Jack Lalanne Power Juicer 250 Watts

WANTED: WILL WORK FOR PRODUCE! $$$$$

WHY I BOUGHT IT:
I sat intently watching the Jack LaLanne infomercial where Jack was promoting the benefits of his juicer. "O.K., he's like 150 years old and he looks great!", I thought to myself. He seems to know his own name so it must be working for him!
After seeing the infomercial I took a look at my own health and diet and had to admit this guy had it all over me and I'm only in my 40's! I've been feeling rather sluggish and the holidays always wreak havoc on my eating habits. I'm getting fat and old and I don't like it. So it was time to make a few changes. I joined the YMCA to get more exercise first then I actually thought about juicing for another month or two before ordering the juicer.

WHERE I GOT IT:
I ordered the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer off of WalMart.com. It was ninety-eight bucks and about seven dollars for shipping. It arrived in about four days which was really impressive to start with. I've had the unit for a couple of weeks now so durability is yet to be decided though it seems to be made well. It is mostly plastic however.

WHAT CAME IN THE BOX:
When I opened the box I was a little intimidated at first. There were like 9 different items that I had to put together. It was however very easy to assemble once I looked at the pictures. I did, however, slice up two finger tips on the blade. It doesn't look that sharp but it is like a razor blade on some parts so be really careful.
In the box were these items:
The Main Unit - this contains the motor
Pulp Collector - a tank that collects pulp
Pusher - this is what you use to push the produce into the juicer
Lid with Pulp Guard - covers the entire unit
Crescent Tool - you use this to remove the blade for cleaning
Receptacle - This contains the juice spout and goes over the main unit
Blade - This is what I sliced my fingers up on! Also grinds out the pulp from the produce
Filter - this collect the finer pulp particles
Platform - the unit fits in this and keeps it all together
Measuring Cup - to collect the juice
Filter Brush - to clean filter unit
Overflow platform and Grate - to sit measuring cup on to collect juice
Extra Blade and an Extra Crescent Tool
Operating Manual
2 Recipe booklets
Warranty Card (1 year)\
FAQ sheet
Assembly instructions

WHY SHOULD WE JUICE:
There are entire books written on this subject and I suggest you check some out of the library or research to see if juicing is for you. They say that the nutrients from raw juice from fruits and vegies gets into your cells much more quickly and in a more concentrated form since you don't have to digest the pulp from the fruit. Juicing experts also say you should eat the pulp as well in muffins and other recipes. I won't go into all of the advantages here however.

WHY I LOVE IT:
So I have been juicing now for 2 weeks. I've lost 5 pounds and my skin is really looking better then it has in years. I also have no cravings for anything! The juicer is quiet, powerful and fast. The chute is very large and I can fit most produce in whole except for larger apples which I cut in half and they fit most of the time. I keep the juicer out on my counter and juice twice a day. The unit squeezes out the vital nutrients in the vegies and throws the excess pulp into a removable tank. The pulp that is left after juicing is very dry which tells me this is a very effective juicer. The juice is very fresh tasting (you should drink it immediately) and for the most part pretty tasty. I have always mix whatever I drink with carrots and apples since it's more palatable this way. I have tried several all vegie juices and I just couldn't get them down. I must have some fruit in my juice. I am amazed at how quiet the unit is. I can juice in the morning and the juicer does not seem to wake up the kids so that is a big plus. There is also little prep time since you do not have to remove peels, skins or seeds in most items. The juicer is also very easy to reassemble after cleaning. You do have to remove larger pits as in cherries however or you could damage the unit.

WHAT I HATE ABOUT JUICING:
First and foremost I hate the amount of produce you have to purchase to juice. There is no getting around it however. Every juicing book I have read suggests organic produce but unless you have a garden the price would be outrageous. I purchase non-organic produce and I wash everything in a big bowl of vinegar water. I peel very thick peels and try not to buy waxed produce. Produce is very expensive so lately I've been buying produce in bulk at Sam's and this helps keep the cost down. It is also difficult finding room to store all of the produce for the juicer.

WHAT I HATE ABOUT THE JUICER:
Because of all of the parts it is a pain in the neck to clean. I clean it each and every time since you don't want to be drinking bacteria with your juice. You have to take the entire unit apart, clean out all of the pulp, scrub the filter and the blade as well as the spout and pusher. I do not use the platform or the overflow platform since these are just more things to clean. I also found that when using the platform the pulp tank does not always line up with the Lid and this can cause the unit not to turn on unless you fix it. I have not had this problems since I've taken it off the platform. Also, the unit is fairly large but not ridiculous. I've seen much bigger units. The tank is really what makes it so large so I keep it stored until I'm ready to juice. Also, from what I read, most juicers only have a life span of about a year unless you want to spend big bucks so if I get a year out of it I'll be a happy girl!
I would like to note that the TV infomercial says there is a lifetime warranty on the motor (not parts) but I can not find any warranty information in my paperwork on that statement. I only have a one year warranty card to fill out.

Overall I'd say this juicer is powerful and functional. It does what it's supposed to do but since it's my first juicer I really have nothing to compare it to. So I give it a thumbs up for now. Of course I always will update if something goes wrong!