Steven Helmer Publications

  I don't normally spend money on things I don't technically need and already own an electric air compressor. However, I came across this product on Amazon a couple weeks ago and, even though it was $112, ended up purchasing it. As I mentioned, I own a compressor, and that works really well. However, it is also kind of bulky, requires me to use an extension cord for most things and isn't always convenient. In addition, I have arthritis in both of my knees and kneeling down to put air in a low car tire can be quite uncomfortable, especially when it is taking a long time. The thing I liked most about this product was it had two potential power sources. I can either plug it into the car or use the 24-volt battery. The latter is a game changer because it means I can use this device pretty much anywhere without worrying about having a long enough cord. I also like the fact the compressor monitors the air pressure and shuts off automatically. This saved my knees when I used it on...

I manage to avoid using an air conditioner until this past weekend, when the temps were in the 90s, it was extremely humid and very uncomfortable. However, after digging our portable air conditioner out of the shed and getting it going, we discovered it developed a leak over the winter. While this is something we can probably fix, my wife and I weren't in the mood to mess with it right now and, because we also didn't want water all over our living room floor, I decided to just purchase a cheap window AC unit instead and picked up this air conditioner at Wal-mart yesterday morning. My primary reason for purchasing this air conditioner was the $116 price tag, which was about $30 less than the next most affordable choice. Since we are on a bit of a tight budget during the summer, I was trying to spend as little as possible and, because of that, there really weren't any other serious factors that weighed into that decision. I did have two big concerns about this air co...