The hardware store clerk who made me stop buying contractor packs of screws

I was at Ace Hardware in Greenville grabbing some deck screws for a weekend project and this older guy behind the counter asked what I was building. Told him a simple bench. He asked why I was grabbing the 5 pound box and I said it was cheaper per screw. He just laughed and said "you'll be throwing half of them away when the heads strip out." Picked up a smaller box of the name brand instead. They cost more per screw but I used every single one and none of them stripped. I think about that every time I see bulk hardware now. Has anyone else had a store employee totally change how you shop for something?

3 comments

3 Comments

lewis.terry4d ago

I had a similar moment at Lowes when a plumbing guy told me to stop buying the cheap brass shutoff valves and grab the quarter-turn ones instead. He said the cheap ones seize up after a year and you'll be cutting pipe to replace them. That guy saved me a hundred bucks in plumber fees just by being honest about what actually works.

the_wendy3d ago

The quarter-turn valves are the only way to go, I learned that the hard way too.

emma_flores4d ago

Funny you mention this because I had almost the exact same thing happen with drywall anchors. I kept buying the big bulk packs from the hardware store because they were cheap and I go through a lot of them. This one employee finally told me to stop and grab the smaller box of the metal ones instead. He said the plastic ones in the bulk packs break half the time anyway and I'd just be making more work for myself. He was right. I've used the metal ones for two years now and haven't had a single one fail on me. That conversation changed how I look at pretty much any bulk hardware purchase now. Your mileage may vary depending on what you're building but I definitely don't buy the contractor packs anymore for anything I actually want to stay together.