Products

Anyone who has painted undoubtedly has experience with painter’s tape. If those experiences are similar to mine they ended up disappointed with paint bleed or stuck tape. The pros know different tricks or application techniques that deliver the sharp lines everyone envisions when they begin the project.

Enter FrogTape® with patented PaintBlock® Technology. PaintBlock is polymer-based and reacts with the water in latex paint to create a micro-barrier that seals the edges of the tape. Click here to view a demonstration of PaintBlock’s super absorbent technology and the final results when the tape is removed from a wall.

Normally when we receive paint-related materials we utilize a few pros to perform the review and give their feedback. The logic being if a pro has a favorable review then the traditional DIYer should receive similar results, making it a great product for hardware stores to stock. When we contacted our usual pros they all had extensive experience with the product. So we recruited d-i-yers to solicit their feedback.

Each used FrogTape on multiple surfaces windows, baseboards and corners, and everyone was amazed by the clean lines usually only possible with pros. No one had any instance of paint bleed or difficulty removing the tape even after it stayed in place for over a week. If you currently do not stock FrogTape, then bring in a few SKUs of their Pro Grade Painter’s Tape and Pro Grade Orange Painter’s Tape, which offers higher adhesion.

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The Hardware Connection is a digital magazine targeted to independent hardware/home improvement retailers. It is the only industry magazine designed and distributed solely in electronic format and currently reaches over 60,000 people in the two-step channel.

The Hardware Connection publishes four Newsletters each year in addition to eight magazine issues.

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In our July/August issue, we tested the MORF R230™ Headlamp + Magnetic Flash from Police Security. Click here to read the review. When approached to review the MORF L300™ headlamp I was initially hesitant. Let’s be honest, how much different can one headlamp be from another? When I initially saw the headlamp I completely understood how one product enhancement can make all the difference.

A few years ago I took my son on his first camping trip with 30 six- to nine-year-olds. When the sun dipped below the horizon all the kids who had camped before ran to their tents to get their headlamp. Now picture a large group of kids running around temporarily blinding the adults when they looked at our faces. When it was time for the kids to return to the tents for the night, all headlamps were turned off and either battery lanterns or flashlights illuminated the tents.

This is where the MORF L300 sets itself apart from the traditional headlamp. Similar to the R230, the L300 headlamp features a detachable flashlight with a magnetic base. However, the L300’s flashlight has two additional features. The first is a slide that changes the flashlight into a small lantern. The second is integrated hooks for hanging that collapse back onto the base for reattachment to the headlamp base.

Our product testers utilized the L300 in numerous ways from camping, DIY engine repairs to an attic project with limited lighting. Everyone was impressed with the overall power of the 300 lumens but also the virtually endless uses. You can easily attach the magnetic base for direct placement or lantern mode to disperse the light over a greater area. The L300 is a great addition to your store since it can solve so many different needs.

If your childhood was anything similar to mine, weekends were spent on various indoor/outdoor house projects with the parents. There were always two products in the old toolbox that aided countless projects: the iconic blue and yellow can of WD-40® and a roll of duct tape. There were two other constants in our house: the WD-40 red cap and detachable straw were always missing.

While so many things have changed over the past 40 years, the blue and yellow can of WD-40 remains a staple. Now the red cap is integrated into the spray nozzle and the straw is part of a two-way spray application. Gone are the days of digging to the bottom of the toolbox hoping to find the little red straw. WD-40 EZ-REACH® expands the traditional straw uses with an 8” flexible straw that bends and maintains its shape.

We supplied our testers with a can of WD-40 EZ-REACH and asked for their review of the flexible straw design. The water-displacing lubricant has been around for more than 60 years and needs no review or discussion surrounding a unique application. WD-40 is such an iconic brand it has a page on its website to “Explore Myths, Legends & Fun Facts of the Blue & Yellow Can”—click here to read a few.

Similar to this WD-40 video, our testers bent the flexible straw to reach those tight locations, but also to see if the straw would break. One reviewer said it best: “I bent the straw almost into a pretzel to see if it would break or interfere with the product flow. Try as I did it, EZ-Reach worked flawlessly.”

I cannot imagine any hardware store not carrying at least a few different SKUs of WD-40. If you are not currently stocking EZ-REACH, then make sure to include it on your next order as this is a must-have for any hardware store.

RapidFix UV
RapidFix/LHB Industries

If the name RapidFix sounds familiar it’s because we tested their Dual Adhesive System in our September 2019 issue. Click here to read the review. The company has now introduced a liquid plastic adhesive with accompanying UV light. Both products offer the same wide range of application, but are designed to solve different problems.

RapidFix UV fills and adheres to numerous surfaces including wood, plastic and metal and can even be used as a low-voltage insulator. The difference in the two products is the UV light must be able to reach the surface where the Dual Adhesive System bonds two surfaces together. Application is easy and straightforward. After the surface is prepared, simply apply RapidFix UV and then cure the adhesive with 10-20 seconds of UV light. The product will not cure until the application of the UV light. Both products can be sanded, filed, drilled and even painted. Click here to view the application process and the virtually unlimited uses.

We used the same group of testers as the Dual Adhesive System, since they were familiar with the product. Our testers were just as impressed with the UV version as they were with the Dual Adhesive. One of our testers used the UV Adhesive to close a hairline crack in the middle of a PVC pipe without any leaks. One of our testers commented that the RapidFix products are the “Swiss Army knife” of adhesives.

Carrying RapidFix in your store not only provides your customers with a highly versatile adhesive product, but also supports a great cause. The product is manufactured by a 501(c)3 supporting services for the legally blind. LHB Industries also employs 48 people who are legally blind for assembly and packing in St. Louis.

Personal Mosquito Zapper & Lantern
Skeeter Hawk

Anyone who has watched the movie Jurassic Park knows mosquitoes have been around for years—around 210 million years. We also know they spread numerous diseases, some of which can be deadly including yellow fever. They can also quickly turn a great outdoor experience into a nightmare. The market is not short of products claiming to keep the biting bugs at bay with a varying degree of success.

Skeeter Hawk, a brand of Alliance Consumer Group that manufactures NEBO among other brands, shipped us samples from their line of mosquito and flying insect defense products. They offer repellents, zappers, bait stations and traps. We decided to try their Personal Mosquito Zapper & Lantern model.

The personal zapper features a patent-pending UV light technology that attracts mosquitoes and other flying insects. The UV light is surrounded by a 360-degree electrical grid protected by a slotted plastic fence. Mosquitoes and flying insects are attracted to the UV light and fly directly into the electrical grid. The zapper comes in two sizes: Premium powered by 110 volts and Personal utilizing a micro-USB rechargeable battery. The Premium Mosquito Zapper & Lantern also features a foldable handle for hanging and up to 100-lumen lantern.

Our tester used the premium model in various conditions both day and night to test the effectiveness. The zapper proved to be effective at eliminating mosquitoes in small patio size areas. One of our testers who is a mother mentioned she does not want to apply traditional DEET sprays on her children. DEET only stops the mosquitoes from biting, but they will still land on someone who is sprayed.

There are more than 2,700 species of mosquitoes in the world and odds are they are in your market. Take a look at the Skeeter Hawk line of mosquito and flying insect products, which can provide your customers with a quiet, no chemical alternative to traditional sprays.

Rescue!® Ant Baits
Rescue!® / Sterling International

While ants serve an important ecologic role, we don’t want them in or around our homes. Numerous products and applications are on the market to address the issue. However, each has its faults. Rescue! has designed an innovative product combining two of the most common methods used to bait ants—solid and liquid bait—into one easy-to-use, child-resistant product.

Ants entering homes are either searching for food/water or trying to escape the outdoor climate. Rescue! Ant Baits include both carbohydrates (sugar), which naturally attracts ants, and protein. When ants enter the bait station to consume the sugar they carry the protein back to the colony, effectively killing the larvae and queen. Click here to view an animated overview.

We had the opportunity to test the ant baits in numerous scenarios both inside and outside the home or office. Our testers were quick to point out the ease of use and no mess that traditional liquid ant baits leave behind. One of our testers has two small children and was concerned about using poison inside the home. Before he placed the trap he tried to open the station by hand and eventually tried with a pocket knife to no avail. While you do not want children or pets to play with the bait station. it was reassuring for this homeowner that his children were safe.

The Rescue! ant baits are an outstanding no-mess, child-resistant, highly effective alternative to other products on the market.

Renewing worn out concrete driveways, sidewalks and patios is easy, affordable and effective with QUIKRETE Re-Cap, which is a special blend of portland cement, sand, polymer modifiers and other additives.

The repair material is four times stronger than the concrete itself, which means the concrete surfaces being renewed will fracture or crack before its bond with QUIKRETE Re-Cap will break.

Applied with a squeegee, trowel or brush, one 40-pound bag will cover approximately 20 square feet at ¼ inches thick or approximately 90 square feet as skim coat. The renewed concrete can be walked on in eight hours and driven on in 24 hours.

Designed to provide a shrinkage compensated repair material for making thin repairs to sound concrete in need of surface renewal.

The QUIKRETE Companies
www.QUIKRETE.com
800-282-5828

Ancra’s standard painted Ergo 360° bar can be rotated a full 360° to provide optimum leverage and control to the user, making it both efficient and convenient.

With an ergonomic and economical design, the handle and tip remain parallel with each other to offer improved control, while a flanged mushroom tip easily keeps the bar in the winch cap while in use.

Made with high-quality heat-treated materials, the standard painted Ergo 360° bar has improved strength and durability, meaning you will be able to rely on it for securing heavy cargo for years.

The Ergo 360° bar has been cycle-tested to simulate years of heavy use and corrosion, so you can be confident using the bar in any condition.

Ancra Cargo
www.ancracargo.com
800-626-8353

Enhances beauty and protects surfaces to make them look better and last longer, including wood, stone, metal, cement, paint, plastics and more.

Easy to use—simply rub the wax on, let it absorb and buff off any excess.

Made in USA and safe for indoor and outdoor countertop surfaces.

Helps delay tarnishing and oxidation of bronze, copper, brass, and even wrought iron. Does not contain silicone, linseed oil, solvents or VOCs.

Howard Products
www.howardproducts.com
805-227-1000

PLYLOX™ window clips are the ingenious, inexpensive, non-destructive way to protect your windows from high winds and airborne debris.

Installed in seconds, PLYLOX™ window clips slide onto the edge of a plywood sheet, which is then easily inserted into the exterior window casings. No drilling holes. After protecting a home or business from high winds and flying debris, the plywood can be removed in seconds without tools.

PLYLOX™ window clips are patented h-shaped carbon steel clips engineered to fit plywood without nails, screws or adhesives.

Available in stainless steel or carbon steel. Three sizes to choose from: 1/2”, 5/8” and 3/4”.

Plylox Hurricane Window Clips
www.plylox.com | 800-583-4289