reza@ihuxb.UUCP (H. Reza Taheri) (02/08/84)
A friend has received a direct mail offer to buy a collection of nuts, bolts, screws, washers, and cotter pins under the name of "The Nut and Bolt Shop". It costs $19.99 plus $3.90 for shipping and handling for the 2100 fasteners, a plastic cabinet for the fasteners, and three typical "$2.99 value" free gifts. Send me mail (or post to the net if you are not sure of my address) if you have had an experience with this offer. Thanx. H. Reza Taheri ...!(most major machines on the net)!ihnp4!ihuxb!reza (312)-979-1040
leichter@yale-com.UUCP (Jerry Leichter) (02/10/84)
I received the same offer, and have been wondering, too, if it's worth it. (I do enough random mechanical work that a supply of good-quality nuts and bolts in popular sizes would be worth having.) So...if you know anything about these people, please post to the net... -- Jerry
jsc@nbires.UUCP (Steven Carnes) (02/10/84)
I bought one of those Nut and Bolt Shops about four years ago. Living a half hour's drive up in the mountains, it has really come in handy. I would bet that each month, I use it three to four times. (Figure out the gasoline involved in getting to the nearest hardware store!) The quality of the parts is good, the selection is likewise good, and the quantity of each part is good enough that I've only had to restock several of the more used bins a couple of times. Yes: good deal!
bill@crystal.ARPA (02/10/84)
References: <488@ihuxb.UUCP> Their stuff seems to be reasonable quality; however, the "n thousand pieces" includes about 20 lifetimes' supply of cotter pins. Also, they have a four or five dollar 'postage and handling' charge. It's not a rip-off, but be aware of what you're actually buying. Sears has a similar product; look for catalog or in-store sales. I would suggest checking prices for boxes of 100 of the various machine screws you need at a local hardware store or (better yet) an industrial fastener distributor. The hardware is of better quality than the DRI stuff, and you don't get all the cotter pins. I bought a variety of screws in flat and (round or pan) head in 1" lengths, since I have a crimping tool/bolt cutter (Vaco, Amp, or sears) that cuts machine screws to length, so the 100 quantity wasn't needed for all different lengths. Also, buy nuts and flat/lock washers in quantity. You can get cheap cabinets at Sears or many hardware stores (the 'consumer' Akro-Mills line is pretty good). bill cox bill@uwisc ...seismo!uwvax!bill
parnass@ihuxf.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (02/10/84)
x
If the "Nut and Bolt Shop" being discussed is the one being
sold by DRI, then I too received advertisements from this
company.
DRI also sells low quality tools made in Taiwan. The pic-
tures of these tools make them look much better than they
really are.
I bought my hardware assortments from Sears. They are good
quality, and frequently on sale. Sears, as usual, has a
good customer satisfaction policy.
--
==========================================================================
Bob Parnass, AT&T Bell Laboratories - ihnp4!ihuxf!parnass - (312)979-5760 sims@hou2b.UUCP (J.SIMESTER) (02/10/84)
(o <- washer)
I sent for the shop about two years ago - assuming the offer
hasn't changed, it's not a bad deal. The quality of the hardware
is good, the case fine (for plastic) - the main drawback is
that you will find yourself with more cotter pins and special
purpose washers than the average person uses in a lifetime.
Still, the useful pieces are well worth the price, especially as
compared to buying bubble-packs at the local home center store.
I had some complaints about delivery time. As I recall, it took them
> 2 months to get the shop to me (was about ready to start firing
off some nasty letters when it finally arrived).
Overall, I'd say go ahead and buy it. If nothing else, you'll have
a beginner's supply of hardware and the start of a home hardware
filing system.
--
Jim
..!houxm!hou2b!simswookie@alice.UUCP (Keith Bauer White Tiger Racing) (02/11/84)
The nut and bolt shop sounds nice and is nice for average light weight work around the house. However, the materials the parts are made from are not the best and will not take much abuse. The hardware they offer is similar to the hardware Bell Labs buys for the stockroom. If you use their bolts for any stressfull situation they usually shear off and the heads of the screws are easily messed up. It's the same old story.......you get what you pay for! Keith Bauer White Tiger Racing
reid@decwrl.UUCP (Brian Reid) (02/12/84)
The Nut and Bolt shop company is for real (actually, there are several
companies in this business but only one with that name, it is in the
upper Midwest somewhere--Minnesota, Wisconsin, something like that).
Basically their gimmick is to have realized that the vast bulk of the cost
of a nut or bolt when you buy it in the store is the labor involved in
sorting and packaging it. The hardware itself is practically free. So they
sell a bundled product, and save the labor costs of processing specific
orders for 10 of these and 20 of those.
I have bought at least one of everything they sell, and so has my brother
who lives on a farm in Maine. No complaints. Sure beats driving to the
hardware store.
Brian Reid reid@Shasta.ARPA
Stanford University {decwrl,ucbvax,sun}!Shasta!reid
(and DEC Western research)emma@uw-june (Joe Pfeiffer) (02/19/84)
These people actually have a number of similar kits -- all-in-one magnetized screwdrivers, adhesive kits, and so forth. I have their nuts & bolts kit and screwdriver kit. They are everything the company says, and well worth it. Two things to keep in mind. First, the claim that the nuts and bolts are "high quality." What that means depends on who you talk to; these are hardware-grade parts. They are not for use in high-stress environments (you can tell this by the top of the bolts. The smooth surface is hardware-grade; if there were three radial raised lines they would be grade 5; if there were 6 they would be grade 8). Second, they only come in standard heads. Don't look to exactly replace anything that needs, say, a small size head. Basically, the same stuff Ernst sells, at a much better price. -Joe P.