The Awesome Auger

This review is brought to you by Kerrie at The Mini Van Soap Box

Review: The Awesome Auger
Price: $79.00, but I'm an idiot

Once again, I had to have something that's being sold on TV. But this one is different, right? THIS one will actually change my life! THIS one is really going to take ALL the hard work out of gardening!

Not so much.
First off - I highly recommend to anyone who decides to purchase this to CALL ON THE PHONE! The commercial is very clever in saying that for only $19.95 you can have all these great things - (but you pay shipping and handling). You will be VERY surprised how expensive shipping and handling are and the website does not clearly state what it is you're buying. There are a lot of pages consisting of "Do You Want The Long Auger Free Of Charge" and such - you end up clicking your way into a very expensive purchase. I ended up getting 4 of the same sized 'augers', a drill that is no more powerful than a my daughters plastic hair dryer, and I didn't even get the LONG auger (which is the one I wanted).

The actual item works fine, I suppose. I don't feel as though it actually makes perfect holes so you can "just place your plants in" and go - as they state in the commercial - so there is still some actual work you have to do by hand, unless it's a bulb. I suppose in that situation you could just plop it in there and "go".

I have used mine a few times - mostly to break hard dirt up - before I use an actual shovel. It WILL clean weeds up - but certainly not from the root. In addition, the cheap ass drill they send dies in about 5 minutes of use. I removed quite a few large overgrown bushes this year, and the auger did help a bit. However, I used my husband's Dewalt Power Drill instead of the one they sent me.

Pros: I suppose it can help in your gardening chores...but only with a good drill

Cons: Clever advertising has you spending $80 on shipping/handling for a tool that really does not do what it says it will. You will get the same results with some sweat and a shovel.

If you MUST have one, I've got four of them.

Mighty Putty

This review brought to you by Brooke from The Sylvester 4.

Review: Mighty Putty
Cost: $19.00

I’m really confused by the Mighty Putty reviews I see online. They are literally black and white. People either LOVE this stuff and say that it holds anything, or they say it’s a scam and a waste of money, and it holds nothing.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the latter. I saw Mighty Putty for sale in the “As Seen On TV” section of the Walgreens ( I love that section).I was so excited- I am completely sucked in by the infomercials for these things. But I do, at least, have the self control to (almost) never buy them from the 1-800 number on the screen. I anxiously await for the day they appear in the Walgreens.

I had a number of things that I was anxious to fix. The key to our Honda was breaking- one of those keys that has the button to unlock the car and turn off the alarm. You can’t turn off the alarm without it. The key part was breaking out of the head. Can you believe that they want $400 to replace one of those things?!! Highway robbery!!! I knew that Mighty Putty would be perfect to fix it. I also had some wall-hanging guitar holders that I couldn’t get to stay up. The wall anchors wouldn’t hold the weight of the guitars. The commercial said that Mighty Putty could hold up to 350 pounds! Problem solved, right?

OK, so, here’s the score:

Walking Cane: The little rubber bottom thingy had fallen off of a walking cane that the kids liked to play with. It would NOT stay on no matter what we tried. Just like in the commercial, I pressed a ball of Mighty Putty into the rubber cap, and pressed the cane into it. It has never fallen off again. Pass

Wall Thingy: I was trying to put a heavy magazine holder into the wall. The screw on one side hit a stud and was great. The other one ripped out of the wall and left a hole too big to do anything with. SO, I tried what they did in the commercial. I put a blob of putty into and all around the hole. I attached the cabinet to the wall, and waited for the putty to harden. In the morning, I found a flat blob of putty on the ground under the cabinet. Fail

Bathroom Cabinet: You know those little pegs that hold up the little shelves in the vanity mirror? Well, 2 of them were gone. I pressed a small blob of putty into the holes and then set the shelf back down. It worked perfectly. I can put anything on that shelf and it holds. Pass

Key: The key came out of the fob. I thought this should be easy. I pressed a ton of putty into and around the crack in the fob. I pressed the metal key back into place, put a heavy box on top of the whole thing to press it shut, and left it there to dry for 2 days. TJ put the key in the ignition, turned it, and the fob came off in his hand, leaving the key in the ignition… Epic Fail

Pros: It works, sometimes. It comes in easy to store tubes. It doesn’t become active until you knead the green and white parts together, so, even if you leave it out or something, it doesn’t get ruined. It’s easy to clean off before it dries, and easy to wash off your hands with just a little soap and water.

Cons: It doesn’t work, sometimes. It smells so bad… So bad. Like sulfur maybe. Also- wear the glove they give you- because after a few minutes of having the putty against your skin, it starts to sting a little. It’s a strong chemical.

Final Verdict? Well, for ME- it’s a thumbs down. But I’ve seen lots of reviews on line from people who love it. I guess you have to decide for yourself.

Enjoy!

Hercules Hooks

This review is brought to you by Brooke at Sylvester 4

Review: Hercules Hooks

Cost: @ $14

Despite all of the “only sold on TV” commercials, I found these at the Walgreens. And seriously, there is almost nothing bad I can say about them! I have avoided hanging pictures for years after moving into a new house, because I hate trying to find studs in the wall, etc…

However, Hercules Hooks actually do what the commercial says they do!! Can you believe it? Yes, they do!

You just push them through the wall. You twist them. You push them all the way in. You hang stuff on the hooks. They hold. That’s it… Really.

The only times they don’t work is if you hit a stud, in which case you have to get a nail, or, if your walls are plaster. In that case, you’re on your own.

Pros: Cheap, easy to get, easy to install, and when you move, you can just take them out of the wall and take them with you! Plus, the holes they leave are so small- easy to cover with a dab of toothpaste!

Cons: I, personally, haven’t experienced any cons. However, I have seen quite a few reviews from people who had a lot of trouble with ordering the hooks straight from the company. Apparently they found themselves signed up for a lifetime supply of hooks- and repeated charges on their credit card bills.

My suggestion- Buy them at Walgreens and avoid dealing directly with the company.

Enjoy!