Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Buying bolts? Best option?

I buy ‘em by the lb. at Rural King. Much cheaper than Lowes or Home Depot and I can get exactly the number I need.

Screws and bolts have gone up exponentially. Fastenal had a good selection but they won’t let you in the store anymore. If I’m going to buy online there are cheaper options. TSC doesn’t have a good selection and neither does the ACE hardware and other conglomerates.

I use McMaster Carr for a lot of hardware that I can't find locally because their site is easy to navigate, and they have about everything. Time is money after all. For large orders I try to use one of the local hardware stores and they give me a pretty good discount when ordering a couple hundred pounds at a shot. Local is always more expensive but I would be lost without being able to run to town for those one or two items in an emergency so it's worth it.

I have accounts at several supply houses around here. When I use anything like nuts n bolts on a job the customer buys the whole box, whether it takes all of them or not. I don’t do oneseys and twoseys.
I’m pretty well stocked from 6-32 to 1 1/2.

Back in the day when I was contracting I used this company a lot.
That was years ago.

http://phoenixfastenerandsupply.com/

Zoro can be good. It's part of Granger. I get 20% off codes ever other month.

What I really need to find is those 5 gallon buckets full of nuts, bolts and washers that every old farmer has on the place.

Kids inherit the place and sell it, and have an estate sale or auction.

I could use that type of assortment.

If you're in the right spot in ID or WA, check out Tacoma Screw. They're a very small chain, though, without many stores.

Might look at MSC industrial don't know if they carry fasteners but it's where I order all my drills end mills reamers. If I'm in a hurry I'll run down to my Local (So Cal) McFadden Dale indusrial hardware.

If you need a GOOD bolt, there's Caterpillar. Their ONE SAFE SOURCE BOOK has lots of different supplies. Write down your part numbers and take your list to the parts counter.

If you're in BFE, call your dealer and see where the nearest drop box is. Get a Cat key, call parts and pay with a credit card and usually your parts are in the drop box the next day.

FYI, the dealer name doesn't matter, the part numbers are the same. Click the link and go down to hardware.

ONE SAFE SOURCE

Fastenal has always been overly proud of their products so I only went there when I needed something for a job and they were the only ones who had it in stock.

Used to use McMaster Carr but my needs aren't the same as they used to be since I retired so I haven't given them much thought the last couple years. I did notice the last few small orders I got from them that their pricing had gone up some- but when you need something they have everything a guy could possible need, all in one place. And their service is second to none- often I would have my order in hand in a day or two. When I'm doing a project and need something I want it quickly so I can keep moving on the project, so a small upcharge for quick service is worth it to me. Ordering bulk from them saves a substantial amount over small orders.

Oh man, McFadden Dale is a place where I could really get in trouble. I haven't been in a while so I think I will go walk the place soon.

Around here the most common one is Tacoma Screw.

Jamestown Supply

https://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/Phillips-Oval-Head-Machine-Screw-Stainless-10-24-p/3590000.htm

I'm using the Brave search engine, and that's the first legit looking site offered. Seems like the shipping could be the wildcard between the bulk suppliers.

I have an (updated)2 gallon pile on the bottom of my pickup toolbox........lol

And like you say, keep a few specialty bolts on hand for chit that always breaks.
(mostly seasonal stuff, air drill, loader buckets, etc)


It is nice to be able to cobble chit back together on the spot!

Yeah, before the news came out that TSC are a buncha wokesters, I’d usually go to there to get my grade 8 stuff. Buy by the pound. Came out WAY cheaper than Home Depot/Lowes.

Try Jay Cee sales & Rivet, Inc (Detroit Mi. area)... Just got another 300 5/16 semi tubular steel rivets from them for some reproduction exhaust hangers we make... About a third the price of McMaster Carr... They sell nuts, bolts & screws as well, But are geared more for commercial sales i think?... Fleet farm or Farm & Fleet stores sell multiple grades of hardware by the lb...

I would look here https://www.ebay.com/itm/263841214912?hash=item3d6e2971c0:g:hdYAAOSwvItbW2Jd&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAABIGqIKok0O1bjXnnXM1vNHBu70deXGncSFv2hLnjzur7ijRtUndhQeYddIuWHrPMeNibHW8Z5ssKJeKviKRMvlRUi7h6%2Fd2CLCVSgpI5hpghBx4JKBiDFgsfaH171TCW9U14GqKULrcpU0eHnXh7haxe4JS5zQ9i8RjyQ2IWGkllJk2Ldx3zaTZQ1wpopPTam9PJHyNPYLCfqmTSwfWiagm0OaWbQyANM4JMLrAnB62sONkROfxE3eXkCDgbgbBok8zP4qNralZt2JO9HUeDbyWUnP2mGkDRkU9jFgOBaLe9d3n1BAQY24topueCNOdzTrCXS3GBXVQBr5lRbmSOrDOUV85XmbdIIXNI0SV%2B7ZHI2og1%2FPwhn5qvlrRrL8MYV%2BA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMmpCloLph

I was at the dump earlier today...

Dropping off tires right next to the "Metal Collection" dumpster.

50 rolls of brand new barbed wire in the dumpster.

That is like $5k - $7k...

IDIOTS everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mrs slumlord came back from a yard sale with about 5 galv metal 3 gallon pails with nuts and bolts up to 1” shank.
And 5 more 5 gallon buckets of plumbing, water, drain, p-trap kits, pvc, cpvc, iron, copper,

Something like $35 for all of it.

Some old dude croaked and Fuzzy Sweater son-in-law was wanting the icky stuff gone.