Who thinks up this stuff? (advertising)

[George Stolz]

I was flipping through the April issue of ECM Magazine, when I happened across this ad:

They are advertising their new product, a listed sectional ground rod that has 4' sections that are connected together to get an 8' rod. The product can be found here.

The only thing that would have set the picture off better (on the "headache" side of the ad) is if the guy swinging the hammer were suspended from a bungee cord, or flying in from stage left like a samurai.

The only thing I can think is, when is the last time you saw two guys driving a ground rod with a sledgehammer? Is the guy in the bucket of the tractor Johnny Knoxville? :lol:

Talk about solving a non-issue, IMO.

 

[tonyi]

Re: Who thinks up this stuff? (advertising)

The only thing I can think is, when is the last time you saw two guys driving a ground rod with a sledgehammer?

Raises hand...just a couple of days ago, (2) 10'ers. The guy that promised to deliver the big hammer never did. Had to punch through about 5" of concrete sidewalk with a cordless hammer drill for the same reason. Only burned about 1 fully charged battery per 3/4" hole :lol:

 

[hockeyoligist2]

and since i'm industrial,.... I drive one about every 2 years so out comes the hammer!

 

[celtic]

Personally, I think it's a great product....on the other hand, they are really appealing to the Darwin candidates to use "any means" to drive an 8' rod.

 

[George Stolz]

Some time, I need to tell my fence-building story. I tried to put in 6 acres worth of T-posts with a hammer. Got through three t-posts before breaking the head off the hammer.

I quickly discovered the T-post driver.

IMO, if I drove 2 rods every ten years, there would still be a t-post driver in my van, or at least at the shop. For that one occasion, you can't beat it. At least, around here. (Every once in a while you can drive one with a 20 oz. claw hammer here, but rarely...) 8)

 

[petersonra]

Some time, I need to tell my fence-building story. I tried to put in 6 acres worth of T-posts with a hammer. Got through three t-posts before breaking the head off the hammer.

I quickly discovered the T-post driver.

IMO, if I drove 2 rods every ten years, there would still be a t-post driver in my van, or at least at the shop. For that one occasion, you can't beat it. At least, around here. (Every once in a while you can drive one with a 20 oz. claw hammer here, but rarely...) 8)

Years ago my dad put up a fence using t-posts. Instead of a hammer he used about a three foot section of galvanized pipe with a cap on the end. If you slide the t-post into the open end of the pipe, you can drive the post in by successively sliding the pipe down on to the post until it strikes the cap. It looks odd but it was much easier to use than a hammer because it required no skill to use it. No issue with the post moving around on you either.

.

 

[RUWired]

Funny how in the headache picture the guy isn't wearing a hard hat, but in the no headache,he is!,I also can't believe they would advertise a man standing in the bucket of a front end loader.
Rick

 

[macmikeman]

I like how manufacturers can get ul listing and code approval for couplings on an 8 foot rod, but field electricians are not allowed to use kerneys to splice a gec. Don't flame me. I am just grumbling about how easy it is for the big guys to get things approved.

 

[tom baker]

In the last two issues of the IAEI News there have been articles on Ground Rods, by Erico. Now they have a free gage you can get to measure the size of a ground rod. They make a big deal a that a 5/8" ground rod is not 5/8"
With the 2005 NEC's requirement for the use of a Concrete Encased Electrode- CEE, sales of ground rods will decrease dramatically.
In ten years new electricans will ask us old timers what a ground rod is.
(With a CEE. for the typical dwelling unit you don't need ground rods. Ground rods are used as the water pipe is not a grounding electrode as its plastic)
Perhaps Erico is trying to hang on to the ground rod market.

 

[George Stolz]

Some time, I need to tell my fence-building story.

How about just the punchline: When I first started, I was digging holes for the t-posts with a post-hole digger.

My Dad (former farmer) laughed his cakehole off when I came to his house, dismayed, with the broken hammer.