kool glide "buy now" 250

DJ · March 10, 2010, 11:27 AM

kool glide "pro" new in box $250.00

"buy now" e bay

free shipping too

if anyone is looking fur one

TFP Admin · March 10, 2010, 11:31 AM

Linkage is good: New Kool Glide PRO Carpet Seamer NIB - eBay (item 170456513551 end time Mar-15-10 14:46:58 PDT)

Read the fine print.

kwfloors · March 10, 2010, 02:01 PM

Thats a good deal, $100 less than retail.

Al Gladden · March 10, 2010, 02:28 PM

that is a good deal...

Taurus Flooring · March 10, 2010, 04:01 PM

What a waste of hard earned money. Considering nobody is compensating you for the tool or the more expensive seaming tape, I think you'd have to be a fool to buy one. Seaming irons work fine and are far cheaper. If anyone wants me to buy a tool that is that expensive, they better be ready to pony up some cash.

Jim McClain · March 10, 2010, 04:29 PM

I'm sure I am not the only one who disagrees with you, Taurus. I used the Kool Glide for a while before I had to quit installing. It was worth it alone just for the lack of thermoplastic smoke and fumes I was breathing. But in addition to that, it helped me make better seams in problematic carpet and made the rest of my seams problem free.

If you aren't being compensated for your tools or supplies in the work you do, that isn't the fault of the tools or the supplies, it's the fault of the business model.

Jim

TFP Admin · March 11, 2010, 09:58 AM

Sorry for any problems viewing this topic. Apparently it was temporarily deleted. Back now.

Jim

DJ · March 11, 2010, 10:36 AM

Taurus Flooring said

If anyone wants me to buy a tool that is that expensive, they better be ready to pony up some cash.

that's why i posted it

it is less expensive than normal

but 100 more than a reg iron!

Taurus Flooring · March 11, 2010, 03:27 PM

Jim, you can say it any way you want, but the fact of the matter is, we are not being compensated for doing seams. I have been in the business for close to 40yrs now and have never had a problem with any seam I have done. It seems to me, that the industry keeps coming up with new "standards" and tools, but does not support installers. I'm not saying that Kool Glides are not good tools, I'm only observing how these tools seem to be geared towards doing the work easier so that any idiot can do it. At this rate, there won't be a need for "skilled" tradesmen, and the idea of craftman will be tossed out the door. Is that we want?

Jim McClain · March 11, 2010, 04:23 PM

Taurus Flooring said

Jim, you can say it any way you want...

It doesn't matter how I say it if it isn't read by someone.

...but the fact of the matter is, we are not being compensated for doing seams.

Maybe YOU aren't. I always was. It's not the tool or the process' fault that you don't get paid properly for using them.

I have been in the business for close to 40yrs now and have never had a problem with any seam I have done.

Neither did I. I didn't get the tool until my last 6 months or so installing. I wonder to this day if all the plastic fumes and smoke I sucked into my lungs using a conventional iron had anything to do with the advance of my lung disease. In the short time I was able to continue with the help of this tool, my seams did improve - not so much the quality of the every-day seam, but in being able to construct the more difficult seams (dealing with pattern matches and distorted carpet is easier with Kool Glide) took less time. The tool has other uses besides carpet seams too, so its value to me as an installer was greater.

It seems to me, that the industry keeps coming up with new "standards" and tools, but does not support installers.

As far as I know, there's no standard that requires the use of a KoolGlide. You don't have to buy one. But if you've never used one, I don't understand how you can complain about its operation - and I'm puzzled how the use of any tool is the cause of your failure to be properly compensated for your work.

I'm not saying that Kool Glides are not good tools, I'm only observing how these tools seem to be geared towards doing the work easier so that any idiot can do it. At this rate, there won't be a need for "skilled" tradesmen, and the idea of craftman will be tossed out the door. Is that we want?

Now I'm even more confused.

If you think the average DIYer or under-trained, get it down and get out installer is going to go out an buy a KoolGlide, you may be mistaken. In my opinion, it takes an installer with better than average skills to use this tool to their advantage - both as a craftsman and as a businessman.

I'm sure if you looked around your home you will find a number of products that make your life easier, more comfortable or gives you more time for other things. Maybe it's an electric razor, a water purifier, microwave oven, any number of products you take for granted every day. But to someone else, those might just be superfluous and they do just fine without them. They might even think they are a ridiculous expense for doing the same things they've been doing all their lives. But you know some of those things make your life better, easier, safer and the extra cost is well worth it to you.

Jim

kylenelson · March 11, 2010, 05:58 PM

I would stand by the things that Jim say's about the Koolglide. It's an invaluable tool when working with SOME carpets and SOME difficult seams. It makes seams just as well as any other iron, but it excels in areas that the conventional iron will never.

Al Gladden · March 11, 2010, 06:18 PM

it is awesome on repairs and patches, like a burn hole in the middle of carpet, i will not install without it.

kwfloors · March 11, 2010, 10:42 PM

Taurus Flooring said

Jim, you can say it any way you want, but the fact of the matter is, we are not being compensated for doing seams. I have been in the business for close to 40yrs now and have never had a problem with any seam I have done. It seems to me, that the industry keeps coming up with new "standards" and tools, but does not support installers. I'm not saying that Kool Glides are not good tools, I'm only observing how these tools seem to be geared towards doing the work easier so that any idiot can do it. At this rate, there won't be a need for "skilled" tradesmen, and the idea of craftman will be tossed out the door. Is that we want?

The koolglide tape is cheaper than the 6" tape I was using. Kane is recommending this seaming process for their carpets. If you kick in all the carpet that you do in I'm sure the regular 3" taped seams look fine but if you power stretch that carpet it will peak more than the koolglide. And knee surgery isn't cheap either.

Taurus Flooring · March 18, 2010, 11:05 PM

Jim you are very fortunate to be paid for doing seams. Here in the Great White North we are not privileged to be able to do so. As a matter of fact, rates have not risen in quite a few years, thereby making it difficult to be able to make a good living without working long hours. So when I hear someone pitching a new tool which would make life a little harder, I get a little upset. As far as tools go, I'm known as a tool addict. If you need it, I probably have 2 of 'em. I take great pride in my work and am always on the lookout for more efficient and productive tool. At the sametime, I take a hard look at whether it's truly a money maker. If I can do the same job with a more affordable tool and material, guess which one I'll go for. I've been using seaming irons since they 1st came out in the early '70's and used right, it will do a great job. It's all in the skill.

kylenelson · March 18, 2010, 11:13 PM

Yep, it's just that the KoolGlide will do just as well, if not better. The super low profile tape works wonders when seaming commercial carpet in a stretch in application, making a rug etc. Could I live without it? You bet ya. Would I want to? No. I haven't heated the old iron up in months. I've never gotten paid to do a seam either. Not even an issue to me. PERSONNALY I know that I can do better work with it, so it makes it worth it. But I'm not going to tell anyone that they can't do just as good with a conventional iron. Anyway, I wouldn't be bringing all this up if I didn't think the tool was worth the cost, which is the main issue here.

I'll admit I got a screaming deal on mine or I wouldn't have probably considered it. There was a time when they couldn't sell these things in our area and now they're catching on. I remember hearing about them a few years ago and thinking, yeah right, how can that thing work? Haha. That's why I don't play the stock market

kool glide "buy now" 250