I bought something really wacky the other day and didn’t return it…
I had a flatscreen TV in the basement, on a stand, but not quite high enough for people using the treadmill. A wall mount was needed, something substantial. One that could go up and down, side to side and even tilt.
No research needed, just go to the store, find the best one with the above features and buy it.
Made the short drive to my local electronics store, walked up and down the aisles looking at all the offerings. Eventually, after a slight delay with a 65″ curved TV, my eyes went to a big box with the word “hydraulics” written all over it, in really big letters. Judging by the weight of the box, this was a heavy duty unit. Something that would last a lifetime and maybe longer. In short… substantial.
According to the pictures, once mounted, a small child could push the TV up, down, left, right and even tilt with ease. No effort required… none. Beyond all that, it just looked cool. Who ever heard of hydraulics on a TV mount? Seemed like something reserved for large machinery.
It was on sale… half price.
I brought it home and left it right in the middle of the hallway, by the front door. There wasn’t anyone home so I had to sit by the front window waiting for my wife, son, his girlfriend, the flyer guy, a nosy neighbour or anyone else who might be interested in the latest TV wall mount technology. Surely I was the fist person on the street to have one of these.
Someone finally came home, can’t remember who, I was too excited. They walked up to the box and asked what the hell it was. It’s a TV mount I exclaimed, but not just any TV mount, it’s got hydraulics! I don’t remember them being properly impressed.
Later in the day, when things had calmed down, I got ready to put the mount to the test. That’s when I noticed the little circle on the bottom right side of the box that said; “TV must weigh a minimum of 25 pounds for hydraulics to work properly.”
I was a little worried. Even though the TV was a 40″ flatscreen, I distinctly remember carrying it, easily, into the basement. I ran to the bathroom, grabbed the scale, then over to the TV for the weighing… 14 pounds.
The TV sits on the same old stand, people on the treadmill can’t see it and I still have that mount, in it’s box. I still think it’s innovative, but wacky too.
It’s too late to return it, guess I need a heavier TV. I wonder what that 65″ curved model weighed?
The lesson I learnt and will likely ignore, was that one should always be suspicious of half-price sales.
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