Brass Prices

[Jagmandave]

Went to the local Home Depot last night to pick up a couple of fittings to hard plumb my air compressor to a hose reel I bought and about hit the floor when I saw how much they were charging for small fittings - I needed some 3/8 by 1/4 bushings, a couple of closes, and 1/4" ball valve and so on - the ball valve was $8, and the fittings were anywhere from $5-$7.......each!

I went and found some galvanized bits instead but even those were silly priced, a 1/4" street el was almost $2.......and it was such poor quality I pawed around in the box for 5 minutes looking for a better one.

I'm thinking I'll start looking for used pipe fittings now wherever I can, as these prices are just out of whack anymore.

 

[JimVonBaden]

PVC!

Jim

 

[shooting4life]

I hear ya, I recently just did my air lines in copper with a bunch of brass fittings (I should have paid more for regulators with 1/2 threads. I had to use 6 fittings on each regulator which brought my price up substantially. It would have been much cheaper if I ordered the correct fittings on line instead of gerryrigging it together with what I could get at OSH and HD.

The 1/2 brass union I had to buy was about $10

 

[Garage Coffee Roaster]

My local HD had some of those pricey cast brass one on clearance- $0.30 for threaded Tees and 1/2" sweat to 3/8 elbow for $0.70. These were normally priced at $7-8.

I bought 15 of them yesterday. Total price less then $10.00

 

[shooting4life]

My local HD had some of those pricey cast brass one on clearance- $0.30 for threaded Tees and 1/2" sweat to 3/8 elbow for $0.70. These were normally priced at $7-8.

I bought 15 of them yesterday. Total price less then $10.00

You ****

 

[Falcon67]

I don't see anything special about the prices the OP posted - been that way for a long time. I paid $8~14 per brass gate valve back in 2010 when I plumbed the shop. you'll have to go to a real plumbing supply to find anything better as far as fittings. And I mean quality wise, probably not price wise. Most everything in the home centers is China sourced and the pro plumbers complain about it too. They just buy a skirt load of fittings and toss the ones that turn out bogus.

 

[bigpokie]

yea, try being behind the plumbing counter. i hear it daily. brass and stainless are alomst neck and neck and copper is outrageous and has been for years.