Restocking certain sizes (mostly smalls, SS, and fines).

I used McMaster Carr for years, but compared to Bolt Depot... MC has lost it's shine regarding price.

Anyone else use another company?

Groups of 100s or better... occasionally 1k.

Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

Probably no help, we used to have a "bolt man" come by the shop every month or so like the tool truck guys. He would supply bolt bins for free if you spent enough with him. It was nice not running out of whatever it took to finish a job.

Sounds like you might use way more of one size vs a large variety?

Maybe Fastenal or a company like that?

Thanks... I just checked.

Using a "#10-24 x 1" Phillips Drive Oval Head Grade 18-8 Stainless Steel Machine Screw" as a test on cost... One of many items I am chasing... $200-$300 worth.

Fastenol at $0.40 (bulk option not offered)

Bolt Depot at $0.10

McMaster Carr at $0.20

Any other bulk companies out there?

Nothing on that level but I started realizing several years ago just how often I was running back and forth to town to get bolts.

If youre the type that lives Punta Gordo condo and watches fox news 14 hours ago, then no.

Here at The Mini Waco Compound, there is some new deck, shop addition, deluxe deer stand, chicken coop, gate going up every 3 months. Or rusted vehicle, tractor or equip mod.

I make about two trips a year to Rural King and buy 50-60 lbs of lag, carriage, hex, nuts, washers. Either 12 of everything big or a handful of everything small. I hit almost every bin.

They’ll run sales for $1.39 lb. They are only softer grade three stuff at that price. They have high grades.

Shamrock bolt is who we use.

We use Lawson for bolts ,tools and all kinds of supplies,He comes around frequently and we can order anytime. They supply bins.

A long time ago I bought a couple steel hardware boxes at a farm show. I keep them filled with grade 8 hardware from tractor supply.
I don’t know the cost but I just got a couple bags and it was pretty salty. Had to fix the garage door my wife drove though. Anyway I use them all the time and it makes jobs easy since it is organized. Very valuable to me.

I kept the bolt bin when my father closed the shop/store.

Its moved with me 3 times.

Mostly stock it up in the spring on trips to Agri supply store.

Grass killing chit and bolts/nuts for the grass cutters in one trip.

Probably saved hundreds not running back and forth to the robber hardware store.

Fastenal has gone woke or something. It sounds like Bolt Depot is the best option if you don't have a fastener supply near to deal with.

Not a mechanic, but if I need to buy bolts, nuts, or screws, I'll just get a box of them. Already labeled and readily found next time the need arises.

I’ll buy by the # at tractor supply.

For common bolts…

Still gotta go to ACE for oddball stuff.

And they’ll gouge ya too.

A 1/4-20 Allen head cap bolt? Be like $1.19.

Don’t fug around and want stainless….

😤😤

But…

It’s convenient ( in my small town).

And open till 7 pm. And open on sundays.

TSC sells 'em by the pound......bolts....screws etc

Grade 8 & Metric aren't though...usually in a small bag

Oh yea

Ace Hardware is a good source too as mentioned above

https://www.lawsonproducts.com/Fasteners/Bolts/FS100.lpc

Well if you want it dry in the ass…Ace is the Place

Fastenal?
McMaster has gotten expensive, matching Grainger I suppose.

Osky

Local farm store.

Is there an independent bolt guy in the area? Shop where I work had a bolt guy come up from Arkansas once a week on his route to hit our area, 90 miles from their office. He kept the standard offerings on his truck, and a days notice would get you specialties or large quantities for projects.

Of course, in our companys wisdom, they canned him and signed a national contract with Fastenal to get 10% rebate at the end of each year or some other such nonsense. Pricing was crazy high, but we got that discount ya know....Now they've moved on to Grainger I believe, who also is crazy high. Meanwhile, Bill the bolt man still will answer his phone and deliver me stuff when I need it just because he is a good guy.

McMaster is never the cheapest, but order by 3 and its delivered by 10 the next morning on the UPS truck. I'd love to tour one of their warehouses just to see how it works.

I have a fastener shop not far off. Use them when I can.

One thing I keep in stock in my pickup is 1"x7" bolts... I have a couple of attachments/implements that use them, and in high stress locations, the schedule 5 bolts can shear off, and need to be replaced.

Bought 4 of them with 2 washers each, and a nylon lock nut, last week. $92

We use Fastenal at work. They are not what they were back a few years ago but not bad

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.

Imperial supply has good prices .

Ebay. Don't laugh. Do your homework and know what you want, you'll find it.

I buy lots of electrical connectors (ring/spade/etc) off of eBay. I can get a 100 pack, delivered, for not much more than what a 10 pack costs at the store. Better quality, too.

Maybe in your locale - - - ? At a mil/guv surplus place on E. Central in Albuquerque, I was able to buy those pretty cheap by the pound But, have not been back for quite a while.

Bolt Depot is one but can't always go by price alone. When assembly specs dictate high grade bolts you have to be careful, you're not buying fakes. so, deal with company with a well-known reputation.

Phil

That is a very valid point.

I would not pick Bolt Depot as "Trust my Life with this bolt" type company.

The prices on a "Phillips Oval Head Machine Screw, #10-24 x 1", Stainless Steel Finish, Stainless Steel" is my benchmark.

Basic simple SS bolt/machine screw of the 8-18 variety. I will be getting lots of smalls like this and a bunch of fine threads to replenish my stash. Probably $300 worth.

To simplify... prices have been all over the map.

From a dime each (Bolt Depot) on the 100 pack... to $0.50 at some places (same 100 pack). i.e. 5x more expensive. Granger, Lawson, Fastenol et al

The Delta on a $300 purchase could therein be $1,500.

The local Ace was surprisingly reasonable if I was not in the market to buy 30-40 boxes of various sizes/lengths.

I know Ovals and Pans are not the same... I took the wrong pic...

But from a cost perspective they are fairly close.

There is a place in Dayton Ohio (next to the baseball field) that does the same... huge stockpile of everything.

Mendelsons... had to look it up.

They got the Rona and closed I reckon... https://www.whio.com/news/local/men...ter-55-years/I6SC5VTDOFAKREH7ZFLI63UUZM/

Or maybe they got George Floyded... who knows.

About $0.18... not bad at all. Thanks



Whole reason I put up the post... i.e. "Alternative places" besides Bolt Depot or MC.

yes in this area. they have some very specialized and hard to find things that nobody else seems to have..

I just bought some stuff at bolt depot because i couldn't find it elsewhere. Appeared to be legit stuff ( grade 8 carriage bolts and flange nuts) price was good

We order from MC at least once a week. Sometimes more. Our needs go way past bolts and fasteners. The convenience is most important.

I have bought at some of the listed sources , with the exception of Fastenal, had an acount with them, but it was a loser.

On the fasteners, I must have domestic or equivalent. I can not waste time with bad threads or off- center bolts.

Sometimes the catalog works best for me. Others order on line mostly. The potential to save on fasteners is not worth the time to research.

Neither here nor there...

But this would probably be over a $1K at Fastenol or Granger et al.

BoltDepot.Com

A place in town called Valley fasteners they have a service counter

One of the many perks of being in the service was being able to stock up on lots of hardware. As an aircraft mechanic I had access to the best available. Some are still holding the old Pontiac together today.