ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
The weather outside may not be looking frightful yet, but the calendar still shows the Christmas season is in full swing everywhere.
While some having already been to the stores to buy gifts for friends and family, others have not begun purchasing presents, and for those who have a do-it-yourselfer or contractor on their list, Liberal’s Westlake Ace Hardware store has plenty of special gifts for them.
“We have the garland, the wreaths,” General Manager Shannon Howard said. “We’re having a lot of sales right now, buy one, get this free for saws, drills, online sales, which we’re honoring in the store. We have a tire inflator, and you get a battery pack. A lot of the tools are on sale.”
Those who buy more than $50 at Westlake before Christmas can get a free $10 gift card.
“If you sign up for the Ace app, you now get a $10 coupon for that, which is great at Christmas time,” Howard said. “The $100 instant savings on some Dewalt tools, that’s huge, along with a lot of buy these, get one free on power tools. A lot of the tools, bags, drill bits, screwdrivers, the Craftsman bags are all under $20 for Christmas, so those impulse bags are really awesome.”
At other times of year, and maybe even during the holidays, grilling is popular, and for those who like to grill, Howard said Westlake now has wireless smart meat thermometers.
“What they’re doing right now with grills is crazy,” she said. “There’s some new rubs coming. There’s all of the Traeger grills we’ve brought in. We still have the basic too, but the technology going into the Traeger grills are all updated – a lot of wireless activation with your phone, bluetooth. You literally can cook on your couch and watch it all happening.”
Howard said many wives buy grills for their husbands at Christmas time.
“It’s a big gift item,” she said. “Between the tools, the grills, the outdoor power tools, it’s not just those, but a lot of the Stihl.”
Howard said, though, Stihl tools are never on sale because Westlake does not partner with that vendor.
“We’re not in control of their pricing,” she said. “However, Stihl is a big gift item even though you don’t think weed eaters and trimmers in winter. It’s a very popular gift item as well. Any of those indoor and outdoor power tools are great gifts.”
Another popular brand is Milwaukee, and Howard said her store particularly sees many packouts sold from that brand.
“There are so many options for those tool boxes, and it has become a really big purchase from private-owned businesses,” she said. “They’re really starting to buy the heck out of those, and we have just gotten in a lot of different accessories for those packouts. It even has where you can take a Milwaukee cup, and the packouts have a spot where you can put the cups on it. They can have their drink there. The phone holder’s there. There’s a lot of different accessories with those packouts.”
Bird feeders, too, are a popular Christmas item, and Howard said some newer designs have come out recently.
“We have at the register now a big circle feeder that is just the seed you can hang,” she said. “Bird feeders are really good gift items. Bird seed is on sale right now.”
Howard said for those receiving power tools for Christmas, these should be used with caution.
“Definitely wear safety glasses,” she said. “With those wood shavings and those metal shavings, they don’t think about it enough, and they get to going. They need to wear their safety glasses.”
Though they are recommended for many projects, Howard said gloves should not be used with certain tools.
“The reason I say that is because if they’re messing with a saw and that glove slips, it will draw that in,” she said. “A drill will also draw that in.”
In addition to safety glasses, Howard said those who do a lot of sanding need to wear a mask to keep from inhaling the sand produced.
“It can cause some issues,” she said.
Masks should likewise be used for other projects such as painting.
“If they’re painting, use the one with the air respirator in there,” Howard said. “Those safety items are there for a reason. They need to protect their eyes and their airway.”
Depending on the size of the project and whether it is a DIY project or contractor, Howard said the brand of tool will be different as well.
“A lot of DIYers may do an Ego or a Craftsman blower,” she said. “A lot of professionals will go with Stihl. Depending on how the size of their job, whether they want battery or gas, a lot of bigger projects would be recommended for gas, smaller projects for battery. “
Other considerations when buying a tool include the number of accessories needed for the tool.
“For just an at-home project, they may only need one saw blade,” Howard said. “If they’re going to be a contractor, they might want a packet of saw blades to go with it.”
Howard said gift givers should also know the type of material their receiver will be working with before purchasing a tool.
“If they buy a saw that’s for wood, but they’re wanting to cut metal, be prepared to talk to us about what the material is,” she said. “Are we doing PVC, wood, metal? Are we needing something battery or gas or plug in for the actual power tools? If they’re old tool is an 18-volt and we need a 20-volt now, if they buy a new tool and think their old battery’s going to fit in it, it’s not. They may want a back up battery as well depending on how often they use it.”
Howard said experience levels with tools should also be considered, particularly when buying for a husband or a son.
“I would navigate a beginning tool based on experience,” she said. “A lot of dads will start them with their first toolbox. You’re going to make sure you do an everyday hammer versus a very specific project hammer maybe Dad has. Know what their experience is. Know what brand they prefer, and let’s target that brand. If he’s a Milwaukee person, we don’t want to buy a Dewalt just because there’s a better sale.”
Howard emphasized consideration of accessories when purchasing tools as gifts.
“They’re going to want to buy accessories for those tools,” she said. “They’ll get it home, and it doesn’t have the drill bits. If they’re buying a drill, it’s not going to have the drill bits included. Not everything has to be a power tool. Their person might like ratchet and socket sets. A lot of those are really great gifts because toolboxes need to be sold, and people in general love new sockets and new pliers.”
Westlake Ace Hardware at 1601 N. Kansas Ave. in Liberal is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day until Christmas Eve. The store will close at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve and be closed Christmas Day. New Year’s hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year’s Day.
“We are open New Year’s,” Howard said. “We’re just in reduced hours.”
