marketing question

R

Reg

Branched out member
Location
Victoria, BC
Can anyone name a product which they'd bought that turned out to be a waste of money?

If so, was it a waste because the product didn't perform as well expected, perhaps you didn't actually use it as much as anticipated, or maybe you weren't even sure what it did but bought it anyway.

Also, who or what persuaded you to purchase the product in the first place.

For me it was my 2nd petzl climbing helmet. The first one never fit me right, and neither did the second which I ended up swapping for a cheaper standard helmet, less than 1 month after the initial purchase. Why did I buy the second one? I just don't know, maybe because it was black.

This is an important topic for me, so please be forthcoming with some stories/theories, and be honest, I'd appreciate it. Thanks

Reg
 
Are you referring to just tree related products, or any products, such as tv infomercial stuff?
Anyway,
I also had a helmet, not worth the sell. The hard hat with the knob in the back for the adjustment. I was pitched a hard sell for it, the knob broke in the first week.(this was around 1998-1999) I think they had many, many complaints about this, the problem has since been fixed. That hard hat was pure junk in my eyes, even the plastic was different.
 
LineTamer. Not much $$$ but I spent a lot of time tinkering and modifying. Worked great when the line was just right and I was holding it just right. I used it for a year and finally just put it on the shelf and went back to the old round cord reel.
Phil
 
Where to begin!

I think the largest boondoggle I had was looking for a mini-skidder to move saw logs.

Ended up buying a Quadractor on EBAY. Great Buy, I bit more than I wanted to spend and I got a great toy.

Yes it did everything that the original documents said, it would move a mountain if you hitched it up but there was so much getting in and out of it that I lost any advantage it gave.

Used it a handfull of times then parked it. Great historical piece of equipment, likely for sale if anyone wants it! :o)

Other than that it was those fold-a-cube thingies. I found some dirt cheap (they were the real thing) and tried using them. After going to the ISA conference in Montreal and watching the "experts" using them I felt it was a must have. Yep, I must have been nuts as they all ended up getting tossed in a few weeks.

I got more, but that's for later.
 
Thanks, yeah I'm being specific to tree work equipment.

I need more than 3 replies though, now come on guys lets have those posts.

If you don't want to publicly name brands etc then send me PM.

If it was something that you were already managing fine without, what then convinced you to buy it?
 
The Big Shot.

The gadget was great fun for a few days. But the more I used it, the more it scared the crap out of me. Than there where a few occasions that you heard of the odd missing eye
crazy.gif


Nope... Treework is NOT dangerous if you use the Big Shot properly. To me the proper way is this:

Cut the rubber into small pieces (little rings). They are great to keep the friction hitch in it's place on your biner.

I know, I know, it's expensive rubber to keep the hitches in it's place
grin.gif
 
Vermeer BC1400XL

What a lemon,seemed like every week somthing would go wrong.Diesel pump solinoid linkage would fall off,winch control would break,switches would die regually.Finally the engine nearly fell out as the mounting bolts had also fallen out.What a POS.Oh yeah and the frame cracked.
 
I had an idea that I could pull a larger chipper if I had two bikes working together as a team to pull the cart. I searched around and found a bike called the quadrabent. It is two recumbent bicycles that hitch together to form a sort of car. It is two wheel independent drive and the steering is linked so you fold back one handlebar.
Quadrabent/ blackbird cycles

Looked really cool but i did not realize how much effeciency is lost by taking away two balanced wheels. Thus it is actually harder to move.
The recumbents also really hurt my knees. Thus it hangs from the ceiling looking crazy. Still really cool.

Some day when I get the motivation, I will rig up a mount so I can power it with my chainsaw. Make it a hybrid by generating back to a car battery.

I still think there is potential there. Especially when the gas infastructure internally combusts itself.

Writing this has inspired me a little to start tinkering. But as it stands now it was an expensive endeavor that now hangs silent.
 
I'm impressed treebing - if you ever get it sorted, share the pics : )

As for 'not used' tools, probably the line tamer, chainsaw protective gloves become expensive line handling gloves... And all those harnesses that are now obsolete through TreeFlex : )

I don't use the Id much either, and that was expensive! Grigri is lighter and more compact and does a good job - the anti panic function of the ID is of no use to me (I no longer train novices).
 
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