Lowes vs. Home Depot?
- Thread starter Tejaas
- Start date
Scott H in Wheaton
Well-known member
Not sure about the Lowes, but its true for Home Depot. Employees pay the same prices as regular customers. Some people think its wrong the company you work for won't give you an employee discount, but management justifies it by saying " if we can offer a lower price to our associates, shouldn't we also offer that same low price to everyone?"
jethrodawg
Well-known member
For critical framing like walls that will have drywall on them, I ONLY use lumber yards and pay for the premium wood. To much junk wood at HD and Lowe's. Decking, etc if fine but framing a house, lumber yard only.
At the box stores people pick through the wood so if you just make an order through HD you may end up with a bunch of **** studs. Never again!
Jrussell86
Well-known member
HD does sell Milwaukee but to me the fact that they force selfcheckout down your throat as the "cashier" stands over you to make sure you don't steal anything makes it Lowes hands down for me.
Syberia
Well-known member
HD is usually cheaper for the stuff I buy. Tools end up coming from Harbor Freight. Though I needed some angle iron and other assorted metal today, and Lowes had it cheaper. Both are within a mile of each other, though neither are terribly close to us.
I prefer HD over Lowes. I do tend to go to Lowes for lighting fixtures and I like their selection of fasteners in their drawers. I did find out one big thing about HD vs. Lowes when I was building my house. On purchases of $2,500+, the HD contractor's desk was anxious to help and give me a good contractors' discount. They listed the items on a computerized printout and were really helpful. After I got to know them, they would give me the discount on orders less then the required $2,500 by listing it as purchased by one of the otherbig businesses that got contractors' discounts with all their orders. I found I could negotiate on lots of items. For example I needed 86 base board, bull nose corners. Each cost $3.12. I negotiated a price of $187 each. When I tried Lowes, I left off an order for around $3,200 and said I needed a price. The guys there just went around and listed the normal price on a hand written sheet of paper & added it up. The next time I saw one of the managers, I told him their motto, "Let's build something together" was a load of **** and explained what they did compared to HD and that it was the reason I'd spent over $42K with HD instead of Lowes. The very next time I went to that store, I saw a large group of employees with that manager talking to them. When I listened, he was telling them to give the contractors' discount to customers ordering $2,500+.
I agree! The darker colors at Lowe's are much more relaxing. When I'm at HD, my mind seems to be in a rush...like I'm being hurried.
But anyways, for post 1,000, I choose Lowe's as my go-to store.
For one, it's where my dad has always gone when I was a little kid tagging along while he got materials for his honey-do list on the weekends.
Their clearance items outnumber HD's 10-to-1.
Their hand tool selection is better.
Here lately, I have been going to HD more than usual. They do have a better selection of power tools...not that I can afford them
Their prices on the same item at Lowe's is usually cheaper.
They have better quality wood.
Ross/Kzoo
Well-known member
I don't know Lowe"s start up history but do know HD's. Ken Langone, Bernie Markus and Arthur Blank. A real success story. To me that's another plus for HD.
7echo
Well-known member
Former CEO Bob Nardelli instituted this 'improvement' on his way to making HD 'better'. HD was the best years ago when the guy in the electrical dept had actual electrical knowledge, the guy in the plumbing dept knew plumbing, etc. but Nardelli took those guys out.
Lowes is cleaner, easier to navigate, less cluttered, and less crowded.
That said, I end up at both on occasion, but generally prefer Lowes.
here is my observations between lowes/hd
i was buying sheet flooring for a kitchen, at lowes, they have the flooring but i was looking for seaming glue..... i couldnt find it anywhere, so i asked the guy there and all they said was "i thought we used to have it" but of course couldnt find it either. didnt seem to bother them that they have the flooring but not the products to install it............ had to go to hd to get seaming glue
second case, glass block windows, lowes had a few blocks, but no morter or spacers or anything you would need to install, its all special order stuff.... so i go to hd again, and they have it all.
third case... tile project i was looking for redguard, or its whatever product is similiar, the guy at lowes didnt even know what i was talking about....... so i go to hd..... its there with the tile stuff....
fourth case, bathroom vanity, lowes dooesnt have any vanity tops that include an overflow drain. hd fixed me up again......
the hd is a bit further for me, but i find more often than not im going to end up going there anyways.
so in my mind hd is more likely to have everything i need
i was buying sheet flooring for a kitchen, at lowes, they have the flooring but i was looking for seaming glue..... i couldnt find it anywhere, so i asked the guy there and all they said was "i thought we used to have it" but of course couldnt find it either. didnt seem to bother them that they have the flooring but not the products to install it............ had to go to hd to get seaming glue
second case, glass block windows, lowes had a few blocks, but no morter or spacers or anything you would need to install, its all special order stuff.... so i go to hd again, and they have it all.
third case... tile project i was looking for redguard, or its whatever product is similiar, the guy at lowes didnt even know what i was talking about....... so i go to hd..... its there with the tile stuff....
fourth case, bathroom vanity, lowes dooesnt have any vanity tops that include an overflow drain. hd fixed me up again......
the hd is a bit further for me, but i find more often than not im going to end up going there anyways.
so in my mind hd is more likely to have everything i need
TechnoMayor
Well-known member
An Electrician friend summed it up this way...
If you're building a house, go to Home Depot.
If you're decorating a house, go to Lowes.
If you're building a house, go to Home Depot.
If you're decorating a house, go to Lowes.
bargainzplus+
Well-known member
If you want some crazy clearance deals from time to time try Lowes. I found a roll of electricians tape for $0.05 and recently their aluminum pipe wrenches for $2.50.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
kiatech
Well-known member
Menards
chris142
Well-known member
I cant explain the heat and ac here. Maybe it was broke all the times i was at hd or maybe they dont turn it on till extreem temps?
Ross/Kzoo
Well-known member
Chrysler threw Nardelli out and after a few bad quarters at HD they showed him the door too. Best move they could have done, it's much better now.
It's been pointed out here before, but bears repeating. The stuff was discovered and named "aluminum" by the English scientist Sir Humphrey Davy, published in 1812. That same year, an anonymous busybody writing in "The Quarterly Review" thought it didn't sound good and proposed "aluminium". The tradition- and propriety-bound English unaccountably adopted the anonymous spelling (and pronunciation) rather than that of the discoverer.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
It's been pointed out here before, but bears repeating. The stuff was discovered and named "aluminum" by the English scientist Sir Humphrey Davy, published in 1812. That same year, an anonymous busybody writing in "The Quarterly Review" thought it didn't sound good and proposed "aluminium". The tradition- and propriety-bound English unaccountably adopted the anonymous spelling (and pronunciation) rather than that of the discoverer.
From what my schooling was Davy didn't discover aluminum. He identified it in alum, but couldn't isolate it. Credit is given to Hans Christian Orsted in 1825 & Frederich Wohler in 1827 for isolating it. Anyway, in 1807 Sir Humphrey Davy proposed there was a metal in the base Alum, which he initially called alumium, spelled without the "n". Then he changed it to aluminum. In 1812 he changed the name to aluminium to conform to his own standard of ending elements with "ium" like potassium, magnesium and sodium, all of which he named. Aluminium is still listed as such on the Periodic Table of Elements. The Quarterly Review may have prompted him to make the changes of name. Can't say for sure.
The American Chemical Society decided to change it to aluminum in 1925, which is why we don't call it aluminium in the USA.
Tommy
Last edited:
sammerdog
Banned
Menards.
kustom53
Well-known member
I wish I had a Menards or O'Reilly for that matter near me, I always see stuff in the "hot deals" section I'd like to get...
Gigem
Well-known member
Lowes...
In my area, the HD employees seem like thugs... definitely offer zero assistance... Lowes is cleaner, neater, better organized and better staffed...
In my area, the HD employees seem like thugs... definitely offer zero assistance... Lowes is cleaner, neater, better organized and better staffed...
Well, there was a pretty decent response to my OP for sure...
I use Lowes exclusively when I need to make a quick run mid-project for something like a rattlecan, grade 8's, or sandpaper.
Our Lowes here in my current town has a great lumber section, as long as you want #2 Pine!
Anything else, and I go to the lumber yard.
They also stock what I'd say is EVERYTHING in the Dewalt line... Including the add-ons. Very, very convenient when you want a Type 27 guard for your Angle Grinder or the like. That adds major bonus points for me.
At one time, our Lowes used to stock Lincoln Excalibur electrodes. That was seriously the greatest thing ever, usually ya gotta go to the welding supply to grab them. I haven't found them in store now for a long time.
That pissed me off pretty good, haha.
I will say, our Lowes is cool as hell when combining military discounts with sale/promotional offers.
Example: Christmas 2012 I picked up 2 new Dewalt Angle Grinders, a Dewalt Double Compound Miter Saw, and a Dewalt Chop Saw for about half of the original sticker prices.... This was HUNDREDS of dollars saved between the Christmas Sale, Military Discount, and a mail in rebate.
I grew up going to NAPA & Sta-Bilt... Y'all know that as ACE hardware... You could get great tools, any hardware you could imagine, you could even handpick single black oxide drill bits out of galvanized steel drawers, and buy .22 shells at the cash register when ya checked out.
The employees who worked in the ACE lumber yard behind the store even built the trusses for my parents house and delivered them to the ranch via an old Mack truck with ACE logos on the doors.
I recently went into a local ACE hardware and was horribly disappointed.
By the way, I'm 27 now.
This was not 1953 or "back in the old days"
So pretty much it's Lowes for me...
But I'm DEFINITELY on the lookout for a better "chain" hardware store!
~Tejaas~
I use Lowes exclusively when I need to make a quick run mid-project for something like a rattlecan, grade 8's, or sandpaper.
Our Lowes here in my current town has a great lumber section, as long as you want #2 Pine!
Anything else, and I go to the lumber yard.
They also stock what I'd say is EVERYTHING in the Dewalt line... Including the add-ons. Very, very convenient when you want a Type 27 guard for your Angle Grinder or the like. That adds major bonus points for me.
At one time, our Lowes used to stock Lincoln Excalibur electrodes. That was seriously the greatest thing ever, usually ya gotta go to the welding supply to grab them. I haven't found them in store now for a long time.
That pissed me off pretty good, haha.
I will say, our Lowes is cool as hell when combining military discounts with sale/promotional offers.
Example: Christmas 2012 I picked up 2 new Dewalt Angle Grinders, a Dewalt Double Compound Miter Saw, and a Dewalt Chop Saw for about half of the original sticker prices.... This was HUNDREDS of dollars saved between the Christmas Sale, Military Discount, and a mail in rebate.
I grew up going to NAPA & Sta-Bilt... Y'all know that as ACE hardware... You could get great tools, any hardware you could imagine, you could even handpick single black oxide drill bits out of galvanized steel drawers, and buy .22 shells at the cash register when ya checked out.
The employees who worked in the ACE lumber yard behind the store even built the trusses for my parents house and delivered them to the ranch via an old Mack truck with ACE logos on the doors.
I recently went into a local ACE hardware and was horribly disappointed.
By the way, I'm 27 now.
This was not 1953 or "back in the old days"
So pretty much it's Lowes for me...
But I'm DEFINITELY on the lookout for a better "chain" hardware store!
~Tejaas~
nicksnothereman
Well-known member
Home depot is usually cheaper where I am and they have better wood. Lowes generally has better quality cheap tools (in my opinion) except when it comes to hammers and axes. Lowes doesn't stock estwing stuff but home depot does and the husky and house brand at home depot "specialty" (garden, hammers, etc) hard tools are better quality around the same price.
Home depot also has better plants.
Lowes has better plumbing employees but home depot has better hardware employees.
Not that I need employee knowledge but it helps to locate parts. Lowe's hardware and tool department employees (in my store at least) are f-awful but home depot has no one in the tool department.All told if I need something I go to whatever's in front of me. If I need wood I go to home depot because there is too much twist in the whitewood boards at lowes and I usually can get better wood boards at home depot for around the same cost.
Home depot is usually cheaper where I am and they have better wood. Lowes generally has better quality cheap tools (in my opinion) except when it comes to hammers and axes. Lowes doesn't stock estwing stuff but home depot does and the husky and house brand at home depot "specialty" (garden, hammers, etc) hard tools are better quality around the same price.
Home depot also has better plants.
All told if I need something I go to whatever's in front of me. If I need wood I go to home depot because there is too much twist in the whitewood boards at lowes and I usually can get better wood boards at home depot for around the same cost.
You actually reminded me of something.
Absolutely correct, Home Depot DOES have a MUCH better selection of plants and trees when you don't want to hit up an actual nursery.
And live Christmas Trees! Haha.
I LIKE Lowes because they don't have store associates available...
When I'm in the hardware/fasteners aisle I'm usually counting quantities in my head, calculating what I need, and sometimes even drawing on a box of deck screws or sheet of plywood to get a better mental picture haha.
Them trying to "assist" would probably piss me off after I lose count!
~Tejaas~
chris142
Well-known member
Speaking of lumber yards. I dont think theres one anywhere near here.
justanengineer
Well-known member
Given the choice of only those two, Lowes hands down. The daily price is usually lower and when they clearance something, they CLEARANCE it. My entire kitchen's worth of new appliances came from Lowes' clearance rack, all top quality stainless bought for ~50% of regular price. HD OTOH takes $10 off a $1000 item and calls it clearance. Similarly, my backyard plants all come from Lowes bc they "clearance" them starting end of April/beginning May, I paid $7 each after clearance + military discount for very healthy 6'-10' fruit trees that are regularly $30+. Speaking of which, I GREATLY prefer Lowes simply bc they still offer a daily military discount, not the **** "holiday or online only" discount that HD gives.
Given the choice of where to go, I still prefer Menards or given time to drive across town I also like Ace Hardware.
Given the choice of where to go, I still prefer Menards or given time to drive across town I also like Ace Hardware.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Only two differences I see between Lowes and HD:
First is that our local Lowes has some good old-timers working in there. The guy in plumbing knows his stuff, and can help you find anything, even if he doesn't have it. I've never found anyone at HD that knows the first thing about what they are selling. That's probably more due to the manager hiring forks than the chain. As far as merchandise goes it's a toss up, except for one thing:
HD has a tool rental. I rent from them fairly frequently and I've bought several off rental tools from them.
Just down the street from my nearest HD is Menards. I always thought they were a complete cut-rate lumberyard, but they have so much more variety than either Lowes or HD it's pretty amazing. They also have a small food section, so I can do almost all my shopping there...
First is that our local Lowes has some good old-timers working in there. The guy in plumbing knows his stuff, and can help you find anything, even if he doesn't have it. I've never found anyone at HD that knows the first thing about what they are selling. That's probably more due to the manager hiring forks than the chain. As far as merchandise goes it's a toss up, except for one thing:
HD has a tool rental. I rent from them fairly frequently and I've bought several off rental tools from them.
Just down the street from my nearest HD is Menards. I always thought they were a complete cut-rate lumberyard, but they have so much more variety than either Lowes or HD it's pretty amazing. They also have a small food section, so I can do almost all my shopping there...
GH85Carrera
Well-known member
I go to either store 50/50 with no real distinction of loyalty. I hate both places. Both are hard to find stuff in. Lowes is a little better for finding help.
For most things I prefer a locally owned Ace Hardware. They usually have some knowledgeable staff but since the store is much smaller the selection is smaller.
For most things I prefer a locally owned Ace Hardware. They usually have some knowledgeable staff but since the store is much smaller the selection is smaller.
fred d
Well-known member
We have no Menards
I work at Lowes.
It is my "other" full time job
It is a **** shoot on weather or not the person helping you has a clue about most anything
With Lowes....usually the guys in Hardware/tools are the "old" guys so they are usually but not always the most knowledgeable
In my store there are 3 of us that are knowledgable on HOW to fix most anything, and WHERE it is in the store.
3 of us out of 140 employees. Lowes pays **** and so you mainly get people with little to no life knowledge on how to fix anything.
Our customers complain that they never find any help at HD. I know for fact after interviewing with HD, they run 1/2-3/4 the amount of employees hours as Lowes
Plus as someone else said......I do like the clearance stuff. Working here makes it easy to get the good stuff before it is all gone
I work at Lowes.
It is my "other" full time job
It is a **** shoot on weather or not the person helping you has a clue about most anything
With Lowes....usually the guys in Hardware/tools are the "old" guys so they are usually but not always the most knowledgeable
In my store there are 3 of us that are knowledgable on HOW to fix most anything, and WHERE it is in the store.
3 of us out of 140 employees. Lowes pays **** and so you mainly get people with little to no life knowledge on how to fix anything.
Our customers complain that they never find any help at HD. I know for fact after interviewing with HD, they run 1/2-3/4 the amount of employees hours as Lowes
Plus as someone else said......I do like the clearance stuff. Working here makes it easy to get the good stuff before it is all gone
If I need more than one item, chances are whichever of the two I choose to visit first will not have everything. So, I go to the other and find that they have what was missing at the first stop but again, not everything. I then find myself driving back to the first store to complete my shopping.
This is really not that big a deal as they are both within 4 miles of my house and I have to drive right by Home Depot on the way to Lowes. I now know to stop at Home Depot first, if they do not have everything I drive the mile to Lowes. That way if Lowes does not have everything I need it is easy enough to stop at Home Depot once again on the way home. That way I get to check pricing at both before buying.
This is really not that big a deal as they are both within 4 miles of my house and I have to drive right by Home Depot on the way to Lowes. I now know to stop at Home Depot first, if they do not have everything I drive the mile to Lowes. That way if Lowes does not have everything I need it is easy enough to stop at Home Depot once again on the way home. That way I get to check pricing at both before buying.
Lowes, becouse they host a crusie night in their back parking lot every Friday when its nice outside..
Everytime I shop, there I seek out a manager to tell them I'm shopping there becouse of the cruise night..
http://lowescruise.com/
Everytime I shop, there I seek out a manager to tell them I'm shopping there becouse of the cruise night..
http://lowescruise.com/
Ross/Kzoo
Well-known member
In our town of about 150,000 there were about 8-10 lumber yards 30 years ago. Now there are 2 Lowes,1 HD and 2 Menards with only one lumber yard left.
I'm a big fan of DeWalt so I like Lowes. They have better DeWalt deals. For example, impact driver and drill 20v combo, 149.00, Dewalt Miter saw, 400 with a free 200 dollar sand. They also price match Amazon if you go the service counter. I got a portable table saw for 350 with almost 200 in blades.
I try Lowes first, especially on large purchases. I have a Lowes card and everything is 5% off. Pay card off at end of each month. It adds up.
HD has more plumbing supplies, but much everything else is at parity and at price.
They are both within a half mile of each other here.
HD has more plumbing supplies, but much everything else is at parity and at price.
They are both within a half mile of each other here.
bwringer
Well-known member
It varies quite a bit locally.
I swear, the Lowe's nearest my house must have an expert on staff to ensure that there's only a blank space where the widget I want should be stocked.
I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm getting seriously paranoid. When I need a left-handed 1/2" Frammis valve with a right angle Johnson rod, I can guarantee that Lowe's will have an empty bin right in between the full bins of 3/8" and 5/8" Frammis valves...
Or, to give a real example, I needed a 10' roll of 1/4" copper line for an ice maker a few weeks ago. Empty bin. What the hell kind of home store runs out of 1/4" copper water line?
I know not all Lowe's stores are like this, but I normally just drive the extra 10 minutes to Home Despot instead of bLowe's. Once in a while I end up at Meanard's.
I swear, the Lowe's nearest my house must have an expert on staff to ensure that there's only a blank space where the widget I want should be stocked.
I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm getting seriously paranoid. When I need a left-handed 1/2" Frammis valve with a right angle Johnson rod, I can guarantee that Lowe's will have an empty bin right in between the full bins of 3/8" and 5/8" Frammis valves...
Or, to give a real example, I needed a 10' roll of 1/4" copper line for an ice maker a few weeks ago. Empty bin. What the hell kind of home store runs out of 1/4" copper water line?
I know not all Lowe's stores are like this, but I normally just drive the extra 10 minutes to Home Despot instead of bLowe's. Once in a while I end up at Meanard's.
If I need X parts to do a job, either one I start at will have X-2 in stock. So, I have to go to the other one. I can usually find the empty bin at Lowe's much faster than at HD. HD has more **** stuck in the aisle and is usually not as clean. As I am not a xenophobe, I don't pay any attention to what language is written on the door.
For my everyday stuff I prefer Home Depot. There is one closer and they have better customer service. The Lowes around here is sometimes hard to get someone to help you out. Also, the Home Depot where I normally go to has staff that really went above an beyond a few times to help out the community so I will continue to shop there.
That being said I do my appliance shopping at Lowes because you can get same day or next delivery on most appliances instead of waiting for them to be shipped.
That being said I do my appliance shopping at Lowes because you can get same day or next delivery on most appliances instead of waiting for them to be shipped.
Home Depot, for their tool selection.
I was in the one in my town today and there were a LOT more tools in there than were there the last time I visited, maybe 3 months ago. They had a whole lot of Milwaukee stuff, not just the power tools but their new electrical tools, nut drivers, pliers, and such.
They also had Stiletto hammers, which I'm pretty sure were new there, too.
I like the fact that while Lowes has Kobalt and then hardly anything else for hand tools, Home Depot carries a decent selection besides Husky. HD also has Klein, while Lowes has that knockoff Klein stuff, Southwire.
I was in the one in my town today and there were a LOT more tools in there than were there the last time I visited, maybe 3 months ago. They had a whole lot of Milwaukee stuff, not just the power tools but their new electrical tools, nut drivers, pliers, and such.
They also had Stiletto hammers, which I'm pretty sure were new there, too.
I like the fact that while Lowes has Kobalt and then hardly anything else for hand tools, Home Depot carries a decent selection besides Husky. HD also has Klein, while Lowes has that knockoff Klein stuff, Southwire.
Modern Jess
Well-known member
HD is closer to home (a few miles vs. 10 or so) so I go to HD more often. Still, HD seems to have a better selection, but poor organization. Lowes is neater and cleaner but just doesn't seem to have as wide a variety of stuff. I'll go to Lowes if I know they have something that HD doesn't, but that's rare. If they were equidistant, I'd still probably go to HD more than Lowes.
(And both are Big Box and therefore the work of the devil, so...)
(And both are Big Box and therefore the work of the devil, so...)
My local store runs out of 2X4X8s!