Fastener pricing at Lowes / Home Depot etc...

[jinjuku]

Is INSULTING. I needed some hex key cap screws and t-nuts to install the drivers for my Statements. 1.75" 10-24 screws were $.65 PER. T-nuts were like $.42 PER.

So some quick math: .65 + .42 = $1.07 X 40 = $42.80.

I want to plug Suburbanbolt.com. I have 100 of each coming for less than $20 shipped.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Is INSULTING. I needed some hex key cap screws and t-nuts to install the drivers for my Statements. 1.75" 10-24 screws were $.65 PER. T-nuts were like $.42 PER.

So some quick math: .65 + .42 = $1.07 X 40 = $42.80.

I want to plug Suburbanbolt.com. I have 100 of each coming for less than $20 shipped.

Yeah, the price of fasteners at most hardware stores is ridiculous.

 

[jinjuku]

Looking through their site. Hardware stores have to make a killing on that stuff.

 

[10010011]

I have found our local "mom and pop" hardware store is much better priced on stuff like this and a huge selection compared to (B)Lowes and Home Depot, and you can buy just one. But I am still surprised by the cost when you add it up.

Also much of the cheap and popular things like nails and drywall screws are sold by the pound

 

[highfigh]

Is INSULTING. I needed some hex key cap screws and t-nuts to install the drivers for my Statements. 1.75" 10-24 screws were $.65 PER. T-nuts were like $.42 PER.

So some quick math: .65 + .42 = $1.07 X 40 = $42.80.

I want to plug Suburbanbolt.com. I have 100 of each coming for less than $20 shipped.

Do you have an ACE hardware store near you? They have a much better selection and if you need boxes of 100, the price is a lot less per piece than single lot. Ditto on the Mom & Pop stores.

Home Depot's hardware section is off-limits, for me. If I go there, I'm usually too PO'd by the time I leave to be of any use the rest of the day.

Bags of three? The only reason they do that is so the bags sell for a dollar, not in the quantities needed by the customer.

 

[jinjuku]

I have found our local "mom and pop" hardware store is much better priced on stuff like this and a huge selection compared to (B)Lowes and Home Depot, and you can buy just one. But I am still surprised by the cost when you add it up.

Also much of the cheap and popular things like nails and drywall screws are sold by the pound

The last time I saw a mom and pop store was 15 years ago. Lowes/HD put most of them out of business.

I went to a Do-It-Best store and their pricing wasn't any better. My problem is solved but just can't believe the markup. I was looking at this hex head screw and thinking it cost pennies.

 

[jinjuku]

This must be the day for everyone trying to take me for a ride.

'Remnant' granite was just quoted to me at $55 / sq foot for your basic black. This is for cultured granite (another word could be fake).

 

[majorloser]

I use Fastenal. They are nationwide:
http://www.fastenal.com/web/home.ex

You might also have a Grainger in your area:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/fasteners/ecatalog/N-bi6

There is also a couple Florida based suppliers I use, but I'm sure there's some suppliers in your area that can provide fasteners at a better price.

http://www.daytonabolt.com/
http://www.webbbolt.com/index.html
http://www.floridabolt.com/index.html
http://www.floridafastener.com/


Cap screws can get expensive depending upon the grade and material. That's not totally ridiculous for fasteners if they are Grade 8 or 316-L stainless.

 

[majorloser]

This must be the day for everyone trying to take me for a ride.

'Remnant' granite was just quoted to me at $55 / sq foot for your basic black. This is for cultured granite (another word could be fake).

Wait till you get the edges finished. That's where they really kill you.

 

[lsiberian]

Is INSULTING. I needed some hex key cap screws and t-nuts to install the drivers for my Statements. 1.75" 10-24 screws were $.65 PER. T-nuts were like $.42 PER.

So some quick math: .65 + .42 = $1.07 X 40 = $42.80.

I want to plug Suburbanbolt.com. I have 100 of each coming for less than $20 shipped.

I had no clue it was that bad.

 

[Lulimet]

You have to remember that big stores have huge overhead and many employees to pay while your dot com online store probably has 1 or 2 employees and a small warehouse.

 

[jinjuku]

You have to remember that big stores have huge overhead and many employees to pay while your dot com online store probably has 1 or 2 employees and a small warehouse.

Ya, I know. Poor Lowes only made $832 million in profits in 2010. How could they possibly compete against suburbanbolt.com? I have really begun to despise big retail. The blue shirt there couldn't even do a bulk order for me

I don't mind paying a markup to get something in a 'get it now' time frame but a 700-800% markup?

There are enough DIY'ers here and at AVSforum that I hope this will be another resource for their future builds.

 

[Rickster71]

It's simply the economies of scale, nothing more.
The more you buy the cheaper they get. A home owner is paying for the convenience of not having to buy in bulk when he/she only needs several.
I buy in bulk from a supply house,(so I'm not 100% sure about the depot or Lowes) but I'm pretty sure the depot sells boxes of 100 cheaper than loose.

 

[jinjuku]

It's simply the economies of scale, nothing more.
The more you buy the cheaper they get. A home owner is paying for the convenience of not having to buy in bulk when he/she only needs several.
I buy in bulk from a supply house,(so I'm not 100% sure about the depot or Lowes) but I'm pretty sure the depot sells boxes of 100 cheaper than loose.

Lowes doesn't even have that option. I asked the sales associate there about a bulk purchase and just received this blank stare in return. Just a frustrating experience all around. It's like charging $21 for a gallon of milk for convenience's sake.

Anyhow... Again just wanted to put a resource out there for other DIY'ers.

 

[Rickster71]

Just a frustrating experience all around. It's like charging $21 for a gallon of milk for convenience's sake.

I agree.
It's funny that you mentioned milk, I was going to bring that up in my previous post. Our local convenience store charges almost 3X as much as the local Costco for a gallon.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Speaking of online low margin hardware store, I'd like to add in www.harborfreight.com - 100% of their wares are Made in China, but so everything in big stores. If you don't mind occasionally dealing with minor design or manufacturing issues at typically less than half of price of Brand equivalent - check it out - Be sure to carefully read the reviews.

 

[jinjuku]

Speaking of online low margin hardware store, I'd like to add in www.harborfreight.com - 100% of their wares are Made in China, but so everything in big stores. If you don't mind occasionally dealing with minor design or manufacturing issues at typically less than half of price of Brand equivalent - check it out - Be sure to carefully read the reviews.

Harbor Freight is one of those be picky about what your purchase there. I don't know if I would get something like an air compressor or power tools there but their router bits, clamps etc are fine.

 

[sawzalot]

Harbor Freight is one of those be picky about what your purchase there. I don't know if I would get something like an air compressor or power tools there but their router bits, clamps etc are fine.

Harbor Freight has power tools that are perfect for the homeowner and just every so often DIY er , the tools work as they should, perform well enough to get the job done and will be ready to go the next time around. They are not commercial friendly in the aspect of durability as they just don't hold up over long term usage (been there). I would fully recommend the tools (power) for the occasional use to any one , especially at their price point, leaves more money for the good stuff, cables, blu rays, acoustic treatments, beer , chocolate for some members up north.
As posted by Rick, Home Depot has a better cost via bulk buys on most hardware, electrical, plumbing and so on, we call Lowes the jewelry store around these parts as they are higher on just about everything building wise.

 

[Whitey80]

They're expensive to make up for the fact that most people pay for a few of them and just pocket the rest!

 

[Alex2507]

Harbor Freight has power tools that are perfect for the homeowner ...

Most homeowners shouldn't be using tools to begin with ...
... so having tools that don't work is fine for them.

... leaves more money for chocolate for some members up north.

... can't argue that.

Seriously, I would never recommend Harbor Freight for anything.

My favorite was this Automotive Parts Cleaner Eddie bought. When he poured the cleaning solution into it, it leaked it all over the shop and fast too. It wasn't one of those slow leaks. Or how about the 1/2" impact that I went to use from them? It had been used once and that was all it was good for. Personally when I buy a tool I need it to work right and I probably need it to work more than once. Let's put it this way, you don't under any circumstances want to be buying jack stands from there.

When I needed some threaded inserts I ordered them from Grainger. It was kind of steep and I had to wait a few days but when I picked them up the guy at the counter told me they got the stuff from a fastener supplier down the road. Since I was in the neighborhood I went and bought some other goodies in boxes of 50 or 100 for future use. $44 dollars later I was set for the foreseeable future. Home Depot is great for when I need a few of these and those for 69 cents a bag or a buck 19 for stainless. Frankly I appreciate the convenience. I find it a hassle to order on line and wait. It's easier for me to figure out what I need to make something work if I can look at the parts and get my little paws on them.

Everything has it's place ... except Harbor Freight.
Remember what TLS says about cheap purchases ... they are the most costly.

EDIT: BTW, I have a whole mess of clamps they sell that either break or don't clamp worth beans. They look good though. Annunaki has the same kind. I've seen them in his build pic's. At least they don't cost much.