dr_clyde
Well-known member
KBC and Travers would be my substitutes for Enco if MSC isn't your thing.
RIP Enco
- Thread starter firworks
- Start date
Ign
Well-known member
This. I've had fantastic luck with Precision Twist in general. Sometimes I can't tell you why and one could argue it becomes superstition as the specs on two different drills can be identical. But I say again: it's no different than Chevy vs Ford vs Dodge which often becomes superstition too if we're TRULY honest with ourselves (most are too brand-loyal to even consider such a thing when it comes to trucks). But if I give you a 350hp/700ft lb diesel crew cab long bed truck and they each get you from Point A to Point B, what do you care? Well, I care and I know others do too. The same is true for tooling.
I drill a great deal of 6061 flat bar 1.5" deep. For some reason the drills that work the best for me BY FAR (did I say BY FAR?) are Accupro (of all things) parabolics with AlTin coating (which is not recommended for Al). I've tried Cleveland and PTD parabolics in this application and they just don't work nearly as well. I honestly can't even begin to tell you why.
Just drilled 660 holes this way the past two days, and that's a small order.
And yeah, if you ask for an MSC rep they'll work with you on pricing categories or items (ie all abrasives on your account will be 20% under list), and it's built into your account when you log in so it shows up automatically in your cart.
Eric Commarato
Well-known member
no more Enco...no more hot deals...MSC doesn't cater to the weekend warrior.
Tinner
Well-known member
OK, I should eat my words. I set up my account this weekend and the Enco pricing is pretty good. Combined with sales, there should be some excellent deals. Enco didn't always have the best price on everything. After shopping around the MSC site, I can see ordering from them.
You guys that have Enco accounts should get set up with MSC and check it out. If you shop from the website, you will see the Enco pricing, when you are logged in. If you shop from the online catalog, where all prices are list, you have to click on the item # to get your price to pop up. Again, you must be logged in.
Ign
Well-known member
MSC's depth and breadth of selection is far greater too. Things like oddball fractional sizes of ball mills or annular cutters they'll have it where Enco never bothered to list it.
Truly, GJ is just not the right place for this discussion. Most people here are looking at power tools and hand tools - 2 areas where MSC is rarely competitive. For actual machine shop supplies and cutting tools and machine tool accessories, MSC is not that bad. Add in their excellent customer service and Next Day Air Saver and it goes from "not that bad" to "pretty damn good" in my rating system.
The big thing that will be missing is the random 25% off the whole site and free shipping sales that Enco ran. Those are what we all used to get excited about and try to plan our orders and share what things were a great deal. I'm still hoping there's at least one last hurrah sale so I can grab one of the granite surface plates.
Ign
Well-known member
This is on MSC's website as I type this. I'm not sure how often they will have these deals, and I will miss ENCO (but not their site), but if MSC does this stuff often, then I will buy from them
Yeah the thing that ***** is that that 25% won't come off sale prices (or at least never used to - if they've changed that it's VERY recent) so you're just getting 25% off the Blue Book prices which do tend to be high (to allow for sales like this).
However if you're needing oddball stuff that doesn't regularly go into the sale flyers OR fasteners, it can be a decent deal. I regularly need to order large qtys of coupling nuts for a weldment & sales like this are great for that.
So check this out guys. Today I received a call from a real person who really spoke english.
She was a rep for MSC and went on to explain (after all the take over garbage) how once I create a new log in using my old user name for Enco would get my automatic discount pricing verses their list price. Guess 'll need to do that and see how much it is.
And the real surprise was for the next year anything I purchase that was a re-purchase of anything I bought this past year (ya I know, that's a tongue twister) would be at the very same price I paid from Enco and I could still deduct any applicable discounts they have advertised.
How do ya like that ****. Myself, I'm pretty floored considering my annual purchases from Enco would maybe average 5K-8K. So by no means do I consider myself someone that matters.
Anyhow point being I was greatly impressed they were soooo desperate to reach out to me in that fashion. And will now have to give them a go again.
Did anyone else receive a call like this??.
She was a rep for MSC and went on to explain (after all the take over garbage) how once I create a new log in using my old user name for Enco would get my automatic discount pricing verses their list price. Guess 'll need to do that and see how much it is.
And the real surprise was for the next year anything I purchase that was a re-purchase of anything I bought this past year (ya I know, that's a tongue twister) would be at the very same price I paid from Enco and I could still deduct any applicable discounts they have advertised.
How do ya like that ****. Myself, I'm pretty floored considering my annual purchases from Enco would maybe average 5K-8K. So by no means do I consider myself someone that matters.
Anyhow point being I was greatly impressed they were soooo desperate to reach out to me in that fashion. And will now have to give them a go again.
Did anyone else receive a call like this??.
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Wes J
Well-known member
I got a letter saying the same roughly. Still ***** to know in another year it's all over.
Indexmill
Well-known member
Travers and Penn Tool now that Enco is gone. F*ck MSC.
Wes J
Well-known member
I've used US shop tools, but most of their stuff is in CA and it's 4-5 days to get it here to the Midwest.
Shars has always been a joke, but they are stepping it up a bit lately. They offer quite a few US and higher quality options along with their China ****.
Shars has always been a joke, but they are stepping it up a bit lately. They offer quite a few US and higher quality options along with their China ****.
Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
I received a call from Royce DuBois from MSC. Same thing. Very polite.
I conveyed many of the thoughts and feelings we (hobby type guys) have and discussed the feeling of bait and switch etc. I told him to check out this thread. Cool guy for sure.
Same thing. 1 year of keeping Enco pricing on Enco items, and then who knows.
http://www.pts-tools.com is not a bad source there prices seem to be fair on the stuff I need.
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vintage nut
Well-known member
I always deal with KBC, always had good luck with them. Sometimes their generic house brand "made in USA" ends up being something really good, like the Chicago Latrobe reamers I got for import prices
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Ign
Well-known member
Update: for me Enco pricing is coming up at the lowest price I ever paid at Enco, which were 20 or 25% sales.
Driver's gloves 06305320 are $4.49/pr (list $12.88) which was what I last paid with 20% off the price in their Hot Deals catalog.
And 6x48 ZA sanding belts 00081943 are coming up at $4.80 ea (list $14.88). I ordered another 20 - - those are real decent belts and you can't touch 6x48 ZA for that anywhere else.
These deals won't help you probably, but the point is order now while you still can. You're getting Enco less 20% if you ordered that way, with no codes! And assuming you did whatever it was to "transfer" your Enco account to MSC. I wasn't sure I had as it seemed very vague at the time, but apparently it worked.
VS49FF will get you free shipping on $49+ too through 12/9. You could get Enco's lowest prices (you ever paid) plus free shipping.
Driver's gloves 06305320 are $4.49/pr (list $12.88) which was what I last paid with 20% off the price in their Hot Deals catalog.
And 6x48 ZA sanding belts 00081943 are coming up at $4.80 ea (list $14.88). I ordered another 20 - - those are real decent belts and you can't touch 6x48 ZA for that anywhere else.
These deals won't help you probably, but the point is order now while you still can. You're getting Enco less 20% if you ordered that way, with no codes! And assuming you did whatever it was to "transfer" your Enco account to MSC. I wasn't sure I had as it seemed very vague at the time, but apparently it worked.
VS49FF will get you free shipping on $49+ too through 12/9. You could get Enco's lowest prices (you ever paid) plus free shipping.
Yeah, been seeing lots of stuff at MSC at very reasonable prices, *with my account discount*. If i didn't have that, it would be a different story.
Kennedy chests are actually cheaper than Zoro's sale prices, even though MSC charges freight and sales tax.
The only bad thing is that the various discount codes are pure fluffery. I've yet to see one cent of savings from applying them to an order.
The other nice thing is that MSC will do special orders. I had to get a replacement seat shim for a Dorian threading toolholder that weren't listed on the site, and they cheerfully took care of it via email.
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Kennedy chests are actually cheaper than Zoro's sale prices, even though MSC charges freight and sales tax.
The only bad thing is that the various discount codes are pure fluffery. I've yet to see one cent of savings from applying them to an order.
The other nice thing is that MSC will do special orders. I had to get a replacement seat shim for a Dorian threading toolholder that weren't listed on the site, and they cheerfully took care of it via email.
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MSC has owned Enco for years.
MSC rep at PRI was very interested in some of my feedback and I plan to continue the discussion tomorrow with him.
Travers is great on walk in pricing.
Ign
Well-known member
Certainly for the most part you're correct. But their recent cyberv code did give me 40% off some specialty raw materials (nylon gears, nylon racks and stainless shafting). For the most part this just put them in line with McMaster, but with better shipping and customer service. I make every effort to not give McMaster a dime of my money (and they truly do NOT care).
Nice first post.
So do you do much trolling with all the discussion of enco shutting down? Do ya think it truly brings in any sales?