Why you NEED give McMaster business

On 02/09/2015 3:56 PM, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote: ...

I find it at quite a lot of industrial places that don't deal with counter trade. McM=C being as they are online is probably taking a little more of a chance but on that type of gear it's less likely I'd guess so they probably recognized it.

Mcmaster is my favorite store and is located only 2 miles from my warehouse.

Wish there was something equivalent to McMaster in AU!

Jon

You are not along there Jon.

I'll bet. Jeeze, shipping to/from there is just _ghastly_, usually more than the item cost itself.

How's the eBaying down there?

Well... to me that sounds like a real opportunity for some enterprising young fellow. Good customer service will always guarantee you get business.

LLoyd

Some things are not bad to ship direct, assuming the seller does. McMaster does not. MSC will, but their shipping wasn't exactly cheap from Nevada to Grass Valley... I have most things shipped to my folks who collect and ship a flat rate box every now and then. Still expensive, but cheaper overall.

eBay is a shadow of the States, and a large percentage of tools are import and hardly what I would consider professional quality. Paid $70 for a combination square set for work, scale is steel, other parts are aluminum. But given I have a primo hardened and ground Starrett set dating from the late 70's complete with metric scales bought before I left, and a nice Miller Falls set, not going to pay the couple hundred for Moore and Wright or Mitutoyo. Have found a few decent deals, but also keep an eye on eBay in the States for stuff I can use now where shipping isn't a killer. Really just need to get my stuff here. Planning ongoing for finishing off the shed. We are cleaning house big time at work, looks like I'll score a roll up door to replace the flimsy and insecure shed door. MIL bought us a new roof, I saved all the good bits of siding to finish off the two sides of the shed that are open. Guy at work will help with forms for the slab, has a kid that will screed cheap for cash. But still going to be a while...

Jon

Pondering importing stuff, but getting my own shop back together is my priority. Wagga Wagga is an hour out one way, Young is half an hour the other way. There's nobody in between that would have the sort of capabilities I'll have once my tools are here and I have a mill and lathe. But this is REAL RURAL, very little high tech anything. Abattoirs are the main big operations, and most industrial suppliers nearby cater more to that and farming than anything else.

At my age, I don't think I have the time left to break into the supply business to any great degree. Much more interested in getting to know all the motorcycle custom/resto, hot rod, old machinery folks. Have learned I already have a good reputation spreading out to nearby towns (this IS, real country, everyone knows most everyone...), so when I start doing my own thing again, that reputation and good customer service will keep me busy as long as I care to keep working.

Jon

Somehow shipping from Hong Kong has been free for the small electronics I've been buying for alternate energy projects:

-jsw

That's good.

Ouch! I hate paying for overpriced tools.

Score! with MIL.

Good luck with the shed. Gotta have that before your tools arrive and you get busy with that.

It seems that everything worthwhile takes forever, doesn't it?

They have opened the warehouse and delivered parts for me on a Saturday in less than an hour! Grainger has done the same at a higher fee.

i can get Grainger parts cheaper cause they give my son the corporate discount. But their website is F^^%&ing awful.

Karl

Isn't that the truth. I know I'll have my shop here eventually, but right now, I have all this beautiful countryside to explore. I became very interested in old abandoned buildings and ghost towns after my last visit to China Lake, where the lead archaeologist recognized the location of a photo I showed him of my aunt and grandmother by a small cabin in a narrow canyon, and we found the building still intact. Got my picture taken standing in nearly the exact same spot. The side by side made the cover of the last issue of The Rocketeer in 2013. The cabin turned out to be only a few miles from my grandfather's homestead. Now old buildings fascinate me, as I wonder about the history and stories untold. There are tons of old structures scattered about the countryside, and I am having fun exploring back roads and photographing them. Maybe a book in the works... :)

Jon

Too bad they can't have useful into for their products on the website.

For example, I looked up something simple like spray enamel paint. They sure as heck carry it, but they don't list any brands or types. The best description I saw was "comparable to Krylon" or something equally worthless. That's complete garbage and can't be used to make any sort of purchase decision. MSC can as least provide some data on the products they sell.

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:mbdvfd $n5e$ snipped-for-privacy@reader1.panix.com:

I don't know which McMaster you shop with, but McMaster-Carr has full tech data available on every product they sell, right down to individual nuts and screws. And it's easily available, usually right on-line. If they have failed to list it, one quick email to them will have the data in your in-box within an hour.

With MSC, the problem isn't 'quality of service', because they're pretty good that way. It's prices jacked out of proportion to what they offer, and a web site that takes hours to find something I can zero on in four clicks at McMaster.

I shop at both.

Lloyd

look at these part numbers

6506T51

It's all completely meaningless nonsnense, no data, no spec sheets, no brands on a $123/gallon can of paint? There is an MSDS, but keep in mind places will substitute the closest MSDS they can find sometimes. What is it that they are going to ship you once you fork over $123?

I don't see and cross-reference numbers for the expensive paint, so if I was looking for it by brand, I sort of doubt they'd be able to locate their part number for it anyways.

Here's another, just a plain old pin vise

It's $13.72. Better be a Starrett with a calibration certificate for that price, but what is it? General? Indian factory seconds?

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:mbe5sb $1b6$ snipped-for-privacy@reader1.panix.com:

You obviously can't read, or you're just so biased against McMaster you can't tell the truth about them.

What part of MIL-PRF 24667C Types 2 and 4, Composition G could you not understand?

Paints like that are made to a common formula by dozens of manufacturers, but all both meet the spec AND have to be the same composition. From any one of them, you'd get the very same paint. But I'm betting you've never done any Mil-Spec work, so you wouldn't be familiar with that.

And I'll bet you even dropped the McMaster folks a line, and they outright REFUSED to help, in those very words -- right? Oh... you didn't?!?

About the 7719T11 rattle cans. WTF do you expect for a $5.00 shake-n- spray! It's a frigging HOUSE BRAND. They'll even tell you who makes it if 1) it matters to you, and 2) it might change your silly rant.

I'll bet you know EXACTLY who makes _this_month's_ WalMart rattle-cans, too, doncha? (You mean they change vendors for house brands? No! Say it ain't so, Joe!)

LLoyd

If I want generic, unknown, grab-bag mystery shit, I can shop at a surplus dealer or the dollar store.

It's not 1983. I don't need to call up a place with garbage website to prod for information. I can pick their competitors who are able to perform the amazing task of have a few specs on what they sell. Is it legitimate mil-spec paint, but from 1987? Hell if anybody knows.

Is it house brand? They don't indicate that or anything else for that matter. Was it too hard to mention "generic" or "house brand?"

Apparently yes, it was too hard.

So let me guess, the $13 pin vise was probably generic too, meaning it's probably chinese factory rejects. Nice cartoon drawings in website, they must have scanned a catalog from 1973 to come up with all that.

f*ck that shit.

MSC has no problem listing even simple details to get you going. They even have Wow, photos (in color!) and country of origin listed for products.

To sum it up mcmastercarr.com is possibly the worst website I've seen in a long time.

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:mbeh1i$41d$ snipped-for-privacy@reader1.panix.com:

Then you've never used it, and you're just lying about it to make an argument for argument's sake. You also apparently don't know anything about using ANY commercial website. You don't have to 'phone them'. You just click this little 'boxy-looking thing' on the screen, and help just automagically 'comes'. Oh... you didn't know that, did you?

MSC sure does have some pretty pictures. And they have good service. I've even written Mitch Jacobson about both of them, personally. See... the problem is, the pretty pictures are buried in a morass of thousands- of-items-long lists you can't ZERO on... you have to know the exact "MSC name" of the part you're looking for, or you can look forever. The friggin' lists aren't even in order by size, f'gosh sakes!

McMaster's site might not have your personal girlfriend's hires color photo in it, but you can find _anything_ they sell in a matter of a few mouse clicks. And if you _ever_ have any question about quality, just ask (with that little button thingy). When you get it, if you just don't like it (for whatever reason), they'll take it back and pay for the shipping both ways.

You're right... they don't have time for your kind of shit. They're too busy making happy customers of people who actually BUY stuff from them, instead of making garbage claims about a web site they've never used.

Now you go in the banquer-barrel, too.

LLoyd