Product News

Screwdriver Stores Bits
Ready Products has introduced the Retract-A-Bit self-storing screwdriver system that features bits that are stored inside the screwdriver and can be changed with the push of a button.

Because the bits are integral to the screwdriver, they cannot be lost. The user selects the desired bit and slides its button into place, while a locking collar ensures stability. To change bits, the user depresses the collar and retracts the bit into the handle. The tool is equipped with two Phillips head, two slotted head and two square head bits. The Retract-a-Bit is available at independent hardware stores and through a Web site at ready-products.com. It is priced at $14.99. For information, contact Ready Products, 5855 Olympia Fields Court, West Chester, OH 45069. Phone (513) 604-4330.

Croquet Goes Extreme
Xtreme Malletball is a game like croquet, but uses giant wickets, soccer balls and heavy mallets and can be played on a long course with bumpy terrain, including forested hills and sandy beaches. The large wickets have pointed ends that the manufacturer says can be poked into almost any ground.

The game is designed to test the skills of players in shots ranging from powerful, long drives to precision putts. Youngsters too small to handle the heavy mallets can play a version of the game called Toequet by kicking the soccer balls. Malletball and Toequet were created by the Ridgeway family of Terre Haute, Indiana, to entertain themselves at family gatherings. Now they have formed the Toequet Company to sell game equipment. A Toequet set with nine wickets, two stakes and four soccer balls, costs $142. The set can be upgraded for Malletball by adding two mallets, bringing the total cost to $242. For information, contact the Toequet Company, 805 S. 34th St., Terre Haute, IN 47803. Phone (812) 235-5284 or see www.toequet.com.

Winnebago Offers New Class C
Winnebago Industries has added to its Class C motorhome lineup for 2005 by introducing the new Winnebago Aspect and the Itasca Cambria. Both are aerodynamic motorhomes with a one-piece fiberglass roof and a sleek front-end designed to echo the lines of the Ford cab. A 5,000-pound trailer hitch is standard.

The models come in two floor plans, the 23D and 26A. The 23D has a 20-inch front slideout and includes a dinette across from the sofa, an angled galley with three-burner range and oven, pull-out pantry and rear bath. The 26A has a 30-inch slideout with a large, U-shaped dinette and includes an in-line galley, three-burner range with oven, pull-out pantry, rear double bed and corner bath. Both floor plans offer a child seat tether anchor in the dinette. For information on the new models, contact Winnebago Industries, P. O. Box 152 Forest City, IA 50436 or call (800) 643-4892, ext. 3.

Super Glue Comes in Foil Pouch
Loctite S.O.S. Repair Super Glue is a new product that comes in a travel-size container inside a foil package to keep the glue fresh, safe and convenient to carry in a glove government, tackle box, tool kit or “junk drawer.”

The glue is inside a see-through container with a plastic applicator that will not deform or squirt. The applicator has a twist-off cap, eliminating the need for a pin to puncture the nozzle. The glue can be used to repair fabric, metal, rubber, leather, wood and most plastics. Loctite S.O.S. Repair Super Glue is available at Wal-Mart, Rite Aid and other retailers. The suggested price is $1.49. Loctite is marketed by Henkel Consumer Adhesives, Inc., 32150 Just Imagine Drive, Avon, OH 44011. For information, see www.henkelca.com.

Fresh Cab Absorbs Odors
Fresh Cab, a product developed by Kari Warberg, a North Dakota farm wife, is a long-lasting air freshener for campers, tractor cabs, farm trucks, garages and storage areas. Warberg said Fresh cab not only keeps the air fresh but also releases a fragrance that chases away mice.

Fresh Cab scent pouches are filled with corn cob chips infused with oils and spices from ingredients such as lavender, cedarwood, clary sage and lemon. Warberg said she recommends placing two to four pouches in each vehicle or storage area, and replacing them when the pine and cedar scent becomes weak. Cost of a four-pack box is about $12.50. Although Fresh Cab is all-natural and safe, use is not recommended in enclosed areas where children and pets are present because the strong scent can cause headaches. The product is available at 3,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. For information, contact Crane Creek Gardens, 17 Third Avenue Southeast, Stanley, ND 58784. Phone (800) 583-2921 or see www.cranecrekgardens.com.