Why I shop at Ace Hardware

[David Nebenzahl]

Two themes for today's posting:

1. Ace Hardware is a good place to shop
2. You can actually get replacement parts for toilet fill valves

Customer has a low-flush toilet that was running. Problem turned out to be the fill valve, which was very flaky. Called a couple places: the "real" plumbing supply place said "Sure, we have replacements for those Toto fill valves"; more than $30 and, oddly, not adjustable. The nearby Ace said they had a replacement "quiet fill" valve that *might* work, but they weren't sure.

So I trucked on over to Ace with the old valve, and sure 'nuf, the replacements they had looked exactly like mine. I grabbed the package and headed out, then bumped into the guy I'd spoken to over the phone to show him they were identical. He told me I could also get just the fill valve (the plastic package I had also had a replacement flapper, which I didn't need). Then he tells me for next time, you can get just the replacement valve body, which was completely news to me.

He ended up taking my fill valve to his little work counter where we took it apart to see if the valve would fit; it did. So instead of paying $30+ for a new fill valve, instead of $12 for a new fill valve, it was less than 3 bucks for just the part that had gone bad. (It worked fine after taking it back and replacing it.)

My hat is off to that manufacturer who actually makes a replacement part for a plastic item that I've gotten used to just tossing out. How quaint and early-20th-century is that? And to Ace for having knowledgeable and resourceful people working there.

[ransley]

Ace is great, but ask for a commercial discount. I spent near 1700.00 at Ace last month. HD is my other option many deals like CFL s are better at HD

[Rick Samuel]

Ace in marble Falls is great. Get answers to almost anything, replacement parts. Get answers. Price is not the best in town, but the value you receive is the best in town. When Wal-mart expanded, then HD came in, each time I was sure Ace would close. But thankfully they are still there. Now Lowes has just opened....

I have no affilation with Ace, 'cept as a customer

[Phisherman]

I like Ace too, but it is closed when I get off work and closed on Sundays. I shop Home Depot due to convenience but do not like the store.

[Doug Miller]

This varies by location. The Ace Hardware stores near me are open evenings and Sundays.

[Stormin Mormon]

There used to be a small town True Value store, near me. They went out of business, and now it's a car dealership. One of their people hired on with Home Depot.

About half hour drive from me is a hardware, that linked up with Pro, I think it is. They have a people who know all that kind of thing.

One time I got a request from a friend, to fix a tippy toilet. The folks had a toilet flange that fits into the existing pipe. Worked nicely. They also had some cabinet hinges I needed, for a job at a store. The prices are typically higher than the big box stores, but I like supporting small business.

Sometimes a store looks small. And then I walk in, and realize the store goes way back, and is crammed with good things.

[Van Chocstraw]

Good place if you like to pay more. If Walmart don't carry it, Home Depot does.

[Sanity]

[SteveB]

"Van Chocstraw" wrote

If Walmart carries it, it's the cheapest Chinese crap there is. If Home Depot carries it, you can't find it or get anyone to help you find it. Ergo: Ace.

Steve

[1D1OT]

I spend a lot of time and money at our local Ace in my handyman business, and am privileged to be allowed access to their back room. Lotsa goodies back there not on the front shelves. I'm also allowed to explore their huge corporate order catalog. Great place to do business!

[Percival P. Cassidy]

A while back I went to one local Ace Hardware store looking for Benjamin Moore paint, but they had only gallons -- no 5-gallon pails. Another nearby Ace has no Benjamin Moore at all, despite the claim on the Benjamin Moore Web site that their paints are available at Ace.

That first Ace store has some items on the shelf with no prices marked, and the employees aren't always able to find the correct price. One time I bought some electrical wire by the foot, and all they could do was guess at the right price; I didn't complain that they guessed low.

Perce

[Ulysses]

HD and Lowe's are within a couple miles of my local ACE and they are still there. I go to ACE first. They may not seem to have a lot of stuff but so far they ALWAYS have the part that I desperately need. You could spend a lot of time at one if the big stores and never find what you need.

The other reason I go to HD last is because when they first showed up in Orange County their prices were artifically low. They drove all the good hardware and paint stores out of business. Then they jacked up their prices. They are filled with salespeople who don't know anything or are on their break.

[Ulysses]

There used to be a hardware store in Santa Ana (Orange County, CA). I can't remember the name but they really did have everything that could be called hardware. If you had a 100 year old dresser that was missing a knob they had it in stock. It may have cost you $10-15 for that one knob but they had it. I really miss their spring-loaded cabinet catches.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Ace, True Value, etc are franchise operations. Like any large reaching setup, some are better than others. For the most part, I find them better than the big box stores. Sounds like your are not so good, at least for paint.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/21/2009 6:03 AM Van Chocstraw spake thus:

I think you missed the whole point of my post: if I had gone into Home Despot for this part, even if they had it, it's not likely I would have even *known* that you could buy the less-than-$3 replacement valve rather than the whole fill valve, so Ace saved me money.

Home Despot is often cheaper, but not always. I do buy stuff there (lumber, drywall, joint compound, etc.) that is cheaper than a real lumberyard and easier to just grab and go.

But getting help? Fuggedaboudit. Heard something funny the other day: was at my favorite electrical supply place (Ace Liquidators in Alameda, huuuuge warehouse full of all kinds of stuff, cheap), and the guy checking me out said he goes to Home Depot on weekends himself because they're open. He said he recently was totally shocked when someone who works there actually came up to him and asked him if he needed help!

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/21/2009 6:24 AM Sanity spake thus:

You'd probably like Ellis Ace Hardware, one of my favorites in my area and the closest to me. You walk in and are surprised by how small the place is. Then you realize that there are no aisles to wander to get what you want: you go to the counter and tell them what you need, and they get it for you. And they know their stuff.

The place has one of the highest customer service ratings of any hardware store in the Bay Area.

[benick]

am privileged to be allowed access to their back room. Lotsa goodies back there not on the front shelves. I'm also allowed to explore their huge corporate order catalog.

That's the thing I HATE about small stores..You can't see everything cause it crammed in back rooms and storage buildings out back and you have to ask somebody to get what you need , then have them hover over you untill you check out (which irritates the hell outa me) and I always seem to forget to get some of the things that I need to complete the job and end up going to EBS (regional semi-big box) or HomeDepot anyway cuz they aren't open late or on Sunday....I like to go in , get what I think I need and then look around and almost ALWAYS say oops , I need that too , almost forgot that , I need some of those aswell and while I'm right here I might as well get that , ect which is why I don't even bother with the little stores anymore...Different strokes for different folks , I guess...LOl...

[HeyBub]

My local Walmart carries Kilz PAINT (and Dutch Boy) - neither of which are Chinese nor are they available at Home Depot or Lowes.

And if Chinese crap is cheaper than American crap, why not?

[SteveB]

I think my two contact people at Ace would do anything I asked except help me bury a body. And then, I'm not totally sure of that.

Steve

[SteveB]

I needed a box of 7 x 57 for a Ruger I inherited. I went there, and the gun guy was very helpful, but the ammo didn't have a price on it. He did a radio check, and came back $14.99. I took one box, thinking that was very cheap. I thought taking three would have been taking advantage if it was mispriced, so only took one. The cheapest I found it was $21.99 at other stores. I haven't gone back to check if they have them priced correctly or higher. I'm satisfied with what I got. They got their asking price. I didn't take six boxes knowing they had made a mistake.

Steve