The Home Depot to Sell Tools That Only Work if Activated

[Danl]

9 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

From big to little: There doesn't seem to be a riding mower in the whole state of AZ. Closest one available was in Petaluma CA.  Finally ordered one from Amazon and, they only had one. 

Can't find a 1.6 qt. Rubbermaid container anywhere local or, online. Everyone that sells them is out of stock.

3M 90 is not to be found anywhere. 

And, our HD and Lowes just recently got a stock of tempered hard board. The kind that's tempered on both faces.

But, I still can't find, locally, any MDO. The guys in HD and Lowes don't even know what it is. The real lumber dealers know what it is but they can't get it either.

 

 

17 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Don't know if it's Covid caused or what but, have you all experienced being unable to find supplies and tools that used to be commonly available? 

When I went looking for a new refrigerator a few months back many models were on back order.  Sherwin Williams has had a paint shortage for a few months.  Lee Valley has some tools out of stock.  Grizzly Industrial has many power tools on back order.

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Gene, you're experience with MDO is what I ran into (Skippy Stockboy didn't know what it is). A local sign shop uses it, and offered to sell some but then I found Menards (sorry, I know they aren't down there yet) carries it. Generally speaking, it seems to me that almost everything is in short supply. Whether it's certain groceries or stuff like common clothing sizes. Our grandson ran into the riding lawn mower shortage problem just 2 weeks ago. He borrowed my trailer to go pick up a used one he found.

[Gene Howe]

15 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Gene, you're experience with MDO is what I ran into (Skippy Stockboy didn't know what it is). A local sign shop uses it, and offered to sell some but then I found Menards (sorry, I know they aren't down there yet) carries it. Generally speaking, it seems to me that almost everything is in short supply. Whether it's certain groceries or stuff like common clothing sizes. Our grandson ran into the riding lawn mower shortage problem just 2 weeks ago. He borrowed my trailer to go pick up a used one he found.

Just got a message from the mower seller on Amazon. They can't provide lift gate service. Claims the crate is too large. They want a dock at the delivery point or, a fork lift. I'll need to find a rental outfit to deliver a fork lift. I've asked the seller for a date and time of delivery. I've never operated a fork lift. Guess I'll have to learn how.

[DuckSoup]

 Gene maybe you could talk to the forklift renters and have the truck deliver it to their location & have them pull it from the truck and on to your truck or trailer. Might save on renting and delivery of the forklift.

[Larry Buskirk]

30 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Just got a message from the mower seller on Amazon. They can't provide lift gate service. Claims the crate is too large. They want a dock at the delivery point or, a fork lift. I'll need to find a rental outfit to deliver a fork lift. I've asked the seller for a date and time of delivery. I've never operated a fork lift. Guess I'll have to learn how.

Can you back your pickup truck up to the truck/trailer? Unload with ramps or planks?

[Gene Howe]

26 minutes ago, Larry Buskirk said:

Can you back your pickup truck up to the truck/trailer? Unload with ramps or planks?

 

37 minutes ago, DuckSoup said:

 Gene maybe you could talk to the forklift renters and have the truck deliver it to their location & have them pull it from the truck and on to your truck or trailer. Might save on renting and delivery of the forklift.

Weighs 700 lb. +or-. Plus, it's un crated dimensions are 71"X62". Won't fit in my F250. 

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by Gene Howe

[Cal]

How close by is your nearest Tractor Supply Co.?

I just found out that they rent utility trailers.  If'n you were to rent the trailer, they might use their forklift to take it off the truck and put it on the trailer for you.

Now, of course, you could also do the red neck thing... just drag it off the truck with your F250.  When it hits the ground it's all uncrated and ready to go

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

21 minutes ago, Cal said:

Now, of course, you could also do the red neck thing... just drag it off the truck with your F250.  When it hits the ground it's all uncrated and ready to go

 

 

Well, uncrated anyway.......the ready to go part may be a stretch.

[HandyDan]

1 hour ago, Cal said:

When it hits the ground it's all uncrated and ready to go

 

To the scrap yard?

[Larry Buskirk]

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

 

Weighs 700 lb. +or-. Plus, it's un crated dimensions are 71"X62". Won't fit in my F250. 

 

 ...Let's see now ...Roller conveyor from rental place, one good shove, stay out of way, it's on the ground. 

[Gerald]

You could just disassemble it and load on truck

[kmealy]

On 8/20/2021 at 8:22 AM, Cal said:

 

Now, of course, you could also do the red neck thing... just drag it off the truck with your F250.  When it hits the ground it's all uncrated and ready to go

Be sure to video.  You can make some money on YouTube on "Epic Fails"

[Gene Howe]

Thanks for all your helpful suggestions! 

All my fretting was for naught. The carrier used their fork lift to move it to our car carrier trailer. We uncrated it on the trailer and, using the ramps, wheeled it off. No sweat!

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Well, poopie!  Another chance for a good utube video blown.

[kmealy]

On 8/20/2021 at 6:42 AM, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

(Skippy Stockboy didn't know what it is). 

I have found either people know a lot about their products or little.  I had all 4 people in Menards tool department give me puzzled looks when I asked where the Kreg pocket hole jigs were, they thought I wanted drills, or wood screws, or had no idea what I was talking about.  There was a whole bay of them just two aisles over.   Other times, they can take me right to the small container of things that I am trying to find and show me the differences between the offerings.   These instances were a couple of years ago.  With hiring shortages, I'm sure it's worse now.

 

and it's not just Home Depot experiencing shrinkage.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/09/21/kroger-joins-group-to-battle-organized-crime.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMFB_CI&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A Trending Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2ccO_ygbeJuSJp0UuV7njdC98_eSutWLUsUx2Pysj3hA3idz_41_TBgnI

[JimM]

What I learned in my 11 years at the BORG:  You can teach about products and how to sell, but you can't teach experience and you can't teach work ethic.

 

I can usually tell what kind of employee I'm encountering just be looking at their eyes.  If they are averting mine, they'll be no help.

[kmealy]

There is a large employer in a nearby town.  I think they reported about 1500 employees there.  They announced today that most of the functions will be relocated to Dallas or NYC.  My wife commented when the company she worked for until retirement acquired an out of town company and a few years later transferred the functions to town, they offered relocation.   She said most people that took the relocation were not the ones you wanted to keep, they were the ones that didn't think or couldn't find a job offer in their old town.

[Gene Howe]

As Keith said, most store employees fall into one of two categories, those who know their products well and, those who have no clue. I'd add another, more dangerous, one. That's the guy...or gal... who fakes their knowledge of the product. 

[kmealy]

I'm just wondering what type of products that Kroger has a "shrinkage issue" with.   Although the local one here has not only groceries, but clothes, shoes, auto service parts, wine, and who knows what else.  I hate going there and having to walk past the Starbucks, bank, and thru all those aisles of stuff I don't buy there.   I think there are 6 aisles of soda, beer, chips, and snack foods -- right up front.

 

Kroger has a "big data center" nearby.   They might know more about what I buy than I do.

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I get a pack of coupons from Kroger about every 3-4 weeks. Suspiciously, they seem to be mostly for items I've bought there over the previous months.