Lowes changing house brands??

[oldbrownhat]

..ACE or your Local real hardware store (which are non existent in big city) are where to go for REAL hardware and building supplies.

For those in the PNW "within howitzer range" of Bellingham WA, there is Hardware Sales, a family-run company for 50+ years that is a REAL hardware store. No lumber, but just about anything else. The fasteners section is amazing- everything from tiny number-gauge screws to 1" black steel cap screws, also bronze fasteners and some LH thread, and all loose in bins- none of that wretched prepackaged stuff. Also an extensive selection of US-made drill bits (Triumph) and hole saws (Morse) and a large selection of files, from small triangle files up to 16". They also have a cable shop with a full selection of safety supplies and rigging, as well as wire rope (on 1000' spools) and a massive hydraulic press for making up wire rope straps. The selection of Louisville ladders extends the entire length of the outside wall of the cable shop. Hand tools: a huge selection of Wright ratchet wrenches and sockets, and commercial-grade pipe wrenches up to 36". Also some less expensive stuff from Urrea in Mexico, but still good quality.

A couple of weeks ago I discovered that they had a set of drawers of gun screws (6-48, 8-40, 10-40 and even 5-44)!

The one thing that hit me the first time I went in, 10+ years ago (and still does) was the smell. Yup- it SMELLS like a hardware store, of stuff wrapped in oiled paper and such.

 

[Frank46]

Like many of you I still have Craftsman,porter cable,ryiobi, skillsaw, hitachi (newest one to replace an old belt sander). If you go in my tool box there are craftsman,Williams, Snap On.,Aarmstrong and a bunch of others. They for the most part are over 30 years old. Some I got from my dad and the bulk purchased over the years. One thing I also saw were plastic tool boxes. I grew up on steel boxs and way before I enlisted in the nave there were two sitting in the basement. Then I got a small sears/craftsman 6"x20" metal working lathe. Aquired another steel box just to store the small lathe chucks and drill chucks, centers and a load of tool bits as I ground and honed many of the ones I used. When we got the toyota and its darned metric system another steel box just for metric tools. Then I started experimenting with being a gunsmith at home. Another steel box but this one is larger. Must have 8 steel tool boxes and a complete set of both inch and metric tools for my cars and Kubota tractor.Needed some electrical work done around the house. Couldn't find a steel box so bought one of those 16" nylon tool bags. Now all my electric stuff, testers, cutters,crimping tools, diagonal side cutters, lineman pliers and so on will go in the tool bag. In the house is an old Kenneddy 7 drawer steel machinests tool box. That has all my precision measuring toold like micrometers, dial calipers, depth guages, layout tools and a huge selection of unground tool blanks that I have gotten all these years. And last but not least is all my taps and dies. This box I cannot pick up it's that heavy. And in the future I forsee at least 2-3 more steel boxes .I like to keep my tools where i can find them. I have a tool car at the other end of the house as that is where most of the things I drive get fixed. Somewhere in the house is a steel tool box labeled electrical stuff. I've yet to find it. Got a delta faucett rebuild kit and it says to use a silicone grease. Spent 45 minutes just trying to find it. Was in the same section as the kits were but hidden. Frank

 

[Frank46]

Caj, will have to stop in the store when next in town. Thanks,Frank

 

[dogzebra]

After retiring, I worked a spell for a vendor company, NASCO, that assembled boxed goods for department store chains throughout the country.

My store assignment was with Lowe's, assembling the powered outdoor products, ready to assemble furniture, BBQ's... the list of products with imported content is very long and you have to look really hard to find anything manufactured here domestically at Lowe's.

The most comical aspect of the store's operation took place during warehouse receiving. The store's "Return to Manufacturing" clerk would call for all available help as the Lowe's trucker latched opened his trailer doors. Pretty soon, folks would lay out a bunch pallets to each side of the trailer dock and run a roller conveyor up the middle in prep for offloading.

Once everyone was at a safe distance, the RTM clerk would then take a box cutter and cut the straps holding back the 3'' thick sheet of corrugated cardboard covering the back of the load. The cardboard would usually drop like a drawbridge with loose contents of the trailer cascading out with crash, boom, and bangs. Soon everyone joins in ferreting out the damaged from intact goods.

When a trailer is destined for a certain store it doesn't ship from the warehouse unless it's completely full. Everything is stacked from floor to the ceiling in a Helter-skelter maner and after a few hundred miles of bouncing down the interstate, it all becomes a jumbled up mess. I've seen heavy stationary tools stacked upon cases of smashed light bulbs. Cases of paint and glue coated goods, lots of damaged major appliances, fiberglass ladders smashed through the glass of Pella bay windows...

After scanning info on all of the broken stuff, the RTM clerk spends the rest of the day loading up the 'RTM trailer' sitting over in the next truck dock. This is so Lowe's gets their credit for goods damaged in shipment. What a joke.

I enjoyed my job, but the store was in dire need of a new management shuffle. I got fed up with their in-store politics and quit after 3 months. Too bad, I liked what I did and enjoyed working with the customers.

I really don't recommend anyone to trade at Lowe's. I'll shop there only as a last resort.

 

[parts]

I'm in Anniston AL. Lucky to have an Ace Hardware 10 minutes away.

They still have bins for loose nuts, bolts, washers, etc. If I need a single bolt, washer, and nut, I can buy those separately; I don't have to buy a bag of 10 each.

Quality stuff. For heavy duty work, they carry Grade 5 and Grade 8 hardware.

In many ways, the "old" ways are the best ways.

David

 

[sar4937]

Research Stanley-Black & Decker owned companies.

 

[Stevens]

In the early 1980s one of the local woodworkers had a heart attack and had to give up woodworking. He made me a good deal on everything in his shop provided I take it all out, I did. Included were Craftsman table saw, drill press, band saw, radial arm saw, wood lathe, planer joiner, plus the electric and hand saws, drills, planes, every sort of blade and tool you can imagine. I don't use it all that much but it sure comes in handy when I have a project.
Steve W

 

[Kanewpadle]

Most people would be just fine with Craftsman or Kobalt tools. Not much you can do with newer vehicles these days. Simple maintenance doesn't require expensive tools.

But if you want American made tools that will last a lifetime, check Proto Tools. More expensive but worth the price.

I do most of the purchasing at work. For power tools, I buy premium brands such as Dewalt, Porter Cable, Milwaukee and others. But hand tools are a different story. I buy Harbor Freight tools because they are cheap. The guys lose and abuse them. So it doesn't hurt so much to replace them.

 

[rwsmith]

I've noticed....

Fortunately, I don't have big requirement for tools. But I nearly always try two close by hardware stores for everything first. I found a grout saw on-line at ACE but they didn't stock it, so I got a Marshalltown from Lowe's which is a pretty decent tool. They also had a plastic one that looked like it would either break or break your hand.

 

[bamacisa]

My Dad used to say that those cheap tools made over seas were made to sell...not use. The problem is that the powers to be in the big store offices have never worked with tools and don't care about quality. All they care about is mark up and sales. They love it when you come back to buy another tool to replace the cheap one that you just broke. They don't know or care about quality. If they have something that is broke, they pay someone to fix it. They don't fix it themselves. They have no use for tools.

 

[chief38]

BTW let me just add that recently I had the opportunity to look and use a few of Milwaukee's new hand tool line and I was actually very impressed with them! I believe (unfortunately) they are made in Taiwan and not the USA, but they are heads and tails above the Chinese imported stuff I've seen. I actually bought a small pick set from them ($14.00) and are almost identical to Snap-on's set (close to $100). I've owned the set for about a year and it works perfectly fine - hey, it's a simple pick set and I'd never spend $100 bucks on one!! Oh, it's also a lifetime warranty! I've use their Combination Wrenches as well and they are quite well made - again, they carry a lifetime warranty. Just another alternative to pricy tool truck options. I was a big Snap-on guy for many years, but now they are just out of their minds - price-wise, and much of their stuff is no longer even American Made! If I am forced to buy non USA goods, no way I'm spending USA bucks!! Today's tools almost always carry a lifetime warranty - including Kobalt! That is why many times I will buy vintage tools on ebay that were made in USA at much better prices as well. You would be surprised how much stuff can be purchased that has hardly been used.

 

[oneounceload]

Initially yes, Kobalt was made by Williams. However, they were replaced by the lowest bidder, Danaher Tool, ironically, the same outfit that made Craftsman and several other tool brands. Don't know who's running the show since both went off-shore. I read that Stanley bought the Craftsman brand and is supposed to bring manufacturing back here. Haven't seen any evidence of that yet.

Here's a WIKI on Danaher; actually quite an impressive portfolio of companies and business interests:
Danaher Corporation - Wikipedia

 

[ladder13]

Good thing I have a great car mechanic, so no need for a garage full of tools.
I worked hard for decades to enjoy my retirement. No interest in being the richest man in the cemetery.