Filce.uk

Industrial Candy Floss Machine Review

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I bought this industrial-style candy floss machine hoping it would be a step up from the cheap toy-like options you see everywhere, and in terms of actual performance, it absolutely is. Once I had it up and running, it made lovely, fluffy candy floss and the results were far better than I expected from a home setup. The family loved it straight away, and that alone made it feel like a worthwhile purchase.

The biggest strength here is the output. It produces proper candy floss rather than the thin, disappointing strands I expected from a lower-end machine. It feels much closer to something you would see at a fair or event stall, just scaled to a size that makes sense for home use or small parties. If the main thing you care about is whether it actually makes good candy floss, then yes, this one does the job very well.

It also feels more substantial than the bargain versions. You can tell it is aimed more at serious use than novelty use. That does mean it costs more, but I would still rather pay for something that works properly than waste money on something that struggles after a couple of goes.

That said, this is not one of those products I can praise without a few strong warnings. The instructions are honestly terrible. They read like they have been translated badly, and in places they are confusing enough to be borderline useless. For a machine like this, that is frustrating because there is a bit of setup and learning involved at the start. I got there in the end, but it definitely took more trial and error than it should have.

The accessories are another downside. The machine itself performs brilliantly, but once you start looking at extras and replacements, the prices feel steep. That is one of those hidden costs that can make an already expensive purchase feel more expensive over time. It is not enough to ruin the experience, but it is something I think buyers should know before jumping in.

Overall, I’m still glad I bought it. When it is working, it is genuinely fun, and the quality of the candy floss won people over instantly in my house. It feels like one of those purchases where the product itself is very good, but the surrounding experience, especially the instructions and accessory pricing, lets it down.

If you want a candy floss machine that actually delivers proper results and you do not mind figuring a few things out yourself, I think this is a solid buy. If you want something perfectly beginner-friendly out of the box, you may find it a bit irritating at first.

For me, it lands at a very fair 4 out of 5. Great machine, great results, but definitely not flawless.

DURI Bi-Metal Hole Saw Set Review

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I picked up the DURI bi-metal hole saw set mainly because I needed a larger size and noticed the full set was not much more expensive than buying a single 80mm hole saw on its own. On value alone, it made sense, and after using it, I’d say that was the right call.

The simple version is this: it works exactly as I wanted it to. The cuts were clean enough, it handled the job properly, and I did not come away feeling like I had bought one of those cheap tool sets that only look good until you actually use them. For the money, this feels like a sensible buy.

What I like most is that it covers multiple sizes without costing a fortune. That is useful if you are doing bits of DIY and do not want to keep buying individual saws every time a different job comes up. In my case, the fact that the set price was close to the cost of one larger hole saw made it much easier to justify. Even if I only needed one size immediately, having the rest there for future work is genuinely handy.

Performance-wise, I have no real complaints. It cut properly, did what it was supposed to do, and did not give me any annoying surprises. That is exactly what I want from a tool like this. I am not expecting premium trade-grade perfection at this price, but for normal DIY and occasional heavier use, it feels more than capable.

The reason I am not scoring it higher is mostly down to realism. I do not think this is a forever set. It works well, but it does not strike me as something that will take endless abuse for years on end. That is not a major criticism given the price point, just an honest expectation. If you are a professional using these constantly, you may want something more heavy-duty. If you are a typical home user or even a fairly frequent DIYer, I think it is good value.

The packaging is also poor. Everything feels a bit crammed into the box, and it really could do with a better storage case. That is one of the first things I noticed. The tools themselves are fine, but the presentation and storage side lets it down. A decent fitted case would have made a big difference, especially for keeping the sizes organised after opening.

Still, I would buy it again. It is affordable, it works, and it gives you a useful range of sizes for not much more than the cost of a single larger cutter. That kind of value is hard to ignore.

Overall, I would rate the DURI bi-metal hole saw set 4 out of 5. It is not a premium lifelong kit, and the packaging is disappointing, but in terms of performance for the price, I think it is a very good buy.

hsawbit 40x155mm Auger Bit Review

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I bought the hsawbit 40x155mm auger bit for a very specific job: drilling joists so I could run waste pipework. I had already tried using a spade bit, and honestly, it was nowhere near as good for this kind of work. Switching to this auger bit made a huge difference straight away.

The best way to describe it is that it just felt like the right tool for the job. Instead of fighting the timber and putting up with slower, rougher progress, this bit pulled through much more cleanly and efficiently. If you are trying to drill larger holes in timber, especially in joists, this is one of those purchases that can save you both time and frustration.

Compared with a spade bit, the performance was night and day for me. The auger design helps it bite properly, and once it gets going, it does a lot of the hard work for you. That makes the whole process feel more controlled and less like a battle. For anyone doing plumbing, renovation work, or even just awkward DIY jobs where a clean, solid bore through timber matters, I think this type of bit is well worth having.

I also liked that it came in a decent plastic case. That might sound like a small thing, but tool storage matters more than people think, especially with bits like this. A simple case keeps it protected, stops it knocking around with everything else, and makes it easier to find when you need it again. It is a nice touch and better than just getting a loose bit chucked in basic packaging.

There is one limitation worth mentioning, and it is not exactly the bit’s fault. The effective reach depends quite a lot on the drill you are using. The bit itself is 155mm long, which is useful, but depending on the bulk of your drill and the angle you are working at, that extra length may or may not give you as much real-world clearance as you hope for. So I would still think about your drill setup before assuming it solves every access problem.

Even with that caveat, I was genuinely impressed with how well it worked. This is one of those tools that immediately makes you think, I should have bought this first. If I had started with the auger bit instead of trying to make a spade bit do the job, I would have saved myself a bit of hassle.

So if you are drilling joists for waste piping or any similar job, my honest advice is simple: use an auger bit like this rather than struggling with the wrong tool. For me, it worked brilliantly, it felt effective from the first use, and the included case was a welcome bonus.

I’d rate it 4.5 out of 5. It solved the problem very well, and aside from the practical limitations of drill length and access, I have very little to complain about.

Miracase Magnetic Case for iPhone 17 Pro Max Review

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I have mixed feelings about this Miracase magnetic case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, because in some ways it does exactly what I want from a phone case, and in another very important way, it slowly becomes more annoying the longer you use it.

Starting with the positives, the general fit and feel are good. The screen remains responsive, the buttons work properly, and the camera area does not feel awkward or obstructed. Those are the basics, but they matter. I have used cases before where button presses become mushy, edge swipes feel worse, or the camera surround gets in the way. This case avoids most of that, which I appreciated from day one.

It also feels like it gives decent protection. I would not call it ultra-rugged, but it does seem to offer a reassuring amount of drop protection for normal everyday use. That is really the reason most people buy a case in the first place, and on that front, I think it does a respectable job. The magnetic element is also nice to have if you use compatible charging or mounting accessories.

If I were judging it only on first impressions, I would probably score it higher. The problem is that living with it over time has exposed a flaw that is hard to ignore.

Dust gets trapped between the case and the screen area, and once that starts happening, it gets progressively more irritating. It is not just a one-off bit of fluff you wipe away and forget. Over time, it becomes a repeating issue, and that takes the shine off what is otherwise a fairly decent case. A phone case is meant to protect the device, not create a new maintenance problem.

That dust issue matters because it affects the day-to-day experience. Even though the screen stays responsive and the buttons still feel fine, I found myself increasingly noticing the grime building up where it should not be. That is the kind of thing that turns a product from “good enough” into “I’m not sure I’d buy this again.”

To be fair, I do not think this is a terrible case. It protects well enough, it feels usable, and nothing about it seems badly designed in terms of button access or camera cutouts. If someone only cares about those points, they may be perfectly happy with it. But I think a review should reflect real use, not just the first few minutes after unboxing.

For me, the dust problem is big enough that I cannot fully recommend it without hesitation. It starts off strong, but the long-term annoyance drags the whole experience down. That is why I land in the middle with this one rather than at either extreme.

Overall, I would give the Miracase magnetic case 3 out of 5. It gets the fundamentals right, and it offers decent protection, but the ongoing dust build-up stops it from being something I would feel confident praising too highly.

Reolink PoE Fisheye Camera Review — Perfect for Whole-Room Pet Monitoring

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Reolink PoE Fisheye Camera Review

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Published on filce.uk | Honest review, affiliate link included

The Problem I Was Trying to Solve

We needed a way to keep an eye on Ice (our Alaskan Malamute) when we're out. He's an indoor dog, and we wanted to check on him without relying on WiFi cameras that drop out or battery-powered options that need constant charging.

The lounge and dining room are open to each other — one regular camera would only see part of the space. We needed something with genuine wide coverage.

Why Fisheye Made Sense

A fisheye camera covers 180° — essentially an entire room from a single vantage point. Position it right and there are no blind spots.

We bought one for the lounge/dining room area. It worked so well we bought a second for the landing upstairs. Same use case: whole-floor coverage, keep an eye on the dog, zero dead zones.

PoE — Set and Forget

This is the bit I didn't realise I'd appreciate as much as I do.

PoE (Power over Ethernet) means:

No WiFi dropouts — it's wired, so connectivity is rock solid
No power adapters — one cable does power and data
No battery anxiety — it's always on, always recording

For pet monitoring, reliability matters. I've had WiFi cameras that disconnect at the worst moments. With PoE, that's simply not a concern.

Reolink Ecosystem Integration

We already have a Reolink DVR for other cameras, so adding the fisheye was seamless:

Plug it in, DVR discovers it automatically
All cameras in one interface
Mobile app works for remote viewing
Recording to the DVR means no SD card management

If you're already in the Reolink ecosystem, this fits perfectly. If you're not, it's a good reason to start — everything just works together.

Two-Way Audio — Actually Useful

Two-way audio on security cameras is often a gimmick. Not here.

The speaker is clear enough that Ice can hear us, and we can hear him. When we're out and he decides to serenade the neighbourhood with Malamute howling, we can talk him down from it. Or just tell him he's a good boy. Both work.

The microphone picks up ambient sound well too — useful for knowing if something's actually happening versus a motion-triggered nothing.

Home Assistant Integration — The Game Changer

Here's where it gets interesting for the home automation crowd.

Reolink cameras pair brilliantly with Home Assistant. But I've taken it further:

LLM Vision Integration — I've set up an AI-powered monitoring system that:

Watches the camera feed automatically
Detects what Ice is doing (sleeping, playing, howling, etc.)
Sends me notifications with natural language descriptions
Alerts me to anything unusual

Instead of just "motion detected," I get messages like:

"Ice is pacing near the kitchen door" "Ice is sleeping on the rug in the dining room" "Ice is howling in the hallway"

This is genuinely useful. I don't need to check the feed constantly — the AI tells me what matters.

Coverage Quality

The fisheye gives a complete view, but it's worth understanding the trade-offs:

Pros: Entire room visible, no blind spots, ideal for monitoring
Cons: Objects at the edges are smaller (fisheye distortion), not ideal for identifying fine details at distance

For pet monitoring and general room awareness, the pros massively outweigh the cons. I can see exactly where Ice is and what he's doing. For detailed surveillance of a specific area, a standard camera might be better.

Night Vision

IR night vision works well. Our house isn't pitch black, but even in low light the camera switches to IR automatically and the feed remains clear. Ice is visible whether it's day or night.

The Verdict

We bought one, then immediately bought another. That's the strongest endorsement I can give.

For pet owners who want:

Whole-room coverage from a single camera
Reliable wired connection (no WiFi dropouts)
Integration with Home Assistant for smart monitoring
Two-way audio to interact with pets remotely
DVR recording for playback

This is exactly what you need.

Pros:

180° coverage — true whole-room visibility
PoE reliability — always on, never drops
Seamless Reolink ecosystem integration
Two-way audio that's actually usable
Home Assistant compatible
AI monitoring possibilities with LLM Vision

Cons:

Fisheye means objects at edges appear smaller
Requires Ethernet cable run (but that's also a pro for reliability)

Overall: 5/5 — Bought one, bought another. Does exactly what I need, and the Home Assistant AI integration takes it to another level.

Check current price on Amazon UK

WOLFBOX MF50 Compressed Air Duster Review

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

WOLFBOX MF50 Compressed Air Duster Review

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)

Published on filce.uk | Honest review, affiliate link included

Why I Bought It

I originally picked up the WOLFBOX MF50 for one specific job: cleaning the watercooling radiator in my PC. If you've ever tried to get dust out of a radiator fin stack, you know canned air runs out fast and proper compressed air requires a compressor I don't have space for.

What I didn't expect was how many other uses I'd find for it.

PC Cleaning — The Original Use Case

For PC maintenance, this thing is genuinely brilliant. The radiator fins on my watercooling setup trap dust in ways that are nearly impossible to clean with brushes or cloths. The MF50 pushes enough air to blast it out properly.

It's also been useful for:

Blowing dust from keyboard switches
Cleaning case fans without taking them apart
Getting into GPU shroud areas that are normally awkward to reach

The power is genuinely comparable to a small compressor — far more than canned air can ever manage.

The Surprising Uses

Gloss Black Floors

We have a gloss black floor at home. Anyone with similar flooring knows the struggle: dust shows instantly, and sweeping or vacuuming risks micro-scratches that accumulate over time.

The MF50 has become my go-to for this. A quick blast and the dust is cleared without any contact with the floor surface. No scratches, no marks, just clean.

Helping Our Malamute With Coat Blowouts

This one I genuinely didn't expect. Ice (our Alaskan Malamute) is just starting to lose his first winter coat. If you know Malamutes, you know the fur situation — it's intense.

The MF50 actually works brilliantly for helping blow out the loose undercoat. It moves enough air to separate the guard hairs from the blowing undercoat, making brushing significantly more effective. Obviously you need to be careful and not blast directly at sensitive areas, but used sensibly it's been genuinely helpful.

The One Downside: Noise

This isn't a quiet device. But honestly, given the power it delivers, that's not surprising. It's about as loud as you'd expect from something this powerful in such a small package.

If you're sensitive to noise, it's worth knowing. But realistically, you're not running this for extended periods — it's short bursts for specific cleaning tasks.

Battery Life

The charge lasts a decent amount of time. I've used it across multiple cleaning sessions without needing to recharge. For context: cleaning a full PC, doing the floor, and a session with Ice's coat, and it's still going.

It charges via USB-C, which is convenient — no proprietary chargers to lose.

Versus Canned Air

If you're using canned air regularly, this pays for itself quickly:

No cans to buy repeatedly
No running out mid-clean
Significantly more power
Better for the environment (one device vs dozens of cans)
No cold spray on your hands from inverted cans

The only downside is you can't invert it for liquid spray, but that's not what most people use canned air for anyway.

The Verdict

I bought this for PC cleaning. I kept it because it's become genuinely useful across the house and even for the dog.

For PC builders, it's a no-brainer — better than canned air in every way that matters. For pet owners with heavy-shedding breeds, it's surprisingly useful during coat blows. For anyone with delicate surfaces that shouldn't be touched, it solves a problem you didn't know you had a solution for.

Pros:

Powerful air output
Cordless convenience
USB-C charging
Multiple unexpected uses
Pays for itself vs canned air

Cons:

Loud (but proportionate to power)
Not as compact as a small canned air

Overall: 4.5/5 — A tool I didn't know I needed, now can't imagine not having.

Check current price on Amazon UK

Milwaukee FASTBACK Folding Utility Knife Review

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I'll be honest — for years I never thought much about utility knives. I'd grab whatever was cheapest from B&M, it'd rattle around in a drawer or toolbox, and eventually I'd lose it or bin it when the blade got dull. Job done, nothing special. Then I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and kept seeing the Milwaukee FASTBACK pop up. Figured it was worth a proper punt.

It arrived, I picked it up, and the first thing I noticed was the weight. Not heavy in a bad way — just solid. The body is metal and it feels like it. Compare that to the plasticky flex you get on a cheap knife and it's immediately a different experience. This is a tool that feels like it was made to last, not made to fill a shelf.

The One-Handed Action

The party trick of the FASTBACK is the one-handed open and close — and it genuinely works. Flick it out with your thumb, blade locks open. Push the button, folds back in cleanly. It sounds like a small thing until you've been on a ladder, up a scaffolding, or just have one hand occupied. The mechanism is smooth and satisfying, and after regular use it still operates the same way it did out of the box — no slop, no stiffness.

Build Quality

This is where the FASTBACK earns its price tag. The metal body feels genuinely premium. The blade itself is a standard utility blade, so replacement is easy and cheap — no proprietary nonsense. The clip on the back is solid and keeps it securely in a pocket without any wobble. Even after being thrown into a toolbox and used regularly, it doesn't feel like it's degrading.

The One Gripe

If you look at the American version of the FASTBACK, it often comes with a built-in screwdriver bit — a genuinely useful touch for a utility knife. The UK version I bought doesn't have that. It's a minor point and it doesn't affect how the knife performs, but when you've seen the US model, it does feel like a slight omission. Not a dealbreaker, just a bit of a "why not?" moment.

Verdict

If you've only ever used budget utility knives, this will feel like stepping into a different category entirely. The one-handed mechanism is genuinely useful, the build quality is excellent, and it's the kind of tool you actually enjoy picking up. A proper upgrade, and one I'd recommend without hesitation.

Pros:

Solid metal body — feels premium and durable
One-handed open/close works brilliantly
Standard utility blades — cheap and easy to replace
Secure pocket clip
Excellent build quality throughout

Cons:

UK version lacks the screwdriver feature found on the US model

👉 Check the Milwaukee FASTBACK on Amazon UK

Pet Corrector Dog Trainer Review — Does It Actually Work?

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

A Bit of Background

I've got an Alaskan Malamute called Ice. If you know the breed, you already know: they're gorgeous, stubborn, full of energy, and — when they're young — absolute menaces with their teeth. Puppy biting is par for the course with any dog, but Malamutes are big, strong, and built for endurance. By the time Ice's biting phase kicked in properly, it wasn't just annoying, it was genuinely uncomfortable.

I tried everything the internet suggests. A firm "no." Yelping to mimic how another puppy would react. Redirecting to toys. Time-outs. Some of it helped a bit, some of it didn't. Ice would look at me, understand completely, and carry on regardless. Classic Malamute.

Then I came across the Pet Corrector Dog Trainer — a small canister that releases a sharp burst of compressed air with a hissing sound. Figured it was worth a shot.

What It Is and How It Works

The Pet Corrector is simple: it's a pressurised canister, roughly the size of a travel deodorant, filled with compressed gas. When you press the top, it makes a sharp, sudden hissing sound — similar to compressed air or a snake. It doesn't harm the dog in any way; it just startles them and interrupts the behaviour in the moment.

The idea is to use it as an interrupter, not a punishment. The sound breaks the dog's focus mid-behaviour, giving you a window to redirect them to something more appropriate. Over time, the association between the unwanted behaviour and that unpleasant noise builds up and the behaviour stops.

Simple premise. And in Ice's case — it worked almost immediately.

What Happened With Ice

I used it the first time Ice started biting during play. Pressed it once. He froze, looked genuinely confused, backed off, and the biting stopped. I redirected him to a toy and that was that.

Within a day or two, the biting had dropped off dramatically. Within a week, it was essentially gone.

The most surprising thing? I barely even need to spray it anymore. Now, I just have to hold it up and Ice recognises it and backs down. It's become a visual cue as much as an auditory one. I'd say 90% of the time the canister stays in my hand unused — just its presence is enough.

I genuinely wish I'd found this sooner. We went through weeks of sore hands and frayed patience when this thing could have sorted it in days.

Value for Money

This is where Amazon earns its place. I'd seen the Pet Corrector in a couple of local pet shops and it was noticeably more expensive on the shelf — we're talking a meaningful difference for what is a small canister.

On Amazon it's significantly cheaper, and if you've got Prime, it turns up next day. For something this effective, even the pet shop price would be worth it — but paying less for the same product is always a win.

Honest Pros and Cons

Pros:

Works fast — saw results within 1-2 days for puppy biting
Non-harmful — just a sound and a puff of air
Over time, just holding it is often enough
Compact and easy to carry around the house
Genuinely good value, especially on Amazon

Cons:

The canister doesn't last forever — you will need to replace it eventually (though mine has lasted well)
Some dogs may be less sensitive to the sound and might need more repetition
Not a substitute for training — works best as an interrupter alongside proper reinforcement

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely. If you've got a puppy who's biting, a dog with a stubborn habit you can't break, or just a Malamute who's decided the rules don't apply to him — give this a go before you spend weeks frustrated with methods that aren't landing.

It's one of those products that seems too simple to work until it does. I'd buy it again without hesitation, and I've already mentioned it to a couple of friends with young dogs.

Check the current price on Amazon UK: Pet Corrector Dog Trainer

Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I've actually used.

SONOFF Zigbee/Thread PoE Controller Review

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

If you've got a sizeable Zigbee setup and you're still running a USB coordinator, this review is for you. I recently made the switch to the SONOFF Zigbee/Thread PoE Controller and it's genuinely one of the best upgrades I've made to my home automation setup.

The Problem I Was Trying to Solve

I had around 50 Zigbee devices spread across the house, all running through a USB coordinator adapter. On paper, that should work fine — but in practice it was a mess. The USB stick didn't play nicely on an extension cable, and because it was tucked inside the server cabinet, the range was severely limited. Devices would connect, drop out, reconnect — constantly. Automations would fail silently. It was frustrating.

I tried repositioning the USB stick, running longer cables, the lot. Nothing stuck. The fundamental problem was the USB coordinator just wasn't up to the job for a network of this size.

The Upgrade

The SONOFF PoE Controller solves the problem in the most elegant way: it's powered and connected over a single Ethernet cable via PoE, so you can mount it wherever you actually need it. In my case, PoE meant I could position it in the centre of the house rather than having it tethered to the server. Now it's mounted on a wall with clear line of sight to most of the house.

Migration in Home Assistant was straightforward. The ZHA integration picked it up without any drama, and my existing devices re-joined with minimal fuss. The whole migration took less than an hour, including the physical mounting.

How It's Performing

Since installation — rock solid. No drop outs, no phantom disconnections, no failed automations. All 50-odd devices are connecting reliably. It's been running continuously without a hiccup.

The dual antennas clearly make a difference compared to the internal antenna on a USB stick, especially through thick walls. I've got some devices at the far end of the house that were borderline before — they're now stable.

Extra Features (That I Haven't Used)

The controller apparently also supports WiFi AP mode and has some additional networking features built in. I haven't touched any of that — for my use case it's purely a Zigbee coordinator — but it's good to know there's headroom there if needed.

Pros

Rock-solid stability with a large device count (50+)
PoE means flexible placement — put it where coverage is needed, not where USB ports are
Simple migration in Home Assistant (ZHA)
Dual antennas for better range
Supports both Zigbee and Thread protocols

Cons

Overkill if you only have a handful of devices in a small flat
Requires a PoE-capable switch or injector (most home servers/NAS setups already have this)
Pricier than a basic USB coordinator

Who Should Buy This

If you've got a large Zigbee network (30+ devices), a multi-storey home, thick walls, or you've been fighting drop outs with a USB stick — this will likely fix your problems. If you've got 10 devices in a two-bed flat, a decent USB coordinator is probably sufficient.

For me, it's been a genuinely transformative upgrade. The network went from unreliable to completely stable overnight. Worth every penny.

Check current price on Amazon →

Getting Started with Home Assistant: What I Wish I'd Known

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Home Assistant is the best smart home platform I've used. It's also the one that required the most swearing to get running properly.

I've been using it for a couple of years now. The setup I have today — 40-odd devices, automations that actually work, dashboards that don't look embarrassing — is the result of a lot of iteration, a lot of YouTube rabbit holes, and a fair bit of trial and error.

If you're thinking about getting started, or you've just installed it and you're staring at the UI wondering where to begin, this post is for you.

Why Home Assistant?

The short version: it runs locally, it works with almost everything, and it doesn't require trusting some company's cloud to keep working.

I've used SmartThings, I've used Philips Hue natively, I've used Google Home. They all hit walls at some point — usually when you want to do something slightly off the beaten path. Home Assistant doesn't have those walls. It has a learning curve instead.

The hardware question

Home Assistant runs on a Raspberry Pi, a mini PC, a NAS, a VM, or a dedicated appliance. I run it on a Beelink mini PC and it's rock solid.

If you want the easiest starting point, the Home Assistant Green is the official plug-and-play box. It's not the cheapest option, but it just works, and that matters when you're starting out.

👉 Home Assistant Green on Amazon ★ — affiliate link, see disclosure below

If you want more horsepower (for running other things alongside HA), something like the Beelink EQ12 is worth a look.

The actual guide

I've written a much more detailed getting started guide — covering installation, initial setup, integrations, and the automations I'd build first. It covers things the official docs gloss over.

Download the complete Home Assistant Getting Started Guide →

It's a practical PDF guide built from real-world experience. Worth it if you want to get up and running without the frustrating detours.

What's next

In future posts I'll go deeper on specific bits — Zigbee vs Z-Wave, the integrations I actually use, and the automations that turned out to be genuinely useful versus the ones that were clever but annoying in practice.

Subscribe to the RSS feed if you want to catch those.

— Sam

Links marked ★ are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Welcome to Filce.uk

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Right then. First post.

I've been meaning to start this for a while. I spend a lot of time researching gear before I buy it — reading forums, watching YouTube reviews, comparing specs — and I figured I might as well put my own thoughts somewhere useful while I'm at it.

What this site is

Filce.uk is where I write honest reviews of the tech, tools, and gear I actually use. No press samples, no sponsored content, no affiliate-first thinking. I buy things (sometimes against my better judgement), use them properly, and then write about them.

If you've been burned by a glowing 5-star review that turned out to be written by someone who got the thing for free and tested it for two days — same. This is the antidote to that.

What I'll be covering

I work in telecoms and spend a frankly unreasonable amount of time tinkering at home. That means:

Home Automation — I'm deep into Home Assistant. Expect guides, product reviews, and probably a few cautionary tales about automations that didn't quite work as planned.
Homelabs — Self-hosted everything. NAS boxes, mini PCs, Proxmox, networking gear.
3D Printing — I have a printer (or two). Sometimes things come out well.
Photography & Video — I shoot stuff occasionally and own more camera gear than I should.
Tools & DIY — I do my own home renovation work. The tools matter.
Gaming Accessories — Controllers, headsets, the peripherals that actually make a difference.

Affiliate links — the honest bit

Some posts will include Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something through them, I get a small cut — at no extra cost to you. I'll always flag when a link is affiliate, and I'll only ever link to things I'd genuinely recommend.

I'm not trying to turn this into a content farm. I just want it to be useful.

More posts incoming. Check the RSS feed if you want to follow along.

— Sam