Lawn Edger How-to Advice For First Time Users

Best Electric String Trimmers and Lawn Edgers Review Part 16: Advice to First Time Edgers

Lawn edgers: Using them for the first time can be intimidating, as their use can change your landscape in semi-permanent ways. We have found, among the many reviews we read, many useful and often ignored pieces of truly valuable advice that I wished we had known prior to using our first edger.







Large gauge extension cords. Electric lawn edgers consume large amounts of current and require a specific voltage to run properly. If the extension cord you use is too thin (i.e. the gauge number is too high) you may burn up the motor. The longer the extension cord, the thicker (the smaller number) the gauge. Unless you run really short extension cords, you should be looking at 12 gauge extension cords.

First time use is harder. After purchase, the first use is typically harder, as it is when you re-define you edges - afterwards, later passes are much easier:  "we had not edged for a while [...] It took awhile to initially edge since we were cutting so much grass but it was well worth it","yard was a mess. The first time using it took a while, but that was because I was trenching the lines[...] Since then I've had clean lines and works easily", "I have also found the first edge of the season, or the first time you use it if you haven't ever edged your lawn, can be challenging for you and the edger - but after that this edger can help you maintain your clean edge with ease."

Do not use when grass is wet. Advice: "not to use it when the grass is remotely wet. When the grass is wet the part that you are edging the grass and dirt get caught between the blade and the cover", "Only use it when it is bone dry outside. If you try and use it after watering your lawn or after a rain mud will clump inside the edger and clog it up, resulting in you having to pull out large mud clumps from inside the edger every few feet."

Careful with rocks. A user writes: "Note to new edgers: Watch for rocks - if the blade sparks, you may be hitting a rock. DIG IT UP FIRST. [...] I got some goggles out, and whenever I hit a rock, I used a small garden shovel at that very moment to dig the rocks out from the immediate area in front of me and kept moving. I can't wait to edge it up again, it was enjoyable. Another note - edge shallow the first time, then go deeper later as you never know what's under your lawn edges."

Replacement blades. Do not forget to have them ready: "I recommend buying extra blades when you purchase one, you will soon need them."

Edging frequency. Do not go too long without edging: "You should try and edge like every third cut to make it an easy task."

Precision edging. Putting more weight on the front wheel makes it easier for precision turns, although not quite as stable on the straightaways: "I had a little trouble getting precision edge-lines [...] [A] three-wheel model works great on straight-away edges, but is harder to use on curves. I discovered that if you tilt the edger slightly forward onto the single front wheel, you can get much better control, and the tight curves are much easier."

Thick clumps/ Southern grass technique. Be ready to take a couple of steps backs when dealing with thick clumps: "When edging, try moving the edger forward about a foot or two, then pull it back, and then forward again about 2-3'. Repeat as you work. This gives smoother, sharper cut on the grass edge", " [St Augustine:] Some escape the first slice, but backing over them usually wins the battle."


Next we review good online information sources for electric trimmers and edgers... So come back soon!

Best 12 String Trimmer Lines Review

Best Electric String Trimmers and Lawn Edgers Review Part 10: The 12 Best String Trimmer Lines

The line you use on your string/ line trimmer makes a huge difference to how effective your cut is, and how frequently you reload your spool. Most of the trimmer lines  you find in retail stores are low end, and is is important to pick good quality line - you will save money in the long run.

What you need to know about trimmer line

Shape: round, square, star, polygonal, twisted. The line profile  itself can assume multiple shapes. The most common is round, which is generally believes to be easier on materials such as siding, pipe, stucco or fencing. Pentagon is similar to round. Square and star shaped lines are often believed to be harder cutting, although many professionals believe this to be an urban legend, as the bulk of the cut is accomplished by the end, which gets quickly damaged. Some pros consider that square or star shaped lines whoosh grass out of place, and make it harder to cut, while being more effective on heavy weeds. Twisted (spiral) line has less drag, does not blow grass down, and makes for more efficient trimmer head rotation, although resistance to abrasion may not be as good.

Two-layer line. In the last few years, several brands have started commercializing two-layer lines, where the outer layer is more resistant to abrasion and slicker (for air friction), while the inner core is less brittle, to avoid line breakage.

Line size. It ranges from 0.065, smallest, home-owner only, diameter, through 0.080", home-owner heavy duty or precision work for commercial crew, 0.095", which is the standard size for commercial crew, 0.105" and 0.115", heavy duty commercial, to 0.130" and 0.155", extra-strength commercial. As you go up in size, you also increase the risk of damage to structures such as siding, pipes, or sprinklers. Many commercial operators who do residential work believe that 0.095" is the largest diameter that may be used without risking damage to property, while crews operating in different environments, such as cemeteries, are readier to use larger diameter. Be aware that your spool and trimmer may not allow you to use larger size line, but that it is often worth it to try and make it work (although you might void your warranty). Obviously, larger line is more durable, and may cut better if your trimmer can whip around a heavy head+line combination, and if the line can still feed through the eyelets and be cut by the line cutter.

Tasks and line diameter. If you can pick your line size (which is rarely true, as your trimmer will carry guidelines), it is probably best to use 0.080" around fragile structures, landscape beds, irrigation equipment and sidewalk,  0.095"around fencing, brush or very thick weeds, and 0.105" around thick brush, or when doing a one-time trim where there is no regular maintenance.  The cleanest and neatest cut for edging is probably accomplished with 0.080" line. Remember to cut with the tip, or you will damage your structures and run out of line quickly.

Line color. While it is not always possible to pick, transparent, gray, green or brown line will be less visible when broken and spread in your lawn than orange, red or bright yellow.

Line welding. A common problem that occurs with cheap line is line welding, where a low temperature polymer melts upon itself in the spool and compels the user to unwind it by hand. The remedy is to get better quality line, although some recommend using silicon spray or motor oil on your spool.

Buying by weight. The most expensive way to buy line is to purchase replacement pre-wound spools. It is approximately 5-10 times cheaper to buy large replacement bundles of line by the pound (0.5, 1, 3, 5 lbs) and wind the line yourself around a set of 3-4 trimmer head spools. When buying very thin (0.065") cheap line, it is sometimes necessary to leave the newly wound spools in the sun for a couple of days prior to using them, so that they will feed better.

Line breakage. Lines break right around the eyelets where they come out, break when they are whipped back and forth on starts and stops, and abrade away from contact with rough materials. A good quality line will break less and abrade less.

Leaving line in water. Trimmer line is made of nylon., When nylon is spun, it is made from nylon pellets, which are dried before being processed. The outcome is that, in the general case (unless the manufacturer has reintroduced water in the product), line coming from the manufacturer is totally dry and somewhat brittle, or may have dried out since it was produced. It is best to leave replacement line in a water bucket to make it less brittle and give it more resistance to breakage. Wetting the line for a few hours to a couple of days is typically good enough, although many crews simply store the replacement line in water buckets. This is what Oregon, a manufacturer of trimmer line, writes on its site: "Important trimmer line information - Any monofilament trimmer line can lose moisture over time or become brittle, especially if subjected to heat and sunlight. To reduce brittleness, Oregon® strongly recommends that line be submerged in water for 24 hours."

Where to buy trimmer line. Unfortunately, there is no single online store with a large percentage of the better trimmer lines. Some may be found on Amazon, others on Home Depot, others again are in-store  only at Lowe's, while a online mower parts stores such as Hyperparts, Jack's Small Engines, LawnMowerPros, M&D, MowMore, or MowPart carry specific brands. Some brands only seem to be available in brick and mortar stores. Depending upon your brand choices, you may have to dig specifically for the product you are looking for.


The best trimmer lines

In order to find out what the best trimmer lines are, we went through forums for professional landscapers, or general lawn forums where professional landscapers participate, and selected all the threads about trimmer lines since 2008. The most significant such forum is the Commercial and Residential Lawn Mowing Forum on the LawnSite, although we also used the Lawn & Garden section of TractorbyNet and other forums on the Lawn Site as well as the gardenweb forums and a smattering of other sites. We counted all the picks for and against by professional participants, and added these picks to come up with a score card. We only counted people who represented themselves as landscaping professionals. We tried to count a forum participant only once (although we accepted several picks), but we may have accidentally counted somebody twice in multiple threads. Some participants may have been members of different forums with different forum names, and would then have been counted twice (or more) if they participated in the threads that we sampled. We got 154 positive votes, with some participants voting for more than one line, and 24 negative votes, where somebody specifically mentions not liking a product.

There were quite a few picks dispersed across the field. The Grass Gator got one pan with no picks. The Shakespeare Weed Warrior got one pick. Weedeater regular round line got 2 picks because it was so cheap that, even spending twice as much, you could still come out ahead. Shakespeare Extreme also got 2 picks, although it does not appear to be marketed any more.  Oregon Nylium Starline got one pick and one pan. Several picks went after Sufix manufactured line which could njot be found either. Firecracker Titanium got two picks and one pan. Shindaiwa Silent Twist got 4 picks and 4 pans, although some of the pans were for unusual reasons, such as - so silent that you don't know if it needs to be bumped... John Deer Pro Cut/ I Beam (made by Kawasaki) and Kawasaki pro Cut, together, got 7 picks, but we could not find them. Could they be the same as the Ktech line  from Kawasaki? Finally, the Stihl X-Cut line got 4 picks and 2 pans.


Good lines

#12 Arnold Extreme with 4 picks. Arnold Extreme line starts at 0.080", Pros like how long the line lasts.

#11  Rino Tuff with 5 picks. Rino Tuff by Jarden can be found at Home Depot, and starts at 0.065". Pros like the long lasting line which can withstand tough mixed brush. 

#10  Shakespeare Pulverizer with 6 picks. The Shakespeare Pulverizer is triangle shaped, starts at 0.080", and can be found at Home Depot. Pros say the cut is clean and the line does not fray.

#9 Oregon Gatorline Super-Twist Magnum with 6 picks. Pros say the Oregon Gatorline Super-Twist Magnum  cut smoothly and lasts long. It starts at 0.095". 

#8  Desert Vortex with 7 picks. The Desert Vortex , made by Desert Extrusion, is a spiral/ twisted line. Pros say that it cuts very well and cleanly without blowing grass down, and think it could last longer. Desert Vortex is not easy to find, but is widely brand labeled. Some pros compare it to the Rotary Vortex and the Arnold Supreme.

#7 Oregon Magnum Gatorline with 10 picks and 2 pans. The Oregon Magnum Gatorline is a 2-layer line which starts at 0.080". Many pros find it tough and resistant to cutting, but two users feel it is consumed too fast. Some say the square version cuts heavy brush better but does not cut grass as cleanly and abrades more compared to the round line.

#6 The Redmax Cable Twist with 9 picks.   The Redmax Cable Twist  (model # starting with CT) appears to be the same as the Rotary Black Vortex  and the brand-less Landscaper Pro black spiral. Pros pick it for longevity, resistance to abrasion, and lack of air resistance. Some feel it is best not to use it in a delicate environment.

#5  Oregon Gatorline with 16 picks and 5 pans. The Oregon Gatorline is praised by many pros who see it as long lasting, although an aggressive cutting line with some danger to damage. Others, on the other hand, see is running too fast (no longevity). The line starts at .065".

#4 Shakespeare Ultra-Twist with 11 picks. The Shakespeare Ultra-Twist gets excellent feedback from pros who say that it cuts great and reduces drag. But - we were not able to find it anywhere (it used to be found at MowMore and Walmart): it might not be marketed any more...


 Recommended lines

#3 Stihl Premium round, with 13 picks and 2 pans. The Stihl Premium ranges from .065", while the Commercial starts at .095". Stihl also makes a Quiet Line (.080" and .095") which gets two pro votes, but which may get more votes from homeowners who value silence. The Stihl round line gets kudos for being a fairly long lasting line which is good to use in delicate environments where damage should be avoided.This is a precious quality for home owners.

#2 Husqvarna Titanium Force with 23 picks and 4 pans. The Husqvarna Titanium Force, which can be found at Amazon, starts at 0.080".  Pros find it is tough, precise, and does not abrade much, although pans complain that it goes out too fast. A new line by Husqvarna, the Husqvarna XP Force , is a 2-layer line with slick skin and bendable core - it starts at 0.095".  

#1. Echo CrossFire with 32 picks and 3 pans. The  Echo CrossFire, which can be found at Home Depot, starts at 0.080", and gets an amazing 32 picks. Pros find it all around tough and long lasting, with a good, clean cut. The few pans complain that it breaks too often.

Next we discuss replacing trimmer line with a blade... So come back soon!

Mediterranean Diet: Combining Great Foods With Health

Mediterranean Diet: most people believe that good food and healthy food are antithetic. As a matter of fact, this is true for most diets based on the traditional food pyramid, for low fat diets, low card diets, and the hundreds of fad diets that have come up in the last 20 years. It is not true, however, for the most prominent diet in scientific and medical research since 1993.


Based on deep research showing unusually good health for populations around the Mediterranean still using traditional diets, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced, in 1993, a new breakthrough diet and food pyramid, the Mediterranean diet. Since that time, the Mediterranean diet, recommended by many prominent institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, the  Harvard School of Public Health, the Cleveland Clinic or the Women's Heart Foundation,  has figured prominently in multiple scientific studies showing significantly reduced risks in overall health, cardio-vascular and cancer mortality, and incidence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. New studies have appeared every few months outlining its benefits in multiple areas from ocular health to poor genetics, Alzheimer's, brain health or metabolic syndrome.

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by high amounts of fresh produce, the general use of olive oil, lower red meat and dairy intake, frequent use of nuts, wine, and fish-based recipes, and the replacement of most refined carbohydrates by whole grain products. But - what we like most about the Mediterranean diet is that it is phenomenally good. The cuisine from Southern France, and many others from around the Mediterranean, have been true stars of gastronomy in the past 30 years, particularly outlined by food greats such as Paula Wolfert or Michel Biehn. Mediterranean inspired recipes can be truly outstanding, and combine an remarkable variety of ingredients with an equal diversity of recipes from multiple countries and environments.

Martha Rose Shulman, a well known food writer, has written extensively in the past 25 years on the topic of Mediterranean foods and cuisines. Her blog on the New York Times, Recipes for Health, is an excellent example of how tasty can mean the same as healthy when talking about food. She has published so far about 300 recipes, most of which are both Mediterranean inspired and delicious. This is a blog worth reading, or at least bookmarking, if you are interested in both long life and cooking:-)

Martha Rose Shulman's Recipes for Health in the New York Times

Best Cat Safety Collar: Review

Cat collars: looking for the right collar to keep your cat safe? What is the best safety collar for your cat? What to look for first is a reflective breakaway cat collar. Let us discuss what makes for the best collar before going through what can be found on the net.














What makes for the right cat collar

Visibility and reflectiveness. One of the major causes of death for pets is being run over by a vehicle, most often at night. It is critical for your cat collar to be very reflective of car beams so that your pet is highly visible on the road at night. It is also beneficial for the collar to be glow-in-the-dark, although this also comes with the drawback of making your cat more visible to predators such as  raccoons or coyotes. Your environment will be the key to decide whether you want a glow-in-the-dark collar: where there are few roads but many predators, a reflective collar only is best. Where there are many roads and few predators, a collar that combines reflective and glow-in-the-dark material is best.

Break-away buckle/ Stretch collar. It is essential for a cat collar to be able to give way to pressure, if it is snagged by a limb or an obstruction, otherwise your pet could die of strangulation. There are two major ways to deal with this. One solution is a stretch or elastic collar, or a stretch buckle in the collar (the whole collar being stretchy is better). While a stretch collar can be a good solution, the resulting material selection is very narrow, and does not give many choices to pick from.  Another solution, more generally adopted, is a break-away buckle in the collar. When that is the case, be sure to verify that other cat owners have validated the quality of the buckle. If the collar falls off every five minutes, it will cost you a lot of money. On the other hand, a buckle that does not give way could mean the death of your cat.

Bells. They are NOT recommended for a cat collar. Your cat is perfectly able to sneak up on birds without ringing the bell, but, when he runs for his life, he will not able able to avoid shaking it. A bell in a collar will not save many birds' lives. On the other hand, it  will attract the attention of predators through sounds and light reflections, and can endanger the life of your cat. If your cat collar comes with one, your first task should be to take it off.

Size. The size of the collar must be just right for your cat. Too wide, and it will slip quickly. Too tight, and your cat will fight it every day. The right size is such that you can fit two average-sized fingers between the collar and the cat. If you have kittens that are still growing, do make sure, every month, that the collar size is still good.

Comfort. The collar needs to be comfortable, as your cat has to wear it every day, all day. The texture of the collar surface should be soft enough that it does not irritate the skin. The collar itself should be soft enough, rather than stiff, to mold itself to the shape of the neck - this is particularly important for young cats.

Cost. Collars fall off regularly. A good assumption is that your cat, if indoor/outdoor, will lose her collar every six to eight weeks, but that you will occasionally recover a lost collar, particularly if you also have a tag on the collar (you should have one, really). You should then expect to buy approximately half a dozen collars per year. If you do not choose a reasonably cost effective solution, you may end up spending a lot of money on your cat collars:-)


Comparing cat collars

Owner reviews are the only things that can truly validate the safety and functionality of a cat collar. Most collars do not even consider the critical factors we have discussed, but focus on aesthetics. Among the others, many can only be found through small outfits where no reviews are available. Of those that satisfy our criteria and that have user reviews, almost none collect good feedback. We found a few promising or interesting cat collars, that we cannot endorse because of the lack of reviews or because they do not satisfy all our needed crtieria, but which we feel are worth mentioning. For cats with sensitive skins or with allergies, Silly Kitty breakaway hemp collars get excellent reviews from the pet owners, on their distribution site and on buzzillions, but are lacking reflective properties. Foster and Smith, a reputable online pet supplies store,  carries two good looking reflective, break away cat collars with interesting designs, the reflective kitty safety collar, and the lazer brite collar, neither of which carry significant numbers of reviews. This is noteworthy because most breakaway, reflective collars are quite plain. The Lazer Brite collar uses a hyper-reflective substance (Scotchlite) made by 3M and used by emergency personnel around the US, as does the coastal pet Lazer Brite reflective collar. National Leash makes an unusual stretch collar with reflective threads woven into the shock cord-like collar, reviewed in Modern Cat, but lacking in user reviews - we are a bit concerned about the possible lack of overall reflectivity.


The best and safest cat collars

Few models have at the same time good features and good reviews. The best of them are:

#2 Premier Glo Kitty Collar. The Premier Glo Kitty Collar is a good quality breakaway reflective cat collar, with glow-in-the-dark properties that are inherent to the reflective material it uses. Its bell needs to be removed at arrival. It is extremely cost effective, and can be obtained for $5 a piece - it is best to buy it from an Amazon merchant in quantities of half a dozen or more, and pay for shipping, rather than getting it from Amazon. The nylon collar is very light, and adjustable to very small or large cats as needed. It comes in several colors. Its reviews are good: "the clasp does snap open when under pressure", "glo-in the dark feature was great for our short haired", "nice clasp, a breakaway type, but it's not so easy that one brush against a bush will lose the collar.", "so bright that I can see my kitty, even in the middle of the night when I get up to go to the bathroom in total darkness", "lasts for months and it breaks away fast if he pulls on it when he is stuck; but it can withstand scratching and teeth pulling so he doesn't take it off", "reflector is excellent", "the collar seemed ever so slightly stiff to me [but] the cats actually seem to find this to be the most comfortable collar." There are few complaints: "within half an hour, I had put it back on him four times", "when my cat grew and the collar needed to be resized it never really fit well again." We believe that this collar is particularly suited to users who want a glo-in-the-dark collar and whose cats frequently drop their collar.

#1 Vedante Super-reflective breakaway cat collar. The Vedante cat collar gets a great set of reviews, with only one mildly negative review in the lot. It is available for a relativity high price point of $14, but probably represents the best collar available today if you can afford frequent repeated purchases. The collar is highly reflective, using a 3M substance (Scotchlite) used by emergency workers, and has a glow-in-the-dark tag that may be removed if you do not wish to use it. It fits both small and large cats. The bell should be removed as well. The collar is actually quite good looking for a reflective collar, and comes in several colors. Users are very pleased with their purchase: "aimed mainly at people whose cats go outdoors", "collar itself is nicely reflective", "good reflection and the tag really does glow in the dark", "it is beautiful", "super reflective", "only the tag part is glow in dark", "super reflective and good quality", " I like the way that the breakaway feature works... [it] makes it more durable than the other breakaway collars", "[for] extreme night safety, I recommend the silver since it is EXTREMELY reflective." Once single user provides a mildly negative review: "the collar is very stiff." We find this collar particularly well suited to outdoor cats who are not likely to lose their collar too often, and who are likely to be in the proximity of well traveled roads at night. If you can afford to buy this collar in large numbers every year, it is probably your best choice.


Where to buy cat collars

Beyond Amazon, which, as usual, shows a broad set of cat collars along with user reviews, Petco and PetSmart also have a decent inventory (Petco more than PetSmart), along with user reviews, which are, at this time, few in number and statistically insufficient. The online distribution market is widely fragmented across hundreds of small companies, many with proprietary brands and models, some of which are very likely excellent, but none of which have both features and reviews. If you find a model that you think is particularly good, let us know and we will include it in further reviews.


More information about cat collars

Want to find out more about cat collars? Many sites give good advice, although most are for-profit sites. Try vet info, the cat site , cat health tips, know your cat, Larry Chamberlain, or  pet product adviser. 

Best Cycling News Sites: The Tour de France Live

Tour de France live reporting and live updates: the Tour de France is on - but you cannot follow it because you happen to have to work during the day. What can you do to stay informed in real time while the stage is going on?

There are many sites that follows cycling. Two of them, however, do a really good job, in our opinion, both live and in post-stage analysis. They both follow the Tour de France live during the stage, then report on Tour de France News separately from their live reporting.

Daily Peloton.  The Daily Peloton has a live report (such as this live report for Stage 3) during the stage, which gives comments close to minute by minute. The comments give direct input on what happens, and also add some interpretation to the situation, often including a tactical analysis of the teams' decisions. Shortly after the stage is over, the Daily Peloton publishes posts for stage results and overall results. A small number of hours after the end of the stage, it comes out with an interesting post of reactions to the stage, which also includes a summary of the principal news, and analysis on the team and individual situation. The reactions' post is often fascinating in the insight that it provides about the stage. The Daily Peloton has a less corporate approach to the Tour, and a more amateurish look, but is also refreshing in its unvarnished comments on what is happening.

Cycling News. Cycling News also has a live report, updated in real time during the stage with updates close to minute by minute (such as this live report for Stage 3). This update is very factual and descriptive, and does not include a lot of analysis. The site follows up with a long summary and analysis of the stage of the day, which includes the results after the stage. If there are significant news for the day, specific posts for these news will typically be highlighted separately, with roughly five to six news releases per stage on average. Cycling News also publishes a large number of pictures of the stage. This is a really professional job of reporting.


Both the Daily Peloton and Cycling News are informative and entertaining, and are worth reading if you are interested in following the Tour in detail. The Daily Peloton has a more open and blunt approach to news and facts, and provides the best summary results tables. Cycling News has better pictures, and provides a more polished look - they also typically follow up on news reporting faster if big news are coming out. Overall, Cycling News puts on a bit more content than the Daily Peloton about the Tour. Both of them provide interesting analysis and perspectives. If you are not sure which is is best - neither are we - read both! If, for some reason, neither of the two has what you are looking for, you can also try the BBC online, which carries a less detailed live update, as well as a few stories on the Tour. If you want the live video stream, CyclingFans is the place to be. If you are after stories on the Tour rather than live reporting, VeloNation is also a good place to get commentaries and analysis.

Update: Added BBC, CyclingFans and VeloNation links

Summer Grilling by Mark Bittman

Fast, tasty, great grilling recipes: Mark Bittman, the author of The Minimalist's blog on the New York Times, has just come out with an outstanding set of very simple grilling recipes for summer. We find this particularly appropriate right now! We love Mark Bittman, the author of How to Cook Everything, and of How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: his simple yet revealing style of cooking focuses on efficient, attractive recipes drawing on strong flavors and contrasts in textures and colors.
 
This set of grilling recipes ranges from artichokes to zucchinis, through salads, kebabs, fish and shellfish, and to poultry, burgers, lamb, beef, sandwiches and deserts. They are fit for meat eaters and vegetarians. No recipe takes more than a few lines to list. Try some of them out!

The Minimalist's 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling

Best Fishing Knots Video Site

Ever tried a new fishing knot, that you just looked up in a book,when going fishing with your children, to find yourself miserably fail time after time? Or, worse, you think you tied it right but see the first big bite of the day carry your hook because the knot was bad? We found the best fishing knots video site on the web to make sure that it will never happen again.

Video Fishing Knots, by Morten Kjems, is an outstanding site of videos. Morten, who has a slow, Scandinavian-accented voice, and sounds like a delightful old-fashioned Minnesotan, takes exceptionally clear videos of his knot tying sequences, which he comments step by step. To make the video clearer, he uses very large hooks and large-diameter colored non-fishing line.

The site carries over seventy knots of all kinds. A page gathers all basic fishing knots, while other specialized pages list line-to-tackle knots, loop knots, line-to-line knots, and fly-fishing knots. We found some knots that are commonly used here in the US on the specialized pages, such as the improved clinch knot - so don't lose hope if you don't see the knots you are looking for on the basic knots page. We did not find the index page as useful - so check the knot pages first, or the alphabetical index.

If you find the site useful, don't forget to make a small donation to Morten to help pay for his site bandwidth. Nice job, Morten- thanks for putting this up to help us all!

Finding Service Manuals for Sears Appliances

Need the service, repair, owners, user or instruction manual for the Kenmore, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Maytag, GE appliance that you bought at Sears?

In a closely held secret, most such service manuals are available online from Sears site ManageMyLife under the Manuals tab. Entering the Sears model number will bring out the manual in-browser. At ConsumerPla.net we tried entering all the appliances we each own, and were able to find manuals for them approximately 50% of the time - not a bad ratio, really.

We called 12 Sears stores and were only able to elicit the site name in 3 of these calls - you are better off trusting ConsumerPla.net:-) The site is actually an interesting attempt by Sears to build a community site around DYI projects. You can build to-do lists, and projects, and get community feedback. You can also ask questions and get expert answers. The bulk of the site activity, however, based on the site stats, is downloading manuals: 6M+ manuals downloaded, vs 100K to do lists, and 65K questions.

Have you gotten some good use out of ManageMyLife? Share your experience with us!