*^$% TSC what good are they!!!

[S.Crum]

Jimbo gave me a pair of tractor tire chains off one of his old Allis B tractors. I wanted to put them on my JD M so I could use the back blade for some "surgical" snow removal in the areas I can't (or don't dare to) reach with the 310A backhoe. Well the chains both need new clasps 1 needs a cross chain. All that stuff we had over the years for the big tractors was forced into Dad's estate auction by dear sister. anyhow thinking geez Tractor Supply Company ought to have that stuff especially this time of year. NOT!!! how foolish of me! Once I found someone there that even knew what a tire chain was, they pointed me to a rack with garden tractor and snow blower chains on it. I informed the salesman that most people quit farming with garden tractors and snow blowers years ago. He said 'that's funny!' I said "no, that's sad. You guys are heading down the same dusty road as Agway, Central Tractor and a few others". I guess if I were screwing with hay burners or wanted a chrome plated tool box for the truck or a cheap China made reproduction tractor part, they could help out, especially if I want to wait on a 'special order' NOT LIKELY! I'll call tirechains.com in the morning and order a new set of double ring chains.

 

[Midwest redneck]

A TSC is going in near me, the building used to be a Do-it best center. I think that the store after it is opened and running will be very similar to yours, Cheap junk from China, mostly landscape stuff for homes like Big ceramic pots and they may sell rock salt. Time will tell.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Yeah I hear that we got new TSC stores down here and I've already been through that special order BS with them on mower tractor parts and they can't even handle that! Just another sad wally wanna be farm store. They got lots of stuff but not everything for the real farming world. Their paper catalog does lists or did show tire chains and they didn't have them hmmmmm....

 

[Michael Soldan]

The TSC I use is a very good store, they carry sediment bowls,mufflers, seats, filters, plow points, cultivator teeth, disc plates sickle sections rake teeth baler teeth for just about anything..BUT..a very knowlegable clerk I know there told me aside one day to get all the baler teeth and rake teeth I needed because they are starting to cater to the yuppie crowd, selling lawn tractors roto tillers and lawn mowers, home and garden products etc..the writing on the wall is simply this..as farms grow larger there are less family farms, less farms with livestock, no till programmes...and so the market for what TSC had simply has changed..they will sell more items to yuppie homeowners than they will sell plow points to an old farmer like me..lets face it times have changed.......

 

[Anonymous-0]

what do you mean they have everything you don't need and nothing you do. i don't see the problem i just don't go in. our mill's Fleet Farms are headed in that direction they just can't make it off farmers any more getting to be to few and far in between. when Fleet Farm first opened you had to be in farming [so many tractors and eq]now it just open to any one .they still have a lot of farm stuff but not like it was

 

[Yugrotcart]

For sure TSC is getting out of the farm products and catering more to the "yuppies".
Dad had a wardware business for over 30 years and I used to like the "old" TSC also.

Paul

 

[Anonymous-0]

You all know what TSC stands for, right? Tough S**t, Charlie!

 

[Jason1(Pa.)]

I've about had it with are store as well. I have even called the main office and complained. They said they were sorry and would send me a gift card. That was 3 years ago. Still looking for that card in my mail box!!! They never stock there shelves. I can buy the last of something then go back a month later and it will still be empty. the people there don't know much of anything,of course thats the people today so I guess you can't say anything.

 

[fixerupper]

In this neck of the woods we are close to one hundred percent serious rural agriculture. There are no hobby farmers. I have to drive a hundred miles to get to what I could call an urban area but the farm stores think all we need in this area is clothing and horse tack. The other day I went to the local farm store to get a thermometer to stick down in the grain in a bin, you know, one of those aluminum or pot metal ones that you screw a 3/8 rod into the top of. The guy there said they used to have one but they don't have any now and will never order any more. A few years ago they had a pile of them on the shelf. If I would have wanted a rectal thermometer for a horse I probably could have come home with at least a dozen of them. Jim

 

[jokers]

I bought some of the double ring chains from tirechains.com a few years ago. I was disappointed to see that their product was made in China but all the local guys only sell Chinese also so if I was going to wait for them to come in, they might as well be delivered to my door.

At any rate, I run on pavement frequently with the chains on and they are holding up extremely well.

BTW, I can relate to your sis statement. I have two. My brother and I are the trustees for our parent`s estate, which is pretty healthy. I`m dreading the day they go because I can see all hell breaking loose, especially because of middle sis and BIL. I`m constantly telling mom and dad to spend it all now, they can come live with me if they run out of money, LOL!

 

[Dave 2N]

They've got a great selection of Carhart clothing and bird seed. Your mistake was going in there to try to find somehing like chains, etc. I thought the TSC down your way was maybe better than ours up here in Vestal. This store directs itself to the Vestal yuppies. The Cortland store is the best one I've been in.

 

[Nolan]

TSC moved across the street to their new digs. I think they're trying to compete with Walmart and Target. It's certainly not anything like tractors and farming.

The good news is that now Southern States has absolutely no competition.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Mr. Crum,

For all of the reasons already stated, I try never to go to TSC. The bad part is though, our local farmer owned Co-Op is getting as bad as TSC. They are specializing in clothing, dog food, annual plants, gardening supplies, etc. They no longer buy or take on consignment any grain even though they have elevators and a railroad siding running through their property. They are cutting back on cattle feed, fencing supplies, and any kind of common implement replacement parts.

The suburbanites and yuppies rule!

Tom in TN

 

[Spook]

You are spot on! Around here the "final crop" has been harvested for years - houses and commercial development.

 

[RandyB(MI)]

Real farmers require fairness , value for their dollar , a clerk with "some" intelligence and quallity merchandise that will last at least til the crops are in! Stores will NOT cater to real farmers because of these requirements. Pseudo-farmers and suburbanites will buy anything without question and that's what keeps these stores alive. Kinda' like a pizza joint in a college town...don't go there if you are hungry!

 

[Anonymous-0]

So, what do we do to try to turn at least some of this around? I do not consider myself a Yuppie, but I am not a "Professional Farmer" either. I was raised on a farm, but have since taken on the lifestyle of an autobody repair specialist so to speak... I am in the Middle of Texas, live on a small parcel of land, use an 8N Ford born the same year I was, and for the most part am pretty happy (even though the V.A. questions that a couple of times a year..). I would like to have these stores and co-ops come back around. I would really like to see the Made in USA tag on stuff again. Don't know if we can afford either, but it would be nice to have for the Grandkids. By the way, took the 6 year old Grandson to see the new goats today. He was NOT happy about stepping in "Goat Poop"! He'll get used to it!

 

[Bill in IL]

Yea I know what you all mean

Here it took 2 weeks to get a bottle of tylan for the calves. Good thing I didn"t have a sick one at the time. Used to have a 10% farm bureau discount too but the ended that and cut it back to one weekend a month. Of course its the weekend you can"t get to the store. That discount used to make it reasonable to shop there. I try to avoid them anymore when I can and been buying lots of stuff from Grainger. Good service folks and they can have your parts in their store overnight.

 

[John T]

Steve, like so many others I been there done that grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

A lot of the problem is the unqualified non caring not knowing pimpled teenagers they hire (manager trainees lol lol) who dont know nuttin nor give a &^%$

The teen boys are usually in the back room flirtin with the teen girls n hiding out

Nobody knows nuttin nobody cares and the bean counter accountants just wann sell the fast buck easy China boots n clothes etc

John T

 

[Tradititonal Farmer]

Why would you go to Tractor Supply in the 1st place? Go to a full service truck supply or a tractor dealer.Also buying the el cheapo stuff that Tractor Supply sells usually breaks anyway.

 

[RobMD]

TSC= THE SCHITT CENTER.

'Nuff said.

 

[CenTexFarmall]

Went a few years back and had the man at the counter look up some plow points, (the catalog I had showed them), He said "Well, I can't sell you these because they've been discontinued, but I can sell you a pair of pants and a hat" He was clearly disgusted with the direction they are heading.
It's all bean counter stuff. They buy bulk chinese for cheap and then re-sell. Low volume but important stuff gets deleted in order to maximize profits for the shareholders.
What gets me is even our local auto parts store, which I patronize to keep them in business, is being infiltrated with china stuff.
And I've just about given up on trying to buy American made nuts and bolts. Whether TSC or the locally owned hardware store, all of the stuff is marked for china. I did buy a 50# box of 16d nails at Home Depot the other day that were marked Made in the US. Found it after digging around behind the other boxes of china stuff. Must have been old stock.

 

[casered]

I have to agree on the point about going the wrong way on the tillage parts Micheal. I used to work for Central tractor and then Quality when they merged. After they went out of business I was hired on with TSC at the same location I had previously worked in. I can tell you from the inside looking out an being a farmer myself that the store went progressivly down hill each time. They were NOT going to carry ANY sort of tillage parts such as plow shares and chisel points, which had always sold well in the past for the previous stores. I had enough pull at the time that I was able to talk them into letting me order what I thought were the most popular pieces that would be what customers needed and not have a lot of idle inventory at the same time, (I had a fairly short leash to work with). It worked for a while but things just kept going downhill as far as what items they would stock in the store. I finally got disgusted with the company and left, was the best thing I EVER did jobwise. The ONLY time I go into that store now is to pickup my copy of tractor shop magazine and to buy bolts as they still seem to have the best price on them. Other than that I refuse to go into their establishment. Like others have said the people don"t know anyhting that work there and they are not freindly at all. Out of curiosity I checked to see what they had in the way of tillage parts the last time I was in and they had absolutely nothing worth while, some odd pieces but nothing common that anyone uses. Anyhow thats my little rant on them.

 

[jokers]

Grainger`s will ship right to your house, they do it all the time for me.

 

[Spritzer]

If you're bent on new tire chains, then ignore this. But---I have some chains that might help you out. Fair condition, 92"+ side length, 26" cross chain length (twist style), good clasps. Yours if you pay shipping (50+ lbs.)402/466-7401

 

[JML755]

Just fyi,
TSC in Canada is a separate corporation from TSC in the States. They may be heading in the same direction, but they have different management, buyers, etc.

 

[rrlund]

One word answer to the original question. NOTHING!!!!!!!

 

[dave guest]

Lots of nuts and bolts, oxygen tanks, and occasional cute little girls that can't help ya.

 

[S.Crum]

Thanks my friend, but I"m afraid 26" cross chains would just about wrap around the sides and rim of 11.6-24 tires.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You cant expect any store to stock items that dont sell.A tsc store opened 35 miles from here,only one in Maine.Bought some studded T steel fence posts for 3.83 each.They were impossible to buy here.I had some that I put in 42 years ago, a few had broken at the ground line on the garden fence.a pitman stick that cost 25.00 at the CNH dealer cost 10.00 at Tsc.I saw plenty of tires, batteries, hydraulic and pto parts, tools, welders, nuts and bolts.I bought a 12 speed floor type drill press for 140.00.5/8 chuck 1/2 hp motor.All kinds of tractor hitch parts.Saddle horses are popular here,2 big horse stables built here, another in the next town.You sound like a friend of mine,we go to salvage store.He will say they aint got nothing here.I get bags of Sevin for a 1.00 that would cost 9.00 elsewhere.I buy hardware for 1/2 price.Drills,taps and dies, holes saws, welding items ,lengths of stove pipe for 1.00.Ive bought asphalt shingles there for 2.00 a bundle.I saw plenty of US made exhaust parts at TSC.