Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store

Competition No 3886

Set by D A Prince, 13 June

"Man's love of gadgets has . . . entered a new realm," said the Guardian: "real men want a real iron. From now on, Argos will describe some of its more expensive models using jargon usually associated with high-performance cars . . . or top-of-the-range shavers." How might Argos describe other appliances?

Report by Ms de Meaner

It's all very well sending in breathless blurbs on bicycle pumps, strimmers or car vacuum cleaners. They're already sold as boys' toys. We wanted girly stuff: you know, if not irons, then food mixers, kettles, potato peelers . . . £15 to the winners, the best of whom (Jill Young Gorton) also gets the Tesco vouchers.

The new "Iron Man"

*Specially designed for the man about the house. *Authentic tooled Spanish leather grip. *Titanium construction with brushed satin-smooth finish. *Controls set into an

English walnut fascia. *Wind-tunnel-tested

aerodynamics ensure it will smoothly handle any corners, negotiate the most difficult collars. *0 to 90oC in three seconds. *As tested and used daily by M Schumacher.

Shirley Curran

The Lambrino vacuum cleaner de luxe is capable of acceleration from 0 to 16 yards in 60 seconds while offering easy handling, without the cornering body roll found in inferior models. Notice the build quality, the snazzy design of co-ordinated plastics. But remember, as you trundle it over your orientals, that this devoutly racy exterior belies one of the biggest suckers in vacuuming history. Consider its green credentials: the reusable dust gunny-bag, the silent operation without the polluting shag howl of comparable models.

A man can be proud to take it into extreme conditions such as his front room.

M E Ault

The New Predator

Get steamed up over the Predator, the fabric flattener with more curves than Campbell, and twice as hot! With ferrous alloy bodywork, the Predator is truly an IRON. A chassis of 100 per cent Sheffield Stainless Steel and Swedish motor mean the Predator will shape up your shirts at double the speed.

And you too! At 5kg, the Predator is not for the faint-hearted. But the bold arm that tames the beast turns work into a WORKOUT! Don't iron! PUMP IRON!

Models available:

*Predator "Pantero": sable, 20 digital settings; *Predator "Tigrero": sable, orange lateral stripes, 52 digital settings.

Jill Young Gorton

This streamlined, macho little three-wheel convertible is a must-buy for the driver who wants torque, zippy acceleration and a racy top speed. Each of the deep-tread wheels has independent suspension, making cornering at high speed a delight. Cross-country trips are a breeze for the experienced driver. Handling is good, even at high speed on a bumpy surface, and the canopy folds back quickly and efficiently to let the wind ruffle your passenger's hair. Good luggage storage and a high "green" rating, if that's your bag. Yes, for the discerning dad, it's hard to beat the Baby Buggy.

Brian D Allingham

The Vulcan Thermochrome Retro Special Mk II toaster has a way with bread - smooth but uncompromising. If its contours echo the classic streamlined shapes popular in the Jazz Age, its technology is strictly 21st century, with a crucial range of temperature settings and a digital quick-release facility. Above all, we are talking power here - power that will sear the whitest bread evenly and to your personal taste. The Mk II benefits from breathtaking design, but it's been engineered to be tough - tough enough to handle a man who knows what he wants, and expects to get it.

G M Davis

Hewn from environmentally hostile plastic and irreplaceable virgin metal, the Cyclon 9000 marries the philosophical hubris of Frederick Nietzsche to the engineering genius of Fred Dibnah, creating a weapon of massive suction with zero tolerance for household dirt. Unencumbered by a bag _ just like the bachelors destined to wield it! _ the Cyclon comes in a no-nonsense range of Amstrad silver-black, handles like the Millennium Falcon and sucks like a Bangkok sex worker. With its range of attachments, each sufficiently deadly to flatter a Dalek, the Cyclon 9000 pits the state of the art against the state of your floor. No contest!

Adrian Fry

No 3889 Set by Valerie Yule

Devise a fair way to determine the salary packets of top chief executives and their office cleaners.

Max 150 words by 14 July. E-mail: comp@newstatesman.co.uk

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