Store/tool Question

[Coach James]

I was looking for a set of those plastic pinch clamps you use on fuel lines etc and found something puzzling. NAPA has them, Sears has them(online), and I've seen them at Car Quest. Autozone and Advance did not have them in their stores or on their websites and the arrogant *ricks at Autozone said they had never heard of them and acted like I was ***** that didn't know what I was talking about. They seem like a basic item to me. Why would an auto parts store not carry them?

Coach

 

[nate379]

Vatozone, Scmuck's, etc are pretty much worthless for anything other than a starter, alternator, gaskets, etc.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Could you post a Sears item number? The reason I ask that, is I see them used/called more vacuum clamps, as the line isn't wire lined and as stiff as fuel line.

And in a pinch for vacuum lines, drop by one of them dollar type stores, and get some clothes pins.

 

[Chris Adams]

Having worked the counter in retail auto parts, up to running 3 states worth of stores, I have to disagree with nathan379.
We sold more engines than any independent, we sold more hard parts of all descriptions.

HOWEVER, like anywhere else, it is the PEOPLE that matter. You find some parts technicians that are fantastic. Worked hard parts, built race cars, heck, I've had ex GM engineers on my night shift. But others, they are clerks, same as a 7-11. Sometimes that's where they trained.

You can't name a chain that always has knowledgeable people. There ain't no such animal.

Like anyplace else, each store and each person must be judged on their own merits.
I was in Lowe's the other night, getting some wire. The guy was an electrical engineer with 24 years field experience. Really knew his stuff.
However; The last five guys I saw there couldn't tell a fuse from a breaker.
Judge the people, not the chain.


Although;
The Lord must love idiots, he made a bunch of them. And you find lots hiding behind counters everywhere..

 

[mdoolittle]

I use this kind of clamp, they work great, and are very well built.

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=32128

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=32126

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=32129

 

[Fedwrench]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00994288000P?vName=Tools&keyword=nylon+clamp

Here's a link to a KD set that sears sells. I couldn't find the Craftsman set online but, I've seen them in the store. I'm sorry you couldn't find one at autozone. They have them hanging in their tool aisle in the rack of OEM brand specialty tools. I think a single pair runs six bucks.

 

[GT89mustang]

Sears has those in-store, craftsman brand. They run $15-20 if i remember correctly

 

[Coach James]

This is the KD set sold by Sears. Item# 00994288000 Model# KDS3588

The key words I used were "line clamps" and three items like the ones linked came up.

Chris, I tend to agree with you. Normally the Advance here is good. When I asked about these items, the clerks were nice and polite but said they didn't have them. The Advance here usually has a guy greeting people as they come in and asking if he can help them find something. I see the clerks walking all over the store helping people find things and I've never heard one of them talk down to people that don't know much or anything about cars.

The Autozone is opposite. They are rude, sarcastic and oblivious to you being in the store. When I went in there today, I said hi to one clerk and he never answered as he was too busy talking to his girlfriend that was camped out by the door. The other two clerks acted like I was the class **** and they were the cool kids in school, looking at each other and snickering after I asked about line clamps. I wasn't suprised as if they're not acting this way they're acting **ssed because you're trying to spend money in their store. I go to Autozone only as a last resort.

Coach

 

[Coach James]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00994288000P?vName=Tools&keyword=nylon+clamp

Here's a link to a KD set that sears sells. I couldn't find the Craftsman set online but, I've seen them in the store. I'm sorry you couldn't find one at autozone. They have them hanging in their tool aisle in the rack of OEM brand specialty tools. I think a single pair runs six bucks.

Hi Fedwrench, I looked over the OEM section several times and couldn't find them. I went to the counter and asked the two clerks, Dumb and ***, but they were worse than useless.

Coach

 

[GT89mustang]

This is the KD set sold by Sears. Item# 00994288000 Model# KDS3588
Coach

Theres also a craftsman brand, at least my store stocks them, i think their cheaper (price wise) then those KD's. I can get the item number tomorrow if you want...

 

[goodfellow]

You must know the parts guys at my local auto zone -- they also have more hardware in their tongue, ears and nose (and God know where else) than on the display shelves.

 

[Stephenw]

I use these, Blue Point YA2850...

 

[john mac]

Auto Zone is the worst here, in the last year I have tried to buy an oil filter from them for four different vehicles and all four times they have given me the wrong filter after looking it up. I will not go to them for a filter without bringing the old filter with me (along with some old oil in the bottom of the bag just for fun) so I can open the box up take the new filter out and compare it to the old. They also act like it is a normal thing to not be able to look in a book and find the correct filter. I go to Fleet Pride of parts wholesaler if possible but they are not open 7 days a week. The last time this happened at Auto Zone I said to the manager “ this is what you guys do, this is your biz, you guys can’t look up a filter correct, what happens if it is something a little more difficult. ?”

 

[Fedwrench]

As I have said before, arguing with a parts clerk is like trying to put a tuxcedo on a pig, the pig's going to get irritated and you're going to get dirty.
When the guy behind the counter only makes minimum wage, you can't expect much from him.

 

[MarkH]

That is one thing I like about the ag dealers. They know there parts men are the face of their business. They are the best I have ever seen. They have obtained parts for machines made in the 1940's as quickly as the new one. I have walked into a dealership carrying a part in my hands and before describing what machine it is off. They look at me and tell me they do not have that for a 9600 serial number 2965 and below. Come back tomorrow morning. That is knowing your business.

Of the local chain stores. Our Oreilly has two exceptional staff people, two good and a couple do not come in. Auto Zone has had more screwed up computer entries and with at best one good person at one of the stores that hurts. Advance has a about 6 good ones. NAPA all good with a couple of exceptional. With Oreilly close and with the ability to have the wife come back with the right part they get most of the business.

 

[Chris Adams]

As I have said before, arguing with a parts clerk is like trying to put a tuxcedo on a pig, the pig's going to get irritated and you're going to get dirty.
When the guy behind the counter only makes minimum wage, you can't expect much from him.

Haven't kept track, but even at low end places like Kragen’s counter help made usually twice minimum to start.
It's harder work than you might think.
I had to pay managers in 1990 (for example) 25-36 k base pay, bonus could match or exceed that per year. That was good bucks for the time.
Dealership parts guys make more than the mechanics, except maybe the old bear of the woods top guy.

However;
Pay doesn't make the man smarter, better, or harder working.

Gold can't always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can AlWAYS get you gold.

Must have seen 20 studies proving pay level had Jack to do with how good the employee was.
Never had reason to doubt it in 40 years in the job market

I've seen good employees at minimum, bad employees at twenty times that.

Today I saw a guy making minimum selling plumbing stuff at a local hardware store, doing a heck of a job. should have been running the place.

Then sat and listened to local road worker whine about only making 70 bucks an hour, basically to lean on a shovel.
His co-worker, who he was whining to, was telling him to shut up, as he felt neither one of them did any real work.
Basic message was don’t rock the boat, we might have to work…

 

[r0meyrome]

Lisle sells those line clamps also just like the ones above (bluepoint)

 

[rsanter]

I have a bunch of the cman ones
they actually come in very handy

if anyone is interested I have a few sets I could part with

bob

 

[Coach James]

mdoolittle, those SK's are nice and cheaper than I would have expected.

GT89, if you can find the C-man number, I would appreciate it.

I like Stephen's BluePoints but no idea where to get them around here. Is it hard to get them tight enough to close off a fuel line?

Mac, I asked the guy at Autozone a couple years ago why they took the filter book out of the store and he said the reduce customer returns for getting the wrong filter. If I can find it online, I always take part numbers with me to the store. The guys at NAPA thank me for doing it and, when I still bought filters at the Zone, I didn't trust them to tell me correctly. Our Advance still has a customer filter catalog on the shelf.

Chris, I agree that retail is harder than some folks think. I worked at a Lowes type place while in college and it actually could be difficult at times, especially when customers insisted we had what they wanted regardless of how many times I said we didn't. My beef with Autozone is the sorry attitudes and lack of effort of most of their employees.

Are you serious about $70 bucks an hour? What part of the country are you in. That's three times what I'm making now. Perhaps I should move.

Coach

 

[Danglerb]

The bluepoints are as someone else said, Lisle.

HF has a set of 3 of the plastic "giant tweezers" with a thick rubber band that slides down to lock them closed. The also have a set of 3 or 4 sizes of metal clamps with a L shaped threaded bar with a knob to pinch up to something like a radiator hose closed.

What seemed critical in using a clamp in the past is that the pinching surfaces squish the hose evenly from side to side, otherwise they leak.

 

[speed bump]

Get the Lisle part number for those Bluepoints and take that into to Carquest 90% of the time they will either have them in store or there tommorow.

Take the KD part number to Napa same deal. If they can't get them for you then the P/N is wrong or you probably shouldn't be shopping there.

 

[deadguy]

i'm gonna duck after i post this... The Freight has a very close copy of the KD set it, for my uses at home they have been working fine and holding up well

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97578