Amazon.com

Bravo to Black & Decker for two great innovations on this electric mower. First, the flip-over handle! You get to the end of a pass, flip the handle and head back the other way in an instant. Next, users will especially appreciate the one-touch lever that raises and lowers all four wheels at once from 1 inch to 3-1/2 inches, saving the trouble of adjusting each wheel’s height. It’s about time. In addition, the electric 12-amp motor means hassle-free starting, no gas/oil mixes, no fumes, less noise, and no battery to charge. The cushioned handle adjusts for the user’s height, another nice touch not available on most mowers. It mulches beautifully, but if you prefer, you can purchase a side bag. Electric mowers have their naysayers, but if you’re in the market for one, you can’t beat this.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• 18-inch cutting deck is made of a super tough polymer and guaranteed for life
• Electric 12 amp motor means no gas, no oil, and no tune-ups
• Unique flip-handle design lets you flip the handle over at the end of a pass--instead of turning the mower
• Side-discharge design allows for mulching or optional side bag (BA-075)
• Single lever height adjustment raises the cutting deck from 1- to 3-1/2-inch blade clearance

Reviews (47)

It actually mulches!
I have a quarter acre with a bunch of gardens and mowing was always a dreaded task. I used a 5.5 H.P. gas self propelled mower. It took about an hour and a half to mow the yard. And when I was done I was always covered in grass clippings and smelled of gas and exhaust. Not to mention that nice 'tingly' feeling in my hands. While I was mowing the other day I ran into something in the yard and killed my gas mower dead. It was damaged beyond repair so I needed a new mower.
At my wife's insistence I looked at electric mowers (less noise, pollution, etc.) I ended up getting the MM675. I couldn't be happier. It weighs about a third of what the old gas mower weighed, is very easy to move around, the flip handle makes cord management a no brainer and best of all I don't smell of gas and exhaust anymore.
This is also the first mulching mower that I have seen that actually mulches. With my gas mower (which was supposed to be a mulching mower) I would either have to rake up the clippings when I was done or go through the yard and break apart the "trail of mulch" that was left behind. With this mower I run over the yard once and it is all done. The mulched clippings are so fine and driven so far into the grass that I don't even get clippings all over myself and my shoes like with the gas mower.
It still takes about the same amount of time to mow, but it is a much quieter, cleaner, nicer experience now. I would highly recommend this mower. It is worlds better than my old smelly gas mower.

Oh yeah, the mower is also so light that there are no trails left in your yard when you are done. Your yard has a very clean manicured look to it, not the old visible mow lines that the heavy gas mowers wheels would leave behind. Very nice.

Why don't all mowers have a flip handle?
My mother had an earlier version of this mower, colored green and black, rather than the super bright orange and black of the MM675. Since that one worked so well, I decided to buy the MM675 for myself. It works even better than my mom's. The single handle to adjust the height of all four wheels at once is very handy and it has been able to mulch even 2 foot high weeds in my backyard (I need to mow more often). I love the flip handle concept, so I don't understand why there aren't a ton of different mowers that use it. It's just so much easier to not have to turn the mower around and it makes a well groomed lawn pretty simple to achieve. Plus it keeps the cord always on one side, so dealing with the cord becomes a non-issue. I've had no problems pushing the mower, it seems light weight, however my lot is flat so I don't deal with any hills.

So, overall, I'm obviously quite pleased. I'd definitely recommend this mower to anyone.

great lawnmower, but not this model
You do not want this model - you want the Black and Decker MM575. Here's why: The "flip handle" on the MM675 is a disaster for two reasons. First, no electric lawnmower is powerful enough to 'mulch' - it will just bog down (unless you cut your grass every other day, and you live where it never rains). So you need to be using it in the 'discharge' mode. If you try to use the 'flip' handle at the end of each pass, the discharged grass always goes in the same direction, and the mower will again bog down as it tries to recut ever more grass with each pass. (Take a minute to visualize the geometry and you'll see what I mean). Secondly and even more important, to make the handle 'flip', it attaches to the mower in the MIDDLE of the mower instead of near the rear wheels. This is critical because it means the force of your pushing goes half to pushing the mower forward, and half to pushing the wheels into the ground ! I've cut my grass with an electric mower for over 20 years, and my arms were screaming after only 10 minutes of pushing the MM675. I traded it in for the MM575 (no 'flip' handle: it attaches next to the rear wheels, and you pivot the whole mower at the end of each row, just like with a gas mower) and I can mow for 45 minutes to an hour without arm fatigue.

On the plus side, both these models are well balanced (no vibration), relatively quiet, and cut great. Best of all, the underside is one molded plastic piece - no nooks or crannies for cut grass to build up. My old mower had all sorts of screwheads and spots where different pieces of metal adjoined that jammed up with cut grass. I would spend 5 minutes with a putty knife scraping the underside of the mower clean after each use. After cutting with this mower the first time, I flipped it over to scrape out the grass, and it was spotless ! B + D, wake up and market that great feature !!!

great value, quiet, low maintenance...
I opted to go electric rather than gas eventhough a number of people recommeded otherwise. biggest complaint from people is that the cable that you have to drag around.. IT's NO BIG DEAL. You'll develop a system the second time you use one.

Pros:
1. Electric,
2. No gas, oil to worry about,
3. Mulches (with an option to discharge),
4. Shhhh... quiet (at least not as noisy as Gas),
5. and the one that did it for me is the flip handle (move handle from one end of the mower to the other). This will help you manage the extension cord. (the MM575 sells for $10 less and comes without the flip handle).

Cons:
I'll keep you posted!

Pretty good mower
With a fairly small lawn, an electric mower appealed to me. With the flip handle, this one is not too bad. You need to plan your mowing pattern carefully and yank on the cord once in a while. If you have trees and shrubs and flower beds it gets even more interesting. The power is a bit on the weak side though and in tough grass it bogs down. My teen ager is not too impressed with it. It probably takes us 30% longer to mow the lawn than with a cheap gas mower.
Over all, I do like it. It is fairly quiet and it does not smell like oil and gas and that is a big plus. Just the smell of newly cut grass! ... Read more

Features

• 1 Year Warranty
• Protection up to 1 acre
• Self powered - no power cord required
• Silent and odorless, 24-hour protection against mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other biting insects
• No Flame

Reviews (12)

Depends on your expectations
It took me a long time to decide based on reviews of other models whether or not I should buy it. The reliability of them seems to have a shaky history and people report various success rates. My machine started right up and has been running constantly without trouble for about 10 days. I have turned it off to move it 4 times and it restarted without issue. As for its effectiveness it depends what your goal is.

I am not expecting to acheieve complete abatement as we live 100 yards away from a swamp but I was hoping to reduce the swarming that made going outside at dusk a scary proposition.
It has caught several hundred mosquitos in the first ten days and this was in cool weather when mosquitos are less active. The first day we had 90 deegree weather after a rain we caught close to 200 that day. I still need bug spray at night, but when I envision 1000 mosquitos chasing after me followed by the birth of their babies chasing after me, I am happy with the catch. For those who have low catches I'd try moving the unit to a different location every night and monitoring the catch.

I have also become fascinated with watching this machine catch its prey. It is very discriminate in what it catches... We only have one dumb moth and two nosy flies amongst the 1000 mosquitos. It can be frustrating to watch as the number of mosquitos hovering around the machine is greater than it will ultimately catch. Many seem content to play around the exhaust fans and never make an attempt to head up the plume. Others 30 feet away seem oblivious to the machine and never wander over. It makes me very skepticle of the 1 acre claim. A little dirty trick I played was to shine an incadescent light right next to the plume. Then I sat behind my screen door and watched as mosquitos attracted to the light wound up getting sucked up the plume.

If you want this machine to alleviate a problem I think it is effective (though costly) If you want it to eliminate a problem I think you will be disapointed.

Still a killing machine: 7 week update
Original review below: So far 2 propane tanks, 3 weeks each. The machine is virtually silent. I skipped using the CO2 "quick clear" cartridge as recommended after the first tank and the machine shut down 2 weeks into the second tank. Quick clear solved the problem. Our large yard has embedded woods, shrubs, wet areas and this year has been very wet. Bugs are out in force and the machine continues to catch loads of mosquitos and no-see-ums but less than a few weeks ago. I change the net when the fan is covered... about every other day. I wash out the old net after the contents stop moving. I treat it like a vacuum cleaner bag with the cleaner = more suction theory. Compared to our neighbors, our pool area is mosquito free. Placement is critical and must consider shade and the downwind CO2 dispersion. Would I buy another Liberty Plus? Probably not. Am I sorry I bought it? No. The technology works but I don't understand how the Liberty series is rated for 1 acre. I assume it generates a larger CO2 plume. In hindsight, for the money I think I'd rather have two $300 Defenders and set up a perimeter. Of course, that presumes the Defender kills like the Liberty. I'm going to move the machine and see if I can thin the biting population in a different part of the yard.

(original review) We've had the MM for 4.5 weeks and so far it's worked as advertised. It was a big bite in the wallet but it's allowed us and the kids the use of our backyard pool and deck through twilight for the first time in 6 years. It's under an apple tree for shade and it sucks in an incredible amount of mosquitos and no-see-ums from the nearby bushes and damp areas.
First propane lasted 3 weeks, as expected. The MM shut down once by itself but started right back up. I empty the net every 2 days. I recommend swapping the full net for an empty one because dumping out the squirming mass into a trash bag is a horror show. You can tie off the full net and let the active ones die. After all these years it's great to be able to enjoy the yard and it's sweet revenge on the biters.

Works Great once you get it started
My mosquito Magnet is sucking down a bagful of sceeters every day. (I'm guessing that's about 1000 or more mosquitos per day). It has returned our back yard to us. Well worth the price and the struggle to get it running.

And it was a struggle to get it running; most of which had to do with the propane supply. They aren't kidding when they tell you to open the valve on the propane tank very slowly. I now do about 1/8th of a turn in 30 seconds. Once I did that, my starting problems came to an end. In my case, I also learned to open the valve only partially....Only to the point where I could begin to hear the gas flowing and no further. The Mosquito Magnet has a very sensitive regulator that will slam shut if too much gas presure is applied to it. This makes the machine think its connected to an empty tank. (That's my theory... for what's it's worth...I'm not an expert on propane and propane accessories)

If you are not the type of person who is willing to patiently twiddle with something until it works, you may not want this. I wouldn't call it a typical plug and play consumer appliance. Hopefully, they will develop it further so that it will be easier to start in the future.

If a little twiddling doesn't scare you and you are ready to buy, but are torn between the two models "Liberty" and the "Liberty Plus" , get the the Liberty Plus. I had a Liberty last summer and it got fried sometime during our numerous power outages (there were about five caused by storms). It seems the mosquito magnet needs to have its internal fan running for about 1/2 hour after it shuts down. If it doesn't, it will burn up on the inside. Since the Liberty is connected to household current, the fan goes off whenever power is interupted. This does not allow the machine to cool off and thus it becomes damaged. The Liberty Plus has a battery operated fan and is therefore not subject to this kind of failure. In addition, you need to plug it in only once at the beginning of the season to charge it up. When its operating, I'm assuming that the fan is somehow run by propane. The battery is just for start ups and cool downs.

I am sort of peeved that I didn't realize that my first machine got fried until after the waranty was out (Isn't that the way it usually works?), But when machine worked, it worked so well, that I was willing to buy another. I guess you could say I'm a sucker----a sucker for a mosquito free back yard. That's what Mosquito Magnet has done in my case.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY
I've had the Freedom 2000 for several years now. I have had multiple problems with it and I figure it has caught about one mosquito for each tank of propane I have bought. I have seen a total of about 7 unlucky mosquitoes captured in a year.

I didn't even bring it out last year because I figured I didn't want to spend any more money on propane. It turns out that my wife has a friend of a friend that works for American Biophysics and she said they were awesome, so I figured I would try it again.

After trying it again, I still think it is a complete waste of the $900 I spent on it.

Complaints:
1) It takes 3 or 4 tries over several hours to get it running.
2) It mysteriously shuts down.
3) It doesn't consistently run the fan fast enough to suck even a tiny piece of tissue paper up the horn.
4) I was paying for an attractant for a whole year that actually repelled Tiger mosquitoes.
5) American Biophysics sticks to their one year warranty, so if you buy one, get them to buy it back before the year is up. They are unyielding after 12 months!!!!

Funny enough after talking to several of their tech support people over the last few days, they realized that my MM is a piece of junk and offered to let me part with some more money to get a replacement--Uh, I may look funny, but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck!!!

I'd recommend buying a hose-end bottle of insecticide and spraying your yard. This ended up working much better than the MM.

Avoid this Product
You should avoid Mosquito Magnet products. They are poorly made. They catch a handful of mosquitos, but not enough to make a difference. They are very expensive, and require constant add-on purchases. Use Deet or screened porches instead. ... Read more

Features

• Protection up to 1/2 acre
• Easy to Bury, low voltage (12v) power cord
• Silent and odorless, 24-hour protection against mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other biting insects
• No Flame
• 1 Year Warranty

Reviews (32)

If you have Asian Tiger Mosquitos
Don't use the Octenol cartridge for Asian Tiger Mosquitos because it repels rather than attracts them. Read and follow the placement directions.

After getting 6-15 bites by those nasty critters everytime I went into the garden and being held prisoner indoors for a few months, I decided to spend the bucks on the Defender. My husband was skeptical, but I was desperate.
Initially, it wasn't properly placed and I thought that I had made an expensive mistake. After we read the placement directions, viewed the CD and moved it to the recommended area of our yard, the Tiger mosquitos flocked to the Defender to dehydrate and die. We have won the battle with the Asian Tigers and now are using the Octenol cartridges to catch the everyday garden variety mosquitos.

We started using the Mosquito Magnet on July 1 and are very happy with the results. We still have some mosquitos and I get bitten every now and then, but I don't have to coat myself with OFF and I can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in the garden.

Works great for me!
I read these reviews before I bought a Mosquito Magnet Defender, and, though there seemed to be some disagreement as to whether this machine actually works, I found that Consumer Reports liked it, so I decided to shell out the money to buy one.
I just set up the machine in my backyard on July 3 after reviewing the placement assistant on the included instruction c/d. It was very easy to set up (once I had the propane tank, it took about half an hour including 20 minutes warm-up time). Mosquitoes started swarming around the machine after it had been running for an hour. In three days I've emptied the trap twice. I counted over 100 mosquitoes each time (a tip: open the trap in a plastic bag to prevent the live mosquitoes from flying out). I'm sure I that's a fraction of the probably three trillion mosquitoes living on my half-acre lot, but - hey - it's a dent.
I could actually go out on the deck today (in the rain) and not get bitten. I'm looking forward to see how it works over the next month (how long the manufacturer claims it takes to break the mosquito breeding cycle).
At this point, I'm very happy with my Mosquito Magnet Defender.

I Love This Thing!
The Mosquito Magnet is destined to be one of those indispensible items to have in-and-around anyone's home. This thing is terrific. Before I got my computer, DVD, and cell phone, I couldn't imagine life with them, now I cannot imagine life without them. So it is with the Mosquito Magnet.

I live in Maine, Mosquito and Black Fly Central. The bugs here are the size of small housecats, and are happy to hold you hostage until you pay a handsome ransom... of your blood. I researched bug-catching devices and bug killers galore, in Consumer Reports, all over the internet, everywhere. The Mosquito Magnet was hands-down the most-recommended item around. Amazon clearly offered the best deal. Free Shipping, $50 off my next purchase, and a free box of octenol cartridges. OK, I was sold.

The assembly was a breeze. Turned on the propane tank, plugged the thing in, and wahoo! I have had it for just three weeks, and upon emptying the bug box for the first time, it was absolutely packed with a solid brick of dead mosquitoes and blackflies! Ewww! Thousands and thousands of them! Unbelievable! Damnedest thing I ever saw! And everyone of those little buggers I "offed" was one less to bite me in the @ss. And more importantly, one less to survive thereafter, laying eggs and spawning the next generation of little fiends.

I have already noticed a dramatic decrease in ANYTHING buzzing about me while noodling around the garden and grill. This little darlin' works slick as snot on a doorknob! And my home is on a lake in the woods of Maine, with lots of fresh water and foliage everywhere for the little buggers to live in. Not anymore, thanks to the Mosquito Magnet. I was a skeptic at first (my wife, too, thought the money would've been better spent paying a high school kid 10 cents apiece to swat them one at a time!), but now having lived with it, I'm so thrilled that I'm telling EVERYONE about it!

A caution: When they say "Change the tank every 21 days", they mean it. I tried to weasel a few extra days out of the Rhino tank, and at the end of day 22, the propane tank was spent. Make sure you have a spare handy, so you can make a smooth transition. I've read about other folks' problems with gas flow and starting problems. No such problems here. It has worked perfectly in every regard.

The other deal is, I see no reason why you'd need the bigger, and much more expensive models. My property is about 5 acres of woods, but the little Defender is true to its name! Does a terrific job, and even the specs on the larger models fail to provide convincing data on why or how they should be superior.

You, too, will love this thing. It's crazy to spend umpteen thousands on a home, and then be held hostage by bugs such that you cannot enjoy it. The Defender is the best $300 you'll ever spend for your yard.

So far, great!
I live next to conservation land, and my Mosquito Magnet has caught 1/2 of it's basket full of mosquitos in less that one 21 day cycle. Mosquitos hover around it all the time.

The only downside is that it was hard to get running the first time. It may require level ground (my first try was at a slight slant), and I had problems with getting it to feed from my propane tank.

Don't bother in Maryland
Used one of these for 6 weeks on the Eastern Shore of MD and didn't catch 6 mosquitos in that time. They don't tell you until you open the box that you shouldn't use the octenol if you have Asian Tiger mosquitos which is what we mainly have.

Out the price of 2 tanks of propane and a third spare tank I had purchased, but I returned the "magnet" to Hom. Depo. for a refund.

They shouldn't sell these things in states that they don't work in. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This battery-powered trimmer converts to a rolling lawn edger with just a turn of the handle. The 24-volt Power Core will give you up to 45 minutes of cutting time on just one charge. A 10-inch cutting swath makes quick work of yard trimming, and when you need more line, just bump the head and it feeds out more .08 commercial-grade line automatically. We like the symmetry and nice balance of this trimmer in hand, too. The unit stores in its wall-mounted charger, which indicates battery status with red and green lights. A great two-in-one yard tool for the homeowner.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Two comfortable grip and hassle-free start switch
• No gas, no cord, and ready when you are
• 24-Volt Power-Core double ball-bearing motor and battery
• 10-inch cutting path, and 0.08-inch commercial grade line
• Wall charge rack included

Reviews (25)

End Your Research... The YardStick is #1
Ease-of-Use and Versatility! That's why you should buy the 24-Volt YardStick Cordless Edger. I did. Think about it, why do you avoid trimming your lawn each and every week? The trimming and edging really doesn't take that long. In my case, the reason I only trimmed about once every three-weeks was, (1) I needed to uncoil one 100 ft. extension cord for the front yard, (2) secure and tie the cord at the source and around the trimmer's handle (to avoid the "Houston, we've got a problem" power outage), (3) avoid the cord itself, (4) work a strategy for getting the cord around trees and flower beds, (5) trim the yard, (6) then rewind and store the cord... only to repeat the process for the backyard! All the real work was in the prep and storage time. What needless pain.

So, I did the research, and my wife got me the YardStick for Father's Day. I looked at other cordless trimmer/edgers, but the recommendations on Amazon for the YardStick, countered by user cautions/comments about other battery (awkward position of start/power switch) and gas edgers (noise/hassle), helped me take the plunge and try American Gardener. A look at American Gardener's web page will help anyone understand that "trimming is their thing."

I knew I'd received a quality product right out of the box. The YardStick, although not a lightweight, was balanced, comfortable to hold, easy to maneuver while being rugged with an elegant/practical design. I'm a tall person, so the "turn style-like" handle adjustments and easy conversion to edger-mode were important. The test drive was a blast. I was amazed at the "quiet" torque created by the 24-volt powerhouse. Cordless has come a long way. This is also the only dual ball-bearing motor I could find, and it hums. The precision of the edging feature was a welcomed surprise.

The chore that used to waste a good 35 minutes, now only took about 12- front AND back! Then, I just placed the YardStick in the charger for next week. Cool.

Five star potential, but...
I purchased my unit two weeks ago after reading the rave reviews. I too was ready to abandon my stinky gas trimmer.

I was initially optimistic when I opened up the unit. The unit was a bit heavy, but well balanced, and I liked how easy it was to spin the handle on the unit to switch the head from horizonal to vertical. The symmetric switch arrangement was intuitive and easy to use.

After charging overnight, I headed out to start trimming. Almost immediately the spool feed became a real pain. The line would not feed smoothly, making it necessary to remove the spool to advance the line manually almost every time. (I now know why they include a second spool for free...).

This weekend I brought it out for its' second use. This time, the spool kicked out a double length of line. This extra amount of line should have hit the line cutter and been trimmed off. Instead, the line wrapped around the cutter and SHEARED IT OFF, sending the nice sharp chunk of metal flying. Since the line cutter is riveted to the line guard, it is not a user replaceable item.

I'm sending it back in the morning and looking at other models. I haven't ruled out other American Gardner products, but I think I will pass on this one.

A little disappointing.
Given the prominently featured rave reviews, I wonder what changed at American Gardener in the last year. I've just taken it out for a spin, and was deeply disappointed in the runtime off a fully charged battery. After 15 minutes of trimming weeds along the perimeter of our jungle-surrounded lot, it was still willing but wimpy. Perhaps runtime varies with the nature of the trimmee: whispy grass along the flower bed edging might not use much battery power. Vigorous, rampant growth might eat the battery alive.

String advance is, if anything, a little too easy. Bumping the ground accidentally advanced the string more than I intended. But that's a good thing, compared to the wrestling matches I've had with string and pliers on other trimmers.

I'm still glad we purchased this unit because frankly, my attention span doesn't last much longer than fifteen minutes anyway, and the mere touch of my hand is death to a 2-cycle engine. We have a gas-powered string trimmer, but I can't start it to save my soul, it's loud, it's stinky, and it's too heavy for me. So this trimmer will actually get a lot of use around our weedy lot, in spite of the lackluster runtime.

Nice idea, questionable quality
Strengths
-----------
* Cordless
* Well balanced
* No gas, no oil, no exhaust fumes!

Weaknesses
------------
* Charge doesn't hold up for larger yards
* Blade that cuts off excess trimmer line broke after 2nd use

Bottom line: Nice idea, run time would be OK for smaller lots, but quality, especially on the the trimmer line blade, is lacking.

If the blade wouldn't have broken, I might have rated it 3.5 stars, instead I will be giving it to UPS to return to Amazon.

American Gardener YS24 24-Volt YardStick Cordless Trimmer
As a previous reviewer also experienced, the trim line cutter broke off the first time I used this product. I was hoping this product would do the job as it seems well built, but with the ease at which the line cutter broke off, I wonder. I have to now return mine and reconsider a gas powered unit. ... Read more

Features

• 1 Year Warranty
• Protection up to 1 acre
• Ideal for large yards, in-ground pool areas and small commercial applications
• Silent and odorless, 24-hour protection against mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other biting insects
• No Flame

Reviews (27)

My two cents
I purchased this unit in June from Home Depot. It took 2 hours to assemble (and I'm pretty good at assembling things). It wouldn't complete the warmup cycle properly so I called their tech support line. The wait wasn't too bad for me but the result was that I had a defective unit. I opted to return it to the store rather than wait for the replacement. I complained to the manager about having wasted two hours and another trip to the store and he knocked off $25 bucks on the second unit. I complained because I had read several reviews from people that have received defective units and I think the dealers need to get a message that customers are not happy with quality of the merchandise from this company. Anyway, second unit has been working fine. It did start catching mosquito right away and I noticed a difference within a few days. It's quite fun to check the trap each day to see how many of the little blood suckers are in there. It is hard to get an accurate estimate because the do bunch up and dehydrate but you can see several still buzzing around inside the net and you can point at them and say - HA! For me, the results are proven by less mosquitoes biting or flying around me so I don't worry about counting. My other complaint about this thing is cost. You're dropping a pretty penny for this unit and then don't forget to add on the cost of the tank and the propane - another $40-$50. The propane lasts for 21 days and then you have to refill the tank. You are also suppose to replace the octenol cartridge which run you $20 for 3 (that's less than a three month supply), plus they tell you to buy CO2 cartridges (3 for $10) and run that through the system every second tank. So, doing the math, say a tank refill every 21 days runs you $15 (and that's cheap right now), $7 every 21 days for octenol, $1.50 for CO2, plus electricity - you're looking at upwards of $25 every 21 days in extra hard costs to keep the thing running. That's $35-$40 a month if you like to break it down that way. With that said, if that doesn't scare you off then give the unit a shot. It does make a difference. I won't say there are no more mosquitoes or no-see-ums but I can regularly go out in the yard for a few minutes and come back inside without any bites when before that would not have been possible. It's just hard for me to believe this company charges so much for this thing and then half of them don't work. That aggravates me, but mosquitoes biting my son aggravates me more.

Problematic
Don't waste your money; unless you have a lot of it to waste. I have the Freedom model and have had it for two seasons. It works great for a couple of months, depending on placement of course if you've read up on these things. But after that it won't start. The first season I was still under warranty and sent it back. They sent me a rebuilt one after about two months and after mosquito season was over. So I lost two months of use. So with my rebuilt one, which now had a clear valve, I was optimistic this season. Deja vu! Same thing happened. It would not start after a couple of months. And now my warranty is up! PS: They won't answer angry emails. Their service is bad as well!

Bad Quality product, 2 year life or less, good when works
I now own three American Biophysics Mosquito Magnets. The oldest one I have is two years old and cost me about $900 to purchase. The two year old unit no longer works, so AB technical support wants to sell me a replacement part for $500 or you can buy a new unit, after returning the Power pack, for $425. What a racket. Build an expensive product that doesn't last more than 2 years and then charge a lot to fix or agree to buy another unit that also has shoddy quality. I agree it catches the mosquitos that they claim when it operates properly. But because of the cost of the units and their limited life I would not recommend this product unless you have a lot of money to burn.

It works in New Hampshire!
I read all of the reviews for a whole year before we invested in this unit. Its been about 4 weeks now, I can't tell you how many ,thousands, of mosquitos and deer flies this unit has grabbed! We love it, it works for us! Read the directions carefully and it will work for you too! It says 4-6 weeks before you see a difference, and we are just starting to be able to go out in the pool at night and not get attacked! Now how can we get rid of our wasps? They are nesting everywhere this season!!

Expensive, but it works
We had been debating the Mosquito Magnet since the summer of 2003. It was a wet spring in New England in 2004 and in May when my mother-in-law drove her car up in midmorning (not peak misquito time) and I saw 2 dozen of the blood suckers throwing themselves against her car hood I started to worry. I looked at my 18 month old son, wondered how he was going to play outside with out being dunked in DEET, and then went online that morning and ordered one.

We have 4+ acres of land, mostly woods so the empty all your standing water advice is not helpful to us. The area around the house is clear and is about 1 acre. We located it on one side of the house, about 10 feet into the woods, which I think helped the catch ratio since misquitos prefer shade.

RESULTS: Within 24 hours I noticed a difference in my front door area. I could be outside during the day with my son and never see a misquito. At dusk I would see some and eventually get bitten, but I wouldn't be swarmed like I had been previously. After 3-4 weeks there was definately a reduction in the local misquito population. Everytime we checked the net there were too many misquitos flying around to count. When we empty the net bag out every 2-3 weeks there is a mass of dead, dried out misquito bodies about the size of my fist. (Impressive, considering a dead misquito really doesn't tak up a lot of space.)

WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR LIFE: We have two dogs an a child, so the door is always being opened and shut. Last year there was ALWAYS a misquito in the bedroom. Now we get one once a week, maybe. My son has one bite on him now, I'm not even sure he got that in my yard. He can go weeks without a bite. We can sit out on the deck in the evening, an impossibility before. In general I am enjoying my yard much more this summer.

DOWNSIDE: It is expensive, and you have to buy propane & the attractent every 3 weeks. The company is clearly run by a bunch of engineers, and the instructions & set up reflect that. So if you are non-engineerish, get an engineer geek you know over and offer them a 6-pack of beer to set it up. I friend of mine had problems with hers and when she called the company they said she shouldn't use the propane tanks that are from those "swap tank" places, since the lines are not fully purged of air. Air in the line is a frequent cause of problems with the device.

Placement can also be tricky. If you have a big house and are surrounded by breeding grounds you almost need two for both sides of the house, but we do make do with just one. We did have to move it once to get the best coverage. It obviously isn't cheap, but I haven't found a better alternative. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Point-and-shoot used to be a term reserved for easy-to-operate cameras; who knew it could be so easily translated to the world of sprayers? This Gilmour 4-gallon wheel pump sprayer requires no hand pumping or heavy lifting. Merely roll it to your target, aim, and spray. The unique wheel pump apparatus pressurizes the contents as you push the sprayer back and forth. Use the built-in pressure relief valve to depressurize the sprayer upon completion of your job. The unit has an extra-wide 4-1/4-inch mouth opening for quick filling, an easy-to-clean filter, and a drain at the bottom of the unit. It also features a flexible, 16-inch, rotating polymer wand with an adjustable polymer nozzle and a 72-inch premium PVC hose. Now spraying your lawn or garden is as easy as taking a stroll. ... Read more

Features

• Flexible 16" rotating polymer wand with adjustable polymer nozzle
• Pressurizes as you walk or roll it back and forth
• Easier to handle, wheels carry the weight
• Extra wide 4-1/4" mouth opening for easy fill and cleaning
• Chemical resistant polymer discharge valve with comfort grip

Reviews (8)

Great Product and a Huge Time Saver!
Here in Texas, we have just about every kind of pest or annoying plant immaginable...fire ants, johnson/crab grass, huge grass hoppers, scorpions, nasty spiders, tough-to-kill weeds, etc.

Needless to say, I have to spray a variety of garden products on my yard, both to keep it looking presentable and to keep it safe for bare feet. I've used a common two-gallon pump sprayer and a 4-gallon backpack sprayer for years to apply weed killers and insecticides, but carrying a 16-30lb container around a 10,000sqft. yard gets old pretty quick.

This Gilmour 4-gallon sprayer is awesome! No carrying, no pumping, and no backache. You just push it about 25-30 ft, and it's pressurized. From there, movement around the yard keeps the pressure up. The sprayer also has a nice long hose, so you can reach pretty far back into planted areas, without having to push the sprayer through mulch and soft-earth.

Compared with my old sprayers, this thing has a nice wide mouth, so it's tough to spill chemicals down the side. It's also transparent enough to actually see the fill-points and measurement marks, so overfilling is much less of a problem than with opaque sprayers.

I haven't experienced any problems with leaking or spillage from the filled container, as reported by other reviewers...perhaps the model has been modified since they were written?

This product is also a big time saver, even over similarly-sized backpack sprayers...the push-to-pump (actually, I pull it along behind me) action just leaves you much more nimble, and able to move around smoother. I find that I over-spray much less, use less chemical, and finish about 15 minutes faster (less refilling, less waste, smoother motion and action, etc).

This is definately one of the best garden products I've ever purchased. A truly wonderful and smartly-designed lawn and garden sprayer!

Good Sprayer but...
This is a good sprayer when compared to other sprayers on the market. However, I found that the pressure was not as good as I expected. My use is for spraying larger areas such as driveways and paths rather than spot spraying of individual weeds. The lack of pressure just didn't work for me. I returned the product.

It Will Pay for Itself (not to mention time savings)
No only did I experience all the good things the other 4 Star reviews said, but I only used about 2 gallons on a spray job that usually takes me 3 refills using a 2 gallon pump sprayer - that's using only 1/3 of chemical as with the pump sprayer for the same job!! (and it also only takes about 1/3 - 1/2 the time because of not having to stop and pump, and not having to go back and refill the tank)

Good but a Few changesnges Could Make Great
I just purchased this from Amazon being the anly place that I could find a sprayer on wheels since I have about 1/1/2 acres of grass and weeds that needs to be sprayed. I must say that I am very pleased with my purchase. It only takes about twenty feet worth of rolling to get it going enough for spraying weeds and the more you walk around the better it becomes. When you are done all you have to do is put the hose into a hole in the handle and keep the switch that lets spray flow out on and it will drain back into the container of the fluid. Since the fluid and the pressure contianer are separate which is good because then you can add stuff wihtout worrying about your pressure. When you are done you have to remember to clean out the filter or it won't work otherwise. And the only other thing I would add would be a stirring mechanism to keep the solution from settling.

Terriffic Sprayer
I really like this item, especially the fact that you don't have to hand pump it or carry it around. It holds 4 gallons which is another plus, you're not having to refill it all the time as with a smaller sprayer. I did have a problem with it not pressurizing once but it turned out to be because I missed cleaning out the plug thing. The only thing I would like to see added to this sprayer is some sort of stirring or mixing mechanism to keep your sprays from settling.
I don't regret buying this one in the least, and it qualified for free shipping also, which didn't hurt any :) ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The business end of this push reel mower is solid, sharp, and everything a reel mower should be, with five heat-treated, knife-sharp steel blades that can be adjusted for varying grass heights from 1/2 to 2-1/4 inches. With its 10-inch wheels, radial tires, 18-inch cutting width, and 2-inch welded shrub bar, this mower should enable you to cross whatever terrain and reach whatever hard-to-access rogue patches of grass you desire. Plus, the soft foam cushion on the handlebar is a nice--and much appreciated--touch. The rest of the construction, however, isn't quite as reliable. Assembly can be a headache, even though the only tool you need is a wrench. The instructions could be clearer, and the handle parts could fit together better. Limited two-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Soft foam cushion on the handlebar adds comfort
• 5-blade ball bearing reel delivers a 18-inch cutting width
• Cutting height adjust from 1/2 to 2-1/4 inches
• 2-inch welded shrub bar assembly
• 10-inch wheels and radial tires handle any terrain

Reviews (26)

Lawn mowing can be fun
I bought my mower a few weeks ago and have used it a couple times on my 1/2 acre lawn. It cuts beautifully, and nearly as quickly as my old gas powered mower. I have enjoyed being able to hear the birds and enjoy the fresh air while I mow. The mowing is a little bit more of a workout than pushing a small gas mower, but anyone who can walk should be able to push it easily. A couple of caveats though, the mower does not cut wet grass well, but I have had good experience cutting grass up to 6" long when it's dry. Also, it requires a clean lawn, even the tiniest twig will stop the blades, but the sticks are easily removed from the blades. The Amazon reviewer thought it was difficult to assemble. While I agree it could be easier, I was not frustrated and had the mower assembled in less than 15 minutes -- and I'm no genious at assembling products. Also, height adjustments could be simpler, it takes 5-10 minutes to readjust the height with a couple of wrenches. Overall, I'm very pleased with the mower -- I now view mowing the lawn as pleasant recreation rather than slavish noisy work!

Five Years of Successful Mowing
I've been using this mower for 5 years now. As others have said, it is quiet and does not smell bad or require gasoline.

I am particularly pleased with its easy operation. It is not really much more difficult to use than a gas mower. When sharp, it cuts about as quickly. It also cuts taller grass better than some here would make you think. However, the tall grass can't be too thick.

It should be kept sharp. I recently sharpened mine. The time it took to mow my lawn went from three hours to one and a half.

Although adequate for mowing my lawn, I do have a few issues:

1. It is difficult to sharpen. The process itself isn't bad: reverse the gears, smear lapping compound on the blade, and walk back and forth on the sidewalk. The difficulty is finding lapping compound and in applying the lapping compound as well as removing the excess after.

2. It does not deal well with sticks. If I don't walk my lawn first and pick them up, any sticks will bring me up short.

3. It got out of adjustment easily in my previous town. The street sweeper there sprayed its metal bristles into my lawn and every time I got one, the blades would hit each other, dulling their cutting surfaces quickly.

4. On an uneven lawn like mine, it will miss the excessively tall blades of grass. If you look at my lawn you will see random tall blades here and there. At the rough spots you will see many tall blades.

Overall, it's adequate for its purposes, but it fails to impress.

A green consumer
I got this mower because I like the idea of not adding to the pollution problem. It lives up to that all right, but doesn't exactly deliver when it comes to a clean cut. My lawn is hybrid Bermuda, which is thick and about as tough as grass can get. I raise my power mower deck to 3" in the summer to protect the grass from drought. At a little over 2", this mower isn't quite high enough for a Bermuda lawn. Forget about twigs, the grass alone can stop the blades! Also, the cut was nowhere near as clean as with my power mower. I gave up after an hour and used the power mower to finish the lawn. Once the lawn was cut I found that I could get this mower to work reasonably well if I set it to its maximum height. I also found that lubricating the blades with WD-40 is essential. Overall, this mower is not great, but is not bad either. It won't completely replace my power mower, but I'll use it in late fall and winter when I mow the grass at a lower height.

Nice idea, but can't handle the rough stuff
I picked up this mower hoping very much that it would work out. I have always liked the idea of a reel mower - the quiet, the lack of gas fumes, the pleasant exercise of it. All of these things were what I had expected, and I quite enjoyed using it. I would also like to add that unlike many "assembly required" yard care items, this was easy to put together, sturdily built, and comfortable to use.

Unfortunately, the results were less than stellar. The mower did OK on low even grass, but could not handle tall grass, thick clumps of grass, and tall seed-heads. It either passed over them while only cutting about 40-60% of the grass, or in the case of thick tall grass, stopped cutting altogteher and just slid over it. As my lawn was, admittedly, rather "well-grown" when I used it, this meant a fairly thick haze of tall seed-head stalks all over it and some patches of grass that really never got cut down to size, even after (literally) mowing each area several times over. It took out the lower grass and the lawn did look better than when I started, but it didn't look exactly "cut" either. In the end I returned the mower and borrowed the neighbor's Toro Personal Pace to finish off. Wow, was *that* a nice mower!

My instinct on this is that if I'd started with a near-level, short lawn, I might have had some success with this mower, but in practice that's not often what I am cutting. If, on the other hand, you mow frequently and have a fairly even lawn, this might be the mower for you.

Far better than I expected
I do not have a nice lawn. It's uneven and dotted with bare spots and weed patches. This mower did beautifully on my lawn with the original factory settings. It was easy and quick to assemble the handle (the only part not assembled in the box). It's easy to push- I think easier than a gas-powered mower. It's quiet, hassle-free, and not at all the monster most people expect reel mowers to be. The lawn looks better after mowing with this than with other types of mowers. What's not to love? The same preparations used with other mowers will do fine for this. Remove rocks and sticks, even twigs, anything you would remove for other mowers and this one should work great for an average or small size yard. ... Read more

Features

• Two-year warranty
• Significantly reduces the mosquito population in your yard; covers up to 1-1/2 acres
• Mimics a human by converting propane to CO2, heat, and moisture with its patented catalytic conversion technology
• Silent and odorless; doesn't affect beneficial insects like butterflies, bees, or moths
• Noticeable results are achieved in 7 to 10 days

Reviews (5)

does kill mosquitos, but hard to keep running
It would appear that American Biophysics needed to do a better engineering job. My unit started and ran smoothly through the first propane tank. When it came time to replace the tank, however, I was unable to get the unit to keep running after it started. This became a time-consuming endeavor, trying different propane tanks, repeatedly trying to reset the tanks, using the CO2 cartidges, etc. The people at the propane company, who purged my (second) new tank, seemed to have heard a lot of stories similar to mine. The company did agree to replace my unit with a new one.

Save your Money!! Don't buy anything from this company.
We bought the previous edition of this model in the summer of 2002. It had failed by September and was replaced. We did not have a need to use it in the winter, but it failed again the next summer. We have replaced various parts over and over, quite a few at our own expense. Less than 2 months ago we spent over $200 for the latest "fix". This manufacturer does NOT stand behind its products. At the cost of these machines, one would expect that they would be more that happy to replace these lemons. The fact that they do not makes me think that the newer models are no better than the early ones. MM has suggested that "air in the propane" is a problem. This is the most rediculous excuse ever dreamed up. When filling a propane cylinder, if air is left in it before refilling, the pressure in the cylinder would be excessive since the "air" is compressed to one quarter of its original volume. I view this "excuse" as "blame anyone other than us for our faulty product".

1200 Mosquito Catch and Release Magnet
I bought two of these machines. Had I known of the difficulty in getting one of them to work I wouldn't have bought them. Also, their tech support is that in name only. You call and you're lucky to ever hear a live person on the other end of the phone. I have yet to hear or talk to one. If you leave emails they are responded to automatically. I have replaced and recharged batteries, perged tanks, switched tanks,quick cleaned the thing , covered the little vents on the sides so that the wind won't blow out the flame, and all for nothing.It won't ignite the gas to make the flame to attract the mosquitos.
One machine took a little effort to get going and is working fine. The other one is the Mosquito Magnet from hell.
If they only had good tech support like Gateway or Intuit that would make it all OK, but as far as I am concerned this thing might as well be made in China, and the tech support would come in Chinese. For this very reason I wouldn't buy another Mosquito Magnet. One would think that for almost $1,400.00 you would get more than a recording. And to think that I bought two of the things.

Great, while it works...
Purchased a MM Pro in the summer of 2000. Worked great for two years, then in July of 2002, it wouldn`t stay on. Called customer service a few times, did everything they tole me to, but eventually they sent me a new power unit under warantee. That lasted a little more than one year; in 2003, we started having problems with it again. Called customer service today (July 5, 2004 -- no wait for service rep). Did what they asked. Appears that the muffin fan is dead. Asked about replacing it -- they don`t have any parts information. Not under warantee, must replace head for $350 (and get 6 months warantee on it) or "upgrade" to Pro 2004 for $600 (and get 2 years). I asked them about reliability -- they said the new Pro is more reliable; don`t know if I want to spend $600 to find out.

While it runs, it does catch a lot of mosquitos, but when it breaks, it's an expensive lawn ornament. These guys need to admit they have/had problems with their units and replace the defective ones.

Possible problem at high altitudes--beware
We bought the Mosquito Magnet Pro Plus because we live next to a swamp, and I wanted the latest, greatest device to deal with our West Nile virus bearing 'skeeters here in the Colorado Front Range. The unit arrived, and seemed solid and well designed. The only problem was that the thing would NOT stay running. If you check the manual and the troubleshooting info at the American Biophysics website, you find that aside from the possibility of contaminated propane, there is not much help for this problem. Nonetheless, we tried 4 different propane tanks, using the presurized cylinders to clear the unit, the reset gizmo to clear the tank and regulator. All of it was to no avail. So finally, I contacted AmBioPhys, and they immediately agreed to send a replacement, and have UPS pick up the first one. The second one arrived, and after running for 12 hours, it began to do the same thing...would not keep running. So, I called them again.

This time, I got a more competent tech support person, and we discussed the possibility of the altitude in Colorado being an issue. This seemed feasible since there are things like heat sensors that will shut off the unit if they are not hot enough, and, at elevations, the propane does not burn as hot. Well, ABP is not sure whether it's an issue, but they proposed sending me 2 Liberty Plus units in replacement for the Pro Plus, since it's calibration is somewhat different than the Pro Plus. They sent one immediately, and it is working fine. The second is on the way.

Note that the Pro Plus DOES catch mosquitoes, but, they escape when it turns off, so it's pretty much useless, at least for me. During all this, I asked ABP whether they are having a lot of problems with the Pro Plus, and they said that they are not, but you have to wonder, given that I got two units that would not work.

Anyway, their support was acceptable, but I've lost nearly two months of killing the little buggers while this got sorted out. ... Read more

Features

• Includes carry bag and stakes
• Elevated center design for increased headroom
• Reinforced trusses for greater strength
• Portable, sets up in seconds
• 10' x 10' white powder coated steel frame

Amazon.com Review

Remember when snow days meant snowball fights, building forts, and a day off from school? Now, they just mean having to shovel the driveway and walkway. Lucky for us, the Toro 1800 Power Curve snow thrower can make that job a lot less arduous and time-consuming. Powered by a 12 amp electric motor, the Power Curve can clear 4 inches of snow off a 50-by-20-foot driveway in 10 minutes flat. The thrower cuts to a depth of 10 inches and width of 18 inches per pass. A patented two-blade curved rotor scrapes the snow all the way to the pavement and throws it up to 30 feet. The chute rotates 160 degrees, too, for better snow control. Best of all, the Power Curve is lightweight, compact, and maneuverable. Startups are easy. Just squeeze the trigger on the control bar, then release it when you want to stop. A key lock helps prevent unauthorized use, so you don't have to worry about kids, or even the neighbor borrowing it without permission. With the Power Curve, snow removal is quick and easy, so you can spend your time on more important things, like having snowball fights. --Carl Thress ... Read more

Features

• Lightweight (24 lbs.) and easy to handle
• Maintenance-free: no gas and oil to mix; no parts to lubricate; and no recoil to pull
• 10-inch depth of cut and 18-inch clearing width
• Throws snow up to 30 feet
• Clears 700 lbs. of snow per minute and scrapes it down to the pavement

Reviews (42)

Man! I am so happy
I live in Northern Va. We had our first two snows of the year. One of those heavy wet snows that Doctors tell us 63 year olds to avoid. Total snowfall 10 inches. I live in a townhouse, but with a lot of sidewalk (40 feet X 8 feet wide) plus two parking spaces and a patio. Now, with this machine (It dosent look like much when it's delivered.) I did the entire thing in 30mins which includes a little break. It did'nt throw slushy snow 30 feet but it threw it a heck of a lot farther than I could with a shovel. I believe it would throw fluffy snow 30 feet. Cord is a hassle, but something has to be( but no rope to pull or carburators to fool with or gasoline to store. I don't have a garage.) It weighs about 25 lbs, easy to carry and store. A job that used to take all morning ( with numerous rests now is over in 30mins. When I was 40 I would have laughed at a snow blower, but now, at 63 I am delighted.

Great value
Great value and it did what it promised. Compact, light weight, no maintenance, and always started. After last President's Day snow, I decided never to break my back again. Looked around for a snow thrower. Most everything was expensive gas-powered lawn-mower size machines. In this part of Maryland we don't get that many snow storms and I have only a 30 feet 2-car drive-way. So, I wasn't willing to spend that much for using 5 or 6 times a year. This is under $300 and has sufficient power to get me out of the house in 15 minutes, including few extra minutes for untangling the extension chord (not included), clearing about 4-5 inches this morning. Good job Toro.

The Greatest Invention since the George Foreman Grill
I live in NYC and I just used this snow thrower during the last nor'easter, in which we received 6 inches of snow. I just got home from work and there were my three neighbors: Mr. Nosey and Mr. and Mrs. Know-it-all half way done shoveling their driveways. "A lot of snow we got, eh, Crab. You got your work cut out for you!" With that the three of them started to smirk. Little did they know I had a secret weapon: The Toro 38025 1800 Power Curve Snow Thrower which I had sent to me under the cover of darkness away from their prying eyes. Tired, cold, hungry and scared, I plugged that bad boy in and off I went. Within 30 minutes, I plowed my driveway to concrete while my snoopy neighbors were still digging away. I guess I got the last laugh. There was no hassle,no fuss, no gas, no oil, no spark plugs. It's also light weight and I was able to lift it and plow a snow drift. It's so small and compact that it takes little space inside my house. Just a caveat: you should spend the 10 extra bucks for the 100' cord. My only regret is that I should have bought the Toro last year!

WE LOVE THIS THING!
No more shoveling for us! Using this easy to use snowblower is like pushing a vaccumm cleaner! We whrrrr down our sidewalks in half an hour - compared to what used to take us an hour and a half! We even do the neighbors' walks now - it goes so fast! Handles a pretty heavy snowfall with two passes sometimes - but its still very fast, and easier on us than the old shovel.

Something we first time snowblowers learned pretty fast: just be careful to make sure the chute is pointed downwind of you. :D

Save your back!
I had back surgery a couple of years ago and find it impossible to shovel snow without my back hurting. I bought this lightweight Toro and it is great; no more back pain after removing snow.The cord can be in the way sometimes, but it is a minor inconvenience considering how well it removes the snow. ... Read more

Features

• Override feature temporarily suspends watering
• Electronic key pad is easy to set
• Audio "beep" confirms program entry
• One on/off watering cycle per day
• Repeates every 24 hours or sets skip day function for watering every second or third day up to every seventh day

Reviews (11)

Electronic water timers
The Gilmour 9100 model is simple and reliable. I have used other timers with liquid crystal readouts from Gilmour and others and find that the displays generally die or partially die after about one year. The 9100 however seems to remain dry and working for much longer, (2 years and counting). I understand that it has only 1 cycle per day but for my needs this has proven adequate.

Simple and reliable
My comments will mirror most of those already on here. I'd had horrible luck in a previous year with a Nelson brand timer - four C batteries would last barely two weeks, and worse, would fail with the valve open! Last year I bought one of these Gilmour timers, and it's like night and day. I'm still on the original batteries, it's reliable, and once you get the hang of it, easy to program. While the programming interface is very simplistic, it might not be for everyone (_because_ it's so simplistic, it could be confusing). There's a fairly significant water hammer when it shuts off, and I worry a bit about these old pipes, but they're due for replacement soon anyway, so I won't worry too much. At any rate, I like this timer so much after a year on a couple of flower beds that I'm buying two more today to work the lawn too.

Still going after 2 years
I then got the Gilmour 9100 and have been surprised at how robust and reliable it has been since day one. Once you get the hang of it, programming is fast and, although only through beeps, actually very informative as to the schedule. You can turn it on temporarily without sacrificing the program and even have a timed session right then and there. I've also been amazed at this unit working everyday through pouring rain and baking sun for almost two years yet still using only its original batteries. I highly recommend it.

Watch out for the "Water Hammer"
Used this product last summer. It is easy to operate and works as advertised. However, the rubber diaphragm, which controls the water flow goes from totally closed to totally open in an instant, which creates, at least in my plumbing, a banging water hammer effect on my basement pipes.

I'm going back to the Melnor product this year. It's turning mechancal valve allows for a gradual transition from on to off
which eliminated the pounding on the pipes.

gilmore water timer
I have used it two summers and it does the job. i have used other models by other companys and most of them have developed leaks sooner or later..So far so good with this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Originally invented and marketed in Germany, the Garden Weasel is still an amazing garden tool, even after 15 years of "As Seen on TV" advertising here in the States. Its self-cleaning rotary cutters run crosswise against each other, meeting about 1-1/2 inches below the ground to break the surface soil and creating a fine till with their scissorlike action. Use this tool to break up soil in large areas or wide rows or to scarify soil for seeding. If you remove a few of the blades, you can work on exceptionally narrow rows or around plants. By using the short handle (included), you can work in greenhouses or rock gardens. Clearly, there are many uses for this tool--it's hard to imagine, but after all these years, it's still one of the best cultivators on the market. Ingenious design, versatile applications, and solid construction have kept this tool at the top for decades. --Ariel Meadow Stallings ... Read more

Features

• Loosens the soil and does the weeding
• Wheels run crosswise against each other
• Scissor action ensures that the soil is continually broken up and weeds uprooted
• Wheel prongs clean themselves of dirt automatically

Features

• 2 year limited warranty
• Ideal for trimming everything from small branches to medium size trees
• Powerful 15 amp, 4.0 hp motor
• Chain brake/hand guard stops chain automatically if kickback occurs
• Lightweight, easy to handle design

Features

• Comfort switch with hassle-free start and adjustable shaft and front handle
• 18-Volt High-power motor and battery system
• Interchangeable ni-cd battery with 1-hour smart charger
• 9-inch cutting path
• 0.065-inch professional grade line

Reviews (8)

Good for the money
I purchased this because my wife couldn't handle the larger gas trimmer I have. It does a great job on "LIGHT" weeds and grass. If you looking to cut heavy weeds or brush save your money. It does an excellent job on what it's designed for. The trigger design isn't the best and could be improved. I also purchased another battery because it only runs strong for about 20 minutes. It's quite, light, inexpensive and pretty easy to use. Just make sure that you're going to trim grass or light weeds. For that it's a good buy. I have yet to receive the extra line spools I ordered from Amazon. If I can't get replacement line spools then this product would be worthless.

Inoperative charger
The American Gardener YS18-18 was ordered on 06-09-04 and arrived on 06-11-04. The battery charger will not work..I called American Gadner and they refered me to Utility Electric Service in Conn. They assured me they had the charger in stock and would get it out to me..Its now 06-28-04 and no charger, I called both American Gardner and Then back to Utility Electric Service, I was told the chargers were on order and I would get mine when they arrived. So far no Charger..Tiffany at American Gardner said thats all she could do. I asked for a replacement to be sent to me from American Gardner and she said they coulod not do that...So much for a 2 year guarantee. Wayhollis@aol.com

I Rely on the advice of Amazon buyers
After a lot of research for a cordless line trimmer I found previous critiques by people who purchased this item to be extremely helpful and more reliable than any other source. My trimmer arrived yesterday. It was easy to assemble, charge the battery and my yard was perfectly trimmed within the hour. It is an ideal tool for a woman who does not want the bother of a gas operated trimmer or the inconvenience of an electric cord. I am 71 years old and anticipate using this trimmer for many years to come. I thank other consumers for sharing their comments which are most helpful to others!

Excellent for home use
If all you need is a trimmer for the average suburban yard, this will do great! I did my whole yard in about 15 minutes and it had plenty of charge left. My neighbor was amazed at how well it worked and he spent over $200 for a gas trimmer. Less noise, no gas and oil to mess with, what could be better. I am getting the hedge trimmer next!

Very disappointed in product.
I was very disappointed with this item. It is very difficult to hold down the safety button and trigger at the same time. My hand gets tired after about 5 minutes. It does not trim as closely to mailbox, flower boxes, etc. as I would like.

The only thing that I do like about the item is the battery. It only takes an hour to charge. It does seem like it loses power after about 20 minutes. ... Read more

Features

• .080 inch dual line SpeedSpool cartridge
• For use with Ryobi's 132R electric trimmer and SS725R add-on straight shaft
• For use with Ryobi's 725R, 767R, and 775R 2-cycle trimmers
• For use with Ryobi's 825R and 875R 4-cycle trimmers

Reviews (1)

Spool is great - but cheaper to reload the one you have
The design of the spool is terrific but it's so easy to refill the spool you're really better off buying some trimmer line in bulk at Home Depot and refilling it yourself.

I could see getting a second one to keep a reloaded one handy on standby, but really, it's no trouble to refill the spool yourself and much cheaper than buying replacements. Can't say enough about the product, it's terrific. I love my Ryobi, I have a gas and an electric one (got tired of dragging the cord around but the electric one still works great). ... Read more

Product Description

American Biophysics, New Mosquito Magnet Pro, Residential Biting Insect Abatement System, For Eliminating Mosquitoes, Black Flies, Sand Flies, Is Designed For The Homeowner Who Needs To Protect Up To 1 Acre Area, With High Capacity Drop In Net, LCD Display With 1 Touch User Controls, 2 Additional Solar Panels, 1 Of 3 Electricity Sources, Along With Marine Strength Lithium Battery Pack & Thermo-Electric Module, Industrial Strength Catalytic Converter, Easy Drop In Attractant Compartment, Lightweight Aluminum Base With Powder Coated Finish. ... Read more

Features

• Two-year warranty
• Significantly reduces the mosquito population in your yard; covers up to 1-1/4 acres
• Mimics a human by converting propane to CO2, heat, and moisture with its patented catalytic conversion technology
• Silent and odorless; doesn't affect beneficial insects like butterflies, bees, or moths
• Noticeable results are achieved in 7 to 10 days

Reviews (7)

Six Hundred Update or Junk Fourteen Hundred Cussing Customer
I sense a strong consensus amongts us "long timers" surmised ...Cus
'American Bio has "#!&%" all of us'
Shoot!I'd go without ,but #**#
when its "on"
what mortal can't help but "shell out"

American Bio-yearly-physics Co. is, unfortunately, indicative of corporate manufacturing's failure to "be responsible".
ethics are not "in vogue"
'a good bottom line is owners good time!'

A Sing along(tune of "This Old Man")
We won't share
We don't care
We'll play #*#!* you
Cause we don't share or care
a good bottom line is owners good time
a good bottom line is owners good time
(wiley Nelson c. 1905)

really captures mosquitos
This is an excellent machine and very simple to put together.I have over an acre of property and haven't had one mosquito bite all summer.This machine really works and the Pro model, though pricey, is truly worth it.No electricity to use, just propane.The machine notifies you that need to change the propane tank by "beeping" in just about 21 days.A wonderful invention!

Great At Catching Bugs - Reliability An Issue
We purchased the freedom model (now discontinued) which was the 2nd from the best. It worked GREAT the first year, virtually eliminating all mosquitos and no-see-ums from our yard. But 4 months later the unit was dead, it simply would not ignite. I called support (we got them right away) and they decided to send a new head unit. It arrived in 10 days and we just put the old one in the box, stuck the supplied label on the side and called UPS to pick up the return - very easy. The unit worked great until the end of the season (3 months after the replacement).

Next season the unit worked for 3 weeks then died. We could not get it to ignite no matter what we tried. We brought the unit into our garage to let it "dry out" according to tech support. No luck. But now the unit was no longer in warranty, 13 months after our original purchase. Our only option was to upgrade to the Pro model (the new units were not out yet) for $400!! Ouch!

We did upgrade and I must say that the Pro model is much better construction with a heavy-duty catalyst (power pack) system. It also has the quick-clear system for the propane lines, which seems to work. No problems so far this year & the unit starts every time. We are now halfway through the second season with the Pro model & are happy so far.

Note that this is the PREVIOUS version of the Pro model with the stainless steel power pack on the side. It seems to be a more heavy-duty construction than the new unit, but supposedly the new units have improved power packs & appear to be contained in the main housing to cut down on contimination from weather (rain, leaves, etc.).

I would recommend this unit, and hopefully the new generation (2004 models) have remedied some of the reliability issues of the past versions. BTW, the other reviews here also seem to be of older models.

A defective product
Yes, this product is GREAT when it works.We used it successfully for two years, here in mosquito-plagued Vermont.But like some of the other reviewers, our fan did not work this year, and we have received no help from American Biophysics, except that we could spend $600 for a newer version of this product ...!

With many competitive products out there, at less than half that price, there is no way we will buy from American Biophysics again.(Any we also have tried to be in touch with the people who run this company, through personal contacts.Well, they didn't even acknowledge our emails and letters)

ELIMINATES mosquitos when it actually works
5 stars - it really does catch 'em
1 star - didn't last more than one summer...read on...

This is a review of the older version PRO model (1 acre coverage) which I purchased back in '02 while living in MA.I give it 5 stars b/c back then during the summer when west nile was rampant, it really did catch every single mosquito in the neighborhood!

My friends like to take my wife and myself along on camping trips b/c we are their mosquito repellent - bugs just love us for some reason.I've been on week long fly fishing trips where I've sustained 100's (YES, I've counted) of bites on my arms and neck and my buddies had NONE!Even walking the dogs in the evenings, out in the yard would leave me ridden with bites.

After purchasing (reluctantly, given the (...)) the unit, life changed that summer as we didn't get one single bite.Life was good and our neighbors even thanked us b/c they too noticed a difference.

BUT, since that summer, the unit has had difficulty starting and for the past year and a half, has been inoperable here in VT.Visiting the American Biophysics website tech support area for information and examining their new models which incorporate a quick-clear cleanout feature has made me realize that these 'orifice obstructions' were so prevalent, a design change was warranted.Unfortunately, my 'older' model did not have this feature and since it was not under warranty, I would have to pay about $400 to get a refurbished unit!

Now, after having paid $1200 for a bug catcher, this infuriated me.To make matters worse, my wife has just received her first set of bites and has threatened to dismember my extremities if our newborn baby gets bit!

So, while I await a response from the president of the company, I decided to take matters into my own hands.I just spent 5 hours taking the 'power pack' apart, cleaning every orifice and conduit and after much swearing and bruised knuckles, managed to get the darn unit operating again!I just spend 10 minutes outside (got about 15 more bites) to make sure the 'suction' was working.I will know tomorrow if it actually was fixed.

So, my summary:

The science behind the product is sound - it really does catch every biting pest out there.I've saved the season's catch in a large glass jar and just about disgusted every person I showed it to.

Given the tiny orifice (I mean smaller than a needle point) used in the combustion chamber and the 'dirty' nature of propane fuel, there is a tendency to have claudications that may compromise function.

Out of warranty repairs are costly - the options given by customer service appear to favor upgrading to a new machine - makes you feel terrible that all your hard earned money has gone to waste.

Taking the power pack apart is quite difficult (I do not recommend this unless you are adept and comfortable with tools) especially when the fasteners are of odd sizes, likely to thwart tampering by persons like me.

The newer models that incorporate the quick-clear feature may perform better but uncertain of product support if a failure was to occur.Most of the newer models also incorporate a better ignition system - the older one required holding down a button for about 5 minutes before the machine was operational - any accidental release (say, if your thumb went numb) would usually require starting the procedure over again.

Despite the limitations, I hope to purchase another unit - just too many mosquitos in VT!

Cheers!

Dave. ... Read more

Features

• 2 year limited warranty
• Ideal for trimming everything from small branches to medium size trees
• Potent 3.0 hp motor
• Lightweight, easy to handle design
• Chain brake/hand guard stops chain automatically if kickback occurs

Features

• Levelwind layering mechanism ensures the hose retracts evenly and easily
• 3/4-inch ID swivel reduces flow restrictions and improves performance
• User can select "Free Run" for fast rewind or "Latching" to latch the hose
• Mounting bracket allows the user to secure the reel in 1 of 7 positions

Features

• 19-inch replacement blade
• Fits Black & Decker lawn mower model #'s MM850, CMM1000
• Factory sharpened for superior cutting performance
• 30 day no-risk satisfaction guarantee and full two-year warranty

Reviews (1)

This is my safety spare.
You are supposed to sharpen the blade periodically. The manual suggests about twice in a cutting season. My lawn is so small that it may take a couple of seasons for that to be required. The real reason I call this my safety spare is that I am afraid that the technology will change before I need it. This keeps me from having to buy it on the after market. In the mean time it is oiled and hanging on the garage wall just incase I "accidentally" run over my neighbor's pink flamingo ordainments and damage the blade. ... Read more