Accept No Imitations (e.g. Holmes' Parabolic Heater)
Written: Dec 15 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: See review
Cons: See review
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| Sloucho's Full Review: Presto OB-0020 Compact Heater |
Be warned: My title is actually nothing more than a feeble attempt to provide the illusion that this review (which actually concerns the Holmes Parabolic Space Heater) is related to the Presto HeatDish. The relation is tenuous at best (and limited to the fact that the two heaters happen to look very similar). Unfortunately, Epinions does not provide a place for reviews of Holmes products. Perhaps they're as ticked off at Holmes as I am.
The Holmes Parabolic Heater is supposed to be energy efficient. Since I haven't taken the time to monitor my meter while running the heater, I won't dispute that claim.
There is an implicit claim, however, that a company makes when it categorizes an item as a heater. The implication is that the heater will warm things up. To my dismay, however, the Holmes Parabolic Heater has only proven capable of warming up parts of things, not entire things.
The parabolic design of the device functions like a lens that focuses the heat at a point about one meter in front of it. As you may recall from geometry, a point is an imaginary, infinitely small location in space that can only be known through coordinates on the x, y, and z axes. The human mind cannot grasp the smallness of a geometric point.
At least not until that smallness is demonstrated by the Holmes Parabolic Heater. Be very careful in your encounters with these heaters. Even experienced consumers like myself can be tricked. Although the rest of the room will be unaffected by the heater (which might lead the uninitiated to conclude that the heater is off), the only way to know for sure is to unplug the unit. If it is on, you may rest assured that there is an incredibly painful (and incredibly tiny) spot of blistering heat floating a few feet in front of the machine.
Potential scenarios for use:
#1) Someone hits your kneecap with a snowball; or
#2) You want to get back at a guest who once "got you good" with one of those hand buzzers.
I paid $30 for mine. (Actually I paid $60 for two. I got a little excited about the claims of energy efficiency.) Now I know I wouldn't pay $2 for a dozen at a garage sale.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Sloucho
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Member: Mike Davis
Location: Philadelphia
Reviews written: 199
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Read my reviews in order to heal the sick and control the weather. Seriously.
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