Menards Power Wagon

Received mine today. Nice looking vehicles.

sweet

Beautiful truck for that price!

So the nearest Menards to me is over three hours away. Is it worth the trip? How much do they actually have out on the shelves?

I've mail ordered several times, and except for the ten extra bucks for "handling charges", especially on smaller orders, I've not felt an overriding desire to go visit.

I understand they also have a very nice Halloween and Christmas assortment of merchandise. So worth the trip?

Received my mail order yesterday guess I need to open to see the ones I ordered!

@Rich in NOVA posted:

Beautiful truck for that price!

So the nearest Menards to me is over three hours away. Is it worth the trip? How much do they actually have out on the shelves?

I've mail ordered several times, and except for the ten extra bucks for "handling charges", especially on smaller orders, I've not felt an overriding desire to go visit.

I understand they also have a very nice Halloween and Christmas assortment of merchandise. So worth the trip?

Rich,

Timing is everything.  Although you can usually find at least something in every store all year round the prime shopping period for trains is the holiday season.

Thus they are considered seasonal, so during the offseason whatever didn't sell during the previous holiday season is moved to the mezzanine (upstairs).  You'll find stairs in the middle of the store that will take you there.

During the holiday season there's usually a substantial number of aisles of holiday stuff near the checkouts with the trains prominently displayed there instead.  No need to make the long trek to, and up into, the mezzanine.

Now, when to visit.  As with most seasonal items in big box stores, trains start going out onto the main floor sometime after Labor Day, and are usually out in full force by Halloween.

In my opinion if you want something that's popular you'll have to get there early.  It helps if fellow hobbyists take the time to post (like here perhaps?) what they see when they visit, to let the rest of us know what's recently arrived in the stores so we can do our planning for a visit.

A day trip at the right time in the season will get you several good finds, and will be well worth the drive.

Mike

Thanks Mike! A nice fall drive through West Virginia sounds like a great road trip!!!

I ordered yesterday.  I chose the US Forest Service, yellow and red ones.  Also ordered several other vehicles.  Funny how quickly $5 vehicles add up to $100 when you add all the extra taxes and fees.  Wish Menards was closer to me here in South Carolina.

Did not know, Joe you were in S>C,  I hit i-26 once a month  N Charleston, to Knoxville, area , at the end of the month,  Just got back yesterday from

this Month adventure,  WHERE you be !!!   

Terry

Joe: I also understand ho fast $5 times can add up. I got my Menards order today and all the vehicles are really nice but can't say the say about one of the hopper cars I ordered. Living in PA aint no driving to a store to exchange it either. Appears to be a slight spelling issue with the railroad name!

ARRSD90, I'm in Myrtle Beach.  Far from any Interstate.

Rick that's a shame.  New product should never go out like that.  I guess you could weather it some and think of that as a replacement sheet if you don't want to go through the hassle and expense of returning/exchanging it.

FYI: The US Army did not have any Dodge W300 Power Wagons. They first appeared after WW2. The military had a special Power wagon designed and called it an M37. I hope Menards does some M37's. That would be really neat, as they were used in the military through the Vietnam war, and can still be found, now and then, at volunteer fire departments around the country. Old M37's come up on various govt. bidding sites almost every month, but their numbers are dwindling.

Jeff

What is the PTO shaft running to the rear for?  I have used the front mounted winch on an M-37 many times, but I have never seen a shaft to the rear.

@David Johnston posted:

What is the PTO shaft running to the rear for?  I have used the front mounted winch on an M-37 many times, but I have never seen a shaft to the rear.

The Wm300 Power Wagons could be ordered with a rear PTO so you could run a belt drive and power various farm items, like a sawmill, or a corn grinder, etc. The rear PTO is a very rare option that few restored Power Wagons have. I bought/sold/ restored various Power Wagons for about 20 years. I think I have only seen 3 or 4 equipped with that rare rear PTO. If you ever find an unrestored Power Wagon, complete with a rear PTO, in a barn somewhere, you have just insured yourself of a nice retirement fund. Or at least you can purchase a lot of "O" gauge trains.

Jeff

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted

Rich,

Timing is everything.  Although you can usually find at least something in every store all year round the prime shopping period for trains is the holiday season.

Thus they are considered seasonal, so during the offseason whatever didn't sell during the previous holiday season is moved to the mezzanine (upstairs).  You'll find stairs in the middle of the store that will take you there.

During the holiday season there's usually a substantial number of aisles of holiday stuff near the checkouts with the trains prominently displayed there instead.  No need to make the long trek to, and up into, the mezzanine.

Now, when to visit.  As with most seasonal items in big box stores, trains start going out onto the main floor sometime after Labor Day, and are usually out in full force by Halloween.

In my opinion if you want something that's popular you'll have to get there early.  It helps if fellow hobbyists take the time to post (like here perhaps?) what they see when they visit, to let the rest of us know what's recently arrived in the stores so we can do our planning for a visit.

A day trip at the right time in the season will get you several good finds, and will be well worth the drive.

Mike

Went to my Menards (Watertown, SD) Saturday.  The free-standing display where I bought the orange Dodge Fleetside earlier was pretty well picked over with only bulldozers , monsters & monster trucks remaining. Train stuff is still upstairs.  Maybe the power wagons are yet to come, or only online ?

Rich in SD 

@Rich in NOVA posted:

Beautiful truck for that price!

So the nearest Menards to me is over three hours away. Is it worth the trip? How much do they actually have out on the shelves?

I've mail ordered several times, and except for the ten extra bucks for "handling charges", especially on smaller orders, I've not felt an overriding desire to go visit.

I understand they also have a very nice Halloween and Christmas assortment of merchandise. So worth the trip?

You could call, doubt Christmas displays are up since it seems people decorate for Halloween now.

@trestleking posted:

Went to my Menards (Watertown, SD) Saturday.  The free-standing display where I bought the orange Dodge Fleetside earlier was pretty well picked over with only bulldozers , monsters & monster trucks remaining. Train stuff is still upstairs.  Maybe the power wagons are yet to come, or only online ?

Rich in SD

Was in one, some of the cars and pickup trucks were left in the big bin along with a few of the powerwagons. Couldn't tell you if it was picked over or not.

Ordering probably the best way if you have specific items in mind. If you spread any fees over a few vehicles they still seem to be a good value. This Xmas season will be interesting as we see what Menards releases.

The Madrid Spain Railroad Museum has a Power Wagon configured as a track work vehicle.

This would  make a fun Menards conversion.

Are they really 1/48 (or 1/43 as many of the low priced vehicles actually are)? If they really  are 1/48 does anyone have an extra one they'd want to sell for say $15.00  shipped via PirateShip.com to 12095?

They really are 1/48.  Here's a picture with a Road Champs Ford listed as 1/43.