Favorite Brick and Mortar Store.

NWCCTV · 2012-09-21 19:43

So, I spent a bit of time at Fry's Electronics today and then wandered down the road to our local (finally) Harbor Freight store. While there I got to thinking, how did I ever live without these two stores???? I have to say for me, these are my 2 favorite stores ever. I am in HF at least once every two weeks if for nothing else to get my free Flashlight, Voltmeter, Screwdriver set or whatever else they are giving away. Don't get me wrong, I know they do not have the best line of products but if you need something you may not use a lot that place is awesome. I have a 7"x14" lathe that came from there. The guy I bought it from stripped it completely down, installed metal gears and relubed everything. This thing works like a charm and I have never had issues with it. I have purchased there concrete boring tools and they work well also. If a guy wanted to open up a shop or construction business on a budget they could get everything they need there to get started and then buy the good stuff after business picks up.

So, What is your favorite Brick and Mortar store that you could not live without?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2012-09-21 19:59

I have both a bench-top drill press and a horizontal bandsaw from Harbor Freight, and they have been in constant use for more than 20 years. Granted, they're not the best-built tools around, but they get the job done. Sometimes the bandsaw blade jumps off track; and I've replaced the el-cheapo chuck on the drill press with an Albrecht chuck that my neighbor gave me. The latter improvement transformed the drill press into a precision tool. I really would like a better bandsaw, though.

-Phil

Ken Gracey · 2012-09-21 20:14

NWCCTV wrote: »

So, What is your favorite Brick and Mortar store that you could not live without?

That's a really good question. If it has to be a place that actually exists, I'd probably choose Edensaw Lumber (Port Townsend, WA), R/C Country Hobbies (Sacramento, CA), Mountain Hardware (Truckee, CA), or the Apple Store (unoriginal, I know). For tools, Harbor Freight doesn't suit me too well. I admit to living on a different budget line since I often have the support of Parallax and business-related uses in mind if the tools are for the office. But before I bought the tools I really wanted, I've also had Chinese lathes and mills. Harbor Freight was a tool staple for me, but I don't go there too often. Now, I want only a small number of tools but the best I can justify.

Perhaps it's the store I've not found yet. It's a place that probably wouldn't exist because the average consumer wouldn't want to go there. My favorite store would be loaded with CNC and laser-cut projects of all types, including plans and kits. Sterling engines, small gasoline engines, solar stuff, etc would be available. There'd be a hardware assortment similar to McMaster Carr - all sizes and shapes of whatever I want (without waiting). A good assortment of aluminum, acrylic, acetal copolymer and even wood would be nice too.

Well, you asked. . .

Ken Gracey · 2012-09-21 20:15

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

I really would like a better bandsaw, though.

-Phil

Wilton 8201, Phil. You'll never regret it, I promise.

mindrobots · 2012-09-21 20:17

Handel's Ice Cream!

What? Man does not live by tools and technology alone!!

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2012-09-21 20:38

I'm actually finding that I'm slowly becoming less of a "Brick and Morter Store" shopper...

So much so that can't really name a physical store which I actually enjoy. I tend to frequent Ebay, Amazon, and several online electronics supply houses. I don't think I'm becoming a shut-in, but I shop physical locations for food mostly these days. Everything else gets dropped on my doorstep by my post/UPS man.

Jeff

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2012-09-21 21:03

I have to concur with Ken's take on EdenSaw. Just walking into the place and experiencing the vast selection of exotic woods can make a person want to ditch their career to build fine furniture or wooden kayaks. 'Need ebony, teak, cocobolo, or zerbrawood? They've got it. But keep your hands in your pockets, unless you're ready to part with a good chunk of Grandma's inheritance. A 300-lb. slab of redwood burl doesn't come cheap. Plus, they carry a full selection of tools and accessories -- including Rockler -- that I can only drool over. Nonetheless, they have been a good source of affordable plywood for my laser-cutting needs.

I also have to give credit to the local hardware store. For a business that serves a tourist burg of 7000 people, they have an amazing assortment of fasteners, ranging from size 0 screws on up -- much of it in stainless steel. I can almost always find what I need there, without having to drive 40 miles to Home Depot or Lowes. Of course, their prices are higher than those of the big-box stores, but I don't mind, given the convenience and the chance to support a local business.

-Phil

Peter KG6LSE · 2012-09-22 07:30

wher I used to work many years ago .. R Vac

Now that I moved . Its Frys ..... I go there at least once a day 90% of the time ....

ElectricAye · 2012-09-22 08:09

For me, brick and mortar stores are a fading memory. I used to live near equipment surplus places located near some world-renowned labs and manufacturing facilities. There were all sorts of discarded scientific "toys" there. Nowadays, since so little hardware is made in the USA anymore, those kinds of walk-in surplus places are few and extremely far between. On the other hand, ebay is an incredible resource that more than makes up for it. I confess I've become somewhat addicted to this phenomenon in which I click some buttons on my computer and two days later I've got what I ordered on my front door. Parallax, ebay, McMaster-Carr, Digikey, Mouser, Sparkfun, Amazon, BetterWorldBooks.com, ExpressPCB, the list goes on. While I miss strolling through aisles crammed with gizmos I can touch and tinker with, I don't miss hunting for parking spaces or sitting in traffic. Besides, there are all those nifty cardboard boxes I now get to play in.

stock-photo-an-adult-male-in-his-s-playing-airplane-in-an-old-cardboard-box-45851299.jpg

erco · 2012-09-22 09:24

Fry's is a mixed blessing. Great prices and they likely have the part you need, but they're so big that even their salesmen often can't find it... frustrating! HF is fun, their tools work OK if you go easy on them with low expectations going in. I bought a $29 sawz-all from them for one job, cutting steel drainpipes under the house. It got dirty, wet, muddy, I only expected it to last a day or two under those conditions. That was years ago; I swear it works better now than it did new.

I do miss the numerous surplus stores that have closed shop, but my local shop Torrance Electronics is still going strong. Big store, they have great prices on everything you simply can't wait to order, an eclectic mix of new parts and old boxes and dusty bins of NOS parts. Any place with a working tube tester (where they also sell tubes) is tops in my book.

Too bad Ebay doesn't have everything they sell in brick & mortar stores!

Publison · 2012-09-22 09:51

My most favorite store was the Boeing Surplus Store when I lived in the Seattle area. Computers, printers, scanners, aircraft aluminium, fiberglass, you name it. Alas, they shut down in 2006? The do have a pretty lame auction site now.

When I was in Nashville, Northern Tool was my favorite. A little bit better quality than Harbor Freight, but sold their brands and normal brand stuff. I got a Hobart Ironman 210 for $400 less than anyone else was selling it for.

Now back in Connecticut, it's back to Harbor Freight. They just opened a new one 6 miles from me. I like the new store smell and freshly stocked shelves. Let's see what it looks like in 6 months.

W9GFO · 2012-09-22 12:20

Publison beat me to it. I really miss Boeing Surplus.

localroger · 2012-09-22 13:08

Harbor Freight is da bomb for tools that will only be used occasionally. Yeah, if you're going to use your angle grinder every day you will burn out the $20 HF unit in a few months. But if you use it once every few months it's silly to spring $120 for a Makita when the HF will probably get the job done, and if it burns out you can always spring another $20 to finish that job. Also, sometimes HF stuff is surprisingly good; the new cordless screwdriver is really nice compared to the one whose battery finally died.

HF reminds me of an article I read back in the 1980's about third-party camera lens manufacturers; it said "nobody sets out to make a bad lens." I don't think anybody sets out to make a bad tool, they just aim beyond their capabilities. But if you go for products that aren't bleeding edge, they can be quite adequate and very cheap. I don't make enough turnings to justify investing in a good quality metalworking shop, but thanks to HF I can do a little metalwork when the need arises without feeling like I wasted a bunch of money on tools that mostly sit idle.

Anyway, I do like brick and mortar shopping; I like HF in person much better than their website, but sometimes the web rulez. Last week my gas powered weed wacker started to fail (I was using it to mow the lawn because my cordless electric lawnmower batteries had faded, another story) and so I went to the Home Depot, the Lowes, etc. and I read all the tags and scratched my chin and went home. I really wanted a four-stroke engine, because two-strokes sound like screaming hyeneas, don't like to run slow, and while it was serviceable even when it worked my old wacker could not be restarted at all when the engine was warm. I also need a straight shaft for some lawn obstacles so I was looking at $100 for another two-stroke (WUT I only paid $60 for the one that died) or $200 for a 4-stroke.

So I came home and did some web searching and found a site that had a manufacturer's refurb Ryobi 4-stroke for $88, and free shipping. That sort of thing would scare the carp out of me if I was in the brick and mortar store business, but as a consumer I'd be an idiot to go back to Home Depot instead of clicking "Add to Cart." I got the oil in it and fired it up today and I'm quite pleased with it, though I'll probably do a little penance and visit Home Depot again tomorrow to get a bump feed string head for it. It will still be cheaper than locally bought 2-stroke.

NWCCTV · 2012-09-22 13:25

W9GFO wrote: »

Publison beat me to it. I really miss Boeing Surplus.

Yea, I forgot about Boeing Surplus. I bought an enclosed server rack there for $50.00 that I still use today. I was not in to machining back then but sure would love to go pick up some scrap aluminum and other crazy gadgets they use to sell. Their web auction is very lame!!!

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2012-09-22 14:32

When I first moved to P.T., I made regular pilgrimages to Boeing Surplus and the Almac/Stroum consumer store. Back then a trip to Seattle was cheap ($.79/gal. gas, $1.00 for the bridge, and $2.85 for the ferry) and fun (lite traffic). But Boeing surplus is gone, Almac/Stroum became Almac Electronics, then merged with Arrow, and trips to Seattle are no longer cheap or fun -- unless you like bumper-to-bumper traffic.

At least Ivar's is still there by the ferry dock.

-Phil

NWCCTV · 2012-09-22 17:18

[QUOTE=Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi);

At least Ivar's is still there by the ferry dock.

-Phil[/QUOTE]

Yea, But have you priced that Ivar's lately??????? Myself, My wife, her sister and husband went there a few years ago. We each had one drink and one shrimp cocktail. Laid down a C Note to cover tab and 15% tip.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2012-09-22 17:20

I meant the sidewalk, in-line-for-the-ferry chowder take-out, not the sit-down restaurant.

Restaurant prices in P.T. have been rising, too. Whenever the sticker shock (i.e. tab) arrives, someone will invariably say, "Good heavens! These are Seattle prices!" Based upon your observation, though, maybe not.

-Phil

NWCCTV · 2012-09-22 17:43

Yea, They do have some of the best chowder I have ever eaten at Ivar's!!!!!

I would also admit that the shrimp cocktails were AWESOME, but that sticker shock hit us all. It was peak season when we were there too so I am sure that had something to do with it. I normally stay away from downtown unless we have relatives visit as it is too much of a tourist trap. However, the Crab Shack can't be beat!!!! I love how they dump your food on the table and you just chow down. We do it at home every now and then but unfortunately there is no one here to clean up the mess!!!! Have not been to PT in some time. The wife and I usually take a few road trips each summer. Last time we were there it was beutiful here in Federal Way and windy and horrible up there!!! We ate breakfast at a little almost house looking restaraunt on the way in to town. Place and food were great but service was not too much to speak of. We thought of going back to Leavenworth as it is beutiful there this time of year but with the fires not so sure now.

SRLM · 2012-09-22 19:24

NWCCTV wrote: »

We thought of going back to Leavenworth as it is beutiful there this time of year but with the fires not so sure now.

If you're ever out that way, then try visiting Steven's pass: great skiing during the winter, and during the summer they have a great bike park: http://stevensbikepark.com/

I used to like Frys, until went there looking for some wire to breadboard with. I found the electronics wire section, and the 20 feet of shelf space was populated by a few lonely rolls of wire and many empty hooks. I asked a sales associate about it, and he said "Yeah, it's been like that for a few months" and seemed uninterested in finding out why. It was a very disappointing experience.

NWCCTV · 2012-09-22 20:14

I have driven Stevens pass a couple times. Nice drive. I do not ski but I love the scenery. The whole eastern mountain seems to either be up in flames or are waiting for it to happen after the weekend lightning storms getting ready to hit. Too bad cuz the drive to Leavenworth either over Stevens or Blewett passes are awesome through October.

markaeric · 2012-09-22 20:52

For computer related parts and software, I prefer MicroCenter (No Fry's here). As for tools, like many others, I like Harbor Freight. Sure, they're not the greatest tools, and some don't work right out of the package (I'm looking at you, channel locks), but for the most part, they're pretty reasonable.

The other one is the various maker spaces. Sure, they're not really a store, but rather a rental facility in a sense. You get time on all sorts of fancy machines you couldn't justify buying - even if you could afford them. Just look at some of the goodies TechShop has: http://www.techshop.ws/tools_and_equipment.html

NWCCTV · 2012-09-22 21:56

Yea, That place looks pretty cool!!! Unfortunately they do not have a location in WA. I have a metal lathe, band saw, grinder, dremel for getting done most of my machining projects. Have pretty much every tool I will ever need for projects and home remodels/repairs. The only things I do not yet own that would come in real handy are a mini mill and a 3D printer. They are on the wish list!!!! However, I have a couple machine shops that have been long time clients and they are always willing to help me out when needed. It is nice to be able to purchase metals at their cost rather than normal prices!!! I think I would really enjoy having one of those shops in the neighborhood. I would definately become a member and would spend a lot of time there!!!

photomankc · 2012-09-24 07:03

NWCCTV wrote: »

The only things I do not yet own that would come in real handy are a mini mill and a 3D printer. They are on the wish list!!!!

The Mini-Mill is freaking money-sink. It specializes in conducting money from your wallet to the ambient economy with extreme efficiency. Not only has mine sucked out the purchase price, plus CNC conversion cost, plus tooling, plus support equipment (drill press, saws, grinder, press, lathe, and on, and on) but now I am remodeling my shed into a powered workshop which is also liberating money from my wallet at a staggering rate.

I have to say that Micro Center is about my favorite brick and mortar store. Huge selection, decent price, and everything from cheap to good quality there as well. What I wish for in this area are two things:

1.) An electronics place so that I don't have to select between the rip-off outlet at %400 markup or Radio Shack and %500 mark-up and no inventory. Around here there is precious little along those lines.

2.) A local place to buy machine tools. I have a great place for getting end-mills, drills, inserts, etc but they don't carry much else. HF is great for things that if they work twice then it was a bargain but there is no place to go to look for better quality than that around here that doesn't only carry commercial sized stuff. I know why it doesn't exist but I wish it did.

Favorite Brick and Mortar Store.

Comments