home depot experience today

[e30bradley]

I went to my local HD today for a bunch of brass fittings and a 1/4" NPT tap. I got all the fittings I needed which where all very expensive and made in china. Next I needed a pipe tap so I went to the tool department and looked. I didn't see one so I asked the guy there "Can you point my to a quarter inch national pipe thread tap?" he replied something like "what do you mean, tap? a faucet?" .... the guy had no idea what a tap was and when I explained it he sent me to the plumbing department. When I asked the employee there for one he told me that they don't carry pipe taps. I ended up going to my local ACE hardware and buying a US made tap for $9.

 

[Lassen Forge]

If the person working the "tool corral" didn't know what a Tap was, then they had no business working there. I usually go up to the contractor desk and ask them.

Good thing you didn't ask for a Die instead - they would have called the cops and you'd be writing this after posting bail for threatening their life. :tard:

 

[mike721]

The ace i go to in my town very rarely. Not have what im looking for and i'd. Rather spend my money there than HD

 

[captain14]

Have not looked recently, but I can remember HD put al lot of the tap sets in the clearance section a while ago. So they could have discontinued them.

 

[CJM8515]

I know they had them at some point, small sets and individual ones by the drill bits.

 

[Davefr]

I've given up on HD unless I'm looking for cull grade lumber or overpriced Chinese tools.

Their H/W selection is pathetic and I usually just end up wasting time.

 

[404]

Have not looked recently, but I can remember HD put al lot of the tap sets in the clearance section a while ago. So they could have discontinued them.

Thats because the people who work there did not know what taps were so customers could never find them. Chicken and Egg.

 

[Wizzard]

I know that my local Lowes stopped carrying tap sets due to them being stolen (high priced item), so now they are online only with them.

I avoid all the employees at the box stores...they are less than knowledgeable to say the least...and it will only get worse.

 

[oldwino]

I avoid HD unless I have no choice. Did go in last weekend and had an interesting conversation with the girl working the plumbing dep't (about 18 and cute). I had to explain the difference between male and female fittings and why they were discribed like that don't know which of us was more embarrassed

 

[jd_1138]

The ace i go to in my town very rarely. Not have what im looking for and i'd. Rather spend my money there than HD

+1. I am out here in California helping to repair my mom's house. I am loving the local Ace's (there are 2), TrueValue, and the indy mom and pop. They always have everything I need, and you don't have to walk 3 miles or chase an elusive employee like at HD/Lowe's. Plus they have free coffee at the indy hardware store.

 

[rednotch]

If the person working the "tool corral" didn't know what a Tap was, then they had no business working there. I usually go up to the contractor desk and ask them.

Good thing you didn't ask for a Die instead - they would have called the cops and you'd be writing this after posting bail for threatening their life. :tard:

last time I went in I asked the tool jockey for a line or flare nut wrench, guy never heard of it. Couldn't find it on the wall of china so I left with out it.

 

[thesilverone]

minimum wage pay, minimum wage results

 

[jacked_72]

Ordinarily, I have no expectations at Lowes or Home Depot, but I got a pleasant surprise last weekend. One of my outdoor faucets was leaking. I went into the plumbing isle expecting to be ignored and got helped by an older worker who knew about the faucet I was dealing with and sold me a $1.80 box of flat washers that fixed me right up. I was expecting a frustrating situation and it was quite nice.

Usually I'm the one complaining, so it was a nice change.

 

[LUKE221]

I've given up on HD unless I'm looking for cull grade lumber or overpriced Chinese tools.

Their H/W selection is pathetic and I usually just end up wasting time.

Heck yeah... about all they are good for these days.
I see lots of decent taps at my local Northern Tool. And I have a feed store about 10 miles up the road that sells individual Irwin taps and dies. Other than that maybe a Napa store.

 

[UserNameAttempt3]

Wow, lots of HD hate. It's not a one stop shop, and I don't think any one place is. Yay Capitalism and Consumerism!

But I will say, if I don't know what I'm looking for, I ask the pro-desk... but my HD's have better hardware selections than Lowes, unless I'm looking for just a couple peeves in a specific size, then I try and hit up an ACE.

 

[Garage Coffee Roaster]

I have better results when I pull up the website on my phone. Most times it will tell you the aisle and section. If that fails, I show the picture of the item to one of the help...that works about half the time.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

...I got all the fittings I needed which where all very expensive and made in china...

Do you remember the ads where they said "The Home Depot, Low prices are just the beginning"? It looks like the beginning is over. They succeeded at driving most of the competition out of business, trained the public to shop HD first, & can now pretty much charge anything they want.

Just another one of those lines that can have multiple outcomes. Like “Vote for Change". We should ask "Change to what?". Is anyone old enough to remember "How To Serve Man"?

 

[mmack66]

I avoid HD unless I have no choice. Did go in last weekend and had an interesting conversation with the girl working the plumbing dep't (about 18 and cute). I had to explain the difference between male and female fittings and why they were discribed like that don't know which of us was more embarrassed

You should have volunteered to show her the difference.

 

[Ray-CA]

...Is anyone old enough to remember "How To Serve Man"?

"IT'S A COOK BOOK!"

Ray

 

[jd_1138]

It's ridiculous the level of ignorance that these big box store employees have. After I was first married and had my first house, we had a leaky copper pipe in the basement. I went to Home Depot to see about buying something to fix it temporarily like a patch with some clamps or something.

The idiot in the plumbing department recommended some duct tape wrapped tightly. Even as a total noob, I knew that this wouldn't work for a high pressure supply line. I called a plumber who soldered the line and charged us $75. Now I would fix it myself. lol

I don't miss HD or Lowe's. The local Ace, Do-It, and TrueValues have everything that HD/Lowe's has. Sure, maybe they will have 1 or 2 brands of an item instead of 15, but that's ok. If I am brand conscious, I am not buying the item at HD/Lowe's in the first place, as they don't carry many decent brands anyway.

 

[LUKE221]

There is one thing that bugs the heck out of me about Home Depot and Lowes.. Why do they sell hardware in bags in multiples of 3. Most items around the house always use 2 or 4 bolts, screws etc. I know it was designed to make you buy more and all. I love my local hardware store where I fill the bag myself with any qty I need.

 

[rharman]

..... Is anyone old enough to remember "How To Serve Man"?

"IT'S A COOK BOOK!"

Ray

My all-time favorite Twilight Zone.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

There is one thing that bugs the heck out of me about Home Depot and Lowes.. Why do they sell hardware in bags in multiples of 3. Most items around the house always use 2 or 4 bolts, screws etc. I know it was designed to make you buy more and all. I love my local hardware store where I fill the bag myself with any qty I need.

It's a standard pricing thing. All the bags cost the same. If the screw is more costly, then there is 1 in the bag. Cheaper items will be 12 in the same price bag.