Fab gadgets

Hard one to beat... but I will try:

It's all relative price-wise, so my gadget will have an even better price ratio 

* heated steering weel in my car

It gets really cold here in Poland for around 5 months each year. And I do get cold hands when driving, even if aircon is set to a normal temperature. 

Not sure if it counrs as it is in a rather different league - my best gadget by far is my iPad: it controls my music, handles emails, functions as a book, a portable music player, a remote computer controller, a portable film viewer, a videophone, a camera, a video camera, a meeting paper replacement, a foreign language disctionary/translator, a map, a satnav, a decibel meter, a light meter, a weather forecaster, a news reader etc etc. my iphone does the same of course, and is more portable but more limiting especially for visual things. I actually wonder how I would manage without it having got used to its amazing multifunctionality.

As for simpler gadgets, perhaps ia do like the long shoehorn bought recently from Ikea!

The most surprisingly useful thing I've bought in the past few years was a tool belt. I was often frustrated with not being able to keep track of where I put things when doing odd jobs and craft projects. The tool belt greatly increased my productivity by keeping things at hand. It has been a much greater success than I anticipated.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Hard one to beat... but I will try:

It's all relative price-wise, so my gadget will have an even better price ratio 

* heated steering weel in my car

It gets really cold here in Poland for around 5 months each year. And I do get cold hands when driving, even if aircon is set to a normal temperature. 

Oh god yes. My Volvo has a heated  steering wheel and I hug it happily every winter morning. I have bad Raynauds Syndrome (where my fingers go totally white and numb with the slightest cold contact) and driving has been a major cause. My patients had got used to my cold dead hands on home visits!

As for a brilliantly effective and cheap gadget I will go for my Lezyne Zecto rechargeable bike lights. Really well made, lovely and bright. I don't ride in full dark if I can avoid (these are lights so you can be seen rather than to light a dark road) but they are great in murky weather.

One other brilliant gadget we have used for many years is our Magimix toaster which has glass sides. Such a simple and obvious idea-watch the toast as it browns and pop it just at the right moment. it has never ceased to amaze me just how rubbish a normal toaster is. I cannot ever recall burning toast since we bought it. I think other brands may have copied the idea since.

Bruce

Oh, one more. if you have a classic car get a Carcoon. It is a ventilated 'bubble' into which you zip your car. In an unheated garage the car remains completely and utterly dry and condensation free all winter. You can put the car away wet and it dries out perfectly from the gentle airflow. It also trickle charges the battery and costs peanuts to run. Takes 5 mins to unzip and drive off. Looks bizarre though!

Cost about £300-£400 depending on size. Cheaper than having rusty car or decaying electrics., so I reckon good value.

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

Oh, one more. if you have a classic car get a Carcoon. It is a ventilated 'bubble' into which you zip your car. In an unheated garage the car remains completely and utterly dry and condensation free all winter. You can put the car away wet and it dries out perfectly from the gentle airflow. It also trickle charges the battery and costs peanuts to run. Takes 5 mins to unzip and drive off. Looks bizarre though!

Cost about £300-£400 depending on size. Cheaper than having rusty car or decaying electrics., so I reckon good value.

Would look even funnier if the suction was reversed

Ha!

I have been tempted to put a small light inside. The glowing red bubble might be quite a sight!

Bruce

Does it double as a bouncy castle if you have kids, or visitors have kids?

I do like that glass toaster, what a brilliant idea. The other gadget I really like, which our electrician suggested to us when we had the kitchen redone, is a socket with USB connectors. We use it all the time, and it's particularly handy for our rechargeable LED bike lights.

Oh yes, what a great idea! Could do with one or two in my home office/bike workshop. Simple to install I take it?

It just wires up as normal. It's a little deeper than a standard socket, so there is a spacer behind it, about 1cm deep. 

An alternative is manufctured by GIRA. Essentially a regular depth socket, with innards replaced by two USB charging ports.

Hungryhalibut posted:

I do like that glass toaster, what a brilliant idea. The other gadget I really like, which our electrician suggested to us when we had the kitchen redone, is a socket with USB connectors. We use it all the time, and it's particularly handy for our rechargeable LED bike lights.

Great idea but hiding a nasty and permanently on switching supply - particularly on the cheap ones. 

james n posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I do like that glass toaster, what a brilliant idea. The other gadget I really like, which our electrician suggested to us when we had the kitchen redone, is a socket with USB connectors. We use it all the time, and it's particularly handy for our rechargeable LED bike lights.

Great idea but hiding a nasty and permanently on switching supply - particularly on the cheap ones. 

Maybe, but they're dead handy & not a problem if you've a separate spur powering the hi-fi.

SWMBO is a kitchen gadget junky, most of which sit gathering dust in drawers. I've alerted the staff at our local Lakeland branch not to let her cross their threshold. I must say though, I'm very impressed with her Karcher Window Vacuum - 

It's terrific for drying glass, and works a treat on the car too. I suffer with rheumatoid arthritis so I do find "Boa Constrictor" strap wrenches invaluable. Great on Burndy connectors, which I cannot undo without this gadget -

tonym posted:

 

It's terrific for drying glass, and works a treat on the car too. I suffer with rheumatoid arthritis so I do find "Boa Constrictor" strap wrenches invaluable. Great on Burndy connectors, which I cannot undo without this gadget -

 

There's a coincidence Tony. I saw this thread and Googled the constrictor thingy for images, as that's what I immediately thought of. I've come to post it and you done it before me! Yes they are great. 

I have fitted several double mains sockets with USB sockets too. Even did the europlug lead we take on hols.

Liking the glass sided toaster. How to keep it clean though?

BigH47 posted:

I have fitted several double mains sockets with USB sockets too. Even did the europlug lead we take on hols.

Liking the glass sided toaster. How to keep it clean though?

 

The glass stays pretty clean, never had to clean it in 5 years of ownership. It does however open out on both sides so it can be cleaned if necessary. It is also double glazed so keeps relatively cool. It is a lovely bit of functional design. various colours too-ours a lovely red.

I'm not on a bonus from Magimix by the way!

At £15.99 appreciably cheaper than the Magimix, but unfortunately requires a little investment in the Aga!! Toast can be easily viewed from both sides, and you can do 4 at once. Nice!

Being a tightwad I'm not paying that much for a toaster. At least the MagicMix has 3 year warranty, better than the hyped Duolit.

Yeah-but, a Dualit doesn't need a warranty, its for life. The secret is its simple, basic & built like a brick long drop.   Mine's 45 years old this year & has never needed anything other than a polish & it turns out perfect mid brown toast each & every morning.    

I spent my teenage years on AGA toast, but my classic Dualit is almost as good. I can't claim 45 years like [@mention:1566878603907884] but like Mike it turns out perfect toast day in day out. 

tonym posted:

james n posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I do like that glass toaster, what a brilliant idea. The other gadget I really like, which our electrician suggested to us when we had the kitchen redone, is a socket with USB connectors. We use it all the time, and it's particularly handy for our rechargeable LED bike lights.

Great idea but hiding a nasty and permanently on switching supply - particularly on the cheap ones. 

Maybe, but they're dead handy & not a problem if you've a separate spur powering the hi-fi.

SWMBO is a kitchen gadget junky, most of which sit gathering dust in drawers. I've alerted the staff at our local Lakeland branch not to let her cross their threshold. I must say though, I'm very impressed with her Karcher Window Vacuum - 

It's terrific for drying glass, and works a treat on the car too. I suffer with rheumatoid arthritis so I do find "Boa Constrictor" strap wrenches invaluable. Great on Burndy connectors, which I cannot undo without this gadget -

 

Tony, when I was on the spanners in the motor trade I had three sizes of Boa Constrictor worked like a dream and never left any damage.

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

 

As for a brilliantly effective and cheap gadget I will go for my Lezyne Zecto rechargeable bike lights. Really well made, lovely and bright. I don't ride in full dark if I can avoid (these are lights so you can be seen rather than to light a dark road) but they are great in murky weather.

.

 

Bruce

I've just bought a couple of Lezyne "Stripdrive" lights. They are terrible. In no particular order:

1) Poor battery life, requiring daily charging. My Niterider Solas goes a week.

2) Edgeways escaping light means I've had to add some duct tape tape to the front one mounted horizontally on my handlebars to avoid being blinded.

3) The circuit board and other internal "guts" fell out of one the first time I took the end cap off as a couple of flimsy internal tabs snapped. I had to use silicone to glue it all back together.

4) End caps are insecure. I've no lost one yet, but I think it's just a matter of time.

5) Mounting straps and hooks seem inadequate and it is difficult to ensure the lights are properly secure.

6) Little dim lights that indicate charge status are facing away from me when the lights are plugged in to charge in either horizontal or vertical USB sockets. Stupid design.

7) Charging plugs (USB) can be inserted either way into a USB socket, but only work one way. More stupid design.

GregW posted:

I spent my teenage years on AGA toast, but my classic Dualit is almost as good. I can't claim 45 years like [@mention:1566878603907884] but like Mike it turns out perfect toast day in day out. 

As I'm not in a position to vouch for Mike's toasting skills my reply should have ended: but like Mike's Dualit, it turns out perfect toast day in day out. 

Mike-B posted:

Yeah-but, a Dualit doesn't need a warranty, its for life. The secret is its simple, basic & built like a brick long drop.   Mine's 45 years old this year & has never needed anything other than a polish & it turns out perfect mid brown toast each & every morning.    

Yes, a Dualit toaster's for life. (Hand) built like a tank, we've had ours for twenty years or so. I've renewed the elements a couple of times but it's such a simple device this is dead easy & they're very cheap.