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Last updated on
Oct 26, 2021
Roger's Reviews, Raves and Rants
Read my reviews on tool purchases from Harbor Freight.
Written and posted Mar 15, 2020
I like to tinker and work on stuff. Around the house, on my truck and in my computer as examples. Most men do I imagine. But the tinkering I do isn’t my job or basis of income so essentially they are hobby activities. And as such, I generally don’t need the best tools that’s going to have to hold up to a lot of abuse (except for taking bangs, booms, clunks and so forth from when I drop them due to my clumsiness).
I’m not a mechanic so I don’t need tools that will hold up to changing tires all day (I’m to much of a weakling to handle tire all day anyway). I’m not a carpenter so I don’t need the best, fastest and lightest frame nailer (I’d probably shoot myself in the hand if I did have a fast one). And I’m not a techie so I don’t… Wait a minute, I am a techie so I still don’t need but I sometimes spend a little more to get better than average stuff to work on computers, networking, electronics and such.
And since my tinkering isn’t generally income potential (except the emergency room or parts store), I don’t justify a lot of money to spend on my toys, eh…. Tools. To help me get more bang for my buck (speaking of tools not guns), I frequent Menards (aka The Store), Rural King (aka The King) and Harbor Freight (aka Harbor Freight). I believe that these places are able to furnish a home piddler to light handyman with most tools and supplies needed at reasonable prices.
But I want to talk about Harbor Freight and one of their product lines. Harbor Freight has reputation of selling some low quality products. I myself have purchased several but have found over the years that the quality of tools they handle are increasing. I know a few people who prefer what they carry over a name brand product.
Somewhat recently, Harbor Freight has been selling the 20 volt line of Bauer battery tools. They sell other lines of 20 volt tools as well but the batteries, as is the case with nearly every manufacture, are not interchangeable. And the Bauer and Hercules lines look nearly identical in almost every respect, including dimension of tools, rpms, etc, but again not compatible and the Hercules is slightly more expensive, doesn’t offer as vast a line of tools and tries to sell itself as a more professional series than the Bauer.
This past summer I found myself in need of a new cordless drill (OK, not need but wanted) as my old cordless drill battery went caplutt(?) as all of the NiMH batteries seem to do within about 18 months. I was hoping to get a Lithium Ion battery drill if I could find one that fit my purposes (armature) at a reasonable price. Harbor Freight offered their Bauer 20v Litium Ion cordless hammer drill for about $80. I was skeptical of this item at this price from Harbor Freight but decided to give it a try. What really drew me to this and not another brand was the additional offerings that Bauer had to go with their cordless line. Tools that used the same battery for items that were not just garage related. For example, lawn trimmers, edger’s and air compressors. So if the drill worked out, then I could extend my line of tools and not have to buy umpteen batteries for a small fleet of different manufactures tools.
So I gave the drill a try and liked it. So much so, that I have purchased other Bauer products as well. However, I didn’t find many well written reviews of the products before I bought them. My plan was to return anything that I didn’t like as per the salesperson. Sure people would like that they liked a product but I seldom if ever found helpful information like how long a battery would last in a tool. How many cuts before the battery conked out. Real useful stuff like that so people can make good educated decisions before purchasing a product.
So I’ll close this introductory novel now and proceed into reviews for my Bauer purchases. Go to my web site and look for them. I’ll try to add a couple a week until I catch up with my purchases..
I’ll try to test each tool or accessory in a real use environment and where reasonable, I’ll try to run the test until the exhaustion of the appropriate battery and in a manner in which one might use it.
For example, the circular and scroll saws will be tested making multiple short cuts with the saw stopping and starting and some long rips of lumber. Items like the flood light and leaf blower will just be left on high until the battery energy runs out.
However, I am unlikely to run myself to exhaustion changing tires to test such things as the Impact Wrench.
Unless I feel it is relevant, I won’t worry about nor report temperatures and such.
My reviews will be based on how I feel the tools or accessories will work for the casual/home/hobbiest user but I will make a comment of approval if I feel the tool would be sufficient for professional use.
Except for the Bauer brand introductory tools, none of the tools come with batteries and chargers. Currently, this means only the drills will have batteries and chargers with them. Additional tools will not have batteries with them. This is actually a good thing, despite my Dad’s displeasure, as you won’t have 10 batteries due to the purchase of 10 Bauer tools. The average person wouldn’t need that many so there is no use in driving each individual tool price up to include batteries. The other good reason for this is that likely you wouldn’t like the size of the battery that came with the additional tools. Also, only the introductory tools have storage/carry cases with them.
I will note here so that I don’t have to on every review that the Bauer line doesn’t have glamorous packaging; just what’s needed to ship the product without damage. Also, the instructions, while minimal, is sufficient to assemble where necessary and to safely use the product. Surprisingly, the instructions are written in English by someone that appears to speak English as a first language (I often find that though instructions for purchases in my life are written in English, they must have been done so by someone in their first semester of English language instruction; the words may be English but the use of them and sentence structure often makes the instructions confusing)(what? Roger is scrutinizing someone else’s English?). There are also an appropriate amount of pictures to accompany the textual instructions.
20v 1.5AH battery
20v 3AH battery
Bauer 20v Rapid Charger
Written on Mar 15, 2020
Testing currently in progress.
This review is for both of the Bauer 20 volt 1.5AH and 3AH Lithium-Ion batteries and the Bauer 20V Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Rapid Charger.
**Harbor Freight has stated that 5AH and 8AH batteries are coming soon.
The batteries are easy to hold and thus far, easy to load into all of the Bauer 20v cordless tools. Each battery also contains a battery level indicator. The batteries will only work in Bauer 20v cordless products despite having the same physical dimensions as other battery brands.
To charge the batteries, turn them upside down and place into the charging unit. The charging unit only works on 120 volts which is a bummer as it would have been nice to have a duel voltage charger so that people could charge their batteries on the job or campsite. A work around is to use an inverter.
Bauer says the charger is about 5 x 5 inches, weighs about a pound and takes 60 minutes to charge battery. It doesn’t specify what size a battery it will charge in 60 minutes. Bauer specs state that the 3AH battery will charge in 2 hours. There is no charge time indication from Bauer on the 1.5AH battery but since the 3AH battery states 2 hours and the charger states 60 but not mention battery size, I would assume that the 1.5AH battery is to take 60 minutes. We’ll see what my testing shows.
The charger by itself costs $23 which seems about $5-8 top much to me. However, a charger is included with each Bauer brand introductory tool. The 1.5AH battery costs $25, which seems about $5 to much to me. This battery is also included with each Bauer brand introductory tool. The 3AH battery costs $45, which I feel is about $5-8 overpriced.
Lithium-Ion batteries do cost more to make than the older NiMH and NiCad batteries. This is due to their chemical makeup. Also, there is power left in a Lithium-Ion battery when tools and electronics quit but this is on purpose. The reason is that if the cell of a Lithium-Ion battery drops below 3 volts (each cell is 3.7 volts) the cell is ruined and will not charge any longer. Ruin one cell of a multi-cell Lithium-Ion pack and the whole pack is ruined. That’s costly.
Also, though Lithium-Ion batteries are more expensive than traditional batteries, Lithium-Ion batteries are to tool and electronic manufacturers as fountain drinks are too fast food restraints. Overpriced makes a ton of profit at the end of the day.
I am currently performing the charging time test for the 3AH battery. The 1.5AH battery is currently being discharged in the Flood Light and will be time tested later.
Not having an option for the 5Ah or 8AH batteries yet, I purchased a 3AH battery as my additional battery. And I received a 1.5AH battery and charger with my Bauer brand introductory tool (the Bauer 20V Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2 In. Drill/Driver Kit).
What I feel would be a really good fit for batteries to my tool use would be 2 1.5AH batteries and either a 5AH or 8AH battery (maybe two). As it is, I will likely end up having a 1.5AH, a 3AH and either a 5Ah or 8AH battery (maybe two).
*I do not own any other brand 20v Lithium-Ion tools to compare battery longevity against. However, the Bauer battery pricing is on par with other batteries in its class (Craftsman, Mastercraft, etc) and less than those of the big name ones (DeWalt, Minkota, etc). It has been my experience that the NiMH batteries in the class do not compare favorably with those in the upper class. I suspect that this will be true with these Lithium-Ion batteries but not trail as badly as the NiMH based ones.
**Lithium-Ion batteries are dangerous (search some videos from Youtube). Do not charge them in a home. If a battery or its housing pack becomes dangerous or deformed, do not use it and discard appropriately.
I've purchased it but haven't written a review yet.
Probably my next purchase so that I can get a good cleaning on the TimberHawk Mobile Command Unit #2 (my camper).
Get more info HERE.
Written Mar 25, 2020
Bauer 20v Chainsaw, also known as 20V Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Cordless Chainsaw.
Sure, you can go out and cut a forest down with this little guy; provided that you have a several lifetimes in which to do it in. But that’s not what this is designed for; or at least that’s not what I purchased it for.
It is a 20v, 10” bar chain saw. It’s light and safe. Great for climbing up into a tree to do a little branch work. Since you don’t have to start it, it’s really safe up there. It’s also pretty handy to just have with you when you’re out on the back forty goofing. See a little sapling, flick the button and lop it down. No messing with mixed fuels, adjusting carburetors and pulling on a starter rope until 1 pull short of your arm falling off.
I’ve not put the chainsaw through its paces but I did go out and trim a few limbs, cut some tree trunks that were 5 inches or so thick and cut away some honey suckle. I even cut a 8” of so tree stump down at ground level. And it did a fair job at all of it.
As one should expect, the 20v unit doesn’t zip the chain around as quickly as a gas powered unit, so you’ll have to be a little patient with it. And since the chain is a bit slower, small limbs and vines have a tendency to want to bounce abound if not pressed against something.
It is light, well balanced. It doesn’t sit up straight unless you have the battery in it, as the battery makes the bottom surface flat.
I believe that the chainsaw will shine when climbing in tree canopy’s. There is no way to clip or bolt the saw to yourself so I visited another isle at Harbor Freight and purchased a really big carabiner. My plan is to use a belt or rope around my neck with the carabiner between the rope and the saw as I climb to work. What could go wrong. And the great thing is that if you feel unsafe, just letting off the trigger turns the saw off; gas chain saws don’t do that. They’ll keep running and tare you up all the way to the ground.
I also believe that this will be a nice addition to my camping gadgets. Besides making my brother Rusty green with envy, it will do for cutting up small diameter trees for firewood.
There is a minor assembly before you can use the unit. And as of the writing of this review, there is no replacement chains. Even though this is a battery saw, you still need to use bar oil. BTW, it is an automatic chain oiler. The chain and bar are also tool-less.
Since I haven’t put mine through its paces yet, I don’t have a good idea of how long or how many cuts you get with a 3AH battery. Bauer saw it will cut up to 9” diameter wood.
The Bauer specs show it to be a 10” bar, weighing in at just under 6 pounds and a speed of 3.0 MPS (I’ll have to look up what MPS is). Recommendations from Bauer is to use a 3AH battery or larger.
Harbor Freights everyday price is $75. For what it is, that is probably a fair price. However, I got mine on sale for $65 and Dad split the cost with me as he intends to use it also. At $65, I am happy with it and glad I added it to my arsenal.
** I would also recommend this for people who want to learn chainsaw juggling. As its nature, when you let off of the trigger, the motor (thus chain) stops. Gas powered chainsaws, will continue to eat you up when you accidently grab one incorrectly while to learn to chainsaw juggle; actually, gas chainsaws will eat you up even if you know how to chainsaw juggle if you grab them incorrectly.
Get more info HERE.
Although not exclusive to the Bauer 20V Cordless line, I am reviewing these bits under my Bauer 20V Cordless reviews.
The drill bits are contained in a handy container. There are repeats of some of the smaller bits like 3/16”. The drill bits also have a flat sides where they fit into the chuck of the drill to help prevent slipping, which all drill bits of any manufacture should have standard.
I haven’t done a lot of drilling with these bits yet but they did an admiral job of drilling through the metal I working with, creating nice shavings. The first bit didn’t last long before it broke but I will accept the responsibility as it is possible that a piece of metal that I was drilling through may have slipped thus shearing the bit.
Harbor Freight has some single sized bits for sale to replace the ones you break in your ensemble. In my case, they have an exact replacement 4 pack of 3/16” for $6.99 which I think is a little steep considering that the whole set and case goes for $19.99.
I haven’t used the bits to say that I’m a big fan yet. But they performed as expected and appear to have stayed sharp. And the big bonus going for these is that they have the flat sides on the bits to help prevent slippage.
The Titanium Drill Bit Set sells for $19.99.
Written on Mar 15, 2020
Testing In Progress
This review is for the Bauer 20v Flood Light. The official name of the product is the Bauer 20V/120V Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Dual Power Cordless 2000 Lumens Work Light.
It is an excellent replacement for a home users halogen work light. It has 2 power settings, low and high. I could get out some of my photo equipment and compare the light emissions between this unit and an actual halogen light but I’m going to as most people wouldn’t relate to the numbers my photo equipment would give to real life terms. Let me just say that I would rate the high settings as comparable to a 300 watt halogen bulb.
Besides the added bonus of not having to mess with (or in my case, trip over) electric cords, this unit doesn’t produce anywhere near the heat of a traditional halogen bulb. Of course, if you want to trip over wires, you can plug in an extension cord and run the light off of electricity. Doing this will have the added benefit of leaving you a battery for other uses.
The light is mounted in a folding frame that allows you to change the angle of the light beam. There is a handy hook on the frame for hanging unit, such as on a tree.
I stood in my drive and lit up the pasture. It produced a very bright and a pretty wide angle. Though the instructions do not mention it being water tight, the unit appears to me to be somewhat water resistant (but I will not take any responsibility for it becoming water damaged) when working on battery.
Bauer says it is about 5 x 8 inches, weighs almost 3.5 lbs and produces 2000 lumens. It also says that the light should work for 9 hours but it doesn’t list what battery it used to produce those numbers. Though I didn’t find any information, the LED appears to be of the COB variety. No accessories are listed for this product.
There is no assembly to the product.
To perform the battery longevity test, I place a recent, fully charged 1.5AH battery into the unit and turned it on high. I am currently (Mar 15, 2020) performing the test so this review is not finished.
Although it is a good product, I feel it is overpriced at its everyday price of $60. However, I caught it on sale at $40 (I believe) and I believe that is a good value at that price.
I plan to use it on my camping trips where I will hang it inside of my 10x20 easy up and point it at the top where it should create a great amount of ambient light to cook and visit by. Other uses I plan for it is to use it as stage and back lighting for video and photographic purposes.
**I believe it a good fit for professional use, such as interior painting.
Get more info HERE.
Review written Mar 31, 2020
A review for Bauer 20V Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Cordless ½” Hammer Drill.
I’ve not had any series construction jobs since owning this drill so this is just a trivial review based on a little bit of use. Actually, I doubt there’s much you could say about this drill that you couldn’t say about another brand or Lithium Ion battery drill in the 20v battery range.
This is one of the introductory tools that include a battery. Most of the other Bauer tools do not include batteries. The kit also includes a quick battery and a carrying bag. You can read about my battery reviews elsewhere on my site. The bag is sufficient to carry the drill, a second battery, the charger and some accessories such as drill bits.
The battery feels well in my hand, provides sufficient power an is light. Initially, I was using plain round shanked bits and it seemed like the drill, or rather clutch, didn’t want to stay clamped onto it. However, when I purchased some of those bits that have the tri or hex flat edged shanks, the problem seemed to have vanished. Perhaps, if I was getting into some really hardcore projects, the problem would rear its ugly head.
I only used the hammer drill on one project where I was drilling through masonry. It performed satisfactory for me.
Bauer says the ½” Hammer/Drill weighs in under 3 pounds and provides 450 in/lbs of torque. I didn’t attempt to test its maximum torque so I’ll just go with what they say.
I paid $65 for my 1’2” hammer drill. The regular price is $65. There is a plain Bauer 20v 1/2” drill for $5 less. I personally would pay the extra $5 to get the hammer capability. You can turn this ability on and off, so for $5, why wouldn’t you go for it?
For the DYI home guy and light construction/repair man, I believe that this drill is well worth the cost. It gets my approval.
Get more info HERE.
Review written Mar 31, 2020
The Bauer 20V Hypermax cordless Hedge Trimmer. Some assembly is required and is about 37” long with a blade length of 20” and weighs in at less than 5 pounds. For safety reasons, it requires both hands to use.
I did a preliminary test by trimming on some raspberry and blackberry vines, some kind of flowering bush/tree, honey suckle and some roses.
Bauer says the cutting capacity is 9/16” of an inch, which is a little smaller than other brands that is in the Harbor Freight store. Comparing the cutter to the other brands also leaves one thinking that it is not as sharp as the other brands. Looks could be deceiving and I didn’t do a side by side comparison of the Bauer product to the others.
The Bauer hedge trimmer did fine going through the raspberry’s and blackberry’s though the blackberry vines were dried out. I had to go a little slower on the honey suckle and the flowering bush/tree as the limbs I was trying to cut had a tendency to bounce around. However, when I cut from the bottom upward, creating more pressure against the trimmer, it performed better. I suspect that if the blades were to reciprocate faster, that this may not be as noticeable.
When cutting on some roses, the Bauer Hedge Trimmer had a tendency to split the shoots. I suspect that this is due to the blades not being as sharp as they could be. Not being a rosiest (if it isn’t a word, it should be), umm, an expert on roses, I don’t know if this is a bad thing though I suspect so. The reason I suspect this is that when you want to shape and control a rose bushes direction of growth, you are to make a very acute cute with an angle in which you want the new growth to proceed. A splintering at the end of the rose vine may produce unsatisfactory results.
I only used the tool long enough to determine if it would do the job so I could determine if I wanted to return it or not. I did not run it long enough to get an idea of how long a 3AH battery would last in it. When the time comes that I do use it more extensively, I will update this review to give my run time results.
It may have been nice if it had a larger cut on it but if that happened, it would probably need to have a larger voltage or AM rating. That would move the tool into another bracket for me as I couldn’t use the Bauer 20v series of batteries. I suspect that it won’t complete a home job as fast as other brands, but as I mentioned, I wanted to stay in the same batteries as my other tools, so I am willing to accept that it doesn’t cut as fast.
Seeing how it performed on my roses, I won’t use it there. I do have a fair amount of raspberry’s, blackberry’s and honey suckle around the edges of my yard but I probably wouldn’t cu them more than twice year no matter what tool I had. It would beat using manual hedge trimmers so I’m going to keep it.
I got the tool on sale for $50 which it normally sales for $55. I wouldn’t call it a super performer, but adequate and cool as it uses the same batteries as the tools that I have in the Bauer line.
Get more info HERE.
Written Mar 15, 2020
This review is for the Bauer 20v Leaf Blower and will have to finish it later. The official name of the product is the Bauer 20V Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Cordless 338 CFM Jet Fan Blower.
The blower is a little smaller and lighter than small sized gas powered blower. With a 3AH battery it balances will in the hand. The instructions recommend that you use a 3AH battery or larger with the product.
Bauer says it is 36 inches long, weighs almost 7 lbs and creates an air flow of around 95 MPH. No accessories are listed for this product.
The product comes in three pieces. The body and 2 tube portions. Though the tubes are designed to be taken apart and removed from the body, they fit together very tightly. The blower did not easily disassemble and after just a few moments I elected to not mess with trying any longer as I would store it assembled for quick use in the future anyway.
I’m sure if I thought about it I could have come up with or made something where I could have checked how fast the air moved out of the unit at various distances. If this is needed or desired in the future, I’ll consider making the measuring device and perform the tests again. As it was, I just blow some air on the driveway, which wasn’t dirty, on the high setting and ‘swept’ the garage, which also wasn’t very dirty, on the low setting.
In both cases, the air flow seemed more than sufficed, more so in the garage though. When I performed the battery length test, I placed the unit on the drive and it jetted sufficient force that it was slowly moving backwards in conjunction with the small vibration that it made.
To perform the battery longevity test, I place a recent, fully charged 3AH battery into the unit and turned it on high. The blower and battery combination last just seconds under 10 minutes before shutting itself down. Although it was cool outside, neither the unit nor the battery felt warm immediately after the test.
Despite not wanting to come apart, the unit seems sturdy and able to hold up from normal to heavy home use. 10 minutes seems sufficient enough to handle the blowing of debris of most patios, sidewalks and driveways. Even on the low setting, the unit will probably produce too much air flow to clean a garage with displacing normal garage contents. I certainly believe it is a very good alternative to having a gas powered blower since one wouldn’t have to worry about starting, adjusting the run and storage/mixing of fuel; just put the battery in and go.
I feel it is a worthwhile purchase at its everyday price of $65 and a great value at $55 (when caught on sale like I did).
Get more info HERE.
**I don’t believe it a good fit for professional use, such as landscaping, as the battery time to battery recharge doesn’t seem viable.
I've purchased it but haven't written a review yet.
Good thinking design to have it be duel powered. It can use the 20V batteries as well as plug into 120v AC.
Get more info HERE.
Roger's wish list: Brad Nailer, Angle Grinder
Looking for a gift for Roger, consider the items above.
Heavy Duty Guaranteed!
Just what does this mean? ‘Heavy Duty Guaranteed’ is appearing on many of the Bauer 20v Cordless tool boxes. There is nothing in any Bauer literature as to what it means. Granted, I haven’t done an exhaustive search into the Bauer looking for what it means but I suspect that it is just a meaningless sales slogan such as could save you up to 15% or more.
Up to 15% or more. That is a meaningless number and a meaningless percentage. Up to would be something, but when you throw in the ‘or more’; you regulate it to lip service.
A lesser name brand battery claims to last as long as Energizer. That means that they recognize that Energizer as being the top battery, at least in their class, and that they last as long. But these batteries cost exactly the same as Energizer. Why would I by the lessor brand for the same cost as the name brand that I know for sure is the best battery? Not a very good sales slogan if you ask me.
So, what does Heavy Duty Guaranteed mean? The warranty seems to be the same as other tools in its class (I have to believe that the RIDGID tool line sold at Home Depot is probably the best as they have lifetime warranties on their tools). It’s just a sales ploy. An eye catcher. Don’t be fooled by catchy and gimmicky marketing schemes. That doesn’t mean that I am not a fan of the Bauer cordless line, just that I think it is a stupid, silly, useless statement to put on the box and advertising.
Posted on Mar 19, 2020
I’m no doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn.
Another review by Roger L Waldrip. This time, I’m reviewing the “Genesis, Paradise Lost”. It is available in DVD and for a few dollars more, Blu-ray 3D. Being a geek, I opted for the 3D.
First, it’s not really a movie but more a documentary. I would like it if companies would differentiate between movies and documentaries. By Roger definitions, movies are first for entertainment purposes, then for whatever else, while documentaries are for knowledge and teaching purposes. That doesn’t mean that documentaries can’t be entertaining or movies educational.
Oh, why the ‘doctor’ comment at the start of this review? Most, if not all, of the people interviewed in this film have doctorate degrees. However, many main stream scientists and schools feel that if you don’t believe in evolution, that your education is, and doctorate degrees or any degree for that matter, is null and void. Thus, creationists with degrees are automatically degraded to a person that is uneducated. Thus, if you don’t follow the masses, you’re not a scientist. But where would science be if everyone blindly followed everyone else. Our world would still be flat. And evolution would still be true.
As a documentary, it’s good. It is a documentary for the Creation/Evolution/Science debate. For someone that follows these topics, there really isn’t anything new here. For someone that that doesn’t, it does keep your attention but I believe that it is so fast moving that it is a little hard to follow but a person that is willing should be able to glean quite a bit of information from the film.
There are portions of the film that are 3D modeled giving an idea of how creation may have occurred. I don’t care for the narration of these parts of the film but the 3D modeling is top class. I watched the film in both 3D and regular video. The 3D is superb. Watching in non 3D is still good but the 3D modeling is just so-so in my opinion. 3D movies are difficult to make/film/produce but when done well, is really cool. The 3D in this is very good. Even the interviews done in 3D are really cool.
The 3D modeled portion of this film is used in the 4D Theater at the creation museum. It replaced the “Men In White” film. You can read more about this in my recent review of the Creation Museum on FaceBook or on my website.
I’m glad I have this film added to my Creation/Evolution repertoire. The 3D is superb and top class. Although I don’t like the 3D modeling narration, this is a great video to watch to get an introductory handle on the Creation/Evolution/Science debate.
As it is fast paced and contains a lot of information, I would recommend that you watch it at least 2 times. The film would be a very good introduction to a Creation/Evolution/Science class where the instructor could comment on portions of the film for better explanation. It would also be a very good addition to any churches library.
The DVD version is $18 on AnswersInGenesis’ website while the 3D version, which also includes the standard Blu-ray and DVD version, is $28.
If anyone would like to borrow this, let me know. If you would like further information on Creation/Evolution/Science in a non-confrontational way, let me know and we can talk one-on-one. I may be interested in conduction another Creation/Evolution/Science class if anyone would be interested.
Posted on Feb 24, 2020
Recently, I was invited to attend, via Answers In Genesis, a premier showing of the Red Sea Miracle. I did a review of it and posted it to Facebook and web site on Feb 11, 2020. You can go find it on Facebook or read it at http://www.thewaldrips.net/2020/02/11/review-red-sea-miracle/
Since I had driven the distance to attend the premier, I decided to take in the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum as well and I give a review of each independently. Below is my review of the Ark Encounter.
It was actually a great day to move through the Ark and get pictures. It was not very crowded for a Friday but I’ll contribute that to the time of the year (Feb 7), the weather (cold and snowy/drizzly) and not advertising going on this time of the year. All worked in my favor to move about as I wanted without really being held up, as the attendance was low, but this probably doesn’t give an accurate portrayal of movement through the Ark and its exhibits.
First, you have to park quite a away from the Ark and a bus to the Encounter. Remember this if you plan to return to your vehicle to get eats or other things and especially if you have a family. Figure a round trip of 25 minutes or so depending on how far you had to park from the buses. To ride the bus, you must first pay for your admittance to the Ark encounter and they’ll also get your $10 parking fee at the same time. You may ride the bus as many times as you need.
The bus drops you off near the Ark and nearer yet to a (I say “a” because there are several) gift shops. It’s also where you get on the bus to return to the parking lot. The buses are heated and I assume Air Conditioned as well. There are enough buses running that you don’t have to worry about squeezing onto them. I saw a family with a stroller on the bus and they didn’t have any problem bring it in, stowing it or getting it unloaded, though they were not able to sit by the stroller; such are the ways that buses anywhere are made.
Once you step off the Ark, you have the choice of going into the gift shop or looking to your right and seeing the Ark. Not knowing how the day would play out, I went inside first to see what amenities they had. Besides lots of good Christian Creation materials available for purchase, there was also an eatery and restrooms. Also a very large auditorium is in here. Note that I mentioned rest rooms. You don’t have to hit them now as there are a lot of them around the grounds and in the Ark; I guess for all the workers to use while preparing Noah for his journey.
Because of that last sentence, now is a good time to talk about ‘creative licensing’. The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of information about the Ark, its construction and preparation. In fact, Creation to post-Babylon, which includes the Ark and flood, all occur in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. For those of you not to Bible savvy, that’s also the first 11 chapters of the Bible. So not a lot of details are given on its living conditions, builders, and preparations for the ‘voyage’. So Answers In Genesis personnel used some Creative or Artistic Licensing in the Arks presentation. They talk about it as you first enter the Ark.
So, upon exiting the gift shop (gift shop #1) I head to the colossal Ark. And it is colossal. 300 x 50 x 30; cubits. There are several cubits used throughout history but in this case, the Arks size is 510 feet long. That’s 1 and 2/3 football fields. So you get to look at it for quite a while as you walk to it.
I suspect the grounds would look much better in the spring, summer or fall but as it was it was pretty bleak. But it’s mid-February. A pond/lake is off to the right and zip lines off to the right. I suspect Noah’s workers used them transport wood and materials to the job site back in there day.
Thankfully, there were no lines in the cattle stalls and people restrictors under the Ark like there probably are in the better months and more people on the grounds. So I able to Wisk right to the ramp that led up to the souvenir picture station and main entrance. If needed, you can rent single and double strollers as well as electric and people powered wheel chairs just before you get on the ramp. Though there seemed to be plenty of seating along the walls of the Ark, wheel chairs maybe should be on your mind. There are three 3 decks and two sides on each deck. At ~500 long, times 6, your walking 3,000 feet. Plus there are the exhibits and small stretches in the Ark not including the activities out of it. I could see a person easily walking close to a mile inside the Ark alone.
I heard an employee say that someone used their exercise app and walked 1.7 miles. I asked what that was in cubits and was quickly returned a puzzled look. I offered him some advice about staying in character.
OK, I’ll
As you can imagine, there is plenty of room for lots of exhibits inside the Ark. Though there were a lot of exhibits, there was also a lot of empty space on the walls. I say this because if it was crowded, there isn’t that much too look at as you wait in line between exhibits. Of course, for the first little while, a person would just look at the inside of the structure which is pretty impressive. But I doubt this would the attention of many once they are on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Though I didn’t have to wait in line to get into an exhibit since it wasn’t crowded, I would believe it would be nice to have things to hold your attention while in line; especially if one was there with children. But maybe they do when there are more visitors in attendance.
Each level has restrooms and a snack bar. There is also another gift shop on the second floor; this is #2. Elevators are near the restrooms. Large, wide ramps connect the 3 levels of the Ark and the ground floor (4 floors on total) and exits you out into a gift shop (#3).
There was also a small petting zoo area on the second floor and on the opposite end of the Ark, was a theater. Several exhibits are also spread out on the second floor.
The third floor contained another theater and several more exhibits as well as the crew’s living quarters.
The appearance of the Interior looks what I would envision to be authentic and reasonable enough to be valid of what Noah could accomplish and yet visually appealing and comfortable enough to be enjoyed by visitors.
I really didn’t see a whole lot that would keep kids interested if it was busy. Again, if you’re waiting in lines, it may be a long day. In my opinion, there should have been more stuff on the walls to read as you shuffle to the exhibits. Some of the exhibit’s materials were really packed together and people needed to move before I could read/enjoy them; and it wasn’t that busy. Other exhibits were spaced out to the point that they should have more stuff in them.
Most of the interactive exhibits really only accommodated a small family and I could see them easily spending several minutes at each (once they got there). For instance, you could ask Noah questions by selecting the questions from a touch screen. I forget how many questions there were, but 13 come to mind. If a person, once they got there, asked all 13 questions, I would suspect that 15 to 20 minutes could go by. There was only one Noah and people won’t wait that long to ask Noah questions. And these are the types of things you should do with your kids that spur interaction with them and adults. Setup 5 Noah stations and get rid of snack bar to make room if needed. Sure 5 Noahs might seem weird but I’d rather explain that then not explain a unique point of the whole exhibit to someone by them not ‘asking’ a question.
Out of the whole Ark, there was really only three portions that I feel were dedicated to children and they may be excited about. The petting zoo (I get excited at them), the creepy animal area (I forget what it was called but it was neat and could be a little scary for the younger ones (but I think kids of all ages will find it fun), and the animal storage when you first encounter the Ark.
There’s more to do outside the Ark once you get through the 3rd gift shop (#3, but I mentioned that already). However, I can’t comment too much on outside activities as there wasn’t much going due to the time of the year and weather. There is a zoo, and a village that at the very least sells many different types of foods. In keeping with the operando, I would assume that there a gift shop here as well as at the zoo. I like to think that there is entertainment going on as people eat but I don’t know if there is or anything else besides the food here. I didn’t go to the zoo as I didn’t have warm enough cloths on for outside activates but what I did have on was bordering too hot for the indoor ones.
I myself am pretty much up on the Ark and other Creation topics so there wasn’t much information that I gleaned. One area that did, and it wasn’t Biblical but creative licensing and feasible in my opinion, was a couple of displays dealing with waste product removal and air movement (fresh air intake). God didn’t say anything about this type of stuff in the Bible but most likely it was needed and Ark Encounter designers did a good showing how it could have believably been done.
I don’t know what the cost of drinks or eats were at neither the snack bars nor the cost of food at the bus station. I would assume that they are probably what they would be at any other similar venue. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the buffet restaurant; a good genre selection and plenty of sides plus drink for $14. Though I’ve never been to a buffet at a theme park, I bet it would have cost much more as just a regular A-la-carte usually gets you in the $10 range.
Maybe I’m being a little hard on the whole exhibit; though I really liked it I felt it could have been better. More children’s stuff. More scientific stuff about the feasibility of the Ark itself, and perhaps how it would fare in the waters and maybe how things may have been for the first several years after the Ark, including the dispersing and migration of animals.
I don’t feel 3 snack stations were needed in the Ark and that that space could be used for other things. Actually, there’s still room for other things even with the snack stations but I don’t think we need to be bombarded with the ‘Instant Gratification’ stations at every turn and the added aggravation for parents as their children pester them for pleasures. A little walking for many of us shouldn’t be out of the question either.
And with a gift shop just feet away from the buses that you must get on to leave the park, is there really a need for the others in the grounds. It’s not a secular park where we have to get everything they can from you. I realize that a gift shop helps generate revenue and as a Christian non-profit, I don’t mind giving a little more; but I don’t feel I should have to be ‘roughed’ up to spend money and then have to carry items around the remainder of the stay, especially as they have most of the same stuff at the exiting gift shop.
However, the Ark Encounter hasn’t quite yet 4 years old. There were a couple of exhibits coming soon inside the Ark itself. There may have been outside as well but again due to the temperatures, I didn’t browse around outside. It’s hard to say if it was a good value. It was for me. I’m not sure I could say the same for a family of 6. There is a savings if you get an Ark Encounter and Creation Museum ticket. They also have a deal going on right now where a child under 10 gets in for free with each paid adult.
I plane to go back, hopefully as part of a group. And if possible, I’ll plan it to be in the spring or summer when I would assume that the grounds will full of flowers and such.
Since you see that I plan to return to the Ark Encounter sometime, I did enjoy it. As a Christian, I didn’t need to see it but it is neat to get ideas of how it could have been done. Of course as a Christian, we have to be careful not to be dogmatic in preaching ‘how it could’ for ‘how it was’ and leave room (lots of room I suspect) for God’s providence and lots of miracles during the time of the flood.
If I was a non-Christian, I probably wouldn’t even consider the Ark Encounter if I had to take a family. At around $200 to go through a joke (that’s what they probably would be thinking) just to mock it, I’d be heading to an amusement park. But if a friend, say a Christian friend, invited them to go (they probably would be less inclined to mock it for fear of hurting a friends feelings) and that friend could help explain things and challenge those guests to some reasonable thinking, maybe the Ark Encounter could make a difference if that friend could get them there.
But what if that friend had a way to get non-believer there where it would cost them so much (maybe half price for a non-believer or something). Would the Ark Encounter lose money due to Christians lying and saying they are non-Christians to save on money at the ticket gate? Maybe, but if Christians do that, then they should probably be there for sure. But I doubt that a non-believers going by themselves to see the Ark Encounter will have a life changing experience.
Godly life changing experiences come by Godly people being willing to help people with Godly life changing experiences.
Stay tuned for my Creation Museum review; coming soon.
Have a Blessed Day!
Posted on Feb 11, 2020
Recently, I received a personal invitation from Ken Ham to come and watch a movie with him; as well as about 1500 other people (the orange arm band was my admittance). I accepted the offer and spent 2 days also attending the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter.
The reason people were invited to the premier of the movie was so that they could talk it prior to its release this Friday. Of course they assumed that everyone would like, and I believe that most everyone, if not everyone, did.
I thought I would take a moment and give my review of it. And following in a few days, reviews of the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, though I had been to the museum a time or two but not since its remodel. So watch for them soon.
The movie is actually a two parter, and the 3rd set in a series. I don’t recall about the first four but this one and the next, part 2 which comes out May 5th, 2020 and plays in theaters for one night only.
These types of ‘films’ appeal to me but not as movies. It isn’t something I would enjoy watching in a theater or a conference hall, which is where we all watched it last Friday. I might best refer to it as a slow Indiana Jones or National Treasure with pretty much no action. Yes, it’s a documentary of sorts and a nice reprieve from those that have become as liberal on PBS as of late. However, it’s of a technical nature and not a tear jerker, so it played to my likes.
Knowing that it is a documentary, I suspect that you have deduced that the movie is in search of where the Red Sea Crossing took place by Moses and Israelites and not a show of them running from the Egyptians and crossing the sea. Several other people in search of antiquities, and mostly non-believers, aided in the search and understanding of the times. **Note – many of these unbelievers aren’t un-believers that the Israelite's left Egypt but they doubt the miracles and the numbers of people that left.
Anyhow, I doubt that I would attend this or another movie like it, Christian or secular, at a movie theater because I would be able to relax at home with a bowl of ice cream and my shoes off when watching a documentary. Yes, I know, you can get ie cream at a theater now days, and you could take your shoes off, but I don’t recommend it. Being able to stop a documentary and discuss it as it goes is something I would prefer as to having to watch it all the way through.
The only portion of the movie that I found unbelievable was at the beginning. They were using remote control airplanes to help them look at the landscapes and terrain. They were able to take the planes off and retrieve them without incident. Being a skilled RC pilot I know for fact that it takes at least 3 crashes between 10 and 35 feet away from the pilot, 2 of which has to be nose down augers, before he gets a feel for the plane and the location and can successfully fly to the end of the runway before crashing 2 more times. At that time, the RC pilot than has his flying legs and will perform admirably the remainder of the day, assuming he brought enough planes to continue flying after all of the unfortunate incidents. It’s those kinds of special effects and lies that give us Christians a bad name.
As I said, I myself wouldn’t go to a theater to see it. Many church people will say shame on me for not supporting them but that’s my opinion. However, I would recommend that churches, whether their members theater it up or not, purchase a couple of the DVD’s for families and small groups to view.
I won’t spoil the ending for you. But I will say…..