Greetings everyone. I’d like to conduct an informal poll regarding tool shopping online. There are quite a few merchants to choose from these days. In your opinion, where is the best place to buy tools online?
Thanks,
Michael
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Replies
One of my fav's is http://www.Floydtools.com
here are some good places:
heavydutytools.net
amazon.com
jimslimstools.com
timberlinetools.com
http://www.toolking.com has some great deals on reconditioned tools.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Michael,
Amazon is hard to top. I have had extremely good luck both with price and fast shipping.
heavydutytools.net
amazon.com
ebay.com
Ebay can be a great place for some kinds of tools. I've been getting some good chisels there lately. Nice old steel.
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
I have spent thousands with Amazon on tools. No complaints.
I buy my Occidental bags and accessories from:
acetoolsonline.com in NY. They have a good selection.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
tyler tool
Mike
Coastal Tool - http://www.coastaltool.com/
MyToolStore - http://www.mytoolstore.com/
and for air nailers and nails:
http://www.nailzone.com/
I have bought tools and/or consumables from all of the above and heartily recommend them all.
John
For me, it is Coastaltools.com
They are a more or less local outfit with an equally strong online presence. They actually do followup and service too, for the price of online sales. They are my first stop for most things.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I used to use Coastal quite a bit, then several years ago I bought a PC drywall sander from them. It squealed when in use. I had to go to Springfield Mass for something, so I stopped in at their store near Hartford and wanted to exchange it. The counter guy was very unfriendly, close to hostile, and absolutely refused to take it back or exchange it. The whole experiance left me so bitter about the place that I don't even use the site to compare prices. They truely lost out.
Maybe he was having an off day, I don't know. And I intend to never use them again, so it doesn't matter. Maybe if I had just mailed it back things would have worked out. On a high note, the sander has worked fine.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Must've been a bad day. I've had twice where they went above and beyond on something for me.Or maybe I just live a charmed life.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Was it the bald short guy? Almost everytime I go in there he's in a mood about something, and usually arguing/discussing with the other guys who are working there. Not with customers though, not usually. Must've caught them on an off day.90% of my tools come from them, never had any problems. I'll go to them always before anybody else. Rod
I've always used 7 corners hardware. They are local for me. I've been going there for almost 20 years and I swear it's been the same employees. They are very knowledgeable and have a lot of clout with the manufacturers and distributors, comes in handy when you want something that's hard to get or you need something set right. Since they've been around so long, they also have a good eye for quality and new tools that will actually save you some time.
I bought from them before the days of the internet. Kind of forgot about them after I quit getting their catalouge.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I had very good service from t&J High Tech Tools. Mostly automotive, but a little of everything. John Balser is the owner/operator. http://www.tandjtools.com
Hartville Tool
the actual store is pretty local for me,Hartville Hardware.
On line they have even nicer stuff------ the actual store will repair any tool they sell---- greatfor me being local.
Stephen
I buy all, or most, of my stuff from 7 Corners, since it is just down the hill from where I live. They are still doing mail order, but they stopped all the advertising, and got rid of the people on the mail order desk. Now, if a call comes in, it is handled by one of the counter guys. They seem to be holding their own against the home centers that have flooded the area in the last few years. And it is all because of the experienced people and the great attitude about customer service. http://www.7corners.com/********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
quijibo,
Let me second seven corners for exactly the reasons you gave.. Plus! they will match anybodies on line price.. just provide them with a copy of the add and they meet it.. if they've run into it before they don't even need the copy of the add!
They sell on line but since I live within a reasonable distance I pick it up at the store..
You have to go there at least once to see what a real old fashioned hardware store looks like.. creaky wooden floors and all! (that plus I bet they have more obscure stuff than anybody in the country. Want an old fashioned push buttion switch plate? they have them in spades. want 27 kinds of skelliton keys? In spades. You may have to climb a ladder or get someone to climb a ladder but they will have whatever wierd no longer available piece there is..
Tool King is a good site,
Big Foot Tools for the real saws,
And my tool saleman that stops by my job every Tuesday and Thursday, he makes sure I don't go home with a paycheck. LOL
Best way to go Amazon , right know the deal for them is spend 300 and get 50 dollars off .Also no sales tax and free shipping but it does take 5-8 days to get your stuff but it is worth it. DAN
My biggest complaint about amazon these past few years has been the slow delivery times. Last year a Rousseau table took over 6 weeks to show up. A set of sawhorse legs were a solid three weeks. A dust collection attachment for the planer was probably a month.
Don't get me wrong, I love Amazon, but with delivery times like those I just about quit ordering tools that have be here quickly. When they say a tool is in stock, it must mean in stock somewhere. :-)
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I agree wholeheatedly there Don. What I believe has happened is that often when you order 'from Amazon', you are not actually ordering from Amazon in many cases. You have to read the fine print some, but it is noted there.
"Quality Distributing LLC" is becoming a big player in tool sales on Amazon. And from my experience, they totally suck. I swear that when you order something from Amazon that is coming from Quality Distributing they take about a week off, then send a guy down to homedepot to find what you ordered, then leave it sitting on the coffee table for a week, and then finally get around to packing it up and shipping it out on the next rain day. It appears to be a very low-rent operation.
I ordered a couple of blades for my Bigfoot saws on Amazon about three weeks ago. Quality Distrubuting was the only supplier who carried them on Amazon, so I bit the bullet. The following weekend I ordered a few tape measures and chalklines and other odds and end from Amazon.... directly from Amazon. I've had that order for over a week now and haven't even recieved a shipping notice form Quality Distrubuting regarding the first order.
That's not the first time this has happened with them either. I avoid QD at all costs, but sometimes they're the only ones who carry something that I need. Whatever you do, do not pay for anything more than the very cheapest shipping arrangement offered as it won't make a bit of difference at all. Last winter I needed something in fairly short order. I ordered it and paid for overnight or second day air because I really needed it in short order. I waited and waited. I eventually got through whatever I was doing without it. I didn't cancel the order because I figured that I'd already waited so long, at least I'd have it for next time. When the order finally arrived, weeks later, I noticed that they actually had the balls to charge me for the faster shipping. I was floored. That's when I did some investigating and got the skinny on 'Quality Distributing LLC'.
They suck. Rant over. :)View Image
Thanks for sharing that. I didn't know that crap was going on. It seems to be some kind of business cycle. Once they become known for prompt service they figure out how to screw it up.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
Well since you're interested..... another bad incident comes to mind with them. I ordered a present for my wife last Christmas. Placed the order in plenty of time. When you order from them, you get about 5 day delivery window called a 'delivery estimate'. A full week after the latest date on the 'delivery estimate' I got an email from them stating that the order was 'out of stock' and not available. That was just a few days before Christmas.
Take a look at their feedback on Amazon sometime. It's the same problems over and over that are complained about.View Image
I haven't used Amazon in awhile so I've missed out on the fun.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
It ain't all bad. I'm still really happy with the service from stuff that comes right from Amazon. But I've got a real hair across my azz about that Quality Distrubuting outfit.
In case you couldn't tell. ;)View Image
Just beware of Amazon Prime. I'm on their 90-day trial and it's really dangerous (read seductive). Free two-day shipping on anything supplied by Amazon, no limits. And if you need it in one day it's a flat $3.99. The downside? $79 annual membership. I've got 30 days now to decide...
I bought the prime about a year ago and love it. I use it for myself and wife, tools for the business and anything anyone in my family wants.
I can get router bits, tape measures,etc overnight. I buy a lot of books and do a lot of reading so we have definitely gotten our money's worth in my opinion.
If you are going to do a lot consider Amazon Prime deal. Get second day shipping for free on any item from Amazon (NOT PARTNERS,etc). If you find yourself needing things to do a job in a hurry and do not want to chase around to stores it is great. I tried their free trial offer and spent the $ to keep it.
I prefer to buy locally if possible and cost effective. Local for me is HDT 9 miles away. They are my first choice, will usually beat Amazon just for spite (;-). Won't find better service.
"Toolsplus" is a good one as is "tools2you.com"
Maybe I'll get some heat for this but, I dont buy tools online. Most I buy from my local contractors supply. Sure I spend a few more bucks but I'm supporting a local business. If the tool doesnt work properly or breaks, I take it back to them and they work it out for me. Its better than a phone call to India or having to ship a tool back to the supplier. Because they know I'll be buying my next tool from them they dont hassle me over small stuff. Face to face is better business. I like to circulate my money around town a bit before it gets sent off to Chase Manhattan!
Tom
Nothing wrong with that except that my local outfit only carries the basics in stock. I do buy that stuff from them, and only 2-3% more than online prices, plus sales tax, but new or extreme tools they just don't carry.I had been using my Paslode cordless nailers for a year before they decided to stock them
I bought my Multimaster last winter online. Local tool outfit had not hearad of them. I noticed last week that they have one on the shelf now.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Edited 11/25/2006 7:07 pm ET by Piffin
I do that too when it's practical. I'm not going to pay much more then I would on line though.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
I've had good luck with Northwest Power tools.
http://northwestpowertools.com/
However I always I alway do alot of price searches. I haven't heard of some the sites mentioned.It would be great to get a comprehensive list of sites.
"It would be great to get a comprehensive list of sites."you can always save them to a tools folder in favorites, but then you end up with something like thishttp://www.leevalley.com/http://www.primetools.com/metabo-power-tools-1.htmlhttp://www.japanwoodworker.com/http://www.woodcraft.com/http://directory.ceramlinks.com/shopping/home-improvement/hardware/woodworking-tools/http://www.norfield.com/toolsnsupplies.htmhttp://www.theleadedge.com/http://www.remodelonline.com/directories/construction/woodworking/tools.htmlhttp://www.tools-plus.com/http://www.garrettwade.com/http://www.woodworkerswarehouse.com/http://www.trend-lines.com/http://toolseeker.com/http://www.reidtool.com/http://www.rockler.com/http://www.bridgecitytools.com/ok_default.htmlhttp://www.lie-nielsen.com/http://www.pinske-edge.com/http://www.douglastool.com/http://www.buildscape.com/http://www.amanatool.com/http://www.toolcenter.com/http://www.senco.com/isanta/ner272.pdfhttp://www.tupent.com/stainless/http://www.just-software.com/titles/23353.asphttp://www.fastenersources.com/quality_fset.htmlhttp://www.medfordtools.com/http://www.toolsupermarket.com/DEFAULTFrame-1.htmhttp://www.toolsteal.com//index.php3?cat__id=0http://www.oldwoodies.com/links-woodworking.htmhttp://www.toolsofthetrade.net/http://www.thomasregister.com/http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/http://www.houseoftool.com/HandTools/TapeApplicator01.htmlhttp://delivery.keyspanenergy.com/cust_serv/customer_ma/clock_thermostat_program.cfmhttp://www.warnertool.com/http://www.klingspor.com/http://www.vandykes.com/http://www.mikestools.com/Gross_Stabil_Pages/gross_stabil_parallel_clamps.asphttp://www.jointech.com/woodworkingcat.htmhttp://www.stabila.com/products.asphttp://www.toolladies.com/vendor.htmlhttp://www.grizzlyimports.com/http://www.atoolforyou.com/stabila/torpedo.htmlhttp://grip-tite.com/http://www.electrictool.com/http://www.kleintools.com/index.htmlhttp://www.toolsupermarket.com/http://www.toolhawk.com/tools/Vacuums_Dust_Collectors_Filters_index.cfmhttp://www.mytoolstore.com/makita/mak09-02.htmlhttp://www.owwm.com/Craftsman/Craftsman.asphttp://www.internationaltool.com/http://cnets.net/~eclectic/woodworking/cyclone/Index.htmlhttp://www.toolnut.com/http://www.shelterinstitute.com/toolsupplies.htmhttp://www.rocketanchor.com/http://www.gpistore.com/subcatmfgprod.asp?0=249&1=268&2=-1http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/main.htm?E+coastesthttp://www.diydata.com/projects/plans/tool_plans.htmhttp://www.toolking.com/index.asphttp://www.contractorstools.com/seatarmored.htmlhttp://www.marathontool.com/http://store.yahoo.com/ekimco/noname4.htmlhttp://www.supplierpipeline.com/products.asphttp://www.dewaltservicenet.com/serviceNet/logon.asphttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/228013/ref%3Dtab%5Fmi%5Fhi%5F8/104-2697748-3400703http://www.lara.com/toolfinders-sample.htmhttp://www.ridgid.com/http://www.toolking.com/dewalt/view.asp?ID=699http://www.tooltimer.com/http://junior.apk.net/%7Ejbarta/octagon_layout/http://www.mscdirect.com/http://www.toolseeker.com/http://www.joneakes.com/ca/hs/html/catalogue.htmlhttp://www.lfsinc.com/atlasgloves/BreathablePalmFitAtlasWorkGloves.htm#300AtlasFitBlackhttp://www.govliquidation.com/locations/east.htmlhttp://bestconstructiontools.com/http://www.a-richard.ca/index.htmlhttp://www.tools-plus.com/http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/http://www.ordertree.com/http://www.toolfetch.com/http://www.nhtooloutlet.com/
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG
A few more..
http://www.lenoxsaw.com/
http://bosch.cpotools.com/
http://www.boschtools.com/tools/
http://www.milwaukeeconnect.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_27_40027_-1_362_362
http://stores.tundratools.com/StoreFront.bok
http://www.cpoworkshop.com/
http://www.cpomakita.com/
http://www.cporotarytools.com/
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
u da man.
Quite a list there from bobl, still didn't see Harbor Freight (although Grizzly was on the list)
Think you guys are all a bunch of tool snobs <G>?
Also not mentioned was Craig's list and ebay, but then I dont ever need anything in a day. (dont hijack the thread with assertations that everything those places is stolen or fenced)
that wasn't my whole list (although I don't think I have Harbor freight) just what I could copy without too many steps, doesn't include my sub folders or my hardware sources list.some I just copied the url to the list, never did business with them ( remind self, add Imerc's urls)
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG
GOOGLE!
I always Google first and then run down the line with pen and paper in hand. I hit em' all. sometimes one is better than the ones I tried the month or year before so you never know.
You never know when someone's running a special or close out.
I'd never put all my money on any one company.
I do how ever know who's been more or less reputable so all that goes into consideration of course. And if I'm not sure I check ratings by Googling that as well or coming here in BT to ask.
I check em' all and Googling gets you there.
I love Google and Google loves me...Google Google : )~~
BE well
Goog...I mean Andy...
I have dreamt of an open world, borderless and wide... where the people move from place to place, and nobody's taking sides.. http://www.yusufislam.com
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