*
Actually, regarding the battery operated tool idea, “the show’s on the road” so to speak.
According to representatives of Dewalt, Black and Decker (Dewalt’s parent company), Porter Cable, Makita, and Ryobi, none of them make a battery operated drill like I described.
I have made a prototype using a Dewalt 14.4 volt (old one on hand) and sent drawings, photos, and specs to each company. I am absolutely sure I will never hear back from any of them, but this idea works great. I have rigged one and use it a lot. I am sure we will see some versions, or even entirely different versions hit the market within a few years. I am sure that an engineer at one of these manufacturers has already come up with the idea before, and with laymen like me showing interest, maybe they’ll actually start making some.
As for the pickup truck under $20,000 idea, you ought to take a trip to Texas and check out some trucks. According to JD Powers and Associates (and registration records in Texas) 1 out of every 4 vehicles registered in Texas is a pickup truck. That’s an awful lot of trucks, and every dealer in the state carries a massive selection, at very reasonable prices. They have to keep the prices low due to competition. Right now in my area, Dodge Quad cab trucks, with a v-8 engine are the most expensive (basic models) at $18,000 to $19,000. Ford and Chevy are running neck and neck (v-8, basic model) at $16,000 to $17,000. It might be worth the cost of the trip to come to Texas and shop. This is the land of pick-um-up trucks. We tend to call the really customized, decked out trucks “Cowboy Cadillacs”. You wouldn’t believe some of the add ons and gizmos these people put on a truck. Most people I know with customized trucks will NOT haul anything in the back for fear of scratching the bed. What a waste!
James DuHamel
Replies
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I saw a Hitachi version advertised a couple of years ago, but not recently. One review I read complained that it brought back all of the same headaches of a corded tool along with a new problem - if you put it down for a second and then walked away...crash.
Lenny
*James, You are a true visionary!#1 They do make such a tool. Saw it at a builder's show last year. Can't tell you the name though..#2 They make perfectly straight composite studs if you are willing to pay a little more. A good place to use them is behind kitchen cabinets and counters.#3 Stay out of the big chains if you want knowledge of products and ways to use them. Long time family owned yards are the place to go. Did you know that 98% of Menard's customers are D.I.Y ? (From their recent in house report) That should tell you something!!
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I'd like to see "LIQUID COPPER" or "POWDERED COPPER" and conduit partitioned off into 4 and 5 channels.
Just pour the copper product into the conduit, add a catalyst, and PRESTO, instant cable without the pulling!
Scott
*And while I'm being foolish, I might as well wish for a Transporter from Star Trek, It would sure make deliveries and installs easier :-)Scott
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As long as we are in dream mode, I'd like to see some kind of molecular joiner that would let me take all the drops on the job and make long, seamless pieces - great for trim, the bottom line AND land fills.
Also, pricing software that really works.
Dream On . . .
*
How about a "wood welder" and some kind of a "laser cutter" for wood??
RayT
*James, on your first item - Hitachi used to. Didn't sell well enough, I guess, but then they weren't loading them up with a bazillion volts worth of batteries then either. Dave
*Jim....Yeah, I'm from Texas. I am definitely NOT a cowboy. I am just a normal, everyday, humble fellow from the deep woods/coastal region of Southeast Texas. I am definitely southern, and I even have a terrible drawl to my speech. Almost as bad a drawl as someone from Nawth Carolina (a little southern humor). I've met a lot of a**holes from here, but heck we are a state of over 17 million people. Bound to be a few a**holes in the crowd. Anyway....I've thought about the idea of just coming up with a cord and pouch (mounts to your belt) that can be used on existing cordless tools. That way there wouldn't be a need to redesign the tools, or change anything. People who already own the tools can just hook up the cords, place the battery in the pouch, and use their existing tools. This saves having to buy new tools. Keep the price down below $10.00 and people might actually buy one or two. As for straight studs, I use a product called Temple Purple studs. They come from a timber company called Temple Inland, and they are raspberry in color (outside only). They are easy to spot. They are made of Southern Yellow Pine, are very straight, mostly clear, or very few knots, and are only available in pre cut (92 5/8"). They cost about $1.00 more than standard #2 grade studs. I just hate having to pay extra for a straight stud. Metal studs and composite studs have not caught on very well here yet. We are not allowed to use OSB (wafer board) for roof decking because of wind codes, so everyone has the mentality that all composite products are second rate and not worth using. We may actually catch up to the rest of the country (or countries counting our Canadian friends here)someday.Oh well....James DuHamel
*I checked into composit studs by Mcmillian last year. Was told they were not rated for exterior walls and the company was dropping the line for now anyway. I would like a carwash on a hillside so I can park my truck sideways and hose out the inside.
*RayT; those two items do exist. Not in a jobsite form, but available to us shopguys. The woodwelder excites the molecules in water based glues, causing them to cure super fast.
*James,I have a Sears weed wacker and hedge trimmer that both work off a belt mounted battery pack. They must be 10 yrs. old, I don't know if Sears makes them any more.John
*James - The first time I happened through East Texas, I was surprised at how green and hilly it was, really liked it. Haven't been down Corpus Christie way yet, but I plan to check it out soon, I've heard many good reports. No offense, but between all the Texans and Canadians on this board, us normal folks are starting to get a little nervous...ah, you guys use the same money as the rest of the U.S. does, don't you? - jb
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Here's my contribution:
A plumb bob with a laser in it. You hang it on a short string so it doesn't swing forever and you mark a line at exactly the center of the dot.
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Those Temple studs, are they finger jointed? I seem to recall some controversy about finger jointed studs.
*Ed - About a year ago a guy came to work with me and he had a funny looking hammer. Bein' the redneck I am, I gave him a hard time about it and he said "here, give it a try". I did and bought one the next day. I think it is 16 oz, but it's made overseas somewhere and doesn't say. It has a real long snout and oversized face on it. 16" fiberglass handle with rubber grip. Best hammer I've ever used. And you can get them in smooth face or waffle. If you want, I can send you one. - jb
*I think they call it Greenfield aka shielded cable.Pete Draganic
*Why don't they make wives with smaller mouths?....just kidding honey......OUCH!!.....and softer knuckles....OOOF!!Gotta go clean myself up now,Pete Draganic
*Hey! Pete! Where the heck ya been? You go to Italy or something? Nice to see you! - jb
*Well well,look who just sidled in the back door.We were just gonna send the dogs out to look for you, after another round or two.. . maybeDid ya get yer man (you were trackin down Dickie right??)-pm
*
I want an "off" switch on my kid...either that or a child-sized hamster wheel and a generator, but I guess that would be child labor, pity....
How about a voice activated tool locator. You say, or yell, "drill" or "tape measure" and it pipes up "here I am boss!", or if you tell it"you stay here" and it is then picked up and moved (by your apprentice, partner, kids, husband...) it yells "help, help, I'm being toolnapped!"
Now if I could only figure out where I left that beer....
*Naw, he got grounded from the last time he talked nasty about his wife. I don't guess he'll get away with it this time either....
*
Lisa, what's with kids and tapes? Found mine once in the TOILET!
No clue, no explanation, just there it was in the toilet. This was NOT the first place I looked. Joe
*Hey - my Mom told me when my brother was little, before he was old enough for school, he was wrapped so tight he would drive her batty. Always zooming in and out of the room and running as fast as he could around the kitchen table, round and round, until she finally would TRIP him with her foot, he'd fall over, hit his head and have a nice long nap! Try that! ('course, I was a sedate, thoughtful child, and required no such measures)
*The "off switch" is the TV. Park 'em in front of that thing and they'll be reduced to brain stem functionality in no time.If you're dreaming of talking tools, you've had enough beer...
*Welcome back PeteI was wishing for something like 350 and 500 mcm on the " no pull cable " :-)Scott
*After losing my car and mailbox keys (two separate incidences) this week, I'd love to have a helium filled key chain, for inside use that is.The noise/clap activated ones never worked, their batteries ran out too quickly!Beatrix
*Keep a spare (car key) in your wallet/purse. It only takes once that you'll thank god you did.
*.....I did that last time, now I've lost the spare!Beatrix
*Did you try putting one on a string around your neck? :-)
*I still like my helium idea. On second thought, I have a two story high hallway, that could be interesting! "Just let me grab the keys.....oops!"
*After several years of single-network reception, we put in a direcTV dish. About two weeks ago my daughter (8 years old) was running a pretty high temp so she was camped out on a chair watching Animal Planet.She called me over in the afternoon and asked "Dad, how long does it take?""How long does what take?""Dad, how long do I have to watch TV before my brain starts turning to mush. I think I've been watching too long."Ah, the wonders of a malleable mind...
*I'd say tie them to your castor bean plant, but at the rate that thing is growing...yes, I've been wandering the halls of Taunton...
*LOL!! Not a bad idea, maybe I'll find that magic hen that lays the golden eggs!
*
You found yours? Way ahead of me there buddy.
*
Well now, where's the fine line between malleable and mush??
Ah, TV, there's a clever invention gone astray. But wait, HDTV will fix it all!
Our kid can recite the Nick schedule. At 3. We discourage his doing this in public. But we all have the occasional rainy day, I don't feel so bad... We have a lot of great time together.
Personally I watch about three 30-min. shows a week (Frasier, Will & Grace, Star Trek. sometimes Law & Order or 60 Minutes). You?
*Laminate countertop cutter:Here's one that's new to me -- maybe everyone else knew about this -- I just noticed thet Bosch makes a jigsaw blade that cuts on the downstroke (upside-down teeth). What a nice blade for sink cutouts! I suppose the saw needs a little extra attention to keep it flush to the work ... but why didn't I think of this?Historical note: Weren't Henry Ford's "better ideas" mass production, aggressive pricing, and nonexistent consumer options? As opposed to invention of tools or methods as this thread has emphasized? Just curious.
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Andrew, there is no such thing as too much beer, just not enough me! Here, have some....
*Sedate, thoughtfull child. Chuckle. Gufaww. snort/gasp. Howl....Pour another one ane explain to me how you got your moniker....
*
They also have blades where the teeth on top half of the blade cut on the downstroke, the teeth on bottom half cut on the upstroke. Supposedly good to use if you can't afford tearout on either side of the board. Never use them, though...
*Andrewi "I just noticed thet Bosch makes a jigsaw blade that cuts on the downstroke (upside-down teeth)."Been using them for years, for laminate and GIS ply, melamine, pine. Leave the fur and splinters, if any, on the hidden side!!-pm
*Mongouh huh!! And do they gor fer coffeei andbuy the donuts???
*Try lookinjg in boots and shoes. . .a favourite stash for my daughter when she was 3-ish. What a shock. . . stick yer tootsies into some footwear and slide into some toys, apple cores, tape measure, gummies. . .
*I don't remember any mention of them in a lengthy sink cutout discussion a while back. Where were you?!? I also finally found an abrasive carbide sawzall blade that claims to cut cast iron, ss, fiberglass (polyesters, epoxies, melamines), ceramic tile, stone, slate, clay pipe, carbon, brick, plaster, marble and chalkboard?The little things that make life special.
*AndrewI guess I was readin somethin more interesting. . . never found cutting out sink holes to be particularly invigorating, just tediousWould that wonder blade yer referring to come from K-Tel or Ronco, complete with a 3/4" knife that peels, dices, slices and does the laundry, and we'll throw in a humidifier/dehumidifier/whole house vac with spray wash attachments and beer cooler??? I almost went for that one but I already had a dehumidifier.-pm
*Well here is one that saved me the cost of one of those fancy biscuit glueing bottles. Take the old biscuit joiner set it on 20 run it into any old piece of 2x put a small ( 1/8 ") spacer and hit it again' making it twice as wide, fill that little trough with glue, dip your biscuit and enjoy.
*Lisa,Are you offering Andrew more beer, or are you offering Andrew you?Rich Beckman
*TV is among other things a great babysitter, especially now that it is in color.I don't think we have HDTV here in Carolina yet. I think we have ADDTV but I can't remember why we got it.
*Skip, man, I've heard of some wierd hobbies before, but..."animal prosthesis hobbyist"?
*Oh grow up Rich. You know that's between me and Lisa. ;-)
*Sorry 'bout that, Andrew. I don't know what I was thinking to intrude like that. :-)Rich Beckman
*Sure it sounds strange but a friend of mind did human prosthesis at the local veterans hospital and he got to work with everything from wood and vacuum bagged plastics to titanium, stainless steel, West system epoxy and kevlar. I thought wow this is cool! Started doing it around the house, now here is the fun part, got a mean dog in the neighborhood? Tranquilizer gun, low light setting, and ZAP first volunteer for the program. Now he is "crazy legs" ( no relation I'm sure). Ps. as an added bonus he can't do anything stealthy because of the stainless paws and at high speeds he tends to spin out. Two birds one stone.
*Given the technology in survey equipment I'd like to see some kind of gizmo for doing setouts...pick your starting spot..set up..punch in the plan measurements and have it throw a laser beam to all the points you need on the ground taking into account the difference in levels etc..
*SkipThanks for the hilarious visual. . . gotta clean the goober off the screen now-pm
*That is FUNNY! But, ah, have you ever been diagnosed? - jb
*On the prosthesis topic, have you heard about, um, replacement balls (latex) for neutered pets? I kid you not, from the New York Times no less; apparently the product is intended to address psychological distress the animals (or more likely their owners) may feel having nothing to display in public:August 8, 1999, Sunday If Dogs Could Talk, They'd Say, 'Are You Crazy?' IN ''The Lorax,'' Dr. Seuss wrote about ''thneeds,'' an absolutely useless product for which an entire forest is destroyed. Compared to what you are about to read, thneeds seem essential. This is a story about artificial testicles for pets.
*
Too bad they didn't have this around for Hitler....
*
Andrew, I have to draw a line somewhere and I think Your article has crossed it. Anyone enaging in that type of cosmetic repair strikes me as someone I would not like to shake hands with. What is next? saline implants for female dogs? No practicality is one reason I chose this avocation and something that appeals only to the animals vanity seems unworthy (though they might not agree).
*Why? Did Hitler have his dog neutered and then feel guilty over it? I'm kind of suprised to see you concerned over Hitler's feelings.
*
The version of the "Bridge over the River Kwai" song that I learned starts off with "Hilter only has one ball..."
Of course, I learned it from a Viet Nam vet, so maybe those in WWII had a different version.
It was meant as a facetious comment, with perhaps some irony in that his alleged physical variation (hows THAT for PC!:-)) could have been the last straw so to speak, and pushed him over the edge into evil insanity. If I offended, my appologies.
*
Since I do a lot of solo work: A roboholder that could hold the other end of anything and respond to voice commands. "Up a scunch" "Not down dummy! UP!" Be almost like having a helper, eh?
*No, I'm not endorsing the idea or criticizing the profession. The inventor's idea -- or that it even has a market -- says something about the humans involved. Obviously animals have more important needs.
*Maybe if people had appreciated his paintings more he would have stopped there.
*Ah ha!Perhaps he was a frustrated artist. He knew that the idea of becoming a druggie, moving to a remote Pacific island and cutting your ear off had already been taken. Perhaps after spending too much time over a mug at Oktoberfest he thought: "I'll cut off one of my balls, eradicate an entire race, and conquer the world. THEN they will come running for my paintings...maybe they'll even sing songs about me..."I'll be watching the History Channel listings to see if they ever broach that idea...A crazy bad artist named Hitler,Saw the world through a very blurred filter,Filled his mug, drank it all,Then he cut off one ball,His thought process slightly off kilter.
*Mongo!LOL!I see your marvelous writing skills do not stop with great posts! You seem to have quite a hand for the limerick, too(o)!Rich Beckman
*Well I'll just have to try my hand at this. Lisa I bought my wife a set of hand tools when she started working with me. She still prefers to remove my tools from their box and scatter them about the yard while bulding rabbit hutches, chicken coops, and trellises. I can usually find them with the lawn mower in a week or so. As for straight studs I usually prefer to join and four square all studs to within a couple of thousands or so. This is in keeping with my goal to have all walls within 1/128" of level and all layouts no more than 1/256" in 20 feet out of square. Of course I've one upped your silly corded cordless idea. My specially modified daypack with coiling extension cord and over-current protected transformer complete with plug in connectors and adapters for all my cordless tools allows them to be virtually battery free. Lisa or Andrew have you seen my beer glass?Joe
*Rich,You wouldn't happen to be a fan of Keb Mo would you?
*Mongo,As a matter of fact, yes I am! I saw him on Sessions at West 54th, then I got the "Just Like You" CD this summer. I love it! In fact, I loved it so much that I loaned it to a good friend who has failed to return it...AAAAARRGG! He says I will get it soon. His other two discs are definitely on my to buy list.Why do you ask? How did you know?Rich Beckman
*... and uh, Mongo, I don't suppose you're confusing Gauguin with Van Gogh? (well, we are on the topic of art appreciation, and how lack of appreciation can create psychopathic mass murders.)Speaking of which, you have a great talent with limericks Mongo! Really! :)
*
According to an article in Time (I think ) couple of months ago, Hitler's problem was the regimented toilet training required in Germany for "der Kinder"
*
Rich,
Thought I'd take a guess? I've got three of his discs, I like the self-titled first disc (from 1994) the best. Worth a listen.
I'm missing too many discs myself from my "lending library". Unfortunately I've moved a few times over the years and they are long gone.
*Mongo, Rich - The radio station I used to listen to played a lot of his stuff. I thought his early work was gritty and real. The last stuff I heard of his "...pappa came around, every once in a while..." seemed real pollished, not quite "real" blues, kind of like when Bonnie Rhaitt got popular. - jb
*Should have guessed that someone name "crazy legs" would like the blues!Well, I certainly agree that the second CD does not really qualify as blues, but it is bluesy. In this particular case, that is not at all a negative. There might be a tad too much polish, but the songs are good.I wish there was a station in this area that would even consider playing his stuff. I rely on my CD's for good music, no decent stations around here.Rich Beckman
*Andrew,Oops, did I mix them all up? Actually, the fact that I am even aware that one was missing an ear and the other took a long vacation is a major thing for me. To have confused them? Oh well. It seemed like a great idea back then, but my education was all technical classes. BS in engineering, MS in physics and math. I blew off every single outside elective that I could, much to the detriment of a well-rounded education. When the kids get older I'm seriously considering auditing a few classes in the artsy-fartsy arena to do "more better good learnin'". Actually, I was forced to take one elective from the dark side of campus. The course was titled "The Dynamics of Interpersonal Relationships." All touchy-feely, which wasn't bad since for the first time in my educational life there were only two guys in the class, the rest girls.Thanks for the correction!
*Hey Rich are You familiar with "Blues Before Sunrise" out of Chicago and syndicated on a lot of public radio stations? Sure it is late 1-6 am Sundays but just hook up Your old reel to reel and You can catch it all,though there may be some more up to date way of catching it. Station listings at http://www.cramer-ts.com/blues/bbsstations.html or just do a search. We have a few stations around town that play a pretty good selection(Norfolk, Va.). Just lucky I guess. I wonder how Robert Johnson's second album would have sounded?
*You've exhausted my art knowledge anyway. I took one art course to satisfy a requirement, a modern-art survey nicknamed "Spots and Dots." I studied biology and psychology; Van Gogh is of particular interest because of his acute manic-depressive illness that drove his self-mutilation, suicide, and probably much of his art. I think Gauguin had more fun. Now, how did we get this far off-topic?
*Thanks for the thought and the link. Of course, Indiana is completely absent from the list. Robert Johnson's second album would have sounded scratchy, just like his first! :-)Rich Beckman
*You might be able to pick up the content over the Web. Many radio stations have a "Web presence." I just checked http://www.npr.org, but it has no mention of the program. Guess you'll just have to move!
*Andrew,Sure enough, there is a web presence:http://www.bluesbeforesunrise.com/but the program itself is not available online.Move!? After five years of work, there are five or six people here that think of me as a quality contractor. You want me to give all that up?!Rich Beckman
*Have you heard of R.L. Burnside, the bluesman?
*Whilst working yesterday, it struck me! The one item in existence that really needs improvement is Cove Base Adhesive. Why don't they make some that actaully sticks while it's wet. I spend more time keeping corners from peeling loose than I do on the rest of the project.By the way, thanks to you guys who have noticed my return the Breaktime and welcomed me back. Who is this Joe Duncan guy and why are his standards so low for his building tolerances?Pete Draganic
*crazy legs,R.L. Burnside? Is he the blues guitarist from the Mississippi hill country who plays raw, unadulterated, downhome, backporch blues on CD's likei Bad Luck City,i Too Bad Jim,i Ass Pocket O'Whiskey,i Mr. Wizard,i Acoustic Stories andi Come on In?No, never heard of him.He does sound interesting though. I'll have to check him out one of these days. I see though that his first CDi Bad Luck Cityis out of print. And it is AMG's pick as Burnside's best. (That is the All Music Guide, allmusic.com).Rich Beckman
*There is a music and arts festival in Seattle every fall and we saw him there last year. Guy is great. - jb
*Hello Pete:Consider my hand extended in greeting, a virtual hand shake gesture as it were. Briefly I'm a forty year old contractor in Portland OR with about 20 years in the industry. Fine Homebuilding subscriber for over 10 years. I recently came to breaktime post in hand with an unusual design problem (off grid cabin wiring). Yes the rookie that I am I posted it twice. I really enjoyed the mix of intelligent contructive discourse and irelevant, irreverant humor that I found here. So here I am.Joe
*Here's one fer all you blues fans. On Frank Zappa and the Mothers' album i Weasels Ripped My FleshThere is an absolutley kick ass version ofi "Directly From My Heart To You"with Don "Sugarcane" Harris on vocals and electric violin. Whooee. Turn up the volume.Might be a little too slick for 'ol Crazy Legs, but it's i dirty-slick!!!-pm
*YB, sounds like one of those "Japanese Carpenter's Hammers." The "Japan Woodworker" and the "Shelter Institute Tool Room" have them.
*Fred, Patrick M. was looking for one of those in the "Help Wanted" section some time back...
*Patrick,Great song, always liked the album cover.RZZZZZ !Jim
*
Okay, I've had a couple ideas through the years that eventually came to pass. Like when I wondered why carpenters used 6 foot folding rulers and plumbers used tape measures. Or when I wondered why we couldn't get motor oil in containers with caps. This thread is for your "why the heck don't they make..." ideas.
*Why the heck don't they package composition shingles 6 bundles to the square? That is rediculous tryin' to handle those things! - jb
*Why don't they make 83 ford pick ups any more?? And electric motors with steel in them...just a thought. Even just a pickup with a solid frame for under 20k would be nice...
*Why don't they make battery operated tools where the battery sits on a hook on your belt, with a coiled cord going to the tool? All of the tools for a particular brand can be hooked into the coiled cord, and you could switch out tools by just unplugging the tool, and pluggin in another one. This would take the weight off of the tool, and would enable the manufacturer to make more powerful, lighter weight tools.Why don't they make a 2 x 4 that is actually straight anymore? (I know why, I am just wondering if they will ever do it again)Why don't they have staff at home centers and most lumberyards that actually know what they are doing, or at least know something about the products they are supposed to be selling?I could go on forever, but I'll stop for now.James DuHamel
*Why can't you buy a 16 oz waffle head hammer?Ed. Williams
*That's an easy one, Ed.It's because them union medical types got tired of waffle patterns on thumbs.Gabe
*Whoa, James! What an awesome idea. You'd better get going on that patent.
*Hey, ahh, can I borrow your cordless drill for a second...oh, and, you mind coming along, too?
*Because it makes too much sense! I once occasionally used a rig like this for flash photography -- a big belt-mounted battery and monster flash.
*Someone already did it(I think Makita). Look in FHB about 3 years ago. A survey on cordless drills. And straight 2x4 arent gone. they are just as rare as carpenters who can use them. I would like a moduler truck box system.
*Actually, regarding the battery operated tool idea, "the show's on the road" so to speak. According to representatives of Dewalt, Black and Decker (Dewalt's parent company), Porter Cable, Makita, and Ryobi, none of them make a battery operated drill like I described. I have made a prototype using a Dewalt 14.4 volt (old one on hand) and sent drawings, photos, and specs to each company. I am absolutely sure I will never hear back from any of them, but this idea works great. I have rigged one and use it a lot. I am sure we will see some versions, or even entirely different versions hit the market within a few years. I am sure that an engineer at one of these manufacturers has already come up with the idea before, and with laymen like me showing interest, maybe they'll actually start making some. As for the pickup truck under $20,000 idea, you ought to take a trip to Texas and check out some trucks. According to JD Powers and Associates (and registration records in Texas) 1 out of every 4 vehicles registered in Texas is a pickup truck. That's an awful lot of trucks, and every dealer in the state carries a massive selection, at very reasonable prices. They have to keep the prices low due to competition. Right now in my area, Dodge Quad cab trucks, with a v-8 engine are the most expensive (basic models) at $18,000 to $19,000. Ford and Chevy are running neck and neck (v-8, basic model) at $16,000 to $17,000. It might be worth the cost of the trip to come to Texas and shop. This is the land of pick-um-up trucks. We tend to call the really customized, decked out trucks "Cowboy Cadillacs". You wouldn't believe some of the add ons and gizmos these people put on a truck. Most people I know with customized trucks will NOT haul anything in the back for fear of scratching the bed. What a waste!James DuHamel
*James, um, you're from Texas?