small bargain

[LCHIEN]

Recently bought a star knob for a fixture... 2-1/4" diameter takes a 5/16-18 nut to make it a female through knob
I think I paid almost $5 at Ace hardware for it.
Needed another so I checked Amazon - no deals there then I checked the Industrial supply store chain W.W.Grainger at graingers.com and they have the exact same knob for $1.47 and they ship it to the local store for pickup for free; the local store is about 5 miles that I pass all the time so that's easy for me.
Anyway I got 3 of them for the same price I paid for one at Ace.

Not that some of their stuff isn't pricey, it is, and shipping is expensive. but in this case it was 1/3 of Ace hardware and in easy pick up range for mei>

Just saying it is Worth checking Grainger and MSCdirect and other industrial supply houses for hardware items.

[leehljp]

Grainger is a company that I don't see mentioned much here or on another forum, or among a few DIY friends, however I do check with them 3 or 4 times a year for different things. Our outside AC unit's fan motor died five years ago and I knew it was going to be a $500-$700 fix. I looked up several companies fan motor replacements and it was a pain matching the exact needs across several companies. Granger had one motor that would fit the physical size, power range and specific fan type - but with one extra wire. Wiring diagram was confusing for that 4th wire.

I went to Grangers in Memphis and they said it would be tomorrow for them to get that motor. I mentioned that the wiring diagram was confusing. They said "No problem, they will help." I was back there the next early afternoon and they had the motor. I opened the box and pulled out the wiring diagram and asked about the 4th wire. The salesman said "I'll get some help" and went in the back. In a minute here comes a young girl looking like she couldn't be over 20. She looked at the diagram and said: "OK, this 4th wire is a redundant wire on 3 wire setups, but does need to be attached at the yellow (IIRC) wire terminal in that case." The diagram did not show that, but I did as she said and it has been working since.

Granger isn't the easiest place to get to in Memphis from my direction but they have my respect! Oh, and it cost me just under $200.00

[Condoman44]

Grainger is a great store. Folks in the industrial trades (HVAC, maintenance, etc.) have used them for years. I have the paper catalog from a few years ago.

They sell online under Zoro & McFeeleys. I started to notice the same item numbers & did the research to discover they are both owned by Grainger. The closest to me is south Hartford, CT about 30 minutes away.

[twistsol]

The Grainger in Tacoma in the mid 80's was staffed by the biggest bunch of jerks I've ever encountered. They never had time for anything but filling orders and seemed put out when they did that. I wrote them off then and haven't been back. I should probably give them another try.

[capncarl]

My company had some kind of contract with Granger. If I ordered before noon the order would usually be on our receiving dock before 5pm. ( they were over 200 miles away)
Granger started a satellite store in our town but it only stayed open a few yrs. Fastenal moved in and have seemed to thrive for 15 yrs.

[Slik Geek]

I'm honestly stunned that you found something less expensive at Grainger. Some years ago I periodically purchased a number of items for work from a company called "Lab Safety Supply". They had competitive prices and good service, and a great selection of products. I didn't realize it at the time, but they were owned by Grainger. I generally didn't purchase from "Grainger" because Grainger tended to be the highest price source.

In 2008, Lab Safety Supply (LSS)was absorbed by Grainger. It was described as "combining warehouse, fulfillment and back office operations" with the parent company, Grainger. The move was touted as a way to "reduce operational costs and improve service". Overnight, the prices of the items I purchased from LSS increased by about 30%, if my memory serves me correctly. My good price source became the worst price source, so I located other sources. Just this week I heard Grainger touting themselves in as audio advertisement as a great source for safety-related equipment.

For this reason, I am surprised by your discovery. Is there anybody in the forum that is a long-time customer of Grainger - perhaps you have noticed Grainger changing course and becoming more competitive??? Perhaps I'll have to give them another look.

[capncarl]

I can’t say that i ever saw a price/invoice from anything that I ordered from Grainger. It was a corporate purchasing arrangement. They nudged McMaster Carr out, probably a corporate deal.