# +10 for McMaster-Carr



## Bill Kahn (Nov 17, 2020)

I have just had a wonderful experience with McMaster-Carr.

I’m just a small-time garage hobbiest.  All thumbs and no talent.  But I enjoy it.  I spend, max, total, all-in, maybe a $500 a year on the hobby.  

I had a need to make a few cuts through a 6x6x8” block of silicon.  (Not silicone).  I read that a diamond blade could do it.  None of the machine shops in the area (I called 27) had such a blade, could cut silicon, or could give me a reference to who could.  A high-end water-jet shop said they also could not.  Yeah, I’ve heard of EDM or such, but I ran out of energy trying to find a shop in my area able, and willing to do for a hobbiest.  

So, I bit the bullet and decided I’d try it myself.  After some internet clicking I found three sources of diamond blades for my 4x6 HF bandsaw.  $120, $130, and $140.  And, I had no way to evaluate them further.  Well, I had had a couple of generally positive experiences with McMaster-Carr (I normally am more of a Harbor Freight and EBay Chinesium sort of fellow) so, spent the extra $20 and ordered the $140 McMaster-Carr blade.

I think they must send the order out to some shop—I don’t really know who makes it for them.  But, two weeks later (as they said), the blade shows up.

Much to my amazement, it cuts the silicon very nicely.  (No, not the 6x6x8 block—that was too big for the 4x6 no matter how I worked to properly support it.  I put a diamond blade on a 12” sliding miter saw and made the initial cuts with that.  (No cooling/lubricant)  Large chip-out (like up to 1/2” chips) no matter how slowly I entered or how light the pressure.  The 14amp motor and blade I bought cut at a square inch every two minutes.  Slow.  Took a while to get a 6x6 slice.  But, it did work to get down to 4x6 band saw size.). The $140 diamond blade, on the $200 HF saw, cut silicon quite nicely.  Almost no chip-out.  Slow, but, I’ve got time.

So, I am cutting up some silicon pieces.  Generally cutting 2” wide pieces and 6” deep.  12 square inches a cut.  (About 2 minutes per square inch.  I have not explored more pressure—am using as much as I normally use and know that my blades all stay straight)  Got in 4 nice cuts.  And, midway through the 5th cut, the blade broke.  The $140 blade, broke.  Nothing special about that cut.  No twisting.  No funny sounds.

OK, not like I lost my life savings or anything.  But still, for my budget, this was a significant disappointment.  (I was still just getting pieces down to proper project size—so, still needed to do another dozen cuts)

Well, I emailed McMaster-Carr.  (Yes, this project report is about them) and asked if they could repair (it was a clean break, seems like someone with a blade welder could fix it right up) or if there was some sort of warranty on it.  (I have never heard of a warranty on a consumable, like a saw blade, but heck, it is worth asking.)

Much much to my surprise McMaster-Carr agreed that a properly used blade should not have broken at 50 square inches of cutting, and said they would send me a (free) replacement!

I was gobsmacked.  And, today (10 days later), the new replacement blade showed up.  Not only zero charge, even for shipping, but zero paper work needed on my part. Wonderfully amazing.

This is simply exceptional customer relationship management.  I am so glad I bought from them and, for my non-Chinesium purchases, purchases that are investments, and not disposable, I am certainly going to keep buying from them.

Yeah, McMaster-Carr is a big company.  I have no doubt others have experienced them in a negative way at some point.  But in this instance, they gave absolutely A+ service.

Oh, and when I finish my little silicon project, yes, I will post.

-Bill


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## macardoso (Nov 17, 2020)

Their phone support is incredible too. I get a live person with real ability to help me on the very first ring, no joke. You pay maybe a 25% premium on their products, but their availability, searchability, availability of CAD models, and overall great service keeps me going back to them.


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## Boswell (Nov 17, 2020)

I cringe sometimes at the prices but I often find myself using them anyway. Excellent Service, Great Selection, Fast Shipping, Supper convenient, Great easy to use online catalogue. ...


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## middle.road (Nov 17, 2020)

It has been that way for the over (~40) years I've been dealing with them.


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## Winegrower (Nov 17, 2020)

Yep, all positives about McMaster-Carr.   Their delivery has always been much faster than the other big names, don't know how they do it.

As for prices...well, nobody is making me order from them.   I just want to.


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## macardoso (Nov 17, 2020)

I always use their website as a paradigm of website design. It is so nice


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## .LMS. (Nov 17, 2020)

agreed - but those &#%@^-ers still won't sent me a catalog!


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## NCjeeper (Nov 17, 2020)

Next time contact Alex. He has a shop out Hwy 74 in Indian Trail. He has an EDM machine.


			https://www.ctraceworx.com/


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## NC Rick (Nov 17, 2020)

Bill Kahn said:


> I have just had a wonderful experience with McMaster-Carr.
> 
> I’m just a small-time garage hobbiest.  All thumbs and no talent.  But I enjoy it.  I spend, max, total, all-in, maybe a $500 a year on the hobby.
> 
> ...


I use them often, always great!  I think their prices for what show up is very competitive.  Often nice USA brands.  Last week I received a tube with a 1"x2" CRS bar 3 ft long  and a 3/16th by 1" bar x6 ft long. The longer one came bent by shipping.  we called and I received the replacement the next day, no questions, no returns.  A professional amd long time American company, doing what they do best.

nice to hear about the silicon cutting.  i hope you share more details!


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## matthewsx (Nov 17, 2020)

Just got a box from them this morning, just a small belt and 12" of 12L14 round bar. Here in 2 days for $20, no muss no fuss.

They get my business unless I can get what I'm looking for on eBay for much. much less.


John


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## maspann (Nov 17, 2020)

I totally agree, McMaster Carr is awesome. Back before their website (which is awesome) I got their catalog and was amazed at their call in system. Great company!


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## Cadillac (Nov 17, 2020)

Family owned and the best out there. Grainger  fasenal all of them don’t hold a chance.


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## FanMan (Nov 17, 2020)

.LMS. said:


> agreed - but those &#%@^-ers still won't sent me a catalog!


It used  to be they  would only send catalogs to companies with 20+ employees.  But with such a good website who needs a paper catalog?

I once ordered something from them in the morning, no special shipping requested, and I received it that afternoon (shipped from their NJ warehouse to CT).  Usually anything I order I get the  next day.

Is it still family owned?  I didn't know that.  Not surprised though.


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## vtcnc (Nov 17, 2020)

Ordered a bunch of different width, 3/8” thick 1018 for my most recent project. I shopped around online and was getting mixed results on price and shipping.

McMaster had competitive pricing on the steel. A few bucks higher than the lowest price from online metal supplies.

I emailed (from my shopping) cart and inquired about a shipping quote for my saved order. Got a reply a few minutes later to ship the steel, next day to Vermont for $15.

They charged me less than quoted and got it the next day.

It is hard to complain about anything with that company. They get it and do it right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Masterjuggler (Nov 17, 2020)

Their catalog is like a trophy haha.

Their shipping costs sometimes kill me, just got some 2.5mm ball bearings for a drill chuck, charged $13 shipping. That being said, they ship FAST. When I was in high school on the robotics team, we'd order several times a week and occasionally got it on the same day if ordered before lunch. It helps that I'm about 45min away.


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## 7milesup (Nov 17, 2020)

macardoso said:


> I always use their website as a paradigm of website design. It is so nice



You got that right!  So many big name stores would benefit from visiting the  McMaster Carr website.  It is the epitome of search-ability.


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## matthewsx (Nov 17, 2020)

Cheapest flat rate from USPS is $7.50, they just charged me $7.71 for a box about the size of a medium flat rate and I had it essentially next day (ordered on Sunday, arrived today). I think they get a heck of a deal from their shippers and pass along the savings. 

The biggest thing for me though is just the lack of hassle getting what I want, their website is stellar, selection is phenomenal, and I get what I order right away....

John


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## Masterjuggler (Nov 17, 2020)

Oh yeah, about those 2.5mm ball bearings: Cheaper than what I would have payed on ebay (ignoring shipping), and they emailed me separately a frigging certificate of elemental makeup, diameter, roundness, hardness, and sphericity tests sampled from the lot. For an $8 baggie. I can't believe they cater to non-businesses this way, incredible.


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## westerner (Nov 18, 2020)

It is rare that I can find something in their catalog that won't be here tomorrow. The warehouse in SoCal must be the size of an Alabama county. 
Grainger's pales in comparison, and has for the 20 years I have been in this line of work.


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## Skierdude (Nov 18, 2020)

Tell me Bill, what are you doing with the pieces of silicon once you have them cut to size?


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## devils4ever (Nov 18, 2020)

I've been slowly replacing my worn out drill bits from McMaster-Carr since I don't have a sharpener. I've been buying the TiN-Coated Split-Point HSS ones. They are awesome. They cut beautifully. The website doesn't state a brand, but they've all been Chicago-Latrobe brand.

I've been other items from them such as metal stock and bolts and screws. I needed some fully-threaded bolts and they were hard to find. MC had them.

I get my orders in a day since they have a warehouse in south Jersey.


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## uncle harry (Nov 18, 2020)

Bill Kahn said:


> I have just had a wonderful experience with McMaster-Carr.
> 
> I’m just a small-time garage hobbiest.  All thumbs and no talent.  But I enjoy it.  I spend, max, total, all-in, maybe a $500 a year on the hobby.
> 
> ...




I've had similar responses from McMaster.  And, their technical people are very responsive and helpful when I call them.


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## projectnut (Nov 18, 2020)

.LMS. said:


> agreed - but those &#%@^-ers still won't sent me a catalog!



If you spend the minimum of $50,000.00 per year they'll be more than happy to send you a catalog.  Personally I don't understand the fascination with McMaster catalogs.  I used them for years and much prefer the online system.  Prices and inventory change regularly and there's no way for the catalog to reflect them.

I hated making an order then getting a call a couple hours later telling me my PO wasn't enough to cover the order, or the item was "temporarily out of stock".  Then I'd either have to make an addendum to the PO, or write a whole new one.  With the online system the prices and inventory are far more accurate.


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## vtcnc (Nov 18, 2020)

projectnut said:


> If you spend the minimum of $50,000.00 per year they'll be more than happy to send you a catalog.  Personally I don't understand the fascination with McMaster catalogs.  I used them for years and much prefer the online system.  Prices and inventory change regularly and there's no way for the catalog to reflect them.
> 
> I hated making an order then getting a call a couple hours later telling me my PO wasn't enough to cover the order, or the item was "temporarily out of stock".  Then I'd either have to make an addendum to the PO, or write a whole new one.  With the online system the prices and inventory are far more accurate.


The catalog is more of a Trophy than anything else. I gave up a parking space for mine. Fool doesn't know what he gave up in prestige points. I don't mind, I needed the extra steps each day.


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## NCjeeper (Nov 18, 2020)

I guess it was last year when I placed an order and of course received it the next day. I just have McMaster bill my credit card. Well I hadn't realized that the card on file had expired. They sent me an email to update it. They could have held my order until I updated the new card info but instead just shipped it out. How awesome is that.


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## FanMan (Nov 18, 2020)

Because I once had a business (sole proprietor engineering consulting, but I had a tax ID), I have an open account with them... they send me stuff, they send me a bill afterwards, my wife pays it.


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## 682bear (Nov 18, 2020)

I order from Mcmaster often... usually I just add stuff to my cart until I have a large enough order to justify driving over and picking it up. I live @ 30 miles or so from the Douglasville, Ga warehouse. 

Their warehouse is massive! I don't know how many square feet it is, but its a lot!

-Bear


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## Bill Kahn (Nov 18, 2020)

Skierdude said:


> Tell me Bill, what are you doing with the pieces of silicon once you have them cut to size?


We all have our own fetishes...

I am an element collector.  In particular 1”x2”x6” bars.  I’ve posted on this before.  I work to scrounge affordable (and safe) elements.  (Of course, you can just go buy whatever you want, for a price.  I work to do it on the cheap.). I have 15 done and on the mantel.  Another half dozen are in some stage of process.  One of which is silicon.  Each of the elements has characteristics surprisingly unique.  They all (excepting copper) are basically just grey.  But start handling them, or better yet, melting or machining them, and wow, each its own personality that makes you smile with wonder.  Yes, Tin “creaks” when in a vise, but so does Bismuth (not quite as loud).  Antimony, when machined, sprays out the most deadly, sharp sharp jagged microscopic dust—nasty stuff. Cadmium shrinks a tremendous amount when it freezes—you can watch the shrinking in real time.  Fascinating.  And on and on.  I’ll write more about observations on each another time.  Well, I happened to get a good deal on a 6x6x8” piece of silicon. (Go go Ebay) Now I need to cut it down to 1x2x6.  This has been a wonderful adventure.  A bit more spendy than I was planning, but I sure have learned a lot.  Basically, with my silly hobby equipment (and a $140 diamond blade) I can cut silicon now.  So, I am making a bar.  To go with a score of others.  I’ll post an updated picture after this next batch is done (Sulfur (yes, amazing, but you can make a bar of sulfur), silicon, selenium (sort of like obsidian, but melts at just 450F (and I’ll talk about the smell and the reaction with aluminum I discovered accidentally)), manganese (I think my kiln can melt it to shape—we’ll see after the extra insulation arrives), zirconium (supposedly coming from the middle of China somewhere—I’m not sure, maybe I am getting ripped off?). So, more posting, with more photos, in a few months after this current batch is puzzled out as best I can.

I am retired—worked 2500 hours a year for 48 years.  Finally am having a chance to let loose and be silly.  Am loving it.

-Bill


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## Bill Kahn (Nov 18, 2020)

NCjeeper said:


> Next time contact Alex. He has a shop out Hwy 74 in Indian Trail. He has an EDM machine.
> 
> 
> https://www.ctraceworx.com/


Thank you so much for thinking of me and giving me the pointer.  Really appreciated.

I reached out to them.  They responded they do not have an EDM machine.  Oh well.  I’ll keep on truck’n with what I got.

Thanks again.

-Bill


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## jmkasunich (Nov 18, 2020)

[QUOTE="682bear, post: 795834, member: 44088"

Their warehouse is massive! I don't know how many square feet it is, but its a lot!

[/QUOTE]

Indeed.  On my first trip to will-call at the Aurora Ohio McMaster I'm heading down the driveway thinking "wow that's a big warehouse".  Then the driveway takes me around the corner and I realize that I was originally driving towards the *end* of the building.  The side of the building was at least twice as big!  Over 60 loading docks just on that one side.


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## NCjeeper (Nov 18, 2020)

Bill Kahn said:


> Thank you so much for thinking of me and giving me the pointer.  Really appreciated.
> 
> I reached out to them.  They responded they do not have an EDM machine.  Oh well.  I’ll keep on truck’n with what I got.
> 
> ...


Sorry about that. When I was living in Charlotte about a year and a half ago I was told he had one by a friend of mine.


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## kb58 (Nov 18, 2020)

Agree with all the good points, although I do sometimes get grumpy about how "generous" they are with how they box things, and I pay for it. For example, a flat 12" square plate will often come in a one cubic-foot box. I told someone that they're doing their part to clean up Los Angeles's smog by shipping it elsewhere, one cubic foot at a time.

If I order 100 4-40 washers, they'll arrive in a box that could probably hold 100,000 washers. Lastly, unless you make a point of finding it later, what you pay for shipping is always left off the invoice, so you don't really know.

That said, if I order before around 9pm, it's on the doorstep early the next morning. Order by 9am, and it's at the door when I get home, so what's that worth?! And yes, Customer Service is top-notch, and as was said, their website should serve as a standard for how to do it right.


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## projectnut (Nov 18, 2020)

kb58 said:


> Agree with all the good points, although I do sometimes get grumpy about how "generous" they are with how they box things, and I pay for it. For example, a flat 12" square plate will often come in a one cubic-foot box. I told someone that they're doing their part to clean up Los Angeles's smog by shipping it elsewhere, one cubic foot at a time.
> 
> If I order 100 4-40 washers, they'll arrive in a box that could hold 10,000 washers. Lastly, *you never know what you end up paying for shipping because it's always left off the invoice.*
> 
> That said, if I order before around 9pm, it's on the doorstep early the next morning. Order by 9am, and it's at the door when I get home, so what's that worth?! And yes, Customer Service is top-notch, and as was said, how their website is designed should serve as a standard for others.



I always get the shipping charge on my *invoices*.  It's the last line before the sub total.  I just got an order from them yesterday.  The shipping was $7.22.  The shipping charges do not appear on the initial order confirmation


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## kb58 (Nov 18, 2020)

Fair point, and you're right. My point was that when ordering, you don't know what you're going to get charged before you click "Place Order", and that's presumably the time that you'd reconsider. For example, is it better to ship 10 pieces of aluminum rod that are 12" each, or ship a 10' section of the same? While I can guess up-front, I shouldn't really have to.


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## matthewsx (Nov 18, 2020)

kb58 said:


> Fair point, and you're right. My point was that when ordering, you don't know what you're going to get charged before you click "Place Order", and that's presumably the time that you'd reconsider. For example, is it better to ship 10 pieces of aluminum rod that are 12" each, or ship a 10' section of the same? While I can guess up-front, I shouldn't really have to.



I used to worry about this but I've never felt like they are gouging on the shipping charges. I suspect that with the wide variety of items they carry it would be nearly impossible to write a program that would give accurate shipping numbers *AND* get the stuff out the door as quickly as they do. Since the vast majority of their customers are commercial accounts where fast delivery is far more important than free shipping (like consumer customers) they probably find greater efficiency this way. 

Someone else pointed out that you can call and get shipping cost before ordering if needed which would be a good idea when ordering something heavy or bulky.

For me it's just awesome to have one supplier that I don't have to worry about, they do what they say and say what they do which is so different from the usual experience with online ordering.

John


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## mksj (Apr 12, 2021)

Somewhat older thread, but recently purchased $35 worth of parts from McMaster-Carr and was charged $32 shipping charges that showed up on my invoice several days later. Given that you do not know how an item will be shipped and that the costs are not calculated when you place the order has made ordering from McMaster-Carr a real issue for me. Their shipping costs have gone up significantly, with many other major on-line vendors offering free shipping for orders over $50 (like Zoro, Automation Direct, etc.) I will no longer order form McMaster-Carr unless an item is not available anywhere else. I contacted McMaster-Carr about this and they indicated that you could request a shipping quote before placing your order, seems like a real PTA for small items or you do not know how it will be shipped, when just about everyone else has real time shipping costs on check-out.  So buyer beware if you have anything that may not fit in a small box.


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## macardoso (Apr 12, 2021)

mksj said:


> Somewhat older thread, but recently purchased $35 worth of parts from McMaster-Carr and was charged $32 shipping charges that showed up on my invoice several days later. Given that you do not know how an item will be shipped and that the costs are not calculated when you place the order has made ordering from McMaster-Carr a real issue for me. Their shipping costs have gone up significantly, with many other major on-line vendors offering free shipping for orders over $50 (like Zoro, Automation Direct, etc.) I will no longer order form McMaster-Carr unless an item is not available anywhere else. I contacted McMaster-Carr about this and they indicated that you could request a shipping quote before placing your order, seems like a real PTA for small items or you do not know how it will be shipped, when just about everyone else has real time shipping costs on check-out.  So buyer beware if you have anything that may not fit in a small box.


I have had frustration with McMaster shipping costs. They are high but seem fair enough given what needs to be shipped. If I am ordering 3' or 6' bars of material in heavy cardboard tubes, it makes sense that it will cost more than a small parcel.

I'm also spoiled since McMaster Carr is 20 minutes from my work if I need to go to our plant, so it is an easy lunch run to pick up an item from roll call.


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## Gaffer (Apr 12, 2021)

I feel your pain, and hopefully, M-C will update their process so we know the shipping expense at the time of purchase. Shipping will continue to get more expensive. Even Zoro upped their free shipping for orders over $50 to $75. I have loved M-C and their fast shipping. I haven't bought from them in several months, but I didn't have any unexpected or unreasonable shipping then.


mksj said:


> Somewhat older thread, but recently purchased $35 worth of parts from McMaster-Carr and was charged $32 shipping charges that showed up on my invoice several days later. Given that you do not know how an item will be shipped and that the costs are not calculated when you place the order has made ordering from McMaster-Carr a real issue for me. Their shipping costs have gone up significantly, with many other major on-line vendors offering free shipping for orders over $50 (like Zoro, Automation Direct, etc.) I will no longer order form McMaster-Carr unless an item is not available anywhere else. I contacted McMaster-Carr about this and they indicated that you could request a shipping quote before placing your order, seems like a real PTA for small items or you do not know how it will be shipped, when just about everyone else has real time shipping costs on check-out.  So buyer beware if you have anything that may not fit in a small box.


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## DavidR8 (Apr 12, 2021)

I'm a new McMasterCarr customer. I had to set up a commercial account as I'm in Canada and they will not ship to residences in Canada. So now I have a registered business name and have placed a couple of orders. To me the shipping is not unreasonable given the speed. 

Their packaging is definitely generous, KBC does a better job of packing odd shaped large objects IMHO. In contrast, my partner ordered two small books from UK bookseller. Each was 6"x 9" x .75". They came in a box that was 9" tall x 18" long x 12" deep. Now that was excessive.


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## Flyinfool (Apr 12, 2021)

I have questioned shippers about using huge boxes for tiny items.
One shipper told me that it is because Chicago is between them and me, the rate of small packages that get lost going thru Chicago is huge, it is cheaper to ship in big boxes than to keep re-sending lost orders. I have heard this from a number of big shippers. The shippers even started to put a piece of paper explaining this in every oversize box.


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## Gaffer (Apr 12, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> I have questioned shippers about using huge boxes for tiny items.
> One shipper told me that it is because Chicago is between them and me, the rate of small packages that get lost going thru Chicago is huge, it is cheaper to ship in big boxes than to keep re-sending lost orders. I have heard this from a number of big shippers. The shippers even started to put a piece of paper explaining this in every oversize box.


I can't blame the shippers for trying to fix a problem otherwise out of their control. What a drag - and it's inexcusable.


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## 7milesup (Apr 12, 2021)

I recently order 3 bandsaw blades from Mars supply in Minneapolis.  Each blade was $28 or so.  I think shipping was over $30 via UPS to get it 90 miles.  They have used Spee Dee delivery in the past (an upper Midwest shipper) which was about $12.  Forgot to tell them to ship it Spee Dee so it was my fault, sort of, but still frustrating.
I also ordered a vacuum hose from Rockler Woodworking.  Free shipping but again via UPS.  Took 5 days.  The package went to Illinois for some reason and then back.  The box had actually been torn in two and taped back together along with another 1/4 roll of tape to keep the rest of it together.  And, it was filthy.  Surprisingly, everything that I ordered was still in the box.  I have become less than impressed with UPS.


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## Ischgl99 (Apr 12, 2021)

I've been ordering from McMaster-Carr for a few decades and never had a complaint about the shipping, it was always far cheaper than any other place I ordered from.  Prices from UPS have gone up significantly this past year, so ordering online is not the deal it used to be.  I don't recall UPS rates being based on package size in the past as long as it was below the oversize category, but I just tried a sample shipment with two different box sizes for a 10lb weight and the larger box shipping weight went up to 16lb with a corresponding price increase.  I try to combine as much as I can when ordering from them now, in the past I would not hesitate to place an order for a single item since the shipping price was so cheap.  If shipping costs might be an issue for an order, I will plug in the weight in the UPS rate estimator to get an idea of what the costs will be, but it would be nice for them to be able to add that to the order page so I don't have to do that.

Their steel prices are pretty good, and there is a good selection of grades.  I placed an order for several sizes of 1215 in 6' lengths to keep on hand for various projects and even with the shipping charge, they were cheaper than any other place I could find, including my local steel supplier.  I also like that what they sell is a quality name brand.  I have yet to get a poor quality product from them, and their customer service is some of the best in the industry.


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## Badabinski (Apr 12, 2021)

Agreed on their metal! I get the majority of my steel and aluminum from a local place that sells a pretty weird mix of metal by the pound, but I buy exclusively from McMaster when I need stuff of a known provenance or of a specific size. Their prices are pretty reasonable (for the stuff I typically buy, usually 4140PH), they're quick, and I now have a great selection of comically oversized cardboard boxes that I can use to patch holes in my roof.


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## Razzle (Apr 12, 2021)

If you think the website is awesome, try out the phone app. As easy to use as the website. I only order small stuff, but they never balk and it is shipped and delivered fast. Way better than grainger even with the local presence


Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk


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## projectnut (Apr 12, 2021)

I use McMaster for a lot of hardware items, but find most of their metal is expensive.  I stopped at a local equipment dealer last weekend and picked up 12 pcs. 1/2" x 1 1/4" x 12' 6061 aluminum bars for $8.00 ea., and a dozen 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 10" 6061 aluminum bars for $12.00 ea.  McMaster is more than triple the price for the same items, plus delivery.  

The last time I bought a 6' length of 6061 from McMaster the shipping was nearly the same price as the metal.  It came  the next day in a nice tube, but the shipping cost can be a killer.  If I'm in the market for almost any flat or round stock I always check the equipment dealers first unless I need it in a hurry.


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## vtcnc (Apr 13, 2021)

Ischgl99 said:


> I've been ordering from McMaster-Carr for a few decades and never had a complaint about the shipping, it was always far cheaper than any other place I ordered from. Prices from UPS have gone up significantly this past year, so ordering online is not the deal it used to be. I don't recall UPS rates being based on package size in the past as long as it was below the oversize category, but I just tried a sample shipment with two different box sizes for a 10lb weight and the larger box shipping weight went up to 16lb with a corresponding price increase. I try to combine as much as I can when ordering from them now, in the past I would not hesitate to place an order for a single item since the shipping price was so cheap. If shipping costs might be an issue for an order, I will plug in the weight in the UPS rate estimator to get an idea of what the costs will be, but it would be nice for them to be able to add that to the order page so I don't have to do that.
> 
> Their steel prices are pretty good, and there is a good selection of grades. I placed an order for several sizes of 1215 in 6' lengths to keep on hand for various projects and even with the shipping charge, they were cheaper than any other place I could find, including my local steel supplier. I also like that what they sell is a quality name brand. I have yet to get a poor quality product from them, and their customer service is some of the best in the industry.



Shipping isn’t based only on weight. There is a volume component to their pricing as well. This applies to every shipper. This accounts for costs associated with “shipping air”.


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## Ischgl99 (Apr 13, 2021)

projectnut said:


> I use McMaster for a lot of hardware items, but find most of their metal is expensive.  I stopped at a local equipment dealer last weekend and picked up 12 pcs. 1/2" x 1 1/4" x 12' 6061 aluminum bars for $8.00 ea., and a dozen 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 10" 6061 aluminum bars for $12.00 ea.  McMaster is more than triple the price for the same items, plus delivery.
> 
> The last time I bought a 6' length of 6061 from McMaster the shipping was nearly the same price as the metal.  It came  the next day in a nice tube, but the shipping cost can be a killer.  If I'm in the market for almost any flat or round stock I always check the equipment dealers first unless I need it in a hurry.


McMaster is not the place to buy short lengths, I don't buy less than 3ft lengths from them.


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## Ischgl99 (Apr 13, 2021)

vtcnc said:


> Shipping isn’t based only on weight. There is a volume component to their pricing as well. This applies to every shipper. This accounts for costs associated with “shipping air”.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


As I said, I never noticed that in the past.  I used to ship a lot of items through UPS and the price did not change when I changed box sizes, so maybe I got lucky and the difference wasn't enough.


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## T Bredehoft (Apr 13, 2021)

I received a small order from them today almost exactly at the same time I received an email from them telling me the credit card was out of date. I phone in a new number, but was pleased they'd shipped the items without having billed me.


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## mksj (Apr 13, 2021)

I will say their service has been top notch, and I have had many previous orders with them. They also carry quality items/hardware. But not to know the shipping costs in advance or be able to choose a less expensive shipping options if you do not need fast shipping is a real problem for me. Just about every other vendor does give you shipping costs/options, and quite often you will not know how a packaged will be shipped, how many boxes or locations it will be shipped from and what the corporate costs will be.  On Zoro if you sign up on their site the shipping is free for orders over $50, but then they have over inflated prices and you need to play the coupon code game. I still feel that with McMaster-Carr that they should implement an option to receive an invoice with shipping before committing to the an order. I had a number of other options for the same tubing at far less cost when you calculated in the shipping.








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On buying online metals I will often use eBay with free/fixed shipping costs, or if ordering online I often adjust the lengths and quantities and to minimize the shipping costs. One of the key factors is the length, go over 3' and the price can go up dramatically. Pre-covid I would go to local metal suppliers and pick through their rems, and in the old Enco times you could get some great deals with free shipping.


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## Ischgl99 (Apr 13, 2021)

When I was working, I never cared about the shipping costs on a McMaster order, I only cared I got it in time for my project.  I would expect most of their industrial customers are the same, so there would not be an incentive to show the shipping prior to ordering.  I never knew what shipping would be from most suppliers we ordered from either, so McMaster-Carr is not that much different than the rest of the industry.  For my hobby uses I care, and I look around for the best deal, but we are not their target customer, so I don’t ever expect to see them add shipping options or a free shipping offer from McMaster-Carr. 

 If you live in an out of the way place, the post office might be significantly cheaper, but I live 2.5 hrs away from the NJ warehouse and my last order for a 4lb package was only $9.  I checked the retail cost and it would be $20 if I tried to ship that same package.  Even though that is higher than orders from a couple years ago, I still consider that cheap to get what I order the next day.   I order from Travers too, they are only 1.5 hrs away, the post office is a few dollars cheaper than UPS on their order page.  My last order from them for a 2 pound package costs $14 with UPS and $9 with USPS, so being the frugal hobbyist, I chose the post office.  That package took 2 weeks to get here.  Whatever McMaster-Carr is doing, they are doing it right.

The local steel suppliers here think their remnants are gold plated.  $1.25/lb for mild steel drops, $6 for aluminum, brass, or stainless.  I have been contacting some local wastewater plants I have worked with in the past to see if they have any shafts from pump overhauls laying around they would sell for scrap.  I might not know what material it is, but for sure it will be better than A36!


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## matthewsx (Apr 13, 2021)

Everything comes down to your local supplier and availability of what you need. When I was in Michigan I could go to the local supply which wasn't too far out of my way and get basic stuff for fabrication but very limited for anything beyond that.

McMaster has the advantage of delivering wherever you are, whatever you need, whenever you need it so that's worth an awful lot in my book. I also get certificates for most stuff so if I ever needed to prove what something's made from I could do that. At least for me their delivery charges are consistent and usually less than what I could ship the same thing for myself.

If you can make friends with a local machine shop and get drops from them then you'll probably be able to beat their prices, but you'll have to be available during regular business hours in most cases and be willing to take whatever is on offer.

For sheer lack of hassle McMaster-Carr wins hands down over most other suppliers, they'll even sell you 6" of what you need which comes in handy if storage is limited.

John


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## PancakeCritter (Apr 15, 2021)

I love McMaster. Ever since they added the option to text questions about products. Super convenient for generic items if you want to know what brand they're selling.


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## Tim9 (Apr 15, 2021)

Im not a major  McMaster Carr customer. I probably spend a few hundred with them a year....maybe 500.  But I have always been happy with their products and service. Only complaint is I had an order which recently showed up in about 6 UPS deliveries and the shipping was a killer. Next order I"ll probably do on the phone to ask them if there's a way to limit the shipping cost since most of the stuff I buy from them is just for stock....nothing Im in a hurry to get.
  But they are a great company.


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## tkalxx (Apr 19, 2021)

Tim9 said:


> Next order I"ll probably do on the phone to ask them if there's a way to limit the shipping cost since most of the stuff I buy from them is just for stock....nothing Im in a hurry to get.



Whenever I place a McMaster order, I add a note in the "additional instructions" box asking to ship all items as one package if possible. Saves a lot of cost in the long run. There have only been a few times where they shipped an order in multiple packages and it was due to items coming from different warehouses.


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## Braeden P (Apr 19, 2021)

I get next day shipping and it arrives the next day at noon! cant go wrong with them!


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