Reviews by rstinnett

rstinnett says "Quiet, Powerful, Techy and Awesome!" about Craftsman AssureLink Internet Connected DC Belt Drive Garage Door Opener with DieHard Battery Backup

rstinnett — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:19:55 GMT

After almost 15 years our garage door was due for replacement -- we decided that if we were going to do the door we were going to get a whole new system. Our old system was chain driver and noisy. Not to mention that when it closed the door it almost "slammed" it down. Wanting something quieter (since the garage sits under a bedroom) we decided to evaluate belt driven units and came across this unit from Sears. We gave it a shot and couldn't be more happier!

First, let me say that when I mean quiet I'm talking about Q...U...I...E...T. Compared to our old opener this is like night and day. It has a very smooth operation that will gently open and lower the door. I like the fact that as the door is nearing the end of its travel that it slows down automatically so you don't have this "slamming" effect. No doubt this is saving a tremendous amount of wear and tear on the garage door.

The battery backup is also very handy for those times when the power goes out (especially during storms)....

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rstinnett says "Outstanding grill - excellent price" about Kenmore 4-Burner Gas Grill - Black

rstinnett — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:45:12 GMT

Our previous Kenmore grill finally bit the dust after a 7 year life span. As anyone who knows grills will tell you, 7 years is a heck of a long life span for a grill nowadays. So we started looking around for a new grill to replace it, and low and behold we came upon this one. At first I was a little skeptical because of the price point -- surely it must be some flimsy unit that won't last a season. However, I decided to give it a shot and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box. Weighing in at around 150lbs, this is no lightweight. The grilling area is made of very sturdy material that holds a lot of food -- I mean family of 6! I was surprised at how much you could fit onto the grilling area. The side burner is nice, though I wish you could switch which side it was mounted too. Some reviewers have mentioned that it has an opening in the back of the grill and questioned how well it retained heat. I haven't had a problem with it, and in fact the grill heats up quite quickly......

rstinnett says "One Smooth Operator" about Schick Hydro 5 Razor, 1 razor

rstinnett — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:08:33 GMT

"He's a smooth operator. Smooth Operator." -- you'll be humming this classic song by Sade after your very first shave with this Shick Hydro 5. Over the years I must have used probably dozens of different razors and blade systems only to be left with stubble that always managed to escape from being chopped off my the razor. I tried single blades, dual blades, 3-blades, 4-blades and more! Beginning to think that a clean, close, comfortable shave was never going to within my grasp, I got the chance to try out this Shick razor and I've been suitable impressed - and looking good too!

I have what I would describe as short, wide facial hair. It likes to grow in slowly, but always seems to be there. I can shave at 8AM and by 10AM I swear I can feel it growing back already. If I go two days without shaving people start to think I'm half-man, half-wolf. Worst of all, my face has so many contours that it is almost impossible to get a close shave.

With the Shick Hydro 5 the first thing I noticed...

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rstinnett says "Keeps Clothes Looking Like New - Again and Again" about Tide HE Total Care Detergent, Renewing Rain, 150 fl oz (1.17 gl) 4.43 lt

rstinnett — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:08:33 GMT

When it comes to laundry detergent I am very picky. After all, there are certain things in life you don't want to cheap out on or try the "generic version" of, and I believe laundry detergent is a prime example of one product you want to stick with what you trust and know. For years we've used Tide and have for the most part stayed with the original liquid formula. For about a year we tried Tide Cold Water, and while it worked pretty good, it simply could not get out the toughest of stains. So back to the original formula we went until we stumbled upon Tide Total Care and decided to give it a shot.

"Wow!" is one way of putting it; but words cannot describe how well this works. Think about your favorite shirt, you know that really cool, hip one you bought last summer. It fit you right right, the neckline was perfect and when you put it on it made everyone take notice. Now think back to how over time the neckline seemed to drop a bit; the color faded out and before you know it you were just...

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rstinnett says "Amazing optical zoom and panoramic mode make this a great camera" about Fuji Film USA Fuji Film USA FinePix F300EXR Dig Camera 16083016

rstinnett — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:08:31 GMT

I purchased my first 1.2 megapixel digital camera in 1999 and have used quite a few through the years since then -- but I can say with all honesty that this new Fujifilm F300 EXR has literally redefined what I think of as a quality digital camera. This guy is amazing -- and once you try out its wide-angle lense and facial recognition features you won't want to stop taking pictures everywhere you go!

I fell in love with the camera because of the wide-angle lens and 15x zoom and just kept being impressed the more I used it. You'll never "chop off" another person or a part of the scenery again thanks to its wonderful lens that doesn't require you to backup 50 feet to get everyone in the picture. Then there is the 15x built-in zoom. You never want to judge a camera by its digital zoom as that degrades the picture, so when I found out this camera had a 15x "true zoom" I was blown away. I zoomed in the full 15x and my picture was still just as clear and crisp as it was when I didn't use the zoom....

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rstinnett says "Hard to Imagine Quality and Style this Good for a Price this Low" about Canyon River Blues Boot Cut Jean

rstinnett — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:45:43 GMT

If I could sum up these jeans in one word it would be "wow!" Sears has finally broken out of their 80s clothing mindset and really delivered a stylish, durable and affordable jean for guys. If you have a teenager, or a husband or boyfriend in the 16-40 year old range, these jeans are going to quickly become a favorite of theirs. You simply are not going to find jeans that are designed with "youth appeal" in mind for this price anywhere else.

Apart from the fashion, the jeans are solidly built. You can wear them to work or to the mall, and then wear them to work on your muscle car or hang with the guys at the softball field. These are go everywhere, do anything type jeans!

A price that can't be beat, stylish and comfortable -- what more could you ask for?

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rstinnett says "Wonderful Tool For Yards With Lots of Trees!" about Craftsman Pump N Cut Ropeless Tree Pruner

rstinnett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:24:49 GMT

We stumbled upon this tree pruner by accident at our local Sears -- we weren't looking for one, but when we saw it we thought "maybe this can help trim a frew branches back". Did it ever! Within the first weekend of buying it we went "tree crazy" and really trimmed the yard up.

The #1 thing I like about this, and what convinced us to buy it there on the spot, was that its covered by the lifetime Craftsman warranty. If it breaks or fails to perform in any way, just take it back to Sears and they will replace it -- no questions asked.

Now onto its performance...

You should know this will take a little time to get used to. I think most of the negative reviews on here were from people who thought they could master it within 30 minutes of taking it out of the packaging. Because it extends to such a long length, you really have to learn how to balance this thing. It will take a good hour or two before you master it.

We found the saw part of the pruner to be more than adequate. It...

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rstinnett says "Kenmore Delivers Again -- This Time Through The Plumbing!" about Kenmore 350 Series Water Softener

rstinnett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:24:47 GMT

We replaced a 12 year old Kenmore water softener that had developed a crack in the resin tank (it lasted 12 years, and we were pleased with its lifetime performance) with the Kenmore 350 and we couldn't be happier. Right off the bat we noticed this guy uses less salt that our previous water softener -- perhaps because of a newer design? Whatever the reason, it was a pleasant surprise!

After almost a year of operation, we couldn't be more pleased with the 350. It does a great job of getting rid of hard water. We noticed the difference the very next day after we installed it (to our surprise, the fittings were the same as our old model -- so we saved having to get a plumber to install it!).

We bought the 350 model because there are three of us in the house, plus between 1-3 other college guys (friends of our son) who have a habit of brining their clothes over to do laundry! So far, the 350 has handled all of the water demands without having to excessively recharge. It seems that...

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rstinnett says "Comfortable Kicks" about Skechers Men's Derest - White/Gray

rstinnett — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:03:59 GMT

With fall here and winter right around the corner I was looking for a pair of kicks I could wear to the office and around town that went well with jeans and Dockers. I found them in the Skechers Expressed-Derest sneaker. It's not only got the style, but it also has the comfort with a cushioning sole that really does a good job of keeping your feet comfortable even after a long day at work or a long night out on the town.

I went with the white/gray color and I've been very happy with them -- though the gray is more like a muted brown if you ask me.

Overall, this is a good shoe for both work and play. The price is right and after a month they are holding up very well.

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rstinnett says "These slides make you want to get in the game!" about adidas Boys' SSG2 Slide J Shoe - Silver/Black

rstinnett — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:19:27 GMT

I'm not normally a slide wearing kinda dude, but decided to pick up a pair of these bad boys to wear after running to let my feet relax. The comfort, the fit and the amazing foam lined footbed have made this a slide that no longer is just for after-running, but a slide I wear casually as well. Your feet are not going to believe how amazingly comfortable these bad boys are. It's like nothing you have ever experienced before. Throw out all those other slides because this one is the only one you will need.

They look awesome with a pair of jeans as well, so you can get in your ride and take a trip down to the market with these bad boys and look pretty darn good doing it.

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rstinnett says "Excellent Model Store for Other Kmart Locations" about Kmart - Fairfax, VA

rstinnett — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:55:33 GMT

While traveling in the Northern, VA area I stopped in at the Fairfax, VA Kmart store and was very impressed. This store could easily be a model store for other Kmart locations. Even though the store was originally built in the early 80s, it had been remodeled and re-painted and looked very nice.

Everything from the signs hanging in the departments, to the color scheme and "K" logos throughout the store did an excellent job of branding. This location was also in the process of getting a "Sears Auto Center" added to the old auto bays -- which I thought was an excellent use of space.

The nicest surprise was the new, red shopping carts -- I hope they continue to roll these out to other Kmart stores. They were big and so much nicer than the older gray carts that many stores have.

Overall, a wonderful store and the color scheme really made the store look modern and nice. Judging by the number of shoppers in the store -- they seemed to like it as well!

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rstinnett says "Two Great Foods -- One Great Snack!" about American Fare Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets

rstinnett — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:41:58 GMT

Who amongst us doesn't like peanut butter? Not combine the creamy goodness of peanut butter with the crispy, salty taste of pretzels and you have an instant winner! American Fare (Kmart's store brand) peanut butter pretzel nuggets are hands down the most popular snack around our office. People know when they see me bringing in the bag with "Kmart" on it that its snack time!

These guys come in a handy re-usable plastic container to keep them fresh. I like this design a lot more than the bags that other brands come in because it helps not only keep the product fresh longer, but also makes it much easier to store and re-use after the product is gone.

If you are looking for a fun summer treat for your kids try sprinkling a few of these peanut butter pretzels on top of a bowl of frozen yogurt. Your kids will love it!

My favorite snack from Kmart -- American Fare always seems to have good quality products that meet or beat the equivalent national brand!

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rstinnett says "If You Live in a Hard Water Area, This Guy Is A Must!" about Kenmore 350 Series Water Softener

rstinnett — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:32:20 GMT

We had a 12-year old Kenmore water softener that finally decided to give up the ghost earlier this year. Since we were so impressed by how well our previous Kenmore worked, we decided we'd head to Sears to see what they had available.

Truth be told, water softeners haven't changed much over the years. They are still the same basic design and work pretty much the same way. We found out, much to our relief, that the water softeners from Kenmore can re-use the existing fittings! We thought we'd have to get a plumber out to hook this thing up -- but nope, it fit perfectly on the old fittings. Talk about a convenience!

We got the 350 because we have a family of 3 and a hardness of 20. It works well for us, recharging about once every 4 days (we have a teenager who loves to run the water!). It's quieter than our older one and seems to use very little salt -- a plus!

Overall, we couldn't be happier with the purchase. We look forward to getting another 12 years out of this one...

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rstinnett says "Hanes Doesn't Hold a Candle to Covington Comfort!" about Covington Crew Neck T-Shirt (3-Pack) - Anti-Microbial

rstinnett — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:45:16 GMT

You might be thinking to yourself, "OK, just what can someone say about a package of undershirts that hasn't been said before?" How about "WOW!" and "Ahhhhhh!" Those are the two words that describe Covington undershirts. They absolutely knock Hanes out of the water in terms of comfort and durability.

First, these are the one true undershirts that when they say "Large" or "Medium" they mean it. Buy your true size -- they come cut exactly to fit and don't shrink no matter how many dry cycles you send them through!

Next, be prepared for all-day comfort as these are some of the softest undershirts I ever wore. Hanes may claim to be comfortable, but you haven't experienced comfort until you've tried these guys on. Sure they may be a little more expensive than Hanes but once you wear one all day long you'll never want to go back to another brand again!

Even after months of wear they hold their shape up great. One of the things most undershirts do is start to lose their shape...

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rstinnett says "More Drilling Power Than Any Person Could Ever Need!" about Craftsman 28126 6.5 amp Corded 3/8&#34 Pro Rear Handle Drill

rstinnett — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:25:28 GMT

This summer I wanted to put some deck lights up and found a wonderful set of low-voltage LED lights that fit the bill. The only problem was they had to be mounted underneath the lip of the deck and required drilling out holes to fit them into. Though we had two different cordless Craftsman drills, because of the thickness of the wood they just couldn't handle the job. So off to Sears I went to see what type of corded drills they had.

I stumbled across this Craftsman Professional drill and was impressed by the price point so decided to give it a try. I would not be dissapointed. This drill has enough power to put an entire house together without stopping! It's by far one of the most powerful power tools in my garage! Combined with the comfort grip handle you will find that you can go for a long time without having to stop due to hand fatigue.

It has a few other bells and whistles that add to the overall value as well. The carrying case is designed to let it take a licking...

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rstinnett says "Whacks the Weeds and A Lot More!" about Craftsman 32cc 2 cycle Split Boom Gas Trimmer

rstinnett — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:59:42 GMT

After more than 10 years of service our trusty Craftsman weed eater finally decided to call it a day. We went to Sears to see what they had and was surprised by the number of choices -- weed eaters have every option you can think of nowadays!

What drew us to this one was the fact it has the Incredi-Pull technology. This is the easiest thing to start I've ever owned! It makes our old one look like a medieval device! You literally prime it and pull -- it starts with almost no resistance whatsoever.

We also liked the face that it had a detachable boom so you can add "Accessories" if you wish. We haven't added any, but they have a full range -- from tiller to snow blower. It's great that you can buy one tool and get so many "extra possibilities" as it were.

Finally, what we really like is the performance. It uses a new type of line where you don't have to feed it a spool -- just insert a new "segment" of line. The line itself comes pre-cut and lasts a long time. In fact...

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rstinnett says "Solidly built out of real wood and goes great in any kitchen!" about 30&#34 W x 30&#34 D x 36&#34 H Saddle 5 Piece Pub Set - Antique Oak/Black Painted Finish

rstinnett — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:24:13 GMT

We went to Sears to buy a water filter and ended up leaving with this wonderful little "pub set" as they call it. When we saw it on the sales floor we were surprised by how solid it was. It's solid wood construction and it shows!

We actually ended up using it as a "center island" in our kithen for food prep or just quick meals while watching television. The colors go so well with any modern kitchen.

Well worth the price, and given how solidly it is built I expect it to around for years to come. This is hands-down one of the best pieces of furniture we have bought in the past few years!

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rstinnett says "Big store - loved the new shopping carts!" about Kmart - Independence, MO

rstinnett — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:14:50 GMT

Everytime I am traveling I like to seek out the local Kmarts and see what they have to offer. While visiting family up near Independence we decided to swing in the Big K along Highway 24. Talk about a pleasant experience!

First, the shopping carts were great! They were obviously new and were so much bigger than the small carts I am used to in Kmart. This was a major plus!

Second, the store itself was clean, organized and well lit. The inside has been taken care of very well. We would suggest a fresh coat of paint on the outside though -- it is starting to show its age. This particular location has been around for well over 30 years!

They had a lot of selection and some really good associates helping out. They were friendly and knowledgable about where to find items. It did seem that they had a little too much space than what they knew what to do with. In several areas we noticed the same merchandise being stocked as others -- often with just the front of the shelves...

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rstinnett says "Modern store with lots of selection in every aisle!" about Gerbes - Columbia, MO

rstinnett — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:43:52 GMT

This is by far one of my favorite places to shop in Columbia, even though it is out of the way for me. They have a great selection of items, and an extensive wine and liquor department. If you are into organics and vegetarian items, they have one of the largest selections of any grocery store in town.

Another feature of Gerbes I really like is the double coupon promotion they have going on weekly. They will double any coupon up to 50-cents in value. There is no limit on the number they will double.

Friendly people, great service and good selection make Gerbes my favorite grocery!

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rstinnett says "Tastes so good -- even plain -- and good for you!" about Ritz - Whole Wheat Crackers

rstinnett — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:52:32 GMT

You know, when it comes to things like crackers and other snack foods I'm the type of guy who usually looks for the store brand. After all, there isn't much difference between them and the name brand, right? While that may be true for most of the crackers and such out there, there is nothing that comes close to matching the taste and flavor of Whole Wheat Ritz. Crackers that are good and good for you!

Ritz crackers have so many uses -- I love to put them in chili, make my own peanut butter sandwich crackers to take with me for lunch, and even use them as a filler for meatloaf. They have a unique taste and light, flaky texture that almost melts in your mouth.

So while the store brand may be good enough for most crackers in my closet, this is one cracker that I insist on the Ritz brand for. Go ahead and try them -- you might find yourself seeing Whole Wheat in a whole new way!

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