I'm not being compensated for these reviews, but I recently discovered two products that are so great I felt compelled to mention them here.
Rubbermaid Big Wheel Cart
Link is for info only and others' reviews, if you were to buy it, I'd go to Home Depot where you can check it out yourself, price is currently $155 (maybe they clearance these soon??). There are some things that should be bought in person and this is one.
Yes, its expensive for a cart, but this is the ultimate cart as far as I'm concerned. I previously owned the "gorilla" cart (Tractor Supply sells it, also on Amazon) and I liked it at first, but its really not great - it easily tips over when loaded, and its thin metal parts rusted out and broke over time. I knew I had to replace it, and in the back of my mind I knew I wanted something plastic that would not rust. This rubermaid cart is made from a composite type high density poly ethelyne, it seems indestructible (its thick).
Here's the part that is almost hard to describe, you just have to try it yourself - this thing has freakishly perfect balance and ergonomics - you can tell the Rubermaid engineers really put some work into this design. Load it up overflowing with heavy splits of wood or dirt and you will be surprised the first time you use it, it moves almost effortlessly - it's magnitudes better than any wheel barrow I have ever used, and much better than the gorilla cart. This thing can dump if you want, but because of the low center of gravity and wide wheel base, it is never going to accidentally tip over on you like other carts do.
There was one significant complaint I read about in reviews of this cart, which was related to tires going flat - I was ecstatic to discover that Rubbermaid actually listens and improves their products - they changed the tires over (starting August 2011) to SOLID (foam core I beleive) design instead of tubes - you do NOT put air in them at all. These tires are fantastic and look like they will last forever, they are huge (maybe 2 feet?) and narrow making it perfect for effortlessly rolling across any terrain. I really believe this is a high quality product that is going to last me a very long time (more than 10 years, possibly much more). If you decide to buy one, definitely check out the tires first - some stores are STILL SELLING the old version with tube tires (you can easily tell the difference, there is no valve stem on the new ones). Don't buy the version with tube tires.
The second product that I can't say enough good things about is:
Oral Ivy
Read the reviews on Amazon, they speak for themselves. This product really works. I get poison ivy every year (by the way, I use the term poison ivy, but poison oak/ivy/sumac - both vines and ground versions all have the same exact compound in them so they are all covered). This year I got it real bad and decided to look for anything that might help. I got this product, which believe it or not, IS poison ivy in liquid form (very dilluted) that you actually drink (only a few drops) daily. This builds your body's immunity up. I only bought it because of the great reviews, and it is pretty cheap. I'm the kind of guy that isn't satisfied until a product is put to the test. Yes, I intentially exposed myself to poison ivy 3 times after taking the product for almost a month (I wanted to be sure it was in my system) and yes, it works beautifully! Now I'm not going to say I had no reaction whatsoever, that is not how it works. The way it works is your reaction is minimized to such a degree that your poison ivy "outbreak" doesn't even bother you. You will still see a mild "rash" but it does not itch at all, and it crusts over in 24 hours and quickly goes away. I've been exposed to poison ivy 3 times now since I started taking Oral Ivy and I've seen the same thing all three times.
I think you can take less than the amount recommended and still have the benefit. I take just 3 drops a day, only M-F. I think you could take 3-4 drops every other day and it would still work. This will make one bottle last a full year.
It would be interesting to see if you could make this product yourself, say by blending up a few poison ivy leaves in 70% alcohol solution and then filtering it (coffee filter) - perhaps you could, but I have no idea what the correct strength should be, you definitely don't want to overdo it.
-Gordo
Rubbermaid Big Wheel Cart
Link is for info only and others' reviews, if you were to buy it, I'd go to Home Depot where you can check it out yourself, price is currently $155 (maybe they clearance these soon??). There are some things that should be bought in person and this is one.
Yes, its expensive for a cart, but this is the ultimate cart as far as I'm concerned. I previously owned the "gorilla" cart (Tractor Supply sells it, also on Amazon) and I liked it at first, but its really not great - it easily tips over when loaded, and its thin metal parts rusted out and broke over time. I knew I had to replace it, and in the back of my mind I knew I wanted something plastic that would not rust. This rubermaid cart is made from a composite type high density poly ethelyne, it seems indestructible (its thick).
Here's the part that is almost hard to describe, you just have to try it yourself - this thing has freakishly perfect balance and ergonomics - you can tell the Rubermaid engineers really put some work into this design. Load it up overflowing with heavy splits of wood or dirt and you will be surprised the first time you use it, it moves almost effortlessly - it's magnitudes better than any wheel barrow I have ever used, and much better than the gorilla cart. This thing can dump if you want, but because of the low center of gravity and wide wheel base, it is never going to accidentally tip over on you like other carts do.
There was one significant complaint I read about in reviews of this cart, which was related to tires going flat - I was ecstatic to discover that Rubbermaid actually listens and improves their products - they changed the tires over (starting August 2011) to SOLID (foam core I beleive) design instead of tubes - you do NOT put air in them at all. These tires are fantastic and look like they will last forever, they are huge (maybe 2 feet?) and narrow making it perfect for effortlessly rolling across any terrain. I really believe this is a high quality product that is going to last me a very long time (more than 10 years, possibly much more). If you decide to buy one, definitely check out the tires first - some stores are STILL SELLING the old version with tube tires (you can easily tell the difference, there is no valve stem on the new ones). Don't buy the version with tube tires.
The second product that I can't say enough good things about is:
Oral Ivy
Read the reviews on Amazon, they speak for themselves. This product really works. I get poison ivy every year (by the way, I use the term poison ivy, but poison oak/ivy/sumac - both vines and ground versions all have the same exact compound in them so they are all covered). This year I got it real bad and decided to look for anything that might help. I got this product, which believe it or not, IS poison ivy in liquid form (very dilluted) that you actually drink (only a few drops) daily. This builds your body's immunity up. I only bought it because of the great reviews, and it is pretty cheap. I'm the kind of guy that isn't satisfied until a product is put to the test. Yes, I intentially exposed myself to poison ivy 3 times after taking the product for almost a month (I wanted to be sure it was in my system) and yes, it works beautifully! Now I'm not going to say I had no reaction whatsoever, that is not how it works. The way it works is your reaction is minimized to such a degree that your poison ivy "outbreak" doesn't even bother you. You will still see a mild "rash" but it does not itch at all, and it crusts over in 24 hours and quickly goes away. I've been exposed to poison ivy 3 times now since I started taking Oral Ivy and I've seen the same thing all three times.
I think you can take less than the amount recommended and still have the benefit. I take just 3 drops a day, only M-F. I think you could take 3-4 drops every other day and it would still work. This will make one bottle last a full year.
It would be interesting to see if you could make this product yourself, say by blending up a few poison ivy leaves in 70% alcohol solution and then filtering it (coffee filter) - perhaps you could, but I have no idea what the correct strength should be, you definitely don't want to overdo it.
-Gordo
! I never did but he swore it kept him from getting any rash. I am NOT recommending anyone eat Poison ivy leaves. I am not a Dr and never played one on TV!
