New Home

[WHX?? 52,416]

Well maybe not a new home ... but I could live there. 

A new man mall just opened very local that I have never heard of before and I consider myself a farm n barn store connoisseur. Very clean and very well stocked. Tractor parts, tools, hunting, fishing everything a guy needs. Very well priced too as it goes nowadays. 

 

https://www.theisens.com/

 

I doubt many here have ever heard of it either. Apparently it's a small chain based in Iowa. This is only their 3rd store in WI. I was impressed. A massive hardware aisle complete with Hillman style drawers that wouldn't quit. 

I thought it strange all their grade eights were bright blue anodized. The grade fives were a bright green. For easy id at the checkout I'm guessing. Best part like TSC and unlike Ace or other places sold by the pound. 

The 1045 may develop a blue glow... 

Edited September 20 by WHX??

[squonk 44,281]

Get the stuff whilst you can. Probably be just like a Runnings store. We had one open up here about 5 years ago. I walked in and said WOW! This past Christmas time I went in and the store was half empty. 

[JoeM 8,625]

We have three Rural Kings within 20 miles. North, West or South. All have been around for a few years. Pretty good on stock but the south and west bound ones are the better of the 3. 

If I get within a couple miles of one, I kind of get the shakes. My wife says taking her there is not exactly a date! 

 

They carry those same blue bolts and they work good. You can buff off the blue on a wire wheel and find a nice silverish coating underneath if your wanting it to show. 

 

I get their brand of diesel oil for the Kohler machines. It comes from supplier Warren Oil a major supplier.  

 

How can you beat it.....good hardware, oil, filters, parts, belts, guns, ammo, and carhartt's 

[WHX?? 52,416]

1 hour ago, JoeM said:

 I kind of get the shakes. My wife says taking her there is not exactly a date! 

 They just don't get it do they Joe?!?!? She says the smell of new tires makes her ill. Go wait in the truck I tell her it'll be a couple hours... 

 I heard of Rural King but never been to one. The holy grail of man malls perhaps??? Enough to make Tim Taylor drool???

 

2 hours ago, squonk said:

store was half empty. 

Sadly you might be right. I says to her look now while the shelfs are stocked. Prolly never see it again. At TSC the rack is empty it may not get filled for months.

There was one in Portage called Stock & Field and was there when they first opened and they didn't have much. Will get there I was told.  Never did but then quickly folded go figure. Now it's a Runnings which is a bit better. Went there with @Achto once and he had to hold my hand to keep me out of the automotive section. 

 

 

Edited September 20 by WHX??

[adsm08 3,509]

I wish we had more places like that.

 

I recently decided to stop shopping at TSC altogether. I asked, I thought rather politely, to just not be asked to sign up for a credit card every time I go into the store for 30 cents worth of hardware, and the store manager went off on me about how the cashier was "just doing her job".

 

I'm sorry, no. The cashier's job is to ring me up, make change, and ask if I was able to find everything, not offer me financial products. If they can't understand that then they don't need my business.

[Brockport Bill 2,017]

37 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

 They just don't get it do they Joe?!?!? She says the smell of new tires makes her ill. Go wait in the truck I tell her it'll be a couple hours... 

 I heard of Rural King but never been to one. The holy grail of man malls perhaps??? Enough to make Tim Taylor drool???

 

Sadly you might be right. I says to her look now while the shelfs are stocked. Prolly never see it again. At TSC the rack is empty it may not get filled for months.

There was one in Portage called Stock & Field and was there when they first opened and they didn't have much. Will get there I was told.  Never did but then quickly folded go figure. Now it's a Runnings which is a bit better. Went there with @Achto once and he had to hold my hand to keep me out of the automotive section. 

 

 

if you have never seen Tim Allen's original stand up comedy routine about "more power" try to find a link - -hilarious -- its pre his comedy series that was origins and basis of the show with the 3 boys - might have been a HBO special

[Handy Don 14,396]

3 hours ago, JoeM said:

How can you beat it.....good hardware, oil, filters, parts, belts, guns, ammo, and carhartt's 

Add a romantic table in the corner (candles, table cloth, strolling violin, air freshener to kill the tire smell) plus a nice menu and "voila!” a date destination! 😁

Edited September 20 by Handy Don

[ri702bill 9,779]

1 hour ago, adsm08 said:

The cashier's job is to ring me up, make change, and ask if I was able to find everything, not offer me financial products. If they can't understand that then they don't need my business.

Well said, I agree.

[Handy Don 14,396]

1 hour ago, adsm08 said:

The cashier's job is to ring me up, make change, and ask if I was able to find everything, not offer me financial products. If they can't understand that then they don't need my business.

Of course, it isn't the cashier’s fault if that is management’s instruction. 

And they DO need your business. Getting customers to supply a phone number, join a loyalty scheme, or open an account is a survival tactic for many retail businesses. I don’t take offense, I simply answer “no thanks."

[Kenneth R Cluley 608]

I just get her a bag of the "FREE" popcorn on the way in @ Rural King and I'm good for about an hour.

[adsm08 3,509]

7 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Of course, it isn't the cashier’s fault if that is management’s instruction. 

And they DO need your business. Getting customers to supply a phone number, join a loyalty scheme, or open an account is a survival tactic for many retail businesses. I don’t take offense, I simply answer “no thanks."

 

At least give me some way to opt out of being asked. I'm signed up with their rewards program, it really shouldn't be that hard to put some sort of flag on the screen that pops when I put my number in that says to not ask.

[Handy Don 14,396]

1 hour ago, adsm08 said:

 

At least give me some way to opt out of being asked. I'm signed up with their rewards program, it really shouldn't be that hard to put some sort of flag on the screen that pops when I put my number in that says to not ask.

Agreed, assuming your identity has been established during the transaction. 

This is the kind of software enhancement request that rarely gets passed upward from customer-facing staff, through store and “regional” managers, to reach the software team--fear of being tagged as “a complainer” or “not with the program.” I saw this kind of suppression often during my career designing end-user software. 

You might consider going out on a limb and using the “contact us” info from the loyalty program’s website and make a direct suggestion. At least in places I worked, that input was at least read and evaluated. 🙃

Edited September 21 by Handy Don

[Kennedy 150]

My wife likes going to Rural King. They have baby chicks, peanut rolls at the register and over priced Dot's pretzels. To be fair the pretzels are overpriced everywhere. 

[702854boy 124]

9 hours ago, Handy Don said:

air freshener to kill the tire smell

that is very sacrilegious

[Treepep 762]

19 hours ago, adsm08 said:

I wish we had more places like that.

 

I recently decided to stop shopping at TSC altogether. I asked, I thought rather politely, to just not be asked to sign up for a credit card every time I go into the store for 30 cents worth of hardware, and the store manager went off on me about how the cashier was "just doing her job".

 

I'm sorry, no. The cashier's job is to ring me up, make change, and ask if I was able to find everything, not offer me financial products. If they can't understand that then they don't need my business.

 

 

I agree wholeheartedly!  The cute young ladies that cycle through my TSC know me because I talk to them and make them laugh.  I do not get any financial offers.  I get other

 

suggestions. 

 

Try to be kind to everyone.  (everything)  

 

Trust me a lot of humans do may not deserve it.  However that may change their trajectory.  BE HAPPY.  as best as you can.  PLEASE.

 

Be your best version of you and show that to others.  It will progress.

[adsm08 3,509]

10 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Agreed, assuming your identity has been established during the transaction. 

This is the kind of software enhancement request that rarely gets passed upward from customer-facing staff, through store and “regional” managers, to reach the software team--fear of being tagged as “a complainer” or “not with the program.” I saw this kind of suppression often during my career designing end-user software. 

You might consider going out on a limb and using the “contact us” info from the loyalty program’s website and make a direct suggestion. At least in places I worked, that input was at least read and evaluated. 🙃

 

I have tried this a few times, so far to no avail. I even went so far as to leave bad reviews of my experience specifically citing that one question as the whole reason for said bad experience. Nothing has changed.

 

10 hours ago, Kennedy said:

My wife likes going to Rural King. They have baby chicks, peanut rolls at the register and over priced Dot's pretzels. To be fair the pretzels are overpriced everywhere. 

 

I like RK a lot better than TSC. The big problem is that the nearest TSC is 5 minutes from the house, an another 10 minutes from where I work. The closest RK is 45 minutes from the house and an hour from work.

[JoeM 8,625]

21 hours ago, WHX?? said:

the smell of new tires

20 years ago the financial controller was in my office chewing the fat. At the time he has young sons and telling me he was shopping at Sam's club over the weekend. How cool is that did you take the boys over to the tire area to smell the tires. He went huh! I told him that is the best place in the store next to the free sample area. Got to smell the tires. He said okay I will check it out next time. 

A month goes by and he stops by and told me the boys loved the tire section, as well as himself! 

[953 nut 61,288]

23 hours ago, JoeM said:

 I kind of get the shakes. My wife says taking her there is not exactly a date! 

At our age my wife even considers taking the trash to the dump together qualifies as a date.              Gotta take what you can get.

[WHX?? 52,416]

22 hours ago, adsm08 said:

The cashier's job is to ring me up, make change, and ask if I was able to find everything, not offer me financial products.

I beg to differ. It's every employees job, right down to the janitor and the guy bringing carts back in, to suggest add on sales, customer perks or anything that would help the retailer to make more $$ and/or get the customer to come back. They are trained from day one on the job to do this. In today's fierce retail environment it's a necessity. 

A polite " no thanks I don't want your stinkin credit card" is all it takes. 

I usually respond with " No thanks trying to quit"  

[WHX?? 52,416]

On 9/20/2025 at 7:31 AM, JoeM said:

buff off the blue on a wire wheel

Your right Joe it comes right off during use and even just handling. You don't see them in the tranny to F plate anyway and I don't lay mirrors under my show pieces either ... 

Edited September 21 by WHX??

[WHX?? 52,416]

11 hours ago, Kennedy said:

They have baby chicks,

Too funny! Every time I go to TSC and they have them I send a pic to SWMBO in hopes she finds them darling. My quest for her permission to start raising them. It's The Pullstart's fault...  I should just learn to ask forgiveness. 

[953 nut 61,288]

Our TSC has a pet adoption day once a month, that is about the only time my wife willingly goes through their door. The baby chicks fascination went away years ago when she watched her aunt processing a chicken.