Tractor Supply vs BJ’s Club

P

Packard

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Hudson Valley, NY
I am a member of BJ’s Club and I generally go there once a week for the bulk of my grocery shopping.

During the Pandemic, we got a local Tractor Supply store. I have had few reasons to go there.

But I did stop in this afternoon.

I’ve been buying 50 pound buckets (in 6 gallon plastic shipping pails) for $24.00.

When I stopped in at T/S they sold 50 pound plastic bags of calcium chloride for $9.00.

I already have accumulated 4 plastic pails, so future ice melt is going to be from T/S.

But windshield washer solution is about 2x the cost at T/S vs BJ’s.

I go through quite a bit of salt, so I will go to T/S for that.

Unfortunately, you need to know the costs ahead of time. The pricing differences are substantial. Typically, BJ’s is at or near the lowest price. But not always apparently.

T/S also has 3/4” thick x 4’ x 6’ horse stall mats. These make excellent shop floor mats. Very good temperature insulation. Excellent impact resistance (will support a horse (typically over 1,000 pounds and supported by just four small-ish hooves). $57.00. I don’t know if it is a good price though. I have nothing to compare it with. Note: These mats are very, very heavy.)
 
If you are looking for rubber mats (and yes, those thick mats like mentioned above are stupidly heavy - I have one under my washer and dryer at our one house) Costco has some mats in a more manageable 3 x 4 size at about $38 online. That includes shipping which has to be considerable. I saw them in the store the other day and I think they were under $30. Drop and chisel and you won't need to worry about floor damage, but watch out for the bounce.

Peter
 
peter halle said:
If you are looking for rubber mats (and yes, those thick mats like mentioned above are stupidly heavy - I have one under my washer and dryer at our one house) Costco has some mats in a more manageable 3 x 4 size at about $38 online. That includes shipping which has to be considerable. I saw them in the store the other day and I think they were under $30. Drop and chisel and you won't need to worry about floor damage, but watch out for the bounce.

Peter
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The 4’ x 6’ is 94 pounds (per T/S)

They sell 3’ x 4’ size, but it is only 1/2” thick, and is listed as a “utility mat” and not as a “horse stall mat”. I am having doubts that the density will be sufficient for a shop mat.

My old picture framing shop had horse stall mats, but those were somewhere between a utility mat and a real horse stall mat. A full 3/4” thick, but not as dense as the real horse stall mat. The 94 pound mat sounds like the real thing.

My frame shop was ground level concrete and very tough on my feet and back. In the winter the floor was very cold. I was greatly relieved by the “stall” mats. A worthwhile addition to a shop. Do not confuse these with the link together mats at Lowes, etc. Those lack both the density and thickness needed to provide insulation and back relief.
 
Home gyms all over use the 1/2" horse stall mats from Tractor Supply. My shop has had them since I bought the PM-64. You won't wear them out. I'd think even a horse won't wear out a 1/2" mat, but the 3/4" is likely nicer on the hooves.

When I saw the CostCo ones, I wished those were around when I bought mine. First, the better price. Second, the mats from Tractor Supply absolutely reek of rubber for a long time.
 
PaulMarcel said:
the mats from Tractor Supply absolutely reek of rubber for a long time.
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I imagine that's not much of an issue when hay and manure are companion aromas in a stable!

While I'm allured by the horse mat thing, when I went to see them at Tractor Supply last winter, they were just too darned heavy, and covering the floor space in my garage would be like buying a new KS60 (maybe I exaggerate, a little).

I was curious about this mat thing so in August, I bought a pack of the Anti-Fatigue Foam Mat from Harbor Freight when they were on sale for ten dollars. It would cost considerably less to cover the entire garage in these, however, I think they would be unsuitable for rolling equipment across. Compared to the TS Horse Mats, these HFT mats are much squishy-er and have a little memory when I put my stool on it. That said, they are comfortable for standing and I've left them right by my wall worktop. If I didn't have to move my equipment around so much, I would consider using them.

But what about commercial low pile carpet? My friends dad uses that in his garage and I really like that approach. He does more mechanical repair so it can get dirty and oily - and when it does, he just rolls on another layer of carpet. I think he's got like five layers now.
 
onocoffee said:
But what about commercial low pile carpet? My friends dad uses that in his garage and I really like that approach. He does more mechanical repair so it can get dirty and oily - and when it does, he just rolls on another layer of carpet. I think he's got like five layers now.
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I worked at 3M in their Staff Machine Design Group for over 8 years. Back then, cigarette smoking within the office was commonplace and the way they dealt with burned carpets was to use carpet squares. :) All 6 floors of the Engineering building were comprised of 18" x 18" carpet squares with 3M PSA on the back to adhere it to the floor. If a carpet square was burned or damaged, just remove it and install another. That would also work well in a garage that doesn't see a lot of moisture issues. :unsure: :unsure:
 
Cheese said:
I worked at 3M in their Staff Machine Design Group for over 8 years. Back then, cigarette smoking within the office was commonplace and the way they dealt with burned carpets was to use carpet squares. :)
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Carpet squares, boy that brings back memories! They were hugely popular in restaurants here as well for the same reasons in "Ye Olden Times" as my kids call it!
 
When I worked for a company in their corporate headquarters they too used carpet squares in the employee work areas. But for them it was because the flooring on the slab was a commercial hollow system that allowed electric and low voltage wiring to be put anywhere without drops from the ceiling. Made cubicle relocations and alterations easy. The carpet tiles had velcro attachment.

Peter
 
I doubt that carpet of any type would provide the level of insulation that the rubber mats do.

I bought my mats, which apparently were made from virgin material, from GREAT MATS. They came in oversize tiles that interlocked. I used one as a “floor” for my dog’s sleeping crate. My dog was very sensitive to odors and the rubber pad did not bother him.

But the Great Mats version is twice the cost of the TS mats. They are also made from closed cell foam, so they are spill resistant.

The TS mats were stacked two feet high outdoors with a chain and padlock to secure them. Possibly the reason for storing them outdoors is the offensive odor. Outdoors, I did not notice the odor. I am sensitive to smells, and a heavy tire smell would definitely bother me.

It seems the single good feature vs GREAT MATS is the price.

Horse Stall Interlocking Center Mat Cobblestone 3/4 Inch x 4x6 Ft.

Add traction, protection, and comfort to your horse stalls or barn aisles with Cobblestone 4x6 Interlocking Horse Stall Mats. Made in the USA.
www.greatmats.com www.greatmats.com
 
Packard said:
The TS mats were stacked two feet high outdoors with a chain and padlock to secure them. Possibly the reason for storing them outdoors is the offensive odor. Outdoors, I did not notice the odor. I am sensitive to smells, and a heavy tire smell would definitely bother me.
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They were outside at my TS as well. I also didn't notice an odor at all... until 3 of them were in my car. It became overwhelming at the first light out of the parking lot. Lowered all 4 windows and kept my face in the wind like a dog going for a car ride.

The home gym groups all mention the smell and most say to just leave them out in the sun for a couple weeks, flipping them every so often. I left them out a long time until I could bring one in and not smell it after 20 minutes. In Arizona, 8 months out of the year, your house is all sealed up running A/C. It would really suck to bring those inside and have that stink (and its related fumes) circulated waiting 7 more months until you can open the windows at 4 am to let air circulate.
 
I can pretty much guarantee that the Great Mats horse stall mats are odor-free.

After my Chesapeake Bay Retriever (who had a keen sense of smell) was house broken, I had no need for the training crate except that my dog refused to go to sleep unless he was in his crate and the door was latched. (He would bark until the door was latched.)

So to make the crate more aesthetically pleasing, I built one in the style of Craftsman furniture.

It was all pine, poplar and plywood but stained dark and with a durable oil-based poly finish. To be sure that there was no lingering odor, I aimed a box fan to the interior and left it on for a full week. The dog refused to enter.

I repeated for a second week but with the same result. I ended up buying a spray can of shellac. A single coat made the interior odor-free enough for the dog. No fan or waiting time required. Sprayed in the morning and he slept in the crate that evening. Shellac really does seal odors.

The addition of the mat from Great Mats met no such objection.

In the morning I would let him out and take him for a walk. When I returned either one or both of my cats would take up residence.

Post Script: A wood crate will not work for all dogs. If your dog is a chewer, choose another material.

 
Packard said:
Unfortunately, you need to know the costs ahead of time. The pricing differences are substantial. Typically, BJ’s is at or near the lowest price. But not always apparently.
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That is the trick they all depend on. Walmart, Target, etc. They get you in with better prices on some products, then hope you will either, not check the others, or not take the time/effort, to buy from both.
We have both Tractor Supply and Rural King. Farm & Fleet has been gone for years.
 
Crazyraceguy said:
That is the trick they all depend on. Walmart, Target, etc. They get you in with better prices on some products, then hope you will either, not check the others, or not take the time/effort, to buy from both.
We have both Tractor Supply and Rural King. Farm & Fleet has been gone for years.
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I have found that the products that Walmart and Amazon.com sell directly are almost universally a bargain, or at the worst, fair and competitively priced.

The third party sellers, on the other hand can be offering obscenely overpriced products.

So yes, you do have to be careful, but generally it is fairly easy to do so. If you shop Walmart at one of their stores, there is no risk of getting ripped off by 3rd party sellers.

With Amazon watch for “Shipped and sold by Amazon.”

If you see it says, “Shipped by Amazon” you can be assured of delivery.

But if it sold by a 3rd party seller, then you have to take care.

Funnily, I purchased from a 3rd party seller (a disreputable one at that) and I came out ahead.

I ordered 2 pounds of Jordan almonds through Amazon. When it arrived, I did not bother to open the package because the UPS shipping label said “1 Pound”. Clearly I was being ripped off.

I contacted Amazon and they cancelled the transaction and told me to keep the almonds.

When I opened the package I found that there were two 16 ounce bags included—so they shipped the two pounds ordered. But they decided to cheat UPS on the shipping charges and I got the nuts for free.

I will not order again from them. I don’t like dealing with crooks, even when they are stealing from someone else.

(I do like Jordon Almonds though.)


Pictured larger than the actual nuts.
1766089949862.jpg
 
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