What are some products at home that suck/drive you crazy/could be way better?

[Pollock]

I'm starting a mini-design project where we reverse-engineer something that is hard or efficient to use, and then design and implement improvements or upgrades. Preferably under $30.

What products make you angry or furious? And specifically, what about it?

 

[Schadenfreude]

Be a bit more specific; does it have to be a general design defect that a certain item has, or can it pertain to a specific product?

Like for instance, not liking the design of my Microsoft Arc Mouse (actually i think it's fantastic) vs. deficiencies in computer mouse design as a whole, etc.

 

[shortylickens]

We need a sharpener that puts a strong edge on small pocket knives of any steel type.

 

[Malak]

Toaster FFS

 

[Pollock]

For example, say you hate getting crumbs everywhere with your toaster, so you'd add a crumb tray (although obviously this has been done before). Or you have an apple slicer that requires too much force to use. Or you think your trash can opens in a dumb way, etc.

 

[grohl]

I have a cheap ass Krups burr grinder I got from Costco. The bean hopper has a lid with a sensor that I have to adjust every damn day so it will start properly.

 

[Insomniator]

itunes

 

[Red Squirrel]

I hate how the majority of combustion appliances rely on indoor air to combust. Why can't they all have 2 pipes like high efficiency furnaces have? I'm talking stuff like hot water tanks, fireplaces, wood stoves, etc. They should all have an intake so outside air is used for combustion which would stop cold air from being sucked into the house. A heat exchanger could be used so the heat from the exhaust is transferred to the intake so the air from the intake is preheated for better combustion. This is more or less solid state, so even a wood stove could have a setup like this.

In fact this is not just limited to combustion, take a portable air conditioner for example. It has a pipe going outside to exhaust the heat from the condenser coil and compressor. Well if you are sucking air and putting it outside, air has to replace it. Where does this air come from? Outside. So you are cooling a room and dumping hot outside air into it at the same time! It makes no sense! I modded my AC unit to prevent this from happening and doubled it's efficiency, but at $600 it should have been built that way! Two pipes. An intake and an exhaust.

 

[ChaoZ]

Microwaves. Why does it sound like a gun went off whenever I open/close the damn thing?

 

[ultimatebob]

I'd say that the worst designed thing in my house right now is my Comcast DVR. You suck, Comcast!

For under $30? I'm going to go with my litter box. It's a pain in the ass to clean... the clumps of cat litter always get stuck in the corners of the box.

 

[Malak]

I'd say that the worst designed thing in my house right now is my Comcast DVR. You suck, Comcast!

For under $30? I'm going to go with my litter box. It's a pain in the ass to clean... the clumps of cat litter always get stuck in the corners of the box.

User error.

 

[duragezic]

We need a sharpener that puts a strong edge on small pocket knives of any steel type.

Yeah for sure this. One that is easy to use and doesn't require a lot of skill or time. There are systems out there that meet this I think but they are very expensive.

 

[Pollock]

Toaster FFS

What specifically about the toaster?

 

[dud]

Fast food. Continued use of this product can lead to obesity, diabetes, etc. It is by far the most expensive "product" in the food category because of the cost of treating people who use it.

Re-engineer it ... please!

 

[Jeff7]

Computer mice. For those of us who are finally feeling the effects of RSI, regular computer mice are awful to use. I recently got an Evoluent VerticalMouse4 at home. It replaces my awesome Logitech G500 mouse. That thing had so many good buttons, and the scroll wheel was the best I've ever seen. But it made my hand and wrist ache in at least three different locations. They're getting me one at work, too. The VM4 isn't quite as good as the G500, and it's still difficult to get pixel-perfect accuracy out of it (I use CAD software at work), but it doesn't make my hand hurt, so that's what I've got to use.


In general, it seems that the idea of getting hurt from a computer is still not accepted by the industry, and there are no set standards in place to ensure user safety. Other equipment does need to meet safety standards. It's just that a lot of that equipment will do its bodily harm fast. A punch press or press brake can crush your hand into a useless pulp in a second. A computer can reduce your hand to a semi-useless pain generator, but it just takes awhile to do it, so it's seen as a "shut up and stop complaining" problem.

Don't know if this'll help though, as it kind of encompasses an industry mindset, rather than a specific product.

 

[HeXen]

hardwood floor sweepers.
for instance, the swivel sweeper works well, however the battery is the suck. after only a dozen or so charges, it gets really weak. battery powered vacuums are either cumbersome or pain to get tray out.

The swifter, i swear its designed to be a throw away, so cheap n flimsy and swifter vacuum ..well my wife can suck better than that thing can.. The vacuum broom is 100% useless and worse to use than a real broom cause its so heavy.
the Flick IT or whatever its called...vacuum/hard floor cleaner in 1 sucks cause it leaks and pushes dirt/cat hair into corners.

my carpet cleaner works best on hard floors, but its a pain to empty and messy when doing so. Its nice cause it doesnt push the dirt and cat hair into corners like a mop and most other floor care stuff does.

I actually have went through quite a few floor products over the past few years. my favs so far is Hoover cleansweep and regular mop both of which has its pains too.

We need a sharpener that puts a strong edge on small pocket knives of any steel type.

you mean the samurai shark?

For under $30? I'm going to go with my litter box. It's a pain in the ass to clean... the clumps of cat litter always get stuck in the corners of the box.

they make these plastic litter tray bags that go underneath litter. When litter gets bad enough, you just lift n toss and prevents sticking to plastics....what i hate about litter boxes is the plastic cause it absorbs smells. I started buying cheap plastic tote containers and cut a hole on one side. their larger than most litter boxes and taller so no pee seeping over the edge. their cheap enough i just pitch em every 6 months.
Every try the auto matic litter cleaner box? don't cause it really sucks..nothing like litter and poop stuck in the gears

 

[lxskllr]

Computer mice. For those of us who are finally feeling the effects of RSI, regular computer mice are awful to use. I recently got an Evoluent VerticalMouse4 at home. It replaces my awesome Logitech G500 mouse. That thing had so many good buttons, and the scroll wheel was the best I've ever seen. But it made my hand and wrist ache in at least three different locations. They're getting me one at work, too. The VM4 isn't quite as good as the G500, and it's still difficult to get pixel-perfect accuracy out of it (I use CAD software at work), but it doesn't make my hand hurt, so that's what I've got to use.

 

[KaOTiK]

hardwood floor sweepers.
for instance, the swivel sweeper works well, however the battery is the suck. after only a dozen or so charges, it gets really weak. battery powered vacuums are either cumbersome or pain to get tray out.

The swifter, i swear its designed to be a throw away, so cheap n flimsy and swifter vacuum ..well my wife can suck better than that thing can.. The vacuum broom is 100% useless and worse to use than a real broom cause its so heavy.
the Flick IT or whatever its called...vacuum/hard floor cleaner in 1 sucks cause it leaks and pushes dirt/cat hair into corners.

my carpet cleaner works best on hard floors, but its a pain to empty and messy when doing so. Its nice cause it doesnt push the dirt and cat hair into corners like a mop and most other floor care stuff does.

I actually have went through quite a few floor products over the past few years. my favs so far is Hoover cleansweep and regular mop both of which has its pains too.



you mean the samurai shark?



they make these plastic litter tray bags that go underneath litter. When litter gets bad enough, you just lift n toss and prevents sticking to plastics....what i hate about litter boxes is the plastic cause it absorbs smells. I started buying cheap plastic tote containers and cut a hole on one side. their larger than most litter boxes and taller so no pee seeping over the edge. their cheap enough i just pitch em every 6 months.
Every try the auto matic litter cleaner box? don't cause it really sucks..nothing like litter and poop stuck in the gears

Dust mop is great. I've found that that is the only thing that really works on my wood and marble floors. I sweep daily and once every week or two I mop with just hot water.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Computer mice. For those of us who are finally feeling the effects of RSI, regular computer mice are awful to use. I recently got an Evoluent VerticalMouse4 at home. It replaces my awesome Logitech G500 mouse. That thing had so many good buttons, and the scroll wheel was the best I've ever seen. But it made my hand and wrist ache in at least three different locations. They're getting me one at work, too. The VM4 isn't quite as good as the G500, and it's still difficult to get pixel-perfect accuracy out of it (I use CAD software at work), but it doesn't make my hand hurt, so that's what I've got to use.

I used the Evoluent VerticalMouse in it's first generation some years ago. I actually quite liked it and used to game with it, even. Stick with it, I think you'll get used to it.

Nowadays I use a G5 but I spend less time at the PC as I used to so its mediocre ergonomics are good enough.

 

[mjrpes3]

Home audio receivers. Still waiting for the iPod of receivers that has an intuitive display/remote without 100 cryptic buttons/features I don't need.

 

[Jeff7]

I used the Evoluent VerticalMouse in it's first generation some years ago. I actually quite liked it and used to game with it, even. Stick with it, I think you'll get used to it.

Nowadays I use a G5 but I spend less time at the PC as I used to so its mediocre ergonomics are good enough.

My mom had one of the VMs awhile ago, I think she had the VM2. That one had a scroll wheel without the notches. Problem was, programs didn't operate that way. So sometimes you'd use the wheel to scroll, and it would end up juuuust on the edge of scrolling again. So you'd be reading the page then, and suddenly it would scroll down a few more lines.
The VM4 is better (still not the G500's awesome wheel), and it has a little lip for your little finger to rest on.


But here's another general problem I see a lot: Tools and equipment that's going to be exposed to water a lot, and are made out of plain carbon steel.
- A pizza cutter I had: Yes, the blade is nice stainless steel. The rivet used to hold it in place is steel. It rusts. Making something out of stainless but then using regular steel fasteners is kind of, well, stupid.
- Some jars with metal lock-down clasps: Very nice glass jars, good seal on the top...and the metal is all zinc-plated steel. In this application, the zinc plating is good for making the steel look slightly blue. And that's about it. (Unless you intend to use the jars to hold dry goods only, and you never clean them.)
- A liquid soap dispenser. I thought the dispenser was made of chromed plastic. Nope. It's steel. It's rusting.
- Spray bottles for cleaners: This is mainly encountered in generic brands - the spring is made of something that easily corrodes in the cleaning solution, so it only works for the first day it's used.

Protip for manufacturers: Plain carbon steel is mostly iron. Iron and oxygen get along really well. Water helps this process along very effectively. Iron oxide is not iron.
Yes, stainless steel is more expensive. Yes, 400-series stainless costs a bit more. (Or for some applications, maybe check out aluminum.) Even a low-grade 300-series will at least offer some corrosion resistance - and then your marketing people can have a collective orgasm when they're told that they get to put STAINLESS STEEL on the packaging.

But using the wrong material for the job means that you're making a product that's broken before it's even finished.


And if you're going to paint steel to keep it from rusting, anywhere that that coating is damaged, such as by tightening a fastener to it, can become a focal point for corrosion.

 

[Maetryx]

We need a tool that opens ketchup and hotsauce packets and squeezes them out. It should be easy to clean, and easy to take with you to a fast food joint. There is virtually no ingenuity applied to this extremely common activity.

 

[chusteczka]

For under $30? I'm going to go with my litter box. It's a pain in the ass to clean... the clumps of cat litter always get stuck in the corners of the box.

http://www.citikitty.com/
http://www.catseat.com/

 

[shortylickens]

Yeah for sure this. One that is easy to use and doesn't require a lot of skill or time. There are systems out there that meet this I think but they are very expensive.

I bought my mom a nice sharpener for her butcher block but you cant get small pocket knives in there.

 

[Eos]

I'd say that the worst designed thing in my house right now is my Comcast DVR. You suck, Comcast!

For under $30? I'm going to go with my litter box. It's a pain in the ass to clean... the clumps of cat litter always get stuck in the corners of the box.

I lift his litter box so the litter goes to the other end, exposing the pee clod stuck to the wall. Then I tap on the outside of the box with the litter scoop, forcing the pee clod to become unstuck. Done and done.