McMaster-Carr

[strength_and_power]

Never had issues with items not being in stock or not being quality. Website is great.



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[reader2580]

McMaster has horrible customer service. They sold me bent aluminum channels and absolutely refused to send a call tag. They flat out told me they expected me to pay return shipping.

Interesting. About 15 years ago I ordered something from McMaster-Carr not knowing it would be shipped truck freight. I contacted them and told them I never would have ordered the item if they had told me how much shipping would be.

They offered to have the item picked up and returned to them at their cost and refund all of my money. I asked if they where willing to do that why not refund my shipping cost and I keep the item? They agreed to do that.

 

[reader2580]

A lot of stuff outside of basic hardware can be very expensive from McMaster-Carr. My employer need a shop vac type vacuum about a decade ago. Our facilities guy just ordered it from McMaster-Carr without even checking the price versus other suppliers. The vacuum was over $1,000 and could have been bought much cheaper elsewhere.

I understand why companies order from a place like McMaster-Carr because they have just about anything and the company probably has an account already. Time is money in the corporate world.

 

[RustyJunk]

Years ago everything McMaster sold was made in the USA and high quality, now many of those manufacturers are gone and many have moved their factories overseas but McMaster still does a pretty good job of stocking quality products. I have purchased items from them over the years that I wouldn't have been able to buy anywhere before the internet, just try to find a replacement pad for a c-clamp in a catalog.

 

[kythri]

"BEST WAY AND ADD" are standard commercial terms for shipping. They'll ship on your account, too, if you'd rather. The problem they have is that it's very hard to figure out what it's going to cost to ship an order until it's built. It's easy if you sell square boxes of uniform density, and give them all to a single carrier, but McMaster sure don't. so they'd be guessing, if they gave a price at time of order. Once the order is built, they can see what the various options are. That depends on the dimensions and weight, but also on other factors (I get a surprising amount of stuff delivered same day, because if they're sending something near me by courier, it's cheaper to give the courier more packages.). Only rarely have I thought shipping costs on an order were out of line, and that was something i'd have gladly paid much more for to get it that fast.

I very much doubt that this is the reason they don't quote shipping, at least in today's technology environment.

They know the physical specs of everything they sell - it's all in their catalog system.

Their shipping system could easily and quickly calculate the physical specs of what's going to go in a box, pick the box, calculate the weight, compare to online pricing tables from shippers, and provide that number.

There's a lot of businesses using systems like this, and have been for quite some time. I couldn't imagine McMaster Carr doesn't have this capability. Now, they obviously aren't electing to use it, or it's full functionality for whatever reason.

 

[Snaparxon]

I remember catalogs back in the 90's that had pics of tools that were obviously Snap on. Does anyone know if the tools came unbranded or were the marked Snap on?

 

[dr_clyde]

I've gotten the occasional snap on tool from McMaster. Rare though. Usually they send Proto for hand tools.

 

[Medwards]

I picked up a 1941 issue of the McMaster-Carr catalog at an estate sale a couple weeks ago. They listed manufacturers back then.

You probably already know this, but older catalogs like that are quite valuable. Probably why you picked it up.

What I was told, If they have the asbestos warnings in them, lawyers will pay good money for them. Lawyers buy them to use as evidence that XYZ industrial giant knew about asbestos's potential harm to employees.

 

[APEowner]

I've gotten Snap-On tools from McMaster as well.

 

[nes999]

McMaster's customer service is phenomenal. Its one of the few company's I dont mind calling.

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[dr_clyde]

I picked up a 1941 issue of the McMaster-Carr catalog at an estate sale a couple weeks ago. They listed manufacturers back then.

I would pay good money for an old catalog. If you are interested in selling it, drop me a note.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I have ordered from them many times, a buddy of mine goes to their warehouse here and picks stuff up sometimes. Never had an issue...but I protect my most current print catalog with my life!

 

[mowkep]

I think their value line of socket sets is Blackhawk. That's what the picture looks like. I've been trying to find a decent 3/8 sae/metric 6 point socket. They don't have any.

 

[nes999]

I have ordered from them many times, a buddy of mine goes to their warehouse here and picks stuff up sometimes. Never had an issue...but I protect my most current print catalog with my life!

I wish I could get one. We don't even get one at work and we spend a decent amount.

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[larry_g]

I wish I could get one. We don't even get one at work and we spend a decent amount.

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I remember 20 some years ago we used to get a pallet load of them. They were coveted even then. Now I just use the website. It is one of the better ones out there.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[dr_clyde]

I remember 20 some years ago we used to get a pallet load of them. They were coveted even then. Now I just use the website. It is one of the better ones out there.

lg
no neat sig line

Where did you work that they sent you a pallet of catalogs?

I find the bigger you are, the less likely they are to send multiple catalogs. I worked in some shops that would get one and that's it. No more could be ordered, requested, or anything.

Their website is top notch. The best industrial supply website by far.