Stocking Up - Fuses?

[kythri]

Maintaining my fleet of vehicles, as well as several family members and friends, I'm looking to stock up on a number of "consumables" - I've now moved to acquiring a supply of fuses.

I need some old glass tube fuses for various stuff in some older 70's pickups, but also need to build a collection of mini, regular and maxi fuses, and would also like to get some cartridge fuses in the mix.

I'm looking for quality fuses here, not the cheapest (though, ideally, not the most expensive), and would ideally like to buy a bulk assortment to cover my needs and save money.

Any recommendations on source/brand? I'd love to acquire via Amazon, just for the ease of everything, but if there's a non-Amazon source that's a better fit, I'm all for it.

Thank you!!

 

[Aileron]

I'd have the friends stock up on their own fuses!

 

[Copymutt]

Had to buy a fuse for my 2014 F-150, trailer running light relay fuse. Five dollars! Immediately wired up an old buss glass with spades to test the circuit B4 literally blowing $5. Insane price.

 

[Phantomd]

Pick and pull junk yards are great for fuse scavenging. OEM quality too!

 

[Lassen Forge]

Brandwise - go with Buss. They've been doing it for years.

Start looking at Estate Sales and antique stores for a fuse sales display, and stock it up.

You need to figure out what it is you have, need, and want.

Something like this...

 

[sberry]

The good ones are all gone from the estate sales. The junkyard is good, I buy specific sizes I need and use.

 

[kythri]

What's a fair cost for pulls from salvage yards?

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I just grab them in bulk from the parts stores, well the shop does anyways. Just buy as needed from the parts stores, and bill for it. How many fuses are you burning through on a regular basis?



I buy fuse folders on amazon for testing, the add either gator clips or spade connectors on each end. For testing, I only use one size of fuse (mini?) and that's what the shop collects the most of. After the problem is fixed, then add the odd-ball fuse in. A fuse-tap set can also make this even easier.

 

[mike93lx]

Don't even remember the last time a fuse blew in any of my cars outside of when I was into car audio 15 years ago

Do you really go through that many?

 

[kythri]

I just grab them in bulk from the parts stores, well the shop does anyways. Just buy as needed from the parts stores, and bill for it. How many fuses are you burning through on a regular basis?

Not burning through a ton, but I want some "in stock" to avoid annoying runs to the parts store.

I don't need like 50 of each size and amp rating, no quantity like that, just a small supply.

I've recently stocked up on a bunch of replacement bulbs given their relative inexpensiveness for the same reason (not to mention, buying a bulk box of 10 bulbs is cheaper than the two-pack stuff on sale at the parts stores).

 

[The Cobbler]

I bought a whack of fuses from Princess Auto for like 25 cents a pack of 5 on clearance.
I'll never use most of them, but they are handy if I need 1

 

[Parrothead]

I’ve got more running cars than most people (6) and I have fuses on hand. I ordered from AliExpress and haven’t had an issue yet.

 

[steve p]

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=fuse assortment

 

[kythri]

I'm kind of loathe to trust the HF fuses, given their earlier issues and subsequent recalls.

(Not an indictment of HF, just don't want their fuses.)

 

[landrover bodger]

i just keep them when i scrap a car .the box of fuses soon fills up

 

[sberry]

I collect a little as it comes by, havnt spent more than a few dollars on them. Most that stock up end up with stock. A year ago we had a job we burned thru a couple 3 and we bought a pack of 15 that style real common. I got a bunch of buss glass too, only very rare and I got a fair amount of equipment to apply it too and the 14 I really do need to stock I got a couple extra.
Hose clamps you can stock some, zip ties, screws and some nuts/bolts and if a guy isnt real busy and wants to simplify do most of the stock in grade 5 bolts. Done it in maint shop setups to reduce error.

 

[Fedwrench]

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=fuse assortment

There is more than one Factory TSB about avoiding Harbor Freight and other low cost fuses published. Evidently there are problems with the fuse rating actually being the fuse rating.

 

[Tallpilot]

If you really want a one and done for a complete set of high quality:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PYPDTRC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[kythri]

AWESOME!

That looks incredibly close to what I was/am looking for. Thanks for the link!

 

[rcktpwrd]

RockAuto has a wide selection of fuses at low prices.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/tools/electrical,fuse

 

[bob15]

then there is always e-bay......

 

[L.Cheapo]

There is more than one Factory TSB about avoiding Harbor Freight and other low cost fuses published. Evidently there are problems with the fuse rating actually being the fuse rating.

My BIL's 300ZX was a victim of this. Caused a significant amount of harness damage. The car has been sitting ever since.

But hey, he saved a couple dollars when he bought them!

There are videos on youtube of people testing HF fuses and them not blowing until 5-10x their rated capacity.

 

[Ign]

Had to buy a fuse for my 2014 F-150, trailer running light relay fuse. Five dollars! Immediately wired up an old buss glass with spades to test the circuit B4 literally blowing $5. Insane price.

I feel your pain. My '11 F350 takes a 25A low profile Maxi for the trailer charge at the 7 pin.

PO had apparently blown mine, and NOwhere stocks a 25A. 20 or 30. I just used a 20 until I got my special-order $5.35 Bussman fuse from Amazon - and that was an extremely competitive price

 

[vssjim]

stick with either Little fuse or Buss fuse and do everybody's car a favor, cheap fuses cost money they don't save any

 

[Ton ton]

Following .

 

[ca90ss]

As others have said, don't buy cheap fuses. I got this 10a fuse up to 80a before the plastic started melting.

 

[mfewtrail]

What's a fair cost for pulls from salvage yards?

Going to vary wildly from yard to yard. Some could be potentially dirt cheap, maybe call around and see what they say. I've bought a handful of atc, atm, maxi, etc. fuses before for $2 from a yard. Probably 40ish fuses total. PullAPart chains charge $0.15 a fuse around here which still isn't bad for certain styles. One maxi fuses is at least $4-5.

 

[Dodgepu360]

What's a fair cost for pulls from salvage yards?

if it fits in your pocket its free

 

[bubinga]

That's Cool!!

Brandwise - go with Buss. They've been doing it for years.

Start looking at Estate Sales and antique stores for a fuse sales display, and stock it up.

You need to figure out what it is you have, need, and want.

Something like this...

 

[bubinga]

if it fits in your pocket its free

yeah, i've done that a few times, then felt guilty.

my U-pull it is pretty cool, lots of times they just wave there hand, and say dont worry about it!
Now. l have already taken a hand-full of old bolts, and it didn't bother me.
(LOl dropped my 7 mm socket one time, and found ~ $2.00 worth of change...........LOL)

 

[fsae0607]

I used eBay to obtain stock of fuses in my parts bins.

 

[ChrisLS8]

On my cars I only use OEM or Bussmann. I keep the No.43 in my glove box

 

[bwringer]

RockAuto has a wide selection of fuses at low prices.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/tools/electrical,fuse

Yep, if I were stocking up, I'd order a bunch from RockAuto. Super-cheap, like 10 or 12 cents each for name brand.

The Harbor Freight fuses are still super-janky. No way I'd use them, or the no-name assortments on Amazon and fleaBay. Fuses are a stupid place to economize.

 

[pcmeiners]

I stocked up fuses off Ebay, all types. If you go to a parts store and buy an assortment of a little known brand they are from China. Ebay even has known brands but your going to pay.