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where do you buy hardware?

colbystephens

colbystephens

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I've been buying at ACE recently and I think I'm feeling it between the cheeks a little... bought 6 grade 8 bolts, 9/16" diameter x like 1.25" long or so, plus 6 nuts, 6 lock washers, 6 flat washers and it cost me about $21... :doah:I sort of think $12 to $15 seems more fair... Am I out of the loop?
 
Cant' quote you prices, but Tractor supply has a better stock of grade 8 stuff, and sells by the pound, not the piece. Way better than ace.
 
Not sure if you have them up there, but a store I have seen around called Cal-Ranch has a very good selection of grade 8's, and they also charge by the pound. I have found this is a much more economical way of stocking up.
 
I buy from a local hardware store thats been in bussiness since 1966 cause they have a great bolt selection. Thats what their known for. Also another place called GSA Supply. And I buy from Mcmaster Carr too. If it's a specialty iten it could be from any number of places that are machine shop supply type places.
 
www.nutsandbolts.com

Seriously...


They're based out of MA, which makes them great for me. Shipments always arrive in about 2 days. The pricing seems to be related to bulk weight, and they have a TON of unique fasteners beyond just the GR-8 stuff.

Worth checking out if you don't have any closer local sources...if nothing else, compare the prices to see how hard you're cheeks are getting pounded by ACE. :D


:usaflag:
 
We've got a Fastenal store here in town, but lately they've been annoying me.

Their latest policy is that you have to buy full bags of hardware - no more onesy/twosy sales...

Looks like they want mostly business sales only now, instead of Joe Shmoe consumers.
 
I need to see if there's a farm/tractor supply type place in Medford (25 minutes away... :doah: ) I know there's nothing closer. I LOVE living in a small town, but I do hate the inconvenience when it comes to buying stuff like nuts and bolts where you just want to drop in, pick them up, and continue with your project. Plus, I now have to consider the cost of driving up there and how much that increases my cost on a per-bolt purchase... grrr.
 
Colby, check for a Wilco Farm or Coastal Farm Store. Wilco is where I buy all my stuff here in Canby
 
Thanks for the link to Northeast Fasteners!..too bad its 100 miles from me even though I live in MA,I'm at the wrong end of the state every time I find a place with better prices on stuff I need..

If you really want to get porked,but bolts and other hardware at Lowe's or Home Depot--they usually have one or two of the sizes you needed in grade 5 or 8,in those drawers,at riduculously high prices--local hardware stores are no better either,I see one in particular buying 5 gallon pails of bolts,etc in bulk,and filling up those drawers wuith them at a buck to five bucks EACH depending on sizes and grades--I was told by an employee a whole pail costs them 20-50 bucks,and have at least 100-500 of the item in them,if not more..thats quite a profit margin!..

I had bought a lot of hardware at flea markets and swap meets,yard sales,etc..but much of thart stuff is running out now,and a lot of it was grade 2,unsuitable for automotive uses but plenty good enough for my small engine repair hobby..I found many buckets of good used bolts at the landfill's metal pile too,and sometimes in the trunk or bed of a junked car or truck at the junkyard,people toss anything in them to add weight and get rid of it..

I think it sucks that everything has to be so expensive now..I need six new 5/8" x 1-1/2" bolts to put a plow frame on my Suburban and those alone would cost 25+ bucks at a hardware store,never mind the lock washers and nuts to go with them..you get boned on every item you buy now,and the worst part about hardware is its often cheap china crap of questionable quality at insanely high prices now..I save every OEM bolt,etc I can whenever I take off a part at the junkyard,they only scrap them or they end up buried in the muck anyway,and they are the best and CORRECT fasteners too..When I scrap something now I save as much as I can too,as far as bolts,washers,nuts,etc..it all adds up!--I salvaged a bunch of shaft ccollars off a junk snowblower and ended up using them on some other project--when I had to go buy two more,they were 5+ bucks each!..the six or more I saved from the scrap heap saved me 30 bucks!..
 
Carver huh??--your not far from my town!..you have an Aubuchon hardware there,but I know they have somewhat limited stock on bigger bolts,etc,and high prices too..Thanks for the link to the place in Weymouth,its about 25 miles to go there though for me..every mile costs me in GAS,that offsets any bargains I get going elsewhere to get stuff..

I go to Manny's Hardware or Whittenton Hardware in Taunton MA,to get hard to find big bolts or "unusual" sizes,metrics,grade 8's,etc,but they are very proud of their stuff and prices can be discouraging..I used to go to Aquidneck Fasteners in Tiverton RI years ago,but they dont care to sell to "Harry Homeowner",they want large industrial contractors who buy tons at a time..

There is (or was?) a place called "NUTS" in Middleboro MA that was very good,have not been there in years though,so I dont know if they still are in bussiness or not--used to be on Clay St right off Rt 18 just before Hank Zion's junkyard on the right side,there's a gas station on the corner..they had a huge selection of every size,oddball threads,and body shop moulding clips and other stuff too..I should go see if they are still there,its only a few miles from my house..bet I can get my plow bolts there a lot cheaper than the other stores..
 
Colby, Greg turned me onto www.nutsandbolts.com and i've bought from them and basically got 3x's the amount of bolts as i would have got locally for the same price of buying them locally and that was with the shipping included.

I bought 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 7/16" grade 8 bolts in 3/4", 1", 1 1/4", 1 1/2" 1 3/4", 2", and 2 1/2" lengths quantity of 10 each and it was only $102.32 of which $15.02 was shipping.

I will never buy locally again unless i only need 1 or 2 bolts in a hurry. Greg then also turned me onto some nicely sized Ackro Mils bins and mounting plate which i bought (different source) and now i have all NEW grade 8 fasteners nicely organized on the garage wall.
 
I know when I go to Wilco Farm, I can buy all hardware (grade 2, 5 and 8) in bulk weight cost.
 
Not that this helps in the cost dept, but you CAN buy grade 8 individually at kragen in a pinch....they stock some behind the counter.
 
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