Big Box stores

[Tom Godley]

I am someone who always has some project going somewhere - The desire first manifested itself when I was about 13 and I have not be able to "heal" since.

My work and the size of many projects over the last ten years has forced my direct involvement in many of them down to little more then signing my name on the contract and checks.

So when I decided to buy a weekend house and outfit a shop -- I wanted to be more hands on. I like plumbing/electrical/ framing etc.... I find it relaxing -- takes me away from things.


The Big Box stores really take the fun out of projects. I have always supported local people (lumberyards/ hardware stores/ suppliers) unfortunately I alone cant keep them going. So time/location have forced me to go to the BB stores -- They never have everything you need for a project-!!

An example: I went for some new electrical items for the shop yesterday -- twist lock outlets/ covers/ new surface mount boxes - some other items.

They had the outlets -- but no single covers with the correct size hole!
Had the 50 amp box cover with the correct hole -- but no large box for it.

No double pole switches!

i should have taken the time to go to the supplier -- I have to go anyway!


I am glad I do not do this for a living -- it was a lot easier years ago! I have decided to just avoid them as much as possible

[Jim Becker]

I hear you. I'm going up to Wherungs more often now and they do have hours on the weekends. Unfortunately, they don't have the depth of product lines that the big boxes have when it comes to the little stuff. So I end up driving south to the "big box neighborhood" anyway. During the week when I'm not traveling, I'll hit the specialists in Doylestown for what I might anticipate needing, such as electrical, but all too often I'll forget something and have to go to the big box at night or on the weekend anyway...

Ya just can't win!

[David G Baker]

When I lived in California I was going to try the flip houses thing but my only local option for buying supplies was a big orange box store. I did a remodel on my home and the orange box cured me real quick on the house flipping idea. I could get most of the general supplies but any of the special order items, like windows, would take up to three months for them to get the order right. I now live in Michigan and have plenty of options but the real estate market here is very unstable so there goes the flip idea again.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I'm tiling my bathroom (or rather my brothers are :)). We went to four different Lowes to get enough tile. On the positive side, Lowes and Home Depot have stores every 3 miles in my area.

'Caveat Emptor' is what you should keep mumbling to yourself as you walk the isles there.

-Jeff :)