McMaster Carr for bolts and fasteners

[BillyBud]

Just received some 3/8-24 grade 8 bolts in various sizes from McMaster Carr and couldn't be happier. They have every size and length. And the bolts are made in Canada, not China. They are chromate yellow finish but if you don't like that it is a simple and quick operation to remove that yellow color with vinegar or any other acid so they resemble the OEM gray finish. Grade 8 is way more than adequate, and a good replacement for those corroded/questionable suspension bolts I have to replace. Shopping was easy and shipping was fast. No, I don't work for them.

 

[DrEntropy]

I remember when their printed catalogs would be brought home by my father. Huge yellow book, about three inches thick and had about anything imaginable for all sorts of projects. That had to be about fifty or sixty years ago. Even today, with 'net ordering their pricing is still reasonable. Gotta love an industrial supply house willing to ship to anyone, regardless of their company size. For electronics, it's the same with Mouser.

 

[DavidApp]

When I went into the smaller companies to install our machines I would suggest they got catalogues from McMaster Carr, Granger and MSC to source all their bolts, bearings, seals and air fittings for their factory.
I still regularly order from all 3. We have a Granger a few miles from the house so I try to use them as it saves shipping. Got a Granger catalogue on my last visit. Nearly 3" thick.

David

 

[DrEntropy]

Got a Granger catalogue on my last visit. Nearly 3" thick.

They used to send one in the mail. Can't imagine what it cost to do that. Now the only "bulky" one we still get by mail is Uline. Haven't seen a catalog from McMaster-Carr in well over a decade, Grainger's in years.

We've a Grainger outlet within a mile as the crow flies and a company account, makes it convenient to spend too much money on stuff!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I like their smart phone app.

 

[George_H]

McMaster still sends them. I use McMaster all the time at work but rarely look in the paper catalog anymore. Way to easy to order online now.
I'm in NJ and if I order by 12, It gets delivered the same day. George

 

[PC]

Can't tell you haw many times consulting the good book has been my salvation, both at work and at home.

A friend in Switzerland once picked up a rather expensive bit of American kit from a dealer in the Netherlands and it showed up missing fasteners. The dealer wasn't helpful at all and his local hardware stores didn't know what to make of SAE threaded parts. Being his only contact in the USA he asked for my help.

Turned out the manufacturer is in my back yard and I had a pleasant conversation with one of their engineers. Unfortunately, we couldn't figure out what revision of the unit my friend had and the fastener configuration had changed at various revs. He offered to fix it for free if my friend sent the unit back to the factory, but shipping back and forth from Switzerland was way too expensive.

Out came the good book. I picked out a selection of the possible bolts, USA made stainless steel, and McM-C shipped them to my doorstep in one day. The cost of the bolts and shipping to me was less than 20 bucks. Cost me more to turn around and send them to to him. They worked and he was up and running. Another win for McM-C and US industrial infrastructure.


Hot tip - As huge as their catalog is, it doesn't have everything (although it sure seems like it). If there's something that isn't in the catalog but is made by one of their suppliers, they'll special order it for you.


A shout out to Tim Allen for having a "yellow bible" prominently displayed on Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor's shelf in Home Improvement. Also to the animators of Big Hero 6 for the same.

 

[tinkerer]

getting my fine tread hardware from > Bolts and Nuts, Hex Cap Screws and Fasteners Online < free shipping over $25.- and so far found everything i needed for my midget.

 

[equiprx]

When I was working at an independent Jaguar, RR and Bentley shop, one of the jobs I got to do, was pull usable components from cars going to the scrapyard. Fasteners were never saved by the shop, so I kept a bucket handy, and now I have enough of everything to build ten cars.