Tag: review

  • The Navien NCB-240/110 Propane Combi Boiler — One Year In

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    Our Triangle Tube Prestige SOLO 110 finally gave up the ghost. Actually, “finally” is generous — it went out on its own schedule, which was, of course, the worst possible time. The short version: indirect water heater tank with an anode rod that needed replacing, ongoing iron and sediment issues, and the slow creeping realization…

  • When GPS Dog Fencing is Not Accurate: A $600 Lesson in Canine Trauma

    I bought a PetSafe Guardian GPS fence for our bernedoodle Hobbes in September 2023. Six hundred dollars. I used it for two or three months before I quit. I should have quit sooner. We live on a rural property the wrong size for an underground wireless fence — too big to bury affordably, too small…

  • 450′ Gravel Driveway: A 15-Year Journey of Expensive Mistakes

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    Plus an Ariens Sno-Thro 926053 Hydro Pro 28 Review The last few days of snow and clearing the driveway stirred up this memory… We built our new old house back in 2009 and, in what seemed like a great idea at the time, set it at the back edge of a small hay field. This…

  • My Search for the Perfect Chore Coat

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    I bought my first Carhartt C01 at Dave’s on 6th Avenue when I moved to NYC in the mid-90s. It hung in my closet, unworn, for years. Then we started building a house, and the coat earned its keep — wood-chopping, pricker-bush wading, firewood gathering, every chilly outdoor task I could throw at it. By…

  • Tesla Model Y LR 7-Seat: The Four-Month Reality Check

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    After four months and about 6,000 miles with my first EV — a used 2023 7-seat Model Y Long Range with the Acceleration Boost — I’m ready to give an honest report. The short version: I’d probably make the same decision today, but with significant reservations about which parts of the car I actually got…

  • Better Late Than Never: 2019 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition Review

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    When I bought my Ridgeline in 2019, Honda sent me a survey. I did a thorough job on it, which apparently flagged me as someone worth asking more, because they sent a second, longer one. I gave them detailed answers — but it was all in their format, so I never kept a copy. I…