Boycotting Lowe's

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: ajchien
I avoid my lowes too. Mostly because the employees are more interested socializing with themselves than doing anything else.


You should shop at HD in Elmont then. Not only do they socialize with each other, they cop an attitude if you ask where something is in the store. For a while that was the #1 sales volume store in the USA. I actually try and avoid shopping there.

 

[bigmike]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like Lowes. It always feels too uppity to me. My local HD has proven to be much better.

 

[MNgopher]

As to the Redwing comments above, yes, you can wear Red Wing soles out. Mine are typically done after two years, which is around the same time I wear the leater out as well and they are no longer waterproof.

Of course, I wear my boots nearly every day for hours on end, but it is possible!

 

[Donald]

Lowes is a decent store. I worked there seasonal to get some exercise from my day job at a desk. I would say we worked pretty hard a providing superior customer satisfaction. I am sure there was the usual [censored] going on, but we would always greet customers when they came into our dept.

OK, we did tell one blonde cashier she would become sterile after sitting on the part of the counter that handled security tags. And if not sterile, the babies would be deformed.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
As to the Redwing comments above, yes, you can wear Red Wing soles out. Mine are typically done after two years, which is around the same time I wear the leater out as well and they are no longer waterproof.

Of course, I wear my boots nearly every day for hours on end, but it is possible!

As do I. The same boots in -30 to 40 in the summer. As far as the soles go I have seen a couple of different types. They have a clear,softer type rubber that sticks very good. I use them to walk up to a 9/12 with no traction problems,they stick like glue. Then they have a black type sole that is quite a bit harder. The black sole would be very durable as far as walking on aggregate all day or something to that effect. The clear soles do stick better at the expense of not lasting quite as long.
Here is Saskatoon the work boots I wear cost in excess of 350.00 out the door. Now that may sound like alot but I have my daily pair that is over 5 years old,and ultra comfortable,and still in 1 piece,still waterproof and I still wear. I have a brand new pair that I have been wearing just around tge yard to break them in but I am not ready to retire the others yet.
I build houses and am on my feet 10 hours(at least) a day. I have had caterpillar,Dakota,and various other kinds and red wing takes the cake for durability and comfort. Kodiak takes a close second for comfort however they left alot to be desired as far as water proof.
Does a person need boots that cost this much,yes if you put them through this kind of abuse. A regular guy could get away with cheaper ones with no problems sure. It's alot like oil........

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: vaboom123
Thanks for all the info on boots guys. I also wear out the toes on my boots fast (diesel tech) in my field. My co-worker purchased some toe saver goop that seems to work really well. I also wear out the outside edge of the heel on my boots. I must walk goofy or something haha. Being water proof is also a huge plus.

That goop works alright. I wear out toes really fast so what I did on my last pair was used that goop and a plastic toes saver. Used the goop to glue them on. I have now discovered that the roll on bedliner works way better than any other toe re-inforcement I have seen.
Just an idea that worked well for me

 

[WMSmotorhead]

In my part of town, we have an indie tool shop...... that's all they sell.. Lots of US made top shelf stuff.......

I generally don't buy at the big box joints... SK, Proto and Wright are at the Indie store.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher
As to the Redwing comments above, yes, you can wear Red Wing soles out. Mine are typically done after two years, which is around the same time I wear the leater out as well and they are no longer waterproof.

Of course, I wear my boots nearly every day for hours on end, but it is possible!


I'm wishing my boots would wear evenly like yours do. I'm always
wearing the tops of the toes out long before the soles wear out.

 

[eastbounddown22]

Only caught some of the thread, but must say i worked for Lowe's for 2 years and they are pretty friendly and train their employees to know basic products and supplies.

thumbs down on a banning of Lowe's

 

[bullwinkle]

Around these parts Lowe's prices have been SKYROCKETING on poorly made Chinese junk-I'm close to giving up on them myself!

 

[edwardh1]

Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
Add Best Buy to that list. I hope they go out of business down here.
When my mac was 15 days old, the HD went. BB wanted $246 just to send it off. I could not get in touch with a district or regional manager. Their customer service is very bad here. I put in a complant to the better business burea and then was called by the manager of the store and he said " WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Told him I just wanted my 2 week old $1350 computer fixed. he laughed and hung up on me.
Dusty


deal direct with apple. my almost 3 yr old mac died 1 month left on the $99 3 year warranty. we have an apple store here, I called , You need an appointment to bring it in- I said fine how about in 30 min, they said OK, this was at like 11 am. they called at 3 said it was a bad board, they had already ordered it, would be in next am b4 11, said come in at 2 PM to get it, I did, Im using it now great!!!!!

 

[Merkava_4]

I think Americans are slowly realizing that buying Chinese products are costing people their jobs.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I think Americans are slowly realizing that buying Chinese products are costing people their jobs.


Actually I think most Americans knew this back when Ross Perot was telling them about the giant sucking sound in the early 90s.
Problem is that these big corporations just did whatever they wanted because they paid off our legislators to off shore most all manufacturing.

The thing is the consumer is finally getting ANGRY and pushing back by refusing to buy Chinese if possible, if you noticed every time you see a thread about buying anything made in the USA the number of posts are pretty large now.

 

[ajchien]

Well Im doing my small part I guess. I picked up a Milwaukee 1/4hex to 1/2socket adaptor. On the back it said 'professionally made in China to Milwaukee specifications'. I put it back on the shelf.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ajchien
Well Im doing my small part I guess. I picked up a Milwaukee 1/4hex to 1/2socket adaptor. On the back it said 'professionally made in China to Milwaukee specifications'. I put it back on the shelf.


Good to hear!

 

[ajchien]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: ajchien
Well Im doing my small part I guess. I picked up a Milwaukee 1/4hex to 1/2socket adaptor. On the back it said 'professionally made in China to Milwaukee specifications'. I put it back on the shelf.


Good to hear!

The problem is that I could use a 1/4hex to 1/2 socket adaptor. And there wasn't another brand at the store. So where do I find one that's not imported?

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: ajchien

The problem is that I could use a 1/4hex to 1/2 socket adaptor. And there wasn't another brand at the store. So where do I find one that's not imported?


Here you go: Apex EX-500-B-2

The picture shows a pin lock, but the part number is for a friction ball retainer. Apex has always
been the primary supplier to the aerospace industry and they've always been U.S.A. made.
They also make long versions of that adapter if you need a longer one.

 

[Hokiefyd]

No to belittle OP's post, but for every boycott of one store in favor of the other, someone else out there is boycotting the other store in favor of the first. And the funny part is, they're often boycotting the "other" store for the very same reasons. It's not unlike automotive brands...for every negative experience with brand X, after which one will swear to only own brand Y, there are those with a negative experience with brand Y who will only own brand X.

In the end, it all comes out in the wash, boycotting one brand or one store vs. another. It makes good press, but that's about it. If Home Depot sells a nicer, made-in-USA hammer than Lowe's, then go buy the hammer from Home Depot. Maybe next month you'll need a tap-and-die set, and maybe it'll be Lowe's who sells the nice made-in-USA set and it'll be Home Depot who sells the Chinese kit.

I find it more useful to shop brands, not stores. What I mean is, if you like Estwing hammers, then shop Estwing hammers. Maybe it's Home Depot that carries a better selection, and maybe it's somebody else. I'm looking at buying a Weber Q grill soon (yes, it is made in USA). Lowe's happens to sell the model I want, not Home Depot. Sears also sells the line, but also not the particular model I want. Regardless of the store I buy it at, Home Depot, Lowe's, or Sears, my money is going to a global retailer and who knows how or where that gets reinvested into the company. But what matters (to me) is that I bought a quality product, produced in North America.

 

[RoGuE]

Originally Posted By: GearJammer
I work for Lowe's in southwest Ga. It is sad to hear how badly stores are run in other parts of the country. Our store is very busy and hopefully will remain so. The downward spiral things have taken in the past few years has affected a lot of big corporations and Lowe's is certainly not immune.


I also work for Lowe's in Northeast Georgia. Well said.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
No to belittle OP's post, but for every boycott of one store in favor of the other, someone else out there is boycotting the other store in favor of the first. And the funny part is, they're often boycotting the "other" store for the very same reasons. It's not unlike automotive brands...for every negative experience with brand X, after which one will swear to only own brand Y, there are those with a negative experience with brand Y who will only own brand X.

In the end, it all comes out in the wash, boycotting one brand or one store vs. another. It makes good press, but that's about it. If Home Depot sells a nicer, made-in-USA hammer than Lowe's, then go buy the hammer from Home Depot. Maybe next month you'll need a tap-and-die set, and maybe it'll be Lowe's who sells the nice made-in-USA set and it'll be Home Depot who sells the Chinese kit.

I find it more useful to shop brands, not stores. What I mean is, if you like Estwing hammers, then shop Estwing hammers. Maybe it's Home Depot that carries a better selection, and maybe it's somebody else. I'm looking at buying a Weber Q grill soon (yes, it is made in USA). Lowe's happens to sell the model I want, not Home Depot. Sears also sells the line, but also not the particular model I want. Regardless of the store I buy it at, Home Depot, Lowe's, or Sears, my money is going to a global retailer and who knows how or where that gets reinvested into the company. But what matters (to me) is that I bought a quality product, produced in North America.



Very true and rational, though my general observation is that there is less US made stuff in lowes than in HD.

I was sad to see lowes offshore their kobalt ratchet stuff, as I generally liked it, and it was US made while HD has always been foreign afaik.

I was surprised to see us made Vaughn hammers in wal mart.