Anyone know where you can get good, honest reviews? So far the best place I’ve found is Project Farm , but, while his are excellent , they are pretty limited.
Anyone know where you can get good, honest reviews? So far the best place I’ve found is Project Farm , but, while his are excellent , they are pretty limited.
Dennis
I usually read the 4* reviews of the product.
Consumer Reports isn't what they used to be but you can't question their honesty. Unfortunately they are increasingly geared toward the I-never-learned-how-to-read generation and they have fewer facts to back up their conclusions.
If you can find the item on a source like Amazon, you can learn a lot from reading the negative reviews to see if they are valid complaints or just someone who can't be satisfied.
Last edited by Ronald Blue; 08-14-2022 at 2:47 PM. Reason: corrected grammar
I find Yelp reviews for local businesses good. I recently needed an exhaust repair on my car. I looked at Yelp reviews and picked a shop based on very positive reviews for it. My experience was also very positive, so good, I wrote a review myself which I rarely do.
I think of online reviews like Olympic scoring during the cold war. Throw out the high and low scores and average the rest.
my favorite Consumer Reports review was for a bug zapper. They recommended buying one and giving it to your neighbor because, “It’s ability to attract insects exceeds its ability to kill them.”
I agree that the 1 and 2star reviews are worth reading. Some of course, are just baloney. Some are people who do not know what they are doing. But some are useful info describing issues. Sometimes, there are good videos.
I buy quite a bit from Amazon since I get one or two day delivery and the price of gas so high. They also have a very good return policy.
I always play the "%" game when considering reviews. Using a scale of 1-5, I look at the percentages of those who give a product a 4 or 5 expecting to see 85% or higher rating in the 4s & 5s. I also read the 1's and 2's reviews. Usually those who are not qualified to pass judgement on a product will use verbiage that gives away their credibility.
Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 08-16-2022 at 1:08 PM.
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
A while ago, my son pointed me to https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/ for fair/honest reviews. Not really customer reviews, however.
My opinion of Consumer Reports is forever jaded by two categories of products they tested back in the late 80’s, both of which I represented. the one they championed put the manuf out of business and was a lingering headache for me for another ten yrs or so. The one they panned went on to lead the market in that category. As NYT subscribers we look at Wirecutter daily. they tested coffee makers recently and we followed their recommendation and bought an OXO coffee maker. They were right. It is excellent.
I tend to research user groups, forums, etc.. If you spend a little time you can generally get a feel for reality. SMC has been a great resource for me on woodworking tools.
Sharp solves all manner of problems.