Talk:3239: Simple Machines

Woah, I'm first! ---GSLikesCats307(talk). 17:43, 29th April 2026 (UTC)

Is Randall referring to any specific tools made by those companies when he says "lever and inclined plane" and "wheel-and-axles"? wheel-and-axles describes anything from a toy wagon to an automobile. Barmar (talk) 16:53, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

Doubtful. More of an additional example of Pro-Skub vs Anti-Skub -- https://pbfcomics.com/comics/skub/ behavior. 130.76.187.47 17:31, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

It's a joke about battery-operated tools. If you buy a battery-operated drill from Milwaukee, it probably does not come with a (removable) battery and charger. So you buy the battery and charger, which are probably comparable to the cost of the tool. Now, when you need a battery operated saw, you already have the battery and charger from Milwaukee (which will work with the saw), so you buy the Milwaukee saw. And the Milwaukee blower. And the Milwaukee weed-whacker. Etc, etc. Buying one brand of battery operated tools locks you into that ecosystem, to a certain extent. Which means you wind up agonizing over which brand has the better overall ecosystem, even though all you need right now is a drill. 163.116.145.55 18:21, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

Sorry, no. Many Milwaukee and Black and Decker(etc)tools DO come with batteries and chargers!!! The point is to get the buyers into the "ecosystem", so future purchases that use the same battery system will be more appealing. For this purpose, providing the charger and one battery, at least for the larger, more popular products, makes perfect sense. The more specialized tools, the smaller accessories might not have them, but they are practical purchases once someone already owns a charger and at least one interchangeable battery. For Milwaukee in particular, the M12 FUEL 1/2 Drill Driver, the M18 FUEL Oscillating Multi-Tool, the MX FUEL Backpack Blower and M18 FUEL 15 Gauge Finish Nailer all include battery and charger. Sorry for this tangent, but I don't think it the joke is about batteries! After all, none of the SIMPLE tools needs a battery. It's about committing to a brand, in a broader sense. Cuvtixo (talk) 18:21, 30 April 2026 (UTC)

This is 100% a product he should license and/or sell. It won’t make a million bucks very fast but it will make a million bucks, from science teachers and folks over on IFLS and the like. 138.88.96.2 17:27, 29 April 2026 (UTC)DanT

I edited the reference to Milwaukee Tool and DeWalt; these are American companies and not common household names where I live. 62.112.240.32 (talk) 08:18, 30 April 2026 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

I'm missing something... where's the wheel and axle? Is the idea that the pulley is the wheel and the lever is the axle? But it's oriented the wrong way for that to be the case 2600:4041:5890:3B00:91E6:E7CC:72C:F470 18:32, 30 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the pulley-wheel is also the axle-wheel, just depending upon how you apply it. Its own axle is attached mid-way down (and perpendicular to) the combined lever-incline bar-piece, along with the wedge-tip on one end and the screw (which already can be basically considered a 'rotary inclined-plane') attachment on the other. 81.179.199.253 20:04, 30 April 2026 (UTC)