Toro Electric Blower



List Price: $89.99 USD
New From: $69.95 In Stock
Used from: $55.95 In Stock


Today my post will take a bit of a different turn. I will review the Toro Electric Blower/Vacuum based on the intensive research that I have done all morning before placing my order 10 minutes ago for one of these blowers. We, correction, my husband needs to replace his old B&D model and we decided that today is the day to place that order.

We knew right off that we did not want a smelly gas model this time around so that narrowed things down quite a bit for us. In fact, to be honest we began our search with only this model in mind since our neighbor has a model that he is always raving about and generously gave us a test run. Thanks Bill!

So let me cut to the chase, the Toro Electric Blower Vacuum is great if you:

  • Want a blower with more than average power.
  • If you want variable speed setting.
  • Want a blower that is lightweight but durable.
  • Want a blower that is not too noisy.
  • Want to get away from the stench of using a gas machine.

No so great if you want:

  • A zipper bag on the bottom. The zipper on this one is on the side and according to reviews it makes it a tad more difficult to dispose of debris.
  • Purchase it to use primarily as a vacuum.

toro-electric-blower

Here are some helpful reviews I found:

Did I mention that it has a metal impeller? LOL, I hear the rocks dinging and chinking but I don’t worry. Oak leaves are pretty stout and this thing sucks them up with ease, even wet. The bag fills rather quickly so be prepared to dump alot. When sucking leaves the cord attaches towards the front of the unit, awkward but nothing to complain about. Of course the trick is to rack all your leaves into medium size piles then start suckin’ R. Johnson.

I have used this model for over 3 years with wet and dry leaves and large, rough gravel/rocks. I can’t imagine any lesser machine tolerating the abuse I have given this one. Like the proverbial Timex – it just keeps ticking. I hear those stones as they travel through the impeller and just cringe – but no damage. T. Hale

Ladies, just an opinion from another. I bought this the other day and the blower is great. It is balanced and easy to handle. The cord is not a major problem, we’ve dealt with cords all our life.  E. McLeLand

I have had a number of vac blowers to care for our yard needs. The Toro is the best tool yet. More than adequate power for both blowing and vaccuming. The only cons I can pass on is that I wish they had some arrangement to secure the power cord from unplugging. I wrapped a half nelson with the power cord and got along with that. The other feature causing problems was the extremely tight fit of the vacuum attachments to the motor. Once it’s on it’s extremely difficult to remove to dump the bag. This may improve with use however. All in all it’s a good machine but not easily usable for women’s use. I would value it at 4 stars and would buy another if necessary. Ron of Annapolis

Read more reviews of the Toro Electric Blower on Amazon

Weber Genesis E-320 Gas Grill



List Price: $849.00 USD


There is nothing like cooking up a tasty grilled meal for family and friends especially when the weather outside calls for it.  For years my husband and I worked patiently with our sometimes reliable Kenmore model but finally we decided to invest in a good grill especially since we were entertaining more and more.

I will be honest here, my husband does ALL the grilling. Not some, ALL and he is very specific about what he needs in his grill. While that may so, I do all the research and “rubber stamp” all purchases. :-)

I will first say that if you are at the stage where you are undecided about the model that you need to get, go to the local store to get a feel for the quality available so there will be no surprises if you decided to purchase online.This was how we decided to bite the bullet and shell out the extra money for the Weber Genesis E-320. The cheaper brands do not compare in workmanship and construction.

Without further delays here is my take (the good and the bad) on the Weber Genesis E 320 Gas Grill.

weber-genesis-e-320The Positives:

  • Assembly was easy for us after the initial hiccups. It took about 2.5 hours following the guide included.
  • Sturdy, impressive build. You will know immediately that you’ll get years out of this investment.
  • Ignites and heats up in minutes. You can get to 500 degrees  in approx 10 minutes, no kidding.
  • Good even cooking, no more burnt food.
  • Your grill food will never taste as great as it does with this grill. It is amazing.
  • It has a built in enclosed storage for all your tools.
  • Clean up is a breeze with the removable drip pans that you can just toss out and replace.
  • There is an additional burner on the left that you can use. This is the main difference between the Weber Genesis E 320 and the Weber Genesis E 310.

The Negatives:

For the first time it is difficult for me to find any flaws that I can really gripe about in a product but here goes.

  • The instruction manual has room for improvement. Not the best.
  • The knob placement takes getting used to. Its on the side rather than the front but its workable.
  • You won’t need to purchase another grill in a few years which can be a bummer ;-) Just kidding.

Here are some tips for your grill.

  • Be prepared for the weight. This grill is over 200 lbs. If you purchase through Amazon you will not only get it at the best price available but you will also have it delivered to your door with free shipping.
  • If you make this investment you need to protect it. Do not go with the Weber covers the best I found so far is from Veranda.
  • If you are still on the fence about this think about how much it will cost you to replace that “other” less expensive grill every 2 years. Don’t be a cheapo, this grill is worth every penny. This was a difficult purchase for us too. Its not easy to dish out $600 plus for a grill but it had to be done.

Go get the Weber Genesis E 320, you’ll never want to eat out again!

Tips for Better Barbequing

If you are new to barbequing, chances are you have run into some problems when it comes to barbequing. Barbequing, like anything else, takes practice. Learning from your mistakes, as well as the mistakes of other will help you learn quickly.

Before you begin cooking, spray your cooking area with a nonstick cooking spray. This will prevent your meat from sticking when you are rotating or removing it. If your meat sticks and tears, you will lose a large amount of juice, and your meat may dry out.

Never place food on the grill until the temperature is correct. The fluctuation in temperatures will cause your food to dry out or burn. If you are using a charcoal grill, make sure that the coals are completely gray before putting the meat on the grill. This will allow the temperatures to level out, and the majority of the lighter fluid to burn off.

Cooking with charcoal lighter fluid can be good or bad. The lighter fluid will cause the food you are cooking to taste different then with other types of grills. Alternatively, attempting to not use lighter fluid may cause a lot of frustration due to the fact that charcoal can be difficult if not impossible to light without lighter fluid.

You must properly prepare the meat you are cooking, before cooking it. You should never attempt to cook meat on a grill when it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by sitting it out about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it, or by thawing it in a microwave. If you meat is thawed, but in the refrigerator, set it out long enough for the meat to get to room temperature.

Once meat is cooked, never put it back in on the same plate you had it on when it was raw. This could cause the spread of many unwanted illnesses. Do not handle cooked meat with the same utensils that you used when it was raw.

Never poke you meat while it is cooking. Poking holes in meat will cause the juice inside to leak out into the bottom of the grill.  Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing in the end, but it also could potentially ruin your barbeque grill. At the very least, it will cause a buildup of unwanted grease and juices on your girll, which will make cleanup harder.

Once the meat is on the grill, try not to open the lid to many times. Each time you open the lid, you change the temperature in the grill. The constant change in temperature and the air flow will cause your meat to dry up quickly.

Remember that the higher the heat is not always the better. While it is ok to quickly cook food, turning the heat up will just cause the meat to dry up and potentially burn.

While using tin foil or aluminum foil will make cleaning easier, it will cause your food to have more of a fried taste then a grilled taste.

If you are planning on using your favorite barbeque sauce, be sure to wait as long as possible to put it on the meat. Putting barbeque sauce on to early will not only potentially cause your meat to dry out, but it could also burn.