This is how HD treats quality suppliers
Went to HD the other day, bought some DeckMate screws. HD changed to star drive!! They work like
so bad I sent this e-mail to the maker.&
#160; Ineresting response…..
Are you going to sell anymore screws with your special head? Home Depot in Manchester and Enfield CT only sell your star drive version. They are terrible compared to the old version, if the new version is all that is available, I just bought my last box.
Thank you for contacting us. Home Depot owns the name Deck Mate and we have worked with them building this brand name for over 11 years. This spring they chose to have a different vendor supply the screws they put in the box. We built our reputation on a patented drive system, our trademarked blue bit, and quality. We were not willing to compromise this. We are happy to say the Lowe’s quickly took on the drive system under the brand Phillips II Square Driv. They have 5lb 2-1/2″ and 3″ in quarter pallets in the lumber aisle in the stores. You will recognize our box, our blue bit, and our screws you have come to rely on. Other lengths and 25lb buckets are available at Lowes.com.
We are working with Lowe’s to transition our current Phillips II line over to the combo phillips/square system this fall under the brand Phillips II Plus. This way our hardware aisle set will have all lengths and box types available at your local store. If we can assist you in receiving the fasteners you need, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Mary Strycharz for Phillips Fastener Products, Inc.
1-888-332-6283
Replies
My work comes from reputation. If I do a poor job there is no repeat business.
These company's looking to quick buck today should start thinking about tomorrow.
These screws your using I found worked better using pure square drive bits, the supplied drive bits gave me problems. I'm still looking to get away from Phillips drive screws.
"My work comes from reputation. If I do a poor job there is no repeat business.These company's looking to quick buck today should start thinking about tomorrow."That's pretty much the point here.HD nursed along the relationship... with a manufacturer that wanted to make a quality product, and establish a good reputation for themselves.As soon as that reputaion is established, HD keeps the name, and boxes an inferior screw.HD has intentionally gotten people used to the good quality, and then swapped to the krap screws. They figure they'll make a lot more profit for a while, before people figure it out.Their bean counters love this. But those bean counters haven't figured the long run, wherein HD is krapping out it's own reputation. Ok, they didn't have very far down, left to go, but you get my meaning. They are in it for a quick buck, right now, today, and they don't care who they screw to get it. Apparently not even themselves.Why do I see a bankruptcy/buyout in HD's future ?
Even if HD get a top on the line fastener in to replace the junk stuff it will be near impossible to get me to use them because of mistrust and basically a con-trick in the past.
That is very interesting.
HD's bean counters find yet another way to screw the pooch.
Thanks for posting your experience and that reply from the manufacturer.
Interesting.
personally I find the Torx or Star drive to be a better driver. Less cam out.
Same here, I kinda like the Torx head screws, I've driven maybe five thousand of those with few if any problems. I use a DW corded deck gun, a Makita impact and a Craftsman impact. I try to use Phillips as rarely as possible, sq and torx are what I have had the best luck with. I do buy my screws from a local supplier and not HD though even the supplier says most of his average fasteners are foreign made, Mexico, China, Korea.Wyse, thank you for getting the info out. That letter sounds like the supplier is a little bitter with HD and thinks their new girlfriend is great. I hate to say but I can see Lowe's doing the same thing in a few years.
Torx great, square good, phillips the worst.
I like square drive, not so crazy for phillips, I found the old deckmate combo-drive better than phillips, but not as good as square drive.
I haven't used the torx drive yet. What is their advantage over square drive?
I sold to HD and all the east coast Big boxes for years. Bottom line in any deal is not making the customer happy with a superior product but making the stockholders happy with better then expected earnings.
There are millions of good reasons I don't shop there.
hooray and three cheers for getting good information out!
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
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That is no way to treat a vendor, but I've never liked the deck mate screws. I buy nothing but torx now. Love them. My Home depot is not stocking them, and I wish they would. Local Lowes on the other hand does stock torx...
Steve
that explains the troubles Heck and I had with HD screws on a small deck we dis that became a recall and a complete refasten....
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!!!
I guess you'll have to buy them from Loews now.
http://forums.taunton.com/n/find/findRedir.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&mg=DF370376-B743-4218-89FD-71974D1255B1
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!!!
Thats why Depot stocks Louisville ladders instead of Werner.
They told Werner if they wanted to sell in Depots that was the only place they were gonna sell.
Werner told them to go pound sand.
Not sure why depot has such an exclusivity boner but for some reason they think they need to corner the market to live in the market at all.
Its just pushed me away. I've been a Lowes guy for a couple years.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
home depot is "picking back up" werner and yes it was a mistake to get rid of them in the first place
Too late now. If I need anymore ladders i'll grab them while i'm at Lowes.
I must admit though when they kicked Werner out I did get quite a deal on a 24' ladder.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Wish I'da bought the werner walk planks they sold for $75 ea. Did go back, but they were gone.Another thing about HD, they keep dropping some things I expect them to still have, like Hardi Planks. I needed a few and carter lumber was closed, so off to HD I go. Nope, don't sell those except special order. They do sell hardi panels, which is odd because nobody uses them around here.
just curious, where are you located?
SW ohio
they want to be the only one stocking any given SKU (stock keeping unit) so that they don't have to beat any price by 10% on the same item... even their dewalt stuff has a different SKU... like it comes with 2 bits vs 1... so it has a different stk number...
it's hard to get them to give you the 10%... i've got it a few times on wire when i needed alot and it was worth the effort to save $300.00
all in all they suck... they charged me 2x for something once... i didn't catch it until i got home... some 40 miles from the store i was at... they said there was no way for them to know i only got one... was only $50 but...
ok... pay back is hell...
p
Good to know that -- I loved the "DeckMates". Good screws. Less cam-outs, less busted screws.
Now I guess I love the Lowes' "Phillips 2 Square Drives"! ;-)
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I found out that they had switched to torx a couple weeks ago when I got some deck screws and didn't have any issue driving 3 and 3 1/2" screws with the impact driver and the torx bit.
It would be interesting to compare the two - square drive and torx side by side sometime.
I can't stand how expensive they are, though. Nearly 30.00 for 5 lb box. Yow.
My local HD Pro Desk told me after I complained about the new deckmate that they were going back to the old style in November. It is about the only good thing to come out of HD in my recollection.
Bruce
You knew he was lying to make you go away, right?
I am fortunate to be able to shop a HD that has a decent pro desk and I do have a long standing relationship with them. I would like to believe that they would not lie to me-not eliminating the possibility that there management has lied to them.
Bruce
believe it....
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!!!