Yesterday I made a quick trip over to Menards to pick up some new bits for my beloved Black & Decker drill. The ones I had were pretty well shot, and I needed something sharp to start work on soaking the wood consolidant into the bracket over my front door.
So, I was standing in the aisles debating what to buy when I spotted an entire set of 18 B&D bits on clearance for $5. As an added bonus, the packaging told me, I got a little set of screws & anchors for free as a gift. This free gift was neatly stored in the bottom of the bit case. I thought to myself - even if I only get one use out of each one, it's a deal. I bought the clearance set and was on my way.
I got home and took off the plastic wrapping. The bits were inside a funky little plastic case. For the next 15 minutes I sat there trying to figure out how to get that case open. I kid you not. 15 minutes.
I finally figured out that you needed to push down on one spot while simultaneously pulling open a hinged door....then they all came spilling out. Good grief.
I went outside and got to work. Later in the afternoon, I decided I needed to take a closer look at the "free screw & anchor gift." For an hour I worked on opening the little compartment at the bottom of this case. I could not do it. I am a fairly clever girl, and I could not get this little compartment open to save my life. I put the box down.
This evening I once again picked up the box. How hard could this be? For another hour I sat and tried to open this little compartment to look at those damn free screws and anchors. I am now convinced that the compartment does not even open. What appears to be screws and anchors through the plastic is probably just a photo.
Is it possible that the folks at B&D made such a poor packaging decision that no one could open these contraptions.....and as a result all the stores had to mark them down on clearance?
Thursday, July 27, 2006
So Close and Yet So Far
Posted by StuccoHouse at 10:28 PM
Labels: Black and Decker, Tool
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8 comments:
I bought a router bit from Sears when I was doing the marble. It came in a very impressive plastic case. After about 10 minutes try to open the case I eventually smashed it with a hammer to get it open.
There was a time when I wanted to go to a Columbia Records board room and ask every person at the table to try open a new CD. I would then stand there and laugh.
Who OKs these packaging ideas?
It's all about childproofing. You wouldn't want some poor little unattended tyke to come along and swallow all those screws. And if you can't get to them, are they really free?
...It's all about childproofing. You wouldn't want some poor little unattended tyke to come along and swallow all those screws.,,,,
Yes, but the facts of life are that said child is most likely the only one that can actually get that plastic
box open without a hammer.
Julie - who is so happy to hear that she is not the only one having trouble opening packages lately!!!!
Damn those screw swallowing small children. We have now completed day four of trying to reach the screws. I'm not sure why I'm still trying. I can see through the plastic that the screws are in a little bag inside the case. That little bag, no doubt, is made from kryptonite. I'm tempted to smash it with a hammer, but there is part of me that thinks that is admitting failure. Can't do it.
lol....philosphy. If I can't get to them, are they free. Interesting in the tree falling in a forest sort of way.
I once heard a joke about those cd packages. They said that whomever designed those should be put in charge of homeland security. Anyone that could so effectively keep people from reaching a cd, could most certainly keep terrorist from crossing borders. Ya know, they may be on to something there.....
Ginzu knives. They'll hack through anything. I got a set of 16 or 20 at the dollar store at Hi-Lake for $2. I keep them with the tools. The blades will break off the handles pretty easily but for dirty hack jobs, they're great. Keep in mind, you'll have to destroy the package to open it. Of course.
I'VE GOT IT! Ok first let me say how much I love google. I actually did a search for "how to open a black and decker drill bit set packaging" then went through a few pages of results and found your page. By chance I bought the exact same set of bits that were on sale at Home Depot.
I too struggled with the top opening part where the bits reside. But I too finally figured it out. I too was dying to get to the bonus screw part at the bottom of the packaging when I notice a very small plastic rivet at the bottom (no not the side) that seemed a tad too long. I knew if this thing came off something would give. I grabbed a spoon, letter opener, then finally a phillips and broke the rivet off. Then I pushed the plastic screw thing on the bottom side of the package inward and TA-DAH it slid out sideways. Plain dumb luck on my part.
Adolfo - First, thank you for a good chuckle. Secondly, a big thanks for giving me the info. to open that damn thing. I saw that little button too, but kept thinking I had to push it instead of breaking it off. What on earth was B&D thinking?!!
Thanks so much for the description on how to open those drill bits! I also struggled with them for about 10 minutes before finding your blog post.
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