r e . a l i t y
ɹǝʌo ǝɯ uɹnʇ – sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı
A new family member!
May 18th
She’s a Blue Heeler/Miniature Australian Shephard cross – and is very cute!
She traveled home from Smoky Lake very well – hopefully she’ll enjoy some family off-road trips as she gets older!
Popularity: 10% [?]
DirtyDog 4×4 Netting Installed!
May 9th
The package arrived yesterday, but I wasn’t around, so picked it up this morning from our neighborhood postal outlet. Thanks to Mike at DirtyDog4x4 for getting it too me for this weekend!
The primary set consists of one large panel, and two triangular side panels. I also ordered an optional 4th panel to provide netting above the driver and front passenger seats.
The instructions were alright, and pretty easy to follow. I managed to get all four panels installed pretty easily. I did run into a bit of difficulty with fastening the side panels along the bottom edge – there are 3 elastics with hooks, but I couldn’t find the spots that were referred to in the instructions. Hopefully Mike can clear things up for me.
I’m very pleased with how they look on the Jeep – I’ll be sure to add some shots with the top down soon! DirtyDog4x4 makes the netting for all model JK’s,TJ’s, and YJ’s.
After researching the different options, and looking at what the different manufacturers offer, I think that the netting from DirtyDog4x4 offers the best value.
Highly recommended!
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- the complete netting set – ready to be installed
Popularity: 11% [?]
Grab Handles
May 2nd
Found a great deal on a set of grab handles over on the JK-Forum message board!
This weekend their having a basement builders sale – with products that members have put together. Going to get handles for the front, rear passengers that mount on the sport cage – and another pair that mount to the head rest posts, also for the rear seat passengers. Hears what they look like:
Will be fantastic!
Popularity: 7% [?]
Titan 3/4 HP Air Compressor
May 1st
The Titan compressor arrived today – only 3 days to get here from Burlington, Ontario!.
In the box there was also another plastic case – containing a tire repair kit, that Duncan included at such a good deal that I couldn’t pass it up.
I tried it out after work today, and it worked very well – I’ll do some more tests to get a more accurate time estimate inflating the stock 32″ BFG’s from 16lbs to 32lbs. In my first test, it was about 2 minutes. I was amazed at how quiet it runs at – I guess I’ve been used to the noise of my Craftsman shop compressor ;^)
The air hose has a pressure gauge attached to it. When the air compressor was turned on, there was a slight hissing indicating a little bit of air loss. What concerns me more is the accuracy of the gauge. When reinflating the first time, I waited for the gauge to reach 32lbs – which was a little tricky with the scales marked on the dial. I did email Duncan who quickly replied, and acknowledged that the gauge isn’t all that accurate.
At each end of the c0mpressor are plastic air cleaners, which contain foam filters. The filters can be washed in the sink and then left to dry before re-installing. The compressor is an oilless style, and aside from periodic cleaning of the air filters, there is no other maintenance necessary.
The running time will vary a bit with the temperature. You can run the compressor for 30 minutes @ 72° F. It also has a thermal overload, which will off the compressor if it does overheat.
Looking forward to the peace of mind this piece of equipment will bring!
If you’re interested, check out the Titan Winch website, for more info on their compressors. I’ll be in the market for a winch soon too – they certainly have some attractively priced models here too!
Popularity: 10% [?]
waffle maker d.o.a. :(
Apr 26th
Well, not too impressed with that Waring WMK300 waffle maker that I bought. 3-4 months past its 1 year warranty, it died.
Opening it up, I discovered melted wire insulation, and scorch marks on the bottom stainless steel cover. Although this waffle maker made great waffles, it was a potential fire hazard that put my family and my home at risk!.
I went to do a review and report this on amazon, and came across another review where someone mentioned that the problem was with a thermal fuse. Figured what the heck – spent a couple bucks and tried to get it working, and with the help of a freind with some extra heat proof wire shielding, and my father-in-law, the waffle maker was producing heat again. Unfortunately, not enough heat, and no audible tones from the cooking timer.
So, this door stop of a waffle iron will be trashed, and we’ll replace it with another one. Definitely not a Waring! I wrote up a review that I posted to epinions.com about this experience as well.
Popularity: 1% [?]
