Damn you and your temptations!
Today’s User Input is late because I just got horribly distracted. I just discovered that I can download all of the Princess Auto catalogues in .PDF format. This is a very bad thing for me, because they have every little tidbit you could want for your garage, workshop, office, yard, shed, or bathroom. Assuming you use your bathtub as a parts washer, as you should.
I’ve posted about it many times before, but Princess Auto is one of those dangerous places that could easily eat all my money. They sell just about everything, and while their store-brand tools are obviously not as good-quality as, say, a proper Snap-On tool, they are also a tiny fraction of the price. The same especially applies to the larger tools: engine hoists, lathes, large hydraulic things with uncertain purposes. I wander through their stores — or their catalogues — and realize how many things I actually can afford. And that’s dangerous.
What store has a particularly dangerous venus flytrap for your wallet?
I think Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/ might be a US equivalent of Princess Auto. I know the $19.99 sawsall is crap, but I still want one. They also feature lots of oddball tools or questionable quality at dirt cheap prices. I have most of the basic tools that I need (wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, hammers, etc.), but I can always find some sort of out of the ordinary thing that I might need at Harbor Freight. It is a good thing they aren't too close to where I live.
Fry's electronics is another wallet danger. They also have unusual precision tools, plus all sorts of electronics, and tech gadgets. Fry's sale and clearance prices can be ridiculously cheap too.
I bought a $30 buffer from harbor freight. Hasn't died yet, so I guess that's a plus.
I can't weld and certainly don't own anything to weld with, but I'll take that welding helmet with the stripes painted on it.
Holy shit! You could build your own lawnmower on that site. They sell the vertical PTO engine, I'm sure they sell everything else to make one.
Princess Auto? That's got to be a Canadian only thing. I can get a mental picture of Princess Margaret twisting wrenches on a Range Rover. She's probably pretty good, too. If it's like Harbor Freight, it's a junk shop, but I suppose they need those in the Frozen Hell that's North of Michigan too.
After a bit of research, it appears that Harbor Freight is not quite the equivalent, but a similar idea. I've bought a LOT of stuff from Princess Auto, and found most of it to be decent quality. It's not crap, but it's not professional-grade either. Perfectly suitable for the occasional-use weekend hobbyist, but significantly better than one-time use stuff.
Better than anything you'll find at Walmart, let's put it that way. I know, that's not saying much.
McMaster-Carr is my go to place for industrial supplies. They sell everything (from raw metal and fastners to bicycles and Pepto-bismol) and ship fast out of LA, so even ground shipping is reasonably quick within California.
Their website has the best part selection tools anywhere. Looking for an oddball plumbing fitting? A few clicks and you have it, along with half a dozen other parts that you never knew existed but would fit your application! http://www.mcmaster.com
For some irrational reason, I really want one of these:
<img src="http://images2.mcmaster.com/Contents/gfx/large/2701t36p1l.png?ver=16543982" width=500>
McMaster-Carr is great when you are spending company money. But, they are EXPENSIVE. On the other hand, if you pay them enough money, they will hand deliver the left hand threaded, titanium, Whitworth screws you need in less than 2 hours.
A downside is they very rarely list manufacturers for what they sell, so ordering things like tools can be a little hit or miss.
http://www.rasputinmusic.com/
Rasputin is my favorite of Northern California's regional record store chains (followed by Amoeba and Dimple). That place makes my checking account scream for mercy.
I love browsing their vinyl section… haven't been in a long long time.
I was lucky enough to get to visit Amoeba in S.F. several years back.
Walked thru the door, thought to myself "It's a bowling alley." "Filled
with records" . Then I fell over in happy bliss.
I'm just glad we've still got good Ol' Bill down here in Dallas.
http://www.frys.com/
There's one right down the street from where I worked at Boeing. Needless to say, I didn't save much money those summers. Luckily, they are not here in Michigan or I would be living in my Jeep, but I'd have some cool toys!
There is a Fry's about 2 miles from where I work. I TRY to stay away.
The local Fry's here is clear across town, a 45 minute drive when the traffic is good. That's a good place for it.
Harbor Freight, yes… Fry's, yes… After those, Ace Mart Restaurant Supply. I go to the B&M stores but their catalogue is available at http://www.acemart.com . It's like hardware store except they sell kitchen stuff. And I don't mean the frilly flowery crap either, this is like industrial grade stuff that's generously sized and built to take a beating without rusting as soon as it comes in contact with water.
Bleah. Harbor Freight's stuff is junk. Save your money.
That place can be a real hit and miss. Yes, I will fully admit that there is a lot of stuff that would have been better off if it had been just tossed in the harbor, but there are few good finds there too. The industrial toolboxes and service carts are good. My 6-pt 1/2" deep socket set has been with me for almost 10 years now. The stupidly cheap nitrile gloves are nowhere near as good as real lab grade stuff but they do fine for what I need them for most of them time (and when they don't I go through my pile of sample packs).
I do prefer Craftsman tools because the warranty is unbeatable for the casual wrencher.
Sunflower Outdoor and Bike… so much I want from there, and so little salary to cover it.
Sounds like a bike-riding hippie joint.
/I thought you fell off of the planet.
Nope, still clinging to the rock. I owe you something too.
Been a busy week, I'm catching up on reading/snarking
And it is an awesome bike shop, run by people who aren't too hippyish.
Fry's, as has been mentioned. I can make it be on the way to just about anywhere from my house. Hard drive prices have gone through the roof lately, so that's one temptation gone… I've always steered clear of Harbor Freight, but maybe I'll put it back on my radar, there's one here in town… No. No, I shouldn't do that. Lowes is always good, too. When you own a house, it's good to have a Lowes nearby.
'neerd – If you need anything from Fry's, give me a shout, I can just throw it across the border, Indy isn't that far from you…
I never buy from Harbor Freight, unless it's a tool that I know will get destroyed. The stuff they sell there is 98% crap, and I'll spend a bit more somewhere else to get a quality tool that works better and lasts longer. I do this because I used to buy stuff from Harbor Freight, and I got tired of having to turn around and buy the same tool somewhere else to get one that worked. The last straw was a big tap and die set that wouldn't cut anything harder than cheese.
If I need a tool for a job that's a one time or very occasional affair and I can't find anyone to borrow from, I'll go to Harbor Freight. Sure, it may be falling apart when I'm done, but I don't need to spend 4x more for that one job.
Same here. I wouldn't by my wrenches from there, but maybe if I needed a supersized wrench for one job I would give them a shot. Also, they carry a ton of specialty tools that are just hard to find at other places, especially without spending 10X as much.
Also, it works if you buy a heavy duty type tool and use it for light duty. For example, I got a pair of 24" Harbor Freight bolt cutters. They might not work that well for cutting bolts or locks, but they go through thick wire, copper pipe, and small screws like they were butter. They have come in real handy with some scrap metal collecting/demolition work I have been doing lately.
Exactly what I was trying to get at, but managed to phrase poorly.
Woodcraft is my personal monetary nemesis. If I can get out of the store for less than $200 I'm doing good.
That place is dangerous.
Do you guys have Lee Valley in the US? Looks similar. I loooove them. The 2 things I am most impressed with:
1) When you order something for delivery, the package will include a prepaid return postage label just in case. Not only that but if you phone them to let them know it is coming, they will normally send out a replacement without waiting for the return. I really wish more places did this. I am a huge fan of paying a little extra to get something to my door, but I am sick and tired of paying return postage whenever CIP sends me something they said was good quality but is clearly crap.
2) They tell you right up front when you are buying something cheap. They largely sell excellent quality goods. At times they will get in lots of much cheaper tools, toys, what have you. They tell you that it is cheap because it is cheaply made, that it has its uses, and you are getting what you pay for.
No, we don't, dammit. They had a display at a local woodworker's tool fair last year, and I spoke to a lady there about the possibility of Lee Valley store in the U.S. They have no plans for it at the present, and given how screwed up our government is right now, that's probably a good thing. Stay safe in Canada.
They are one of my favorite places to buy from though. Like you say, they are up front about everything, especially their special buys. I've bought a lot of their specials, and they have all been good value for the money.
I need to make an order to them soon, too.
The arrival of the weekly Princess Auto flyer is greeted with the same anticipation around my office as is the yearly Sears' Canada Christmas Wish Book (catalogue) is at my home by the kids.
Hardwick's Hardware, hands down. New or used, their accumulation is astonishing.
http://www.ehardwicks.com/
These photos may impart a limited idea of what the place is like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tricyrtis_hirta/tags…
I once found an original tool there for removing the interior door handles and window crank handles from my '37 Plymouth sedan. I was only somewhat surprised that they had one stuck away in a drawer down one of the back aisles. Pity there's only one.
Oooh, you're so lucky. The Mom & Pop hardware stores are the best. I don't think that there are any left in my area, at least none that I've been able to ferret out. When I need something that's slightly non-standard (generally some sort of screw), I have to hit Lowe's, Home Depot, and Orchards and hope that I can find something I can modify to make it work. The big boxes suck.
Thinkgeek.com
Those bastards.
Even Mrs. engineerd gets excited when the Think Geek catalogs come.
Wait… they have catalogues? Can I get those sent up here too??
I want a plasma cutter!
Same here. Mrs. Jazdy goes nuts and points out about $1,000 worth of stuff for me to buy her.
These are good women.
I have to stay away from Musicdirect.com and Hdtracks.com . Those are expensive places for me and my music obsessed self and I like hi-res audio way too much and vinyl played on expensive stuff will get me to melt on a couch very quickly.
Sears Hardware. While they do have some crap, most of their stuff is wonderful. If I hit the powerball, (I'd be really surprised because I never play) I'd outfit my garage with every diamond plate bench and cabinet they make. I'd fill it with every "real" Craftsman hand tool they sell. Next I'd buy every DeWalt power tool the sell. Then I'd feel like a real man.
Lego Store. I make sure to give the wife the amount i will spend when I visit. If I didn't, I'd be broke. Most trips are 300-400 dollars and consist of one large set and then buckets of bricks.
A Lego junkie. For shame. What would your children think?
Northern Tool seems to have inventory that's better quality than Harbor Freight, yet still fairly inexpensive. Most of their stuff is private label, but they do have some name brand items, too.
Several years ago, a place called Homier leased out a former supermarket space in a dead strip mall for a four-day sale. They filled it up with pallets of stuff right on the floor, and blew it out the doors. I got a 20-ton shop press, a full-size parts washer, and a wooden train table with something like 180 pieces of track, trains, and accessories, for a total invoice of $179. I haven't noticed ads for any more of those sales, and their online prices aren't nearly as good as the sale ones.
I bought an anvil from Northern about 10 or 12 years ago, and it was crap, I'm sorry to say. It was cast in a mold, which isn't a problem, but then they didn't bother to grind off the seam line that ran completely around the anvil, lengthwise. The top of the anvil was useless because there was no flat spot on it anywhere, the thing rocked where ever you put it because of the seam, and the horn was useless because of the seam. It was just a useless, vaguely anvil-shaped hunk of cast steel. I managed to trade it to the welding shop at a local community college for a big piece of 3/4 inch steel plate, which works much better as an anvil.
I should clarify that "better quality than Harbor Freight" covers a pretty wide range, and they do sell a bunch of crap.
Why not have them face the surfaces for you, or at least try
to grind it flush?
I know where there is a 30ft section of rail, laying beside a
spur in an industrial park. Gotta gas axe? We could make
several for ourselves, and sell the remainder.
We're not talking a little 1/8 inch bead here, this seam was easily 1/2 inch wide and around 1/4 inch tall, and ran from one end of the top to the other and on around the entire anvil, and that was after someone had made a half-assed try at grinding it down with something, probably a hand grinder. Plus, the top of the anvil wasn't flat anywhere, it had a domed (more or less) profile to it. To get the ~4"x18" top flat, you would have to remove one helluva a lot of steel, and I have no gear for a job like that. I could take it to a machine shop and have them grind it down (if they would try a job like that at all), it would cost me another $100+ for a a cast anvil that I paid $65 for. And unless you flattened the base too, it would still rock where ever you put it, so pay the machine shop another $100+ for the bottom.
It just wasn't practical or cost effective in the end. I checked into it, and real anvils of that size sell for around $700 – $1000, and have a hardened steel top plate welded to the cast body, because a straight cast steel anvil will chip and possibly crack.
Why even buy it, then?
(Not snarkie)
I didn't know what I was getting, of course. It was the first time I had bought anything from Northern (and this was by mail order, incidentally), and a cheap small anvil would have been perfect for my shop. It just didn't work out that way.
Ah, the catalog picture vs reality syndrome. Sorry
to hear of the misfortune.
Me too.
Still scratching my head over why in the hell
they would put the parting line there? Surely
casting it upside down, with a 50/50 cope/drag
would have saved them time and money on
flash removal?
http://www.guitarshowcase.com
I never get out of here without lighting my pocket on fire. I've sent more here on just one item than I have on most of my cars in 20 years combined. Walked out sweating and shaking. It was awesome.
20 years? So, that puts you into triple digits?
(Car purchase amount, to be precise)
Oh yeah, I could dump a ton of $$ at that place, no sweat. I have to stay away from those kind of places.
Also, how did your race go? Did you have to drive all sicky-poo?
Yeah, my brother has GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) too. I try to take him to music stores to see him fight the urges. He's a masochist for going though. I've been trying to talk him into a Gretsch, but he is fighting the good fight.
This one is particularly nice. It used to be a greenhouse so it still has nice interior touches to compliment the instruments. http://georgesmusic.com/?page=company_locations_n…
It was weird, I was on Sudafed all week which gave me bad insomnia, so by the time I got to the track I was a Zombee-fied basket-case. I skipped driving on Sat because of it, then went to bed early without the pills and slept HARD.
But the vertigo finally cleared up, and I had one of the best 2-hour stints ever on Sunday.
And we won our class!
Working on a Hooniverse post now.
Yay team! That's great to hear! Now, get to work, you slacker.
Class C and 100p in the same week!
100P? It's about time. Congrats.