OT: What the heck is going on with the price of screws?

In Lowe's yesterday... I know it's been a little while since the last time I had to buy any, but since when has a five-pound box of drywall screws cost almost twelve bucks? And five pounds of deck screws is pushing THIRTY DOLLARS! What's going on?

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Reply to
Doug Miller
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Price of steel/gas skyrocketing.

Reply to
Seeker

Sorry, what does the price of gas have to do with it?

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Reply to
Doug Miller

Reply to
myron3201

Reply to
Thomas Kendrick

The price of petrol pretty much affects the price of everything, since virtually every means used to move stuff around requires it.

Reply to
Joe Wells

Fuel is used to haul the iron ore/scrap steel to the steel mill. Fuel is used again to haul the steel to the screw plant, and finally fuel is used to get the screws to your local store.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Where should one buy drywall/construction/deck screws if not a home center?

I certainly wouldn't buy screws for woodworking at a home center, but I am finishing my basement as a shop that requires a fair number of screws for drywall and such.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Ya need to buy China screws.

Ray

Reply to
Ray_Manor

"The price of petrol pretty much affects the price of everything, since

virtually every means used to move stuff around requires it."

Add to that manufacturing requires some sort of energy. Even if it's coal, petroleum-based fuel is used to mine and move the coal

Reply to
Dave

It seems like this has been the case for the last 3 or 4 years. 1 lb boxes have been about 5-$6 for quite a while.

Reply to
Leon

I've pretty much gone to ordering ALL my screws online, usually from McFeely's - and they DO have "genuine drywall screws" for sale in the catalog, as well as deck screws, lag screws, just about anything you want if it is a screw. Not necessarily the CHEAPEST prices, but definitely QUALITY products

John

Reply to
John

Hi -

In Canada - some screw imports have been assessed with a 170% duty, as China has/had been found to be "dumping"....even screws purchased from the US (if the Country of origin is China).

I suspect that this is case south of the border too....

Cheers -

Rob

Reply to
Robin Lee

Sorta hard to make steel without furnances/smelters/etc. Cost for producting that heat is a major factor in the cost of making and recycling steel

John

Reply to
John

In our small company the price of natural gas is going to be $40,000 more than last year, the price of electricity about $60,000. Where do we get that money from?

Companies that make screws use the same utilities, plus, the price of steel has gone crazy. Even the box the screw come in is probably 25% more than a year ago. This sis the trickle down effect, but it is more cascade than trickle.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Yeah, I was at Menards yesterday after 2 years and saw 5 lb Galvanized screw in many sizes for $5, so I got about 10 boxes, but am not sure if there is any big diffrence between Galvanized and Stainless steel for furniture making or capinets. I think Galvanized sould be as good as others. MaxEN

Doug Miller wrote:

Reply to
mnadjari

The person I was replying to implied there are cheaper places to buy screws than a home center. McFeely's makes good stuff, but not cheap.

I don't need McFeely's quality to hang sheetrock.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Galvanized will react with the moisture in some woods. Stainless is normally a bit stronger.

Reply to
Leon

When comparing apples to apples McFeeleys is cheap. You will normally find that their quality screws range in price from 2 cents each to 10 cents each for the big screws. Home centers usually have a bag of 6 or 7 plated cheese screws for 89 cents. I bought stainless steel 3/8" 3" long lag screws from Mcfeeleys for almost half the price of the home centers galvanized price.

Reply to
Leon

"Dave" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

I must say I am disappointed. Several replies and no-one has stooped to the obvious remarks about "getting screwed". Tsk tsk.

Reply to
Cothian

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