Fastenal

[metaldad]

I kep reading here from the members posting about Fastenal.
There is one near here, sooooooooo, I just had to check it out. I don't know what their niche is, they have a huge selection of dust bunnies on their shelves.
I'm an impulse buyer. McMaster Carr is great. They have everything they claim to have, and I can get it that afternoon ( they are on the way home). If they don't have it, they ship for free. Not so at Grainger. They rarely have anything, and they charge for shipping. That is one reason I avoid them.
Fastenal........... just really didn't have anything on the shelves.

 

[warmpancakes]

Fastenal is for companies, same with grainger, the company I work for has a account with fastenal we get a huge discount as long as our account is paid in 10 days

 

[chris fresh]

walked into the one here today and found the perfect boxes for my electrical stuff,pex stuff.been looking for a few weeks now and was coming up short.they had them in house and because i bought two and the counter chick has a thing for me,i saved about 22 bucks.she's gonna order in two more for me this week,finally i will have a huge area organized the way i want it.

 

[91bronc300]

McMaster Carr is great. They have everything they claim to have, and I can get it that afternoon ( they are on the way home).

Lucky. Only industrial supply near me (out of McMaster Carr, Grainer, MSC, Fastenel, Enco, yadda) is Grainger and their prices are sky high! I would love to have McMaster Carr near me.

There's a hot deals thread about some drawers Fastenal has on clearance right now.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177004

 

[signcrafter]

walked into the one here today and found the perfect boxes for my electrical stuff,pex stuff.been looking for a few weeks now and was coming up short.they had them in house and because i bought two and the counter chick has a thing for me,i saved about 22 bucks.she's gonna order in two more for me this week,finally i will have a huge area organized the way i want it.

Do you have a link to the boxes you got?

Fastenal isn't a store you go walk threw and pick out things like home depot. They usually have a decent share of their stock behind the counter. Also they specialise in stores all over that carry a medium stock and have big warehouses that can ship in next day if you need things. Most places that order from them are businesses that order and get the stuff the next day. Just like mcmaster for most of us, you must be lucky to have a mcmaster local. If they weren't local to you they would be just like fastenal.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

We have one close to work that we use for occasional "Oh **** we really need that bolt right now" situations. Essentially no tools or anything like that, they have some ear muffs, and some marking paint and tape, but it's pretty much 95% fasteners.

 

[chris fresh]

Do you have a link to the boxes you got?

Fastenal isn't a store you go walk threw and pick out things like home depot. They usually have a decent share of their stock behind the counter. Also they specialise in stores all over that carry a medium stock and have big warehouses that can ship in next day if you need things. Most places that order from them are businesses that order and get the stuff the next day. Just like mcmaster for most of us, you must be lucky to have a mcmaster local. If they weren't local to you they would be just like fastenal.

don't have a link,but i can post pics and give you the model number,i can also look them up in my catalog and give you an item number.the store here has a bunch of stuff,it's right on the main road like any other store.walk in and grab what you need and just pay cash at the counter,if you have an account there,you save about 15%.but i get that anyway.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I love McMaster. I can't think of anything I have needed that they did not have. Fastenal, I can live without. I've been into their stores but the prices are way too high.

 

[chris fresh]

I love McMaster. I can't think of anything I have needed that they did not have. Fastenal, I can live without. I've been into their stores but the prices are way too high.

their prices are high,but it also depends on who you deal with in the store.old manager was a ****,turns out he got caught having some "relations" in the back room with someone who wasn't a female and also wasn't of age.real class act,but the girl who's been there 3 years now is a sweet heart and wants the business.place is always empty when i go there,but they have what i need and i don't care about the price on the shelf,because i've never paid sticker.

 

[chris fresh]

signcrafter,heres some pics,and i just looked them up in the book.there 18.5 x 12,all the dividers are movable,and you can buy extra 12 packs for 1.15.

part # is 62960

there made by DURHAM and you might be able to look them up online catalog, pg 1-45

 

[CWP1616L]

They have a very limited selection of GearWrench, which is surprising considering they're supposed to be GearWrench's largest distributor.

 

[jeffmoss26]

They used to run our tool crib and stock the fasteners in the maintenance department, I do like those blue bins for all the different types and sizes of fasteners!

 

[chris fresh]

They used to run our tool crib and stock the fasteners in the maintenance department, I do like those blue bins for all the different types and sizes of fasteners!

i've been looking every where for a copy of a plastic one i've had for 20 years,no luck.but then started thinking about what was going to be in them,and started thinking metal boxes.i'm really happy with them and have two more coming,one for all my copper fitting,and one for all my car audio connectors.i'm sure i'll probably order more after that because i'm in the process of regrouping and organizing my shop because of the new tool purchases lately.

 

[jeffmoss26]

they have a whole row of these drawers in the maintenance shop full of screws, bolts, etc
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0541754

 

[chris fresh]

They have a very limited selection of GearWrench, which is surprising considering they're supposed to be GearWrench's largest distributor.

never knew,i just bought my 20 piece set at sears a few weeks ago on black friday.got a great deal,way better than fastenal would have givin me.

 

[Buckgnarly]

How do you get free shipping from McMaster? They rule! Sometimes I just cruise their onlone catalog and thinnk of things I could use......free shipping might bankrupt me though!

 

[CWP1616L]

never knew,i just bought my 20 piece set at sears a few weeks ago on black friday.got a great deal,way better than fastenal would have givin me.

Every time I run a GearWrench part number on Google, ToolTopia always has it.

 

[chris fresh]

they have a whole row of these drawers in the maintenance shop full of screws, bolts, etc
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0541754

i like those,but i bought two 24 bin racks from H.F and really need one more.i wait till the have a sidewalk sale and get them for 30 bucks,bit of a price difference.i'm not a commercial shop,so there more than fine for my daily storage.

 

[signcrafter]

signcrafter,heres some pics,and i just looked them up in the book.there 18.5 x 12,all the dividers are movable,and you can buy extra 12 packs for 1.15.

part # is 62960

there made by DURHAM and you might be able to look them up online catalog, pg 1-45

Those look nice. I've used plastic stanley bins like those for a few years now for my pex, plumbing, electrical, etc. They look similar just your's look a lot more heavy duty then my plastic ones. Might have to look into them. Thanks for the pics.

 

[chris fresh]

How do you get free shipping from McMaster? They rule! Sometimes I just cruise their onlone catalog and thinnk of things I could use......free shipping might bankrupt me though!

i need to get there catalog,i have grainger,fastenal,travers,northern.but i need a mc master and a MSC.just got travers last week and ordered some tap's,quick ship,good prices.and they have already sent me some promotional stuff and free ship on my next couple of orders.

 

[chris fresh]

Those look nice. I've used plastic stanley bins like those for a few years now for my pex, plumbing, electrical, etc. They look similar just your's look a lot more heavy duty then my plastic ones. Might have to look into them. Thanks for the pics.

metal boxes,with plastic trays and diveders.i'm diggin um.

 

[jeffmoss26]

McMaster is VERY hard to get a catalog from, even our purchasing people at work joke about it. Better off just using their website.
MSC will send anyone their massive hardbound catalog

 

[justanengineer]

Hmmm....you walked into Fastenal off the street and looked around the lil showroom? Feel lucky if they gave you the time of day. Most of the industrial supply houses I deal with wont let Joe Public in, much less sell them anything without a valid business account. As for seeing items on a shelf, did you also get to look through the warehouse that is usually attached to the tiny showroom?

Irregardless, industrial supply houses arent about having everything in stock at every location, theyre simply a location to store a given set of items and provide customers a place to order items stored in another location which they can get in stock within a day or so.

 

[CWP1616L]

Most of the industrial supply houses I deal with wont let Joe Public in, much less sell them anything without a valid business account.

What are the names of those businesses? I'm very curious.

 

[chris fresh]

Hmmm....you walked into Fastenal off the street and looked around the lil showroom? Feel lucky if they gave you the time of day. Most of the industrial supply houses I deal with wont let Joe Public in, much less sell them anything without a valid business account. As for seeing items on a shelf, did you also get to look through the warehouse that is usually attached to the tiny showroom?

Irregardless, industrial supply houses arent about having everything in stock at every location, theyre simply a location to store a given set of items and provide customers a place to order items stored in another location which they can get in stock within a day or so.

i've been goin in there for 5 years,probably twice or 3 times a year.they have all the bins of hardware,flap disc's,misc tools,bits,whatever.they also have racks of metal,round stock,flat stock,ect.first time i bought there,no one questioned me about an account,infact the girl there today asked if i had one,i said nope,cash ticket.she said oh,because if you did,you would get a discount,wich she gave me anyway.

we also have grainger about 2 miles up from them,i haven't bought there in 7 or 8 years,because my ******* still hasn't healed from the last purchase.apparently everything there arrives in a diamond covered box with gold hinges.

another place local is a place called bearings and drive,wanna see if they have a catalog,THEY ARE THE ****!,when i did my drill press resto i just walked in with the old bearings,homeboy mic'd them,came out with the new and it was 26 bucks.i love that place.

as for the mc master catalog,everyone i know has one,there not a problem to get here at all,need to get one because i'm tired of flipping thru,or borrowing my buddy's.

as for the warehouse,it's right there attatched to the showroom with about a 10ft walk thru opening (no doors),and yeah i probably could have walked in there also if i wanted to.

 

[Roots]

Lucky. Only industrial supply near me (out of McMaster Carr, Grainer, MSC, Fastenel, Enco, yadda) is Grainger and their prices are sky high! I would love to have McMaster Carr near me.

Graingers and Fastenal list MSRP as their standard, walk-in price, but few people pay that. Once you establish a corporate account their pricing becomes significantly better and somewhat competitive.

 

[justanengineer]

What are the names of those businesses? I'm very curious.

To give a few everyone's familiar with - both Grainger and Fastenal, depending on location wont deal with the public. Someone mentioned bearings, my favorite supplier is Kaman which again, depending on location often chooses not to deal with the public.

 

[bigenos]

Fastenal bailed my **** out big time. I was in Valdosta, GA and our car sheared the pivot bolt from the watts link. Went to Steeda and bought their panhard rod setup and to fastenal to get some bolts and nuts to replace the stock hardware we didn't have with us. McMaster-Carr would have probably been even better, but I was glad they were there and open on a Friday afternoon!

 

[chris fresh]

To give a few everyone's familiar with - both Grainger and Fastenal, depending on location wont deal with the public. Someone mentioned bearings, my favorite supplier is Kaman which again, depending on location often chooses not to deal with the public.

never had a problem at either,guess cash IS king.

 

[Buckgnarly]

To give a few everyone's familiar with - both Grainger and Fastenal, depending on location wont deal with the public. Someone mentioned bearings, my favorite supplier is Kaman which again, depending on location often chooses not to deal with the public.

Both deal quite well with me here.....

 

[wellpoison]

we get all our nuts, bolts, etc. from kimball midwest. great supplier. rep comes once a week and scans what we are running low on and will also take orders. he looks stuff up and will always try to find us a solution. we can also purchase stuff from him for our own use. we have racks of those metal bins with the lid. they are stacked on top of one another. great for small storage.

the fastenal around me wont deal with the public but i can get something if i want when i'm there for work.

 

[5mall5nail5]

Its funny you guys go to these places. I just order from McMaster - i don't care if its in "stock" on a shelf. The other day a buddy ordered some stainless to have shipped to me and it was delivered same day.

 

[chris fresh]

ship here for fastenal is next day by 11:00,but if i'm right there or trying to finish a project for a customer THAT day,then i drop in there and get what i need.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Its funny you guys go to these places. I just order from McMaster - i don't care if its in "stock" on a shelf. The other day a buddy ordered some stainless to have shipped to me and it was delivered same day.

A location for you might help explain this.....things do not get shipped to VT in a fast manner...sometimes we still need to talk to counter people to get stuff in a timely manner.

 

[metaldad]

How do you get free shipping from McMaster? They rule! Sometimes I just cruise their onlone catalog and thinnk of things I could use......free shipping might bankrupt me though!

We buy alot from them. They either have it will call, or...... if I am running late, they will messenger service it over to my house.
Or - if I really need it NOW, they can same day messenger it to the job site. (I am usually downtown).
I don't like to abuse the shipping.

 

[DekeT]

Grainger has been advertising lately on the regular radio around here. Perhaps the local outlet is experimenting with a wider retail market. I have not been there but I would be surprised if anyone would go there to pay the high lilst prices versus a big box store or internet.

 

[mrjaw14]

I didn't know they weren't open to the public. Bummer. I was wanting an Armstrong ratchet, but I dont have an account there. I don't feel as good about getting an armstrong ratchet now. I thought I had a local supplier who I could take it to for warranty if needed until I saw this thread.

 

[kythri]

McMaster is VERY hard to get a catalog from, even our purchasing people at work joke about it. Better off just using their website.
MSC will send anyone their massive hardbound catalog

Yeah, the easiest way to get yourself a McMaster-Carr catalog is to buy it from someone lucky enough to get one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/McMASTER-CA...83649?pt=BI_Books_Manuals&hash=item3cccf59281

(Not my auction.)

Even the old ones are expensive:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/McMaster-Ca...190?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2e15b28e

I think 118 is the newest catalog...

 

[kythri]

I didn't know they weren't open to the public. Bummer. I was wanting an Armstrong ratchet, but I dont have an account there. I don't feel as good about getting an armstrong ratchet now. I thought I had a local supplier who I could take it to for warranty if needed until I saw this thread.

Fastenal? I wasn't aware that any of them operated in such a manner (i.e. closed to the public) - I've been into several, and they're all open to the public.

 

[metaldad]

Yeah, the easiest way to get yourself a McMaster-Carr catalog is to buy it from someone lucky enough to get one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/McMASTER-CA...83649?pt=BI_Books_Manuals&hash=item3cccf59281

(Not my auction.)

Even the old ones are expensive:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/McMaster-Ca...190?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2e15b28e

I think 118 is the newest catalog...

holy moly............ is everything on ebay?
mebbe I won't throw out old ones.