Which Nest cameras are best?

If you want a connected home, you may already be a fan of Nest products. The company makes smart devices to help you keep tabs on the many goings-on that occur when you’re not there. Nest of surveillance cameras live up to the company’s reputation for providing well-designed, attractive products that interface easily with a smartphone app. Peace of mind is just one benefit of having a Nest camera in your home. Read on to learn about the other benefits of owning a Nest camera.

What to know before you buy a Nest camera

Nest benefits

Nest cameras offer many advantages over some competing security cameras, including ease of use and clarity of video. What’s more, users can record 24 hours a day without interruptions — many other home surveillance systems only offer recording when movement is detected.

You can access your Nest camera remotely through your Nest phone app. With this feature, you can hear and talk to people or pets on the other side of the camera. With a subscription service, Nest will hold your video feed for up to 30 days. The company also gives you three-hour “snapshots” of what has been going on in your home.

Nest Cameras have a reputation for durability and reliability. Perhaps that’s one reason why they range in price from about $200 to $350, which is slightly more expensive than other surveillance camera options on the market. A Nest camera on the lower end of the price range could double as a baby or pet monitor; it’s easy to set this up with a simple plug into a wall outlet. Higher-end Nest cameras work with an “IQ” that enables them to identify human faces. Nest also offers a service called Nest Aware that can tell the difference between human movement and other movements. It can also learn to identify faces.

Nest camera FAQ

Q. Will a Nest subscription cost me more if I have more than one camera in my home?

A. Yes. With a subscription, Nest requires you to pay for each camera. However, after the first camera, each additional camera can be added to your service at a discounted rate.

Q. Does a Nest camera work with Alexa?

A. Yes. Nest builds connected devices. If you have the Amazon Echo Show, you can access your feed by simply asking Alexa to show you the area of your home it covers.

What’s the best Nest camera to buy?

Top Nest camera

Google Nest Cam Outdoor or Indoor, Battery – 2nd Generation

What you need to know: This Nest camera is made to withstand outdoor weather conditions (though you can also put it inside) and provides a high-quality image.

What you’ll love: It’s attractive and compact, can handle being outdoors, is wire-free and includes a magnetic mount. It’s also easy to install. If there’s an outage of power or Wi-Fi, it will store up to an hour of recorded events.

What you should consider: Though the battery makes installation convenient, some users say it can drain quickly.

Top Nest camera for the money

Nest Indoor Security Camera (2nd generation)

What you need to know: This camera is unobtrusive, easy to set up, and not exorbitantly expensive. It’s a great unit for someone on a budget who would like to keep tabs on home (kids, pets, and so on) when at work or away.

What you’ll love: It works with Alexa. The built-in mic/speaker combo allows you to chat with those at home and also monitor them.

What you should consider: Some customers had difficulty with the camera not recording all events.

Worth checking out

Google Nest Cam with Floodlight

What you need to know: This camera not only provides wide, clear views, but also acts as a security floodlight.

What you’ll love: This particular Nest camera can distinguish between a person, an animal or a vehicle and send alerts to your phone via the Google Home app. You can also customize the light settings and talk through this camera.

What you should consider: It’s the most expensive Nest camera.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Which log splitters are best?

Unless you consider splitting logs to be part of your fitness routine, you probably want to avoid the backbreaking work of doing it with an ax, not to mention the obvious dangers involved with that method. A log splitter allows you to avoid both of these issues. They’re available in manual, electric and gas options.

For the majority of consumers who don’t need to split excessively large logs or run through an extremely high volume of cords, an electric model like the WEN 6.5-Ton Electric Log Splitter will do the job. It’s reasonably priced, requires almost no maintenance and can handle logs up to 10 inches in diameter and 20.5 inches in length.

What to know before you buy a log splitter

Safety

Log splitters are very useful pieces of equipment, but they can be dangerous if you don’t follow proper safety precautions. Before using your machine for the first time, read through the entire instruction manual to ensure you have a thorough understanding of how it works and what to do. It’s important to only operate your log splitter when you’re alert and well-rested.

Never put your hands anywhere near the splitting area when a log splitter is in action. Make sure to wear safety glasses the entire time to protect your eyes from small pieces of wood that may go flying. You should also wear gloves to protect your hands from splinters and sturdy footwear. If using a gas-powered model, it’s a good idea to wear hearing protection.

Power source

Log splitters may be manual, electric or gas-powered. Manual models may be as simple as metal guides that are combined with a sledgehammer to drive a wedge into a log, or they may use hydraulics. The latter are more expensive but require significantly less effort on your part.

Electric log splitters are popular because they’re quiet, emission-free and require almost no maintenance. They tend to be smaller and easier to move than gas-powered models. However, they aren’t as powerful, so they may not be suitable for someone who regularly splits a lot of large logs.

Gas-powered splitters are the most capable, but they’re also the loudest and dirtiest. They require more maintenance than the other types as well. That said, they’re a good choice for those who need to split logs in places where they won’t have access to power or who need to split very large logs.

Splitting orientation

Log splitters may cut logs in a vertical or horizontal orientation. Neither type is inherently better than the other; however, some people may find it easier to load large and heavy logs in vertical splitters since you don’t have to lift them as high off the ground.

What to look for in a quality log splitter

Driving force

Every log splitter has a maximum driving force that determines what kind of logs it can handle. The higher the driving force, the better a splitter is able to handle hardwood varieties. It also increases its ability to handle very long or thick logs. Most manual and electric log splitters have a driving force from 4,000-10,000 pounds, while gas log splitters may have as many as 20,000 pounds. For the majority of people, a splitter with 6,000-10,000 pounds of driving force should meet their needs.

Log capacity

Along with the driving force, pay close attention to the log capacity. This is determined by a combination of the driving force, ram size and cradle size. For consumer-level electric and manual models, it’s common to accommodate logs with a maximum diameter of 8-12 inches and a maximum length of 16-20 inches. If you expect to cut logs bigger than that, you’ll likely need to purchase a gas log splitter.

Cycle time

The cycle time refers to the amount of time it takes for the ram to split a log and return to the starting position. The shorter the cycle time, the faster you can work through large piles of logs. Cycle times can range anywhere from six to 25 seconds.

Automatic ram return

On some log splitters, you need to manually return the ram to the starting position. Models with an automatic ram return function eliminate this step for more convenient operation.

Wheels

Log splitters are generally heavy pieces of equipment. Models equipped with wheels are easier to position as needed. The larger the wheels, the better you’re able to maneuver a log splitter over uneven ground.

How much you can expect to spend on a log splitter

Manual log splitters cost $50-$200. Electric splitters cost $250-$500. Gas log splitters can cost anywhere from $300-$1,500 or more.

Log splitter FAQ

Do log splitters require any maintenance?

A. The amount of maintenance log splitters require varies by type. With manual and electric models, you may need to periodically add some hydraulic fluid, but that’s pretty much it. With gas log splitters, you’ll need to monitor oil levels, periodically clean filters, check the spark plugs and perform all the other maintenance that gas engines typically require.

Is it better to split fresh or dry logs?

A. Cut logs dry quicker than whole logs. Because of this, many people choose to split their logs when they’re still fresh so they don’t have to wait so long to use them as firewood. That said, fresh logs require more driving force, so you’ll need to make sure you purchase a machine with enough power for that.

What’s the best log splitter to buy?

Top log splitter

WEN 6.5-Ton Electric Log Splitter

What you need to know: The WEN log splitter is the perfect choice for many users because it offers an ideal balance of power, capacity, and portability.

What you’ll love: It can handle logs up 10 inches in diameter and 20.5 inches in length, which is more than most splitters of its size. Plus, it comes with a tall, optional-use 34-inch stand so you don’t have to hunch over to operate it.

What you should consider: It’s difficult to lift the splitter onto the stand without a second person’s help.

Top log splitter for the money

Sun Joe LJ10M 10-Ton Hydraulic Log Splitter

What you need to know: If you need a lot of driving force but don’t want to deal with a noisy and messy gas-powered machine, the manual hydraulic LJ10M is the way to go.

What you’ll love: It’s equipped with springs for automatic ram return, which saves time and makes your job easier. It also features long handles for comfortable operation.

What you should consider: It requires a good amount of physical effort, so it wouldn’t be the right choice for anyone who needs to split a lot of cords of wood.

Worth checking out

Landworks Log Splitter

What you need to know: This powerful log splitter can power through making trees into firewood.

What you’ll love: This log splitter has a lot of features to make it easy to cut and haul logs around your property. It has a splitting force of 20 tons and supports to stabilize the logs. It also has wheels and a handle so you can move it around easily.

What you should consider: It’s significantly more expensive than the other picks. Some people also had issues with oil leaks.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Minnesota United vs. FC Cincinnati

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-1500, ESPN
Weather: 78 degrees, cloudy, 12 mph north wind
Betting line: MNUFC plus-130; draw plus-260; Cincinnati plus-175

Form: With victories over San Jose and St. Louis, MNUFC (11-11-6, 39 points) has won consecutive games for the first time since early May. Cincinnati (16-8-4, 52 points) has one win in its last six matches, but is one of two teams with nine away wins this season.

Stat: With a goal in the Loons’ 3-1 win at St. Louis City on Saturday, Bongi Hlongwane became the fifth player in club history with 10 goals in an MLS season, joining Teemu Pukki (2023), Emanuel Reynoso (2022), Darwin Quintero (2019, ’18) and Christian Ramirez (2017).

Look-ahead: With six games to go, Hlongnwane needs four goals to tie Ramirez’s single-season record (14) and five to set a new Loons mark. Hlongwane has benefitted from the addition of forward Kelvin Yeboah, scoring three times in the previous two matches

Matchup: The Loons haven’t faced Cincinnati since 2022 — a 1-0 loss at Allianz Field. MNUFC is 3-0-1 against Cincinnati, including a club-best seven goals in a 7-1 win in 2019.

Quote: FC Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan praised the work of colleague Eric Ramsay this week: “They can adjust, much like Columbus (Crew) with their pieces. If something’s not working, you can see that they’re ready to adapt.”

Absence: MNUFC had only one injury going into Saturday’s win at St. Louis: Defender Zarek Valentin (lower leg) out.

Projected XI: In a 4-2-3-1 formation, FW Kelvin Yeboah; LW Joaquin Pereyra, AM Robin Lod, RW Bongi Hlongwane; CM Hassani Dotson, CM Wil Trapp; LB Joseph Rosales, CB Micky Tapias, CB Michael Boxall, RB Jefferson Diaz; GK Dayne St. Clair.

Scouting report: Attacking midfielder Luciano Acosta, the reigning MLS MVP, leads the league with 18 assists and 85 key passes this season. Limiting Acosta’s time and space to create will be a tough task for Trapp and Dotson.

Prediction: Cincinnati is the toughest remaining opponent on the Loons’ remaining schedule, but it’s at home and things are tight in the Western Conference playoff race, so a home draw will be less than ideal. Loons tie 1-1.