Very strange.....

[mowkep]

Stopped by the local Lowe's tonight for some long carriage bolts. Did a quick stop by the power tools. Corded circular saw section was bare??? What the heck. Luckily I had bought a Makita earlier in the day from HD. I just wanted to compare prices as I browsed......which I noticed had jumped significantly from before COVID.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

My Lowe’s is also out of a lot of power tools and some hand tools also actually a lot of stores in my area are sold out of a lot of things I guess people are preparing in case our state shuts down again which I sure hope it doesn’t


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[unslow1]

Weird things are hard to get from plants being shutdown. There was a lady trying to figure out some fuses so I decided to help her. She said that she had been to four auto parts stores and none of them had 15 amp ATO fuses. They had others just not 15 amp ones. She ended up buying a few of the multi-packs that only had one in each.

 

[measuredtwice]

I suspect that it has a lot more to do with the supply chain being disrupted due to covid-19, not people stocking up on tools. But I don't work at Lowes so it's only a guess.

 

[Robbie B]

I work in textiles and a lot of our customers have been or still are closed down. One of the mills near where I work has been closed since April. In certain sectors there has been huge disruptions in supply. We had some customers who were placing orders and then not sending the yarn for us to dye. Companies aren’t sure how to react to this mess. I think a lot of us are like that though.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I suspect that it has a lot more to do with the supply chain being disrupted due to covid-19, not people stocking up on tools. But I don't work at Lowes so it's only a guess.

I don’t know this one guy was determined to get a full set of wrenches so since they were sold out of the sets of metric he was buying each individual one and complaining that most of them were gone already saying how he needed them to fix things at home and didn’t have any metric tools lol


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[MushCreek]

I saw a story about shortages of lumber, and subsequent price hikes. I was looking for a few pieces of PT decking, and they were really picked over. The various shut-downs in different parts of the country are working their way through the supply chain now.

 

[22george]

I checked 2 Lowes and home depot near me. None of them had 22 cu ft refrigerators with
bottom freezers. Bought one from Amazon

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Im seeing this too, tried to buy a couple new cell phones and a tractor last week, and found out prices are high and supply near does not exist... I buy half's of beef regularly, usually its a 4 week deal from the time I request, to pick up the beef, found out last week we are approaching 9 months now, that is to say, he is sold out for 9 months,...

 

[ive]

I’d say a break in the supply chain too. I’ve noticed this in multiple stores, and Most don’t want to talk about it because it scares them.

 

[Jtels85]

Case in point of supply chains being disrupted... Kohl’s barely had any shorts for sale, at least none in my size (34W), which is a common size. I also went to JCP and experienced the same thing. The stores spread out their merchandise to make the retail space look fuller, but in reality they both had half the stock of clothes that they normally have. Needless to say, I’m just going to wear my old shorts through the end of the season.

Both Lowe’s stores by me are running out of Craftsman tools. Barely any wrenches on the bare shelves. Noticing this at a lot of places.

I work for an IV infusion pharmacy and we are running out of supplies and a lot of drugs are on national back order.

 

[darkzero]

About 4 weeks ago I went to go buy black velcro. I went to DIY HC, 2 Lowes, 3 HDs, & Walmart. All of them were sold out of black velcro & they all pretty much had very little stock on all Velcro. One HD did have black velcro in little squares but that was it & not what I needed. Lady at Walmart said they haven't had any velcro come in in a while.

My local Joanna's art store has only been open for curbside pick up so I assumed Michael's would have been the same. As I was leaving the Walmart parking lot I passed by a Michael's, they were open. Lucky for me that had exactly what I needed. Can't believe I wasted so much of the day looking for velcro.

 

[mowkep]

I have been hearing strange things as well. who buys corded circular saws anymore

I guess me and a lot of other people. I wanted to get a better one than my 25+ year old Craftsman. I should spend the money for a track saw. I can't cut plywood worth a ****.

 

[WinMod21]

I have been hearing strange things as well. who buys corded circular saws anymore

Everyone who wants a real saw, to do real work.

I guess me and a lot of other people. I wanted to get a better one than my 25+ year old Craftsman. I should spend the money for a track saw. I can't cut plywood worth a ****.

If you don't have extension tables/benches around a table saw set up, or need more mobility, then those track saws are pretty nice, if you have the coin and the time to mess with them. But I've always thought that a worm drive is way easier to cut plywood with-- than a typ circular saw. Especially for a right hander. Was noticing just today that, in addition to Skil
-- the traditional best worm drive manuf, amaz also sells Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee & Makita worm drives.

 

[ThePostman]

I was at Lowe's and home depot to find a chain wrench of any size longer than 18in that I already have. Both had no chain wrenches, and looked like not a place for stocking them. Both of these chains have become increasingly disappointing over the last decade. I know I will find it tomorrow at the family owned hardware store that's closed on Sundays.

 

[MarvinBerry]

I was in Lowes last week & my store was also sold out of power tools. Corded % cordless didn't matter all gone.

Had been wailing on the jigsaw a few days earlier & it got hot...starting to smell motor so figured I'd see what was in stock while I was there. Maybe buy something before it burns up mid project. Looked like the **** wipe aisle a few months ago.

There was a contractor there looking for a sawzall & cursing...those had also disappeared.

 

[3baygarage]

They’re all hyping up the storms already. Add that to the mix.

 

[signcrafter]

Everyone who wants a real saw, to do real work.

If you don't have extension tables/benches around a table saw set up, or need more mobility, then those track saws are pretty nice, if you have the coin and the time to mess with them. But I've always thought that a worm drive is way easier to cut plywood with-- than a typ circular saw. Especially for a right hander. Was noticing just today that, in addition to Skil
-- the traditional best worm drive manuf, amaz also sells Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee & Makita worm drives.

That's funny. I have two skil worm drives and probably a half dozen corded circular saws, all higher end. They all sit on the shelf now. My M18 saws easily keep up with my corded saws and don't have to worry about power. Just bought a M18 metal cutting circular saw that will eat threw metal like crazy.

As for a track saw when cutting down sheet stock it will blow a table saw out of the water. They really are two totally different tools that have some overlap. And, one of my next tool purchases is going to be a cordless version of my track saw and I'll put my corded track saw on the shelf were all my corded tools now rest. And trust me, my tools do "real work" a lot more then most tools.

 

[Ton ton]

I was at Lowe's and home depot to find a chain wrench of any size longer than 18in that I already have. Both had no chain wrenches, and looked like not a place for stocking them. Both of these chains have become increasingly disappointing over the last decade. I know I will find it tomorrow at the family owned hardware store that's closed on Sundays.

I like your tree pic.

 

[MushCreek]

With most of this stuff coming out of China, they shut down severely some months ago, so they stopped making stuff. We're seeing that in the supply chain now. I suspect that China got hit a LOT harder than they will admit.

 

[mowkep]

The weird thing about this is, I had a 15 percent off on line coupon from HD. So I thought I'd order and pickup. 8 sheets of T1-11 and the Makita saw. They had 27 sheets of the plywood and 8 of the Makitas on the shelves. I get the reply confirmation and they shipped the fricken saw. I bought one in store and will return the one they are shipping.

 

[WisJim]

Around here (Western Wisconsin), I have friends who are unable to find a freezer to buy, which they want to hold beef that would be available if the farmers could find a processor who isn't overwhelmed by demand and booked almost a year ahead.

 

[mowkep]

I guess all this begs the question of, why can't we manufacture our own products here in the US of A?

 

[Ton ton]

Even stuff that is usa made can be hard to find.

 

[MushCreek]

I guess all this begs the question of, why can't we manufacture our own products here in the US of A?

I'm old enough to remember when we used to! When we farmed everything out, we also farmed out the equipment, knowledge, and people. I'm a retired tool maker, and watched my trade dwindle to a small fraction of what it used to be. It's still there, but not like the glory days.

 

[Noworries]

I guess all this begs the question of, why can't we manufacture our own products here in the US of A?

Sadly, in my opinion anyway, it would take at least a generation to get a workforce trained in the basic skills required to begin to train workers.. when manufacturers like Cresent have to put an arrow on their tools to indicate which direction to freaking turn it or tape measures so croweded with fractions because most people cant read to the 1/16 much less to .001... manufacturing is dead in the USA. For the forseeable future

 

[measuredtwice]

I guess all this begs the question of, why can't we manufacture our own products here in the US of A?

I said this a few months ago on the forum. It was not well received. Now that we are knee deep in it, some might change their mind. Some won't no matter what.

I hope it passes soon and the supply chain is no longer fettered. But we should learn from it.

 

[zendriver]

I guess all this begs the question of, why can't we manufacture our own products here in the US of A?

Companies are in business to make money, and they make more of it, utilizing foreign labor and materials?


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[lardy1]

We wanted cheap. Here we are.

 

[zendriver]

We wanted cheap. Here we are.

In case everyone forgot, we had a virus shut the country down for three months.

If everything was made here, we wouldn’t still have shortages.?


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[measuredtwice]

In case everyone forgot, we had a virus shut the country down for three months.

If everything was made here, we wouldn’t still have shortages.?


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Essential manufacturing included tools (they keep other essential things running) and many tool companies remained open. Snap-On remained open except when they temporarily closed to clean after workers tested positive... I think that happened a couple of times.

Also some companies started manufacturing essential products that they had not previously manufactured to help with shortages.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

I guess me and a lot of other people. I wanted to get a better one than my 25+ year old Craftsman. I should spend the money for a track saw. I can't cut plywood worth a ****.

I don't have any trouble using my Craftsman. Of course it's only 15 years old, but a decent blade and a good, well clamped down guide bar really help.

 

[bczygan]

Had to go to 2 Walmarts to find their brand 75W90 synthetic gear oil and their brand synthetic 5W30 motor oil. So I bought extra of both.

Bill

 

[ZRX61]

Check the magazines racks next time you go to Barnes & Noble...

 

[mowkep]

I don't have any trouble using my Craftsman. Of course it's only 15 years old, but a decent blade and a good, well clamped down guide bar really help.

I wanted something better. Not enough power. The blade guard is a nightmare. I'll use for non precision cuts.

 

[mowkep]

In case everyone forgot, we had a virus shut the country down for three months.

If everything was made here, we wouldn’t still have shortages.?


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Very few manufacturers closed down in this area. The fact that our medicines and some of the food supply come from over there is very troublesome.