Car Wash Blog / Self Serve Industry Blog and Forum
The Klein Tools 11055 strippers are engineered a lot better then my old yellow no name and my Neiko 01924A strippers. My yellow strippers look like the worse design but they did last longer then the Neiko. Even though technically the Neiko still work…. They are just annoying because the handle falls off (The handle can probably be fixed…. But was always annoying.)
So I have liked strippers for the past 30 years. My first stripper I purchased from Kmart (of all places) when they had employee appreciation day and I got 20% off (my first job…. I told them our Kmart store was going to close after WalMart opened btw…. It did.) My first yellow stripper lasted the longest until the blade fell off somewhere. My second red Neiko 01924A lasted almost 5 years. My Neiko’s plastic red handle would keep falling off. (I guess I could have epoxied it or duct taped it? or #$@% it…. This tool just got super annoying to use…. sorry for the language! LOL 🙂 The handle is cheap and just not ergonomic. ) Today I got a tip from Greg about strippers…. About the Klein Tools 11061 stripper. So I purchase the Klein as my replacement…. Maybe it will last 5-25 years? 🙂
BTW The Klein 11061 cost $22.05 and the Neiko 01924A cost $16.58…. So it is really not worth getting a cheaper version if you plan on using the tool.
This is a really great type to have if you ever have to strip lots of cables…. Alone with a good pair of wire cutters (The built in cutters on these strippers are annoying to use more then once and because this tool is really used for lots of cable cutting do not think about it. 🙂 ) Great stripper design though.
I do have different style wire strippers in my bag. These are better for working on less wires. These are Klein Tools 11055…. I also have a smaller style and a couple different brands actually. I believe I have 2 of the Klein actually? 🙂
I always loved the old Self Serve Car Wash New Magazine run by JJJ / Jarret J. Jakubowski. I remember waiting for the magazine to show up at my house. I also remember asking my Dad why it did not show up on a regular basis. 🙂 Apparently he wanted good content in his magazine and it always appeared in a large newspaper print form of a magazine…. Very unique.
Well things change…. I also wrote an article in the Fall 2017 edition of the new SSCWN magazine. LINK to Article
So the “new” award winning Rowe changers are made by Triad Design. Website I never thought of this…. Basically because the chargers were not impressive using off the shelf parts. I just expected the changer to be built by Rowe? Why not? I was kind of surprised to be honest. The other Rowe chargers used Rowe parts? Good or Bad! 🙂
Rowe wins an Innovative Award and not MEI? 20130803
But you would think a company like Rowe would force a non-compete or no talkee contract with a company like Triad Design. (Also all the companies do it (I assume) so I am not just singling out Rowe. Jim Coleman for sure…. and I know at least one product from Hamilton (probably others or all of them?) that had another companies name on the circuit boards.) To me it just seems like a bad business plan…. Why not employee your own development team (2 guys probably, in this case with Triad which probably only has/had 6 employees supposally). If Rowe honestly hired 2 employees then they could constantly have new updated products? What good it that? Give honest tech support from techs that worked on the actual product design? Not needed at all? Keep an updated product line on the market? Why not lag decades behind it is the norm? Have more technologically advanced products on the market than any other company? What makes you so smart…. smarty pants?
Honestly what makes any of the major car wash companies in a good competitive position? Honestly the only reason any major company is in any position is because of a repetition. What reputation? Old broken products that need to be replaced? Car wash owners as a whole do not know anything. Sorry! 🙂 I talking to a operator and I wanted him to try a Dixmor timer in his Coleman bay. He swore I was trying to blow up his bay! Well the Dixmor timer was going to short or everything. Bottom like there is no amount of marketing that Dixmor can do to undo uneducated owners. Plus if owers love Coleman timers…. Well I believe Coleman might have even switched by now? Bad example…. But hopefully you get my point. LOL 🙂 Customers are trusting companies and techs that never worked at the company in the first place. Just finding compatible parts from the old Manufactures…. Lets be honest no one wants a Timemaster Bay Timer (Well you should not want one! 🙂 ) All these companies need new leadership…. All need better goals…. Working off your old book of business is okay until some other major company gets real leadership and kills all the competition.
Another thing to check out…. Triad website…. I honestly would not purchase anything from them after looking at their website. (Rowe’s website is really not that much better. Well unless there product is really cheap. Support might be important on a no name changer? Not sure?) Triad’s website looks like something I would not even have done 20 years ago.
3 website hints PLEASE NEVER DO if you take your company seriously.
1) NEVER use a free hosting service…. It is really never okay to have the words “Free Hosting” (GoDaddy or whatever) on any page.
2) NEVER use an email address like @aol or @verizon etc. so your customers can see how low budget your company is.
3) I believe you should have a PO Box and never use your address. But you can use your business address. But NEVER use your home address for lots of reasons! (Also on business cards!)
4) BONUS people argue using an 800 number. But the other points look a lot worse. 800 numbers are cheap…. So whatever people expect I guess?
Interesting search when you search this company (I have no clue about any links or information on this page) Triad, Massachusetts appears to have filed Chapter 11 in Texas where Rowe is located? Weird?