What’s New

Spring is officially here now, although a couple days ago when I got home, Mary Anne said, “how much snow are we supposed to get tonight?” I replied it’s not actually snowing, the super forecast weather on the computer says it’s raining. As we watched the snow flakes drift down it occurred to me that things are not always what they are supposed to be. That goes for this month too. This is supposed to be our busy time, but after a mild Winter with so-so sales, our big Spring rush seems to be a little slow too. In spite of this though, we have new products here as always and Today I’ll describe a few.

The first item is an improved type of air filter for your furnace. The old fiberglass filters that have been around for years are economical, do an OK job, and we sell a lot of them. The newer pleated type have a more efficient filtering medium and filter out more and smaller particles. They also have a pleated style construction, giving them more surface area than a standard filter. They cost a little more than the standard type, but the recommended changing interval is 3 times as much, 90 days versus one month. That equates to about an equal cost over time.

The second item is just a new flavor of an old favorite. Bird suet is a refined, high energy food that birds love, Summer or Winter. A lot of folks feed suet just in the cold months, but birds can use its high energy and nutrients year round. It comes in several flavors, and peanut crunch is the newest. Birds love nuts and they will go for this big time!

The last item is literally just more of a good thing. Tie wire (or bailing wire as they called it in the old days) is a staple in any good mechanic’s toolbox. I’ve used it for all sorts of things, although I’ve never fixed a Ford Model T with it though they say that’s all it takes. I’ve got a couple rolls at home and the store. Our basic roll that we’ve always carried is 19 gauge wire by 50 foot long. This new roll of super tie wire is 16.5 gauge (16.5 is thicker than 19 gauge, it’s backwards) and 330 feet long. Its more tie wire than a lot of folks might need, but the heavier gauge makes it handy for repairing fences, wiring things back together or replacing light duty pins in assemblies. Pick up a roll today.

Well the Governor has hinted that they are planning on gradually easing up on the stay-at-home order here in Ohio at the beginning of next month, so hopefully after they say it’s OK, I will see you again soon, at the Old Hardware Store…