So at the start of the season, I went to my tool shed looking for my old garden hoe, which I couldn’t find. So I went to Wal-Mart to pick one up. This first hoe I looked at was the El Cheapo model and it was "Made in China". So, I looked at the more expensive one, and it was also "Made in China"…… I don’t know about you, but I am getting feed up with everything "Made in China", so I went to tbe next Big Box Store, all the same…. "Made in China", even the farm store near me was the same 3 words on every hoe… "Made in China"….

I wasn’t going to be defeated in my efforts to get an American hoe, so I went back home and search my old tool shed again until I found and old hoe with a broken handle. I burned the hand out and replaced it with old handle which I was saving. I sanded the handle down and put some linseed oil on it, and then sanded and painted the metal hoe part. Now the hoe looks brand new and is my favor garden tool and brings a smile to my face each time I use it. Best of all, it has "Made in the US" on it….. I have since done to same to another old hoe and 2 rakes all.... "Made in USA"

I hate….Wal-Mart

I hate…..Made in China

I hate…. Every Benedict Arnold CEO in the US, who is off shoring all
their companies manufacturing just to increase their company’s profit and his
bonus……  

The companies pay third world salaries while we still pay first world prices.

I am going to comb the yard sales this summer in hopes of finding what I need. Just yesterday I got a scythe and a shovel at someone's moving sale. The nice fellow threw in some plastic snow shovels for free. Maybe he is moving to Florida, I didn't think to ask at the time. :)

Probably not. He's most likely going to hire an illega...[previous word edited for politically correct purposes]...undocumented worker to do his yard work for him. Well...YOU opened the can of worms!

[wink] JUST KIDDING!

most of them are held on to their poles with baling wire, but one by one i'm fixing that- because the rakes and hoes are WAY better, sharper, and more ergonomic than the modern ones- and once I get longer handles on them (short folks used to live here- most of the handles are only 3 feet tall!) I'll have an amazing collection!

I work for a big box store, purely a financial move on my part, but I hardly ever shop there.

I think Wal-Mart is going to either destroy this economy, or destroy itself. Hopefully, the latter.

If you have a broken handle which will not come out, just start a nice fire outside and put the garden tool inside of the fire after it's going. The wooden handle will burn out nicely, and you can replace it then. I've done this a few times.

I usually start my fire with the sale paper from Wal-Mart. :)

Good luck,

Is it me or has anyone else noticed how unhappy Wal-Mart employees are?

I'm pretty sure some of them even were purchased at Wal*Mart. However, Wal*Mart is rapidly changing many of it's suppliers to factories in China. So...Ames may not be at Wal*Mart these days We sell China scrap metal and timber...they send back a ship container of hoes.

Look for the Ames label and if you google Ames Garden tools...you'll find their website and you then can find a local retailer near you.

Wal*Mart just like the Postal Service, The Department of Defense, State Governments & County-Local Governments hires a lot of people... some who no doubt are less than thrilled with their job. My county court house is filled with grumpy people. I'd say that there are more happy people at my local Wal*Mart than at my local Post Office. And the USPS people make a lot more money and still make you wait in line.

Dose the term..."going postal"... ring a bell?

Pete In Iowa

Wal-Mart is the enemy! Especially since DH works for a small Northwest owned and operated Department/Drug store.