Product reviews, Jump right in !

[otterbob]

Some that know me claim that I have a doctorate in Mail order / Online Shopping.
Even my wife was from a catalog ! { been married 12 1/2 years }

I enjoy honest reviews of products and company's.

To kick this off I will list some of the my purchases, likes and dislikes.

Ubuntu --- an easy to use computer operating system. Download is free. It is a complete OS that will stand alone or It will load beside windows if you are locked into Microsoft Windows. It will load easier on older systems then MS Windows !
I have been using it for almost 3 years now.

British Berkfield Berky --- A super fine. Reasonably priced water filter. I have used mine since 1998 we live on a cistern and I TRUST IT ! Got mine from a local gun shop because their price was same as online and no shipping.

Remington Viper 22lr ammo --- I have used it for soooooo many years. Always performs as expected.

Ebay --- Be careful here ! But it is a great resource for items you cannot readily find. This last summer I was able to pick-up a crosscut saw set tool and spider for less then $20.00

Tigerdirect.com --- I have purchased computer components from this company from time to time. Without problems.

Midwayusa.com --- great site and great prices for all your shooting sports.

Harbor Freight --- Great deals on a lot of different items, although they have a nice website I like to buy in the store.

Home Depot --- Dislike ! *I buy an item every now and then, when I cannot get the item elsewhere.

Farm and livestock auctions --- Not for the faint of heart ! Keep your hands in your pocket until you know what you are doing.

Wal-Mart Pharmacy --- I started getting my generic meds there only 6 months ago, Super savings better then my excellent insurance plan !

Black powder substitutes --- NONE have ever worked properly in any of my guns. Hang-fires with all of them ! Stick to the real stuff ! Dupont when you can get it.

The Movie, Alone in the wilderness --- The ultimate homesteader/survivalist movie, if you don't like this movie your on the wrong forum !!!

A small start , now it is your turn, list one or as many as you like.

Otter Bob

[rockymtngirl]

Penzey's Spices - we have a local retail store here but they started out as mail order and still do much of their business this way. Excellent prices for hard to find spices, even pepper corns for your pepper grinder, lots of different kinds of salts - great products/service/prices!

Specialtybottle.com - great selection of many bottles for various applications (not canning but I use for my flavored vodkas/syrups, etc.). quick excellent service and great prices.

I'm sure I'll think of some more..

Good thread otter!

[GoodDaughter]

Sheffield's Seeds, a bulk supply for wholesale/commercial sized or large 'hobby' sized growers. Excellent seed, a bit pricey but you know you're not going to get seeds that are insect damaged.

What else...WallyWorld for medication. I have one $4 script, and I use a lot of ibuprofen and it's about the cheapest. Wal Mart also for "Just My Size" bras (DD cup and they are the least expensive brand at $14 per. that is also of very high quality; the 'front loaders' are really nice) and panties and socks. That's about all the clothing I buy from Wal Mart.

Other clothing, household items, some tools, etc... have ALL been resale shops and flea markets. For example in the past week I have bought one of those big galvanized nest boxes that you mount on a wall with 8 nests (two rows of 4 nests), fold down perches, and the little mats that go inside the nests, very good condition, for $20 at the flea market. The man had quite a few and I may go back and get another this weekend if he still has some. Today at the local resale shop, H.A.A.M., I got two pair of jeans that were so new looking they still had creases on the legs, $2 each, and I also bought an old pine dry sink (WOO HOO I've always wanted one of those!) it's not antique but it's pretty old and I think was someone's woodworking project-it's really nice. paid $15.00! Also got several pair tennis shoe laces new in the package because the dog chewed mine up. .50 cents each. Finally, got 6 sets of scope rings, new in the package, a few were for .22 and a few were for 'up to 40mm' and were for Weaver-type scopes, paid .50 cents a set for them, new in the package, got them for my brother. I can usually find most of the things I need at the resale shops. I just can't get excited about shopping retail stores anymore.

But then I don't buy chainsaws, solar electrical stuff, new tools all the time, etc. If I do, I usually just go to Lowe's or Home Depot, both of which I am neutral about. Don't love them, don't hate them. However, I WILL take something back if it's defective. But then I've been known to drive back to the grocery store with a package of green tinted chicken, sour grapes, or spoilt milk.

[FZRaven]

Well it's not really so much a tangible product, but I find that I use it very often and it brings me much knowledge and joy.

Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org)
Project Gutenburg is a effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. Think of it as a modern Library of Alexandria, only digital.

They have a large collection of books avalible, more then you could ever read.

[flatwater]

I have to go along with you on the synthetic Black Powder O.B. Never found anything better then dupont.

Lows is pretty good but one of my friends is the manager so I get a little advanced info from time to time on there returned item sale.
flatwater

[tufhelp]

OtterBob, RE: Harbor Freight, whenever I am going to pick up something I look it up on line first and print out a copy of the page. They will meet the internet price should it be cheaper than the store is offering it. It has worked three times for me so far. This last time for a propane blowtorch, save $2.00 over store price...

BTW, the pizo ignited propane torch works like a charm so far. At $14.95 it sure beats the heck out of those a Home Depot for $29.00… I’ll be getting a refill set up for the small propane bottles as well. Just watching for the next sale.

[fancyfowl]

I'm not a big fan of Viper, it's ok tho but I swear by Winchester power point in .22 LR. kindof depends on the rifle I am shooting which i'll use. I gaged them all for a long time but no more.

Yep, Home despot dont get it for me either.

Bought a sears 16" chain saw(Poulan) and am very happy with the thing.

Still carry my folding Bucklite after many years of abuse.

The '02 ford Explorer has been the best vehicle we ever owned. Never been to the shop for more than regular maintenance. Last 2 buicks were crap.

Still using a Panasonic bread machine, its over 25 years old and works perfectly.

[DM]

Here's another vote for Vipers, I bought 5 more boxes yesterday... I like them for my 22 rifles and i like Yellow Yackets for my 22 handguns... Why? Because when i'm hunting in cold weather they still work well on small game, and with less drop than the others... (cold weather = lower velocities, i learned this from winter hunting in Alaska)

The shorter bbl length on the handguns make the HP of the yellow Jackets work perfectly, and with the longer bbl's on the rifles, the solid bullet works perfect, for less meat damage...

I also like Vipers in my "pest" 22 rifles year around as i don't care that the added velocity causes more damage, (summer temps) and the added velocity makes longer shots easier...

DM

[otterbob]

I’ll be getting a refill set up for the small propane bottles as well. Just watching for the next sale.

I have one but they will not work as per the instructions !
I have developed a way to make them work very well.
I will try to get some pictures together and write a how to on my forum then post a link to it at a later time on this forum.

Otter Bob

[otterbob]

I have been getting my "Bibs" form
http://www.langstons.com/
For a couple of years now, and the price is great !

I buy the Round House bibs and they last really well.
They have the largest selection of sizes and styles I have ever found.

Otter Bob

[conundrum]

Places that I have found to be of use and value over the years include Surplus Center in Nebraska, All Electronics from somewhere in California, and if you are back east of the Mississippi take a look at Gov. Deals.com
These are all easily found on the net, and the first two still offer a real paper catalog if you want.

[MYellowRose]

I get my cat food, kitty litter, and over the counter meds at Wal-Mart. Since I have to buy several it's a lot cheaper than either CVS or Walgreen's or even our local chain grocery store HEB.
Get most of my clothes at GoodWill as does my daughter. Not long ago she found a fully lined linen dress for the 6 yr.old, paid $1.99 for it I believe. Found the other two nice dresses also, the one for the 4 yr. old is a GAP dress that cost about $40 new. Don't remember the one for the 3 yr. old but it was also what people would call a "brand" name. I tend to see which color tag is on sale and try to find stuff only with that tag, doesn't always work but most of the time it does. At the beginning of the month I had already hit the Family Thrift Store nearest the 6 yr. olds school and picked up a few things by the time I got to GoodWill. So before leaving I looked for a rolling backpack or suitcase so I would have an easier time getting things home on the bus. There was a large rolling suitcase, minus one wheel, in the back for $14.95, pretty much useless to me. As I was standing in line to check out I glanced to my left and saw a small blue suitcase. I went over and found it had wheels, was brand new with the tags still on it and a folded up duffle/tote bag in it, also for $14.95, I grabbed it. Went across to the grocery store, bought a soda and sat in their little cafe and folded up the clothes and put them into the suitcase. There was room enough to put that extra bag in it again! GoodWill has become my favorite store for clothes. For books I prefer Half-Price, followed by Barnes & Nobel, and lastly Borders. I try to get my magazines at the grocery store because they give a 10% discount on many of them.

[GoodDaughter]

MYellowRose, isn't it surprising the way the very thing you need will often turn up when you need it most? Good deal on the suitcase!

I do like HEB for some groceries, because when they have sales they are usually really good.

[leera]

Hmm....not sure what I can add here.......

I do nearly all of my shopping at thrift stores,or garage sales,or the church give away days.

I shop the local Kroger a lot,and Aldi(which is FINALLY building a store within a reasonable distance)

I still haven't figured out why Aldi has their Michigan distribution warehouse,here,right where I live.........and NO STORE LOCALLY! In a town that doesn't even have a grocery store,what sense does that make?

I do shop Sam's club now,but went several years without going there,I think it might be cheaper for me NOT to shop there in the long run but hubby likes to shop there.

For camping gear,etc,I like to go to the Army surplus store when we drive up north to visit hubby's grandpa.

[zachweiss]

SEAFOAM - Does magic for just about any gas engine. I have been using this in my vehicles for YEARS.

EBAY - I sold 350 books in the month of November. A little bit of work can yield decent money in as little as 7 days.

LASKO CERAMIC PLATE HEATERS - I have a small one in my bathroom ($26.00 / Wal-Mart) and a large one in my living room ($70 / Wal-Mart). Both heaters do a PHENOMENAL job heating single rooms! Both heaters get the rooms so warm that I have to shut them off at times! Definitely solid products that would work well as a primary or back-up heat source in small cabins and such....

[Penny_Plinker]

In winter, i couldn't survive without my Carhart quilted pants with the zippers on the bottom of the legs. It's just like having a coat for your lower half. My old pair is all patched up and and faded so i bought a new pair last year. I wear them hunting or 4 wheeling or doing any chores in the cold. They get all mudded up and i don't bother washing them much they just get that way again. Guys can wear bib overalls, or insulated coveralls but those are inconvenient for ladies; it's too hard to take them off when you have to pee. Last pair of the lined Carharts i bought from the Workingman's store, they had to order. Hope they don't stop making them.

Penny

[gump]

I get new outdoor gear occasionally and I like Sierra Trading Post - web store.

[otterbob]

I have been trying a one of the newer hypervelocity 22LR ammo's and I would like to add to the recommend list :
Aquila 22 LR Interceptor it is a full 40 gr. bullet speeding at 1470fps
I have alway ask for a full grown hypervelocity 22lr ammo and here it is !

Otter Bob

[otterbob]

Another Addition the product reviews :

I have been trying “Morrison's Country Style Peppered Gravy Mix from Sam's Club
At first I did not want to try a “MIX” for country style gravy but when my mother told me that was what I had been eating at her home, I gave it a shot. You can make wonderful gravy quick and easy!

This one is a two thumbs-up !

Otter Bob

[MYellowRose]

Hit the downtown GoodWill yesterday with the oldest and youngest of my granddaughters. Bought myself a paperback, one small stuffed toy for each of the three girls, and then some kids clothes. 3 yr. old won out clothes wise, she got the most, to include two dresses that appear to be brand new! Spent less than $20 all told.

[cubcadet]

Yeah, a good thrift store is like hen`s teeth these days. Back in NJ, I used to go to the Catholic Hospice thrift store and always came out with great stuff, all of it DIRT CHEAP and very useful- cast iron cook pots, jeans and tee shirts, shoes, books, stereo equipment, almost my entire collection of work duds came from there. The jeans and tees are essential in my line- gardening and lawn care. *

[Katrina-Sisu]

Kmart sweats are great (Joe Boxer) and on sale at least every two weeks. They have plus sizes and last a very long time with heavy wear. I really love them.