September 8, 2021

A Curious Case of Compromised Quality


I've used Tractor Supply Co.'s 5-gallon buckets for food storage before, but I've never had this happen! At least I know my 02 absorbers are working. 

😆😕😄😂😀😲😝

26 comments:

daisy g said...

Wow!

Mama Pea said...

Holey moley! The quality of the materials used in the manufacture of the buckets is different now??

Leigh said...

I know!

Leigh said...

Well, everything else is getting flimsier, why would 5-gallon buckets be any different? At least, that's the only explanation I can come up with.

Lady Locust said...

Oh my!

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Well, that is a thing.

Obviously the construction material changed. I wonder - from the bottom of the buckets, can you tell what the constituent plastic is from older buckets?

Ed said...

Like just about every industry, people are asking how many pennies we can save if we take a millimeter out of our material thickness here or thin something there.

LindaG said...

Just curious; how many and what size O2 absorbers?

Leigh said...

Lady Locust, is was a surprise, to be sure.

Leigh said...

TB, they seem the same to me, but obviously they're not!

Leigh said...

Ed, one thing that amazes me (or ought to) is that they don't seem to test their changes. It seems counterproductive to make something that doesn't work in the long-run, but I don't think they think in terms of long-run. Seems to be all about immediate profit gratification. But I suppose that as long as people buy, they'll keep it up.

Leigh said...

Linda, for 5-gallon buckets, I buy the 2000cc absorbers. So I use one per bucket. Actually, these were the last two absorbers I had from a pack I opened several months ago, so I thought they might be weaker, if anything. I do vacuum pack them, if there are any leftover from the package. Obviously, that keeps them "fresh,"

Debby Riddle said...

Well that's crazy!

Leigh said...

I know!

Ed said...

Whenever one makes a change to a design, there will be people who don't like it for one reason or another. So then the calculation becomes, is the cost savings (and increase in profit) worth the loss of some customers and the money the brought to the bottom line. Capitalism at its core. Not answering for the bucket manufacturer, but I'm guessing they decided those that use their buckets for pulling vacuums might be so small that it was worth the gamble. Still, I know it sucks being on the receiving end and now you as someone with special needs with their buckets is now forced to take a caliber with you whenever you buy a bucket. I miss the old days where everything was over built but I also recognize that it was also a colossal waste of resources. There is just too much gray in a world I wish were black and white.

Ed said...

caliber = caliper among other errors in my hasty typing.

Goatldi said...

Funny that .

I got a new bucket from tractor supply sometime after I moved here and I noticed right off the bat it look the same but there is something not right mind we’re doing that it was just the feel of it compared to the one that I have from six or so years earlier.

Maybe there is a moral to the story perhaps the moral is everything needs to get to its lowest level before it gets better again maybe we’re not quite there yet lol?


LindaG said...

Thank you, Leigh. God bless.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

I see you are the daily email update on Permies! Congratulations!

Leigh said...

Goatldi, I wonder if we'll ever go back to better quality. Somehow, I doubt it. :(

The other food quality buckets I've bought in the past are from Lowes and Home Depot. I'd like to think they will retain quality, but it's likely they're all made by the same manufacturer.

Leigh said...

Thanks! Permies is one of those places I can volunteer without having to go anywhere. :)

Leigh said...

Do you think that after the government takes control of manufacturing, product quality will improve?

Ed said...

Unfortunately no. Everything they have touched that I can think of is gradually going bankrupt and there are many complaints about quality of service.

I think the bright side to all this doom and gloom is that there are still a few manufacturers out there that make quality products built to last. I know I have found a number of them over the years and try to pass on the word. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned on here before that we always try to make an effort to buy quality over cost savings, even if it requires us to save more money. I just hate being a player in our disposable world.

Goatldi said...

😝

wyomingheart said...

Oh, now there’s something! I’ve had plastic lubricant jugs do that, but never a five gallon bucket! Crazy for sure!

Leigh said...

I reckon as long as they hold the seal, all will remain well (!)