I've done some work for Rob on a few occasions. He was pleasant and easy to work for. I also don't believe Rob has any malicious intent. I think he's a trustworthy guy, that anyone could feel comfortable buying from or selling to.
I also don't think rob is a shill. Rob seems to make a comfortable enough living to buy whatever gear tickles his fancy (within reason of coarse).
I don't personally find his reviews to be all that accurate. I never walk away feeling like I have a better grasp on a product after reading them, though I do admit he's getting better with time.
I've always felt that Rob's motivation for his reviews had more to do with his social standing on HF than a real desire to impart important information. That however is just my opinion, and I've been wrong numerous times before. Not that I see that as any great crime at any rate, as I feel most of us suffer from the same desire of popularity to some degree.
The danger I see is probably something that Rob has never considered. When you reach a status such as his, many people will base their purchasing decisions weighed heavily by his reviews of a given product. That's fine in most circumstances, but I've seen numerous times how members can turn a personal relationship with a vendor into a blind fellowship. Products A, B, C and D were all great, so therefore product E must also be great. Many vendors we've trusted in the past most likely started out with good intentions, but the need to keep the money coming can most certainly change those intentions, and most of us have seen that more than once.
When the fallout started with SinglePower, there were many that contributed to the continued wallet raiding, just because their blind fellowship and their status obscured the reality. I doubt any of it was intentional, but it did cost people money.
Just my two cents.