The other night, I caught a couple of commercials for Craftsman
products. And I wondered what sort of market research they were doing.

For example, they show how their circular saw with a laser guide enables
a user to make absolutely straight cuts. I thought, "That's nice, but I
can clamp a straightedge to the board and use that as a reliable guide."

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling the
user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a bad
safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt the
thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.

"Brian Siano" wrote in message
...

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling the
user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a bad
safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt the
thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.

An idiot make up that commercial. I have a Honda lawn mower that I bought
in 1987 and it still runs like new. My 18 year old Honda mower has that
same feature. The blade brake feature is intended for you to be able to
walk away from the mower with out having to restart the motor when you
return. The side walk thing left me puzzled. Using the blade brake to stop
the blade every time you cross a side walk will wear out the blade brake
clutch in very short order.

In article ,
"Leon" wrote:

"Brian Siano" wrote in message
...

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling the
user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a bad
safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt the
thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.

An idiot make up that commercial. I have a Honda lawn mower that I bought
in 1987 and it still runs like new. My 18 year old Honda mower has that
same feature. The blade brake feature is intended for you to be able to
walk away from the mower with out having to restart the motor when you
return. The side walk thing left me puzzled. Using the blade brake to stop
the blade every time you cross a side walk will wear out the blade brake
clutch in very short order.

They can't compete on quality, performance and price, so they started to
add useless features to try to give themselves a leg up on the
competition.
The tool world is being inundated with frickin' lasers everywhere.
Soon, they'll be selling carving/steak knives with lasers on them.
Such nonsense.
Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?

Brian Siano wrote:

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling the
user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a bad
safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt the
thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.



You musta been mowing some Bad Concrete. I don't even have to tilt my back.

Robatoy wrote:

Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?



Watches.

on 5/26/2005 5:39 PM Lobby Dosser said the following:
Robatoy wrote:


Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?


Watches.


Got one!

I'm waiting for someone to release cordless batteries.

SteveP.

"Lobby Dosser" wrote in message
news:Hesle.1418$615.1236@trnddc08...
Robatoy wrote:

Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?



Watches.

In article Hesle.1418$615.1236@trnddc08,
Lobby Dosser wrote:

Robatoy wrote:

Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?



Watches.

That'll be cool. No longer having to worry about smacking into things
with the pendulum and weights hanging from my wrist...
They were driving me cuckoo.

I like the laser compound miter saws, wish mind had one, there not needed
but it's nice if you do


Robatoy wrote:

In article ,
"Leon" wrote:

"Brian Siano" wrote in message
...

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling
the user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a
bad safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt
the thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.

An idiot make up that commercial. I have a Honda lawn mower that I
bought
in 1987 and it still runs like new. My 18 year old Honda mower has that
same feature. The blade brake feature is intended for you to be able to
walk away from the mower with out having to restart the motor when you
return. The side walk thing left me puzzled. Using the blade brake to
stop the blade every time you cross a side walk will wear out the blade
brake clutch in very short order.

They can't compete on quality, performance and price, so they started to
add useless features to try to give themselves a leg up on the
competition.
The tool world is being inundated with frickin' lasers everywhere.
Soon, they'll be selling carving/steak knives with lasers on them.
Such nonsense.
Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?

--
if corn oil is made from corn, and olive oil is made from olives, where dose
baby oil come from?

On Thu, 26 May 2005 21:16:16 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:


"Brian Siano" wrote in message
...

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling the
user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a bad
safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt the
thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.

An idiot make up that commercial. I have a Honda lawn mower that I bought
in 1987 and it still runs like new. My 18 year old Honda mower has that
same feature.

I was going to say the same thing, except I think mine dates to 1979
or so.

The blade brake feature is intended for you to be able to walk away from
the mower with out having to restart the motor when you return.

Salesman told me it was like a dead-man's switch. CPSC mandate, or
something. Probably for the guy who trimmed his hedges with the
mower...


--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997

"LRod" wrote in message
...

I was going to say the same thing, except I think mine dates to 1979
or so.

Geees I think that must be one of the early ones. When I was in the
automotive business I worked for an Olds dealer and Honda motorcycle dealer.
We had the lawn mowers also and they were a new item IIRC in 1978.


Salesman told me it was like a dead-man's switch. CPSC mandate, or
something. Probably for the guy who trimmed his hedges with the
mower...

The government decided that lawnmower blades should stop if you walk away
from the push position of the lawn mower. Many mowers simply had a brake
that you defeated. When you walked away from the mower or let go of the
brake the blade AND engine stop. Honda was one of the first or the first
to introduce a clutch that did not require the engine to be stopped also
when the blade is stopped.

In article ,
LRod wrote:

Probably for the guy who trimmed his hedges with the
mower...

4 ladders and two long planks.

Woo Hoo, LOL!! Where does your twisted mind get this stuff!! Thaksfot the
laugh!


"Robatoy" wrote in message
...
In article Hesle.1418$615.1236@trnddc08,
Lobby Dosser wrote:

Robatoy wrote:

Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?



Watches.

That'll be cool. No longer having to worry about smacking into things
with the pendulum and weights hanging from my wrist...
They were driving me cuckoo.

Robatoy writes:

Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?

I assume you're being sarcastic, but cordless flashlights have been out
for years.

Now of course, flashlights have always been cordless. The whole point of
so-called cordless flashlights is that they use the same batteries as
cordless tools.

I raelly, really like my Porter-Cable corsless flashlight as it is very
bright and I've never killed the battery in a week of camping.

Brian Elfert

On Thu, 26 May 2005 16:03:25 -0400, Brian Siano
wrote:

The other night, I caught a couple of commercials for Craftsman
products. And I wondered what sort of market research they were doing.

For example, they show how their circular saw with a laser guide enables
a user to make absolutely straight cuts. I thought, "That's nice, but I
can clamp a straightedge to the board and use that as a reliable guide."

Then they showed a lawn mower with a switch for the blades, enabling the
user to stop the blades when the thing runs over a sidewalk. Not a bad
safety feature... but when I cut my lawn years ago, I'd simply tilt the
thing back so the blade lifted away from the concrete.


===================
I have NOT seen the commercials.... BUT I believe that the marketing
people at Sears are finally are realizing that Sears absolutely
have to change their image,....

I am 61 .... and bought my home within a year after getting out of
college in the Mid 60's... You bet I purchased a lot of tools...and
machines, at Sears especially before 1970 or so... and the reason
I did was because my dad had a lot of craftsman machines in his shop
when he got me interested in woodworking...

And to be honest they were really pretty good tools and machines...My
floor model drill press is still going strong and I would not trade it
for anything...

HOWEVER
When my children were getting interested in woodworking in the early
to mid 80's they heard me constantly bitching about some of my
Craftsman machines...

One of my children are "in Marketing" and to be honest I think he
would CRAP if he had to Market the Craftsman brand ... or at least he
would realize that he was NOT MARKLETING HIS DADS TOOLS... and
would focus on things other then QUALITY....

Just my opinion... Craftsman earned a great reputation in my Dads
time... Lost that reputation in my time... and are now trying to
attract younger customers and rebuild their reputation... Shame they
are focusing on the wrong "images"...

Bob G.
sorry for the disjointed reply...was only interrupted a few dozen
times .... grand kids can do not wrong... lol

"Robatoy" wrote in message
...

... Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?

I love the Beverly Hillbillies episode in which Jethro converts their truck
to electricity, so he needs to find a long extension cord.

In article ,
Brian Elfert wrote:

Robatoy writes:

Just like suddenly everything has to be cordless. What's next? A
cordless flashlight?

Not sarcasm, just silliness.

I assume you're being sarcastic, but cordless flashlights have been out
for years.

Wow!!! Really??? (-----that was sarcasm.)

Now of course, flashlights have always been cordless. The whole point of
so-called cordless flashlights is that they use the same batteries as
cordless tools.

I have a collection of tool-less cords. ---silly

I raelly, really like my Porter-Cable corsless flashlight as it is very
bright and I've never killed the battery in a week of camping.

Battery powered flashlight to go camping? ---inquisitive with a helping
of disbelief.

A piece of string, a flint, a knife, a compass and a Weatherby Mark V
"DGR" 460 magnum in case I get hungry and want to kill, skin, clean and
cook a moose all in one operation. ---JOKE!

ROTFLMAO


"Robatoy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Brian Elfert wrote:

Robatoy writes:

A piece of string, a flint, a knife, a compass and a Weatherby Mark V
"DGR" 460 magnum in case I get hungry and want to kill, skin, clean and
cook a moose all in one operation. ---JOKE!