TESTING 1-2-3: Do products live up to hype?

There’s little else that will get us to suspend our disbelief like an infomercial touting a miracle product that promises to enhance our lives —- for a price, not including shipping and handling. Those hawking this stuff want to make it difficult for us to imagine life without such wonders as the motorized Go Duster or the Hollywood Cookie Diet or even the Slanket —- that would be a blanket with sleeves. No, really, it is. I thought we already had those —- they’re called bathrobes.

But as these and many other As Seen on TV items get used a few times and then shoved into the far reaches of the closet, we have the comfort of knowing that there are legions of other similar products that immediately take their places. Every once in a while, I can’t resist the temptation to select three of these can’t-live-without items and check to see whether they work as promised. And, as in the case of the aforementioned Go Duster, they seldom do.

I picked up Pack-Mate Vacu-Seal, which is touted to “lock in freshness —- every day,” Mighty Putty that will fix, fill and seal almost anything, and Pedi Paws, the battery operated nail trimmer that won’t crack, splinter or break your pet’s nails. I put each of these to the test.

Not-so-miraculous results follow.

Mighty Putty

$9.99 for three 2-ounce sticks and a rubber glove at some mass merchandisers and online at www.asseenontv.com

First look: According to the package, there’s pretty much nothing that Mighty Putty won’t bond to. And it’s formulated to work on wet or dry surfaces. It also is supposed to hold up to 350 pounds. I admit to not having anything that weighed 350 pounds that needed holding up, so I didn’t test Mighty Putty in that department. Each stick looks like green modeling clay with a white center.

The rundown: Mighty Putty isn’t really mysterious when you consider that it’s simply a two-part epoxy, and similar products are available in just about any hardware store. To use, simply cut off a piece, knead it for a couple of minutes until it turns a pale and uniform color and apply within two minutes of mixing. After about 30 minutes, the epoxy will harden and, according to the instructions, you can use items repaired in about one hour.

Upside: Each tube is tightly wrapped in plastic and comes in hard, clear tubes that will keep them fresh for a long while. That’s the best I can say about this item because there are many other bonding and repair products that will do a better job.

Downside: This putty has a horrible odor, but I could get past that if it worked. I tried it on a leaking garden hose reel and let it cure for over a week before using it again. As soon as the water was turned on, the “repaired” plug blew out of its socket that was filled with not-so-Mighty Putty. I used it to adhere a lightweight rack to a brick wall, and it fell down even before anything was placed on the rack. I stuffed some of the Putty into the hole that held a loose wooden spindle on a kitchen chair, but the spindle easily spun around at the slightest touch. I even tried to bond together two pieces of rough wood, making sure that the Putty was shoved into the porous surfaces as instructed, but when the putty had cured, the pieces of wood could be easily pulled apart.

Bottom line: Mighty Putty is mighty pitiful.

Pedi Paws pet nail trimmer

$19.99 at www.pedipaws.com and at some mass merchandisers

First look: The package states that Pedi Paws is fast, easy and gentle. It’s designed to be used on cats and dogs.

The rundown: This battery-powered tool (requires two C batteries that aren’t included) works with a rotating emery band designed to gently file away your pet’s nails a little at a time so that you don’t cause injury. It features a gray plastic handle and a clear amber-tinted cover over the emery band that is supposed to catch the filings. The Pedi Paws comes with four emery wheels.

Upside: We tried it on a small dog —- a Westie terrier —- and it worked OK for a very short while.

Downside: First, you have to introduce the vibrating, rotating, humming Pedi Paws to your pet, and that’s easier with a small dog that you can hold on your lap. Trying to get a couple of huge German shepherds on board was an exercise in futility in two ways. The dogs didn’t care for the vibration, and as soon as the rotating emery wheel touched one of those large claws, the wimpy motor came to a literal standstill, giving the dogs just enough time to fly through the doggie door without a pedicure. It simply doesn’t have enough power to do the job. It even stopped grinding on the little Westie’s nails when more than slight pressure was applied. Note that with any type of grinding tool, you have to be careful to alternate nails after a few seconds since the nails can heat up and cause pain.

Bottom line: Get a Dremel.

Pack Mate Vacu-Seal starter kit

$29.99 through www.amazon.com and at some mass merchandisers

First look: This hand-held unit is housed in white plastic and measures about 10 inches long. It features a pointed soft rubber tip that you insert into the bag’s opening to extract air.

The rundown: The Vacu-Seal starter kit comes with three Ziplock-type bags that are reusable. It includes the six AA batteries needed to operate.

Upside: Unlike large vacuum units that sit on the counter, this one is small enough to stash in a kitchen drawer. It works well when vacuum-sealing dry items that you’ll keep at room temperature. The dry items we sealed more than a month ago remain completely airtight.

Downside: For some reason, I didn’t have good luck with items that were frozen or refrigerated. Bags of sliced vegetables lost their seals after about an hour in the fridge. Frozen items ended up the same way. This starter kit barely gets you started since it comes with only three small bags. And those bags are pretty thin, so I’m not sure how long you can keep washing and using them over and over before they break or tear. Bags aren’t easy to find.

Bottom line: It’s not reliable. Spring for a FoodSaver if you want serious sealing.

Each week “Testing 1-2-3” road-tests a wide range of products. It’s not scientific testing —- we use the items just as consumers do, checking to see whether they deliver as promised. The tests can help you make buying decisions.

Got a product for a pro to test? Let us know at ajc.com/buyersedge