’s compact enough that when he mows the front yard, I worry that someone could robot-nap him. Fortunately the alarm is enough of a deterrent and you have to put in your own code to stop the alarm from screaming. Just make sure you don’t forget the code! If only this thing could clean my house, too! LONG-TERM RESULTS: Unlike me, Hugo is incredibly quiet, I only hear his blades when he hits a taller piece of grass. My yard has soft soil, often covered in leaves, which usually causes my push mower to dig in and get stuck, creating long marks in the ground, but Hugo handles it with ease. That said, sadly, he doesn’t solve all my problems. Even though his boundaries let him cover a large area, I still need to touch up spots where he might struggle with larger tree roots that kind of become obstacles. So overall, I love him. He’s my new bestie, and you’ll probably dig him too! He does all the work for me, and for that, ten stars! Sometimes, it’s lovely to be lazy. Get it from Amazon now: $2,599.99 & FREE Returns 4. GARDENA SILENO Minimo - Best Robot Lawn Mower for Slopes KEY TAKEAWAY: Updated scheduling and sensor settings make this specific model easier to manage. MODEL UPGRADE: This is my second robot mower, my first I got almost fifteen years ago, back when these things were not as advanced as they were now. When I decided to update it, I found one thing that was pretty cool. The underground boundary wire I used on my last wire actually works for this one, too! YARD PREPARATION: Although I didn’t do this for this current mower, I did it for my first: before you dig anything underground make sure you contact your local city ordinance to make sure you have clearance to dig in your yard. You don’t want to run into any underground utility lines. Especially if you’re installing this yourself. I also recommend filling in any divots or holes you have in your yard, and it’s probably wise to remove any dog or kid’s toys that might litter your yard, along with any larger debris like sticks and what not. WIRE ROUTING: You’ll also want to take into consideration where the charging station is for the mower before you put in the wires. Trust me, it will make your life easier. The wires will connect back to the power station and it’s what helps tell the robot where to go and where not to go. If you decide not to bury it, you can essentially staple the wire to the ground with the provided staples, but make sure you really get those deep in there, and the best way to do that is to make sure your grass is mowed first before you install it. (Eventually the grass will grow over the wire.) Even without doing it that way, it’s recommended to mow the grass before the first time you use it. INSTALLATION TEMPLATE: There’s a template that comes with the robot that gives you directions and recommendations on where to install the wiring from things like fences, or you know, your house. Trees and water tanks and what not, bigger things, the mower will just softly bump into and turn away from. It’s more the little stuff you need to be aware of. STARTUP PROCESS: After everything is installed, you’ll just need to charge up the mower before it’s first use. And that’s when you can put in the settings that you need, like the pin code and the time and stuff. Once all that is done, you’ll have to calibrate it so the robot can adjust to the wiring, and then you’re good to go! SCHEDULING: I love that you can set a daily schedule for this mower to tell it when to get out there and eat up some grass! The manual has a fair amount of information, so make sure you read it first. It does give you tips on how long the robot can mow each area based on the size. My yard is large so I have this thing running about ten hours a day, no lie haha. And the cool thing is that it's quiet enough that you can run it at night. I unusually start around 2 am. It avoids the heat, but also avoids people walking by my house who might consider taking the mower home for themselves. APP SETTINGS: You can set all these things from the menu or the app, but keep in mind that the app is only available with Bluetooth so it's kind of limited. But within the settings, you can play around with the schedule, you can turn on the sensor control, put a security level in there, and order how much lawn you want it to cover. SECURITY PIN: I definitely recommend setting a personal pin too. Essentially if someone tries to steal it, they can’t use it unless they know the pin. Obviously there’s no guarantee you’ll get it back if that happens, but it’s still nice to know that the thieves can’t enjoy it haha. SENSOR CONTROL: The sensor control communicates to the mower how it should operate based on how quick the grass grows, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. Definitely better than my older model, that’s for sure. CUTTING HEIGHT: Now, one thing you should know right out the gate: if you want your grass to be taller than two inches, this isn’t for you. The height is between .8 inches and 2 inches, so keep that in mind. I find two inches is perfect. WEATHER CONCERNS: It says it can operate rain or shine, but I dunno, I don’t really trust technology that much yet. Not gonna risk that. Maybe during the next light sprinkle, I’ll stand in the yard and observe how it works, just to see, and I’ll update if it does okay for that. OVERALL SATISFACTION: I run this thing pretty much every day. Do I need to? Not necessarily, but it’s so easy to use and I really like that I can just program everything in and not have to worry about it. What I like most is that it doesn't leave any tracks in my yard, and that its operation is really quiet. It definitely works better than my last model, and although I still have to weed whack a few areas near the fence and sidewalk, the amount of time I’ve saved is astronomical in comparison. I definitely think everyone with a big yard should get one of these. Really worth it. Get it from Amazon now: $871.92 & FREE Returns

Keeping your pool crystal clear and free of debris is easy with the right robot pool cleaner. We ranked popular options that will save you time and money. Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing. FYI, I included hands-on feedback from multiple contributors who used these products in different environments. 1. Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus - Best Pool Cleaner for In-Ground Pools KEY TAKEAWAY: The stock filters handled Arizona sand and fine debris much better than expected. MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES: When you live in Arizona like I do, you’re bound to get a whole ton of rocks, sand, and dirt in your pool. I used to spend so much time scrubbing the pool, only for a small fraction of the debris to disappear. At a certain point, it just wasn’t worth my time. I also kept getting sunburnt and now that the Dolphin Nautilus does the hard work for me, I don’t have to worry about that. At one point I was paying a pool cleaner, but they were doing such a bad job keeping the water chemistry stable. Although I saved money by doing it on my own, it didn’t take me long to realize that when it comes to pool maintenance - especially when it comes to scrubbing the pool - it’s worth it to invest in an efficient time saving product. PURCHASE DECISION: Purchasing the Dolphin Nautilus was a good lesson in ignoring negative reviews, especially when they’re outnumbered by positive ones. I almost didn’t buy it because of the few bad ones, but after seeing that those were dated a few years earlier, I figured that most of the issues had been hammered out, and boy was I right. I’m so glad I bought this cleaner. FIRST USE RESULTS: The first time I used it, this robot ran for two hours and did more than I’ve ever been able to do in two weeks, and way, way better! I checked the filters after the first use and was shocked by the pounds of sand, dirt, and other types of debris I didn’t even know had gotten into my pool. Pleased is an understatement. FILTER QUALITY: I have to admit, I was a little unsure if the stock filters would actually catch the super fine particles of desert debris. Honestly, the stock filters did an incredible job and I haven’t found a reason to purchase the fine filters that are advertised as catching those tiny particles. In my opinion, the stock filters did just great. Cleaning the filters was super easy by the way. I popped them out, separated the filter panels, hosed them down - just make sure you do it in an area you don’t mind getting dirty - and, Voila, You’re done. In my opinion, such easy maintenance speaks volumes about the high quality of the filters. NAVIGATION: I should note that I have a unique pool with some weird turns and twists, almost like a U-shape. I was a little worried this equipment would struggle in the different depths, but I found that it managed to correct its orientation if it ever wobbled. It never stalled - not even once. LONG-TERM CARE: Just keep in mind, there’s a chance it will get roughed up over prolonged use, like small scuffs on the outside, but it really didn’t bother me. It’s not a fancy car I’m showing off, after all. It’s a piece of equipment designed to do a job, and, boy, does it do that job! However, to get the most life out of this baby, you need to treat it like any other piece of equipment. Clean it after each use and then store it somewhere where it won't’ be tainted by the elements. In other words, don’t leave it in the sun and just put it away in a shed or garage. VALUE FOR MONEY: This thing paid for itself the same day I took it out of the box. I look forward to watching it save money for me while I stretch out in the shade, sipping on a brewski. Get it from Amazon now: $849.00 & FREE Returns 2. Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 - Best Pool Cleaner for Large Debris KEY TAKEAWAY: The debris bag handled leaves and larger debris without constant emptying. WHY I BOUGHT IT: Most of the time, I feel like I have a serious case of OCD. I must have ALL things not just clean, but sparkling. So I read a ton of reviews and decided to invest a few hundreds in something that would make my life easier. fast forward to NOW: I bought this pool cleaner a few years ago, and even now, I'm super pleased with how good it’s still performing. Yeah, I spent a pretty penny on it, but trust me - this thing was worth it. EASE OF USE: The setup was easy, but what was really amazing was the automation. I watched it like a helicopter parent the first few days. It did it’s job so well, I couldn't help myself. Then, after about a month, I stopped following its every move. Now, almost a hundred percent of the time, I drop it in the pool and get on with my day. I only have to clean out the bag once every week or so (more so in the Fall), and I make sure to take it out when I have people over for a pool party. PART REPLACEMENT: I’ll be honest: I have had to replace a few pieces over the years, but I found most of the parts for super cheap online, so it really didn’t bother me. However, I should say that a lot of the things I replaced are just part of the experience of owning a piece of equipment like this. I replace the black mesh tail scrubber once every two or three months, I found a hole in the zipper bag, and one time the backup valve on the line broke. While a lot of that is just normal maintenance, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that one time the connector assembly broke when I yanked too hard on the line and it snapped from the wall. Oh, and a piece of the swing axle snapped off inside the zipper bag, but really not a big deal. USAGE IMPACT: I think this is the consequence of leaving a piece of equipment in chlorinated water for a prolonged period of time. I mean, you’re bound to have some pieces that stop working. But even though I had to repair a few pieces over the years, this did a fantastic job. LONG-TERM VALUE: I really can’t get over how awesome my pool looks now, and how clean it always stayed. Goodbye leaves and muck! So take it from me - if you want to impress your neighbor, don’t just sit there. Go buy a better version of what they have! This one was worth every penny and I wish I’d bought it two decades ago. And just so you know, I received no incentives from the manufacturer to write this and used my own money to purchase it. Get it from Amazon now: $599.00 & FREE Returns 3. Dolphin Nautilus CC - Best Pool Cleaner with Weekly Scheduling KEY TAKEAWAY: The anti-tangle cord design works much better than older models I've tried. PREVIOUS CLEANERS: After owning an in the ground pool for over ten years, you can rest assured I’ve tried all the pool cleaning products on the market. You name it, I’ve tried it. Every single one of them had some type of issue, some more than they were worth. Now at this point, I’ve just gone back to cleaning by hand, which obviously means that my pool was never fully clean. I always judged my neighbor for using a robotic pool cleaner because the chord kept getting tangled. Like what’s the point of buying something to make your life easier when you have to do extra work? Eventually I couldn’t stand how dirty my pool became, and finally, after much consideration, I decided to try out the Dolphin Nautilus. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: My thoughts? Where has this thing been my whole life? Miracle is an understatement! All you have to do is drop it in the pool and walk away and it’s seriously that easy! With the exception of when I’m shocking the pool, my cleaner is pretty much always in there. PERFORMANCE: I set the time to run every day for two hours, and when I tell you my pool has never been cleaner, I mean it. It really shines like glass. Now my neighbor is judging me because he realizes my tool is better than this! Especially when I showed him how the Nautilus has a buoy that holds the cord upright. In other words, it NEVER tangles. Take that BOB! And unlike other optiosn on the market, the filter bucket is also super easy to clean. USAGE NOTES: If I had to complain, and it’s a small one, I'd say I wish that it ran a bit longer for the first use. The two hour cleaning cycle time is preset and I think I need a bit longer than that. It was an easy fix, I just had to go outside and reset it. But really, that was only for the first time I used it. Now, as long as I’m using it regularly, it’s more about maintenance, and the two hours is more than enough. ACCESSORIES: If you’re considering buying this, I would recommend buying a small box to cover the controller, voltage converter, and extension cord. Although the instructions recommend not using an extension cord, I grabbed a heavy gauge outdoor one from Home Depot and it works just as it needed to. While I did purchase the ultra fine filter, I really didn’t need it as the normal filter picked up the majority of the stuff in the pool that bothered me. I’d recommend trying out a normal filter before investing in an ultra fine one. CLEANING SCHEDULE: This pool cleaner is set for a daily cycle and stays in the pool. Even better, I can adjust the cycle every two to three days depending on how much I need it. MODEL COMPARISON: There are some more expensive versions that have a caddy, a longer cord, and even Bluetooth, but I ultimately decided I didn’t need those. This Dolphin Nautilus CC was perfect for me and my pool. LONG-TERM RELIABILITY: After two summers with this pool cleaner, it still works great. The color has faded due to the elements, but the rubber tracks still function great! This morning, however, my nautilus was stalling, but after watching some videos, it was an easy fix. A wad of hair had gotten stuck in the impeller blade and after taking it out, it got right back to work. That’s bound to happen from time to time. Really, highly recommend this product! Get it from Amazon now: $699.00 & FREE Returns 4. AIPER Seagull SE - Best Rechargeable Pool Cleaner KEY TAKEAWAY: Picked up fine dust and debris better than I expected from a cordless model. WHY I CHOSE IT: Even though my pool cleaner was taking care of the floor walls and using different chemicals, I still got so much leaves at the bottom of the pool. Traditional hose-connected water pressure cleaners can be up to a thousand dollars, so I really needed another alternative. Then I discovered hose-less robot cleaners at a lesser, more affordable price range, and chose the Aiper because of the great reviews. BUYING FACTORS: Affordability Hose-less design Great reviews RESEARCH PROCESS: Keep in mind a lot of the product reviews on You Tube are made by competitors trying to destroy this product’s reputation. Because of this, I decided to give an honest review about mt experience with this product. PROS: With no hoses, I never had to worry about this product getting tangled up. I also didn’t need a second pressure assist pump. That’s one less thing to worry about in case it breaks. This product is self-powered and rechargeable with a ninety minute clean period. It’s truly effortless. To clean it, I just spray it with a garden hose. The robot collected everything I needed it to and had great suction power. The robot’s broom even picks up dust! With the brush and super strong suction power, it gets rid of all of the dust at the pool bottom. Distance. My mid-size pol has an L shape and this product managed to cover the entire area. You can adjust the steering nozzles to experiment with multiple patterns to have it fit your pool shape. CONS: It takes six hours to charge up, so I recommend charging it overnight. The main issue is that depending on your pool size, or how dirty it is, you might want to do two passes in one day and you’ll still have to wait six hours to do this. It’s unclear how long the battery life will last through all the charge cycles, as charge cycles can force the battery to work harder. I’ve searched around and haven’t been able to find replacement parts for some of the aspects of the equipment that have the potential to fail in the future. Although it comes with a two year warranty, I think I’ll have to contact the email for product support to find anything in the future. Unfortunately it feels fragile and I doubt it will withstand a fall from even waist height. The robot doesn’t clean the walls, but I don’t mind doing that, in comparison to how clean the bottom is, so I think this is really just preference. FIRST WEEK RESULTS: After a week of using my Aiper Smart Pool Cleaner, I’m super happy with my purchase and definitely impressed with how well it cleans. After months of struggling with debris at the pool bottom, now all I have to do is keep the robot powered up and brush over the sides of my pool. I love how much my pool sparkles now. Overall, this product is so great I renamed it after my last pool cleaner. Sorry, George. Get it from Amazon now: $179.99 & FREE Returns 5. DOLPHIN Proteus DX3 - Best Pool Cleaner for Fine Dirt KEY TAKEAWAY: Fine mesh filter picked up sand and dirt the Nautilus kept missing. WHY I SWITCHED: After the Dolphin Nautilus left black marks over my plaster and completely ignored the leaves it was supposed to pick, I decided to try the Proteus, and boy am I glad! Its white body means the exterior won’t leave any black marks. If you have plaster anywhere, I recommend that you don’t get the Nautilus. PERFORMANCE: The suction power of this thing is so great! I watched it eat up a leaf before it ever rolled over it. The Nautilus could never. It even climbs up the walls just like the Nautilus, but it cleans them better. While it doesn’t approach the stairs, it does slurp up the dirt on the bench seat, so that’s a plus. All I have to do is brush off the stairs and it’s really no big deal. LIMITATIONS: It does pop a few wheelies, and sometimes stops and reverses which kind of looks like it’s not working. However, the most important part is that it actually cleans the whole pool in one cycle. I really could care less if it’s poppin’ wheelies as long as it clears out my pool in one cycle. Not all the products like this can do that. FILTER CAPACITY: The filter basket of the Proteus is massive and holds leaves, twigs, and even those fuzzy things that fall from oak trees. The fine mesh even holds sand and fine dirt. I think it's pretty easy enough to clean out. I kind of just dump the bigger stuff and then rinse out the finer particles. OVERALL SATISFACTION: I’m definitely very impressed with the Proteus and get this - it’s hundreds of dollars less than the Nautilus. And really so much better. Get it from Amazon now: $669.00 & FREE Returns 6. AIPER Scuba S1 - Best Cordless Pool Vacuum KEY TAKEAWAY: Cleaned dead insects and fine debris without damaging my vinyl liner. CLEANING CHALLENGES: My pool is an above ground vinyl and when I say lead and debris falls to the bottom, that’s an understatement. After years of jumping into the pool and kicking all that grossness up my feet before having to use a pool net to scoop it up, it was time for another solution. Enter the AIPER Scuba, a cordless pool vacuum sent from Heaven. PROS: Right out the box, the first charge took under three hours. When the product is charged the LED flips from red to green so I never have to wonder if it's ready. The set up was super easy. The silicone scrapers used to collect the debris snap into place without effort and same goes for the plastic handle. The screws to attach the handle came with the product and I didn’t even need a screwdriver to connect it. I also had no trouble turning the on and off button either. After dropping the cleaner back into the pool, I pressed the power button and then dropped it. It had no problem staying upright as it went down to the bottom of the pool, and then, like magic, it took only a few seconds to get to work! The suction power seriously surprised me. I watched in awe as the dead insects, grim, and broken pieces of leaves vanished right before me. CONS: I did have to empty it out every five minutes or so, but keep in mind that my pool was borderline disgusting and way overdue for a cleaning. It was also really easy to take it out of the pool. I just used the hook at the end of my pool pole. Fair warning, make sure you turn the cleaner off before taking it out of water otherwise you’re definitely going to get soaked. I learned that the hard way. If you keep it level as you bring it out of the pool it will stop debris from falling out of the suction port. NOTES: It took a little bit of effort to use the four snap closures, but on that note, the product as a whole is sturdy, and yet really easy to clean up. There’s a tiny mesh filter on top of the section that collects debris and it does a really good job at trapping all those fine particles. PERFORMANCE: I was really impressed by the power behind this, and yet it was gentle too. It didn’t snag on my pool’s vinyl, and if it tried to climb up the sides it only went a small distance before correcting itself. I really couldn’t be more pleased with this awesome little piece of equipment. It really did an incredible job of cleaning my pool clean. MAINTENANCE ROUTINE: After that first big clean, this thing became my best friend when it came to maintenance. Now I use it every few days and believe it or not I only have to empty it out after the battery dies, which is about an hour - and more than enough time to clean my whole pool when I use it regularly. Get it from Amazon now: $599.99 & FREE Returns 7. Dolphin E10 - Best Pool Cleaner for Leaves KEY TAKEAWAY: Picked up leaves and pine needles my pool net kept missing. FOREST COMMUNITY: When you live in a cottage community like I do, you’re going to need something to help you clean. What’s a cottage community you ask? Essentially an area, that when developed, took great care to preserve the surrounding foliage. DEBRIS VOLUME: My community, specifically is known as a livable forest. The surrounding trees were once owned by paper and wood companies so know they’re allowed to live out their lives in safety. It’s great for environmentalists, which I am, but there are drawbacks to living there. The foliage is so very dense. Every corner of my yard is full of pine needles and leaves regardless of the time of year. Our pool is constantly assaulted by a wave of debris that makes raking and scooping absolutely pointless. I even bought a battery-operated "leaf blaster" to suctions all the leaves into a bag, but the gumball trees in my yard are immune to this. After cleaning, I was often too tired to play in the pool with my kids. ALGAE BUILDUP: Even worse, if the pool gets algae, I couldn't even see the bottom so I could clean it out. After treating the algae, I’d always discover a mass amount of leaves at the bottom and no matter how many times I cleaned it, the algae always came back. It's a 27 foot pool with two pumps, so even though the skimmer caught a lot, it never caught everything. BUYING DECISION: After asking friends, perusing the web, and researching a bunch of pool cleaning equipment, I finally stumbled upon the Dolphin E10 robot. The reviews were good enough, but for a second I couldn’t decide between the E10 and the pricier Escape. The Escape is a bit more advanced with wifi and app controls, and can climb floor walls and map the area, but still, I decided to save about two hundred bucks and went with the E10. RESULTS: Zero regrets! The water can be filthy, and all I have to do is turn it on, drop it in, and walk away. In an hour, I just empty the basket, and repeat the cycle. This thing picks up leaves, sticks, pine needles, and even those treacherous gumballs! Best yet, if that pesky algae comes back, I never have to wonder if there’s a layer of leaves beneath it, because I know without a doubt that it’s already clean. WALL CLIMBING: Although it’s not advertised as being able to climb pool floor walls, I’ve seen this bugger test out his spider-like senses and do just that! Many would argue that this model is not supposed to be able to climb walls, but it does occasionally go up the wall to the water line before backing back down. I read some reviews about people complaining about the cleaner doing wheelies, but that’s how it fixes itself so it can change directions. FILTER SYSTEM: I would love it if there was an external bag instead of just the provided filter, but I understand that if that was the case, then the filtration might not work as well. This isn't necessarily that much of a shortcoming, as the basket is super easy to remove and clean out. I can also pop out the screens super quick, too. REPLACEMENT EXPERIENCE: The power supply did die in less than a year, and the company replaced it with a brand new one after I sent photos of the old one. It was a super fast process. They didn’t even ask me to return the old one! CORD MANAGEMENT: It would be awesome if the wire had a swivel joint, mainly because after a couple of cleaning cycles, the wire might end up getting tangled. It's not too much of a hassle to untangle it, but I feel like it’s an unnecessary thing that I shouldn’t have to do. I’ve read somewhere that foam pool noodles can protect that, so I might give that a try. OVERALL VALUE: Overall, considering the dense amount of trees around my large above ground pool, I really can’t complain with how well this does. This robot saved me time, money, and stress. Can’t recommend enough. Get it from Amazon now: $568.00 & FREE Returns 8. AIPER Seagull - Best Budget Robotic Pool Cleaner KEY TAKEAWAY: Impressive performance for a such cheap robotic pool cleaner. CLEANING NEED: After buying a house with an above ground pool I knew I needed a cleaning solution. People warned me cleaning this beast would be a pain in the butt. I considered throwing it out but wanted to try out some cleaning options before giving it over to the dump. As it turns out, not all above ground pools are that complicated! Especially once I found a solution to getting rid of the dirt and leaves. I felt like I was scooping out debris every hour, and then there would still be stuff left over. PRICE & VALUE: I found this awesome little pool cleaner on Amazon for relatively cheap - cheap when you consider pools can be costly. So I decided to give it a shot and wow! But I have to say what attracted me in the first place was the price. INITIAL PERFORMANCE: At first, it worked just as advertised, eating up all the leaves at the bottom of the pool. It was super easy to use, too. I just checked the chemical levels and dropped it in the pool. When my family came to visit, they seriously thought I’d hired a professional pool cleaner. That’s how good it looked. This fierce little cleaner picked up leaves, dirt, bugs, you name it. He ate pollen, sand, small twigs. LARGE DEBRIS LIMITS: He tried to eat big twigs, but that didn’t go great, which leads to the big BUT that ruined my lovely summer with the awesome little cleaner. BUILD QUALITY: Because this cleaner is constructed with plastic, I spent a lot of my summer worrying I’d break it. The plastic part that clamps the bottom to the top was super hard to open and close. I broke a few nails before grabbing a utensil to pop it open. But here’s the good news: it was my fear more than anything that bothered me. As it turned out, those little plastic pieces were stronger than my nails! They never popped off. UNTIL - the day they did. And not how you would think. PRODUCT FAILURE: My little friend was just sunbathing out after a cleaning sesh, and very carefully, so not to disturb him, I slid him to the side. I barely touched him, and yet somehow, that nudge did the trick. It was a heartbreaking moment. The plastic clips holding the wheels just snapped clear in half. On THREE of the four wheels, mind you! Naturally I went into damage control, but the wheels slipped off and took themself for a jog. It didn’t even matter if I found the wheels, because the rest of the plastic that held them in place was gone. NON-REPAIRABLE: Devastated is an understatement. I wanted to get another one, but summer was almost over, so I decided to do my best to clean my pool on my own. Definitely not the same. It mainly sucks because those parts can’t be replaced. Short of gluing them back together, which I highly doubt would work in water, I knew there was no way to fix it. FAILURE CAUSE: I’ve thought about it a lot (I loved this little guy, remember?) It wasn’t me moving it over that broke it. I think the brittle pieces just degraded over time. I also have a saltwater pool, so maybe that had something to do with it? Granted, I think chlorine is worse. One day I had a perfectly functioning cleaner and the next, now it can’t even roll forward. I’d like to think this thing was tough. It lasted for eight months, after all. You just have to make sure to clean it after use. BUYING ADVICE: If you DON'T have one of these awesome little cleaners, and you’re reading this because you’re on the fence, well, here’s your answer. Just make sure you’re careful with those plastic pieces around the wheels, so exercise extra caution there! LESSON LEARNED: In hindsight, I think I should have kept it out of the sun, but I’m a first time pool owner, so consider that when you're thinking about making this purchase. I mean, it should be part of the decision making process. Taking my background into consideration, that is. WOULD BUY AGAIN: By far, I don’t regret anything about buying this cleaner. Dare I say I fell in love with this little robot, and you better believe I’m getting another one. Eventually I may upgrade to a pool in the ground, but even then, this baby is going to be coming with me. Get it from Amazon now: $179.99 & FREE Returns